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Major city · Colombia

Medellín

Base in El Poblado or Laureles for 3 nights: metro and Metrocable by day, Comuna 13 and a Guatapé day trip, then move on to the Coffee Region.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
COP
Best months
Dec–Mar, Jul–Aug
avoid Apr–May and Oct–Nov (heaviest rain)
Airports
MDE · EOH
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Colombia ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Migración Colombia or a Colombian consulate; some travellers must complete an online migration form before arrival.
  • Colombia ↗Security advice lists specific departments and border areas: check your own government's advice for every place on your route, including coastal roads.
  • Colombia ↗Never accept drinks, food or cigarettes from strangers, and be careful with people met on dating apps: drugging (including with scopolamine) followed by robbery is a known risk.
  • Colombia ↗Fill in Check-MIG only on the official Migración Colombia site; it is free, and lookalike sites charge a fee.

Medellín sits in a valley at about 1,500 m, so days stay mild all year: 22°C average, no real seasons. The city is a metro-and-cable system, not a walking city, and the two traveller bases are El Poblado and Laureles. Three nights covers the centre, Comuna 13, one cable-car ride and a Guatapé day trip; add nights if you want the Coffee Region or Santa Fe de Antioquia.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Medellín, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee (tinto) at a corner shopCOP 2,000–5,000
  • Street or quick mealMenu del día (set lunch)COP 15,000–30,000
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a shopCOP 8,000–15,000COP 3,000–5,000
  • Taxi, about 5 km5 km taxi rideCOP 18,000–28,000
  • Metro or bus rideMetro single rideCOP 3,900
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a weekCOP 30,000–60,000
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Museo de Antioquia, foreigners)COP 30,000
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCOP 45,000
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCOP 250,000
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per roomCOP 550,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget COP 120,000 · Mid COP 250,000 · High COP 450,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Museo de Antioquia and Plaza BoteroMetrocable and Comuna 13Guatapé and El PeñolEternal-spring climate
Airports
MDE José María Córdova International (Rionegro) (About 45 min by taxi to the city, or about 1 h by Combuses bus to near Exposiciones metro) · EOH Olaya Herrera (Domestic and regional flights; close to El Poblado and the centre)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Medellín: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

28°C

18°C

12 rd

Feb

28°C

18°C

13 rd

Mar

28°C

18°C

17 rd

Apr

28°C

18°C

20 rd

May

28°C

18°C

21 rd

Jun

28°C

18°C

13 rd

Jul

29°C

18°C

10 rd

Aug

29°C

18°C

11 rd

Sep

28°C

18°C

15 rd

Oct

27°C

17°C

22 rd

Nov

27°C

18°C

21 rd

Dec

27°C

18°C

16 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The Metro (two lines) plus Metrocable, Metroplús BRT and the Tranvía cover most trips; transfers between metro and cable are free. Get a reloadable Tarjeta Cívica card, since about half of city buses need it and not every station takes cash. Uber and Cabify work but are officially unregulated; taxis are metered and cheap. Biking is hard in the hills except on Ciclovía closures.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Guatapé and El Peñol

go

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Bus from Terminal del Norte, about 1.5–2 h

Full day: climb the rock early, then the town. See the Guatape guide.

Santa Fe de Antioquia

go

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Bus or car over the western mountains

Colonial streets and a hot, lower climate; a good break from the city.

Jardín

overnight

Door to door: 3–4 h each way

Bus from Terminal del Sur, several hours

Too far for a day return; sleep one or two nights.

Parque Arví

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Metro to Santo Domingo, then Metrocable L

Higher and cooler; non-resident fare applies and the last cable down is in the late afternoon.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

El Poblado

Hillside, green, most hotels and restaurants; walkable pockets but steep streets. Best for a first trip.

Laureles

Flatter, more local, cheaper food; about 10–15 min by metro or taxi to the centre.

El Centro (La Candelaria)

Museums, markets and Plaza Botero by day; quiet and rough-edged at night. Use for sightseeing, not sleeping.

Envigado

Suburban and traditional, south of El Poblado; good for longer stays with a metro stop.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
COP 120,000–200,000 excl. bed
Mid
COP 200,000–380,000 excl. bed
High
COP 380,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid hotel1 × 3 nights × COP 250,000COP 750,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × COP 250,000COP 1,500,000
Combuses airport bus, both ways2 × COP 40,000COP 80,000
Metro single ride (includes Metrocable transfer)2 × COP 4,000COP 8,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × COP 40,000COP 80,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCOP 242,000
Trip total≈ COP 443,000 per person per day, bed includedCOP 2,660,000

2026 estimate in pesos; international flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee (tinto) at a corner shopCOP 2,000–5,000
Menu del día (set lunch)COP 15,000–30,000
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shopCOP 8,000–15,000 / COP 3,000–5,000
5 km taxi rideCOP 18,000–28,000
Metro single rideCOP 3,900
eSIM or data SIM, about a weekCOP 30,000–60,000
Museum entry (Museo de Antioquia, foreigners)COP 30,000

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Medellín is far safer than its 1990s reputation, but it is a big city: use apps for taxis, keep phones out of sight in El Centro, and treat Comuna 13 and the San Javier escalators as neighbourhoods, not attractions.
  • Call taxis by app or phone rather than hailing on the street, and check the meter is running.
  • Keep phones and jewellery out of sight in El Centro and on busy metro platforms.
  • Comuna 13 and the San Javier escalators are real neighbourhoods: go with a local guide or in a group, and leave before dark.
  • The Metrocable L line to Parque Arví has a higher non-resident fare and stops running in the late afternoon; verify the last departure time.
  • Mountain roads to Guatapé and Santa Fe de Antioquia are slow and winding; allow more time than the map suggests.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance and fire
123

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

MedellínMedellín

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, ambulance and fire123

Embassy

The US has a consular agency in Medellín (check the address); most other countries keep embassies in Bogotá.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MDE airport → El Poblado, taxi: about COP 118,000, about 45 min
  • MDE airport → city, Combuses bus: about COP 20,000, about 1 h
  • Metro single ride: COP 3,900, includes Metrocable transfer

Say or show

  • Buenos días — Hello / Good day (bwenos dee-as)
  • Gracias — Thank you (grah-see-as)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (kwan-to kwes-ta)
  • La cuenta, por favor — The bill, please (la kwen-ta por fa-vor)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Can I pay by card? (pwe-do pa-gar kon tar-he-ta)
  • ¿Dónde está el baño? — Where is the toilet? (don-de es-ta el ba-nyo)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Medellín. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Dec–Mar, Jul–Aug · avoid Apr–May and Oct–Nov (heaviest rain) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MDE: last Combuses departures and taxi set price field-checked, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: El Poblado, Laureles, El Centro and Plaza Botero, Comuna 13.
  3. Place pages with verified hours (Museo de Antioquia, Pueblito Paisa, Parque Arví) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Rain and hostile-arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Colombia

Sources