Travel Tips
Weather Overview
Venezuela is located eight degrees north of the equator and has a warm and humid
climate. The temperatures don’t fluctuate much and hover between 26C and 30C,
making the country a year-round destination. The main factor in temperature
variance is the altitude. The mountainous Andes are significantly colder, and the
temperatures can drop to a cool 9C. The rainy season runs from May to December,
with January and February being the coolest and July and August being the
warmest.
Festivals & Religious Ceremonies
New Year's Day. 01 January
Carnival. 04 March to 05 March
Holy Thursday. 18-April
Good Friday. 19-April
Declaration of Independence. 19-April
Labour Day. 01 May
Battle of Carabobo. 24 June
Independence Day. 05 July
Sim, 24 July
Day of Indigenous Resistance. 12 October
Christmas Day 25 December
Visas and border crossings
Always check the embassy website of the country you visit for visa requirements
and border crossing procedures, as these can change unexpectedly. At the time of
writing, the following applied:
Most visitors entering Venezuela by land needed to obtain a visa beforehand. When
flying into Venezuela, citizens of the UK and EU countries, Canada and Australia
only needed an onward ticket.
Safety
At the time of writing, the country was experiencing very high levels of violent and
petty crime. So be careful and decide if you want to go.
During our visit (2012), violent crime was rife in both the capital Caracas and the
interior, and as a foreigner, you were a prime target. The country had (during our
visit and at the time of writing) one of the top five highest per capita murder rates.
In addition, kidnappings and armed robberies were common when we visited in
2012.
Due to the above, many government websites warn not to travel to Venezuela due
to crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, kidnapping, and arbitrary arrest
and detention of visitors.