Itinerary · Medellín · Colombia
One day in Medellín
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Medellín, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: ALONSOZAR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 5. Day 1: Plaza Botero and Museo de Antioquia. Base yourself in El Poblado.
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- El Poblado
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: Plaza Botero and Museo de Antioquia
Plaza Botero, Museo de Antioquia, Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe and Museo Casa de la Memoria, then Football at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in the evening.
Morning
Plaza Botero
Visit in the morning and keep your phone and bag close; the square is crowded and pickpockets operate. Allow 45 minutes.
Late morning
Museo de Antioquia
Start with the Botero rooms on the upper floor, then look out over Plaza Botero from the windows. Allow 2 hours.
Lunch
Lunch: Bandeja paisa
Traditional paisa restaurants across the city, including the long-established chains and fondas in El Poblado and Envigado.
Afternoon
Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe
Look at it from the far side of Plaza Botero for the best view of its patterned stone façade. Allow 30 minutes.
Late afternoon
Museo Casa de la Memoria
Allow time to reflect afterwards; the exhibits are moving and some are graphic. Allow 1.5 hours.
Evening
Football at Estadio Atanasio Girardot
Buy tickets through official club channels or go with an organised group, and do not wear rival team colours.
Before you go
If it rains
- Swap in Parque Explora (Aranjuez): Allow at least half a day and visit on a weekday to avoid school-holiday crowds.
- Swap in Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín (Ciudad del Río): The Ciudad del Río park outside has a food truck scene on some weekends.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, luxury and food lovers
El Poblado
Upscale, leafy hillside district of hotels, malls and the Parque Lleras nightlife
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 8–8 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.8 hours in January to 12.5 hours in June.
Getting between stops: Metro. Line A runs north–south along the valley from Niquía to La Estrella, through Poblado and downtown; Line B heads west from San Antonio to San Javier, the station for Comuna 13.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Medellín?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 5. How many days Medellín needs.