Pablo Escobar Tour with La Catedral Prison Visit and Art Book
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 2 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
This tour does not glorify or promote crime, nor does it adopt the repressive stance of traditional institutions. We strive to deeply understand the causes, context, and consequences. Explore places that shaped Escobar's life, learn about key anecdotes and historical moments, and understand the drug trafficking phenomenon objectively and neutrally, as if you were making a documentary. Our agency uses journalistic techniques. This tour allows you to analyze history and reflect on drug trafficking, violence, and corruption in Colombia. An independent journalistic approach is used, without being limited by media biases, censorship by authorities, or the feelings of those closest to the head of the Medellín Cartel. The visit to La Catedral will be limited to the areas that are open, as access policies may change at this location, as determined by local authorities.
Inclusions
What's included
- Travel insurance for the tour
- Bilingual guide (English-Spanish)
- Access to download the digital book Medellín Up Close - Medellín de Cerca
- Visit to the public area of La Catedral
- Air-conditioned vehicle
What's not
- Tips (optional and voluntary)
Itinerary
Former Monaco Building, the main residence of Pablo Escobar and his family. Today, it serves as a memorial to the victims of Escobar's criminal activities and the drug war in general.
We'll arrive at the section of La Catedral open to the public. From there, we'll show you the areas where the cells, nightclub, lounges, guard tower, tunnels, and Escobar's escape route were located. We'll also show you the site of the former soccer field and where, according to the site's administrators, a mass grave and a cocaine lab were found. You can always stand and walk around the grounds of what was the old prison. Access to certain areas may be restricted without prior notice by local authorities or administrators. Some of these areas have been reconstructed. Some photos added by users show close-ups of the cells, helipad, escape route, the interior of the nightclub, the guard tower, etc. However, as of June 2025, authorities do not allow walking through these areas any longer.
Neighborhood where Pablo Escobar grew up: You'll visit the Envigado area where Escobar's house was located during his youth.
You'll see Escobar's burial site, which receives numerous visitors, offerings, and talismans at different times of the year.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.9
- 524
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Ratings come from 26 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- The meeting point is in the Parque Lleras area of El Poblado, on the corner of Calle 10th and Carrera 38. ("Calle" means Street in English). You can use the following Google Maps location to get there
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 10 travellers
- Operated by
- Medellín Up Close | Medellín de Cerca
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Medellín
- Its from-price is 43% below the median of the 1334 experiences we list in Medellín.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 256 of 1334.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Medellín
Medellín is Colombia's spring-like city in the Andes, known for its cable cars, vibrant neighbourhoods and remarkable story of transformation.
The city fills a long Andean valley, with brick houses climbing the slopes and a climate mild enough to earn it the name City of Eternal Spring. Its metro and Metrocable cable cars link hillside communities to the centre and give sweeping views on the ride up toward the forests of Parque Arví.
Top-ranked sights in Medellín: Guatapé (Pueblo de Zócalos), Plaza Botero, Pueblito Paisa .
Special offers in Medellín
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
