When to visit Colombia

The best time to visit Colombia is December to March: it’s the driest season in both the Andes and on the Caribbean coast, so you can combine Bogotá, Medellín, the Coffee Region and the beach with little rain. The second good window is July-August, great for the Andes and for seeing whales on the Pacific. That said, Colombia works all year round: there’s no summer or winter here, temperature changes with altitude, and rain usually comes as an afternoon downpour. Here’s how to pick the right month for where you want to go.

Colombia’s climate depends on altitude

In Colombia the temperature barely changes through the year: what matters is how high up you are. Colombians split the country into “thermal floors”, and on a single trip you can go from swimwear to a down jacket.

Zone	Altitude	Where	Typical temperatures
Tierra caliente	up to 1,000 m	Caribbean coast, Pacific, Amazon	24-33 °C (75-91 °F)
Tierra templada	1,000-2,000 m	Medellín, Coffee Region, Cali	17-28 °C (63-82 °F)
Tierra fría	2,000-3,000 m	Bogotá, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá	7-20 °C (45-68 °F)
Páramo	above 3,000 m	Los Nevados, high mountains	below 10 °C (50 °F), freezing nights

These are the average temperatures in the most visited places, and they hold more or less all year:

City	Altitude	Highs	Lows
Cartagena	sea level	31-32 °C (88-90 °F)	24-25 °C (75-77 °F)
Santa Marta	sea level	31-33 °C (88-91 °F)	23-25 °C (73-77 °F)
Medellín	1,495 m	27-28 °C (81-82 °F)	16-18 °C (61-64 °F)
Salento	about 1,900 m	22-24 °C (72-75 °F)	13-15 °C (55-59 °F)
Bogotá	about 2,600 m	19-20 °C (66-68 °F)	7-9 °C (45-48 °F)
Leticia (Amazon)	about 100 m	31-32 °C (88-90 °F)	22-23 °C (72-73 °F)

Dry season and rainy season

Colombia doesn’t have four seasons but alternates between dry spells (verano) and rainy spells (invierno), and they differ from region to region.

• Andes (Bogotá, Medellín, Coffee Region): two dry seasons, December to March and July to August, and two rainy ones, April-May and October-November. Even in the rainy months it rarely rains all day: mornings are usually clear and the downpour comes in the afternoon.
• Caribbean coast (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tayrona): dry and breezy from December to April; June-July brings a drier break (the veranillo), then rain builds to a peak in October. It’s hot all year.
• Pacific coast (Nuquí, Bahía Solano): one of the wettest places on earth, with rain every month. You go for the whales and the wildlife, not the sunshine.
• Amazon (Leticia): it rains all year, but what really matters is the river level, which changes the excursions (more on that below).

In recent years El Niño and La Niña have made the seasons less predictable: a “dry” month can be wetter than usual, and vice versa. Check the forecast in the days before you leave and keep a spare day for outdoor trips.

Colombia weather month by month

Month	Andes	Caribbean coast	What’s on
January	dry	dry and breezy	peak season until mid-month; Carnaval de Negros y Blancos in Pasto
February	dry	dry and breezy	Tayrona closed in the first half of the month; often Barranquilla Carnival
March	dry, rain late in the month	dry	Holy Week in March or April
April	rainy	dry and very hot	Holy Week; Vallenato Festival late in the month
May	rainy	rain increasing	low season, lower prices
June	rain easing	drier break	Tayrona closed in the first half of the month; school holidays from mid-month
July	dry	hot, fairly dry	school holidays; whale season begins
August	dry	hot and humid, more rain	Medellín Flower Festival; peak whale season
September	rain increasing	rainy	whales on the Pacific; low season
October	rainy	wettest month	Tayrona closed from late October to early November
November	rainy	rainy, improving late in the month	Cartagena independence celebrations (11 November)
December	dry from mid-month	dry and breezy	peak season from mid-month; Christmas lights in Medellín; Feria de Cali

The best time to visit, region by region

Area	Best time	Good to know
Caribbean coast	December-April	Tayrona National Park closes three times a year
Bogotá and Boyacá	December-February, July-August	cool all year, you’ll want a jacket in the evening
Medellín and the Coffee Region	December-March, July-August	short downpours possible in any month
Pacific coast	July-October	humpback whale season
Amazon	all year	high or low water changes the excursions
Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) trek	December-March	the trail gets very muddy in the rainy months

Tayrona National Park closures

Tayrona National Park closes three times a year to give the ecosystem and the Sierra Nevada’s Indigenous communities a rest. In 2026 the closures were 1-15 February, 1-15 June and 19 October to 2 November; the dates have been almost identical in recent years, but Parques Nacionales confirms them every year. If Tayrona is a must on your trip, check the official calendar before booking flights.

When to see whales on the Pacific coast

Humpback whales come to Colombia’s Pacific coast to breed between July and October, peaking in August and September. The easiest places to reach are Nuquí and Bahía Solano in Chocó, with Utría National Park in between: you get there by plane, usually from Medellín. Other whale-watching spots, such as Gorgona Island and Bahía Málaga, mean travelling through areas covered by government travel warnings (see our guide to safety in Colombia). The first whales sometimes show up in late June, but if you want to play it safe, go in August.

Amazon: high water or low water

It rains all year in the Amazon; what changes is the level of the river, which can rise and fall by several metres. Sources don’t agree on the exact dates, but roughly:

• High water, roughly December to May: the forest floods, you get around more by boat and canoe and pink river dolphins are easier to spot.
• Low water, roughly August to October: beaches and trails appear, you walk more, it rains less but the sun is fierce.

Neither is the “wrong” time: choose based on what you’d rather do and ask the operator running your trip.

Peak season and prices in Colombia

The busiest and most expensive weeks are Colombian holiday periods:

• mid-December to mid-January, the priciest time of all, especially on the coast;
• Holy Week (March or April);
• mid-June to late July, during the school holidays;
• one week in October, when schools take a break.

In these periods domestic flights and accommodation cost more and beaches are packed: book a few months ahead. To plan your journeys around them, read our guide to getting around Colombia.

Watch out for puentes festivos too: by law many public holidays move to the Monday, which gives around fifteen long weekends a year. On those weekends places near the big cities (Guatapé, Villa de Leyva, Salento) fill up and buses leave full. Check the festivos calendar before you fix your weekend stops.

The cheapest months, if you don’t mind some rain, are May and September to November (long weekends aside).

Festivals and events in Colombia

• Carnaval de Negros y Blancos in Pasto (2-7 January): UNESCO-listed, with one day when everyone paints their face black and another of white talc.
• Barranquilla Carnival (February or early March, the four days before Ash Wednesday): the biggest in the country and UNESCO-listed. Book accommodation months ahead.
• Holy Week in Popayán (March or April): night-time processions held for centuries, also on the UNESCO list.
• Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata in Valledupar (late April or early May): the celebration of vallenato music.
• Feria de las Flores in Medellín (early August, about ten days): the highlight is the parade of silleteros, who carry huge flower arrangements on their backs.
• Festival Petronio Álvarez in Cali (August): the festival of Afro-Colombian music from the Pacific.
• Alumbrados in Medellín (December to early January): Christmas lights along the river and across the neighbourhoods.
• Feria de Cali (25-30 December): salsa, concerts and parades.

Exact dates change every year: check them on the cities’ official websites before planning your trip around an event.

What to pack

On a single trip you go from 32 °C (90 °F) on the coast to 7 °C (45 °F) on a Bogotá night, so the rule is layers:

• light, breathable clothes for the coast and the Amazon;
• a fleece or jumper and a light jacket for Bogotá, Salento and mountain evenings;
• a rain jacket or poncho, useful in every season;
• closed shoes for the trails (Cocora and Tayrona get muddy), high-factor sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best month to visit Colombia?

For most of the country the best time is December to March, with late January to March combining dry weather and fewer crowds. July and August are a great alternative for the Andes and the Pacific coast.

When is the rainy season in Colombia?

In the Andes it rains mostly in April-May and October-November, usually as afternoon downpours. On the Caribbean coast the wettest period runs from September to November, peaking in October; on the Pacific coast it rains all year.

Is August a good time to visit Colombia?

Yes, especially if you’re visiting the Andes and the Pacific: August is dry season in Bogotá, Medellín and the Coffee Region, it’s Flower Festival time and the best month for whales. On the Caribbean coast it’s very hot and the odd storm is possible.

When can you see whales in Colombia?

On the Pacific coast from July to October, peaking in August and September. The easiest places to get to are Nuquí, Bahía Solano and Utría National Park in Chocó, with flights mostly from Medellín.

Is Colombia cold?

Only in the mountains: in Bogotá, at about 2,600 metres, highs are 19-20 °C (66-68 °F) and at night it drops below 10 °C (50 °F). The Caribbean coast is hot all year, with highs of 31-32 °C (88-90 °F).