Are you thinking about traveling alone to Colombia, but are not entirely sure yet? Here’s an intro guide to Colombia with essential information to help you with your decision – and some special tips for introverts and female solo travelers.
I first visited Colombia alone in 2011 and instantly fell in love with the country and its people. After traveling through other countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru, and Bolivia, I returned to Colombia in 2018. After a few years of back-and-forth, I finally moved to Bogotá, and I now find myself in Naguib Mahfouz’s words: “Home is not where you were born; home is where all your attempts to escape end.”
I’m an introverted, adventurous woman who has been traveling solo around the world for over 25 years. Here, I’d like to share why I believe Colombia is a perfect destination for introverted solo travelers, as well as some practical tips for solo travel in Colombia.
Are you a backpacker or a flashpacker? An introverted or an extroverted adventurer?
I myself am an introvert and probably more of a “flashpacker” – minus the flashy part… Wait, what is a flashpacker? Originally, the “flash” in flashpacker referred to backpackers who like to travel with all sorts of flashy gadgets (iPad, Apple Watch, etc.), but I resonate more with the other typical traits…
Typical characteristics of flashpackers
Independent travel: Like backpackers, flashpackers are independent travelers who love to explore a country on their own terms, without an organized group tour spanning the whole trip.
Flexibility: Flashpackers love backpacking and the flexibility that comes with traveling light, but appreciate a little more comfort than traditional backpackers.
Value for money: Flashpackers look for the best cost-benefit ratio when traveling rather than searching for the cheapest options. They are happy to spend a little more for a room, if it has a sea view, or hire a local guide to be able to explore remote areas, especially if they know, this has a positive impact on the local economy.
Ecotourism & Adventure Travel: Flashpackers love adventure, outdoor and nature activities. They care about the environment and the local impact in their travel destinations and want to travel responsibly and sustainably.
Small tour groups: Flashpackers prefer rather small groups when they do tours to get a more personalized and intimate experience.
Authenticity & local experiences: Flashpackers love to immerse themselves into the local culture and get to know the local people, eat at restaurants which are local favorites, and participate in everyday local life.
Privacy and calm: Flashpackers prefer calmer places to stay, for example a small boutique hotel or a nice AirBnB. They may also prefer more quiet activities like walks in nature, learning a new skill, or wellness programs.
Even though flashpackers tend to be a bit older than traditional backpackers (typically over 30), flashpacking is not necessarily related to age – it’s more of a travel style.
So, are you a flashbacker or a backpacker? What are your travel preferences? What do you really enjoy about traveling alone? Let’s connect on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok to share thoughts!
Photo by Erick Corradine: Introverted female solo traveler (me) near Guatavita
Many introverts feel uncomfortable staying in hostels while traveling because there’s often no quiet space to retreat to. Dorm rooms can feel like an absolute nightmare since you’re never truly alone. This makes it difficult to recharge and process the many impressions of the journey. Does this sound like you?
For me, as an introverted female solo traveler, choosing the right country for traveling alone depends primarily on four factors:
Price level: Can I afford private accommodation for the duration of my trip?
Safety level: Is the country safe to travel alone? Can I easily establish safety measures?
Cultural Immersion: Can I connect with local people on a 1 on 1 basis and experience authentic local life?
Nature: Are there places that allow for a deep contemplative connection with nature? Can I spend time in nature?
Are you also introverted – and can you relate? What are your criteria?
Photo by Erick Corradine: Hiking somewhere near Bogotá
Colombia is a fantastic country for solo travel and backpacking. Here are some reasons why.
Open-minded and friendly locals: It’s easy to get in contact with locals; people are really happy about travelers who are interested in experiencing the many wonders of this country and see beyond common cliches about Colombia.
Adventure and ecotourism: Colombia offers an endless amount of adventure and ecotourism activities at very affordable prices, including hiking, surfing, diving, snorkeling, mountain and jungle trekking, kitesurfing, tree planting, to name just a few. Get an idea of the diverse activities possible in Colombia.
Untapped territories: As Colombia has only recently really started to appear on the tourist map (thanks to the 2016 peace contract), there are a lot of remote areas and hidden gems that even Colombians are just starting to explore. Many parts of Colombia are still off-the-beaten-track. Check out some Hidden Gems!
Inexpensive accommodation: It’s easy to find nice single rooms that are affordable for solo travelers.
Accessible guided experiences: Tour guides and tour packages offer an excellent value-for-money ratio. And, unlike in some other countries, in Colombia you can find a lot of female tour guides! (As a woman traveling alone, I particularly appreciate this. In fact, I often asked myself in other countries why there are not more female guides…) Read more about Tours in Colombia in the Know-How tab of the Experiences section.
Easy travel: Many interesting travel destinations in Colombia are quite easy to reach by public transport and are well inter-connected. Colombia also has several cheap airlines. Have a look at my article on How to get Around Colombia for an overview.
Slow travel: Colombia offers a high density of attractions and an astonishingly varied landscape and scenery, which makes it an ideal destination for slow travel. Traveling by bus from one place to another while listening to music and looking out of the window is better than cinema. Check out my Slow Travel Colombia Itinerary.
Authentic culinary experiences: Every region of Colombia has its own typical dishes and unique flavors. Not to talk about coffee! The variety of coffee flavors in Colombia is endless and coffee is grown in many more places than you would probably imagine. I turned into a black coffee fan in Colombia!
Here are some tips for planning your solo trip to Colombia and advice for moving around the country safely once here.
Make a rough plan of your itinerary: Colombia’s bigger cities are excellent bases for exploring the country alone since they have good bus connections to many interesting destinations (see best places to visit in Colombia). You have a lot of options to choose from and can quickly change plans, if a particular destination doesn’t work out for one reason or another. Here is also a Colombia Slow Travel Itinerary to introduce the different regions of the country and the best routes to get from one place to another.
Gather information about your travel destinations: Good things to investigate a little beforehand are: safe and interesting neighborhoods to stay, connections between the bus terminal or airport and the location of your accommodation, time of arrival in your destination (daytime is better), bus connections to other interesting places to visit in Colombia, local customs, etc.
Do research and talk to locals about safe areas to stay and go out: Especially in bigger cities it may not be wise to explore certain neighbourhoods alone. Investigate before you book your accommodation, and read (female) solo traveler reviews. Once you arrive, the best thing to do is talking to locals about where it’s fine to go alone and what to pay attention to. (Solo female travelers best ask local women.)
Learn useful phrases in Spanish: Since English is not widely spoken in Colombia, being able to have a basic conversation in Spanish will open you many doors. You can talk to the locals and have a more “local experience”. See some suggested tools for learning Spanish in my article on Practical Colombia Travel Tips.
Team up with locals or other travelers for certain activities. Some activities in Colombian are easier or safer in a group. This includes, for example, hikes in nature. If you like hostels, it is usually not a problem to find other people to team up with in Colombia. However, in case you are an introverted traveler like me who rather stays in quite and private places this may be a bit more challenging. That’s why you have the possibility to search for people to team up with in our Colombia Solo Travelers Facebook Group. (Our focus is on female solo traveler needs and interests.)
Join tours and other local experiences: Joining group tours is a great way to explore some of Colombia’s more remote destinations in company and dive into the local culture. Colombia offer a wide array of diverse tours spanning a few hours to multiple days. Get more information in my article about Tours in Colombia in the “Know-How” tab of the Experiences section.
Pay attention to basic travel safety guidelines: You can find a detailed safety guide for your solo trip to Colombia here! The guide includes dedicated information for female solo travelers, solo male travelers and solo LGBTIQ+ travelers.
Approximately 90% of the articles on Travelhapp.com are written with solo travelers in mind. Drawing from over 25 years of solo travel experience, I aim to address questions that often go unanswered in traditional guidebooks, like the Lonely Planet, Footprint or Rough Guide. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to get in touch! Here are some more articles you may find helpful for planning your solo trip to Colombia.
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Last Update: March 2, 2025
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