The 15 Best Guatapé and El Peñol Tours from Medellín

1.Tour Guatapé

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 865 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $38Our pick

Travel from Medellín to Guatapé in an air-conditioned van, with breakfast, lunch, hotel pickup, and a professional guide. You’ll see El Peñol, the old-town replica, La Piedra, and Guatapé’s zócalos. Many departures also include a reservoir boat ride. Guides such as Juliana and Arturo have earned special praise.

“It was a very good excursion. Considering the amount of time , we saw a lot and I recommend everyone to visit these places - and if you’re short on time , this is the best day trip. I personally didn’t like being with such a big group on a big bus - everything slows down and becomes somewhat impersonal. Because of this size I also couldn’t hear most of the time what our guide was explaining. I loved the boat trip but didn’t appreciate the loud music (but that’s personal again because I prefer silence in nature). Maybe we could’ve had lunch on our own in Guatapé-it’s such a…”

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2.Guatapé Day Trip & Boat to Pablo Escobar’s Estate

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 365 reviews · 10h 30m · from $64

Spend about 10.5 hours with a bilingual guide such as Mario, César, or Naomi, traveling by themed bus from El Poblado to Guatapé. Visit Hacienda La Manuela by boat, see El Peñol, explore colorful Guatapé, and add ATVs, jet skis, paintball, or the rock climb for extra cost.

“Amazing trip with Cesar and Alex! We’ve seen so many things and got a lot of interesting information!”

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3.Private Guatapé with Peñol Tickets and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 256 reviews · 8 hours · from $126

Travel by private, air-conditioned van from central Medellín to Guatapé with a bilingual guide such as Manuel, Manny, or Christian. Climb 740 steps at El Peñol, cruise the reservoir, explore colorful Guatapé, and eat a traditional lunch. The private format lets you adjust the pace.

“Our guide Manuel was so friendly and knowledgeable. His tour company is named EPIC tours Medellin for a reason! Climbing the steps up the monolithic rock, and seeing the surrounding arid land was so impressive. The town of Guatapé was charming, and very instagrammable indeed. We had such a lovely time. This is definitely the tour you should choose.”

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4.Private Guatapé Tour w/ Breakfast, Lunch & Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 87 reviews · 9 hours · from $134

Travel from Medellín with a private guide such as Mateo, Nelson, Hector, or Jorge. Eat breakfast and lunch, cruise the Guatapé reservoir with music, explore the colorful zócalos, and climb 740 steps up El Peñol for wide views.

“Very good tour. Would always recommend to Sontheim private one. Guatapé was just amazing and it was well organized. Pickup was on time”

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5.Guatapé Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · 8 hours (approx.)

Travel from Medellín with guide Luis or another assigned local guide on a private, flexible day trip to Guatapé. Visit Las Palmas, the Old Peñol replica, Guatapé Dam, and climb 740 steps up Peñol Rock. Hotel pickup and return are included.

“Luis was a wonderful tour guide! He picked us up from our hotel in the morning (so convenient!) and provided interesting information as we made our way to Guatapé and to climb the Peñon de Guatapé. I appreciated the flexibility of the tour - Luis was happy to stay at a place longer or move on to the next stop whenever we were ready to go. Enjoyed his humor and personality. Would highly recommend recommend taking this tour with Luis!”

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6.(Private Guatapé) Mansion Pablo Escobar+Paintball+Cuatrimoto+Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · 10 to 11 hours (approx.) · from $235

Spend 10 to 11 hours with a private guide such as Alejandro or Santiago, traveling from Medellín to Guatapé for a boat ride, countryside farm, Pablo Escobar’s former mansion, paintball, ATVs, Piedra del Peñol, lunch, and the colorful zócalos town.

“This was by far one of the best excursions I have ever booked. First I have to say our guide Alex is the man. He picked us up from our Airbnb in a comfortable car, aloud us to tap into his wifi, he also was extremely knowledgeable of the Columbian culture in different areas, gave us a run down of the history of Pablo Escobar, and that was before we even got to the actual excursion. Let me say that the property is absolutely stunning. I'll let you see it for yourself because words won't do it justice. We rode ATVs around the property with brief stops here and there…”

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7.Private Tour to Guatapé and The Rock of El Peñol from Medellín!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 67 reviews · 5 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $110

Leave Medellín early with a private guide such as Carlos, Laura, Daniel, or Juan Carlos for El Peñol and Guatapé. Expect private transport, snacks, coffee, insurance, and flexible time at each stop. The 740-step rock climb costs about $6 extra, and lunch is not included.

“Our guide Camilo provided excellent service, beginning with the pickup from our accomodation place. He gave us a lot of interesting and useful information during the trip. He knows many local people and it helps to get good service.”

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8.Guatape & Horse Ride & El Peñol Rock & Quaint Town From Medellin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · 9 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $174

Spend about nine and a half hours with a private guide such as Laura, Alejandro, or Andrés, riding gentle horses through scenic countryside, climbing El Peñol Rock, and exploring Guatapé. Routes suit beginners or confident riders, with hotel pickup and drop-off included.

“This tour is absolutely amazing. It was my friends first time on a horse and it was a great experience for both of us! Riding the horses was so relaxing and beautiful and our tour guide Julie was awesome and informative. After horses we went to Guatape then Guatape town to have a little lunch. The lunch was mids but the town was pretty cute.”

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9.Combo Guatape and Medellin Sightseeing Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $166

Spend about 10 hours with a private driver-guide exploring Medellín, Guatapé, El Peñol, Marinilla, and the old Peñol replica. Expect hotel pickup, a 700-step climb, lake views, colorful homes, and guides such as Mario, with food and drinks extra.

“Climbing the rock was an unbelievable experience. We also took a walking tour of the center of the city..thrilling”

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10.Amazing Private Guatape Tour + Boat Ride + Helicopter & Rock

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $305

Spend 9 to 10 hours exploring Guatapé from Medellín with private transport and a bilingual guide such as Mario. Climb or visit Peñol Rock, hear the story of Old Peñol, walk Guatapé’s colorful streets, then choose an 8 to 10 minute helicopter flight or a one-hour private boat ride.

“Our tour guide, Mario was super nice, knowledgeable and accommodating. Spoke english and spanish. Tour went great - would recommend.”

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11.Guatapé tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 54 reviews · from $340

Travel from Medellín to Guatapé in a private vehicle with a guide such as Steven, Mauricio, or Esther. Visit the Old Peñol replica, climb Piedra del Peñol, enjoy Guatapé’s colorful streets, eat a traditional Colombian lunch, and take a boat ride on the lake.

“Great tourism company! We did multiple tours around Medellin, Quindio and Bogota. They tailor the tours to what you want to do and how you want to do it. However, if they recommend something trust them! They have been doing this for a long time.”

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12.Guatape, El Peñol Coffee Farm Private Tour & Fruit

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · 8 hours · from $169

Travel privately from Medellín to Marinilla, El Peñol, and Guatapé with a bilingual guide such as Carlos or Luis Alberto Gómez. Taste regional fruit, pick coffee cherries, learn the brewing process, climb more than 700 steps for lake views, and finish with lunch in town.

“Carlos was awesome. I have taken so many tours in the past, but Carlos has been the best. He has a lot of patience and very helpful. Definitely recommend this tour.”

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13.Guatape and El Penol Rock Day Trip with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 42 reviews · 11 hours · from $43

Spend 11 hours traveling from Medellín to Guatapé and El Peñol. You’ll ride a boat, tour the zócalo-lined town, visit the Rock Temple, and climb 740 steps for reservoir views. Spanish guides lead the group, with bilingual help available when requested. Breakfast and lunch are included, but the rock ticket is extra.

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14.Guatapé Private Tour with Helicopter & Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 34 reviews · 12 hours · from $386

From Medellín, your bilingual guide takes you to Guatapé for a short helicopter flight, private boat ride, Piedra del Peñol, lunch, and a walk through the zócalo-lined town. Guides such as Felipe, Santiago, and Alex are noted for friendly service, while the private format lets you adjust the day.

“Felipe is an amazing host and the day had been so worth it. His English is really good too, which helped us a lot. Exploring Guatape by foot (up the rock with approx 700 steps) was a good start to then relax for the rest of the day. It was followed with a boat trip past one of Pablo Escobar’s houses (plus the ex Real Madrid footballer James Rodriguez), a visit to beautiful Guatape town before heading for a helical tour. It ended with a nice meal before Felipe dropped us off at our hotel. He went the extra mile to pick us up directly from our stay rather than…”

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15.Guatape El Peñol with boat + gastronomic tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 30 reviews · 9 hours · from $47

Meet Aeroturex at El Poblado Park for a bilingual day trip to Marinilla, El Peñol, and Guatapé. Taste local foods, cruise the reservoir with a picnic-style fiambre lunch, visit a small farm, and choose whether to climb El Peñol’s nearly 800 steps.

“Was a very informative and interesting adventure. I’m glad I attended this event.”

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