Think twice.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Colombia
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Think twice.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Million Dollar Ride
This involves being picked up by a hailed taxi and held against your will. Avoid this by calling cabs or ordering them through an app instead of hailing them off the street.
Dating App Drugging
Criminals use dating apps to meet victims, spike their drinks with drugs like scopolamine, and rob them. Meet only in public places and avoid going to private accommodations with new acquaintances.
Club Drugging Scam
Individuals at clubs act overly friendly to tourists, buy them drinks, and then drug them to steal money and valuables. Avoid going home with people met at clubs.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Dengue
- • Yellow Fever in Colombia
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Chikungunya, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Visitors to Colombia must obtain a visa from one of the Colombian diplomatic missions or online unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Colombia.
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Colombia, but same-sex relationships are not widely accepted, especially in rural areas. Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Colombia has suffered from a terrible reputation as a dangerous and violent country, but the situation has improved dramatically since the 1980s and 1990s.
- •The security situation varies greatly around the country.
- •Landmines: Colombia is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world.
- •Paramilitaries: There was an agreement in 2005 with the government which resulted in the disarmament of some of the paramilitaries.
Staying healthy
- •Drink only bottled water outside the major cities.
- •The tourism website of Colombia has the current information on COVID-19.
- •Tropical diseases are a concern in lowland parts of the country, and more so outside of major cities.
- •Malaria is a potential problem, so trips outside Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena, and the Andean region warrant use of antimalarials, which can be bought very cheaply without a prescription from…
- •Cases of Zika virus have been reported in Colombia.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
- Colombian earthquake kills 132 , SoE declared2026-08-12
- Colombia earthquake : Death toll rises to 181 , nearly 200 missing as rescue operations continue2026-08-12
- Visuals surface as 7 . 4 magnitude earthquake shatters Colombia : Buildings in ruins , people under rubble2026-08-11
- Colombia earthquake death toll rises to 1322026-08-11
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers report varying safety levels across Colombia, with cities like Medellín and Bogotá often rated lower than smaller areas like Guatape. Common risks include pickpocketing and opportunistic theft, particularly of high-value items like jewelry and phones, which represent significant financial value to locals. Avoiding risky behavior—such as seeking drugs or prostitutes—is essential, as these activities mark tourists as targets. Practical advice includes using ride-share apps like Cabify, keeping phones out of sight, traveling in groups, and avoiding flashy displays of wealth. While some visitors feel safe during the day, others note high levels of dishonesty and scamming, emphasizing the need for constant situational awareness and caution when interacting with strangers.
“if you are looking for drugs/prostitutes..sure, just keep in mind the people in this business may look at you as a target and to them you are now vulnerable and easy to rob.
— r/travel
“with that being said people do not hesitate to rob you a gold watch, chain, cellphone.. that has value. robbing a 1000$ necklace is almost 3 months work worth to them so you have to look at it like that.
— r/travel
“Even in a group, a few of the girls were pickpocketed. With that being said, the only robbery story I heard was when a girl went out with locals in the middle of the night and they stole all her belongings. She gave papaya…
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 / ambulance: 125 / fire: 119
Tipping
A service charge of 10% is generally added to the bill in nice restaurants (if it's not, you should add it yourself). Tipping taxi drivers is not common. Most "tipping" is merely rounding up to the nearest thousand pesos (e.g., rounding up your cafe bill to COP$7,000 from COP$6,700). Private tour guides do not need to be tipped, but it is common to do so, if you liked the guide.
SIM / Data
Carriers: It's simple enough to get a SIM card and even an unlocked phone at the international airport in Bogotá, although there is, of course, a price hike. They're not hard to find in any city either, just ask your hotel or hostel staff where to go. Topping up is also easy, and can be done pretty much on any street corner.
Cash vs. Card
The currency of Colombia is the Colombian peso, but the symbol you will encounter is $ (ISO code: COP). Wikivoyage uses the notation "COP$" for clarity.
Zoom in
3 Colombia cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09