What do you need to know to travel to Venezuela in 2026?

Why now

Venezuela has the Caribbean beaches of Isla Margarita, Los Roques and Morrocoy, Angel Falls in Canaima and the Andes around Mérida, and it is welcoming travellers again. The recent past was hard: in the last decade the country reached around 90 homicides per 100,000 people. The figures are different today: the Venezuelan Violence Observatory recorded 7.5 in 2023, and in 2026 several governments softened their advice. On an organised trip, with a few precautions, it is well worth it. This guide sums up the essentials and takes you to the article on each topic.

Entry requirements and visas

Many passports enter without a visa by air: Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina and the United Kingdom are on the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry’s exemption list, and British passport holders can stay up to 90 days. The United States and Canada need a visa before travelling, because it is not issued on arrival. Chile and Peru are not on the list: ask the consulate. Bring a passport valid for six months, a return ticket, proof of accommodation and of funds. The detail by passport is in Venezuela visa requirements; if you are Venezuelan and your passport has expired, read travelling to Venezuela with an expired passport.

Safety: what governments say

The United States lowered its overall advisory to Level 3, «Reconsider travel», in 2026 (27 June 2026); the UK advises against all travel only to Amazonas, the Mining Arc and within 40 km of the borders, and against all but essential travel to the rest (14 October 2026); Spain asks travellers to take extreme precautions (17 September 2026); Canada advises avoiding all travel (13 October 2026) and Argentina says do not travel (2 January 2026). None of the excluded areas are on the usual tourist routes. Pre-book your transfers, especially from Maiquetía, and avoid the roads after dark. The full advisories, the areas, the destinations one by one and the emergency numbers are in is Venezuela safe?. For a specific place, see is Isla Margarita safe? and is Caracas safe for tourists?.

Getting there

International flights land at five airports: Maiquetía (Caracas), which resumed commercial operations on 1 September 2026 with limited capacity, Valencia, Barquisimeto, Barcelona and Maracaibo. GOV.UK describes flight availability as limited, so book early and check with the airline. The airlines that have returned are in how to get to Venezuela.

Isla Margarita is reached by air at Porlamar airport (PMV), with Copa from Panama City (from 26 November 2026) or on domestic flights from Maiquetía, or by ferry: see flights to Isla Margarita. Los Roques is a flight from the domestic terminal at Maiquetía (how to get to Los Roques).

Money

US dollars are widely accepted, and GOV.UK says most businesses take bolívars, dollars or international cards, although some card machines refuse them. Do not count on withdrawing cash from a foreign account at an ATM: bring small US dollar notes, change money only at authorised institutions and declare cash of US$10,000 or more on arrival. The bulk of the trip is paid when you book. All of it is in money in Venezuela.

Best time to go

The islands are warm all year. According to NASA POWER’s 1991–2020 climatology, Isla Margarita is driest from February to April and Los Roques in February and March; from June to November it rains more on both, with averages that describe showers rather than whole days of rain. The month-by-month tables are in the best time to visit Isla Margarita and Los Roques.

The June 2026 earthquake

On 24 June 2026 two earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 caused significant damage in La Guaira and parts of Caracas, according to GOV.UK. What official sources say about Isla Margarita, and how TripVenezuela confirms each hotel, is in Isla Margarita and the June 2026 earthquake.

The seven destinations

• Isla Margarita. Six all-inclusive hotels, from US$110 per person for 3 days and 2 nights (Hotel LD Palm Beach) or from US$59 per person per night (Hotel Margarita Village). Compare them in which Margarita all-inclusive to choose and see what an all-inclusive includes.
• Los Roques. A national park of cays reached by air, with four guesthouses for 3 days and 2 nights from US$282 per person (Posada Gremary). The park fee is extra: the Los Roques park fee. To combine it with Margarita, see the 10-day itinerary for Margarita and Los Roques. What it costs, package by package: how much does a trip to Los Roques cost?.
• Isla de Coche. A small island off Margarita, with a 3-day, 2-night all-inclusive from US$180 per person that includes the sea transfer: how to get to Isla de Coche.
• Morrocoy. A national park on the Falcón coast with dozens of cays, such as Cayo Sombrero, Cayo Sal, Los Juanes and Tucupido, visited by peñero, the traditional launch; three packages from US$150 per person (Posada Cocolandia): Morrocoy cays.
• Canaima. A World Heritage Site since 1994; Angel Falls is reached by curiara, the traditional canoe, up the Churún river, according to INPARQUES. The 4-day package with flights from Caracas starts at US$778 per person: how to get to Canaima and Angel Falls and Angel Falls: when to go and how much it costs.
• Mérida. The Venezuelan Andes and the Mukumbarí cable car, which Mintur describes as the highest in the world and which reopened on 19 August 2026; Hotel Tibisay with breakfast starts at US$106 per person: things to do in Mérida.
• Colonia Tovar. A mountain village founded on 8 April 1843 by settlers from the Black Forest; Hotel Frankfurt with breakfast starts at US$106 per person: things to do in Colonia Tovar.

All prices are «from» prices and valid until 31 December 2026.

How booking works

You message us on WhatsApp from the trip’s page, and a person at TripVenezuela confirms the dates, price and inclusions with you and the providers before the booking is closed. The steps and how to pay are in how to book.

Plan your trip with TripVenezuela

TripVenezuela offers the trips and manages the booking with you; the accommodation, transfers, flights and excursions are provided by third parties. Start with Sunsol Ecoland in Margarita, Posada La Casa de Sol in Los Roques or Canaima in 4 days from Caracas, or browse all the tour packages in Venezuela. The sources on this page were consulted on 21 October 2026, except the US and Spanish ones, read on 12 October 2026.