Colombia
Last checked:
- Capital
- Bogotá
- Currency
- COP · Colombian peso
- Languages
- Spanish
- Plugs
- Type A, B · 110 V
Emergency numbers
Top 5 places
- Walled City (Ciudad Amurallada) · Cartagena
Colonial old town with colourful streets, plazas and city walls on the Caribbean.
- Comuna 13 and the Metrocable · Medellín
Street art and outdoor escalators in a transformed neighbourhood; cable cars give city views.
- La Candelaria and Museo del Oro · Bogotá
Historic centre with the Gold Museum, Botero Museum and Monserrate hill above it.
- Cocora Valley and the Coffee Region · Salento
Tall wax palms, hiking and coffee farm tours in the Eje Cafetero.
- Tayrona National Park · Santa Marta
Jungle trails to Caribbean beaches; closes for some weeks each year for rest (varies).
Getting around
Ride-hailing app
Uber
Widely used in Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Cali. Private-car rides are in a legal grey zone but used daily by locals. Often advised over hailing taxis on the street. Card or cash payment.
Ride-hailing app
DiDi / Cabify
Main competitors to Uber in big cities, often slightly cheaper. Compare prices between apps.
Ride-hailing app
InDrive
Popular app where you offer a price and drivers accept or counter. Often cash. Sources disagree on how widely it operates (varies).
Taxi
Taxis Libres / Tappsi
Apps and phone lines that dispatch licensed yellow taxis. UK advice says to use app or phone-booked taxis rather than hailing on the street, especially at night.
Public transport
TransMilenio (Bogotá) / Metro de Medellín
Bogotá's bus rapid transit uses the TuLlave card; Medellín's metro and Metrocable use the Cívica card. Cheap and fast, but crowded buses are pickpocket hotspots.
Buses
Long-distance buses (and flights)
Long-distance buses are cheap and cover the whole country, but distances are long. Avianca, LATAM and budget airlines (Wingo and others) make flights the practical option for Bogotá, Medellín, Cartagena and Santa Marta.
Money and cash
Currency: COP · Colombian peso
Cards work in malls, chain restaurants and hotels in big cities, but cash is still needed for taxis, buses, markets, small shops and beach vendors. Withdraw at ATMs inside banks, malls or supermarkets during the day; many ATMs charge a per-withdrawal fee. Carry small notes, as drivers and vendors often lack change for 50,000 and 100,000 COP notes.
Tipping
Tipping in restaurants is handled through a suggested 10% 'propina voluntaria' that is often printed on the bill. By law (Ley 1935 of 2018) it is voluntary and staff must ask whether you want to include it. Outside sit-down restaurants, tipping is light: rounding up is usual.
| Restaurants | Most sit-down restaurants suggest a 10% propina on the bill. Pay it if service was fine; you can lower, raise or decline it. No extra tip on top is expected. |
|---|---|
| Cafés and bars | Rounding up or about 5% for table service; nothing expected at the counter. |
| Taxis and ride apps | Not customary. Rounding up to the nearest thousand pesos is a kind gesture. |
| Hotels | Not generally expected; small tips for porters per bag and housekeeping per day are appreciated. |
| Tours and guides | Optional, around 5-10% for good guides on full-day tours. Free walking tours expect a cash tip at the end. |
| Food delivery | Optional; apps like Rappi let you add a tip in the app. |
Service charge: what’s true
The 10% 'propina voluntaria' or 'servicio' appears as a separate line on the bill, often already added. The law says it is voluntary, cannot be suggested above 10%, and staff must ask before finalising the bill ('¿Desea incluir el servicio?'). Restaurants must post a notice about this. The tip belongs to the workers, not the employer. You can refuse it or change the amount without explanation.
Pressure tactics to watch for
Some restaurants add the 10% without asking, or card terminals prompt for an extra tip on top of a bill that already includes servicio. Check the bill before paying. If you want to remove or change it, say: 'Sin el servicio, por favor' or 'Con el servicio está bien, gracias'. Complaints about forced tips can go to the Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio.
Useful phrases
- La cuenta, por favor. The bill, please.
- ¿El servicio está incluido? Is the tip/service included?
- Sin el servicio, por favor. Without the service charge, please.
Etiquette
- Greet people before asking anything: 'Buenos días' or 'Buenas tardes'. A handshake is normal; friends often kiss on the right cheek.
- Colombians use polite forms a lot ('¿Me regala...?' for 'Could I have...?'). Politeness matters in shops.
- Ask the price first when it is not marked, especially from beach and street vendors.
- Dress modestly in churches; shoulders covered and no beachwear.
- Do not joke about drugs or Pablo Escobar; many locals find 'narco tourism' offensive.
- Light bargaining is fine at markets and with beach vendors, not in shops.
Scams and how to handle them
Scopolamine drugging
Where: Bars, clubs and dates in Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena
How it works: Criminals put scopolamine (burundanga) in drinks, food, cigarettes or on paper flyers. Victims become compliant and are robbed of cash, cards and phones, sometimes taken to ATMs.
How to avoid it: Never leave a drink unattended or accept drinks, snacks or cigarettes from strangers. Seek medical help immediately if you feel unusually confused.
Dating app setups
Where: Medellín and other big cities
How it works: Teams use dating apps to meet lone travellers, then drug and rob them, often at the victim's accommodation.
How to avoid it: Meet in public places, do not bring new contacts to your room or go to theirs, and tell a friend where you are.
Express kidnapping in taxis ('paseo millonario')
Where: Street-hailed taxis, especially at night
How it works: A driver picks you up and accomplices get in, forcing you to withdraw cash at ATMs or transfer money.
How to avoid it: Book taxis through an app, phone line or your hotel. If it happens, do not resist.
Fake police checking your money
Where: Bogotá city centre
How it works: Men posing as plain-clothes police ask to inspect your cash or cards for counterfeits and keep some.
How to avoid it: Do not hand over money. Ask to go together to the nearest police station (CAI).
Overpriced beach food and services
Where: Cartagena beaches, Playa Blanca, Rosario Islands
How it works: Vendors give a 'free' massage or serve seafood without a price, then demand a large amount.
How to avoid it: Refuse anything you did not ask for and agree the full price first, in writing if possible.
Short-changing and fake notes
Where: Taxis, markets, street vendors
How it works: Change is given in counterfeit notes, or a driver claims your large note was fake and swaps it.
How to avoid it: Pay with small notes, count change in front of the person and keep large notes out of sight.
ATM theft and card skimming
Where: Street ATMs, especially at night
How it works: Thieves watch withdrawals, skim cards or rob users right after.
How to avoid it: Use ATMs inside banks, malls or supermarkets during the day.
Safety
- Pickpocketing and phone snatching are common in La Candelaria (Bogotá), central Medellín, Cali and the Caribbean coast. Do not hold your phone out near the street.
- Use app or phone-booked taxis, especially at night and from bus stations.
- Avoid walking alone at night in quiet areas and city centres after business hours.
- Do not resist a robbery; armed muggings can turn violent.
- Check your government's regional advice: some rural and border areas are still affected by armed groups.
- Carry a copy of your passport and keep the original somewhere safe.
How widely English is spoken
Limited overall. Some English in tourist hotels, hostels and upscale areas of Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena; basic Spanish helps a lot elsewhere.
Sources
- GOV.UK Foreign travel advice: Colombia, safety and security
- Wikivoyage: Colombia
- Addicted to the World: Tipping in Colombia
- Real City Tours: Tipping in Colombia
- Cielo Travel: Uber in Bogotá, is it legal and safe
- Expat Focus: Colombia taxis and ride-hailing services
- Wikipedia: List of emergency telephone numbers
We check these guides against official and well-known sources, but rules and prices change. Spot something out of date? Email support@tourits.app.