Guatapé & Piedra del Peñol: Full Day from Medellín with Boat & Meals
A Stone with 742 Steps & a Lake Full of Stories
You start with a regional breakfast, travel by bus through the countryside, stop at a working farm, take a 50-minute boat tour across the lake, eat a traditional lunch, walk the colorful streets of Guatapé, and climb or rest at Piedra del Peñol: all with a bilingual guide, entry fees, and meals included. The return trip drops you at the Laureles meeting point by late afternoon.
Options for this experience
3 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Full day Guatapé tour from Medellín
- Have typical regional breakfast
- Travel to Marinilla farm
- Interact with farm animals
- Visit Ave Fenix monument and old town replica
- Boat tour on Guatapé Dam
- Enjoy lunch near the stone
- Stop at Plazoleta de los Zocalos for photos and shopping
- Walk Guatapé village streets and seawall
- Visit and optionally climb Peñol Stone
- Return to Medellín
What’s included
Your day includes hotel pickup (if available) or meeting at the Laureles sector, a regional breakfast with arepa and fruit, bus transfer to all stops, a 70-minute farm visit in Marinilla, a 50-minute boat tour of the Guatapé Dam, entry to Piedra del Peñol with the option to climb 742 steps, a traditional lunch with protein and regional drink, time to explore the colorful streets and plazas of Guatapé, a bilingual guide throughout, travel medical insurance, and return transfer to the Laureles meeting point.
Times
- Every day 07:00
Before you book
Operated by Tour a Guatapé - Piedra del Peñol con Salida desde Medellín
Prices and times updated 7 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The bus leaves Medellín in the early morning, and by the time you've finished a regional breakfast of arepa, egg, fruit and cheese, you're already rolling toward Guatapé. The drive takes you through the countryside: 70 minutes to a farm in Marinilla where you can walk among llamas, horses, and rabbits if you want a break from the road. It's the kind of stop that feels small until you're actually there, standing next to an animal you didn't expect to meet before noon.
Then comes the lake. A 50-minute boat tour cuts across the Guatapé Dam, and from the water you see what the town looks like from the other side: celebrity vacation homes, the ruins of Escobar's old cabin, the landscape that made this place famous for reasons both beautiful and dark. The boat moves slow enough that you can take photos, fast enough that the ride doesn't drag. After that, you stop at the Plazoleta de los Zocalos, a viewpoint where the town spreads out below you in color: the parasol street, the memory street, the kind of place where every angle works for a photo. Lunch happens in a restaurant on the way up: rice, soup, salad, protein (beef, pork, chicken, or vegetarian), and guandolo, a drink you've probably never had before.
Then you reach Piedra del Peñol itself. The stone rises 220 meters from the ground, and 742 steps climb its face. The entry fee is included in the package, so you just start walking if you want to. The view from the top is the kind of thing people describe badly because words don't fit: the lake spreads out, the town sits below, and on a clear day you can see for miles. If climbing doesn't appeal to you, the time at the base gives you room to shop for handicrafts or rest. Either way, you're not rushed.
The whole day runs about 10 hours from pickup to drop-off back at the Laureles meeting point. A bilingual guide stays with the group throughout, and travel medical insurance is included. If your hotel qualifies for pickup, request it up to 12 hours before the tour. Otherwise, you'll meet the group in the Laureles sector in the morning.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want the main Guatapé highlights (the stone, the lake, the town) in one full day without arranging transport, meals, or timing yourself. The fixed schedule fits all the stops and the boat tour into a single departure from Medellín.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English and Spanish.
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3).
How many steps are there to climb Piedra del Peñol?
742 steps to the top. Entry is included in the tour price, and climbing is optional. You can spend the time shopping or resting at the base instead.
What's included in the meals?
Breakfast includes arepa, egg, fruit, cheese, and a hot drink (chocolate, coffee, latte, or tea). Lunch includes rice, ripe banana, salad, soup, protein (beef, pork, chicken, chicharrón, or vegetarian), and guandolo, a regional drink.
How long is the boat tour on the lake?
Approximately 50 minutes. You'll see celebrity vacation homes, the ruins of Escobar's old cabin, and the surrounding landscape from the water.
Can I request hotel pickup?
Yes, if your hotel is on the pickup list. Request it up to 12 hours before the tour. If you book after 7:30 pm the day before, pickup won't be available and you'll meet the group at the Laureles meeting point instead.
How long is the full day tour?
Approximately 10 hours from pickup (or meeting point) to return. The itinerary includes stops at a farm, the lake boat tour, the town, and Piedra del Peñol.
Is the stone climb difficult?
The climb is 742 steps on the face of the stone. It's suitable for all fitness levels, and climbing is optional. You're not required to go to the top.
What happens if I don't want to climb the stone?
You'll have time to explore the base area, shop for handicrafts, or rest while others climb. The entry fee is included whether you climb or not.
Is travel insurance included?
Yes, travel medical insurance is included in the tour package.
Guatapé & Piedra del Peñol: Full Day from Medellín with Boat & Meals
11h · EN · ES
from US$ 42 per person
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