3 Days in Medellín: Day-by-Day Itinerary

How to plan 3 days in Medellín

To make the most of 3 days in Medellín, give each day one area: downtown, the west and north-east hillsides (Comuna 13 and the Metrocable) and the north (science museum and Botanical Garden). You'll spend less time in traffic and more time at the sights.

Before you start:

• Get a Cívica card or ask at a metro ticket office about the current payment options; it covers metro, Metrocable and tram.
• Stay near a station: downtown, Laureles or El Poblado all work for this plan.
• Start early: popular spots such as Comuna 13 are less crowded in the morning.
• Check opening times: museums and Metrocable Line L have their own hours and closing days.

Flying in? The airport bus drops you at San Diego or at Hotel Nutibara, right next to Plaza Botero, so you can start day 1 as soon as you've left your bags.

Day 1: downtown, Plaza Botero and Pueblito Paisa

Morning. Start at Plaza Botero, opened in 2002, with 23 monumental sculptures by the artist. Next door is Museo de Antioquia, in the former Municipal Palace (Art Deco, 1937), with a room devoted to Fernando Botero. The Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe and Parque Berrío, with its metro station, are steps away.

Lunch. Downtown's home-cooking restaurants serve a set lunch and bandeja paisa.

Afternoon. Take the metro to San Antonio and the Ayacucho tram to the Bicentenario stop for the House of Memory Museum (Casa de la Memoria), free of charge, about the armed conflict and its victims. It's the best introduction to the Comuna 13 you'll see the next day.

Sunset. Take a taxi up to Pueblito Paisa on top of Cerro Nutibara: a replica of an early 20th-century Antioquian village, opened in 1978, with a viewpoint over the Aburrá Valley. The hill also has a sculpture park created with the MAMM.

Downtown, keep your phone out of sight and avoid empty streets after dark.

Airport bus with COMBUSES

Start and end your trip the easy way: the COMBUSES bus links José María Córdova Airport with San Diego and Hotel Nutibara, next to Plaza Botero, every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day. Luggage included.

Book your ticket →

Day 2: Comuna 13 and the Metrocable to Parque Arví

Morning: Comuna 13. Ride metro Line B to San Javier, the end of the line. From there you reach the Las Independencias neighbourhood and its open-air escalators, opened in December 2011: six double sections that replaced a climb of more than 350 steps. Along the way you'll see murals, graffiti and local artists. Tours led by neighbourhood guides explain the area's history, including the 2002 Operación Orión, and its transformation.

Afternoon: Metrocable and Arví. Head back on the metro, change to Line A and get off at Acevedo. From there, Metrocable Line K (opened in 2004) climbs to Santo Domingo Savio, with views over the north-eastern hillsides. At Santo Domingo you can continue on Line L to Parque Arví, a 16,000-hectare nature reserve with forest trails.

Note that Line L is a tourist line: it has its own fare, separate from the metro fare, and usually doesn't run on Tuesdays because of maintenance. Check hours and fares on the Metro de Medellín website before you go. Bring a jacket: Arví is noticeably cooler than the city.

Day 3: Parque Explora and the Botanical Garden (or Guatapé)

Option A: northern museums. Ride Line A to Universidad station. A short walk away you'll find:

• Parque Explora: a hands-on science museum with one of South America's largest aquariums, a vivarium and a planetarium. Paid entry.
• Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden: 13.2 hectares, more than 1,000 plant species and the Orquideorama. Free entry except during special events.

In the afternoon, cross the city south to the MAMM in Ciudad del Río, home to the largest collection of Débora Arango's work, or finish your trip in El Poblado and Provenza, with their restaurants and cafés.

Option B: Guatapé. If you'd rather leave the city, spend the day in Guatapé and at the Piedra del Peñol. It's a full-day trip by bus or tour; see our Guatapé from Medellín guide to plan it.

If your flight leaves on the evening of day 3, pack in the morning and allow plenty of time to reach José María Córdova Airport in Rionegro.

Tips to make the most of 3 days

• Avoid metro rush hours if you're carrying luggage: early morning and the evening commute are packed.
• "No dar papaya": the local way of saying don't make yourself an easy target. Keep your phone away on the street, leave jewellery at home and order taxis by app or from official ranks.
• Dress in layers: downtown is warm by day, but Santo Domingo, Arví and the airport plateau are cooler.
• Carry small notes for shops, buses and tips on neighbourhood tours.
• Double-check opening hours: museums, Line L and some tours change times or close on certain days.
• One more day? Add Guatapé, a nearby town such as Santa Fe de Antioquia, or a slower afternoon in Comuna 13.

This plan shows you Medellín's neighbourhoods, its recent history and the nature around it, almost entirely by public transport.

Places on the map

Frequently asked questions

More Medellín guides

Photo: User: (WT-shared) CONOCER at wts wikivoyage (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons)