Things to Do in Colombia in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
December Weather in Colombia
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
67°F (19°C)
High Temp
45°F (7°C)
Low Temp
2.4 inches (61 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + December lands in the sweet spot. The rains have quit, the holiday hordes have not yet landed. You score cobalt skies without the January price gouge. Book now, breathe later.
- + Coffee country is stripping cherries at full throttle. Fincas outside Armenia and Pereira hand you a basket and set you loose among the pickers. Come February, that door slams shut.
- + Cartagena's stone walls hit their sweet spot. They exhale the day's heat after dark, so a 10 PM rampart stroll won't drench your shirt. Perfect.
- + Bogotá keeps its Sunday ciclovía rolling right through December. 120 km of asphalt go car-free. Locals bike, skate, spin salsa in rain-cooled air. Join them.
Considerations
- − Cartagena hotel rates detonate after 20 December. Even backpacker hostels in Getsemaní start pricing themselves like boutique digs. Budget accordingly.
- − Mountain passes to San Agustín can slam shut without warning. A cold front can plunge the thermometer to 4°C at 3,000 m. Carry layers. Wait it out.
- − Medellín's Christmas lights pull three million bodies. The metro turns into a squeeze box. You will miss three trains before you board. Patience required.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
Coffee Farm Immersion Tours
December means you pick, not watch. Volcanic soil around Salento stays soft from recent rains, so beans pull free easily. Altitude holds the day at 18°C. Most fincas fire up campesino lunches: fresh arepas, recalentado coffee that tastes nothing like the stuff you left back home.
Booking Tip: Book five to seven days ahead through licensed operators who deal direct with farms. Skip Cartagena middle-men; they just subcontract local guides. See current options below.
Cartagena Night Walking Tours
Evenings settle at 24°C. Stone walls radiate like old-school heaters. Balconied lanes echo vallenato drifting through open shutters. Sea breeze mixes with plaza cigar smoke. By 9 PM the paseo begins. That slow evening drift is Cartagena's true nightlife.
Booking Tip: Start tours at 6 PM for golden hour on the walls. Hire guides who sleep in Getsemaní; they know which bars locals still use. Check times in the widget below.
Bogota Mountain Biking Routes
Dry December mornings start cool at 7 AM, 8°C. The 3,200 m altitude feels kinder. The Monserrate climb adds 600 m but pays off with 50 km views across the Sabana on crystal days. Riders pause for aguapanela. The sugarcane brew beats coffee at this height.
Booking Tip: Rent in Chapinero. Shops there service serious riders, not selfie tourists. Mornings are dry. But pack layers: you sweat uphill, freeze down. Tour options below.
Tayrona Jungle Trekking
December kicks off the Sierra Nevada dry window. Rivers drop enough to keep the Arrecifes trail open, not yet dusty. Canopy knocks the UV 8 sun into moving spots. Howler monkeys crank up in the cool hours. By 2 PM Caribbean heat hits 28°C, but shade keeps the hike sane.
Booking Tip: Use Calabazo entrance. Steeper, emptier, and you hit Pueblito before the tour buses. Reserve eco-lodges two weeks out for December. Options below.
Medellín Christmas Lights River Tours
The Medellín River turns into a 3 km light gallery. The trick is to float it, not watch it. Small boats weave between glowing sculptures. City lights ripple on water clean enough to see your own reflection. Evening air holds at 20°C; long sleeves suffice.
Booking Tip: Book weeknights. Weekends drown in paisa families. The 8 PM slot catches lights at full blast but skips the 10 PM crush. Times below.
San Andrés Island Snorkeling
December swaps November storms for 20 m visibility above the Sea of Seven Colors. Water sits at 27°C; wetsuits stay on the boat. Eagle rays glide beneath you in the calm mornings. West-side reefs stay flat while trade winds whip the far Caribbean.
Booking Tip: Hit the water before 11 AM. Cruise traffic kicks up sand later. December's gentle swell turns the 45-minute hop to Johnny Cay into a breeze, not a barf ride. Tours below.
Where to Stay in Colombia in December
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for December travellers.
December Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Early December to Early January
Medellín Alumbrados (Christmas Lights)
Three million LEDs turn the river into liquid art. Families cluster at Parque Norte for cheese-stuffed arepas while trova trios serenade under the glow. Show runs 6 PM to midnight. But Monday through Thursday you can still breathe.
Early January (spills into late December)
Cartagena International Music Festival
Chamber concerts fill 16th-century stone. Santa Clara Church makes violins sound alive. Shows start at 8 PM once walls cool to 24°C. Tickets include cloister wine where nuns once paced.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Colombia Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
December on the coffee farms means the trilla. Horses circle the drying patio, stomping beans in a cloud of parchment dust. You watch, sip, and time your visit. This horse-powered ritual only happens during harvest.
Skip the old town seafood traps. Walk 15 minutes to Castillogrande. Fishermen flip open coolers at 8 AM. You buy red snapper while gulls fight for scraps.
Board Bogotá's TransMilenio through the pink doors. These cars reserve space for women and children only. Fewer elbows, zero gropes. Solo female travelers breathe easier.
Medellín metro tickets cost the same for everyone. Locals flash Cívica cards and glide past the queue. Show your passport, buy the card, join them. Seconds saved, stress dumped.
San Andrés English rides a wave. Islanders lilt like Jamaican patois over coconut radios. Open with Spanish and they flip tongues. Bargain hard, they switch back.
Avoid These Mistakes
Book inside Cartagena's walls for December. Pay premium rates. Hear nightclub bass until 4 AM. Sleep becomes myth.
Bogotá dawns at 8°C (46°F). Tourists in shorts shiver by 9 AM. Locals layer. Temperatures swing 12°C (22°F) daily. Pack fleece, shed by noon.
Dreaming of Caño Cristales in December? The river locked its gates in November. Colors sleep until June. Plan again.
Book Experiences in Colombia
Top-rated things to do in Colombia this December
Explore More Activities in Colombia
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Colombia.
See All Colombia Tours on Viator