A 4 Day Medellin Itinerary Covering All The Best Bits
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This 4 Day Medellin Itinerary covers all the highlights of my favourite city in Colombia.
I’ve been here twice now, loved it both times, and can share with you what’s worth seeing in “the city of eternal spring” as the locals call it.
Once upon a time (in the 1990s to be more specific), Medellin was the world’s most dangerous city. A no-go zone where violent drug cartels, guerillas and paramilitaries fought and caused problems on a daily basis.
Now it’s a vibrant arts hub, a city with a fascinating history you can learn all about, and a place which now attracts heavy crowds of tourists to experience its charm and beauty.
Don’t get me wrong, Medellin still has a few issues with crime. But you most likely won’t have problems if you take sensible travel safety precautions and stay in the upmarket El Poblado neighbourhood, which is where I stayed on both my trips here. This is where the majority of western tourists are based.
Medellin remains one of the most interesting cities I have been to from all the countries I’ve been to so far.
This itinerary will ensure you understand how Medellin grew from an effective warzone to the awesome place it is today, it will take you to the best parts, and you will get the chance to explore the local culture in the land of the Paisas (people from Medellin).
Day 1
Pick a Breakfast Spot in El Poblado
Some of Medellin’s neighbourhoods are pretty rugged. However El Poblado is an upmarket location where most tourists will stay, and as a result there are many cafes, bars and restaurants that cater towards visitors here, particularly in the Manila area.
Unsurprisingly, the prices are a bit higher here. However you can get a solid breakfast at spots including Ganso & Castor which is known for its eggs benedict and croque madame, or trendy Satio Cafe which has coworking spaces and hearty brunches.
The latter is based within the excellent Los Patios Hostel which is where we stayed for several days during our 2025 Medellin trip (and also where I stayed during my first visit to the city 3 years previously).
Learn About the City With a Downtown Medellin Free Walking Tour
What should you do on your first day in any new city? Take a free walking tour!
This is my favourite way of getting to know a new destination. A local guide will take you to the most interesting spots in a city, tell you all about the history and culture, and sometimes even let you sample some local treats from a marketplace.
My go-to website for free walking tours is Guruwalk, and here’s a great Medellin tour they have. But if you just search for “free walking tours in Medellin” you can see what takes your fancy.
Any decent downtown tour will take you to cool spots such as Plaza Botero, where a series of giant statues created by famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero surround the impressive gothic revival-style Palace of Culture, a culture and arts museum you can check out after the tour if you wish.
You will also go to Parque San Antonio, which is home to a few more Botero statues, including two birds with a deeper meaning behind them.
One bird was blown up in a deadly attack in 1995 when 30 people were killed in a bombing by the left-wing group FARC. The other beside it was erected alongside it afterwards as a symbol of peace. Medellin is a city with a fascinating history, yet not always a positive one.
Any downtown tour will take you through other spots which will help you familiarise yourself with the city, and set you up with a greater understanding of what to expect in this incredible place.
Enjoy the Charm of Colourful Pueblito Paisa With Performances From Trovadores
Learning about the low points of Medellin’s history may not leave you in the best mood. So why not brighten things up by visiting a more cheerful place to end the afternoon?
Pueblito Paisa eluded me during my first Medellin trip in 2022, yet when I went back 3 years later, I was able to see this fun spot showcasing the best of Colombia’s warm and welcoming people.
You don’t need long here, it’s a small place and 1-2 hours is more than enough time to see everything.
There’s a small central square with a church, very typical for any Colombian small town. It’s surrounded by colourful buildings and souvenir shops.
There are lots of stalls and small restaurants selling Colombian favourites such as arepas (a type of cornmeal bread) and bandeja paisa (a platter of several foods including avocado, meat, rice, beans and more). You’re better off finding dinner elsewhere however unless you want to pay tourist trap prices.
The real highlight is the trovadores. Singers you may have come across in other Latin American countries who rhyme catchy lyrics, often improvising on the spot.
They were good fun and they alone were worth coming to this small town for.
Day 2
Take a Comuna 13 Tour to Learn About the Transformation of the Former Most Dangerous Neighbourhood in the World
What’s the most dangerous place in the world? Perhaps lawless Haiti or the eastern frontlines of Ukraine today.
Well in the 1990s, it was Comuna 13, a poor neighbourhood on the hills of Medellin, separated from other neighbourhoods by a cable car, which has a lot in common with Brazil’s infamous favelas.
Comuna 13 was a warzone where drug cartels, left-wing guerillas and government-backed paramilitaries all fought for control, with innocent people murdered on a daily basis.
So why on earth would I be recommending such a place as a tourist destination???
Well today, it is an area associated with one word more than any others: transformation.
Not only is Comuna 13 the safest place in Medellin now (according to our tour guide, who grew up in the area), but it’s a thriving community full of breakdancers, graffiti artists and hip-hop musicians who would most likely have been gang rivals if around 30 years ago.
I’ve done a Comuna 13 tour on both trips to Medellin, and would recommend you book a history tour rather than a graffiti tour (the majority of tours offered are graffiti tours).
A history tour goes in depth into what happened in the neighbourhood during the dark days, guides will explain key sites to you, and you will pick up a good understanding of how Comuna 13 evolved over the past 30 years. You will even be treated to a breakdancing performance by locals.
A graffiti tour focuses primarily on the street art that covers much of the area, and will focus predominantly on that, with less insight into the history or evolution.
This should be a must on any Medellin itinerary, regardless of how long you have in the city. Don’t miss out on this one.
Book this highly-rated Comuna 13 history tour with a local guide today!
Day 3
Visit Key Locations Related to Colombia’s Greatest Villain by Taking a Pablo Escobar Tour
If there’s one person from Medellin who you know of, then who is it?
Artist Fernando Botero is from the city, but he’s probably not the first name to come to mind. Especially due to the fact he’s mostly famous within Colombia, and not amongst western audiences.
You may have heard of Colombian singers J Balvin or Karol G, or maverick footballer Rene Higuita, but perhaps you don’t know of their links to Medellin.
There is one name as synonymous with this city as Queen Elizabeth II was with London, or the Beatles are with Liverpool. And that’s Pablo Escobar.
The infamous drug lord played a huge part in making Medellin such a dangerous place in decades gone by. And his legacy still casts a cloud over the city today.
By taking a Pablo Escobar tour, you can learn about the impact he had, and visit sites linked to him.
These include the Inflexion Memorial Park, home to one of Escobar’s properties until the government destroyed it in 2019 to dissuade supporters visiting and treating it as a shrine. Today it has been replaced with a giant memorial, with 43,000 holes in it, one for each confirmed victim of Escobar’s Medellin Cartel. Although it is suspected there were 70,000 victims…
Another stop is La Catedral. A mansion Escobar with a helipad built when he realised his enemies were closing in on him. He was so powerful that he was able to build this mansion as his “prison” and live there with allies as “guards”.
You will also see a football field built for the community as Pablo Escobar attempted to enter politics and portray himself as a “man of the people”.
Lastly, tours will visit Cementerio Jardins Montesacro, a graveyard where Escobar was buried alongside several members of his family. His grave is still there today.
I found the Pablo Escobar tour to be a very interesting experience learning all about the rise and fall of his criminal empire in the city that suffered the most.
Another must-do Medellin activity I’d highly recommend.
Don’t miss out on a fascinating Medellin experience
Book the Pablo Escobar Tour today
Learn about his impact on Medellin, and visit key spots related to him with a local expert guide
Party the Night Away in Nightlife Hotspot Provenza
A 20-minute walk away from El Poblado is Provenza. And this is Medellin’s prime nightlife hotspot.
Firstly I will say that you should use Uber to get here after dark. It’s not particularly safe to walk around Medellin at night time.
You have several bars round here including Perro Negro (a reggaeton bar popular with locals), Teatro Victoria which is well-known for its cocktails, and Vintrash, the venue for Gringo Tuesdays which I will cover later on.
Celebrities love Provenza, and reggaeton star Karol G even named one of her most famous songs after it.
If you want to party the night away in a safe (by Colombian standards) environment, then this is the place to do it.
Day 4
Take a Day Trip to Guatape
Whilst not strictly in Medellin, Guatape is a great day trip from the city which I have done on both visits. It takes 2 hours to reach and is an enjoyable place to visit.
There are two main attractions in Guatape. One is the huge rock El Peñón de Guatapé which has 740 stairs you can ascend for fantastic views of the surrounding lakes.
The other is Guatape’s colourful town which is full of brightly-painted buildings and souvenir shops selling all sorts of small Colombia mementos raging from innocent fridge magnets, to Pablo Escobar-branded coffee.
To learn how to do this trip safely and on a budget, read my detailed Medellin to Guatape day trip guide which also explains more on what you can see in this amazing place.
Day Dependent Activities
Everything mentioned so far in this itinerary can be done any day of the week. But there are some events that only take place on certain days which you should consider squeezing in if you’re in Medellin when these take place.
Exchange Language Skills With Locals on Gringo Tuesdays
If you want to practice your Spanish with locals, there’s no better way to do it than Gringo Tuesdays.
Gringo Tuesdays is a language exchange event, where you will be placed on a table with other people based on the language you wish to learn and your ability (beginner, intermediate or advanced).
Being in Colombia, Spanish and English tables are the most common. However, there are also opportunities to learn Portuguese, French, Italian or German if you wish.
We arrived late and were placed on the advanced Spanish table, with a Colombian couple. I was a little out of my depth there, but if you get there early enough you should be placed with an appropriate group.
This weekly event takes place in Vintrash from 4pm-9pm every Tuesday, with a party taking place immediately afterwards until 3am.
If you aren’t able to squeeze this into your 4 days in Medellin, you can always attend Gringo Tuesdays in Bogota, Cali, Cartagena or Peruvian capital Lima instead.
Experience Electric Atmospheres at a Medellin Football Game
At the time of writing, I’ve been to watch football games in 38 different countries. And games in Colombia have the best atmosphere of all (joint with Brazil, where I went to the famous Maracana to watch a Fluminense game).
I went to games in Bogota (Millonarios), Pereira (Deportivo Pereira) and Medellin (Independiente Medellin).
All three were fantastic, but I would say it was Independiente Medellin where I had the best experience.
There are four stands: Oriental, Occidental, Norte and Sur. The Sur stand is where the most passionate fans are, making the majority of the noise.
I sat right in the corner of the Occidental stand where I had a great view of both the game and the atmosphere. I highly recommend this for the best of both worlds.
Before the game, red and blue “smoke” (the colours of Independiente Medellin, often shortened to DIM) blasted into the stands.
A cool thing to witness, but it took hours to remove from my clothes and hair, so I’d advise sitting away from the front.
The fans in the Sur stand never stopped bouncing up and down or singing, despite their team losing 1-0 on the night. If you’re in Medellin when Independiente are playing, be sure to get a ticket.
You can buy tickets by downloading the DIM Plus app, and following the instructions on the Independiente Medellin website.
Where to Stay in Medellin
There are two spots where almost all tourists will stay in Medellin. They are El Poblado and Laureles.
These two neighbourhoods have sufficient safety levels and amenities that cater to visitors. I even saw a lot of people with their phones out in the street and workers using their laptops at outdoor cafes in El Poblado. Not something I would recommend anywhere in Colombia really if I’m honest.
Even within these neighbourhoods, there are certain areas with most of the hotels and hostels.
The Manila part of El Poblado is right at the centre of the “Gringo bubble”, which is where I would recommend staying due to Medellin being a city that can be dangerous if you aren’t familiar with the area.
In terms of specific recommendations, I stayed in 3 places across my two Medellin trips.
The first was a cheap hostel. Not a particularly bad one but not one worth a recommendation either. I can’t remember the name but it’s not worth trying to find.
The second was the best place, Los Patios Hostel, one of the best hostels I’ve ever been to (a good reason why I stayed there during both Medellin trips).
Los Patios has a full schedule of daily activities, with several events every day. Examples include cooking classes, farmers’ market tours, cocktail classes, clubbing nights, salsa lessons, football matches, water yoga, parties and much more!
They have professional staff who are fluent in English and always go the extra mile to solve any issues guests might have.
This is a proper backpacking hostel that caters to foreign tourists.
The last place I stayed was Hostal Machu Picchu which was literally under a minute from Los Patios. My second Medellin trip was with my girlfriend, and we alternated between Los Patios for activities, and this place to save money and get a private room.
Personally we thought Machu Picchu was a good budget option. It’s no-frills with very basic rooms, staff who struggle to crack a smile, and from our experiences it was clean (we stayed in 2 different rooms across 3 nights here).
However, whilst researching this article I found several reviews from within the past year that mention bedbugs. These were on Google rather than Booking (where the negatives mostly mention the excessive noise at night).
I want to be honest with readers, and let you know that despite our own positive experiences at this budget place, past travellers raise some serious red flags, and admittedly we never would have stayed here had we known.
Therefore I suggest deciding whether the pros of this place (cheap private rooms) outweigh the cons (bedbugs reported in August 2024 and the months before).
Use this Hostelworld widget below to search for other options. I haven’t stayed there myself, but like Los Patios, Viajero is another tourist-focused hostel with everything travellers need. I stayed in their branch in Santa Marta and did have a great time there, so consider that as a potential alternative to Los Patios.
Is Medellin Safe For Tourists?
Medellin is safe for tourists, provided you take a common-sense approach to your trip here.
Firstly, apply standard Latin America safety precautions. Dress down, don’t flash valuables in public, use padlocks on your bags, and don’t get your phone out without ducking into a shop/cafe/restaurant/etc.
Secondly, do NOT use dating apps in Medellin and be VERY careful about going back with strangers after a night out, or taking them back to your place.
This is a safety tip that applies more in Medellin than just about anywhere else in the world.
Medellin is the scopolamine capital of the world. This drug is used to sedate unsuspecting tourists and make them lose control. They will end up giving up their valuables to thieves under the influence of the drug, which can be deadly if you consume too much. And you won’t know you’ve consumed it until it’s too late.
In 2024, 39 foreign tourists died in Medellin in a report released in August (you can bet the numbers went up in the final few months).
Many of these deaths were linked to scopolamine. Assailants usually use Tinder (or similar apps) to lure unsuspecting victims on “dates”, before spiking their drinks and leaving them for dead in the worst cases.
If you really cannot resist using dating apps in Medellin, then meet up in a busy public place, only drink from bottles or cans which are harder to slip something into, do not accept drinks from your companion, and never let your drinks out of your sight.
Really though, it’s not smart to go down this route in the first place. Enjoy Medellin for its sights, transformation and history over other things.
Is Medellin Worth Visiting?
Absolutely. This is by far my favourite city in Colombia. And that’s an opinion shared by pretty much every other tourist we met.
I liked Bogota, but the weather is gloomy, crime rates are high, and a lot of people who go there don’t enjoy it. Cartagena is far too touristy and you will get pestered a lot, there’s also not so much of interest there.
Other cities across Colombia don’t have as much to offer, and many are places where you should be extra wary of violent crime. Cali is one such example.
The only places in Colombia that are even debatably on the same level as Medellin are the nature spots. For example, Tayrona National Park which is a cool jungle where I saw lots of wildlife including capuchin monkeys, and even indigenous Kogi people walking through the trees in white robes.
The coffee region is cool. We enjoyed a really fun week there. But I would still say Medellin is more fun, although the Cocora Valley runs it close.
The Lost City trek (Ciudad Perdida) is Colombia’s answer to Machu Picchu. A multi-day trek through the jungle to discover ancient ruins. That one’s on my bucket list, and I’m sure it could be a strong contender to Medellin for the title of Colombia’s coolest spot.
This city is centrally located, well connected with other countries, and offers a perfect starter spot for tourists in Colombia. I strongly recommend spending a few days here, and taking some ideas from this 4-day itinerary through the city of eternal spring.
