Semana Santa Popayan 2027: Holy Week Processions, Dates and Visitor Guide

Popayan’s Semana Santa is among the oldest and most solemn Holy Week traditions in the Americas. Processions have been held since the 16th century, and in 2009 UNESCO inscribed the Holy Week processions of Popayan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO). The city’s whitewashed colonial centre is the setting.

Dates for 2027

Easter Sunday falls on 28 March 2027, so Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday, 21 March, to Easter Sunday, 28 March. The night processions, the heart of the event, take place from Tuesday to Saturday; Good Friday is 26 March. Official timings and routes are published by the church and the municipality shortly before the week, so check them on arrival.

What the processions are like

Each night, pasos (heavy carved sculptures depicting scenes of the Passion, some dating from the colonial period) are carried on the shoulders of bearers called cargueros through the streets of the historic centre. The pace is slow and the crowd is quiet. Candles, incense and the sound of drums are the main sounds. The Good Friday procession is the most emotional, and crowds line the route for hours. Attendance is largely devotional, so dress modestly, keep your voice low and do not use flash photography.

Practical planning

Popayan is a small city of about 300,000 people at 1,738 metres, with evenings around 14 to 16 degrees Celsius. Bring a light jacket. The airport has limited flights, so many visitors come by road from Cali, roughly three hours away. Semana Santa is the busiest week of the year for hotels, restaurants and buses, and prices rise, so reserve ahead. Our where to stay in Popayan guide covers options in the historic centre, and you can search Popayan hotels for your dates.

By day, explore the white-walled centre, the Morro de Tulcan viewpoint and the food scene, with a guided Popayan tour as an option. Read our Popayan city guide, and our Colombia in March guide for holy week travel across the country.

Plan your trip

• Hotels in Popayan: rooms near the event fill early, so book ahead.
• Guided tours in Popayan: walking, food and day tours to fill the days around the event.
• Colombia travel insurance: cover for peak-season trips.