Football in Medellín: Matchday Tour or Ticket Only?
4 min read
Short answer: take a matchday tour if you want someone to get you into the stadium and explain the atmosphere. Take the ticket-only product only if you are happy to go alone. All three match products depend on a home game being played, so your dates come first.
What you are choosing between
Medellín has two big clubs, Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín, and both play their home matches at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium in Laureles–Estadio. The fourth product here is not a professional match at all but a neighbourhood tournament in Barrio Antioquia.
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | What the booking page includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real football tour with live match ticket and jersey | 5 hours | €70.08 | 4.8 (301) | Ticket, official team jersey, beer and liquor, face paint, transport from Provenza and back, bilingual guide |
| Matchday soccer tour with ticket, transportation and pre-game | 4 hours | €61.45 | 4.9 (79) | Ticket, beers and a pre-game drink, transport from El Poblado and back, guide; the home team shirt is extra |
| Ticket only for Atlético Nacional or Independiente Medellín | match only | €42.75 | 3.8 (5) | A digital QR ticket, choice of stand, WhatsApp support; no guide, transport, food or drinks |
| Street soccer tour with neighbourhood culture and a cocktail | 3 hours | €35.41 | 5.0 (7) | Transport from Poblado metro station, a granizado cocktail, two matches of the neighbourhood tournament, guide |
Prices are per person. The ticket-only product has only 5 reviews and the street soccer tour 7, so neither is a proven choice yet.
What the difference is
The real football tour starts in Provenza in El Poblado with a first drink at a corner shop, then the van takes the group to a beer stop on Carrera 74 near the stadium before kick-off. Its booking page lists beer and liquor as included and the jersey in sizes S to XL only. The guide speaks English and Spanish.
The matchday tour meets at the San José church in El Poblado and drives to the stadium, where the pre-game takes place. It includes the ticket, beers and a pre-game drink; its own description speaks of two beers. The home team T-shirt is listed as not included, so the jersey is one visible difference between the two tours; the face paint and the liquor are others. The match is a home game of either Atlético Nacional or Independiente Medellín, whichever plays on your date.
The ticket-only product sells you a seat and nothing else: you get there and back yourself. You choose the East stand for the view, the West stand for comfort and shade, or the North and South ends for the loudest fans, and the ticket arrives as a QR code on your phone.
The street soccer tour has no stadium. It goes into Barrio Antioquia, stops outside the studio of the producer behind the singer Blessd, walks the streets where Griselda Blanco grew up and ends at two matches of the neighbourhood tournament. The provider calls the area gritty and asks you to follow the guide.
Who the booking pages list as not suitable
- Real football tour: anyone under 18 and pregnant women.
- Matchday tour: babies under one and wheelchair users; pushchairs are not allowed.
- Ticket only: children under two and wheelchair users.
- Street soccer tour: anyone under 21 or over 55.
With anyone under 18 in your group, the matchday tour and the ticket-only product are the two options.
What to bring and what stays outside
Bring ID; a copy is accepted on both matchday tours. The real football tour passes on the stadium’s security rules: no backpacks, cigarettes, alcohol, sharp objects, lighters or belts inside. The ticket-only product and the matchday tour do not allow bags either. Bring cash for food in the stadium: neither tour includes a meal.
Matches follow the league calendar, so a tour is not offered on every day of your trip. For a night out after the game, see our nightlife guide and the things to do page.
Our recommendation
For most adult visitors: the real football tour with the live match ticket and jersey. Of the three match products here it has the most reviews, with 4.8 stars from 301 reviews, and it is the only one that includes the jersey. If you are travelling with someone under 18, take the matchday tour instead. If your dates have no home match, the street soccer tour is the alternative for adults between 21 and 55.
