The Best Ways To Spend New Year's In Colombia

New Year’s in Colombia is always great fun: families drink and dance together, then head out into the streets for fireworks, or to bars and clubs to keep the party going all night long. Here some tips on the best ways to spend New Year’s here.

Dance all Night in Cartagena

Cartagena is probably the best city in Colombia in which to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Colombians and visitors alike flock to the Jewel of the Indies to see in the New Year, and the atmosphere in the Old Town is always electric. You can enjoy a great meal, watch the sun set on the old year from the walls of the city and then head out to a local club to dance salsa and champeta until you drop. Cartagena should be your number one choice for celebrating New Year in Colombia.

Fireworks and Nightclubs in Bogota

With a Local Family

New Year’s Eve is a much more family-oriented holiday in Colombia than in many other countries, and many families spend it together at home, with the younger members venturing out to clubs and bars only after midnight. Arguably the best way to enjoy New Year in Colombia is to get invited to a family celebration, where you can eat, drink and dance to your heart’s content.

Observing Local Traditions

Colombians have some truly unique New Year traditions, and if you really want to do New Year in Colombia right, make sure to observe them as the clock strikes midnight. Wear your newest yellow underpants, stuff your pockets with lentils, eat 12 grapes at midnight, run around the block with your suitcase and, of course, don’t forget to burn the doll symbolising the old year.

Looks sweet now, but it’ll be on fire come midnight

Get Out Into the Countryside

For some people, New Year’s Eve isn’t that big a deal, and the idea of staying up late dancing and drinking in a city may not be too appealing. Why not consider heading out to a more remote destination and enjoying New Year’s in the peace and tranquillity of the Colombian countryside? A little house in the Coffee Region, a laid-back hostel in Minca or a lodge in the Amazon jungle would all be perfect places to see in the New Year.

Hit up the Feria de Cali

Cali is a great party city anyway, and would be a fantastic place to spend New Year’s Eve, but if you’re planning to see in the New Year in the Colombian salsa capital, do schedule your arrival a week beforehand to enjoy the Cali Fair, one of Colombia’s most fun festivals. It runs December 25–30 every year and is the perfect way to warm up for the main New Year festivities.

… and the Feria de Manizales

In Colombia, New Year doesn’t end on the morning of January 1, as several cities celebrate their festivals directly after the main New Year’s celebrations have finished. Manizales, a pretty city in the Coffee Region, starts its annual fair on the first weekend after New Year’s Eve, so make sure that you are in the city to enjoy one of Colombia’s most raucous festivals and keep the New Year party going into January!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

View Offers