Best Time to Visit Venezuela

Dry season is the easy answer

Venezuela sits close to the equator, so it has two seasons, not four. The dry season runs roughly from December to April. The rainy season fills most of the rest of the year. If you want one safe window, aim for December to February. Every city we cover rates well then.

Caracas is the most forgiving. It sits in a mountain valley, so it stays milder than the coast. January to May works, and even its wettest month, August, only gets 83 mm. Valencia and Barquisimeto are similar. Both are best from late November or December through winter. Both hit 34°C in March, so late spring afternoons get properly hot.

Maracaibo is its own story

Maracaibo, by Lake Maracaibo in the northwest, is the hot one. July reaches 37°C, and the air feels heavy. Go between December and February, when evenings are easier for a walk along the lakeside or a trip to the Puente sobre el Lago, the long bridge across the water. October is the wettest month there at 123 mm. Barquisimeto also peaks in October, though it's lighter at 81 mm.

Holidays and crowds

Venezuelans travel a lot at Christmas and New Year. Buses fill up, and beach towns on the coast get busy. Carnival comes in February or March, depending on the year, with Monday and Tuesday as days off. Expect packed roads and full beaches around Morrocoy and Choroní. Semana Santa, the week before Easter, is the biggest holiday of the year. Plan around it, because flights and coach seats go fast.

July and August are school holiday months, so families head to the coast. That's also when it rains more in Caracas and Valencia.

High and low season

High season is December to April, plus the Semana Santa and Carnival peaks. Low season is the wetter months, roughly May to November. You'll find fewer people then, but afternoon downpours can cancel hikes. Travelling with kids? Consider the school holiday months, but book transport early.