Before you go

Your trip to Mérida.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Mérida – Mérida Capital

How to get there

Aeropuerto Alberto Carnevalli (MRD) 2 km
Aeropuerto Internacional Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo (VIG) El Vigía · 70 km
Terminal de Pasajeros José Antonio Paredes 3 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before buying. Domestic flights arrive at Mérida airport, beside the city, or at El Vigía, about 70 km away in the valley, depending on the season; confirm beforehand. From Caracas, overnight buses arrive at Mérida terminal in about 12 hours.

How many days

Three days: one for the center and the Mercado Principal, another for the Mukumbarí cable car and a third for the trans-Andean road to Laguna de Mucubají. With four or five days you can include Jají and Los Nevados.

When to go

From December to April, in the dry season, the sky is usually clearer for the cable car and the páramo. From May to November it rains more, generally in the afternoons. The city has days around 22 °C and cold nights; at the top of the cable car, temperatures usually hover around 0 °C. December and Holy Week are the busiest periods.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

Not for the center, the market and the cable car, which can be done on foot or by taxi. For Jají, Mucubají and the trans-Andean road, a car with a driver, a taxi or an organized tour. For Los Nevados, a 4x4 jeep with a local driver or the hike from the Loma Redonda station of the cable car.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Mérida

Morning
Mukumbarí cable car
Be early at the Barinitas station in Plaza Las Heroínas and take the Mukumbarí up to Pico Espejo, at 4,765 meters, with Pico Bolívar beside it. Jacket, hat and gloves.
Afternoon
Descent and Mercado Principal
Descend, stopping at intermediate stations such as Loma Redonda and La Aguada, and have lunch at the Mercado Principal, with Andean pastelitos, trout and sweets.
Late afternoon
Plaza Bolívar and Cathedral
Walk to the Plaza Bolívar, go into the Catedral and stroll through the downtown streets, full of students at the end of the day.
Evening
Andean dinner
Dine on pisca andina, potato soup with milk and egg, and trout, at a downtown restaurant near da praça Las Heroínas.

3 days in Mérida

Day 1

Morning
Center and Mercado Principal
Plaza Bolívar, Catedral and Mercado Principal, with time for crafts and Andean sweets.
Afternoon
Jají
Head in the afternoon to Jají, about 40 km away, to walk around the plaza and the white houses with wooden balconies.

Day 2

Morning
Mukumbarí cable car
Ascend early to Pico Espejo, before the clouds arrive, and descend stopping at the intermediate stations.
Afternoon
Praça Las Heroínas
Free afternoon in the center, with cafés, bookstores and the university streets.

Day 3

Morning
Trans-Andean road
Leave early via the trans-Andean road, passing Mucuchíes and Apartaderos, to the Laguna de Mucubají, at about 3,500 meters.
Afternoon
Laguna Negra
Hike or ride on horseback from Mucubají to Laguna Negra, among frailejones, and have trout for lunch at the inns in Apartaderos.
Evening
Return to Mérida
Return to Mérida late in the afternoon, before the fog on the road, for dinner downtown.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

What is the altitude of Mérida?

The city is at about 1,600 meters. The cable car rises to Pico Espejo at 4,765 meters, and Laguna de Mucubají is at about 3,500 meters.

What to eat in Mérida?

Pisca andina; potato soup with milk, egg and cilantro; trout from the mountain lagoons; Andean pastelitos; wheat arepas; strawberries with cream; and the glazed sweets made from milk and sugar sold at the Mercado Principal.

Is Mérida a university city?

Yes. The Universidad de Los Andes, one of the oldest in Venezuela, has several campuses in the city, and students bring life to the plazas, cafés and downtown streets.

When is the best time to visit Mérida?

From December to April, in the dry season, with greater chances of clear skies at the cable car and in the páramo. From May to November it rains more in the afternoons.

How to get from Mérida to the mountain villages?

Jají and the trans-Andean road are done by car, taxi or tour. Los Nevados is reached by 4x4 jeep over a dirt road or on foot, from the Loma Redonda station of the cable car.

Back to Mérida