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How to Book a Trip to Colombia

How to · Travel

How to Book a Trip to Colombia

A practical playbook for budgeting a Colombia trip between December and March, and one way to spread the cost.

VoAtlas editorial Updated · 3 min read
Typical cost $560 before anything else
Across the 0% window $37.33/mo 15 months, no interest

How we got that: $560 spread evenly across the 15-month introductory window on the Discover it® Cash Back. Checked · at the bank Carry a balance past the window and the standard APR applies to what is left.

Colombia in those months is dry season across most of the country, with Andean cities like Medellín and Bogotá sitting in the 60s and 70s Fahrenheit and the Caribbean coast warm and humid. You get coffee region hikes, salsa nights in Cali, and old-town wanders in Cartagena without the April-to-November rain interrupting plans. A typical US traveler budgets roughly $560 for the core trip costs once the international flight is set aside.

That number is small enough to put on a card and forget about for a while, which is where a long 0% intro period can come in handy. The trick is treating the window as a deadline, not a gift, because anything left over at the end starts collecting interest.

The 15-month intro window is a deadline, not free money. If any of the $560 is still on the balance when month 15 ends, that leftover starts accruing interest at the card's regular APR, and the monthly payment that looked easy can climb fast. The plan only works if the trip is paid off inside the window.

The steps

  1. 01

    Lock in your dates

    Pick a window inside December through March so you land in dry season. Weekends around US holidays book out fast and cost more, so midweek departures in January or early February usually give you the best mix of weather and price.

  2. 02

    Set the budget before you swipe

    Write down the $560 number and what is in it: in-country flights or ground transfers, a week of stays, food, and entry fees. Having line items means you can tell at a glance whether a splurge is breaking the plan or fitting inside it.

  3. 03

    Book the stays and transport first

    Once dates are set, lock in the parts that move around the calendar, which are usually domestic flights and the first few nights of hotels. Everything else, like tours and the last couple of nights, can stay flexible until you arrive.

  4. 04

    Put the trip on the Discover it Cash Back

    Charge the purchases to this card so the $560 sits on a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Spread it across the full 15 months and you are looking at about $37.33 a month instead of one lump. Just confirm the intro window has not already expired on your account before you start.

  5. 05

    Pay it down before month 15

    Set a calendar reminder for one month before the intro period ends. If the balance is not zero by then, the regular APR kicks in on whatever is left, and the clock on interest starts ticking.

  6. 06

    Check the card terms before you commit

    Every figure we publish for the Discover it® Cash Back carries the date a person verified it against Discover and a link to where they checked. Intro windows and APRs change without notice, so confirm the current terms before applying.

    See Discover it® Cash Back terms →

Common questions

Is $560 enough for a week in Colombia?

It covers the ground costs pretty comfortably for a week, meaning in-country flights, mid-range hotels, food, and local transport. The international flight from the US is usually separate and is the line item that pushes a Colombia trip into the four-figure range.

Why travel to Colombia in December through March?

That is the dry season across most of the country, so you get clearer days in the Andes and on the Caribbean coast. April through November is wetter, and some mountain roads get harder to drive on during heavy rain.

Do I need a visa for Colombia as a US citizen?

US tourists can usually stay up to 90 days without a visa, but entry rules change, so check the current requirement with the Colombian consulate or your airline before you fly. Carry proof of a return ticket just in case.

What happens if I do not pay off the trip before the 0% period ends?

Any remaining balance starts accruing interest at the card's regular APR, which is the rate that was assigned to your account after approval. That is why setting a payoff reminder a month early matters more than the intro period itself.