TJulio and his team were amazing. Julio set up transport in Medellín, a city Tour, a flower tour in Santa Clara, a hiking trip in Parque Arvi, a visit to Communa 13. In Cartagena he set up our transport, a city tour. If you plan to go to Colombia I give Julio and his team my highest recommendation.
Penol Rock & Guatape Tour
Most popular Medellín tourist destination
Best panoramic view of the Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir
Visit colorful Guatapé
Private tour to #1 tourist destination that guarantees incredible views
This must-see sight is just 2 hours outside of Medellín, and a full-day tour is the ideal way to get the most out of the experience. Climbing up the 740 steps of this steep boulder is not only a great way to work up an appetite for a bandeja paisa (the typical meal in the area, featuring beans, rice, meat, a fried egg, and more), but also provides a breathtaking vantage point of Medellín and the surrounding landscape. It’s well worth the walk to the top of this stone giant.
What you'll see
Peñol Rock
Village of Guatapé
Replica of the old town of El Peñol
Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir & its islets
Trojan horse crafts
Church of Nuevo Peñol
Click the tabs to find out more
Tour details
Tour details
Price:
All prices are per person and in USD
1 person $298
2 people $164
3 people $136
4 people $110
5 people $108
6 people $95
7 people $86
8 people $79
9 people $73
10 people $69
Departure time:
9AM
Meeting point:
Hotel pick-up & drop-off anywhere in Medellín
Availability:
Year-round, every day (unless otherwise indicated)
Duration:
8 hours
Group size:
1 – 15
Included:
• Private transportation and driver
• Bilingual guide
• Typical lunch
• Entrance to Peñol Rock
• Boat cruise
• Lifejackets
• Water
• Medical insurance
Not included:
Personal expenses & tips
What to bring:
Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
Note: we recommend bringing a raincoat or poncho if rain is in the forecast.
Overview of your tour
As we leave Medellín and embark on our journey towards the great Peñol Rock, we’ll enjoy the view of quaint villages just outside the city limits and have a chance to stop at the artisanal craft booths along the way if that interests you. If not, the original location of the town of El Peñol is our first official stop on the tour. The area was flooded out to create a reservoir to power Medellín. We’ll hop in a boat to cruise around the reservoir, enjoy the sights of its islets (please note we will not stop at any of them), and learn about the history of the location. After about an hour on the boat, we’ll head to Peñol Rock.
Hiking the boulder standing more than 200 m (650 ft) tall may seem like a daunting task, but fear not! We’ll spend plenty of time at this site, so everyone gets the chance to walk to the top (it typically takes between 30-45 minutes). At the top, the views alone are worth marveling. This location is perfect for photographs, so take your time wandering around and taking in the landscape.
Afterwards, we will head to the vibrant town of Guatapé to have lunch, where you will have the chance to sample the bandeja paisa, one of the classic meals of Antioquia. We’ll walk off lunch by strolling through the streets of this lovely town for the rest of the afternoon.
Good to know
Visiting Peñol Rock completes any trip to Colombia, and this tour gives you the complete experience
This tour is private and safe so that you feel comfortable roaming around the countryside
Our guides are local and have been precisely trained to know their way well around the area
Medical insurance is included in the price of all of our tours, so we have you covered in the unlikely event of an accident.
Frequently asked questions
All of our tours are private. That is, if you book a certain day and time slot, you (and your group) will be the only one(s) on the tour, provided that you are all included in the same booking.
We are proud to say that we have an incredible team with a wide array of languages. In total, we can offer tours in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, and Italian. We also have a Russian interpreter that can come along and translate for us. Please indicate your language preference upon booking (languages other than English and Spanish come at an additional cost).
We like to feature truly Colombian food on our tours to give our guests a good feel for the country in all aspects. However, if you have a dietary restriction, please let us know at the beginning of the tour and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Have more questions? Visit our FAQ page!
See what previous tour-goers have said
My family of 4 (including my parents and sister) did a Pablo Escobar tour with Ana Velez, followed by a city tour of Medellin. Ana is one of the best tour guides I have ever worked with…
I traveled to Medellin with my parents. I arranged all tours and services such as airport transfers with Colombia Travel Operator previous to my arrival and everything was amazing!…
We took a private tour with Juan Carlos. Everything was perfect! He has an excellent knowledge about Medellin and speak perfect English and Spanish. We took the metro, metro cable, we went to Botero Plaza and comuna 13. Thank you Juan Carlos and Colombia travel! Now I’m in love with Medellín.
Julio was incredibly knowledgable about Escobar and the history of violence in the city. The message of change and transformation given with the tour was really heartfelt and inspiring. Communal 13 is a must see for anyone travelling to Medellin.
