Commune 13 graffiti tour Medellín: street art and cable car

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/28

Duration4h

GroupUp to 11

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk the electric stairs and hear the story behind every mural

A four-hour graffiti and street art tour of Commune 13 in Medellín, starting at San Javier Metro Station and traveling by cable car and metro to the neighborhood's transformed streets. The guide explains the history and meaning of the murals, you walk the iconic electric stairs, taste street food and ice cream at local spots, watch a live dance performance, and visit a rooftop bar overlooking the city. Children from age 6 are welcome; the tour includes all transport tickets, one drink, and a professional English-speaking guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Commune 13 with local guide

Start at San Javier Metro Station
Take Metrocable with panoramic views
Ride cable car to John XXIII Station
Stop at John XXIII viewpoint for photos
Walk the Electric Stairs of Commune 13
Explore colorful graffiti streets and murals
Watch live cultural and urban dance shows
Enjoy artisanal ice cream at Cremas Doña Alba

The Experience

The tour begins at San Javier Metro Station, where you board the Metrocable cable car with your guide. The ride itself is part of the experience—the cable car climbs through Medellín's skyline, passing John XXIII Station and a viewpoint where the city spreads out below you. This is where most visitors stop to photograph, and where the guide starts explaining what you're about to walk through: a neighborhood that was once one of the most dangerous in the city and rebuilt itself through art.

Once on the ground in Commune 13, the walking tour moves through streets covered in murals created by local artists. The guide points out the work of specific painters, explains the messages of resistance and hope embedded in the images, and shares the neighborhood's transformation story. You'll walk the electric stairs—a symbol of the area's renewal—where each step is painted with a different color and design. A live cultural performance happens during the tour, subject to weather, and the energy of the neighborhood is the point: this is not a museum visit or a photo stop, but a walk through a place where residents chose to reclaim their streets.

Food and drink are woven through the afternoon. At Cremas Doña Alba, a local favorite, you get a traditional ice cream—the house specialty is maracumango, a combination of passion fruit and mango. Later, you taste street food at an award-winning venue. The tour ends at a bar with a view of the whole city, where you have one drink included. All metro and cable car tickets are covered, so you're not hunting for a card or figuring out zones; the guide handles the logistics and you move through the day.

What’s included

Metro and cable car tickets.
a four-hour walking tour with a professional local guide in English.
explanation of the graffiti and street art history.
one traditional ice cream at a neighborhood favorite.
street food tasting at a local venue.
one drink at a rooftop bar overlooking the city.
a live cultural dance performance (subject to weather).
WhatsApp support from the provider during your stay in Medellín.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by amazing tours in medellin

Is this one for you?This is a shared group tour with a fixed schedule and a local guide leading the route, so you follow the itinerary rather than set your own pace—which is what keeps the cable car, the neighborhood walk, the food stops and the rooftop bar all inside a single afternoon without you arranging transport or timing between stops. Book it if you want the full story of Commune 13's transformation and don't want to navigate the metro system or find the neighborhood on your own.