The capital
Almost every trip begins at Maiquetía airport, on the coast below Caracas. The city sits in a green valley under the Ávila mountain, with good museums, a lively food scene and a cable car to the summit. Many visitors keep their stay short and organised, staying in east side districts such as Altamira, Los Palos Grandes or Las Mercedes.
The Andes
Mérida is a university town high in the Andes, with cool air, cheap posadas and easy access to the páramo, mountain villages and the Mukumbarí cable car, one of the longest and highest in the world. It suits hikers, families and anyone who wants a slower pace.
The tepuis and Angel Falls
Canaima and Angel Falls are the reason many people come. Canaima National Park is a land of flat topped tepuis, black water rivers and pink beaches, and Angel Falls drops nearly a kilometre from Auyán Tepui. Allow three days for the classic boat trip.
The Caribbean
Los Roques is a protected archipelago of coral cays, turquoise water and sandy streets, reached by small plane from Maiquetía. Isla Margarita is bigger and busier, with beaches, colonial villages, kitesurfing at El Yaque and the Restinga lagoon.
How long do you need?
Ten days covers Canaima and one island with a night or two in Caracas. Two weeks adds Mérida. Flights between regions usually route through Caracas, schedules change at short notice, and road travel between regions is long and not always advisable, so build in buffer days and read your government's travel advice first.
When you are ready, use the free trip planner to turn these ideas into a route.