Colombia Round Trip: Save Time and Money with an Open-Jaw Flight

Why we recommend open-jaw flights for traveling through Colombia

Open-jaw flights – where you arrive at one airport and depart from another – are almost standard practice when traveling through Colombia. As local travel specialists, we often recommend our guests fly into Bogotá and depart from Cartagena, for example. Why? Because it saves time, often reduces costs, and allows you to experience more of this diverse country without having to double back to where you started.

What is an open-jaw flight – and why is it common in Colombia?

An open-jaw flight means you start your journey at one airport and return home from another. In Colombia, this could look like flying into Bogotá (the capital) and out of Cartagena (on the Caribbean coast).

This type of flight is particularly useful here because Colombia is vast – more than three times the size of countries like the UK or Italy. Many round trips take travelers from the Andes in the interior to the Caribbean coast or the other way around. Returning to your arrival airport just to catch your flight home often makes little sense. Instead, experienced travelers plan a one-way route through the country and fly home from wherever their journey naturally ends. Open-jaw flights make this kind of flexible itinerary possible.

Save time and avoid unnecessary travel

Choosing an open-jaw flight saves you valuable travel time. Colombia’s highlights are spread across the country. Bogotá and Cartagena, for example, are over 1,000 kilometers apart – nearly 20 hours by bus. With an open-jaw ticket, there’s no need to retrace your steps. You can follow your route efficiently without backtracking, giving you more time to enjoy Colombia’s cultural and natural diversity – from Cartagena’s colonial old town to the coffee region in the Andes or the pristine beaches of Tayrona National Park.

Experience more while spending less

At first glance, open-jaw flights may seem slightly more expensive than traditional round-trip tickets. But in most cases, they make financial sense.

Often, you save yourself the cost of an extra domestic flight or a long overland journey. For instance, if you were to fly in and out of Bogotá, you'd likely need to book an additional domestic flight to return from the Caribbean coast – or spend a day on the road. A flight into Bogotá and out of Cartagena eliminates that extra leg entirely.

Most major airlines offer multi-city tickets, and any additional cost is usually minimal. Overall, you’ll be traveling more efficiently and comfortably.

Easy to book – widely supported by airlines

Booking an open-jaw flight is straightforward. Most airlines offer this option directly on their websites – look for “Multi-City” or “Open-Jaw” when searching. This allows you to book your arrival and departure cities in one go.

Some airlines – such as KLM, Iberia, or Edelweiss – even offer connections that fly directly into and out of different Colombian cities. Open-jaw itineraries are an established norm for Colombia travelers, and most airlines support this flexible planning style.

Conclusion: Smart travel with open-jaw flights

Open-jaw flights give you the freedom to explore Colombia’s full spectrum without wasting time and money on backtracking. You can make the most of your round trip and experience more of the people, places, and landscapes that make Colombia so unique. Especially if you're traveling on a tight schedule, this is the best way to optimize your journey.

And the best part: as on-the-ground travel experts, we take care of everything from your arrival to your departure. We tailor your route to your interests and make sure everything runs smoothly – so you can relax and enjoy the adventure Colombia has to offer.

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