Venezuela
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
South America · VEN
Editorial Snapshot
Why Go To Venezuela
Venezuela has dramatic natural range, from Caribbean coast and islands to tepui country and immense waterfalls, but current conditions make careful planning essential. If travel is feasible, the best itinerary is usually a tightly focused nature route rather than a broad country sweep.
Popular For
Things To See
- Caracas
- Angel Falls
- Los Roques
- Merida
- Canaima National Park
- Margarita Island
Best Months
Best Months For Winter Travel
Know Before You Go
- Check current advisories and access conditions before committing to the trip.
- A focused nature route is more realistic than trying to cover multiple regions.
- Angel Falls and Los Roques are the clearest payoff if conditions and logistics allow.
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Flights
Hotels & Accommodations
Compare stays across major booking options
Open hotel and accommodation options for Venezuela.
Guidebooks
📚Browse Venezuela Guidebooks on AmazonTours & Activities
Country Data
Stats At A Glance
Practical travel, safety, climate, and quality-of-life stats for Venezuela.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Caracas
- Population
- 28,517,000
- Area
- 916,445 km²
- Region
- South America
Languages
- Spanish
Currency
Venezuelan bolívar soberano (Bs.S.)
VES
Exchange rate unavailable for USD.
Cost of Living (World Bank)
37.7
Price level index (US = 100)
- Groceries
- 42.2
- Restaurants
- 40.7
- Rent
- 7.1
Safety & Peace
higher score = safer everyday environment · derived from World Bank homicide data
lower score = more peaceful · 1.0–3.5 scale
Monthly Climate Averages
These weather averages are based on data for Caracas (10.48°N, 66.87°W).
LGBTQ+ Friendly
24/100
Traveler LGBTQ score
- Legal protections
- 20/100
- Lived safety
- 31/100
This score blends legal protections with lived-safety context so strong laws alone do not automatically push a country to the top of the ranking.
- Homosexuality legal✅
- Relationship recognitionNone
- Adoption recognition❌
- Anti-discrimination laws❌
- Employment protections❌
- Legal gender recognition❌
- Conversion therapy ban❌
Human Development Index (UNDP)
0.709
High human development
- 5-year change
- -0.032
- 10-year change
- -0.064
- Trend
- declining
- Data year
- 2023
- Gender Dev. Index (GDI)
- 0.993
- Gender Inequality Index (GII)
- 0.512
- Planetary-adjusted HDI (PHDI)
- 0.652
UNESCO World Heritage Sites (3)
- 🏛️
Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas
Inscribed 2000
- 🌿
Canaima National Park
Inscribed 1994
- 🏛️
Coro and its Port
Inscribed 1993
Natural Beauty (World Bank)
- Protected land area
- 56.8%
- Forest cover
- 52.2%
Source: World Bank.
Wildlife & Birdwatching
- Threatened mammal species (IUCN)
- 37
- Threatened bird species (IUCN)
- 43
Source: World Bank / IUCN Red List. Higher counts indicate richer biodiversity, typically in tropical rainforest, island, and savannah ecosystems.
Food & Cuisine
34/100
Food and dining score
Built from two layers: dining-scene breadth and open prestige signals. We combine restaurant density, cuisine diversity, distinguished restaurants, and gastronomy-city recognitions from open data sources.
Luxury Infrastructure
80/100
Luxury & premium accommodation score
Based on OpenStreetMap luxury hotel density and World Bank international tourism receipts.
US Travel Advisory
Reconsider travelto Venezuela due to risk of crime, kidnapping, terrorism, and poor health infrastructure and natural disaster. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Natural disaster On June 24, 2026, Venezuela experienced a powerful foreshock and earthquake in rapid succession. These caused extensive damage and disruption to transportation, infrastructure, and emergency services. The Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas is currently providing emergency services only to U.S. citizens. Review the U.S. embassy website for the latest updates. Review information about staying safe during and after an earthquake. Stay in touch with transportation companies and advice from local authorities. U.S. embassy operations In March 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas resumed operations, including the provision of limited consular services for U.S. citizens in Venezuela. The Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas is currently providing emergency American Citizens Services only. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas can only provide limited emergency services to U.S. citizens outside of Caracas. Visa services in Venezuela remain suspended. Visa services are provided through the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. Crime and kidnapping Conditions in some parts of Venezuela remain dangerous. Violent crimes such as homicide, armed robbery, and kidnapping occur. Travelers face increased risk using unregulated taxis from Maiquetia Simon Bolivar International Airport serving Caracas. Security risks are also present when using ATMs near the airport. Nighttime travel between cities is risky. U.S. government employees working in Venezuela are not allowed to use public transportation due to safety risks. Irregular armed groups can carry out acts of violence against citizens without warning. There are no reliable crime statistics. Terrorism There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Venezuela. Visit the U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism to learn more. The Foreign Terrorist Organizations Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles started in Venezuela and continue to operate. Terrorist groups operate in Venezuela’s border areas with Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. Health infrastructure Venezuela’s healthcare system is in a state of severe crisis. There are critical shortages of medicines, broken equipment, and crumbling infrastructure in rural areas and in some neighborhoods. Public hospitals in remote areas frequently lack running water and electricity. There are shortages of medical staff. These issues have led to high mortality rates. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends medicine to prevent malaria. Other mosquito-borne diseases, including chikungunya, zika, dengue, oropouche, and yellow fever, are common. Contaminated water is a source of significant gastrointestinal infection in Venezuela. If going outside cities, travelers should consider a health check before traveling to Venezuela to minimize the need for medical care. If going outside cities, travelers should consider a health check before traveling to Venezuela to minimize the need for medical care. Do Not Travel to: Venezuela-Colombia border region (20 miles from the border) due to the risk of crime, kidnapping, and terrorism Amazonas state due to the risk of terrorism Apure state due to risk of terrorism Aragua state outside of Maracay due to the risk of crime and kidnapping Bolivar state rural areas due to the risk of crime and kidnapping Guarico state due to the risk crime and kidnapping Tachira state due to the risk of crime and terrorism
Read full advisory →Data current as of July 2026 and subject to change. Travel advisory information is sourced from the U.S. State Department and reflects conditions at the time of data collection, not real-time conditions. Do not rely solely on this information for travel decisions. Always check current government advisories for your nationality. Terms of Use · About our data