Info for Travelers Going to Venezuela
Visa and Travel Plans
As an American, I had to get a visa before traveling to Venezuela. I didn’t need a letter of invitation. I applied for the visa in September 2018 at the Venezuelan embassy in San Francisco. I had to wait until the consular officer had time to meet with me and hear why I wanted to visit the country.
Two weeks later, my visa was approved.
The easiest way to get to Caracas is by flying through Miami.
I planned to visit Angel Falls and spend a few days with friends in Lechería.
I stayed at the Eurobuilding Airport Hotel in Caracas to catch a flight to Puerto Ordaz the next morning. There, I met up with my travel agent, Pablo. I stayed one night in Puerto Ordaz, then took a small charter flight to Canaima.
We stayed one night in a guesthouse in Canaima, then took a full-day boat trip to Angel Falls.
We camped in hammocks under the falls and spent the next day hiking and swimming. After that, we returned to Canaima for one more night before returning to Puerto Ordaz. Then we drove with friends to Lechería (also called Barcelona) and later to Caracas.
We were stopped and searched once at a checkpoint, but it wasn’t a big deal. Nothing felt unsafe on the trip—we mostly traveled during the day.
At the end of the trip, I spent some time in Caracas. Besides a few power outages, everything went smoothly, and I had a great time.
I spent 8 days traveling through Venezuela by plane and car, and I felt safe the whole time.
Planning everything ahead of time made the trip much easier. If I’d had more time, I would have loved to visit Los Roques and Margarita Island.
Money in Venezuela
Handling money in Venezuela was a bit tricky.
I exchanged U.S. dollars for bolívares soberanos at the airport in Caracas, and that turned out to be the best choice. Finding places to exchange money in other parts of the country was hard.
Try to pay for as much as you can—like flights and tours—before your trip. Most locals use bank transfers for everyday payments.
People also recommend a money transfer app called Zelle, but it didn’t work for me.
Need Help?
If you plan a trip to Venezuela, I highly recommend working with Pablo Martínez from FLYHIGHPM.
You can reach him on WhatsApp at +58 (424) 899-5637 or by email at pablomrivero.98@gmail.com.
Let’s push our limits!
Lexie