5.0
Highlights & Hidden Gems of Medellin
- 3 hours
- City Highlight Tours
- Medellin
Your local for this experience
Experience hosted by Jhoan
- Private Tour
- Carbon Neutral
- Destination
- Medellin, Colombia
- Category
- City Highlight Tours
- Duration
- 3 hours
- Transport mode
- Walking tour
- Available languages
- English, Español
- Included
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- Private Guide
- 1 Local Snack or Drink
- All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
- Excluded
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- Entrance to attractions
6 reasons to book this tour
- Explore the best of the city in only 3 hours
- Spot classics like Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín & Junin Passage
- Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
- Experience the city from a local’s perspective
- Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
- Privately guided by a local expert
What you can expect
Medellin, is a magical place! And with the local host of your choice, you are going to experience it all. So get ready; culture, history, and local lifestyle await!
Dive into the origin of Medellin as you see the city’s main landmarks like Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín, Junin Passage, and Plaza Botero. And how about the hidden gems? Oh, you’re in for a surprise! Every host has its own story to tell, so pick your favorite, and you’ll discover the city through their eyes. Experience their Medellin to the max based on their passions and expertise. They’ll make sure you have fun enjoying a unique and local perspective of Medellin.
Want to take a break? Leave it up to your host! This is the perfect opportunity to visit that special eatery where only the locals come and your chance to enjoy a local treat hand-picked by your host. Feel free to ask your host more about their life in their city or get recommendations about the top things to do in Medellin. Remember, the locals know best.
The best part of any city tour is definitely the unique stories. Everybody has a story to tell, especially your host. Each one of the local hosts has a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share their knowledge with you and exchange ideas and perspectives! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Medellin, your Medellin!
This is the plan
Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.
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Meeting point
Meet at At the entrance of the museum - Medellin to start your journey
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Itinerary
This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.
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City Highlights
See from Metropolitan Cathedral of Medellín, Junin Passage, Plaza Botero, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Medellin so unique -
Hidden Gems
Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience -
Magical Storytelling
Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know! -
Special Treat
Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions -
Make it yours
Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.
Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.
Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.
Flexible cancellation policy
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Feel confident booking
Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.
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Change of plans?
Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.
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Loved by travelers worldwide
Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.
Reviews from guests
Lauren🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
(About local )
23 February 2025
Jhoan was the best. Great communication leading up to the tour. He was really knowledgable and explained what is a very complicated history in an easily digestible manner. He gave great recommendations. Would definitely recommend! Awesome day!
Hannah
(About local )
2 February 2025
We only had three days to try and see as much of Medellín as we could while visiting for a friend's party. Jhoan made those days perfect! We started with the general tour of Medellín and got a great amount of history and cultural immersion. El museo de la memoría was made much more impactful when we had Jhoan to walk us through the exhibit. It was very helpful in understanding more context for the Communa 13 tour we did the next day. Both tours were phenomenal and a highlight of our time in the city—we could not more highly reccomend a tour with Jhoan! Two incredible tours of Medellín
herman
(About local )
19 January 2025
Todd🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 April 2024
We booked two tours with Jhoan and had a great experience. He is knowledgeable, friendly, patient and an excellent tour guide. We had a great time and saw sights we would never had seen on our own. Jhoan has a lot of knowledge about Medellin and shares from personal experience. Highly recommend!Excellent tour guide
James
(About local )
5 April 2024
Jhoan gave an amazing tour of the city and it’s history. For anyone knew to medellin, this has to be the first thing you do to start your trip. There is no one better to give you a better view and appreciation for medellin and colombian history than Jhoan. 11 stars out of 10.Outstanding Tour
Lisa🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
2 April 2024
Jhoan was a great guide and told us about the history of the area and Colombia. He went at our pace and adapted the tour to meet our requirements. He was friendly and his English was great. We felt very safe with him and learnt so much about Colombian history. We would highly recommend a tour with Jhoan.Amazing
Cody🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 March 2024
Jhoan is fantastic and supremely knowledgeable about Colombian history, especially the hardships and narco stuff that you’re probably wondering about. The emotional weight of all that still burdens him, yet he’s happy to talk about it. 10/10 for him.
“Hidden gems” implies to me that you’ll see things that are, well, hidden or at least off the beaten path. There wasn’t too much of that, but then again, this was our second tour with Jhoan in as many days, and there was some overlap so he did what he could to switch things up. The Museum of Memory was a somber but worthwhile highlight.A terrific guide but a poorly named tour
Emily🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 February 2024
We absolutely loved learning about Medellin, it’s people, and it’s history with Jhoan. He was an excellent guide and shared so many stories and places that helped us understand the place way better than a more general tour. Would recommend him to anyone. Wonderful experience with Jhoan!!
Jacqueline🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
17 January 2024
Mooie wandeling gehad en Jhoan weet veel over de geschiedenis,hij is een goede verhalen verteller. With locals is top, heerlijk om een privegids te hebben. Wij raden with locals zeker aan.Top wandeling
Devon🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
1 December 2023
I cannot recommend Jhoan enough as your guide to Medellin. He gave us a rich history of downtown Medellin, effortlessly weaving in multiple time periods in his narratives. We were able to ask him a range of questions about topics ranging from every day life to political developments and he provided us with an in-depth answer to anything we could think of. Please consider booking him for the best tour of Medellin you could possibly experience!Invaluable Insight, Powerful Narrator
Jordan
(About local )
8 November 2023
Jhoan was a fantastic guide and was very knowledgeable about the history of Medellín. He was very friendly and helped with some recommendations for after our tour. This is the best way to get to know the city. Highly recommend as a first day activity in Medellín. Fantastic Tour
Unknown
(About local )
7 March 2023
As a Medellin local who has direct lived experience with the community, Jhoan's close personal connection allowed him to provide insights on not just the key features of the Medellin but also the associated history, politics, and culture. His engagement was friendly yet professional and his knowledge of the city was clearly deep and nuanced. We would highly recommend Jhoan as a tour guide for any of your explorations of Medellin. Insightful Guide for an Interesting City
Aron🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
13 February 2023
We booked a tour with 3 persons with Jhoan and asked it to customize it a little. He did exactly that and surprised us with a lot of knowledge. He knows a lot about the history and even experienced quite some of it himself (communa 13/serving in the army/and more). Would highly recommend this above the other bigger walking tours!Best tour!!
Jon🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
25 January 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of Medellin with Jhoan. He has a great understanding of the City and it’s history and shared not just that knowledge but also his own personal experiences growing up here. It was excellent - highly recommend Jhoan.Great overview od Medellin
Jeff🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 January 2023
We had a fantastic tour of historic Medellin and Comuna 13 with Jhoan. He expertly tied the country’s political history and his own experiences into the tour. Jhoan’s knowledge from growing up in Comuna 13 and his passion for the people and the evolution of the community made the tour special. Highly recommended. Great tour of Comuna 13 and Medellin
thibaut🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 January 2023
Jhoan was an outstanding guide. Highly recommend him. He is full of knowledge and fun facts about his city Passionate about his city
adriaan🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
18 January 2023
From begin to end of this tour , he showing how special this part of city is in history, culture and the people . Even let me taste local foodInteresting and great tour
Sugehidy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 July 2022
We have an amazing time with Jhoan, we felt comfortable and safe. It was a great walking tour. Thanks so much for accommodate the tour to our needs and make us feel welcome.
Amazing experience
Natasha🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
3 July 2022
Jhoan was super nice, very knowledgeable, showed us many things, and had incredible history and stories to share. Definitely worth booking with him, and even better to have the personalization of a local!Very Knowledgeable
Mike🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
1 July 2022
It was a little different than the description, but it was great. Would definitely recommend. Learned a lot about the city in a short time.Great tour
tilman.gust🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
19 June 2022
Hi guys, I’m really not that guy who writes reviews but in this case I have to!
It’s not about the tour, it was about our tour guide Jorge.
First of all he came 30 minutes to late. He asked us what we should do in this tour but we’re not informed about Medellin so in our opinion it’s his decision to show us the top places of Medellin.
Second one the palacio egypt was closed for what we payed & he was uninformed.
Third he wasn’t sober in our opionion. His way of acting and talking to us was really wierd.
Last but not least there wasn’t any introduction of the tour and he even didn’t introduced itself.
Because of all these points we broke the tour after 20 min up.
I guess with another guy and an real local, it would be way better and a good tour.
Cheers Really NO recommend!!!
Hannah🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
17 May 2022
Jhoan is a super knowledgeable and fun guide. Having a lot of experience with “withlocals” guides I must say this was definitely one of the best tours I have had so far!! Not only did I see many things in Medellin but also I learned so much about Colombia, it’s history and it’s heritage. I would definitely recommend spending your time in Medellin with Jhoan if you get the chance to do it!Perfect day in medellin
Mateo🇪🇨 Ecuador
(About local )
9 May 2022
Tomamos los servicios de Jhoan para el tour por el Centro de Medellin y fue un 10/10. La larga caminata no se sintio asi por la gran cantidad de datos que habian en el camino y las paradas estrategicas para descansar. Si o si deben hacer este tour con JhoanExcelente
Mathilde 🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
2 May 2022
Jhoan could tell us a lot about history , showed us highlights, gave background information. It was a great way to see and learn about Medellin and Colombia . He is a very nice, relaxed guy , helpful and a pleasure listening to . I did the tour with two teenagers and they were impressed and loved the trip !
I can recommend this trip to everyone who would like to know more about Medellin !! A great way to learn about medellin , super guide .
Allie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 April 2022
Our tour with Jhoan was one of the highlights of our trip to Medellin. I traveled with my husband to study Spanish, and didn’t feel like I was getting a feel for the city only walking from school and back in el Poblado. Jhoan was super informative, passionate about his city, and very generous with his time. He was also super gracious when we were 15 min late because of traffic. We would definitely recommend a tour with him, and planning on doing another on our next trip!A great experience!
Jeff🇨🇴 Colombia
(About local )
18 February 2022
Very happy I booked a tour with Jhoan. Jhoan responded promptly and set up our meet quickly. He was waiting for me when I arrived and informed me that one of the tour sites was closed that day (Egyptian Museum) but he had alternate suggestions which turned out to be much better. I wasn’t that interested in seeing Egypt while visiting Columbia anyway.
Jhoan is very knowledgeable in the history, struggles and cultures of Columbia in general and Medellin in particular. He is easygoing and fun. He answered all of my questions and provided many questions and answers that I hadn’t thought of asking. After only few hours I felt that I had an unbiased basic understanding of a very complicated country/culture. Wish I had a few more days to spend with him.
Good stuff!
Jeff
Excellent Experience!
Adriana
(About local )
30 November 2021
Muy buena persona y muy amable Muy buena persona y muy amable
Donald🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 November 2021
Guide never showed up and was not reachable!!!!! I have been waiting to hear from with locals regarding a refund and appropriate compensation for my lost time!!! Haven’t heard from them yet. Awful dangerous experience as I was alone in an unfamiliar place and no one available to help from the company. Guide never showed up!
Adriana
(About local )
26 November 2021
Muy buena persona y muy amable Genial
Merijn🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
2 June 2025
It was super nice to explore the city center of Medellin and get a first taste of this vibrant city with Jhoan as our guide. He shared a lot of stories and history about the city and Colombia in general. He really custom tailered the experience for our benefit. Would highly recommend Jhoan!Great way to explore Medellin!
q2fb2t5xj7
(About local )
2 June 2025
Jhoan made history come alive in a way only someone from Medellin and the Comuna and with a love of history can do. He took the time to explain the history of Colombia, how the Comunas were formed in Medellin, and as an Colombian Army veteran with friends that were once in different groups, you get a sense for how and why the comunas were formed in the first place. He takes the time to explain the street art and symbolism, and is outstanding at explanation and answering questions. I was even more thankful for the small private tour when we saw the larger tour groups coming up the barrio later in the trip. If you want a personalized experience, with someone who is well read and has lived the experience, taking a tour with Jhoan is worth the extra cost. Thank you!Great mix of history & culture with Jhoan
Casey🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
28 May 2025
Jhoan and his tour is a great option to explore the central district of Medellin, try various foods along the way, and learn the intriguing history of Columbia and Medellin, first hand from someone who has lived it. As a former military member, Jhoan gives a great perspective of everything you've heard, seen, and read about, regarding Colombian military, cartels, guerilla groups, and para-military. All this while strolling through the historic central district of Medellin, trying Colombian foods, fruits, and drinks. Definitely recommend this tour. Great local experience, great local guide
Paula🇪🇸 Spain
(About local )
11 May 2025
El tour con Johan ha sido una excelente experiencia. Nos ha llevado por distintos lugares, no únicamente los spots más turísticos, y nos ha aportado muchísima información interesante. Súper recomendado!¡100% recomendado!
Frédéric
(About local )
29 April 2025
We really had a great experience touring with Jhoan! He was on time and the meeting location was clear. Jhoan was very insightful and knew a lot about comuna 13. He proposed a lot a different options during the tour to avoid busy tourist area and we appreciated this a lot. I would highly recommend taking a tour with Jhoan.Highly appreciated !!
Thomas
(About local )
29 April 2025
We had an amazing personalized tour with Jhoan through downtown Medellín and Comuna 13.
He shared so many interesting historical insights and chose an incredible selection of delicious local foods for us to try. Even our very picky children, aged 3 and 6, went home with full and happy stomachs!
Jhoan made the experience truly special for our whole family.
Thank you so much, Jhoan – it was fantastic!Fantastic Food & Culture Tour with Jhoan
Stephane
(About local )
24 April 2025
We are really happy we chose to do a private tour with Jhoan. With his excellent English, Jhoan painted the tale and led us through Comuna 13 and the wider context perfectly. One of the smartest, best read and balanced tour guides we have met around the world. Gracias!Truly insightful experience
5n6m9fghns
(About local )
19 April 2025
Our tour through Medellín with Jhoan was an absolute highlight. He was incredibly dedicated, took the time to answer all of our questions, and impressed us with his authentic and warm personality. What stood out the most were his personal stories and the fascinating insights he shared about the city’s history – honest, relatable, and truly engaging.
You can tell that Jhoan is passionate about what he does. We felt completely comfortable and would come back again anytime. Thank you for such a special experience!Highly recommended!
Oliver🇪🇸 Spain
(About local )
17 April 2025
The first meeting with Jhoan was very pleasant. Jhoan knows Medellin like the back of his hand. He has a lot to say about culture, society, history and politics. I really enjoyed the tour of comuna 13 with him. It was a relaxed ride with a cable car (upfront of comuna 13 tour) and a walk. Jhoan was able to take care about some extra wishes where to go, to eat, to see....It was a great day. Great insights into comuna 13
Robyn🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
15 April 2025
We had an incredible time exploring Medellín with Jhoan as our guide. He was not only extremely knowledgeable but also made the entire experience fun and engaging. His passion for the city’s history and culture really came through, and we appreciated how he brought the past to life during the tour.
The history lesson was fascinating and gave us a much deeper appreciation for Medellín. Jhoan was friendly, professional, and answered all of our questions with enthusiasm.
Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city—Jhoan is truly a fantastic guide!Amazing Experience with Jhoan in Medellín!
Patrick
(About local )
12 April 2025
Jhoan was great, very flexible and gave a great balance of factual history and personal reflections. Highly recommend this tour!
Brian🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 April 2025
We could not have seen Commun 13 effectively without Jhoan! He showed us so many things and shared the history from murals to buildings to local specialties. Was a great tour and he took us off the beaten path to see things we never would have found. Great tour with an expert local!!
CAROL🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 April 2025
We did the food tour with Jhoan in Medellin and thoroughly enjoyed it. Jhoan speaks excellent English, is very knowledgeable about Colombian history and has an easy personality. The pacing of the tour was customized to our family group which included people from 9 mos to 73 years of age. The food was delicious and well chosen. We enjoyed our tour so much that we are booking another tour with Jhoan before we leave Medellin. I highly recommend Jhoan as a tour guide. Informative and fun
Jay🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
29 March 2025
We were so grateful to have Jhoan show us around Communa 13. He did a great job of explaining how C13 came to be, the violent past and the present. We loved the stories behind the street murals and were thankful to go beyond the tourist zone. Highly recommend Jhoan for any tour. Off the Beaten Path in C13
Jay🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
29 March 2025
Jhoan was an incredible guide. He shared such great insight into Medellín’s past and present alongside delicious samples of local street foods. We certainly got our fill of food and left feeling so much more knowledgeable about Medellin. Amazing Food & History
Daniela
(About local )
23 March 2025
Jhoan is a very knowledgable, patient and respectful young man. We loved the originality of this tour and inside information shared with us. It was very pleasant and unique. Highly recommend itGreat Experiences
92g6kj5xhm
(About local )
8 March 2025
Jhoan provided an incredible and efficient experience. Getting so much ground covered in 3 hours was amazing. 40+ years of history and stories all while seeing a beautiful unique part medellin. I would recommend Jhoan for any of his tours. He brings a passionate knowledge but makes it accessible to outsiders. Knowledge and passion
Andreas🇨🇭 Switzerland
(About local )
8 March 2025
Jhoan is a very friendly and super knowledgeable person. He brought to life the history of Medellin and Colombia from past and present in an educational and interesting way. He was early to pick us up, very personable, and adjusted the itinerary to do exactly what we wanted. We can highly recommend him for a great and authentic experience in Medellin. Thank you very much again.Amazing guide
Tori
(About local )
7 March 2025
I had a tour with Jhoan through communa 13 and it was fantastic!! He was so friendly and very knowledgeable about the area and the country. He catered the tour to what I was interested in and it did not disappoint. Additionally, we had a lovely conversation throughout the morning as well.
Even after the tour he gave me recommendations for the rest of the day knowing what kind of activities I was interested in and again, this did not disappoint! I highly recommend this tour! Great morning in communa 13
Renee
(About local )
25 February 2025
It's a pleasure to write a review for Jhoan. We toured Communa 13 with him. My husband and I told Jhoan that we love history, and he gave us a ton about the place. It was fascinating. The tour itself was perfect. Jhoan tailored it to us, given our advanced age and my issues with walking up steps and uphill. He was patient and kind and always helpful in any way he could be. He is the perfect guide. Jhoan is An Outstanding Guide
Jane🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
23 February 2025
Had a wonderful experience touring Medellín with Jhoan. He was able to give us a lot of context around recent Colombian history while giving us many delicious things to eat. A very enjoyable experience with a lovely person. Would highly recommend. Great experience
Withlocals experiencesare always
Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.
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