The Offline Backpacking Travel Guide for Venezuela

Discover 89 must-see places in Venezuela, routes, costs and safety tips. All highlights plotted on a map. Verified for 2026 travel. Registered Dutch Business (KvK: 99855925).

Travel extremes from jungles to mountains, beaches, and plains, experiencing dramatic landscapes, culture, and adventure for adventurous, nature-focused travelers.

Adventure seekers moving from jungles to coasts

You expect only crisis; on the ground, travel-smarts unlock the good stuff. The headlines are real, but so are generous locals, fixer-guides, and routes that keep you in the sweet spots. This is a big-nature, big-heart country that rewards patience with outsized scenery, rhythm, and wild silence.

Start with the Guiana Shield rising as tepuis, where Angel Falls drops off a cloud-brushed table and Roraima walks you onto a Martian plateau. Trade island time in Los Roques’ electric-blue flats for the Llanos, with anacondas, capybaras, and dusk joropo, then climb into Mérida’s Andean light or slide by canoe through the Orinoco Delta; finish with drums, cacao, and a hot arepa in Choroní. Yes, cash rules, domestic flights reshuffle, fuel and power hiccup, and you skip night moves, but those frictions thin the crowds and make every boat ride, summit, and street-corner conversation feel earned.

Where Colombia feels polished and Brazil spreads wide, Venezuela compresses Caribbean coast, high Andes, tepui backcountry, and safari plains into one punchy hit at prices that reward the prepared. Go if you’re curious, patient, and happy to travel with local help; hikers, wildlife lovers, and photographers will eat it up.

Caracas

mountain skyline, urban sprawl, street murals

Mérida

Andean peaks, student life, cable car

Maracaibo

lakefront sunsets, oil heritage, sultry heat

Coro

adobe facades, wind-swept dunes, colonial grid

Puerto La Cruz

beachfront avenues, marina nightlife, ferry terminals

Choroni

colonial plaza, palm-fringed beach, cocoa farms

Ocumare de la Costa

fishing port, rainforest edge, black sand beach

San Antonio del Táchira

border crossing, duty-free shops, Andean foothills

Güiria

Caribbean port, Trinidad ferries, seafood stalls

La Asunción

island hills, colonial churches, quiet plazas

Canaima

tepui views, lagoon access, waterfall base

Los Roques

coral islands, turquoise shallows, kiteboarding spots

Angel Falls

sheer sandstone cliffs, misty plunge, remote jungle

Cerro Autana

sacred tepui, vertical rock face, indigenous legends

Canaima National Park

tepui plateaus, Angel Falls, savanna trails

Los Roques National Park

atoll archipelago, turquoise lagoons, white sand flats

El Parque Nacional Morrocoy

coral cays, mangrove channels, shallow reefs

Mochima National Park

rocky coves, offshore islands, dolphin sightings

Henri Pittier National Park

cloud forest, bird migration, coastal valleys

Roraima

tabletop summit, quartz fields, alien rock formations

Angel Falls

tepui cliffs, misty rainforest, remote river approach

Gran Sabana

open savannah, scattered tepuis, seasonal waterfalls

Pico Humboldt

glacial lakes, high-altitude tundra, snow patches

El Ávila Trail

urban foothills, dense forest, summit cable car

Cayo de Agua

narrow sandbar, twin beaches, freshwater well

Playa El Agua

long palm-lined shore, beach bars, steady surf

Playa Medina

curved bay, rainforest backdrop, coconut groves

Playa Parguito

open break, surf schools, youthful crowd

Cayo Sal

white coral sand, calm lagoon, snorkeling spots

Teleférico de Mérida

mountain cable car, panoramic views, Andean peaks

Teatro Teresa Carreño

grand auditorium, symphony concerts, modernist design

Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas

neoclassical building, international art, sculpture garden

Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas

modern galleries, Latin American artists, sculpture patio

Museo de Arte Moderno Jesús Soto

kinetic art, geometric installations, glass façade

Carnaval

costume parades, street music, water fights

Feria de la Chinita

Maracaibo, religious procession, gaitas music

Feria del Sol

Mérida, bullfights, Andean fairgrounds

Fiesta de la Divina Pastora

Barquisimeto, massive pilgrimage, Marian devotion

Festival Internacional de Teatro

Caracas venues, global troupes, experimental stage

Isla Margarita

arid hills, Caribbean beaches, kiteboarding spots

Los Andes

alpine valleys, colonial villages, cloud forests

Venezuela rewards effort. Landscapes swing from the Caribbean atolls of Los Roques to the Andean páramo above Mérida, then plunge to the tepuis of the Gran Sabana where Angel Falls drops out of a cloud. Lake Maracaibo throws nightly Catatumbo lightning shows. The Llanos stretch flat and wild; the Orinoco and Amazon fringe you with real jungle. There are caves — Cueva del Guácharo — and even mud “volcanoes.” You’ll work for access, but the payoff is scale, variety, and that rare feeling of being small in the best way.

Venezuela rewards effort. Tepui country isn’t a viewpoint; it’s a long river push to Angel Falls and a brutal, beautiful haul up Roraima’s stone maze. Los Llanos serves capybara and caiman at arm’s length, and Los Roques trades pavement for glassy cays and skiffs. The gotchas are solvable: move at dawn, build buffer days, expect fuel lines and blackouts, carry crisp USD in small bills, and book local guides who actually have a boat and gas. Do this, and you spend less on headaches and more on the kind of wild you can’t fake.

Venezuela stretches your money like few places. I eat arepas and set lunches, drink fresh juice, and still come out ahead. Local buses and shared taxis are cheap, and family-run posadas undercut hostels elsewhere. A realistic daily average lands in the low-to-mid double digits if you skip flights and drink what locals drink. The gotchas: never pay with a foreign card at the official rate, carry small USD/euros for change, agree on prices before rides, and expect park fees and boat runs to be cash-only.

Venezuela rewards hikers who earn it: alpine nights in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida, real altitude on Pico Bolívar, and other‑planet days on tepuis like Roraima. You move from jungle to páramo in a single week, with few crowds and big sense of space. It can be cheap compared to Peru or Chile—if you plan. The catch: logistics bite. Bring the gear you trust, hire proven local crews, travel by daylight, carry small bills, and respect weather and altitude. Do that, and your energy goes to the climbs and cloud‑edge horizons, not fixing avoidable problems.

Venezuela pays out for beach hunters. I come for Los Roques’ chalk-white cays and glass-flat water, then slide east to Mochima’s coral coves and Morrocoy’s mangroves for lazy snorkels. Playa Medina throws shade from real coconut trees; Margarita Island turns up the music after dark. The water’s warm year‑round, winds feed kites, and fish hits your plate an hour after it left the sea. Outside holiday weeks, you get elbow room. With smart logistics, it delivers Caribbean-grade beaches at a lower spend and more soul.

Visitors to Venezuela typically need a visa, depending on their nationality. For many, a tourist visa can be obtained through a Venezuelan consulate or embassy. Check the specific requirements for your country and apply well in advance, ensuring all documents like your passport, photos, and application forms are ready.

Late January to mid‑March is the sweet spot for backpacking Venezuela. The Christmas rush is gone, Carnival hasn’t detonated yet, and the sky stays dry enough to hold your plans together. Trails on Roraima grip instead of sliding; the Llanos shrink into pools that stack wildlife in plain sight; the Caribbean flattens into clear, swimmable days without the August families or holiday markups. Posadas stop playing roulette with rates, guides answer messages again, and domestic seats appear without extracting a kidney. The trade: rivers run low, so boat runs to Angel Falls can stall, but flight views are crisp and you keep your gear dry. If Salto Ángel at full roar is non‑negotiable, aim for the wet shoulder later; otherwise this window preserves your budget and your patience.

Peak Dry (Holidays/Carnival): Rooms sell out, prices jump, and buses feel like mosh pits. You endure the heat because the Caribbean turns aquarium‑clear and party energy spikes. Worth it if you crave noise and guaranteed sun; costly if you don’t.
Shoulder Dry (Late Jan–Mar, minus Carnival week): The country exhales. Crowds thin, guides negotiate, and trails stay firm. You stack Mérida hikes with coast days without re‑planning every night. Fewer surcharges, more yeses, better sleep.
Wet Bold (Sep–Nov): Tepuis brood, rivers surge, and solitude actually lands. Angel Falls booms, but mud and delays do too. Survival hack: ditch heavy boots—wear drainable trail‑runners with wool socks so feet stay functional when everything else is wet.

Tactical tip: Lock domestic flights first, then bargain on the ground for rooms and tours; only prebook everything during holiday weeks.

Angel Falls (Salto Ángel), Canaima: The tepuis rise like rusted ship hulls and the fall drops out of the clouds so long your brain needs a second to catch up. In a dugout, river spray tastes faintly of iron and leaf tannin. Go in wet season or you’ll pay for a flyover and never touch the river; bring cash for fees, plastic-bag your gear, and sleep hammock-ready.

Mount Roraima Trek: The tabletop world feels alien—quartz gardens, pitcher plants, wind that rattles the tent poles at 2 a.m. Cold fog beads on your eyelashes while your boots sink into black sponges. Hire a local porter and pack liners; the climb is steep, the descent wrecks knees, and permits and community fees are cash-only at Paraitepui.

Los Roques Archipelago: Water so clear your shadow looks printed on the sand, and that sand squeaks underfoot like dry snow. Pelicans hammer the shallows while the sun brands the back of your neck. Budget for park fees and boat taxis; bring snacks and cash or get punished by island markups, and rent shade or you’ll waste a day recovering.

Mérida Andes & Teleférico: Thin air bites at Pico Espejo, then you drop to páramo trails where frailejones stand like sentries and the wind smells of wet earth and eucalyptus. Street arepas sizzle, hands thaw around sweet coffee. Buy cable-car tickets ahead, carry layers and rain shell, and time descents early—afternoon storms shut mountains and taxis down fast.

Orinoco Delta: A maze of tea-brown channels, diesel and mangrove on the nose, and a mosquito whine that means sleeves now, not later. Howlers crack the dawn; at night, plank floors hum with river current. Choose Warao-run lodges, bring headnets, meds, and all your cash—no ATMs, tides set the schedule, and transfers don’t wait. Off the map: Quebrada de Jaspe’s crimson rock slide pools, Paria’s cacao coast (Playa Medina and Pui), and the farm trails above Galipán on El Ávila.

New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo): January 1 — government offices, banks and many shops close; expect reduced public transport and fewer tourist services.

Anniversary of 23 de Enero (Día de la Democracia): January 23 — national public holiday with official events; plan for institutional and bank closures.

Carnival (Lunes y Martes de Carnaval): two movable days (February or March before Ash Wednesday) — banks and public offices close and local towns hold celebrations; book intercity travel in advance and expect crowds on return days.

Maundy Thursday & Good Friday (Jueves Santo y Viernes Santo): two movable days during Holy Week (March/April) — almost all public services close and roads are busy for holiday travel; reserve transport and accommodation early.

Labor Day (Día del Trabajador): May 1 — banks and many businesses shut; expect demonstrations in major cities and possible transport slowdowns.

Battle of Carabobo: June 24 — national holiday with military and civic events; public offices closed.

Independence Day (Día de la Independencia): July 5 — major national holiday with parades and official events; closures and altered public transport schedules common.

Birth of Simón Bolívar (Natalicio de Simón Bolívar): July 24 — nationwide holiday with ceremonies; government services closed.

Flag Day (Día de la Bandera): August 3 — national holiday with official observances; expect closures of public institutions.

Feast of Our Lady of Coromoto (Virgen de Coromoto): September 8 — patroness of Venezuela; religious celebrations and closures of some public services.

Indigenous Resistance Day (Día de la Resistencia Indígena): October 12 — national holiday replacing Columbus Day; ministries and banks typically closed.

Christmas Day (Navidad): December 25 — widespread closures and family observances; limited public services and crowded transport before and after the date.

Days 1–3: Caracas & El Ávila
Ease in with Caracas—sample arepas at a local market, wander the Museo de Bellas Artes, and take the cable car up El Ávila for a sunrise that puts the city in perspective. Spend a day exploring the colonial corners of El Hatillo and the street art of Petare.
Days 4–6: Mérida & The Andes
Fly to Mérida for a change of altitude and attitude. Ride the cable car, hike in Sierra Nevada National Park, and spend an afternoon paragliding over the valley. Evenings are for hot chocolate and swapping trail stories with local climbers.
Days 7–9: Los Llanos Wildlife Safari
Descend to Los Llanos for a classic safari. This is Venezuela’s answer to the Pantanal—think anacondas, pink river dolphins, and sunsets that turn the sky into a watercolor. Stay at a working ranch, join dawn birdwatching trips, and try your hand at piranha fishing.
Days 10–12: Canaima National Park & Angel Falls
Fly south to Canaima. The journey to Angel Falls is a true expedition: river canoes, jungle treks, and nights in hammocks. The tepuis (table mountains) are otherworldly, and the falls themselves are worth every mosquito bite.
Days 13–14: Gran Sabana & Santa Elena de Uairén
Venture further into the Gran Sabana, a land of endless savannas, waterfalls, and indigenous Pemon culture. Base yourself in Santa Elena de Uairén, gateway to Roraima (for future trips), and visit lesser-known cascades like Quebrada de Jaspe, where the riverbed glows red from jasper stone.
Day 15: Return to Caracas
Fly or drive back to Caracas for a final night—time for a last arepa and a rooftop view. If you do one thing on this route, make it the Angel Falls expedition: the journey there is the kind of adventure that rewires your sense of scale and wonder.

Question: Get your own 2025 guide book for Venezuela

Answer: The TakeYourBackpack guidebooks are your all-in-one travel companion, featuring the best cities, national parks, hikes, beaches, and unique sites, along with essential tips on when to go, how to get around, exchanging money, and even local phrases to get you started — everything you need for a smooth, unforgettable backpacking adventure.

Question: How do I find the best and cheapest places to stay in Venezuela?

Answer: Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.

Question: Do I need vaccinations to visit Venezuela?

Answer:
Make sure your routine vaccines are up to date. For Venezuela, consider these vaccinations:

Hepatitis A - recommended for most travelers due to potential contaminated food or water.
Hepatitis B - recommended if you might have sexual contact, get a tattoo, or need medical treatment.
Typhoid - advisable, especially if visiting smaller cities or rural areas.
Yellow Fever - definitely needed if you’re visiting certain parts of the country, like jungle areas.
Rabies - consider if you plan on exploring caves or spending a lot of time outdoors.
Malaria - not a vaccine, but bring antimalarial medication, especially for certain regions.

Always consult a healthcare provider for personalized advice.

Question: What are the best SIM cards and internet options in Venezuela?

Answer:
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Venezuela, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Airalo, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.

Question: What are the cultural norms and etiquette in Venezuela for travelers?

Answer: Avoid topics like politics in conversation; it’s a sensitive issue. Always greet with a handshake, and say ”buenos días/tardes/noches” based on the time. Dress modestly; avoid flashy jewelry to minimize attention. Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. For women, avoid walking alone at night. LGBTQ+ travelers may face challenges; public displays of affection can draw unwanted attention. Always carry a copy of your passport. Use ”usted” for formal address unless invited to be more informal.

Question: What food should I try in Venezuela?

Answer:
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Venezuela.

Arepas: These thick cornmeal patties are a staple in Venezuela, often split open and stuffed with various fillings like cheese, meats, or beans. They’re a go-to breakfast or snack and a symbol of the country’s culinary culture.

Pabellón Criollo: Often considered the national dish, this hearty plate features shredded beef, black beans, rice, and fried plantains. It represents a blend of the country’s diverse influences, with each component contributing to a rich tapestry of flavors.

Hallacas: A festive season favorite, hallacas are similar to tamales, made with corn dough and filled with a mix of meats, olives, and raisins, all wrapped in plantain leaves. They’re a holiday staple and a labor of love, often prepared by families together.

Tequeños: These cheese-filled breadsticks are a beloved snack, perfect for parties or as an accompaniment to drinks. Their crispy exterior and gooey cheese interior make them irresistible and a true crowd-pleaser.

Cachapas: Made from fresh corn batter, these sweet pancakes are usually topped with cheese or cream. They’re a breakfast treat but can be enjoyed any time of the day, and they highlight the country’s love for corn-based foods.

Question: Is the tap water safe to drink in Venezuela?

Answer: Tap water in Venezuela is generally not safe for tourists to drink, and even locals often avoid it due to inconsistent water quality. Tourists are advised to stick to bottled or filtered water to avoid any health issues. Make sure to check the seal on bottled water to ensure it’s legit.

Question: Can you get by with English in Venezuela?

Answer:
The main language in Venezuela is Spanish. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Spanish skills have become a bit rusty.

In Venezuela, English is not widely spoken among the general population. The majority of Venezuelans speak Spanish, which is the official language. In urban areas and tourist destinations, such as Caracas, Mérida, and Los Roques, you may find some English speakers, particularly in hotels, restaurants, and among younger generations who have studied the language. However, proficiency levels can vary significantly.

In rural areas or smaller towns, English speakers are much rarer. Therefore, if you’re traveling in Venezuela, it’s beneficial to know some basic Spanish phrases or use translation apps to facilitate communication. Engaging with locals in Spanish can enhance your experience and help bridge any language gaps.

Overall, while you may encounter English speakers in certain contexts, it’s advisable to prepare for a predominantly Spanish-speaking environment during your travels in Venezuela.

Question: What is the local currency in Venezuela?

Answer: The local currency of Venezuela is VES (Bs.S).

Question: How do I get cash or use cards in Venezuela?

Answer:
When backpacking in Venezuela, forget relying heavily on ATMs. They’re often empty or non-functional. Bring enough cash, primarily in US dollars, as euros are less common and harder to exchange. Exchange dollars at the unofficial ”parallel” market rate, which is much better than the official one. You can do this through reputable local contacts or trusted intermediaries—ask around at your hostel or among other travelers. Keep your cash divided and stashed safely in different spots.

Credit cards aren’t widely accepted, and when they are, the rate is usually awful. Stick to cash transactions as much as possible, but have a card for emergencies. And remember, don’t flash your cash around; keep it discreet and low-key.

Question: What is the tipping culture in Venezuela?

Answer: In Venezuela, tipping is appreciated but not mandatory. In restaurants, a 10% service charge is often included in the bill, but you can leave an extra 5-10% in cash if the service was exceptional. For taxis, rounding up the fare is a common practice rather than a set percentage tip.