The best things to do in Medellín begin with riding the Metrocable network, walking Comuna 13 with a local guide, and seeing the Botero sculptures in the center. At Colombia Desk, we plan visits and group stays across the valley, and we rank these sights by their cultural weight, ease of access, and actual foreign-visitor cost.
A metro ride costs COP 4,400, Line L up to Parque Arví costs COP 26,700, and Parque Explora was COP 55,000 for foreigners in 2025. Plaza Botero, Pueblito Paisa, Casa de la Memoria and the Jardín Botánico are free.
The Best Things to Do in Medellín, Ranked
The three best things to do in Medellín are walking Comuna 13 with a local guide, riding the metro and Metrocable up to Parque Arví, and seeing the Botero sculptures in Plaza Botero beside the Museo de Antioquia. You can reach all three by metro or app taxi.
The table ranks ten picks with 2025 and 2026 prices for foreign visitors, converted at the official rate of COP 3,174.67 per US dollar from Datos Abiertos Colombia.
| Rank | Attraction | Area / How to Get There | Foreign Visitor Cost | Time Needed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comuna 13 Escalators & Murals | Metro to San Javier station | Free to walk; guide extra | About 3 hours guided | Street art and the escalators |
| 2 | Metrocable & Parque Arví | Metro to Acevedo, Line K to Santo Domingo, Line L | COP 26,700 Line L + COP 30,000 trail | Most of a day | Forest hiking and mountain views |
| 3 | Plaza Botero & Museo de Antioquia | Downtown; museum at Carrera 52 No. 52-43 | Plaza free; Museum COP 46,000 | Half day | Public Botero sculptures and regional art |
| 4 | Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara | Metro to Exposiciones or Metroplús Nutibara | Free entry | 1 to 2 hours | Panoramic valley views and Antioquian architecture |
| 5 | Museo Casa de la Memoria | Calle 51 #36-66, Parque Bicentenario | Free entry | Not published | Understanding the armed conflict |
| 6 | Parque Explora & Aquarium | Parque de los Deseos, next to the Planetario | COP 55,000 (individual) | Half day | Hands-on science and families |
| 7 | Jardín Botánico de Medellín | Next to Universidad metro station | Free entry (Butterfly house COP 8,000) | 1 to 2 hours | Free green space and the butterfly house |
| 8 | Walking the Center by Day | Downtown around Plaza Botero | Free | Half day | Architecture and street life by daylight |
| 9 | Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM) | Ciudad del Río | Fee not published; check venue | 1 to 2 hours | Modern art exhibitions |
| 10 | Parque Inflexión | El Poblado, site of former Edificio Mónaco | Not published | Not published | Quiet reflection on victims of cartel violence |
This list is not for you if you want a fully outdoor trip. Spend those days outside the city instead, using our guide to day trips from Medellín. We would move Metrocable and Parque Arví down the list during a Line L closure such as the 19 to 24 September 2026 maintenance week, and move the museums up in April, October and November, typically the wettest months.
Comuna 13: Outdoor Escalators and Street Art
The outdoor electric escalators opened in December 2011. The Alcaldía de Medellín reported that 1,981,579 visitors explored the escalators in 2025 alone, with 1,029,732 of those travelers arriving from abroad. All sections of the outdoor system received integral mechanical maintenance.
Walking the alleys and staircases is free to the public, though visitors should navigate the hillside with a local guide. Guided walks such as one listed on Civitatis run about 3 hours and meet at San Javier metro station. Booking options are compared in our Medellín tours guide.
El Colombiano reported that in July 2025 Mayor Federico Gutiérrez asked Graffitour vendors to stop selling Pablo Escobar merchandise, and the Tourism Secretariat met 37 street vendors near the escalators. Respect the local community by avoiding that merchandise.
Metro, Metrocable and Parque Arví
Fares published by the Metro de Medellín set a standard single ticket (al portador) at COP 4,400, while a personalized Cívica card trip costs COP 3,820. Converted at COP 3,174.67 per US dollar, a single rail journey costs roughly USD 1.39.
To visit Parque Arví, board the metro to Acevedo station, change directly to Metrocable Line K up to Santo Domingo on your base fare, and then transfer to Line L. Cable Arví (Line L) requires a separate ticket costing COP 26,700 (about USD 8.41) for foreign travelers, while Colombian nationals pay COP 11,900.
Metro and Line L hours differ:
- Standard metro service operates Monday through Saturday from 4:30 am to 11:00 pm, and Sundays and public holidays from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm.
- Metrocable Line L operates Monday and Wednesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm.
- Line L provides no service on Tuesdays.
Guided and self-guided hikes in Parque Arví cost foreign visitors COP 30,000 (about USD 9.45; nationals COP 20,000). Hiking and Arví en Bici run Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm, and the park does maintenance on Tuesdays. The trails take most of a day on foot.
Telemedellín noted that Line L closed for six full days from September 19 to September 24, 2026, for annual major maintenance before resuming service on September 25. Check Metro de Medellín notifications so an annual maintenance shutdown does not disrupt your excursion.
Downtown Medellín: Plaza Botero and Museo de Antioquia
Fernando Botero donated the plaza’s 23 sculptures, plus 191 paintings, watercolors and drawings, when the renovated plaza and expanded museum opened on 14 October 2000, El Colombiano reported. Walking the plaza and photographing the sculptures is free.
The Museo de Antioquia is at Carrera 52 No. 52-43. Official hours run Monday through Saturday from 9:40 am to 5:30 pm, and Sundays and holidays from 9:40 am to 4:30 pm, with annual closures on New Year’s Day, Labor Day (May 1), and Christmas Day. El Colombiano reported in January 2026 that foreign entry costs COP 46,000 (approximately USD 14.49), while Colombian nationals pay COP 18,000.
Keep your mobile phone tucked away securely in crowded pedestrian areas, and visit during daylight hours. Tour operators such as Real City Tours lead pay-what-you-want downtown walking tours across Plaza Botero and Parque Berrío that take about 3.5 hours; see our Medellín tours guide.
Quiet Cultural Memorials and Hilltop Views
Museo Casa de la Memoria
The Museo Casa de la Memoria is located at Calle 51 #36-66 within Parque Bicentenario. Admission is free for all visitors. Operating hours run Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The museum covers the history of Colombia’s armed conflict as experienced in Medellín.
Parque Conmemorativo Inflexión
Parque Inflexión is located in El Poblado. El Colombiano reported that the memorial opened in December 2019 on the grounds of the former Edificio Mónaco, which was imploded in February 2019. The site features a memorial wall containing one perforation per victim, citing 46,612 deaths in Medellín between 1983 and 1994.
Pueblito Paisa on Cerro Nutibara
Rising about 80 meters above the valley floor, Cerro Nutibara hosts Pueblito Paisa, a replica of a traditional Antioquian village. Semana reported in 2024 that admission to the hilltop and replica village is free, with opening hours spanning 5:00 am to 11:00 pm daily. Visitors reach the summit via a short walk from Exposiciones metro station or the Nutibara Metroplús stop. Private passenger cars are barred from driving up the hill, so you walk, cycle or take public transport. Check opening hours locally before planning a late-night view of the city lights.
Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín (MAMM)
MAMM is located in Ciudad del Río. El Colombiano listed operating hours running Tuesday through Friday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, and weekends from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. General admission ticket prices are not covered.
Family Attractions and Rainy Day Options
April, October, and November are typically the wettest months in Medellín. Keep one museum day free so you can swap it in when it rains.
Parque Explora is an interactive science museum and aquarium in Parque de los Deseos, next to the Planetario. Explora opens Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm (ticket box closes at 4:00 pm), and weekends and holidays from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm (ticket box closes at 5:00 pm). Mondays are not opening days, and Explora closes for maintenance on a Monday or Tuesday that follows a holiday. Semana reported 2025 entrance rates of COP 55,000 (about USD 17.32) for international guests, or COP 83,000 (about USD 26.14) for a combo pass that includes the nearby Planetario. Children under three enter free of charge.
Next door in Parque de los Deseos sits the Planetario de Medellín. El Colombiano listed entry at COP 32,000 (about USD 10.08) in January 2026, without saying whether that is the national or the foreign rate.
The Jardín Botánico de Medellín, at Calle 73 # 51 D 14 next to Universidad metro station, is free and opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The butterfly house costs COP 8,000. Families traveling with younger children can discover more itinerary ideas in our Medellín with kids guide.
Guatapé and Coffee Farms Outside the City
The Piedra del Peñol at Guatapé is about 81 km from Medellín, roughly 1 hour 50 minutes by road. El Espectador counts 740 steps to the top (another count is 649) and gives 2025 entry as COP 30,000, open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.
Half-day coffee farm visits from the city also exist, such as one in Envigado listed on GuruWalk. Routes and prices for both are in our guide to day trips from Medellín.
Practical Safety and Visitor Logistics
Medellín receives about 1.5 million tourists a year, according to the Alcaldía. In March 2024 the Alcaldía de Medellín and the US Embassy announced that foreign visitors can call 911, redirected to 123 (Colombia’s national emergency number) with bilingual attention.
Keep your phone out of sight, use app taxis, and never hail one on the street. Skip dating-app meetups with strangers. Sleep in El Poblado, Laureles or Envigado. The US State Department rates Colombia Level 3, “Reconsider travel”, and Medellín sits outside its Level 4 areas; our Medellín safety guide covers the details.
Planning Your Medellín Daily Schedule
Pair a long walking day, such as Comuna 13 or Parque Arví, with a museum day.
For full multi-day plans matching your trip length, read our detailed Medellín itinerary and pick your neighborhood base from our where to stay in Medellín guide. Check current opening hours and transit schedules for your travel dates, and contact our team through our contact page if you want us to book the villa, the transport and the day trips for your stay.