So you’re planning a trip to Medellín and wondering how to get around? I got you.
I visited Medellín on my month-long trip to Colombia. I found the transportation incredibly easy and cheap to figure out. The traffic’s not too bad, Uber is really cheap, and the metro is easy to use.
I didn’t rent a car. Getting around Medellín without a car is easy, and I don’t think most visitors need one either.
In this guide, I’ll break down every different way to get around Medellín, including Uber, white taxis, the train, and the cable car.
Fast Answer
- ✈️ Airport into the city: taxi. Uber pickup at the airport is complicated, so don’t count on it for your arrival leg.
- 🚗 Getting around the city: Uber, by far. Cheap, easy, no negotiating.
- 🚅 At least once: the metro, from El Poblado into downtown. Scenic, a single line for that route, and hard to get wrong.
- 🏔️ Anywhere remote: get your driver’s phone number before you go, so you can arrange the ride back.
- 🚙 Rental car: skip it. Uber, the metro, and taxis covered everything I needed.
How to Get From the Airport to Medellín?
First, it’s important to know that the Medellín airport is about 30–45 minutes outside of the city.
I originally planned to take an Uber in because I had read that Ubers worked in Medellín. But Ubers aren’t really allowed to pick up passengers from the terminals so not accessible.
So instead, you can take a taxi (an official white taxi) or the bus.
How to take the bus from Medellin airport
The bus shuttles are white and green. They take you to one of two spots (you have to ask the driver which one): the San Diego Mall or in the downtown centre (right behind the Nutibara hotel).
The San Diego Mall stop is closest to El Poblado if you are staying there (which I highly recommend!!). It’s still about 15 minutes drive from there, so then you’d want to take an Uber to El Poblado. Same goes for Laureles.
The buses run from 6:30 am until the last flight of the day. They run every 15 – 20 minutes during the day. In the evening it might be slightly less frequent because they wait for the bus to fill before leaving.
You just walk out of the main arrivals area to the public transport lane. It’s marked with vans/buses.
The perk of doing this is cost. The bus ride and the Uber ride will be way cheaper. At the cost of the extra logistics and time. You’ll get to your hotel for less than half of the price of a taxi.
How to take a taxi from Medellin airport
Or you can take a white taxi from the airport. I walked out of the terminal, turned right, and found a staffed taxi stand with a line of white taxis waiting.
💡 Tip: Don’t go with one of the many guys shouting taxi inside the airport. I’ve heard they upcharge a huge amount, whereas the white taxi line is a relatively fixed price.
At the stand, drivers agree on a fixed rate before you get in, then take you straight to your hotel. No meter, no negotiating once you’re on the road.
I paid about 130,000 COP for the direct taxi ride in May of 2026. Private, right to my hostel door. That’s about $40 USD / $57 CAD.
I also noticed a man at the stand advertising a colectivo, a shared taxi that splits the fare between passengers. I didn’t use it myself, partly because of the language barrier, so I can’t personally vouch for how well it works.
👉 Read Next: The Complete Travel Guide for Medellin
Time your arrival for daylight if you can
If you have any flexibility, try to land in daylight. The drive in is honestly one of the better first impressions I’ve had of a city.
It follows a cliffside road, winds through a long tunnel, and then you get a dramatic first view of the mountainous skyline opening up in front of you.
You lose all of that driving in after dark.
Traffic is also worth building into your timing. Rush hour runs roughly 6–9 a.m. and 5–8 p.m. on weekdays, and the normal 45–60 minute transfer can stretch well past that during those windows.
Cash before you leave the airport
You’ll want cash to pay the taxi driver from the airport. They don’t accept credit cards.
I typically just go to an ATM once I get into whatever city I’m traveling in, so I didn’t think to convert cash to Colombian pesos before arriving.
Luckily there’s an ATM right up the escalators from where you exit the arrivals hall in the airport. On the first floor there’s also a currency exchange if you have your own currency cash on you.
You also don’t have to worry about the ATM fees at the airport being higher than the ones in the city. I found it to be a flat rate, the exact same ATM fee across all the machines from the airport to the malls in downtown, no matter the bank.
It cost me about $10 USD each time, because I have a non-Colombian bank card. There’s no getting around that, so I just took larger amounts out less frequently.
Getting Around Medellín Once You’re There
Uber: my main way of getting around
Is there Uber in Medellín? Yes, and it’s how most people get around the city day to day.
A 2023 Colombian Supreme Court ruling means it operates legally in practice, so nobody thinks twice about using it. Uber was how I got around Medellín almost the entire time I was there.
Fares were ridiculously cheap. At times I tipped over 50% because that still only totaled like $4.
This makes it super easy to stay wherever you want in the Medellin without worrying about how to get around.
As a solo female traveller, I also just felt safer in an Uber. The trip gets tracked, and the driver and route are logged, which mattered to me.
Read Next: Where to Stay in Medellin – My Review of El Poblado Neighbourhood + Alternatives
The metro: worth doing at least once
I only rode Medellín’s metro a couple of times in the 3 days I spent in Medellin, mainly to get from El Poblado into downtown for a walking tour. But I’d do it again without hesitation.
For that route it’s a single line with no transfers, so there’s basically no way to mess it up.
The ride itself was scenic too. You get real views of the skyscrapers tiered against the mountains as you go.
To ride, you’ll need a reloadable card, sold and topped up at machines in the stations.
💡 Bonus tip: I’d also potentially avoid it at peak rush hour times before and after work hours. Apparently going south towards downtown is packed during those hours. North out of downtown was much quieter though.
You can find the updated schedules, prices, and maps for the metro on their website.
Taxis: mostly just for the airport
Are taxis safe in Medellín? Generally yes, especially the official stand taxis at the airport.
Outside of that airport transfer though, I didn’t really use taxis in Medellín. I wouldn’t use them over Uber.
Uber is cheaper, you skip the negotiating, and it comes with that extra layer of trip-tracking safety I mentioned above. The only time a taxi makes sense is from the airport on day one.
Read Next: How to Spend 3 Days in Medellin Itinerary
Pico y Placa: the Vehicle-Restriction Rule
Medellín restricts which private vehicles can drive on a given weekday, based on license plate digit. It’s called pico y placa.
You don’t need to worry about this if you’re Ubering or taxiing. But if you rent a car, then you need to make sure you get the right license plate number.
You can just ask about “pico y placa.”
The Metrocable: the One I Regret Skipping
Medellín has a whole cable car system called a Metrocable running above the city. It connects to the train metro network and climbs up into the hills around the city.
There’s a particularly nice line that runs from Santo Domingo station up to Parque Arví, a mountaintop nature park outside the city.
I didn’t ride it myself, and I regret that. Several of my hostel-mates did the trip to Parque Arví and told me it was one of the best things they did in Medellín: good views, not overcrowded, and cheap.
The Metrocable to Parque Arví uses a separate ticket from the standard metro fare.
You can find the updated prices and lines for the Metrocable here.
Apps I Used to Get Around
Google Maps was really the only app I needed.
Switching it to public-transit mode gave me clear routes and timing for the metro.
I used the Uber app for everything else, the way you’d expect.
Staying Safe From Pickpockets and at Night
Keep your bag on the front of your body and stay alert for pickpockets on the metro. Watch your phone closely in busier spots and don’t leave it in your back pocket.
I dormed with a girl who got her phone stolen out of her purse at the club. It was a nightmare for her. So keep a hand on that purse. Same applies for metro platforms.
Walking around Medellín during the day felt fine in the neighborhoods I stayed in, like El Poblado. At night though, always take an Uber instead of walking, even for short distances.
And if you’re Ubering or taking a taxi somewhere outside the main city, like Mirador Las Palmas, where phone service gets patchy, get your driver’s phone number before you go so you can actually arrange the ride back.
Your Next Step: Planning Medellin
You’ve got a good idea now that it’s really easy to get around Medellin. It’s cheap and easy, no matter where you’re staying.
Next, it’s time to nail down the final itinerary details for your days there. I have this 3 day Medellin itinerary that is packed to the BRIM with the best activities in the city. Or if that doesn’t fit your timeline, check out the entire list of amazing things to do in Medellin to build out your own itinerary.
Happy adventuring!
Plan Your Trip - My Favourite Resources
📱 Stay Connected Without Expensive Roaming Fees
I never travel without an e-Sim now. You pay a fraction of roaming fees, and simply download the e-Sim to your phone instead of switching SIM cards. The service I always use is Airola.
🏠 Book Your Accommodation
I always use Booking.com to find and book the best hotels at the cheapest rate. For cheap and social options, I love using Hostelworld - they also have private rooms.
🏄♀️ Book Your Tours and Excursions
I book adventure tours anywhere in the world through Manawa. My second favourite is Viator - it has the largest selection of tours with local operators and offers flexible cancellation.
Need Help Planning Your Next Adventure?
Join my newsletter to get access to your FREE exclusive trip planner + more awesome adventure travel content by me!
No spam and you can unsubscribe anytime!
