Medellín Waterfall Tours: Half-Day Hikes, Salto del Buey and Guatapé
A half day to Chorro de las Campanas costs 30 to 60 EUR. The full day to Salto del Buey starts in the 120 to 250 EUR band, and 16 of the 20 tours are private.
A half-day waterfall hike from Medellín costs 30 to 60 EUR and goes to one place, Chorro de las Campanas in Envigado. The full day to the east, with Salto del Buey and a zip line, starts in the 120 to 250 EUR band. Everything beyond that, Guatapé, Jardín, a two-day canyon walk in the 250 to 500 EUR band, is a trip. Sixteen of the 20 listings are private and the typical price is 120 to 250 EUR, which says more about private days than about hikes. This page goes through the listings by format, gives the road times from the city and says which waterfall each day really reaches. For the other falls of Colombia, and how the country compares with the 20 others on this site, see the Colombia page.
Two listings are not quite waterfall tours. The paragliding day, in the 120 to 250 EUR band, treats the fall as one stop in a day of flying, and the quad-bike ride in the same band does the same. We keep them in the numbers and mark them where they appear. The operator's own page has the final word on what a booking includes, and we found no official source on seasons, so there is no season grid. The operators are few: Ecoventure alone holds 35% of the reviews on this page.
Beginner Waterfall Rappelling at La Reservita: Half Day with Community Lunch
Learn rappelling from scratch down three waterfalls of 10 to 25 metres, with gear briefing in the reserve and a home-cooked lunch from a community neighbour.
Chorro de las Campanas Half-Day Hike and Waterfall Dip, Envigado Reserve
A guide waits at the gate on Calle 10 at 9:00 AM, then 2.5 hours of hiking lead to a large mountain waterfall where visitors can get in the water and cool off.
Chorro de las Campanas Waterfall Trip from Montañita Hostel, 5 Hours
Meet at Montañita Hostel, ride 30 minutes to the trailhead and hike an hour each way through tropical forest, with 30 minutes at the waterfall for a swim.
El Chispero Canyoning in San Carlos: Waterfall Jumps and Natural Slides
Canyoning with waterfalls, jumps and natural slides, meeting at the Atypical cafe bar on the main park of San Carlos. Cancel 24 hours ahead for a full refund.
El Cristalino Waterfalls Hike near Guatapé: 15 km of Ravines and Climbs
A walk through Guatapé town, then about 15 km of native forest, ravines and waterfall climbs along the Quebrada El Cristalino, with views of the reservoir.
Guarne 4x4 ATV Ride with Waterfall Swim Stops and Fishing-Lake Lunch
A 3-hour guided 4x4 ATV ride with swim stops at waterfalls, coffee on arrival and a typical lunch. Guides speak Spanish and English; insurance is included.
Guatapé, El Peñol Rock, El Retiro and Tequendamita Falls Private Tour
Private transport and bilingual guides to the Peñol Rock and its 740 stairs, colourful Guatapé, a pan de queso stop, woodworking El Retiro and a waterfall.
Half-Day El Retiro and Tequendamita Falls Private Pickup Tour from Medellin
A short private outing east of Medellín: the Las Palmas viewpoint, wooden crafts along the road, coffee in El Retiro's square and a waterfall with no hiking.
Highest Zipline and 100 m Waterfall Hike in La Ceja, Private from Medellin
Two flights on a 330 m high zipline past five waterfalls, then a hike to the base of a 100 m fall, with private car pickup at 8:30 am. Lunch is not included.
La Cuba Waterfall Rappelling and La Planta Natural Pool, San Luis Day Trip
Full day by car to San Luis: a 30 m rappel at La Cuba waterfall, then La Planta, called the biggest natural pool in Antioquia. Alternative to Río Claro.
Los Salados Cloud Forest Hike to Chorro de las Campanas from El Poblado
Pickup at the Chicken Ten restaurant in El Poblado, a private vehicle to the trail, snacks and insurance included, and rental boots for 10,000 COP if needed.
Private Day Tour to Jardín: Willys Jeep to Waterfalls, Coffee and Town Square
A Willys Jeep ride through coffee plantations to a five-fall waterfall, a coffee farm stop, hot cheese bread in Bolombolo and a walk around Jardín's square.
Private Guatapé River Morning: Sandy Beach, Swim and Brunch Picnic
Private group, a sandy river beach with calm swimming water and a brunch of toasts and granola, 8:30 am to 1:00 pm from the main square. Insurance is included.
Private Paragliding Flight, Waterfall Hike and Mindfulness Session from Medellin
A paragliding flight over the mountains, a hike to a waterfall and a mindfulness session beside the falling water, all as a private outing from Medellín.
Private Salto del Buey Tour with Zipline, Sky Hammocks, Coffee Viewpoint and Lunch
Private transport, a 700 m zipline, sky hammocks and a walk to the foot of Salto del Buey, with lunch included and a coffee stop at a mountain viewpoint.
Salto del Buey Via Ferrata, Zipline and Waterfall Hike, Private from Medellin
Climb the rock beside a 100 m waterfall on a via ferrata, then ride a 1,000 ft zipline. Lunch is not included and participants must weigh under 99 kg.
Salto del Buey Waterfall Hike with Ziplines and Sky Hammocks from Medellin
Two zipline flights, a hammock activity 150 metres up and a 30-minute hike to a 100-metre waterfall, with hotel pickup at 9:30 am. Lunch is not included.
Three Ziplines, Waterfall Hike and Rock Wall Climb Adventure near Medellin
Three ziplines, with the longest ride 250 metres, a hike down to a waterfall and a rock wall climb in one adventure outing near Medellín. Cancel 24 hours ahead.
Two-Day Santo Domingo River Canyon Hike to the Valley of Waterfalls
Two days on old forest trails along one of Antioquia's last free rivers, with a night at a campesino inn, local food and a bonfire before the waterfalls.
Valley of Waterfalls and Santo Domingo River Hike, Hosted in Campesino Homes
A hike through quiet mountains and river country with no mass tourism, hosted in the homes of campesino families who have lived there for generations.
Ratings collected by Viator, Tripadvisor and Civitatis
The half day: Chorro de las Campanas in Envigado
Three of the four half-day listings go to the same place. Ultra Tours sells it in the 30 to 60 EUR band for 5 hours, meets at 9:00 in El Poblado and promises a hike of 2.5 hours in total, a sandwich and coffee, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Aventerra charges under 60 EUR, a rating of 5.0 on 361 reviews and a return at about 14:30, and rents boots for 10,000 COP. A Civitatis listing for the same fall is in the same band. We found no height for the fall, so we publish none. The listings also disagree about the road: one description says the reserve is 30 minutes from the city, another says 40, and the Ultra Tours itinerary says 45 minutes to an hour each way.
The half day is Envigado, the full day is the oriente, and everything else is a trip.
A trail to a fall, with boots
The half-day hikes cross cloud forest and river stretches, and the Aventerra listing, from the Los Salados natural park, says what to wear: comfortable clothes, and boots if you do not own any. Ultra Tours' listing mentions the fall as a place to cool off inside. Both meet in El Poblado, a few doors apart on Calle 10, and both are shared days in the 30 to 60 EUR band.
This is the only format that is cheap, shared and short, and it is the one to book if you have a free morning and want to see whether you like waterfall hikes. It is not a big fall. It is a walk with a waterfall at the end. The photo is illustrative, a small fall elsewhere in Colombia, not Chorro de las Campanas.
The full day: Salto del Buey, with a zip line
Salto del Buey is near Abejorral, to the south-east of the city. The Ecoventure day, in the 120 to 250 EUR band (336 reviews, 5.0), is the clearest listing: pickup at your hotel at 9:30, arrival at the park at 10:20, a zip line at 11:00, a 30-minute hike to the base of the fall, which the operator puts at 100 m, a hammock at 150 m of height at 15:00 and a return at 17:45. Lunch is not included. The hike is graded 3.5 out of 5, sandals are banned, and the weight limit is 99 kg, with a maximum waist of 120 cm. Bring cash in pesos and a passport number at booking. Heights quoted for the fall run from 70 m to more than 100 m. In August 2024 the press reported an entry fee of 22,000 COP for the trail alone.
| Day | Where | Road time as reported | Price band in our listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half day | Chorro de las Campanas, Envigado | 30 to 60 minutes; the listings disagree | 30 to 60 EUR |
| Full day with a zip line | Salto del Buey, near Abejorral, in the listing we read | 1 hour via La Ceja, 2 via Abejorral (Blu Radio, 2024) | 120 to 250 EUR, 7 to 9 hours (four listings) |
| Guatapé and El Retiro | El Peñol, Guatapé, El Retiro | Not stated | 30 to 250 EUR, 3 to 8 hours |
| Jardín | Town and waterfalls | About 4 hours (Semana, 2024) | 120 to 250 EUR, 10 hours, private |
| Two days | Santo Domingo canyon, near Carmen de Viboral | Not stated | 250 to 500 EUR with meals |
The map shows why the days sort themselves by length. Chorro de las Campanas in Envigado is the nearest of the places the listings name, El Retiro comes next, Salto del Buey is about two scale bars to the south-east, and Guatapé about two and a half to the east. Those are straight lines and the roads are longer. A tour that includes a zip line and a hike already fills a day, so the full-day listings do not go further.
The chart is mostly diamonds. Fourteen of the 18 plotted listings are private, and the four shared ones are the three hikes at 30 to 60 EUR and one canyoning outing at 120 to 250 EUR. The two 48-hour listings are left off the chart, which is why it stops at 10 hours. Past about 7 hours every dot is private.
Guatapé, El Retiro and Jardín: trips with a waterfall in them
The Andes Adventure Travels sells three of these. The 8-hour private day, in the 120 to 250 EUR band, visits Guatapé, El Peñol, El Retiro and a fall called Tekendamita, with 195 reviews. A 3-hour version drops Guatapé and sits in the 60 to 120 EUR band. The Jardín day is 120 to 250 EUR for 10 hours with waterfalls, coffee and the town. Two small operators sell cheaper Guatapé days: a river and waterfalls trip in the 60 to 120 EUR band and a hike at El Cristalino in the 30 to 60 EUR band. All are private and priced per person.
Guatapé is a day out that happens to include a fall
El Peñol, the rock above the lake at Guatapé, is what most people come for, and it is why these days sell. The waterfall is one stop between the rock, the town and the reservoir. That is a fine day, and it is not a waterfall day. If the fall is what you want, the half-day hike and the Salto del Buey day each spend more time at one.
A day in Jardín is a different case. It is a 10-hour private day, about four hours from Medellín according to Semana, and the waterfall is one of several things the town does well.
Adrenaline and the two-day walk
Canyoning at El Chispero costs 120 to 250 EUR for 4 hours with lunch; it meets in San Carlos, a drive from Medellín that we could not confirm. Ecoventure's La Cuba rappelling and La Planta natural pool day is 120 to 250 EUR for 10 hours. The ATV listing, in the 120 to 250 EUR band for 5 hours with lunch, and the paragliding listing, in the same band for 8 hours, are on this page because their titles say waterfall; the fall is a stop in each. The two longest listings are different. A 48-hour hike through the Santo Domingo river canyon falls in the 250 to 500 EUR band, includes breakfast, lunch and dinner and a night in a village guesthouse by the river, and another operator sells a similar walk in the same band. Those two are the main reason the top of the range on this page is more than 250 EUR.
Mistakes people make when booking
Reading the median as a price is the first. It sits between the cheap shared hikes and the expensive private days, and almost no listing is at it. Wearing sandals to the zip line day is the second, because they are banned. Forgetting that the weight limit applies to the hammock and the zip line is the third, and it is a hard rule at 99 kg. Bringing a card and no pesos is the fourth, because the Salto del Buey listing asks for cash. The last is booking a private day for one when a shared hike at 30 to 60 EUR would do. Private days are priced per person, so a couple pays double.
Questions about Medellín waterfall tours
Is there a half-day waterfall tour from Medellín?
Yes. Three listings, all in the 30 to 60 EUR band, go to Chorro de las Campanas in Envigado for about 5 hours, with a hike of around 2.5 hours. A fourth half-day listing, a beginner waterfall rappel at La Reservita, sits in the 120 to 250 EUR band and is private. Two of the three meet in El Poblado at 9:00.
How far is Salto del Buey from Medellín?
Blu Radio, in August 2024, gave 1 hour via La Ceja and 2 hours via Abejorral. The Ecoventure listing's own timetable has you at the park 50 minutes after pickup. On the map it is about 40 km from the city in a straight line.
What is the weight limit on the Salto del Buey day?
The Ecoventure listing says participants must weigh under 99 kg (218 lb), with a waist of no more than 120 cm and a thigh of no more than 66 cm, for the zip line and the hammocks. It also asks for a strong level of fitness.
Can you do Chorro de las Campanas without a tour?
The listings sell a guided hike, and we found no entry rule that says you may not go alone. For Salto del Buey the press reported a trail fee of 22,000 COP in 2024, but you would need your own transport. Check locally.
Do I need to bring cash?
Yes, for the Salto del Buey day. The listing asks for Colombian pesos. The Aventerra half day rents boots at 10,000 COP, which is also a cash payment on the day.
Want the rest of the country's waterfalls?
The Colombia page sets Tequendama, La Chorrera, Juan Curí and the other main falls against each other, with the height each source gives.
Data verified on . 20 listings read on 22 October 2026. Road times from Blu Radio and Semana (2024) and from the listings, which disagree; distances read from the map. No official seasonal data.