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Ashley Metcalfe
March 3, 2025
Wondering how to get to Guatape from Medellin?
Guatape is the most popular day trip from Medellin for tourists. From the beautiful green valleys, colorful streets to the famous La Piedra El Peñol rocks, this is a must-visit destination only 2 hours by bus away from the city.
Getting to Guatape from Medellin city center isn’t as hard as you think. There’s several ways to get to Guatape depending on how you want to experience it:
- On your own: getting a bus at the terminal and exploring without a guide
- With a tour group: transport is provided, lead by a tour guide along with a group of tourists
Matthew and I took a day trip to Guatape during our time as digital nomads in Medellin. We thought it was the perfect amount of time and SO worth the visit! We were pleasantly surprised by how smooth and well-organized all the logistics and transportation were.
If you’re a tourist visiting for a few days or digital nomads living in Medellin for a few months — visiting Guatape is a MUST on the list of things to do in Medellin, Colombia!
In this blog post, you will learn exactly how to get to Guatape from Medellin by bus (DIY) or with a tour group.
How To Get To Guatape From Medellin: Your 3 Best Options
Before we get started, we have to answer the question: “Why visit Guatape?”
The top things to do in Guatape are:
- Climb the stairs to the top of the rock structure (El Peñón de Guatapé)
- Walk around the colorful town of Guatape
- Take a boat ride along the lake
You can visit Guatape on your own, it’s easy enough to make your own itinerary and follow your own schedule. On a group tour, a local guide will take your around all the top things to do.
If you do it yourself, you have 2 options to get to Guatape from Medellin: by bus or by Uber.
If you go with a group tour, all transport throughout the day will be provided.
Both are great, safe options — just depends on your personal preference! It’s only a 1.5 to 2 hour drive away from Medellin, depending on traffic.
Let’s get into how to get to Guatape from Medellin and see which is best for you!
1. Group Tour Bus To Guatape From Medellin (Best Option)
The best way to get to Guatape from Medellin is by booking a group tour!
A group tour includes all transport during the day trip and a local tour guide. This makes it VERY convenient and easy to explore the top attractions.
Matthew and I were debating doing it on our own vs. going with a tour group.
Normally, we don’t like to go with a big crowd and follow our own schedule. However, for this particular day trip to Guatape — we decided against it.
And we were SO glad we chose to do a group trip instead!
What’s Included In A Tour Group
The best part of going with a tour group is that everything was provided and planned out for you. By the end of the day, we were SO glad we went with a tour group.
The tour company takes care of everything and you only need to pay one price. For our day trip to Guatape, it included:
- Bus transport from Medellin to Guatape (return trip)
- Local Colombian lunch in the town
- Cruise on the lake
- Knowledgeable local tour guide
The only downside is you have to follow their itinerary schedule and you’re with a bigger group of tourists. We had about 30 people in our bus, for reference.
If you don’t mind being with a big group of people, we found this was a great way to learn about the history and culture of Guatape and El Peñol.
Our tour guide, Sandy, spoke great English and told us the history of the places on the 2 hour bus there. This made the trip much more meaningful — instead of looking at the rock structure or the zocalos with no context.
Price of a Group Day Trip To Guatape
It’s also very inexpensive. Surprisingly, it’s less than half the cost of the Uber ride to Guatape.
The price of a group trip depends on the provider. They can range from $35 USD to $40 USD for the entire day including the bus transport, lunch and boat trip.
However, they do NOT include the ticket price for El Peñol which is only $30,000 COP ($7.30 USD).
It’s very cost-effective and great value for money!
How to book a Guatape Day Group Tour Trip
Want to book a group trip to Guatape?
We’ve got you covered!
Our recommendation is to book with GetYourGuide. They are a trusted tour group provider! These are the highest-rated group tours for Guatape:
- Option #1: Guatape El Peñol with Boat, Breakfast & Lunch
- Option #2: Small group Guatapé Tour, Luxury Boat Ride & Meals
Personally, we would choose Option #2 because it’s a smaller group of people. a later start time (8:30am vs 6:50am) and multiple pick up options: El Poblado Meeting Point or Pick Up At Your Hotel for a few more dollars.
The price difference is only about $3 between Option #1 and Option #2, it’s a no-brainer choice for us!
Both tours have over 2,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.9/5 stars. Choose what works best for you!
2. Bus To Guatape From Medellin (DIY, Budget Option)
Want the cheapest option to get to Guatape from Medellin? The public bus is your best choice!
Terminal Norte Bus Station
You can catch the public bus to Guatape at the Terminal Norte bus station. From your hotel or Airbnb, book an Uber to take you there.
Once you arrive, it’s quite a big terminal and feels overwhelming to navigate. Make sure to be aware of your surrounding, read our Medellin safety guide for practical tips.
Head to booth #14 on the ground floor, it’s called ‘ Sotrasanvicente & Guatape La Piedra‘ (in bright red and white signs).
This specific booth sells bus tickets to Guatape. Once at the cashier, simply say “para Guatape (or La Piedra)” and they will issue you a ticket.
Price For Bus Ticket
A bus ticket to Guatape from Medellin costs $14,000 COP ($3.39 USD) one way.
On weekends, tickets to Guatape sell out quick! You may not get the next bus but the one after that. There’s plenty of stores and cafes to get some snacks while waiting for your bus to leave.
You can pay at the cashier once you arrive but if you want to book in advance — we recommend booking online with gotoGO.co or RedBus.co.
However, it does cost more at $11 USD one way. If you want peace of mind, it’s easier to book online in advance as the bus tickets sell out.
TTA PRO TIP: Buy your return ticket as soon as you arrive in Guatape! They do sell out of tickets if you’re too late in the afternoon.
Bus Timetable
This is the current bus schedule for the Sotrasanvicente line departing from Medellin to Guatape. Please double-check for the latest timings.
| From Medellin to Guatape | From Guatape to Medellin |
|---|---|
| 6:30am | 6:30am |
| 7:30am | 7:30am |
| 8:30am | 8:30am |
| 10:30am | 10:30am |
| 11:30am | 11:30am |
| 12:30pm | 12:30pm |
| 1:30pm | 1:30pm |
| 2:30pm | 2:30pm |
| 3:30pm | 3:30pm |
| 4:30pm | 4:30pm |
| 5:00pm | 5:00pm |
| 5:30pm | 5:30pm |
Don’t miss the last bus! We’ve heard of some people missing the last bus and having to find a hotel to stay for the night.
Boarding The Bus To Guatape
Once it’s time to board your bus, head to the departure area. Someone will check your ticket, make sure to double-check your gate (rampa) number with them.
Go through and line up to get into the bus. Usually, you’ll have assigned seats (puesto) — as you enter tell the bus driver if you want to stop at La Piedra first before Guatape.
As you’re doing a DIY trip on your own, you have to figure out local transport to get around Guatape and its attractions. Lots of people walk or take tuk-tuks.
I MUST let you know: it’s a 1 hour walk from La Piedra to the town of Guatape (not the best option). Again, we don’t recommend this if you don’t speak Spanish that well.
That’s it – it’s as simple as that to take the bus to Guatape from Medellin! We know how nerve-wracking navigating public transport in a foreign country can be but it’s a surprisingly smooth journey to get from Medellin to Guatape.
3. Get An Uber To Guatape From Medellin
Getting an Uber to Guatape from Medellin is the most convenient option!
You don’t have to plan ahead and it’s door-to-door service. For some reason, a lot of blogs didn’t include this as an option when we knew several people who actually opted to get to Guatape this way.
It’s not a cheap option that’s for sure. For example, an Uber ride from Poblado to El Peñol will cost around $170,000 COP ($43.60 USD) more or less. That’s almost double the cost of booking a full guided tour for the entire day.
But if you’re looking for convenience and getting there as quickly as possible, Uber is the best option for you.
Taking an Uber means you will DIY the whole tour — once in Guatape, you’ll either need to walk or take tuk-tuks to get around the area.
The downside? You ned to figure out how to get back to Medellin from Guatape.
Uber is generally not available in Guatape so you’ll have to take the public bus. While Uber seems like a convenient option to get to Guatape, it might not be great for the return trip!
How To Get Back From Guatape To Medellin?
Need to get back to Medellin from Guatape?
If you’re already in Guatape and without a tour group, the best option for you is to take the public bus from Guatape to Medellin.
Simply head to the bus station called Terminal de los Buses and tell them “para Medellin”. They will put you on the next bus back to the city.
You’ll arrive in Terminal del Norte and it’s easy enough to order an Uber or take the metro from here back to your hotel or Airbnb.
Getting To Guatape From Medellin Is Easy
We loved our day trip to Guatape. It was SO worth visiting, learning about the history and culture of this iconic town.
Even if you only have a few days in Medellin, we recommend using one of those days to see all Guatape has to offer.
The best option is to book a group tour to Guatape because it includes all transportation, lunch, local guide and a boat ride. It’s simply the most convenient option even if you are with a bigger group of tourist and short on time!
Don’t fret about how to get to Guatape from Medellin — whether you choose a group tour or do it yourself, there are good transport options depending on your preferences and budget!
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FAQ – How To Get To Guatape From Medellin
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