Dates Visited: November 18 2022 – November 23 2022
Preface
I stood on the sandy beaches of the southwest coast of Aruba – a tiny island deep in the Caribbean during the first week of September, 2020. After months in social distancing, flattening curves, lockdowns, non essential closures – I was back on the international travel circuit while many worldwide remain grounded. I looked out at the crystal blue waters and saw a faint silhouette – the Venezuelan coastline far in the distance. I thought to myself – will I ever get a chance to visit that elusive country?
Many told me the horrors, the danger, the existential threat of attempting a trip to Venezuela – a land once prosperous with the world’s largest proven oil reserves but after years of government mismanagement and failed economics – has quickly fallen into crisis. Time after time, each Venezuelan person I met abroad warned me of the dangers of their homeland. To get a sense of what was ahead, I spent hours reading the many Internet articles painting a grim picture of what Venezuela has now turned into – hyperinflation, kidnapping, starvation, grocery shortages, express kidnapping, electricity shortages, nicknamed the murder capital of the world, world’s most dangerous airport and headline after headline – it seemed traveling to Caracas – the capital city almost certainly would turn out to be a suicide mission.
Safety
To address the elephant in the room, I never felt unsafe in Caracas or Venezuela at any time of day or night.
Before I arrived to Caracas, many Venezuelans abroad, travel blog websites, famous Youtube vloggers (Indigo Traveler, Drew Binsky, etc), and the propaganda arm of the U.S State Department, U.K Foreign & Commonwealth Office, etc made it seem to me as if visiting Caracas was tantamount to visiting Fallujah in 2004. This couldn’t be any further from the truth.
I traveled to Caracas without an armored car convoy, bodyguards, Kevlar vests, or ISR overwatch yet never once felt unsafe during my time there. Caracas has changed. Venezuela has changed. The rampant crime and hyperinflation crisis that plagued the country in the 2010s and led to the Great Migration is effectively a thing of the past. Caracas has transformed into a modern, thriving, cosmopolitan environment rich of art, culture, food, and other wonders that arguably felt safer to me than my time visiting Bogota or San Salvador.
There is also a wide mix of people in Caracas of all colors, sizes, shapes, backgrounds, ethnic groups, nationalities etc, from the Iranians to the Chinese, Italians, Russians, Americans, Indians, Germans, etc – it’s a diverse city which means that anyone can technically fit in without standing out too much. I do recommend that for men, do not wear shorts in the city of Caracas. Stick to long pants/trousers like khakis or jeans to avoid sticking out. I only saw juveniles wear shorts for some reason, even during the weekends.
That being said, this isn’t Singapore. Stick to your usual street smarts and wits as if you would in Brazil or Mexico. Avoid questionable areas after dark and use cars when traveling at night. Don’t flash cash or valuables, generally using your phone is fine in public as locals love to be on their phone too. Carry a copy of your passport or a photo identification card from your home country at all times while traveling as police may stop you to inspect your documents (they stopped me and my driver Armando once to check our documents while we were waiting at a traffic light)
Visa Logistics
For U.S. citizens, the Venezuela visa is one of the most difficult to get in the world. I thought it was impossible to get this visa or even visit Venezuela until I met a friend on a Facebook group who was able to get the visa and visit Caracas – inspiring me to do the same.
With no Venezuelan diplomatic outposts in the U.S. – one has to fly to a third country (such as Mexico) to apply for the visa. The wait times can exceed two months for the necessary bureaucratic approvals. I have written a separate guide on how to get the Venezuela tourist visa as a U.S. citizen that you can review.
Arriving
Simón Bolívar International Airport (CCS)
The main international airport of Venezuela – Simón Bolívar International Airport also known as Maiquetía is where you’ll likely fly into. This airport is located 40 minutes outside the center of Caracas. This airport has been crowned the “World’s most dangerous airport” year after year at the height of the Venezuelan economic crisis. There are even transport companies offering armored car convoy escorts to the city with armed bodyguards. However, these are relics of a bygone era that ended years ago. Now, the airport is well guarded by military and police. You don’t need an armored car – you can just take a Yummy or Ridery car (Venezuelan Uber) to the city just as I did. You may also have read reports that the road between the airport and the city is dangerous – while this may have been true at some point once upon a time, the road is now perfectly safe and well traveled by locals.
15 minutes of free Wi-Fi is available at the airport – after that, it costs US$1.50 to continue using the Wi-Fi. This airport has seen better days though, while it’s relatively clean and well guarded today – the airport would not be considered luxurious by any means. There’s a handful of food options and shopping but most are empty/deserted. Most flights in and out of this airport are bound for friendly foreign nations (think Cuba, Iran, Russia, Mexico, Turkey, or Panama) or domestic destinations. U.S. and most European mainstream air carriers pulled out of Venezuela in the mid to late 2010s and have yet to return. Although, you will still see reminiscence of their once-presence in CCS by the signs for “American Airlines” or “Lufthansa” hanging around the check-in area for departures.
When departing from this airport, plan to arrive four hours before flight departure as the check-in counter closes two hours before departure – and there are a number of layers of security checkpoints you must pass. The first is a passport check by the GNB (Guardia Nacional Bolivariana de Venezuela) – the military before you reach the airline check-in desk. After receiving your boarding pass from the airline, you are asked to remain at the check in counter until your checked luggage is X-rayed and screened by the military. Once it passes, you are authorized to leave the check in area to proceed to security screening (TSA). After passing through Venezuelan TSA, you will get stamped out of the country by Venezuelan immigration and passport control. Finaly, you are given one last full-body patdown (same gender screener) at the time of boarding by the Antidroga branch (anti-narcotics) of the GNB.
It was at the airport restroom that I noticed there was a giant dispenser of toilet paper outside of the individual stalls in each men’s restroom – it turns out that public restrooms in Venezuela often times do not provide free toilet paper. If they do, it’s one roll that is shared between all of the stalls. I can’t speak if this is the same situation in the ladies restroom but keep this in mind when traveling in the country to bring your own tissue packs.
Immigration/Customs
Checklist for items you will need to bring with you to Venezuelan customs
- Valid Passport, not expiring within next 6 months
- Valid Venezuelan visa, if your nationality requires it
- Proof of hotel/accommodation in Venezuela – in physical paper form
- Proof of onwards travel/return flight – in physical paper form
- Casa Lab Pase De Salud QR Code (https://pasedesalud.casalab.com.ve/login) – this might be phased out when COVID-19 “ends” in Venezuela
On the plane ride, you may be given a paper immigration form to fill out – the immigration officer never collected this from me and rejected it when I tried to give it to her. In the end, the form went into the trash. There is a separate paper form that is only available at the airport that you must fill out and is collected by the customs officer – this is the customs declaration paper form.
Venezuelan immigration and passport control will often times need to verify your visa so expect a short (15-20 minutes) wait while they verify your visa and make a copy of the proof of hotel and return flight. This is normal. After they verified my documents, they happily stamped by U.S. passport and welcomed me into the country. I faced no animosity for being American at passport control or customs. They are friendly, professional, and welcoming of all people.
As someone who has traveled in a handful of countries that may be considered “Anti-U.S.” – while individuals may have a range of opinions about the U.S. government or U.S. foreign policy around the world (especially in China or the Middle East), any animosity is usually not directed towards individual U.S citizens.
As of November 18 2022, every arriving passenger from abroad will be subjected to an on-arrival PCR test for COVID-19 by the airport authorities when you land at the airport. This is paid for already in your airfare ticket and results are typically available in a day. I think this will eventually be phased out once COVID-19 “ends” in Venezuela but for now, expect a quick shallow nostril swab upon landing.
Lounges
There is one Priority Pass accessible Lounge opposite Gate 12 at CCS – while the lounge had comfortable seating space – the food and beverage selection left much to be desired. The food appeared stale and there were no hot food options available. The beverage selection was a typical bunch of beer, wine, and well spirits with assorted Venezuelan soft drinks.
Currency
With the Venezuelan economy being dollar-ized, the era of carrying a backpack full of cash that is only equal to $1USD is over. Every business in Venezuela will accept U.S. dollars and many will advertise their prices in “REF” which means USD usually.
I suggest that you load up on US $1, $5 bank notes to bring to Venezuela, especially US $1 because small change is hard to come by. Make sure these bills are not ripped or torn – some stores may be picky with damaged banknotes. Some stores may give you candy or some other trinket if they don’t have small bills to give you as a change.
You may also receive the new series of local Bolivares banknotes as change – I suggest you spend/ get rid of them as soon as possible because the inflation will make them lose almost 5% or more value overnight. US coins are not used. Credit cards are accepted at major restaurants, hotels, and large stores in Caracas. Locals also use a form of mobile pay which I was unable to investigate.
The rate between USD and BES fluctuates daily and I’ve seen the rate drop by almost 10% in a week – the current rate can be found on the Central Bank of Venezuela’s website and this rate is what stores will use to determine your USD’s value in exchange for BES.
There is no need to exchange money into BES – in fact, it’s better if you avoid BES due to the inflation. USD is sufficient and will be welcomed everywhere.
Taxis/Rideshare/Local Transportation
Two apps you will need to download on your phone – the first is called Ridery and the second is called Yummy Rides. Think of these apps as the Venezuelan version of Uber/Lyft/Bolt/Grab/GoJek. While international credit cards technically do work, I found that the app had trouble charging my cards and would sometimes put my account in negative balance. It’s easier to just use cash with these apps by paying the driver directly in USD banknotes. The excess change will automatically be applied to the cost of your next trip.
Yummy Rides is the most popular of the two apps and I found it to be generally a smooth experience to request drivers. Drivers generally do not speak English, and they have a tendency in Venezuela to not trust GPS. This means that when you request a ride, they may try to call you and ask you verbally for your current position before coming to you. Since I had a foreign phone number attached to my Yummy, they were unable to reach me by phone so they used the Chat function to ask where I was. I would advise that you have a message in Spanish ready to send them via Chat that says something along the lines of “Hola, estoy en la ubicación en el mapa.” This will let them know that you are at the GPS location and that they can follow Google Maps to find you.
If you run into trouble with Yummy, click on the Support tab and chat with an agent. There is one agent (her name is Daniela B.) who speaks English and can help resolve your issue. She saved me on many occasions when my account ran negative due to credit card weirdness. Best to just use cash with Yummy to avoid all the fuss I had to go through.
If you are looking for an English speaking driver in Caracas, I would recommend Armando who is a licensed professional taxi driver and a friend of my Airbnb host. Armando speaks fluent English and spends his days driving clients around Caracas for a living – hence he is quite familiar with all of the major sightseeing points – he can be reached via WhatsApp at +58 424-3520642
The public transportation in Caracas consists of either bus systems which I did not explore or the Caracas Metro. I would not advise riding the Caracas Metro because the system is under renovation – stations are in total decay with lack of handrails on stairs, signs, lighting, fire safety equipment missing, train cars lack lighting and ventilation, the train cars take 30 minutes at times to appear, and overall the system is not a pleasant experience today.
Fun fact: I noticed Venezuelans loved Toyota 4Runners and Land Cruisers – these are considered the luxury vehicles of Venezuela. I did not see any BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, or Porsches during my time in Caracas.
SIM Cards/Wi-Fi
Movistar only sells SIM cards to foreigners who have residency documents in Venezuela so as a short term visitor/tourist, you are ineligible to purchase their service.
There are two main mobile phone carriers in Venezuela – Digitel and Movistar.
This leaves you with Digitel – they sell one prepaid plan that foreigners are able to purchase consisting of 1,000 talk minutes, 1,000 SMS, and 1.1GB of LTE data per month.
If you need more data, SMS, or talk minutes, you can recharge your phone’s balance and it will draw from the balance. The price for the plan, SIM card, and administrative fees is roughly $15USD all together and can be purchased at the Telven Comunicaciones, C.A. store (Instagram: @telvencomunicaciones) in Caracas – they have a number of locations in malls across the city as listed below. I went to the store in the Millennium Mall with my passport and $15USD in hand – I walked out with a functioning SIM card in my iPhone within 15 minutes. The process requires fingerprinting, a photo of you, and your passport. I don’t think eSIMs are available yet in Venezuela but it appears that they may be an option in 2023.
- C.C Millennium Mall, Nivel Plaza
- C.C Paseo el Hatillo, Nivel P3
- C.C Chacaito, Nivel PB, L-126
- C.C. Plaza Las Américas, Nivel PB. Local PB-11
I quickly ran through my 1.1GB allowance of data for the month and to continue browsing the web, I had to recharge my Digitel account’s balance. Usually, you can do this on the Digitel website directly but I had trouble with the interface. Instead, I used another app from the app store called “Ding” which is a third party mobile top up service that takes a small fee for recharging your phone balance with Apple Pay or a major credit card. I found that the cost of 1GB is roughly $2USD as a rule of thumb for recharging.
Be warned that cellular phone service in Venezuela is not perfect. There are quite a handful of dead spots in Caracas where it may appear that you have 5 bars of LTE signal on your screen, yet nothing will actually load on the Internet. A prominent dead signal spot I found out one day was standing directly in front of the Teatro Teresa Carreno – I wonder if this is because of the brutalist architecture of the theater. If you find yourself in a dead spot, keep walking in one direction for a while and you should regain service.
If you’re ever in a dead spot, see if there’s free and open WiFi available, many cafes, stores, or public places offer free Wi-Fi. There was one time I was in a dead spot and had to rely on a pharmacy’s WiFi connection to call a Yummy car because Digitel refused to connect me to the Internet.
Sightseeing
Metrocable – Caracas Cable Car
This is the cable car system built by the Venezuelan government to connect the residents of the slums in the mountains to the Caracas metro system. It’s mainly used by locals who live in the mountainside slums and I believe it is free with the right access pass. Unfortunately I did not have that access pass but a friendly station attendant swiped me in. To get on this cable car, start at the Parque Central station. The car goes in a loop between 3 stations before returning to Parque Central. Locals riding with me advised me I probably should stay on the car instead of trying to explore the slums. I heeded that advice. Nice photography opportunity as you get an unobstructed aerial view over the whole city of Caracas as the cable car takes you in a loop.
Parque Del Este
This is a nice park in the Sebucan area that I walked around one morning – lots of people jogging, exercising, or walking their dogs.
Plaza Francia, Altamira
Outside the Altamira subway station, you’ll find Plaza Francia – during my visit it was filled with families taking photos in front of Christmas decorations. There’s also an obelisk monument at the Plaza that’s a common meeting point in the city.
Simon Bolivar House
This is where the liberator of South America – Simon Bolivar is said to have been born. You can visit the museum and see his original bed, paintings, belongings, etc.
Plaza Bolivar
Near the house of Simon Bolivar, this is one of the many plazas/squares in the city that yo ucan walk around and see how locals live their life. During my visit, many plazas hosted a watching party for the 2022 World Cup.
Plaza Caracas
A central square in the heart of Caracas with government offices, a Vietnamese restaurants, and some random shops. The buildings light up at night in the color of the Venezuelan flag.
Plaza O’Leary
Another plaza with fountains and Christmas decorations during my visit – you’ll notice Caracas has dozens of these. The city is truly well decorated and plenty of outdoor socializing spaces.
Parque Ezequiel Zamora
This is a large park on the west side of the city with a famous staircase of Chavez’s eyes incorporated into the design as well as an Arch monument. Good place to walk around and look at the views of Caracas.
Plaza Venezuela
This is the geographical center of the city and honestly not my favorite plaza, there’s a lot of traffic and buses around which makes the area congested and not as relaxing as the other plazas. There’s mainly government offices and buildings around this part of town.
University City of Caracas (Central University of Venezuela)
Armando took me here to show me around his alma mater – this is Venezuela’s most famous university. The campus is also a UNESCO heritage site and on the weekends, there’s outdoor salsa dancing groups.
Avila National Park
During my visit, the cable car system to visit Avila National Park was under repair so I took a Land Cruiser (US$10/person roundtrip) up the mountain. The ride was a near vertical ascent with roller coaster like twists and turns – so if you are prone to motion sickness, I advise taking medication beforehand. Unfortunately, as soon as I arrived to the summit, there was a heavy rain storm with zero visibility. Once the cable car system re-opens, I imagine that ride will be much more pleasant.
National Panthenon/Mausoleum of the Liberator Simón Bolívar
The two mauseoleums of Caracas are among the most sacred and guarded sites in the nation. Usually, the National Pantheon and final resting place of Simón Bolívar is open to the public. Unfortunately, when I arrived – it appeared closed but due to some good luck and connections, I managed to get inside and it is truly an extraordinary monument to Simón Bolívar – a man whose likeness is ubiquitous in Venezuelan (and South American) society. Pictures do not do this place justice. Tours are free and if you come at the right time, you can watch the guard changing ceremony.
Mausoleum of Hugo Chávez
The two mausoleums of Caracas are among the most sacred and guarded sites in the nation. Located at a military fort at a high point over the city, this is a heavily guarded installation where visitors must be escorted by military soldiers at all times on site. Tours are free and if you come at the right time, you can watch the guard changing ceremony.
Museo de Bella Artes/ Plaza de Los Museos
There’s two famous museums in this area, an art museum and a science museum. Unfortunately, both were closed when I visited but on a Sunday evening, you can find plenty of people hanging around and relaxing in this area. I think there’s also a ramen shop next to the art museum.
Parque Central
Two soaring skyscraper towers housing offices, apartments, etc over the Caracas skyline – unable to go inside but nice to see from the outside. Pinnacle of 1980s Caracas architecture.
Colinas de Valle Arriba Mirador/ Mirador de Santa Fe
This is a hidden cool viewpoint that is accessible by Yummy/Taxi – good place to take photos and take in the views of the city while eating an unhealthy amount of Pirulin and cracking open a cold Polar.
Los Proceres Caracas/El Laguito
This is a recreational park area near a military academy with an artificial lake, shopping mall., and two monuments to the Venezuelan heroes of the various wars in the 19th century. Nice place to walk around on the weekends.
Esfera Caracas
This is a giant sphere art installation in the middle of the highway – to get here, you need a car/taxi and it is guarded by a 24 hours police station. Good place to stop and take photos but nothing else here.
Catia
This is a very local middle-class neighborhood of Caracas if you want to see daily life – I also found a number of interesting murals here including one depicting Venezuelan-Russian unity (Hugo Chavez & Vladimir Putin).
Sambil Mall
The largest mall in Venezuela with multiple sections and levels – you can find pretty much anything here. Very crowded in the evenings.
Megasis Supermarket
This is a joint Iranian-Venezuelan supermarket opened as a response to the Western sanctions on both countries. Goods at this supermarket are predominantly imported from Iran. If you’re interested in seeing Iranian products and goods without having to visit Tehran, this is a good opportunity.
La Praline Chocolatier
This is a famous chocolate shop in Caracas selling locally made gourmet chocolates and gifts. Nice quick stop for sweets but nothing to write home about.
Plaza Diego Ibarra
This plaza had an outdoor market and a World Cup viewing party when I visited.
Club Social de Chino (Chinatown of Caracas)
Small “social club” / Chinatown of Caracas consisting of a basketball court, an Asian grocery store, Cantonese bakery, a few Chinese restaurants and of course a bubble tea shop.
Farmatodo
Venezuela’s drugstore/pharmacy, arguably cleaner and nicer than some CVS Pharmacies I’ve been to in New York City. You can find pretty much any OTC or prescription medicine you need or basic toiletries here. Many are open 24 hours a day.
FORUM Supermayorista IPSFA
I stopped by this supermarket to pick up Venezuelan snacks (Flips, Pirulin, illegal Kelloggs cereal) on my last day. Well stocked supermarket with everything you need.
Food/Drink
El Solar del Este
This is one of the most famous restaurants in Caracas amongst the Venezuelan travel community – it seems that everybody ends up going here at least once during their time in Caracas and I definitely see why. Huge arepas – and plenty of different food options on their menu. Friendly staff and it’s located in a relatively safe and posh neighborhood (down the street from the J.W. Marriott) – expect to pay roughly $12USD for an arepa.
Catar Restaurant
This is a fancy sit-down restaurant serving a wide mix of foreign and local dishes including carpaccio, paella, salad, steak, etc. Entrees are no more than $20USD each.
Arepera El Canario
This is a very local arepera shop, hole-in-the-wall with limited seating (about 8 seats max) so they mainly do take-out operations in the far west side of Caracas. The neighborhood looks to be middle-upper class with fancy supermarkets and pharmacies in the vicinity. They also have one of the best fresh mango juices I’ve tried – about $5-$6USD for an arepa and another dollar for the mango juice.
MoDo Caracas
This is a food hall of 3 or 4 different types of cuisines (Mexican, Japanese, Italian, etc) with a few sports bars for drinking and watching games – feels very Western to me and prices are high for Caracas ($8USD for 2 scoops of ice cream)
Rest. La Casa Bistro
Another fancy sit-down restaurant, I tried the Venezuelan sweet pancake cachapa here and a lobster roll with local Los Roques lobster – roughly $20USD for an entree.
McDonald’s
Despite what Drew Binsky may have said, Venezuelan McDonald’s is definitely not the worst – at least for me – I think the McDonald’s in West Philadelphia may take that title. Expect typical menu options of burgers, chicken, fries, soda, etc. It seems to me that Venezuelans prefer KFC over McDonald’s.
KFC
This place is always a madhouse, especially the two-level KFC in Sambil Mall. Venezuelans love fried chicken and KFC and it definitely shows. Note that if you use a credit card, they will ask for a photo ID. Prices are higher than the U.S for KFC but the quality is also higher.
Julietta Rotisserie & Meats
I was walking in the Tolon Fashion Mall one night when I stumbled upon this restaurant known for their rotisserie chicken – I bought a whole chicken with sides of boiled yuca and cole slaw for $15USD and it was quite delicious.
Arepa Caracas
Near the Renaissance, there’s a tiny arepa restaurant with seating and fast-casual service. You can build your own arepas here with your choice of toppings and they come in two sizes. Good place to hide out from the rain or temperamental weather patterns of Caracas and chew down a mini-arepa.
Casa Chepel Vietnamese Restaurant
In Plaza Caracas, there is one Vietnamese restaurant that served Venezuelan interpretations of Vietnamese food. As a Viet person, I didn’t think the food was authentic at all but it wasn’t terrible. Friendly staff and good location.
Rest. Los Pilones de Este Los Pilones del Este
This is a 24-hour Venezuelan restaurant in the heart of Las Mercedes, a neighborhood known for bars and nightlife. They serve a wide mix of arepas here including pulpo (octopus) – good service and filling arepas. It gets busy here at night.
Gran Horizonte Arepera Restaurant
Fancy sit down version of an Arepera restaurant – staff speak English here and the atmosphere is quite refined and posh. The arepas were on the smaller side though.
Accommodation
Window Mountain Suite – Sebucan Airbnb
I spent the first half of my Caracas trip in a local Airbnb in the Sebucan neighborhood. This is a posh, middle-upper class neighborhood with locals walking dogs, taking a jog or going on a nice leisurely stroll. The Airbnb was in a well secured and guarded apartment complex and was a comfortable stay. My hosts were welcoming and friendly – provided everything I needed for my stay at their property. If you’re looking for a local experience, definitely check out Carlos’s Airbnb.
Renaissance Caracas La Castellana Hotel
My second half of the Caracas trip was spent at the 5-star Renaissance hotel, part of the global Marriott chain. During the 2010s, many Western hotel chains pulled out of Venezuela or were seized by the government (example: Hilton) – now Marriott is one of the few (besides Wyndham) western hotel companies still operating in Venezuela. They have two properties in Caracas – one being the J.W. Marriott and the other being the Renaissance. Based on advice from friends, I redeemed my Marriott points (at an excellent rate) for a few nights at the Renaissance. The hotel was located in a very nice part of the city with food options and a park nearby. The room was comfortable, spacious, and the staff were very friendly. I think the cash price (US$200/night) for this hotel is a bit steep considering the local prices of Venezuela however so I advise that you try and use Marriott points to book here instead.
The other property owned by Marriott in Caracas, the J.W. evokes an image of the past ostentatious petrodollar wealth of the heyday of Venezuela when Citgo and Chevron American oil executives frequented this hotel lobby. Now, it’s mostly empty and I have heard that the maintenance of the rooms are falling into decay. I did not stay here but based on reviews I’ve heard, the Renaissance is a better choice.
Tamanaco Hotel (formerly InterContinential Tamanaco Caracas)
This used to be part of the InterContinential family of hotels up until 2021 when the hotel fell below brand standards. It still maintains its status as a 5 star hotel nonetheless with a fully functional casino. I did not stay here but the property also appeared to be mostly empty save for a few customers during my visit.