One of the most popular activities in Medellin, Colombia is a tour of Comuna 13. During the time of Pablo Escobar’s reign over the cocaine trade, this once notorious district was home to many hitmen and a tormented community riddled with violence. For reference, a comuna in Medellín is one of 16 administrative, territorial districts that divide the city. They consist of groups of neighborhoods, often located in the hills surrounding Medellin.
MY OPINION
I found Comuna 13 to be a charmingly unique and engaging environment, bustling with activity. The lively atmosphere and colorful landscape are stimulating for the senses. From the breakdancers, artisanal shops, restaurants, singers, street food, bars, tons of visitors, to countless viewpoints, it’s entertaining. I didn’t mind the crowds or constant rotation of tour groups either.
The area is quite touristic I must say, fortunately with the vast majority of tourists being Colombian. It feels like more of a presentation than anything, so for some purists it may be a little too commercial. For me, such a dynamic wasn’t bothersome at all. I still felt an authentic Colombian vibe with no jaded or creepy vendors trying to rip people off. Many residents rely on the tourism financially, so I don’t mind supporting the community tourism.
If you want to escape the crowds and principal area, you can venture off to other parts of the comuna to see more of the residential side. There are other parallel streets and alleyways interesting to visit during the day. However, these ‘callejones’ form a real maze and could be confusing. For the average foreigner who speaks no spanish, it may not be a good idea at night. I’m not sure how dangerous the comuna is these days outside the “escaleras electricas” zone, but it’s still a barrio with some gang activity. Keep that in mind.
SHOULD YOU TAKE A TOUR?
The short answer to this question is yes – you should definitely take a tour; just make sure it’s the right one.
When searching for a tour here, it’s best to choose one that has been personally recommended to you by someone who took it, or one that has been advertised through a credible real-life source, a good hostel usually. I didn’t do either of those things…so yeah… (we’ll get to my experience a bit later)
For Comuna 13 specifically, the longer tours are better, usually lasting between 3 – 5 hours. They tend to include activities, occasionally with locals, even soccer games on the concrete court you see below.
Some tours specialize in exploring graffiti, while others focus on community, etc. You’ll usually have something to eat, but it will vary depending on the tour. If you have yet to ride the Metrocable in Medellin, consider choosing a tour where a ride is included as well. There are plenty of providers from whom to choose.
In previous visits to Colombia, I had taken a couple walking tours with Beyond Colombia, an excellent company that also provides a Comuna 13 tour as well (which I didn’t know about at the time of doing mine with a different company). Generally speaking they do great work. I thoroughly enjoyed booking with them in the past. They’re highly regarded.
COMUNA 4 & 9
These comunas are the focal point of other more low key and less commercial tours. Real City Tours does an in depth breakdown of Comuna 4, a residential barrio in Medellin.
For Comuna 9, I don’t have the contact info for any guides, but I met a couple travelers that took part in a tour there, rather unconventional and informal to be frank. They booked a private tour through a Whatsapp contact, and the guide was an actual former affiliate of the criminal network that controlled the area many years ago. I’m not sure who gave them the contact, but receiving first hand accounts of history is always an eye-opening endeavor.
MY PERSONAL TOUR EXPERIENCE
The first time I visited Comuna 13 was in 2021 with a couple local friends that lived in Medellin, who were familiar with the general history. We just walked around and they told me cool stuff, and believe it or not I enjoyed it more than an official Comuna 13 tour I did recently (January 2026).
I chose one that I came across on Viator, which is a website that I rarely use, but the tour had over 1,500 reviews and a 4.8 rating out of 5 at a price of $16. I really don’t understand why there were such high reviews. It was 2 hours and boring. Maybe I just had a bad guide.
As we walked, she was rushing through information, running out of breath, talking super fast. We had a couple snacks at a tiny restaurant but even that dragged out for like 30 minutes for no reason. It was somewhat of a serious vibe, and in fact, all the really interesting stuff was told to us in our introductory meeting in a cafe before the tour even started. After that, I honestly don’t even remember anything she told us besides some background info about a some graffiti and a well-known artist. The tour could have been 20 minutes at the cafe and ended there.
I know this rant doesn’t really help you at all but I like sharing my personal opinions and happenings to provide insight, whether good or bad.
HOW TO GET THERE
The neighborhood is easily accessible by metro or by uber/taxi (didi is a good taxi app in Colombia). You can take the uber/taxi straight there or you can take the metro to San Javier Station, exit and take a bus, uber/taxi, or walk about 30 minutes to reach Comuna 13.
The most immersive way to get there is by taking the metro to San Javier station, transfering right there at the same station to the Line J Metrocable, take the cable car to Juan XXIII station for panoramic views, and then return back to San Javier on the same Metrocable line. After you exit San Javier, you can proceed to Comuna 13 in the manners we discussed in the previous paragraph. This route offers a stunning perspective of the city’s transformation, combining public transit with breathtaking scenery.
