Medellin has so much to offer and one of the best ways to make the most of your visit is with a guided tour of the city. You can learn about the history of the city, visit the key landmarks, get a local perspective, experience new flavors, connect with the community, explore nature, and enjoy some cold beers with a side of explosives.
In this article I will share details of some of the best tours in Medellin and what you can expect.
Free Walking Tour
I would very strongly recommend the free downtown walking tour. They have tours every day with enthusiastic local guides who are extremely knowledgeable. You can take the tour in English and it is the perfect way to start your time in Medellin.
During the tour, you will learn about the history of the city from its founding through the colonial period, and the turbulent years of Pablo Escobar up until the present day. You will visit a lot of important sites in the center of the city and get a real feel for the city. To register you can visit the website and sign up, they meet outside the Alpujarra metro station close to the government buildings.
There is no charge to sign up or attend the tour but generous tips are expected and well-deserved at the end. You can pay the guide directly when the tour comes to an end at San Antonio Park.
My mum went on the tour and was convinced she knew more about Medellin than I did after. This is one of the best tours in Medellin and the perfect way to learn about the culture. It is perfect at the start of your trip as you will get used to the hectic downtown and find places you will want to return to independently when you have more time.
comuna 13 Tour
Visiting Comuna 13 is something I would strongly recommend for anyone who comes to Medellin. Once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world, today the area is a very popular destination.
For decades displaced people and economic migrants from all over Colombia settled in Comuna 13, an area of the city that was isolated and disconnected with few opportunities. The young people of Comuna 13 were recruited into gangs, guerilla, and paramilitary groups that used them to fight for control of the city. Aggressive military interventions brought war to the streets with many innocent people targeted alongside members of the armed groups.
For many years Comuna 13 was best known for crime, violence, poverty, and fear. Today so much has changed and the neighborhoods of the comuna are at the heart of renovation, art, music, creativity, resilience, and hope in the city.
There are many guided tours in Spanish and English throughout the neighborhood today. Locals who experienced the most difficult times and recent renewal will tell their stories and the stories of the community.
You can ride the innovative urban escalator, see street dance performances, become the subject of improvised freestyle rap verses, enjoy the powerful graffiti, and try out some of the best local street food.
It is possible to reserve online to meet your guide in the neighborhood, get picked up and taken directly, or you can find a guide when you arrive. Definitely one of the best tours of Medellin which gives a unique insight into the transformation of the city with amazing views, delicious street food and lots of fun.
La casa Grande Coffee Tour
Coffee growing is a huge part of the development of much of Colombia and something the country does better than just about everywhere else in the world. During your visit, you can visit a coffee farm to learn how to plant, process, and harvest the beans before tasting some of the very best coffee.
La Casa Grande offers a guided tour of their 1800s coffee hacienda and the surrounding land. You can enjoy nature, and work with them on the preparation process before enjoying some delicious food and top coffee.
The tour costs a very reasonable 210,000 COP with food, coffee, transfers, and lunch included. The coffee farm is towards Santa Elena and it takes around 30 minutes to get there. They leave from Poblado at 10 am and return at 3 pm with groups every day.
If you want to get out of the city to get some fresh air and amazing coffee this is one of the best tours in Medellin.
Exotic Fruit Tour
Something you need to experience when you are in Colombia is the incredible variety of unique and delicious fruits. There are many amazing fruits that are only found in this part of the world and some are unable to be exported, so this could be your only chance to experience them.
You can take a guided tour around Medellin’s main fruit market in La Minorista where you try 10 different unique and exotic fruits. It is very likely you will never have tasted any of these and the guide will work with the local vendors to explain the benefits of each and how to recognize quality.
They have English guides and translators available and once you have explored the market they will take you to Don Rigo’s smoothie bar for a juice or smoothie of your choice.
This is a great way to enjoy delicious fruits and enjoy exploring one of the city’s bustling indoor markets. Definitely one of the best tours in Medellin to experience fresh flavors and learn about exotic fruits.
Tejo and Craft Beer Tour
Alcohol and explosives are a combination Colombians have enjoyed in their free time for over 500 years.
The game of tejo was first played by indigenous communities and in the year 2000 was named a national sport. Players have to throw small stones known as tejos at targets prepared with gunpowder that are set within a tray of sand. If you hit the target you are rewarded with a satisfying boom and points for your team.
This game is enjoyed with beers and aguardiente, the local firewater spirit. It is a lot of fun and you can book tours that include an English-speaking guide who can give instructions on technique. Options can include transfers and you can opt for popular national beers or select craft beers. One of the best tours in Medellin if you want to drink and laugh with friends.
Santa Elena Silletero Tour
Medellin is known as the city of eternal spring and the weather conditions are perfect for growing beautiful flowers. The big annual festival in the city is the Feria de Las Flores which takes place in early August every year. During the flower festival parade, hundreds of locals will carry wooden objects on their backs which are decorated with amazing flower designs. Each design is unique and represents something important in the city.
The nearby town of Santa Elena is renowned for growing and collecting together beautiful flowers which are used in these ‘silletas’. You can take a guided tour of Santa Elena to see the beautiful flowers and learn about flower culture in the city. In the month before the feria this is a very popular option with Colombians and visitors coming to the town to see the silletas being prepared and created.
One of the best tours in Medellin if you want fresh air, beautiful flowers and local tradition.
Medellin Football Tour
Football is a huge part of the lives of many Colombians. The atmosphere at the stadium is incredible as thousands of paisas don the green and white of Nacional or the red and blue of DIM to support their team. As the players step out onto the pitch 45,000 fans explode into song with banners, smoke, flags, flares and fireworks exploding all around.
Attending a game in Medellin is a must, whether you are a football fan or not. It is truly an unforgettable experience but buying tickets, enjoying the pre-match festivities, getting in and out of the stadium, and then finding the best spot for celebrating or commiserating the result after can be tricky.
Medellin Football Tour offers an excellent experience talking visitors through the history of the clubs, sharing what to expect, acquiring tickets, helping fans get a good price on a knockoff version of the home team’s shirt, and managing the whole process.
One of the best tours in Medellin for an unforgettable stadium experience. The drums and sings will stay with you for weeks to come, even if you don’t understand the words!
Bike Tour
Colombia is a country that loves cycling and has produced some of the great stars of the Tour de France including Nairo Quintana, Rigoberto Urán, Santiago Botero, and Luis Herrera. Whether you want a relaxed guided tour of the city or you want to head up the hills to explore the surrounding countryside, there are plenty of options in the city.
Green Bike Tour Medellin offers an excellent range of cycle tours. They have a mountain bike tour that takes guests along beautiful trails surrounded by nature, amazing views, old tunnels, huge waterfalls, and deep into the jungle with wild animals. The organizers also provide beers, coffee, and food during the 8-hour ride.
If you would prefer to travel around the city they also offer a 4-hour bike tour with food and coffee, a 3-hour night ride with beer and food, or a 4-hour electric bike tour. One of the best tours in Medellin if you want to be active and explore many of the most interesting spots in the city.
