The Guillermo León Valencia Airport (PPN) sits on the northern edge of town, a 10-minute taxi ride from the centre. Avianca and Satena fly daily from Bogotá; flight time is about an hour. There are no direct international connections.
By road, Popayán is about 2.5 hours south of Cali on the Pan-American Highway and 6–7 hours north of Pasto. Long-distance buses are frequent, comfortable, and inexpensive — Cali to Popayán departures every half hour from Cali's main terminal. The Popayán bus terminal sits 15 minutes' walk from the colonial centre, or a short taxi.
The route south through Cauca and Nariño departments occasionally sees roadblocks or local security incidents; check current conditions before travelling overland to the south.