Turkey Tour from Colombia: No Visa, Bogotá Flight and a 10-12 Day Plan

Colombians do not need a visa for Turkey for stays of up to 90 days, and because the trip starts with a flight of around thirteen hours and an eight-hour time difference, a tour of 10 to 12 days makes the journey worth it. Turkish Airlines is the only airline with nonstop flights between Istanbul and Bogotá. Our 12-day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus tour with free days starts from $1,642 per person, and a Spanish-speaking guide can be arranged on request, subject to availability.

This page answers what Colombian travellers ask before a first trip to Turkey: the passport check, how the flight works, how to deal with jet lag, which tour length fits, whether to add Greece, how a Spanish-speaking guide is arranged, what the seasons mean for packing, and how to pay.

Entering Turkey on a Colombian passport

No visa. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists Colombian nationals holding diplomatic, official and ordinary passports as exempt from a visa for travel of up to 90 days. You do not need an e-Visa, and there is no entry fee.

Passport validity. Turkish law requires your passport to be valid for at least 60 days beyond the length of your stay, which is 150 days for a full 90-day stay. The ministry advises six months of validity on arrival. For a two-week tour, a passport with more than six months left keeps things simple.

Connections through other countries. If your ticket connects through Europe, the United States or another country on the way, that country's transit rules apply to that leg, not Turkey's. A nonstop flight avoids the question altogether.

Mixed groups. If someone in your group travels on another passport, check their rules separately. Our Turkey visa requirements update covers the main nationalities.

Bogotá to Istanbul: the flight

Nonstop. Turkish Airlines is the only airline with nonstop service between Istanbul and Bogotá El Dorado. Flight-tracking data puts the Istanbul to Bogotá flight at about 13 and a half hours, operated by wide-body aircraft several times a week. Check your booking carefully: depending on the season and direction, Turkish Airlines' Colombian flights have been combined with a stop in Panama City, which adds time.

From other Colombian cities. Travellers from Medellín, Cali, Cartagena or Barranquilla usually take a domestic flight to Bogotá first. Leave enough time between the domestic and international flights, or travel to Bogotá the day before.

One-stop alternatives. Many Colombians fly through a European hub such as Madrid, or through the United States, and continue to Istanbul. These can be cheaper or fit better with your dates, but the total journey is longer, and you must meet the transit rules of the connecting country.

Arrival. The nonstop flight lands at Istanbul Airport (IST), on the European side of the city. A pre-booked private transfer, from $60 per group with our VIP airport transfer by Mercedes Vito, saves negotiating with taxis after a night on the plane.

Eight hours ahead: planning around jet lag

Turkey uses UTC+3 all year and Colombia UTC-5, and neither country changes its clocks, so Istanbul is always eight hours ahead of Bogotá. When it is 8 a.m. in Bogotá, it is 4 p.m. in Istanbul.

What this means for the tour:

• Day 1 should be empty. Arrive, check in, walk a little in daylight, eat early and sleep. Do not plan a guided tour on the day you land.
• Put Istanbul first. The Istanbul days are flexible, start at a civilised hour, and let your body adjust before the early starts in Cappadocia.
• Leave the balloon for later. Balloon pickups are before dawn. By the fifth or sixth day of the trip, getting up at 4 a.m. feels much easier than on the second.
• Free days help. This is why we suggest the 12-day tour with free days for Colombian travellers: the free time absorbs the jet lag on the way out and before the long flight home.

Why 10 to 12 days is the right length

After a flight of around thirteen hours, a five-day trip spends a large part of your holiday recovering. Ten to twelve days lets you see Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale and Ephesus without rushing, and still rest.

Prices are per person. Each tour page lists the hotels, domestic flights, guided days and meals included. Balloon flights, entrance fees where not included, tips and drinks are usually extra, so compare inclusions as well as prices.

Adding Greece to the same trip

Many Latin American travellers who cross the Atlantic want to see two countries. Turkey and Greece combine well, because ferries and short flights link the Turkish Aegean coast with the Greek islands and Athens.

Our Turkey and Greece tour of 15 days, from Istanbul to Santorini with flights and ferries, starts from $4,200 per person. For a shorter version, the Turkey and Greece tour of 9 days is from $3,370 per person. Our Spanish-language page on a viaje a Turquía y Grecia explains the routes in more detail.

Remember that Greece has its own entry rules for Colombian passports, separate from Turkey's. Check them on the official Greek or EU sources before you book.

A guide who speaks Spanish

Our tours are guided in English by licensed Turkish guides. A Spanish-speaking guide can be arranged on request, subject to availability. In the busiest months guides are booked early, so send your dates as soon as you have them. We confirm the guide and the price before you book. If no Spanish-speaking guide is free on a particular day, the tour runs with an English-speaking licensed guide.

On multi-day tours, ask whether the Spanish-speaking guide travels with you for the whole route or whether local guides take over in each region; both arrangements exist.

More on this:

• Spanish-speaking guides in Istanbul, how they work and what to ask.
• Turkey tours from Spain, our page for Spanish-speaking travellers from Europe.
• Private tour guides in Istanbul, how a private guided day works.
• Our page for Mexican travellers to Turkey, which covers many of the same questions from a Latin American point of view.

Seasons and what to pack

Bogotá has much the same weather all year, and the Caribbean coast is warm every month. Turkey has four clear seasons, and that affects both the trip and your suitcase.

• Spring (April to June). Mild and green, good for walking in Istanbul and the Cappadocia valleys. Bring a light jacket for the evenings.
• Summer (July and August). Hot and sunny, especially at Ephesus and Pamukkale in the middle of the day. Cappadocia has its most reliable balloon mornings. Bring sun protection and a hat.
• Autumn (September to November). Often the best balance of weather and crowds. Nights in Cappadocia become cold from October.
• Winter (December to March). Cold and wet in Istanbul, often snowy in Cappadocia, with nights below freezing. Balloon flights are cancelled more often. For many Colombians the snow is a highlight, but bring a real winter coat, gloves and waterproof shoes.

Our guide to the best time to visit Turkey goes month by month.

Paying, phones and other practical points

• Prices in dollars. Our tour prices are in US dollars, which many Colombian travellers already use for international purchases. Your bank converts the payment from pesos, so check its exchange rate and fees.
• Money in Turkey. The local currency is the Turkish lira. Cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants and shops in tourist areas. Carry some lira for small cafés, tips and markets, and at cash machines choose to be charged in lira.
• Phone. A Turkish SIM card or eSIM is easy to buy, and hotels have Wi-Fi.
• Food. Turkish food is rich in grilled meat, vegetables, bread and pastries, and breakfast is generous. Coffee lovers should try Turkish coffee, but you will also find espresso everywhere in the cities.
• Travel insurance. Turkey's ministry does not list it as an entry condition for Colombians, but take a policy that covers medical care and activities such as balloon flights.

Tours that cover this

• 12-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour with Free Days, from $1,642 per person.
• 10-Day Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale & Ephesus Tour, from $1,410 per person.
• Turkey Tour Package 10 Days: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus & Flights, from $2,800 per person.
• Turkey & Greece Tour 15 Days: Istanbul to Santorini, from $4,200 per person.

Frequently Asked Questions