Things to do in Colombia
Museum of Cartagena de Indias6 optionsMedellín City Tour13 optionsCartagena City Tour10 optionsCartagena Catamaran Tour9 optionsWalking Tour Medellín43 optionsBest Museum Bogota16 optionsRosario Islands Tours43 optionsBoat Tour Cartagena59 optionsGuatape Tour Medellin21 optionsMuseums7 optionsParagliding in Medellin41 optionsCartagena Walking Tour40 options
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Medellín: Beyond Escobar Walking Tour & Colombian HistoryYou walk four locations across Medellín—from a green corridor to a cartel residence to a chamber of commerce to a victims' memorial—with a professional guide who treats the drug trade as a system, not a story. The tour includes entry to each stop and expert context on coca's history, the cartel's rise, the economics of trafficking, and the human cost. You leave understanding the complexity without the glorification.Is it for me?This tour is for travelers who want to understand Medellín's recent history without the sensationalism—people who'd rather learn how a global system works than hear crime stories. The expert guide and structured stops are what make the complexity digestible in a single afternoon.
Guatapé Peñol Stone & Hacienda Boat Adventure TourThis 9-hour guided tour of Guatapé combines a boat cruise to the La Manuela hacienda (the former property of Pablo Escobar), a climb up Peñol Stone for 360-degree views, and a choice of adventure sports—paintball, ATV, or jetski—with regional food tastings and time in the town's colorful streets. The guide speaks English or Spanish, and round-trip transportation from the city is included; lunch and the optional rock-climbing fee are separate.Is it for me?This is a shared group tour with a set itinerary and a guide leading the stops, so it suits travelers who want the day structured and don't want to arrange transport or figure out what to eat at each village. The adventure sports at the hacienda are optional—you can skip them and spend that time on the ruins or the lake instead—which makes it work for people who want some choice without building the whole day from scratch. If you prefer to move at your own pace or explore without a group, look for a private option or self-guided access to the sites.
Cali: Jordan River, Waterfalls & Mountain Views Day TripYou spend the day swimming in the Jordan River, sliding down natural rock formations, and walking through forest trails with views of Pico de Loro and Los Farallones mountains. Coffee and lunch are included, and the pace is yours — rest in a hammock, explore the different areas, or stay in the water. A guide leads the walk and knows where the best waterfalls and pools are, so you don't waste time finding them yourself.Is it for me?Right for people who want a full day in nature without arranging transport, meals, or figuring out which waterfalls are worth the walk — the forest is built around moving at your own pace, and lunch is already waiting.
Medellín Commune 13: Street Art Tour & Local Food with GuideYou walk through Commune 13's murals with someone who knows the neighborhood's real history, taste local snacks, watch live street performance, and reach the escalators with a guide who explains what each piece of art means. The tour includes entrance to the escalators and curated photo spots, and runs two to three hours in English or Spanish.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand Commune 13's real story rather than just see the murals—a guide who grew up here is what makes that possible, and it's what sets this apart from walking it alone.
Rosario Islands: 3 Private Islands Day Trip with SnorkelingYou’ll hop from Cartagena across Rosario’s private islands by boat with a local guide—snorkeling coral reefs near Isla Grande, swimming at Bela Beach, then sipping cocktails at Ibizza Island’s club. Expect music, laughter, sandy feet, and fresh-cooked lunch before drifting back salty-haired toward city lights.
Cartagena Cooking Class: Hands-On Colombian CuisineA hands-on cooking class in Cartagena where you prepare traditional Colombian dishes under the guidance of a local chef in a small-group setting. You chop, cook, plate and share the meal together in an intimate kitchen. All ingredients, equipment, recipes and refreshments are included; the class runs 3 hours and accommodates vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free diets and common allergies. Bilingual instruction in English and Spanish; children from age 6 are welcome.Is it for me?You'll spend three hours actually cooking Colombian home dishes alongside locals, leaving with recipes and the skills to recreate them yourself.
Cartagena Airport Transfer: Private Vehicle, Door-to-DoorYou get picked up at the terminal with a name sign or collected from your hotel at a set time, then driven in a private air-conditioned vehicle to your destination. Tolls and taxes are included. The journey takes 15–40 minutes depending on traffic and location, and the price is per vehicle, not per person, so it doesn't matter how many travelers share the ride.Is it for me?Book this if you land tired and want to skip the taxi queue and price haggling — the driver's already waiting with your name, the vehicle is set, and the cost is locked in before you leave the terminal.
Beyond Escobar History Museum: Family's Untold StoryA guided museum tour in Colombia that presents Pablo Escobar's history through the eyes of his own family, with exclusive photographs, personal objects, and first-hand testimonies not found in documentaries or TV series. The tour runs about an hour in English, Spanish, or Portuguese, led by an expert guide; museum admission is included. Laura Escobar, the museum's founder and Pablo's niece, occasionally welcomes visitors in person.Is it for me?This tour works best for visitors who want to understand Pablo Escobar's history beyond what documentaries present, and who are comfortable with a family-centered perspective on a complex and sensitive subject. The hour-long format fits a focused museum visit rather than a full-day excursion.
Medellin: Historic Center Walking Tour & Botero SculpturesYou’ll walk Medellin’s buzzing center with a local guide who shares real stories behind its plazas and sculptures. Taste Colombian coffee in an old courthouse-turned-mall, see Plaza Botero’s art up close, and feel how resilience shapes everyday life here.
Guatapé & Piedra del Peñol: Full Day from Medellín with Boat & MealsYou 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.Is it for me?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.
Guatapé Coffee Farm & Rock Climb: One Day TourA full-day tour in Guatapé combines three separate experiences: a morning at a working coffee farm where you pick and process beans alongside local farmers, a climb of more than 700 steps to the top of the boulder for views across the dam and surrounding landscape, and an afternoon walking the town's historic streets with a guide who explains the tradition of hand-painted house facades. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included, along with fruit tasting, lunch, and an air-conditioned vehicle between stops.Is it for me?Book the shared tour if you're comfortable meeting other travelers and want to keep costs down; choose private if you prefer your own pace and the flexibility to linger at the farm or skip the rock climb without affecting anyone else's schedule. Either way, wear clothes you can get dirty and bring a change if you want to be fresh for the climb.
Cartagena Private City Tour: La Popa, San Felipe & Old TownYou visit La Popa Convent at the city's highest point, walk through San Felipe de Barajas fortress with your guide explaining the tunnels and bastions, then spend the afternoon in the walled old town—Santo Domingo Church, Bolivar Square, Las Bóvedas market—before seeing the modern neighborhoods of Bocagrande and Castillogrande. Hotel pickup and drop-off, private vehicle, and a professional guide who knows which stories matter are included, so you don't spend time figuring out logistics or which square to visit next.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Cartagena's main landmarks—the fortress, the convent, the old city squares, and the modern neighborhoods—without arranging transport or timing yourself between stops. The private vehicle and guide mean you move at your own pace and skip the logistics.
Rum & Chocolate Tasting in Cartagena: Castle Views, Small GroupA rum and chocolate tasting in Cartagena hosted in a designed indoor space with views of San Felipe Castle, the city walls, and La Popa. You taste a curated selection of premium Colombian rums, each paired with artisanal chocolate, guided through the experience in a relaxed and social way — not technical or formal. Small group sizes keep every session intimate. The experience runs two hours (or one hour for the shorter option) and includes water, all fees and taxes, and a guide in English or Spanish. Minimum age is 18.Is it for me?Book the two-hour Premium Experience if you want time to linger over each pairing and connect with the other people in the room; the one-hour Short Tasting works if you're short on time but still want the flavors and the views. Either way, you're choosing a tasting designed around conversation and comfort, not a formal lesson — which is what sets it apart in a city full of rum tastings.
Medellín: E-Bike City Tour & Plaza Botero Juice StopYou’ll ride electric bikes through Medellín’s creative neighborhoods with a local guide who shares stories behind murals and Botero’s iconic sculptures. Taste fresh tropical juice at a family-run shop before cruising plazas where city life buzzes all around you. It’s quick but somehow lingers — you might find yourself wanting just one more lap.
Make Colombian Chocolate in Medellín: 3.5-Hour Cacao WorkshopA 3.5-hour hands-on chocolate-making class in Medellín where you roast cacao pods, grind beans into paste, and create a personalized 62% dark chocolate bar to take home. The workshop covers Colombian cacao history, traditional and modern processing techniques, and includes four to five cacao-based drinks and bites. A live guide leads the session in English or Spanish at the Chocolate House in Laureles, in the heart of the city.Is it for me?Join a small group of chocolate makers if you want to learn cacao from pod to bar without a factory-tour feel—the hands-on roasting, grinding, and tempering mean you're doing the work yourself, not standing behind glass. Book this if you're curious about Colombian cacao culture and want to take home something you actually made.
Sailing Tayrona from Santa Marta: Small-Group Cruise & Onboard LunchYou’ll board a sailboat in Santa Marta for a day trip along Tayrona’s coast, passing Isla Aguja before anchoring at Bahía Concha. Swim or snorkel with provided gear, share fresh-grilled fish for lunch onboard, and swap stories with your bilingual guide. The quiet moments drifting near shore stay with you long after you return.
San Basilio de Palenque: Freedom Tour from Cartagena with Local GuideYou're picked up from your Cartagena hotel and driven to San Basilio de Palenque, where a native guide walks you through four centuries of African heritage — the founding story, traditional medicine practices, the Creole language, and landmarks like the Benkos Bioho square and community murals. You'll hear live music, taste a welcome drink and a traditional lunch, then return to Cartagena by early afternoon. It's the kind of tour where the guide is from the place, which changes everything.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand Palenque's history from someone who lives it, not from a script — the guides are certified locals, which is what makes the difference between a tour and a real conversation with a place.
Bogotá: Guatavita Lagoon & Salt Cathedral Day TripYou visit two of Colombia's most significant sites in a single day: hike down to the legendary Guatavita Lagoon with a local guide explaining the El Dorado ritual, then descend into the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, an underground chamber carved from salt 180 meters below ground. Hotel pickup, lunch, transportation, insurance and an audio guide are included; the Salt Cathedral entry fee is optional depending on which package you choose.Is it for me?This works well if you want to see two major Colombian sites in one day without arranging transport, guides, or timing yourself—the fixed schedule and included coordinator handle the logistics, and the local guide at Guatavita explains the history you'd miss on your own.
Medellín Coffee Farm Tour with Tastings & Local LunchYou’ll walk coffee fields near Medellín, pick ripe beans with locals at a family farm, taste freshly roasted coffee with a barista, and share a traditional lunch overlooking green hills. Expect laughter, earthy smells, and genuine moments—plus hotel pickup so you can just relax into it all.
Medellin: Comuna 13 Street Art, Metrocable & Pueblito Paisa TourYou’ll walk barefoot through green parks, ride Medellin’s Metrocable above sprawling neighborhoods, taste local dishes at Pueblito Paisa, and see Comuna 13’s powerful street art with guides who know every story behind each mural. Expect laughter, honest moments with locals, and views you won’t forget.
