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.
East Old Paisa Towns Tour
Visit three traditional Colombian villages
Experience typical cuisine for lunch
Admire handmade pottery painting
Get out of the city and into rural Colombia on this private tour
Exploring the roots of this nation’s culture is a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding of modern-day Colombia, and this tour gives you the chance to do just that. You’ll visit a few of the rural towns that maintain Colombian traditions to this day, and it’s here that your appreciation for our beloved country is sure to bloom. If getting to know the real Colombia is what you’re after, this informative and intriguing tour is the one for you.
What you'll see
The rural towns of El Retiro, El Carmen de Viboral, and San Antonio de Pereira
Trojan horse and other artisanal crafts
Tequendamita waterfall
A handmade pottery studio
Ceramic market
Panoramic views of Medellín
Click the tabs to find out more
Tour details
Tour details
Price:
All prices are per person and in USD
1 person $274
2 people $148
3 people $119
4 people $95
5 people $98
6 people $86
7 people $77
8 people $70
9 people $65
10 people $60
Departure times:
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 Tequendamita waterfall
• Entrance to view handmade pottery
• 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
The word paisa refers to a regional subculture of Colombia and is commonly associated with the smaller, rural towns of Antioquia, the state surrounding Medellín. Rather than having you read about it, this tour will show you what paisa truly means. The traditional Colombian way is alive and well today in the small towns that we’ll visit, each boasting its own specialty. El Retiro is known for its beautiful plazas and talent in woodworking. Here, we will stroll around the town, learn about paisa culture, and admire the quaint streets. El Carmen de Viboral centers on ceramics and its community is full of masters. We’ll have the chance to enter a workshop to marvel at experts creating and meticulously painting their work, after which we will have the chance to purchase some of these masterpieces. San Antonio de Pereira’s claim to fame is its local desserts, ideal for those with a sweet tooth wanting to sweeten up this full-day tour!
Anyone and everyone is well-suited for this tour, especially those that have already explored Medellín (maybe even those that have just taken our Medellín City Tour) and want to plunge even further into Colombia and its complex, beautiful culture. Throughout the day, you’ll have the chance to see how those that live outside the city — in the desert, in the Andes, or on the coast — experience this rich country.
Good to know
Ideal for those that want to explore the area around Medellín further, this full-day tour is great for all travelers (including families) that want to learn even more about the country
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 around quite well
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.
