Medellin is a place of culture, arts, and great food – but Pablo Escobar is hard to ignore when in the Columbian city.
(Photo: Getyourguide.com)
There is more to Medellin than arguably its most famous resident, Pablo Escobar, but most visitors will have at least a passing interest in the Columbian drug lord. Medellin is nestled in the Aburra Valley, with a stunning mountain backdrop. Once you have admired the rich culture of Medellin, including a great selection of galleries and museums, as well as the great food on offer, book a tour to get to know more about Escobar, the one-time head of the Medellín drug cartel. Here are three of the best.
Medellín: Private Pablo Escobar and Comuna 13 Tour
This top-rated tour is incredibly in-depth – it’s five hours long after all – and talks not just about Escobar but also the political, social, and economic context of drug trafficking in Colombia. The guide explains Escobar’s life from the very beginning as a petty criminal to his rise to the world’s best-known drug trafficker – the tour even includes a visit to Pablo Escobar’s grave. Rather than glorifying the infamous Cartel leader, this private tour tries to explain the different perspectives and points of view on his life, as well as look at Escobar’s legacy today – it’s fascinating stuff. From €65.46.
Book at Getyourguide.com
Medellín: The Real Pablo Escobar Tour
This is another top-rated tour that looks in detail at Pablo Escobar’s life. The tour begins at the site of Escobar’s former home, where he hid his family and had attempts on his life, which is now a memorial park for victims of Colombia’s drug war. The next stop is “la cathedral”, a jail Escobar built for himself in an agreement with the government, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, later escaped. There is also a visit to a soccer field Escobar built as well as the cemetery where Escobar is buried along with his family and other members of his gang. As a bonus, this tour includes a free night’s stay at Adrenaline Hostel. From €35.93.
Book at Getyourguide.com
Pablo Escobar Shared Tour of Medellin
This tour is between three to four hours long and visits the key places connected to Pablo Escobar. The guide explains in depth the drug baron’s character and his impact on the city and Columbia as a whole, as well as visiting the neighbourhood where he had his office, the sports fields he created, and the site of the old Monaco building was located, which was blown up by the mayor in 2019, who was sick of the continued interest in Escobar. The tour ends at the Pablo Escobar Museum, the cove house belonging to this drug trafficker in the eighties. From €27.51.
Book at Viator.com