Medellín Nightlife Tours: Pub Crawl, Party Bus or Salsa Night?
5 min read
Short answer: take the rooftop and nightclub pub crawl if you want a big night out with strangers, the salsa and bachata tour if you want to learn something, and the party bus only if the moving venue appeals. The crawl also has the most reviews of the four.
The two areas these tours cover
Most listings name Provenza and El Poblado, the neighbourhoods where the rooftop bars and clubs they visit are. The guided formats sell two things: skipping the queue and having someone pick the venues.
The four tours compared
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | What the listing says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rooftop and nightclub pub crawl with VIP entry | 4.5 hours | €18.61 | 4.7 (963) | Free welcome shot, skip-the-line access to rooftops and nightclubs in Provenza and El Poblado |
| El Poblado rooftops and clubs VIP entry tour | 4.5 hours | €22.09 | 4.8 (496) | Guided walk, VIP skip-the-line entry at participating venues when available |
| Salsa and bachata nightlife tour with dance class | 4 hours | €42.48 | 5.0 (123) | Group class with a local dancer, open-level social, hand-picked venues, a rooftop on selected nights |
| Night chiva party bus with DJ and street food | 4 hours | €42.90 | 4.4 (137) | Party on wheels with a DJ and guide, two street food tastings, a final tasting at a restaurant |
What is included differs, according to the booking pages. The pub crawl covers welcome drinks and entry to three rooftops and three nightclubs; food and further drinks are extra. The El Poblado walk gives skip-the-line entry at most venues, free shots on some nights and free empanadas; other drinks are extra. The salsa tour includes the entry and cover fees at all its venues. The party bus includes the street food and one beer; additional drinks are extra.
How they differ
The crawl is the standard format: a group, a free shot, a sequence of venues, someone who gets you in. It costs €18.61 and has 963 reviews, more than any of the other three. Its booking page excludes under-18s, asks you to bring a passport or ID (a copy or a photo on your phone is accepted), and says men should not wear shorts and flip-flops are not allowed.
The El Poblado walk is the same idea: a guided walk and VIP entry “when available” at participating venues. Its price is €22.09.
The salsa tour is the only one that begins with a lesson. If you have never danced salsa and would rather not stand at a bar, the class and the open-level social make that easier. It holds 5.0 stars from 123 reviews, the smallest sample here.
The chiva party bus is a vehicle with a DJ that moves between stops, including food tastings. It rates 4.4 from 137 reviews, the lowest of the four, so read recent reviews before you commit.
Who should pick which
First night in town, you want to meet people: the pub crawl.
You want to dance, not stand about: the salsa and bachata tour.
You want food as well as drink: the party bus names two street food tastings.
You avoid clubs: none of these is for you; a food or Comuna 13 tour fits an evening better.
Our recommendation
For most visitors: the rooftop and nightclub pub crawl. It costs €18.61, holds 4.7 stars from 963 reviews, and it is the format most visitors have already tried and rated.
See dates and prices for the rooftop and nightclub pub crawl
