Quick answer: three days covers the main sights. Spend one day on the city and Comuna 13 and one full day in Guatapé, and keep the third for arriving or a slower day. Four days lets you add river rafting. Five days gives you time for Hacienda Nápoles, a long day trip about 3 hours each way. Below is each plan day by day, using our private tours and drivers, with prices in Colombian pesos (COP).
The plans at a glance
| Day | 3 days | 4 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive, airport transfer, Comuna 13 tour if time allows | Same as 3 days | Same as 3 days |
| 2 | Full-day city tour | Full-day city tour | Full-day city tour |
| 3 | Guatapé and El Peñol | Guatapé and El Peñol | Guatapé and El Peñol |
| 4 | – | River rafting | River rafting or a free day |
| 5 | – | – | Hacienda Nápoles (Wednesday to Sunday) |
3-day Medellín itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and see Comuna 13
Book an airport transfer from José María Córdova (MDE). Your driver waits outside the terminal, and the first hour of waiting after you land is free, including flight delays. Transfers run 24 hours a day.
If you land early, take our private Comuna 13 tour in the afternoon. It lasts about 3 hours and can start any time between 9am and 3pm. A bilingual guide from Comuna 13 leads it, and a drink or snack is included. Getting to the meeting point is not included, so you can add a private driver if you want a ride. Only plan this if you land early. Immigration can take longer than expected, the drive from the airport to Medellín is about 45 minutes, and most people want to drop their bags and check in at the hotel first. If you land around 8am, a 3pm Comuna 13 tour is doable, and 3pm is the latest start time each day. If you land later, do the tour the next day.
Day 2: Full-day city tour
Our one-day Medellín city tour takes about 8 to 9 hours, with pickup at your hotel or Airbnb. You choose a start time between 7am and 11am. The day includes a private guide and vehicle, a Metrocable ride, downtown Medellín with Plaza Botero, fruit tasting at Mercado del Río, the Museo Casa de la Memoria and a Comuna 13 walk. Guides speak English, Spanish or French. Meals are not included.
Because the city tour already includes a Comuna 13 walk, you can skip the separate Comuna 13 tour on day 1 if you book this one.
Day 3: Guatapé and El Peñol
Our private Guatapé tour is a full day of about 9 hours. The drive is about 2 hours each way, depending on traffic. It includes a private vehicle and driver, a bilingual guide (English, Spanish or French), a stop at El Peñol rock, a guided walk through Guatapé town and a 1-hour private boat tour of the lake.
Climbing El Peñol is optional. It has 740 steps, and most people reach the top in 20 to 40 minutes. The ticket is not included: it costs 35,000 COP per person in 2026, cash only.
4-day Medellín itinerary
Follow the 3-day plan, then add a day on the river.
Day 4: River rafting
Our private rafting tour picks you up at 7:00 or 8:00 am anywhere in Medellín, Envigado or Sabaneta. The drive is about 90 minutes each way into eastern Antioquia. You raft the Río Calderas and Río Samaná, with Class III to IV rapids depending on recent rain. Lunch, snacks, water and photos are included. Breakfast is not included. Groups need 4 to 16 people, everyone must be 12 or older, and everyone must know how to swim.
Rafting needs at least 4 people. For couples and smaller groups, we suggest booking a private car and driver for the day and exploring El Oriente, the Oriente Antioqueño region east of Medellín.
5-day Medellín itinerary
Follow the 4-day plan, then add Hacienda Nápoles. If rafting doesn’t suit your group, use day 4 as a free day.
Day 5: Hacienda Nápoles
Our Hacienda Nápoles trip is private round-trip transport with a Spanish-speaking driver. There is no guide: you explore the park at your own pace and your driver waits. Pickup is at 7:00 am, and the drive is about 3 hours each way. Tolls and the park’s vehicle entry fee (30,000 COP) are included. Park passes are not, so buy them on the park’s official store, ideally a day ahead.
We run this trip Wednesday to Sunday. In low season the park closes on regular Mondays and Tuesdays, so plan this day for the middle or end of the week.
Getting around Medellín
- Airport: José María Córdova (MDE) is in Rionegro, outside the city. For your flight home, we pick you up 3 hours before a domestic flight and 4 hours before an international one.
- Guatapé on your travel day: the airport is on the way to Guatapé, so the Guatapé tour can start or end at MDE for the same price.
- Private driver by the hour: for days without a tour, book a private car or van with a driver. There is a 4-hour minimum.
- Metro and Metrocable: the city tour includes a Metrocable ride, so you don’t need to plan one on your own.
What it costs (COP)
| Tour or service | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Comuna 13 tour | 92,000 COP per person | Private, about 3 hours, no minimum group size |
| City tour | 1,200,000 COP (1 to 3 people); 1,800,000 COP (4 to 8); 2,400,000 COP (9 to 12); 3,100,000 COP (13 to 16) | Per group, about 8 to 9 hours |
| Guatapé tour | 1,800,000 COP (1 to 8 people); 2,700,000 COP (9 to 16) | Per group; El Peñol ticket extra |
| Rafting | 400,000 COP per person | 4 to 16 people |
| Hacienda Nápoles transport | 1,430,000 COP sedan (1 to 4); 1,550,000 COP van (5 to 8) | Round trip; park passes extra |
| Airport transfer | 195,000 COP sedan (1 to 4); 340,000 COP van (5 to 8); 700,000 COP van (9 to 16) | One way, tolls included |
| Private driver | From 70,000 COP per hour (sedan) | 4-hour minimum |
Payment: card or PayPal adds a 3.5% fee. Bank transfer by Bancolombia or Nequi has no fee.
Example for a couple doing the 3-day plan: airport transfer both ways (390,000 COP) plus the city tour (1,200,000 COP) plus Guatapé (1,800,000 COP) comes to 3,390,000 COP before meals and the El Peñol ticket.
Timing tips
- Go to Guatapé on a weekday. Tuesday to Friday is much quieter than Saturdays, Sundays and holiday weekends (“puentes” and Semana Santa).
- Start early for El Peñol. Queues and heat build from late morning. Our Guatapé tour can start as early as 6am, which puts you at the rock around 8am.
- Do Comuna 13 on a weekday morning. It is usually quieter then.
- Pack for afternoon rain. Medellín often gets rain in the afternoon, so bring a light rain jacket and comfortable shoes.
- Planning a December trip? See our guide to Medellín in December 2026 for Christmas lights, Noche de Velitas and which days we take off.
- Avoid Mondays for the city tour if you want the museum. Museo Casa de la Memoria is closed on Mondays (and on a Tuesday after a holiday Monday), and the tour skips it on those days.
- Book Nápoles for Wednesday to Sunday.
- Have a plan for heavy rain. If it pours, visit some of Medellín’s museums, or try the city’s mall culture at a place like Viva Envigado.
FAQ
Is 3 days enough for Medellín?
Yes, for the main sights. Three days fits a full city tour that includes Comuna 13, plus a full day in Guatapé. Add a fourth or fifth day for rafting or Hacienda Nápoles.
Can I do Comuna 13 and the city tour on the same day?
You don’t need to. Our full-day city tour already includes a Comuna 13 walk.
Can I do Guatapé and Comuna 13 in one day?
No. Guatapé is a full day by itself, about 9 hours on our private tour, so plan Comuna 13 for a different day.
How long does it take to get to Guatapé from Medellín?
About 2 hours each way, depending on traffic. Our private Guatapé tour is about 9 hours in total.
Is Hacienda Nápoles worth a day trip from Medellín?
It is a long day, with about 3 hours of driving each way and a 7:00 am pickup. It works best on a 5-day trip or longer, from Wednesday to Sunday.
Can a tour start at the airport?
Yes. The Guatapé tour can start or end at José María Córdova airport (MDE) for the same price. The city tour can add an airport run for 195,000 COP in a sedan (1 to 4 people) or 340,000 COP in a van (4 to 8 people).
How do I pay?
By card or PayPal with a 3.5% fee, or by Bancolombia or Nequi transfer with no fee. All prices are in COP.
