Guatape is one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Medellin. Its natural surroundings perfectly blend with the reservoir and the majesty of La Piedra del Peñol. Here you’ll find a guide to the best options for visit Guatape based on your budget and the activities you want to do there.
First, you should know that Guatape is a town located about 79 km from Medellín (approximately 49 miles), with a temperate climate during the day and cool nights. Its main attractions are visited daily by thousands of tourists, especially on Sundays and holidays (when it’s also visited by many locals). For this reason, you should consider visiting during the week to avoid congestion when entering and leaving the town (each trip typically takes about 2 hours, but on a Sunday afternoon, you might spend up to 4 hours returning to Medellín).
Here you can read some considerations to help decide how many days and what activities to do in Guatape based on your preferences!
Getting to Guatape from Medellín: The Basics
If you visit Guatape from Medellin, there are 3 main ways to get there:
- public transportation (buses and taxis),
- private transportation (rental cars/motorcycles, “placa blanca” transportation, and ride-sharing apps),
- tours (which include transport)
Here’s a summary of each option, so you can consider the costs and comfort of each service:
Public Transport to Visit Guatape
Buses:
Mini-buses to Guatape leave every 30 minutes from the North bus terminal (“Terminal del Norte”) next to Caribe metro station, look for booth (“taquilla”) number 14. It’s usually best to go to the rock first before visiting the town as the views tend to be better in the morning, so when you buy the ticket, tell them you are going to “la piedra”. From the rock you can take a tuk-tuk to the town, and then grab a bus back from the town to Medellín. If you’re going on the weekend, it’s wise to buy your return ticket ahead of time, as it can get busy.
- Schedule: From 5:30am to 7pm, every 30 minutes
- Price: COP 22,000 per one-way ticket (March 2025). (For updated prices, click here)
- Travel time: The trip by bus takes around 2 hours each way under normal traffic conditions, but you should consider the time you need to get to the North Bus Terminal.
Taxis:
City taxis offer transportation to Guatape as well as tours within the town (to places like La Piedra, the reservoir, and other attractions you may want to visit). The price can vary depending on the duration of the service and whether you return with the driver or if they will go back to the city alone.
We recommend using a reliable company or a trusted driver for this service.
- Schedule options: one way or round trip.
- Price: from COP 238,000 per one-way ticket (March 2025). Most of the drivers will prefer to wait for you but they’ll charge you by hours, you can ask for a round trip.
- Travel time: The trip by taxi takes around 1,5 to 2 hours each way under normal traffic conditions
Private Transportation to Visit Guatape
Auto / Motorcycle Rental:
The trip will be shortened by around 30 minutes to an approximated travel time of 1.5 hours each way under normal traffic conditions. The price will depend entirely on which option of car transport you choose. Just keep in mind that as the road to Guatape is highly transited by tourists, it is heavily controlled by traffic police who do spot checks to ensure that vehicles have the necessary paperwork required for commercial transport.
Private Transportation Companies:
For group trips, this option offers great advantages in terms of comfort and cost. You can find vehicles with capacities ranging from 4 to 40 passengers, depending on your needs.
- Schedule options: one way or round trip.
- Price: from COP 630,000 per one-way ticket for 4 persons or COP 1,700,000 in 40 sits bus (March 2025). Most of the drivers will prefer to wait for you but they´ll charge you by hours, you can ask for a round trip.
- Travel time: The trip by car takes around 1,5 to 2 hours each way under normal traffic conditions, usually the bus takes half hour more.
Tours to Guatape with Transport Included
For many travelers, a one-day trip may be the best option due to time constraints. It’s really easy to find an option that fits your budget and the activities you wish to include. Here are some tours that you may enjoy for visiting Guatape:
Turismo En Medellin:
Is a quite experienced tour operator that goes to Guatape Monday to Sunday. They leave at around 7am so you are at the rock at the time most people are just leaving the city. They are very convenient as they have a rather competitive price and you can pay online too. You can contact them here: https://bit.ly/3LADPLJ
Van Por Colombia:
This is going to sound cliché, but this is an experience for travelers, not for tourist. It’s more an experience than a standard Guatapé tour. The groups are small, they don’t leave every day and they have a couple of surprises during the tour. In consequence their price is a totally different range than the first one above. You can contact them here: https://bit.ly/3PeldE2
Tips for a Comfortable Journey to Guatape
- If you visit guatape for one day, try not to leave Medellín after 9am.
- Try to avoid going on the weekend when most locals visit the town as it can get very busy.
- If you have the time, stay overnight, it´s worth it! and This will help you to avoid the day-trippers as you will be there before they arrive and after they leave.
- Wear comfortable clothes and shoes when you visit guatape, especially if you want to walk your way up to the top of the rock.
- Pack a sweater or jacket, it may get cold at afternoons and nights.
- Read our complete guide to Guatape!
