Colombia Christmas Holidays Run 8 December to 11 January

COLOMBIA · HOLIDAYS

Colombia has four public holidays between 8 December and 11 January, and three of them make three-day weekends. Visitors who plan around them avoid full hotels, crowded roads and closed offices.

Colombia has four public holidays from Tuesday, 8 December 2026 to Monday, 11 January 2027, and three create a long weekend. Only 8 December has no automatic long weekend.

Christmas Day starts the first one on Friday, 25 December, and it ends on Sunday, 27 December. The dates follow Law 51 of 1983, widely known as the Ley Emiliani.

The Four Holidays and Three Long Weekends

Immaculate Conception falls on Tuesday, 8 December, and Christmas Day is Friday, 25 December. New Year’s Day is Friday, 1 January 2027, and Epiphany, called Reyes Magos, is Monday, 11 January 2027.

Noticias Caracol lists the December dates, and Radio Nacional lists the January ones. Both agree with the law’s fixed and movable lists.

The first long weekend runs from Friday, 25 December to Sunday, 27 December. The second runs from Friday, 1 January 2027 to Sunday, 3 January 2027.

The third runs from Saturday, 9 January 2027 to Monday, 11 January 2027. November has its own holiday Mondays, covered in the Rio Times festivo guide.

How the Ley Emiliani Sets the Dates

Law 51 of 1983 moves a list of holidays to the following Monday when they fall on another day. The civil-service agency Función Pública publishes the full text online.

The movable dates include 6 January, 15 August, 1 November and 11 November. The fixed dates are 1 January, 1 May, 20 July, 7 August, 8 December and 25 December.

Epiphany falls on Wednesday, 6 January 2027, so it moves to Monday, 11 January 2027. Christmas and New Year’s Day are fixed, so both land on Fridays this season.

Because 8 December is fixed, it lands on a Tuesday this year. A bridge weekend is possible only if workers take Monday, 7 December off.

Date by Date, What Is On

El Heraldo reports that the Day of the Little Candles falls on the evening of Monday, 7 December, when families light candles. Tuesday, 8 December, the Immaculate Conception holiday, follows the next day.

Christmas Day gives a natural long weekend from Friday, 25 December to Sunday, 27 December. Opening hours vary by city and venue on the day itself, so confirm before you travel.

New Year’s Day opens a long weekend from Friday, 1 January 2027 to Sunday, 3 January 2027. The Riosucio Carnival in Caldas holds its central week from 1 to 6 January 2027, Pulzo reports, citing the carnival corporation.

Epiphany closes the season from Saturday, 9 January 2027 to Monday, 11 January 2027. Pasto’s Blacks and Whites Carnival peaks around 5 and 6 January, but the organiser’s website still shows its 2026 programme.

Barranquilla’s big carnival comes later, in February, and has its own dates and parade guide. It is not part of this holiday window.

New Flights to Cartagena, Medellín and Bogotá

Frontier Airlines starts Orlando to Medellín on Thursday, 10 December, with daily service. Orlando to Bogotá starts Monday, 14 December, six times a week, and Orlando to Cartagena starts Saturday, 19 December, once a week.

Frontier says all three routes are subject to government approval. Its launch fares of US$99 to US$169 applied only to travel from 14 January to 5 April 2027.

United Airlines starts nonstop flights from Houston and Washington Dulles to Cartagena on Thursday, 17 December. They run four times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, on Boeing 737 aircraft.

United says the flights are subject to government approval and that the schedule may change. The Rio Times United guide explains the schedule in full.

Holiday weekends are usually the busiest times for domestic flights, long-distance buses and highways. Plan to travel on the Saturday morning or the Sunday, and avoid the Monday evening return rush.

What It Means for You

US citizens need no visa for tourist stays of 90 days or less, the State Department’s country page says. Your passport must be valid for the whole stay, and the limit on cash carried in or out is US$10,000.

The State Department rates Colombia Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an advisory issued on 17 April 2025. It lists Level 4 for Arauca, Cauca except Popayán, Norte de Santander and the Venezuela border region.

The advisory also warns that political demonstrations can close roads suddenly. Check local news before you drive or take a bus on a holiday weekend.

Conversions here use 3,173.54 pesos per US$1, the rate updated on 22 October 2026 by open.er-api.com. At that rate 100,000 pesos is about US$32.

Book rooms in Cartagena, Medellín and Bogotá early for the 25 to 27 December and 1 to 3 January weekends. The Cartagena city page and Colombia explained cover the wider picture.

What Is Not Known

The 2027 programme of the Pasto carnival has not been published on the organiser’s website. The Riosucio dates come from one outlet, Pulzo, and were not found on the organiser’s own site.

Hotel rates and any road or cargo restrictions for each holiday weekend are not yet announced. Which banks, museums and attractions open on each holiday is not confirmed.

Whether Frontier and United receive government approval on schedule is also open. Ask your hotel or tour operator before you plan a fixed-schedule visit.

What Comes Next

Frontier’s Medellín service begins on Thursday, 10 December, and United’s Cartagena service on Thursday, 17 December. The first long weekend of the season begins on Friday, 25 December.

This guide does not mean every business closes on every holiday. Opening hours vary by city, sector and venue, so confirm directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Colombia’s long weekends over Christmas and New Year?

They run from 25 to 27 December 2026, from 1 to 3 January 2027 and from 9 to 11 January 2027. Tuesday, 8 December, has no automatic long weekend.

Is Tuesday, 8 December 2026, a long weekend in Colombia?

No, because 8 December is a fixed holiday that does not move to Monday. A bridge is possible only if workers take Monday, 7 December off.

Do US citizens need a visa for a holiday trip to Colombia?

No, US citizens need no visa for tourist stays of 90 days or less, the State Department says. Your passport must stay valid for the whole stay.

Sources: Función Pública, Law 51 of 1983; Noticias Caracol, 2026 holiday calendar; Radio Nacional de Colombia, 2027 holidays; Pulzo, Riosucio Carnival 2027; El Heraldo, Day of the Little Candles; Corpocarnaval, Pasto carnival; United Airlines, Cartagena flights; Frontier Airlines, Colombia service; US State Department, Colombia travel advisory; US State Department, Colombia country information; open.er-api.com, exchange rates (all accessed 22 October 2026).