Pablo Escobar Tours in Medellín: What You See, and What to Make of It
5 min read
Short answer: these tours are legal, popular and contested. If you go, choose the one that frames the story around the victims, and book it knowing that many people in Medellín dislike the whole genre. Here is what the tours show and where that dislike comes from.
Why this topic is not simple
Medellín’s mayor at the time, Federico Gutiérrez, said in 2019 that the tours are legal but that he dislikes them, because they promote “mafia culture”, and that victims, not perpetrators, should be the heroes of the story. The city backed a campaign, “Medellín abraza su historia”, and tours of the Casa de la Memoria, the city’s memory museum, as an alternative.
The director of the Casa de la Memoria has said that for Colombian society it was still too early for this kind of tourism. Press reports describe most visitors there as foreigners who come to learn about Escobar and find a museum devoted to the victims. None of this means you should stay away. It means a tour that treats the story as tragedy is a better choice than one that treats it as legend.
A museum that is gone
Several tour descriptions mention a Pablo Escobar museum. According to Colombian press, the Casa Museo Pablo Escobar, run by his brother Roberto, was demolished on 10 July 2023. Authorities said it had been built irregularly, and the local administration said it rejected using the land to promote narcotourism. The listings still say “museum”, so ask the operator, or read the booking page, to see exactly which stop is meant.
The three tours compared
All three last about four hours according to their listings.
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | Stops named in the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Real Pablo Escobar historical sites tour | 4 hours | €53.42 | 4.8 (3,607) | Inflexion Park, Escobar’s grave at Montesacro cemetery |
| Sightseeing tour with local beer and Escobar museum | 4 hours | €42.75 | 4.8 (2,435) | Inflexion Park, the grave, a museum, the rooftop where he was killed |
| Pablo Escobar tour with museum and beer | 4 hours | €31.84 | 4.8 (1,491) | A family museum, the grave, his last hours; empanadas and water on the way |
How they differ
The first tour is the one whose own description promises to explain how Escobar harmed Colombia and its people. That is a different framing from the two that lead with beer. It also has the most reviews of the three, 3,607, and costs €53.42. Before you book: its booking page says the guide speaks English only.
The other two cost €42.75 and €31.84, put a drink and a visit to the Escobar family museum in the foreground, and both list the rooftop where he was killed. If you want a lighter afternoon and do not mind that tone, they are what you would expect. If a beer in hand at his grave would make you uncomfortable, take the first.
Who these tours suit
You want history, and care how it is told: the first tour.
You want the sightseeing format with a drink: the second or the third. Both list the rooftop where he was killed, and both offer guides in Spanish and English.
You want the lowest price: compare €31.84 for the third, €42.75 for the second and €53.42 for the first.
You want the other side of the story: visit the Casa de la Memoria, the city’s own museum of the violence, and consider a Comuna 13 tour, where residents tell the neighbourhood’s recent history themselves.
Our recommendation
For most visitors: the real Pablo Escobar historical sites tour. Its own description says it explains the harm he did, it holds 4.8 stars from 3,607 reviews, and also stops at the viewpoint over La Catedral, the prison Escobar built for himself. The guide speaks English only.
See dates and prices for the real Pablo Escobar historical sites tour
