Medellín City Tour with Comuna 13 (Private)

From $82 USD per person

Medellín’s turnaround gets talked about everywhere and understood almost nowhere. This six-hour private tour puts it on the ground: two Botero sculptures in San Antonio Park, one whole and one torn apart by a bomb in 1995, both left standing on purpose. Then the Palacio de la Cultura, Plaza Botero, and a cable car up to Comuna 13, where the same argument is made in paint.

How the day works

• Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel and head downtown, setting up the day on the way.
• You start in San Antonio Park among Botero’s bronzes, including the sculpture destroyed in the 1995 bombing and the intact one the city installed beside it. There are food stops nearby for a first taste of the centre.
• You visit the Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe, the 1928 Gothic Revival building with the chessboard facade, and look out over the plaza from inside it.
• You walk Plaza Botero, the only open-air space in the world holding 23 sculptures by one artist, next to the Museum of Antioquia.
• You take the metro cable car up to Comuna 13 and walk the murals with your guide before being driven back to your hotel. Six hours in total.

What’s included

• Private English-speaking guide for the full six hours
• Private hotel pickup and drop-off in Medellín
• Metro cable car tickets for Comuna 13
• Local food tastings near San Antonio Park
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Meals and extra drinks
• Museum of Antioquia entry, if you add it on the day
• Personal purchases and souvenirs
• Gratuities, appreciated but never expected

Good to know

• Wear comfortable walking shoes. The day covers flat city streets, cobbled plazas and the hills of Comuna 13.
• Light cotton clothing, trainers, sunglasses and a cap work best, with a light jacket for the afternoon.
• Medellín averages 23°C to 30°C but the weather shifts. A compact rain layer is useful.
• The Comuna 13 section climbs steep, narrow streets and counts as moderate activity. Tell us before booking if mobility is a concern.
• The tour runs any day of the week.
• Bring a small amount of Colombian pesos. Tips to street performers and artists in Comuna 13 go directly to people in the neighbourhood.

Frequently asked questions

Does this cover Comuna 13 properly, or just a look?

It is a real visit with a guided walk through the murals, but the centre takes the first half of the day. If Comuna 13 is the main reason you are here, book the dedicated graffiti tour instead, which spends five hours there.

Do we use the metro?

Yes. The cable car up to Comuna 13 is part of the route and the tickets are included, so you see how the transport system itself changed the city.

Is the Museum of Antioquia included?

No. Plaza Botero outside it is free and open, and the museum entry can be added on the day if you want it.

How much walking is involved?

Several hours, mostly flat downtown with a steeper stretch in Comuna 13. There are stops throughout and the pace is yours.

Can this run on a Sunday?

Yes, any day of the week. Downtown is busier at weekends, which some people prefer and some do not.