Driving in Bogotá
Colombia public holidays 2027: every long weekend and how to plan a road trip from Bogotá
Colombia public holidays 2027: all 19 dates, the 13 long weekends and how far you can drive from Bogotá on each one without the return jam.
Colombia has 19 public holidays in 2027 and 13 long weekends: eleven Monday holidays, plus the New Year weekend and Easter. July brings two long weekends in a row, because the new Our Lady of Chiquinquirá holiday lands exactly a week after Saints Peter and Paul.
Long weekends are called puentes (bridges) in Colombia, and most of the country hits the road for them. This guide gives you the full calendar and, for each one, how far you can drive from Bogotá and how to get back without sitting in the return jam.
All 19 public holidays in 2027
| Date | Day | Holiday | Long weekend? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | Friday | New Year’s Day | Yes, Friday to Sunday |
| 11 January | Monday | Epiphany | Yes |
| 22 March | Monday | Saint Joseph’s Day | Yes |
| 25 March | Thursday | Maundy Thursday | Easter |
| 26 March | Friday | Good Friday | Easter |
| 1 May | Saturday | Labour Day | No |
| 10 May | Monday | Ascension Day | Yes |
| 31 May | Monday | Corpus Christi | Yes |
| 7 June | Monday | Sacred Heart | Yes |
| 5 July | Monday | Saints Peter and Paul | Yes |
| 12 July | Monday | Our Lady of Chiquinquirá | Yes |
| 20 July | Tuesday | Independence Day | No |
| 7 August | Saturday | Battle of Boyacá | No |
| 16 August | Monday | Assumption | Yes |
| 18 October | Monday | Day of Ethnic and Cultural Diversity | Yes |
| 1 November | Monday | All Saints’ Day | Yes |
| 15 November | Monday | Independence of Cartagena | Yes |
| 8 December | Wednesday | Immaculate Conception | No |
| 25 December | Saturday | Christmas Day | No |
The calendar is the one published by El Universal. The Our Lady of Chiquinquirá holiday is new: Law 2578 of 2026 created it for 9 July, according to Blu Radio, and since 9 July 2027 is a Friday the day off moves to Monday the 12th. Check the official calendar before you buy flights.
The 13 long weekends, one by one
- Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January (New Year). Many people are still on holiday; good for a short trip before the big return.
- Saturday 9 to Monday 11 January (Epiphany). Closes the year-end holidays: that Monday is one of the heaviest return days of the year.
- Saturday 20 to Monday 22 March (Saint Joseph). Right before Easter: three days of leave give you ten days in a row.
- Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 March (Easter). The longest weekend and the busiest for rental cars.
- Saturday 8 to Monday 10 May (Ascension).
- Saturday 29 to Monday 31 May (Corpus Christi).
- Saturday 5 to Monday 7 June (Sacred Heart). Around the start of the mid-year school holidays in much of the country.
- Saturday 3 to Monday 5 July (Saints Peter and Paul).
- Saturday 10 to Monday 12 July (Our Lady of Chiquinquirá). The second in a row. Chiquinquirá, in Boyacá, is the shrine of Colombia’s patron saint and pairs well with Villa de Leyva.
- Saturday 14 to Monday 16 August (Assumption).
- Saturday 16 to Monday 18 October (Ethnic and Cultural Diversity).
- Saturday 30 October to Monday 1 November (All Saints).
- Saturday 13 to Monday 15 November (Independence of Cartagena). The last long weekend of the year.
Tuesday 20 July and Wednesday 8 December stay midweek. If you can take Monday 19 July off, that weekend becomes four days.
How far to drive on each kind of break
| Time you have | Destinations from Bogotá | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Zipaquirá, Guatavita, Suesca | Salt Cathedral day trip |
| A long weekend | Villa de Leyva, Melgar, Girardot | Villa de Leyva by car |
| Easter or July | Coffee Region, Medellín, Cali | Colombia road trip |
| One or two weeks | The Caribbean coast, over two driving days | Colombia road trip |
Driving back into Bogotá on the last day
On the last day of every long weekend a regional pico y placa applies: from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. even plates enter the city, and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. odd plates, on nine entry roads. Our guide to the holiday return explains how to plan around it, and tolls leaving Bogotá has the toll rates, which you pay again on the way back.
Booking a car for a long weekend
- Same price all year. Rates do not rise on long weekends or at Easter.
- Book early for Easter and the July weekends. You can book as little as one day ahead if a car is available, but those weekends sell out first.
- For longer holidays: book 21 days and keep the car for 30. Rates for the whole fleet are on how much it costs to rent a car in Bogotá.
The figures in this guide were verified against official sources on the update date. Tolls and rates are adjusted every year.
Frequently asked questions
- How many public holidays does Colombia have in 2027?
- Nineteen: the usual eighteen plus Our Lady of Chiquinquirá, which Law 2578 of 2026 made a national holiday on 9 July. In 2027 that day falls on a Friday, so the day off moves to Monday 12 July.
- How many long weekends are there in Colombia in 2027?
- Thirteen. Eleven holidays fall on a Monday, plus the New Year weekend (Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January) and Easter (Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 March).
- When is Easter (Semana Santa) in 2027 in Colombia?
- Palm Sunday is 21 March and Easter Sunday is 28 March. The public holidays are Maundy Thursday, 25 March, and Good Friday, 26 March.
- Which 2027 holidays do not make a long weekend?
- Those that fall on a Saturday (1 May, 7 August and 25 December) and those that stay midweek: Tuesday 20 July and Wednesday 8 December.
- Why do so many Colombian holidays fall on a Monday?
- Because of Law 51 of 1983, known as the Ley Emiliani, which moves several religious and civic holidays to the following Monday to create long weekends.
- Do rental car rates go up on Colombian long weekends?
- Not at Andes Auto Rental: rates are the same all year, on long weekends, at Easter and in December. Availability is what changes, so it pays to book early. You can book as little as one day ahead if a car is available.
