We love Medellin. It is a vibrant metropolis nestled between mountains and bursting at the seams. It is a city rich with culture, history and promise, simultaneously tormented by its past and writing its bright future. Whether you have 24 hours, 48 hours, or a week to spend in Medellin, keep reading our Medellin Travel Guide below to help plan your trip and decide what to do, where to eat, where to stay, and more.
Medellin Travel Guide
Tucked away in a valley in the center of Colombia is the colorful, vibrant city of Medellin. Regardless of your travel preferences, if you’re in Colombia, you must spend time in Medellin. Medellin has something for everybody. Whether you’re looking to party or do some outdoor exploring, let Medellin be your hub.
Things To Do in Medellin
See below for things to do in Medellin. Keep scrolling for recommended itineraries based on how much time you have.
Real City Walking Tour
You may have heard that there is only one walking tour in Medellin. This isn’t technically true (see the 2nd bullet), but this IS the only walking tour covering the city center and the major landmarks. We cannot recommend it enough as an introduction to the city, its sites, layout, history, and local tips.
Real City Walking Tour offers a free 3-4 hour tour of the city, which includes a visit to major landmarks, an overview of Medellin’s complex history, a deeper understanding of paisa culture, and even a taste of traditional eats! You’ll leave feeling well on your way to being a savvy Medellin tourist, with a layout of the city, knowledge of the public transit system, and even some tips on current and local events.
Book this tour in advance and make sure to bring enough to tip and buy snacks (about 50,000 COP per person) and also water and sunscreen!
Comuna 13 Tour
Medellin is split into 16 comunas or neighborhoods. Comuna 13 was ravaged by drugs and violence during Medellin’s dark period and was one of the most dangerous places in the city. It has undergone an extraordinary transformation into the colorful, tourist-filled neighborhood you’ll see today.
There are lots of agencies that offer free walking tours of Comuna 13; we were recommended Zippy and recommend it to others. (Note this is also the only walking tour we’ve taken of Comuna 13, but we’ve met tourists who used a random tour company and didn’t enjoy it.) Zippy offers a free ~3 hour tour usually led by a local who grew up in Comuna 13 and witnessed the transformation firsthand.
Book this tour in advance and make sure to bring enough to tip and buy snacks (about 50,000 COP per person) and also water and sunscreen!
Go to a Soccer Match
Whether or not you are a soccer fan and regardless of who’s playing, we recommend going to a local soccer game at Estadio Atanasio Giradot. You can ask your hostel or tour guide if there is a game during your stay. Hostels will often recommend an excursion that includes transportation, a jersey, tickets and a some drinks for ~$100,000 COP (~$30 USD). It’s more expensive, but worth it (we hear)!
You can also organize your own group and buy tickets from a ticket office for ~$35,000 COP per person. We made friends on the walking tour and chose the cheaper option, but would choose the excursion the next time around as they sat in the section with the craziest fans ever — think 90min of a mosh pit with people singing and chanting some version of “Yo soy verde y yo soy feliz.” (I am green and I am happy!)
After the game, grab an empandas and hit Carrera 70.
Carrera 70
Carrera 70 is one of Medellin’s party streets. Come for dinner, for a drink after a soccer game, or even later to dance salsa. To get there, take the metro to Estadio and bam, you’re there. See Where to Eat for restaurant recommendations in the area.
Guatape
Guatape is the one day trip you must do from Medellin to a giant rock in the middle of a set of giant man-made lakes. Stairs have been built into the side of the rock (called La Piedra de Peñol) and take about 30 minutes to climb. Don’t worry, the views from the top are nothing short of spectacular.
Guatape is about a 2 hour bus ride from Medellin. Although the trip can be done in a long day, we recommend spending a night in Guatape, either in the town itself or the surrounding hills. By spending the night there, you can explore the cute, colorful town of Guatape during your first day and then beat the crowds and climb to the top of the rock when it opens at 8AM. We had originally tried to go at 1PM our first day there, but the crowds were so overwhelming that we turned around and decided to come back the next day. So glad we did!
Although there are some taxis, most transportation in the area is done by tuk-tuk. Expect to pay 8,000-10,000 pesos whenever you get in one. Be sure to bring some small bills!
Plaza Botero
Botero was a paisa, or local to Medellin, and donated much of his artwork to the city. Check out the entire plaza dedicated to him; although it is one of the stops on the Real City Walking Tour, we found ourselves back there for more staring and giggling at the chubby statues. Apparently, there are more Botero sculptures and paintings in the museum next to the plaza, although we didn’t make it in.
If you find yourself in Bogota, there is also an incredible and hilarious (incredibly hilarious?) Botero museum there as well that is worth checking out.
Jardin Botanico
Medellin has an incredible urban park right in the city center, perfect for a casual stroll or to lay down in the grass. We recommend stopping by at least one hour before closing at 4:30pm. Entrance is free.
Parque Arvi
Parque Arvi is a nature reserve located over the hills outside of Medellin. You can get there using solely public transportation – metro and cable car; it takes about 1.5 hours and $10,000 COP (~$3 USD).
Once you arrive to Parque Arvi, the first thing to do is to walk through the food market to your left. They’ve got empanadas, arepas and pastries to fill the tank. Dig in! From there you have the option to pay for a guided tour through the park or walk down the road to a picnic area. We recommend a guided tour, but if you choose the free walk (which we did), just make sure to ask for a map and good directions.
After, you can either return to Medellin via cable car or hop on a 15min bus to Santa Elena. Santa Elena is home to the finca silleteras, which supply flowers to Medellin’s largest festival of the year, Feria de las Flores, which happens every year in early August. Fun fact: the largest flower farms are actually on the way to Santa Elena from Parque Arvi. Ask the bus driver to drop you off at one of the fincas along the way and once you’re done exploring, ask where you can catch the bus back to Medellin.
Play Tejo in Envigado
Tejo is a Colombian game where you through clay at gunpowder with the aim of causing an explosion. (Don’t worry, it’s small!) Make some friends and wander over to Envigado, described by many as the Brooklyn of Medellin, for a game at Cancha de Tejo next to the stadium. Drinks are mandatory. It’s about a 25min taxi from El Poblado.
Explore Laureles
Laureles is a cute residential neighborhood with lots of students, restaurants, cafes, and parks. It’s just the perfect place for an afternoon stroll through tree-lined streets, for picking up a great cup of coffee, and wandering through tree-filled parks. You’ll see lots of students, likely some expats, and virtually no tourists. Start your Laureles experience at Rituales, our vote for best coffee in Colombia, for any of your favorite drinks, or cool down with their specialty iced coffee with a popsicle (passion fruit, doooo itttt!).
Hike Cerro de las Tres Cruces
For a more local experience and while Parque Arvi is more of an optional excursion, this hike is a must. Depending on your fitness level, the hike up can take 40-60min and there is an awesome outdoor gym at the top. This gym is pretty much Colombia’s version of California’s Muscle Beach. This is where to experience Medellin’s fitness culture.
To get to the trail head, ask a taxi to take you to Cerro de las Tres Cruces in Belen. It’s about a 15 minute, 10,000-15,000 COP taxi from El Poblado or Laureles. You’ll get dropped off at the trailhead and the path up is apparent. Don’t bring too much with you (nothing flashy) and wear some shoes with some traction. Do bring some change in case you want to buy fresh juice or fruit from the stands at the top.
Itineraries
Below, we’ve put together a few ideal itineraries based on our time in Medellin. Pick and choose what works for you based on the time you have and your preferences. Make sure to ask your tour guide if there are any soccer games during your visit, then adjust your itinerary as needed.
48 hours in Medellin
Day 1:
- Start the day with a Real City Walking Tour.
- After the tour, grab a beer or bite with new friends. Then, circle back to any sites from the tour that you wanted to explore more (Plaza Botero?) or escape the hustle and bustle all-together and go to Laureles for a casual stroll through tree-lined streets. (Go to Rituales!)
- In the evening, explore Carrera 70 or go out in touristy El Poblado. (Parque Llera is a good Poblado launchpad.) If you’re not into the party scene, stay in Laureles. Some of the restaurants listed in Where to Eat below also have various events at night. Check out Naturalia Cafe and Cafe Cliche, specifically.
Day 2:
- Start the day with a Comuna 13 walking tour.
- From there (more specifically, the San Javier metro station where you started), take the metro to Estadio. Head to one of the restaurants in Laureles for a menu del dia or walk down Carrera 70 for a typical sopa de mondongo from Mondongo’s.
- In the evening, gather some new friends and head to Envigado to play tejo at Cancha de Tejo.
If you have more time
Day 3: Explore Parque Arvi & Santa Elena OR day-trip to Guatape
Day 4: Explore Medellin’s outdoor fitness culture
- There are two ways that we recommend doing this, depending on how much time you have. The longer option is to hike Cerro de las Tres Cruces. The shorter option is to go to the stadium (at Estadio) where they have the biggest outdoor gym. To get there, go to the intersection of Carrera 72 & Calle 48.
- Explore Laureles, Envigado or Belen.
One Week in Medellin (or Longer)
If you have over 4 days, we highly recommend exploring the small towns outside of Medellin. You can take a day-trip to Guatape (though we recommend spending a night) or take a multi-day trip to Jerico, Jardin or Salento.
How To Get To Medellin
You’ll most likely fly to Medellin, but you can also take a bus depending on where you are before. If you’re in Bogota or Cartagena, fly. If you’re in Salento or Filandia and have the time, we recommend busing with a stop in between, such as in Jardin or Jerico.
Medellin has two airports, but you’ll likely fly into the larger one which is outside the city. From there, you’ll take a 40min bus ride for $10,000 COP into the city. Stay alert lest you miss the views!
Where to Stay in Medellin
If this is your first visit to Medellin, and so long as you’re not looking for a tourist-free experience, stay in El Poblado. If you’re looking for a quiet area and don’t care to meet other travelers, stay in Laureles.
Where to Eat in Medellin
Food
Your tour guide will be keen to recommend where to get typical Colombian food. We usually prefer places that aren’t generally recommended to tourists. Below, we’ll share some of our favorites. Note, nearly all of these are in Laureles or very close and all have vegetarian options.
Menu del Dia at Uno Mas Uno Menu del Dia at Cafe Cliche
Coffee
Medellin had some of the best (if not the best) coffee that we had in Colombia – although we did find some incredible coffee in Buenavista. Coffee throughout Colombia is generally not very good as the high quality product is exported due to economic reasons, so be sure to drink the good, local coffee wherever you can in Medellin!
- Rituales (if you can only go to one, make it this one!)
- Cafe Revolucion
Cool down with a cold brew and maracuya (passon fruit) popsicle at Rituales. Our vote for the best coffee in Medellin Affogato from Rituales
Where to Go Next
From Medellin, Colombia is your oyster. A couple recommendations:
- Jardin: You’re a bus ride away, albeit a bumpy 4-6 hour bus from the beautiful, quiet, coffee and nature loving town of Jardin. This town was not on our list before we started traveling and ended up being one of our favorite sports.
- Zona Cafetera: You just a short plane ride away from the famous Colombian coffee region. You have two incredible choices for towns to stay in – Salento and Filandia – and we put a post together to help you decide which is best for you!
- Cali: Hop on a plane and be ready to (salsa) dance the night away in super fun city of Cali. We loved Cali so much we stayed for almost 3 weeks.
- Bogota: No trip to Colombia is complete without time spent in the country’s capital of Bogota. You’re only a 1 hour flight away. Be sure to check out of Bogota Travel Guide to help plan your time there!
There you have it, our favorite Things To Do in Medellin! From us to you, happy adventuring!
Other Notes
- Pro-tip: menu del dia (menu of the day) is the best way to eat like a local and try good food at good prices (all depending on the restaurant you choose, of course). Menu del dia is a STEAL and is typically served from noon to 2pm. You get a soup appetizer, strong plate, fresh juice, and sometimes dessert for $10,000-16,000 COP again depending on where you go. We LOVED menu del dia at the restaurants in Laureles and highly recommend it.
- All prices and durations are as of late August 2019.
