Commune 13 tour with graffiti experience and local guide
Paint a wall and climb to the viewpoints where the neighborhood spreads below you
A guided tour of Commune 13 led by neighborhood residents covers the history and art of the district, includes a hands-on graffiti experience, visits the project escalators with live performances, and ends at the mountain viewpoints. The tour runs two to three hours with snacks, and a live guide speaks English or Spanish.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Commune 13 with local guide
- Meet and learn commune history
- Visit project electric stairs and art galleries
- Watch dance shows and improvisation
- Walk to viewpoints for photos and shopping
- Return to meeting point
What’s included
- A resident guide in English or Spanish.
- a hands-on graffiti painting experience.
- admission to local artists' art galleries.
- visits to the project escalators and mountain viewpoints.
- a typical ice cream of the commune.
- and access to watch live performances including breakdancing and freestyle shows (performances operate on a voluntary-contribution basis).
Times
- Every day 10:00 13:30 16:30
Before you book
Operated by ViajerosMac13
Prices and times updated 13 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The tour starts at a meeting point where your guide (someone who has lived through the neighborhood's transformation) walks you through the history before you step into the streets. From there you move into the heart of Commune 13, where the walls themselves are the story: massive murals cover nearly every surface, each one a record of the community's shift from violence to creativity. You'll paint your own piece of graffiti during the tour, working alongside the visual language that defines the neighborhood now.
The electric stairs in the Independence neighborhood are next. These aren't just infrastructure. They're a gathering point where breakdancers, freestyle performers and local artists show their work. The performances are voluntary-contribution based, so you choose whether to add to what you've already seen. From there the route climbs toward the upper part of the mountain along a path called the viaduct, where the viewpoints open up the whole district below you. There are souvenir shops and places to eat local food while you're up there, and your guide brings you back down to the same meeting point where public transport is available to get you wherever you're headed next.
Snacks are built into the tour (a typical ice cream of the commune), and the whole experience runs between two and three hours. The guide speaks English or Spanish, so language isn't a barrier to understanding what you're walking through.
Is this one for you?This is a shared tour led by someone from the neighborhood, so you're walking with other travelers and hearing the story from someone who lived it. Choose it if you want the history and context of Commune 13 explained by the people who transformed it, rather than a generic art-focused walking tour.
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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 (8 to 17 years); Child (under 8).
What exactly do I do during the graffiti experience on this tour?
You paint your own piece on a wall during the tour, working with the same spray paint and techniques the neighborhood artists use. It's a hands-on part of the experience, not a demonstration.
Are the breakdancing and freestyle shows guaranteed to happen when I visit?
Performances happen at the electric stairs, but they operate on a voluntary-contribution basis, so availability can vary. Your guide will show you the space and the art regardless.
How steep is the walk up to the viewpoints?
The route climbs along the viaduct path to the upper part of the mountain where the viewpoints sit. The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and it's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or significant knee pain.
What's included in the snacks during the tour?
A typical ice cream of the commune is included. The tour also passes places where you can buy local food at the viewpoints if you want more.
How do I get back to my hotel or the city center after the tour ends?
The tour ends at the same meeting point where public transportation options are available nearby, so you can take a bus or taxi from there.
Commune 13 tour with graffiti experience and local guide
2h–3h · EN · ES
from US$ 20 per person
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