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TLDR? With just 2 days in Medellin, you can experience some of the downtown area’s best restaurants, sights, and sounds.
Maybe you’ve got a layover in Medellin or maybe you’re just visiting for a weekend. Or, perhaps there’s a different situation going on.
Whatever it is, it’s not uncommon to have just a short 48 hours in Medellin to explore and see what the city is all about.
If you’re in this boat and aren’t sure how to spend two days in Medellin, keep reading. This itinerary for 2 days in Medellin walks you through everything you need to know for a perfect visit to the City of Eternal Spring!
Quick Summary:
| Day 1 | Day 2 | |
| Morning | Breakfast: SMASH Cafe Activity: Downtown walking tour | Breakfast: Hija Mia Activity: Parque Arví |
| Afternoon | Lunch: La Fonda del Pueblo Activity: Pueblito Paisa | Lunch: Street Food Activity: Comuna 13 |
| Evening | Dinner: Herbario Activity: Nightclubs and bar hopping | Dinner: XO Experience Activity: Salsa dancing at Son Havana |
If you’re only in Medellin for a day, you really should spend your time exploring the city proper. Here’s how to spend your first day in the city.
Medellin is a small city with many places to visit. There are even those who live there who don’t fully know their city!
Start your day off with a hearty breakfast at SMASH Cafe. This is a healthy restaurant that’s located in one of Poblado’s nicest sectors (in my opinion). I’d recommend trying one of their bagels paired with a golden milk latte!
Once you’ve had your fill, hop on the metro and head to the Parque Berrío station to meet up with Real City Tours for a walking tour at 9 am. The tour takes you through the major attractions in the center of town, including:
You’ll also learn a bit about local folklore and how the city has transformed over the years. The tour lasts about two hours, so you’ll finish up just in time for lunch.
Oh, and the best part of the tour is that it’s 100% free! Talk about getting a deal.
After a busy morning in the downtown district, you’ll probably have worked up an appetite. Rather than grab some of the street food in the downtown area, I’d recommend heading up to Pueblito Paisa.
Pueblito Paisa is situated at the top of Nutibara hill in the center of town. It’s a small, colorful replica village of Antioquian towns from days gone past.
There, you’ll find a rustic little restaurant called La Fonda del Pueblo. It’s the perfect place to sit down and have a bandeja paisa, or a traditional meal from Medellin.
Once you’re done eating, take some time to wander around the little square. Check out the small museum, pick up some souvenirs, and stay to watch the sunset!
After the sun goes down is when the city of Medellin comes to life. Plus, there are some amazing places to grab a bite to eat around town.
One of my personal favorites is Herbario, an industrial-style restaurant in the Manila neighborhood of Poblado. The food is all Colombian-inspired, and the house wines pair well with everything you can find on the menu.
After dinner is over, it’s time to head up the street to nearby Parque Lleras and Provenza. There you can experience a night out in Medellin in one of the best nightclubs or bars.
A few of the top nightclubs in the area to check out include:
Any of these venues are a great place to meet some people and try some of the famous aguardiente!
Make sure you don’t party too hard on your first day so that you can still be up and at ‘em in time to take advantage of your second (and last) day in Medellín.
Here’s how to get to know the city on your second day in the City of Eternal Spring.
Start your day off with a decadent breakfast at Hija Mia. Hija Mia is one of the best coffee shops in Medellín and has some delicious beverages and tasty meals for you to try.
If you want to really get the party started, you can also order one of their brunch cocktails. Not only are they all delicious, but many of them are made with local spirits, fruits, and flavors.
After polishing off your breakfast, it’s time to hop on the metro and head out to Parque Arví. Parque Arví is a nature reserve located up in the hills of Medellin.
At the park, you can enjoy walks, bike trips, hiking, and even an outdoor market. Or, you can take a bus to nearby Santa Elena and learn about flower farming in the area.
There are also guided walks in the park, which are a nice way to explore if you don’t feel confident venturing off on your own. The walks usually last about two hours, so they’re a great way to get a glimpse of the space without spending the whole day there.
Once you’ve digested touring the green space at Parque Arví, you can head back to the city for a street food tour!
Street food tours typically run from 11 am to 1 pm, so you’ll be right on time for tasting the flavors of the city and filling your stomach at lunch hour. As part of your tour, you can explore things like:
Once the tour is over, hop on the metro system and head out to San Javier. This neighborhood is known as Comuna 13, and is famous as an art hub in the city.
There, you can enjoy an afternoon full of art, dance, urban singing, and the many murals that decorate this neighborhood. Make sure to have your camera ready as this place is truly Instagram-worthy!
Also, make sure to check out the escalators in the streets. These will take you high up into the hills, where you can catch great views of the whole city.
It won’t be hard to work up an appetite while strolling around Comuna 13. So, once you’re ready to eat something, head back up to the party district of Poblado for a meal.
This time, head out to the XO Experience by Carmen. This is a tasting menu of a ton of spins on classic Colombian flavors. Plus, there are some phenomenal cocktails and wines to pair with it!
To wrap up your final day, I’d recommend heading out to Son Havana. This is a bar where you can enjoy bolero shows or some salsa dancing.
Both of these activities are very typical Colombian things to do and are a great way to immerse yourself in the local culture. Plus, since the bar is open until late, you can make the most of your final night in Medellín!
Two days is a short amount of time in Medellin. And, to make sure that you get the most out of your visit, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Here are a few quick tips to help you make the most of your 2-day itinerary in Medellin.
The most important thing about a stay when there is little time to travel is that it has a strategic location that is close to the places you plan to visit. Alternatively, it’s got to be close to public transportation systems that get you from point A to point B.
There are two main neighborhoods in Medellin that fit this bill: Laureles and El Poblado.
Laureles is one of the most central neighborhoods of the city. From there you can easily and quickly get anywhere, even on foot! In addition, it has a couple of Systema Metro stations nearby and easy to locate.
On the other hand, El Poblado is also an excellent place to stay thanks to all the tourist offers around it and that it also has transportation facilities.
Medellin, although a city with a spring climate and an average temperature of 22ºC, can fluctuate a bit in terms of the weather. It’s a bit unpredictable to say when it will rain or not.
A good rule of thumb is to bring a coat, a hat, and sunscreen for both days of your visit. Even though you’ll just be traveling for a short amount of time, it pays to pack enough clothes so that you aren’t having to purchase extra items.
If you’re just there for a weekend, you can usually get away with packing layers. Bring things like jeans and t-shirts which you can easily mix and match with cool or hot weather clothing.
Even if you’ve only got two days in Medellin, you’ve still got to know where to stay. In Laureles and El Poblado there are lodgings ideal for short stays.
While furnished apartments or lofts are pretty easy to come by, these probably aren’t the right pick for a short-term stay. Instead, I’d recommend going to one of the boutique hotels in the city.
Not only are the hotels extremely comfortable and catered toward those only visiting for a short stint, but they’re also centrally located. And, you can find some pretty luxury options for under $100 a night!
A couple of affordable, luxury boutique hotels in the area include:
Although Medellin is a big city, two days is still plenty of time to explore what the area has to offer and to really get a feel for what life in the City of Eternal Spring is all about.
If you follow this itinerary, you’ll be able to see the best of what the area has to offer without worrying about limited time and tight schedules.
So, plan your trip, and if you’re pressed for time, don’t worry! 48 hours are perfect for touring.
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