14 Medellin Travel Tips I Wish I Knew Before Visiting

So you’re heading to Medellín soon and want some real Medellín travel tips before you go? You’re in the right place.

I spent four days in Medellín, part of a full month traveling around Colombia. I’m a solo traveller who tries to jam my itineraries full and a digital nomad, so I feel like my tips cover a wide range!

Below are the things I wish someone had told me before I landed on my trip to Medellín.

Some of them saved me money, one nearly made me miss a tour, and one is the story of an excursion I never actually finished.

Vamos!

1. You’ll probably want extra days in Medellin

I originally planned to spend 2 days in Medellín. I ended up staying four.

It wasn’t just me, either. Every single girl in my hostel dorm, without exception, ended up extending their stay too.

For some reason, the internet loves to recommend just a couple days. But you could easily spend 4+ days with how many things there are to do in Medellin.

I’d just get right to budgeting 4 days, maybe 3 if you’re on a schedule. If you can build in some flexibility to your Medellin itinerary, even better.

👉 Read Next: How to Spend The Most Perfect 3 Days in Medellin

2. The ATM fees are standard across banks/machines

This is one of those Medellín travel tips that saves you some time. In most places, you can find cheaper ATMs in banks and depending on the machine. I did not find that to be true in Medellin.

So you don’t need to bother taking time to find the cheaper ones.

I had to take out cash from the ATMs in the Medellin airport. Typically the airports have the highest ATM fees.

But then bank machines in the city also charged me just as much. And then as I travelled on, the bank machines in other cities like Manizales and Pereira charged the same standard rate.

3. Take out larger amounts of cash at a time to avoid fees

That leads me to my next tip: take out larger amounts of cash less frequently to avoid such high ATM fees.

They cost me like $10 each time I took cash out, in addition to my own bank’s fees. Not ideal.

You don’t want to go too crazy because theft and pickpocketing is a concern in Colombia. I just kept most of my cash locked up in my hotel or hostel and only took out smaller portions of it when I was out and about the city.

4. Take Ubers everywhere for transportation

Getting around in Medellín is actually really easy because Ubers are plentiful and very cheap.

I only took a taxi once to get from the airport, and hopped on the metro for one round trip into the downtown core.

Other than that I relied completely on Ubers my entire itinerary in Medellín. They are so cheap that at times I was even leaving over a 50% tip and it still only turned out to be a few dollars.

5. Do you need to know Spanish? No, but it helps

I knew only a few Spanish phrases when I got there, but almost none.

Most hotel workers and the servers in popular restaurants speak enough English to communicate with you. But taxi drivers, Ubers, and some restaurant workers spoke only Spanish.

It’s helpful to learn some basic phrases like asking for the bill, asking for a coffee with or without milk, etc. But you can likely get by just fine with Google Translate.

6. Keep an eye on your iPhone (My friend got hers stolen)

Medellín felt very safe to me overall. I walked alone in El Poblado to get to dinner more than once, and I walked and shopped alone in Comuna 13 after my tour ended, which was after sunset.

Even so, safety in Medellín, Colombia still means paying attention, especially in nightlife settings.

A girl in my hostel dorm had her phone stolen from her purse while out clubbing. It ended up being a nightmare for her because she had no way to get cash as a result and was locked out of her bank cards. Either way, just keep a hand on your purse and be careful.

My walking tour guide of the downtown area also mentioned that phone snatching can occasionally happen in the busiest parts of downtown.

⭐ Check out: The Best Walking Tour of Downtown Medellin

7. Do your research on return trips before heading into the mountains

This is the lesson that came out of an excursion I never actually finished.

I really wanted to see Mirador Las Palmas. I saw it on TikTok and it looked like an amazing viewpoint outside of the city. They have little campfires set up where you can have warm drinks, roast marshmallows, and enjoy the lit up city below you.

I thought I was being smart by just taking an Uber both ways because it was way cheaper than booking the guided tour to visit this place. But when I was already in the Uber on my way, the driver told me that there’s no service up there. It would be really hard for me to get an Uber or a taxi back into the city.

For most situations in that case, I would just grab the phone number of the driver specifically or research to make sure I could talk to the local staff at the place I was going so they could help me book a return vehicle.

In this specific case, when I looked deeper at the reviews for Mirador Las Palmas, there was a bunch of weird reviews about the taxi companies that the restaurant recommends to you being kind of sketchy.

As a solo female I ended up just getting my Uber to turn me around and take me to a different restaurant in the city.

💡As a side note: I still recommend doing Mirador Las Palmas for sunset, but you have to do it with a tour instead.

8. Expect greasy food at first, and know what to order instead

A lot of Colombian food is very greasy. Things like empanadas, fatty chorizo, arepas. They are all corn-based and fried in oil.

The bandeja paisa, piled with rice, beans, chorizo, chicharrón, a fried egg, and fried plantain, is basically the poster child for all of this.

But then I also felt kind of guilty eating foreign food while I was in Medellín, which is known for such a good food scene.

While these foods are absolutely delicious and you need to try them when you first get to Colombia, if your stomach is like mine, you’ll need a break from it quickly.

I learned after leaving Medellín that there are two traditional Colombian dishes that are not greasy at all: ajiaco and sancocho.

They are different hearty stews with meat, potatoes, avocado, and vegetables. That being my absolute favorite food that I ate on my trip to Colombia.

9. There are some things closed on Sundays

The big malls, touristy restaurants and shops are still open mostly. But a ton of smaller independent shops and restaurants close.

Especially in centro.

One brunch spot in El Poblado, Palma Pitón, actually does Sunday brunch specifically, so it’s worth checking a place’s hours rather than assuming either way.

💡FYI – I highly recommend doing brunch there. Just look at the pictures!!

10. Barter at market stalls and souvenir shops in Comuna 13

Haggling is part of the culture at markets and informal souvenir stalls. Places like Comuna 13 and the souvenir shops downtown.

It’s not something you do at fixed-price stores or with craftspeople selling their own handmade work, though.

💡 My approach (told to me by my Comuna 13 walking tour guide) was to start around 30% below the asking price and negotiate toward the middle.

Since a lot of the same souvenirs are sold in multiple stores, it’s easy to just walk away and buy from someone else if you can’t land on a price you’re both happy with.

11. There is rush hour traffic to plan around

I was almost late for a tour because of the traffic. It’s not the worst city traffic I’ve experienced, but you should definitely make sure to add buffer time around these hours.

I’ve also heard that arriving at the airport during peak traffic hours can stretch what’s normally 30 – 45 minutes to over an hour.

👉 I have some specific tips on getting around Medellin here.

12. Bring headphones/ear plugs if you’re staying in El Poblado

Out of all the places to stay in Medellin, El Poblado is the best. I write all about it’s pro’s and con’s, specific hotel recommendations (like where I stayed – Los Patios), and other options here.

It’s got the most scenic streets, great restaurants, and is a hub for the nightlife.

But….. El Poblado’s streets can get loud at night.

It didn’t bother me, but if you’re a light sleeper, bring headphones or earplugs.

13. Make sure to do the Comuna 13 walking tour

If you’ve looked at lists of the best things to do in Medellín, you’ll have heard of Comuna 13.

It is a barrio in the city that used to be considered one of South America’s most dangerous communities. It was heavily involved in the era of Pablo Escobar and the war between the cartels, paramilitary, and the government.

The entire city and this specific neighborhood have made enormous strides in the last two decades and now both are considered to be incredibly safe for visitors. And the area is GORGEOUS!

Small buildings and houses tiered into the mountains, the highest concentration of street art I’ve ever seen, and music everywhere!!!

The highlights:

• see some of the best street art in the world
• listen to amazing music from street vendors
• sample delicious Colombian street food
• learn about the tumultuous history the citizens had to endure at the time

It’s an actual must. This is the tour I did and loved.

14. Make sure to take the metro train at least once for the view

I recommend taking Ubers everywhere, but it is worth taking the metro train at least once. The line that leads from El Poblado into the downtown centre has fantastic views.

It runs above the city and you’ll get to see the orange towers backdropped by mountains zipping by as you go.

It’s really easy to take. There are machines in the metro stations to buy a card and load it with enough money for each trip.

Your Next Step For Travelling to Medellin

Figuring out the logistics for your trip to Medellin is really easy. I have a full travel guide to Medellin you can check out.

If you are still adding things to your itinerary, check out this list of the best things to do in Medellin.

Happy adventuring!