How to get from Medellín to Guatapé

By bus from the Terminal del Norte

Buses leave every 20 to 30 minutes from the Terminal del Norte and take between 2 and 2.5 hours to the town. It is the cheapest option and it works well if you are travelling solo or as a couple and do not mind somebody else's timetable. The catch is the return: the last comfortable bus leaves mid-afternoon, so you either start very early or you end up rushing the rock. The bus also drops you in the town, not at the Piedra — that is another 20 minutes by tuk-tuk or taxi.

By private tour with a driver

We leave your hotel at whatever time you say, usually between 7 and 8 a.m., and the vehicle stays with you all day. That changes two things: you lose no time in terminals, and you can order the day however you like — climb the rock early when there is less queue and less sun, have lunch looking at the reservoir, and leave the town and its painted zócalos for the afternoon, which is when it looks best. The full day runs 8 to 10 hours.

By rental car

The road is in good condition and the drive is genuinely pretty. Budget for tolls, know that the Piedra car park fills up at weekends, and that getting into Guatapé on a Sunday afternoon can be slow. If you do not know the road, add the wear of driving four hours round trip on the same day you plan to climb 740 steps.

Which one should you pick?

With three or four travellers, the private tour usually works out per person close to the bus, and the day gives you far more. Travelling alone on a tight budget, the bus does the job. With children, older travellers or only a couple of days in the city, the private option pays for itself.

Frequently asked questions