The three best-rated ATV and quad tours from Medellín compared on actual riding time, what fills the rest of the day, and whether you want a quick ride out to Guarne or a full day in the mountains. From $139.99.
What You Should Know
- The real question is not price, it is what fills the day. All three tours here cost within six dollars of each other and give you two to three hours in the saddle. What separates them is whether that ride sits inside a four hour morning or a nine hour day built around a river swim and a town lunch.
- These are convoy rides, not open throttle. Guides lead from the front with a second at the rear, and the group stops regularly to regroup, which means your pace is set by the least confident rider present. Nervous beginners and older riders consistently rate that highly. Experienced riders are the ones who come away wanting more open trail and fewer halts.
- None of these run in Medellín itself. The trails are in the mountains ringing the city: Guarne to the east, the wealthy hillside outskirts, or an hour south toward the descent country. Transport is included on all three, but the pickup arrangements differ sharply and one collects from a rental car office rather than your hotel.
- Every operator here allows a passenger on the quad. That matters more than it sounds: it means a non-riding partner, or a teenager below the driving age, can still come without paying for a second machine. Confirm the passenger rate when you book, because it is rarely shown on the listing.
- Age minimums are 16 or 18 depending on the tour, and all three carry the same health restrictions: not recommended if you have spinal injuries, cardiovascular problems, or are pregnant. These are genuinely rough trails, not a groomed track.
- Food is not the same thing on every booking. One tour includes a full lunch only on the morning departure and drops to a snack on the midday and afternoon shifts, which is an easy detail to miss when you are picking a start time. Guests have also reported drinks and snacks at the mid-route rest stop being charged separately, so carry a little cash.
- Bring a swimsuit and a full change of clothes, shoes included. The waterfall stop on these routes is a genuine swim rather than a photo opportunity, and it is the single thing guests most often say they wish they had been told in advance. The trails are muddy year-round and you will finish dirty either way.
ATV Tours in Medellín
An ATV tour in Medellín, sold locally as a quad bike tour, puts you on a machine in the mountains outside the city, on dirt trails that run past small farms, through forest, and in one case down a thousand metre descent. The three tours on this page are the best rated available, and they land within six dollars of one another at $139.99 to $145. On price alone there is nothing to choose between them.
Most quad biking in Medellín actually happens around Guarne, a municipality about 45 minutes east of the city where the trail networks and the operators are concentrated. The rest runs through the hillside outskirts north and west, or an hour south toward the descent country. Knowing that is useful when you are comparing listings, because a tour that names Guarne is telling you roughly where you are going and how long the transfer will be.
The useful comparison is what you are actually buying with the day. ATV tours from Medellín split into two shapes: a tight half day where the ride is essentially the whole product, or a full day where the ride is the centrepiece of a longer outing with a swim, a meal in a mountain town and a lot of driving. Both are good. They suit completely different travelers, and the listings make them look far more alike than they are. This guide compares all three on riding time, total duration, what is included and who each one is really for.
Most guests find that the drive out is the piece they underestimated. It is 45 minutes to an hour each way before you sit on a machine, and on the longer tour considerably more, which is why several riders work out afterwards that their saddle time was roughly half what the booked duration implied. None of that makes these tours poor value. It just means the number on the listing is measuring something different from what you are picturing.
Quick verdict: Book the Exclusive Mountain Escape ATV Tour at $145. It is the only one of the three that is fully private with a two person minimum, it holds 4.9 across 305 reviews (the deepest record here), and it gives you around three hours of riding inside a four hour window, the best ratio of saddle time to elapsed time on this page. Choose differently for a clear reason: the $139.99 Mountains and Forest tour if you want straightforward hotel pickup and a shorter commitment, or the $145 REAL 4x4 Quad Tour if you want a full day out and the thousand metre descent rather than the most efficient ride.
Exclusive Mountain Escape: ATV Tour from Medellin with lunch
Around three hours of trail riding inside a four hour window, the best saddle-to-elapsed ratio here; fully private with a two person minimum and the deepest review record on this page.
Book NowFrom Our Experience
The thing worth internalising before you book is that these three are priced almost identically and deliver very different days. Two to three hours of riding is the constant. Everything else is variable: four hours door to door on one, nine on another, for the same $145. That is not a value judgement, because the nine hour day includes a genuine descent, a swim and a proper lunch in a mountain town, and plenty of people want exactly that. But if you have a single free morning in Medellín and you want to ride quads, paying the same money for a full day is the wrong trade. Read the total duration column first and the price column second. Guests do this arithmetic themselves and arrive at the same place: one totted up roughly two hours of riding once 45 minutes each way plus the snack and lunch stops were deducted, and that was on a tour sold as five. The other detail that catches people is the food: one operator serves lunch only on the morning departure and quietly drops to a snack later in the day, so your start time changes what you are fed. The stops themselves are not padding, and the waterfall in particular is the highlight for most people, but you should book knowing the ride is a component of the day rather than the whole of it.
Best ATV Tours in Medellín: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tour Operator | Price | Online Rating | Riding Time | Total Duration | Ages | Capacity | Transportation Included | Food Included | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top Rated Exclusive Mountain Escape: ATV Tour from Medellin with lunch Book Now |
From $145.00 | ⭐ 4.9 (305 reviews) Read Reviews |
Approx. 3 hrs | 4 hrs | 16+ to drive; passengers permitted | Private tour, 2 person minimum | Yes, from the meeting point at Cra 43A #8-43, El Poblado | Lunch on the morning shift; midday and afternoon shifts include a snack only | Waterfall and dairy farm stops; empanadas and a traditional drink; trout farm lunch; Medellin Adventure Trails, Guarne |
| ATV Adventure: Mountains and Forest Tour Book Now |
From $139.99 | ⭐ 4.9 (202 reviews) Read Reviews |
2 hrs | 4 hrs 30 min | 16+ to drive; passengers permitted | Not specified | Yes, round-trip pickup from your hotel or Airbnb | Meals, snacks and refreshments included | Forest and mountain trails through the hillside mansion district; photo stops; closed-toe shoes and long trousers advised |
| ATV | Medellín: the REAL 4x4 Quad Tour Book Now |
From $145.00 | ⭐ 4.8 (82 reviews) Read Reviews |
2 hrs | 9 hrs | 18+ to drive; passengers permitted | Max 12 travelers | Yes, round-trip from Parque Lleras (Juan Valdez meeting point) | Traditional paisa lunch in a mountain town, plus snacks and drinks at camp | 450cc 4x4 quads; 1,000 metre descent south of Medellín; river swim; helmets, boots and ponchos provided; insurance and training included |
ℹ️ All tours and information were personally reviewed by our team on August 2, 2026. Prices and availability may change — always confirm with the operator before booking.
What to Expect on a Medellín ATV Tour
- 01Start
Pickup or Meeting Point
Two tours collect from your hotel or Airbnb. The others meet at fixed points: an office in El Poblado, or the Juan Valdez at Parque Lleras.
- 0245 to 90 min
The Drive Out
Out of the Aburrá Valley toward Guarne in the east, where most quad tours are based, or the hillside outskirts, or an hour south into descent country.
- 03On arrival
Gear and Practice Lap
Helmets and boots issued, a safety briefing, then a short familiarisation loop. No experience needed and guides ride alongside throughout.
- 042 to 3 hrs
The Trail
Dirt tracks through farms, forest and open field, broken by photo stops. One tour includes a thousand metre mountain descent.
- 05Mid tour
Stops Along the Way
A waterfall and dairy area on one route, a river swim on another. Empanadas and a traditional drink are handed out on the private tour.
- 06Finish
Food and Return
A trout farm lunch, a paisa meal in a mountain town, or a snack depending on the tour and departure time, then back to the city.
- 01
Pickup or Meeting Point
Two tours collect from your hotel or Airbnb. The others meet at fixed points: an office in El Poblado, or the Juan Valdez at Parque Lleras.
Start - 45 to 90 min02
The Drive Out
Out of the Aburrá Valley toward Guarne in the east, where most quad tours are based, or the hillside outskirts, or an hour south into descent country.
- 03
Gear and Practice Lap
Helmets and boots issued, a safety briefing, then a short familiarisation loop. No experience needed and guides ride alongside throughout.
On arrival - 2 to 3 hrs04
The Trail
Dirt tracks through farms, forest and open field, broken by photo stops. One tour includes a thousand metre mountain descent.
- 05
Stops Along the Way
A waterfall and dairy area on one route, a river swim on another. Empanadas and a traditional drink are handed out on the private tour.
Mid tour - Finish06
Food and Return
A trout farm lunch, a paisa meal in a mountain town, or a snack depending on the tour and departure time, then back to the city.
The shape of the day is consistent across all three: collection, a drive out of the valley, a safety briefing and practice lap, the ride itself broken by photo stops, then food before heading back. What changes is how long each piece runs and how much sits between them.
Our experience (the practice lap is short): Every operator runs a quick familiarisation loop before the real trail, and guests consistently describe it as brief but sufficient. No previous experience is required on any of these, and the guides ride with you rather than sending you off alone. If you have never been on a quad, that first loop is where to ask questions, because the trail proper starts immediately after. From what we've seen in reviews, that lap is also doing a second job: it is where staff read everyone's ability and set the pace for the group, and where a rider who is clearly struggling gets offered a pillion seat with a guide driving instead. Ride it honestly rather than trying to look competent.
Our experience (you will get dirty): These are mud trails through farmland and forest, not a dust track. Long trousers and closed-toe shoes with grip are advised by the operators themselves, and ponchos are handed out on the full-day tour. Wear something you do not mind writing off, and do not plan a nice dinner straight after without a shower in between.
Our experience (guides handle the camera): A recurring note across these tours is that the guide takes the photos and videos, stopping at the good viewpoints to do it. That is worth knowing because it means you do not need to ride one-handed with a phone out, which on these trails would be a bad idea anyway.
Our experience (you will watch the trail, not the view): One of the more honest observations guests make is that concentrating on the track leaves little attention for the scenery you came out for. The photo stops exist precisely because that is when you actually get to look. If the landscape matters more to you than the riding, that is worth weighing before booking.
Our experience (bring a swimsuit, and sunscreen your legs): The waterfall stop is somewhere you can get in, and the most common regret we see is arriving without a swimsuit or dry clothes to change into. One guest also flagged burning below their shorts on the ride, which is easy to do on open trail at altitude. Cover the bits your riding position exposes.
Best ATV Tours in Medellín
All three run genuine off-road trails on real machines, and all three are well rated. The choice comes down to how much of your day you are willing to give up and whether you want the ride alone or the ride as part of a bigger outing.
We'd give the private mountain tour the edge, and the reason is arithmetic rather than reputation: it is the only one where the riding occupies most of the elapsed time rather than a slice of it. That said, we wouldn't book any of these for a rider who wants to open the throttle. All three run as guided convoys that halt regularly to regroup, and the riders who come away disappointed are consistently the experienced ones who wanted open trail rather than a managed pace.
Exclusive Mountain Escape: ATV Tour from Medellin with lunch
The most riding for the least elapsed time: roughly three hours on the trails within a four hour tour. Fully private with a two person minimum, so the pace is yours. The route takes in a waterfall, a dairy area and a trout farm lunch out at Medellin Adventure Trails in Guarne. One catch worth planning around: the full lunch only comes with the morning departure, and later shifts get a snack.
Check availabilityATV Adventure: Mountains and Forest Tour
The cheapest of the three and the simplest to organise, with round-trip pickup from your hotel or Airbnb rather than a fixed meeting point. Two hours of riding inside four and a half, on forest and mountain trails through the hillside district where Medellín's wealthiest neighbourhoods sit. Meals, snacks and refreshments are all included. Wear closed-toe shoes and long trousers.
Check availabilityATV | Medellín: the REAL 4x4 Quad Tour
Nine hours, of which two are riding 450cc 4x4 quads south of Medellín, including a thousand metre descent no other tour here covers. The rest is transport, a river swim, camp snacks and a paisa lunch in a mountain town. Capped at 12 and 18 plus to drive. Gear, training and insurance are provided. Book it for the day out, not for the saddle time.
Check availabilityCombo Day or Standalone Ride: Which to Book
This is the decision that actually matters on this page, and the prices give you no help with it whatsoever. Three tours, $139.99 to $145, and a total duration spread from four hours to nine.
Book a standalone ride if
You have one free morning and want to ride. The Exclusive Mountain Escape and the Mountains and Forest tour both return you to the city by early afternoon, which leaves the rest of the day open for Comuna 13 or anything else on your list. You get two to three hours of trail time and you are not committing the whole day to it.
Riding is the point. If what you want is time on the machine rather than a scenic day out, the shorter tours give you the same amount of it, or more, for the same money.
Book the full day if
You want the ride to be an occasion. The nine hour tour is built as a day out: the descent, a swim in the river, snacks at camp and a proper paisa lunch in a mountain town. The riding is the spine of it, but the eating, swimming and driving are the body. People who book it wanting a day in the mountains are happy; people who book it wanting three hours of quad time are the ones who feel short-changed. Worth saying plainly: those stops are the product rather than padding, and the waterfall in particular is what guests most often name as the highlight of the whole day.
This is where operators really differ, and it is not visible on any listing: how often the convoy halts. Guides stop every few turns to regroup and to take photos, which is why a two hour ride occupies a longer window than the number suggests. For beginners that cadence is the reason the day feels safe. For anyone who rides regularly, it is the thing to weigh before booking.
It is your one adventure day. If you are fitting a single outdoor day into a city-heavy trip, the full day version delivers more variety per booking than a short ride does.
Worth knowing that Medellín's other headline adventure activities pair naturally with a half-day ATV tour rather than competing with it. A morning on the quads and an afternoon paragliding above the Aburrá Valley is a realistic combination on the same day, since tandem flights run three to three and a half hours door to door. On a rest day, a food tour through El Poblado or a coffee farm visit asks a lot less of your legs. The nine hour ATV tour rules that out entirely. If the appeal is the terrain rather than the machines, rafting near Medellín, a horse riding trip, and a waterfall hike cover the same hills at three different speeds.
How Much Do ATV Tours in Medellín Cost?
ATV tours from Medellín cost $139.99 to $145 per person, which is an unusually tight band. At these three operators the price is effectively fixed and what varies is the day you get for it. Transport, gear and at least some food are included across the board, so the headline figure is close to the real figure.
All three tours here sit within six dollars of each other. Every one includes round-trip transport, safety gear, a guide and food of some kind. There is no budget tier at this quality level, and nothing on this page is priced as a premium option.
Saddle time is the variable that actually differs, and it does not track price. The most expensive option gives the most riding and the shortest day; another at the same price gives less riding across nine hours. Compare on this, not on cost.
Guide tips are customary and paid in cash. Passenger seats on the quad may be charged separately, and it is worth confirming that rate at booking rather than at the trailhead.
Because the prices are near identical, the sensible way to choose is to work backwards from your calendar. What matters more than price here is whether the day has slack in it: delays are the recurring failure on these tours, and a group that waited three hours past their start time lost an afternoon they had planned around. We'd lean toward a morning departure for that reason alone, since it absorbs an overrun without eating the rest of your day. If you have a spare morning, the four hour private ride gives you the most trail time. If this is your one adventure day and you want a swim and a mountain lunch attached, the nine hour tour is the better use of the same $145.
From Our Experience
The mistake we see most often is treating these three as interchangeable because the prices are, then discovering that a nine hour commitment has swallowed a day that was meant to hold two activities. Check the total duration before you check anything else, and pick the shape of day you actually want.
Tips for Your Medellín ATV Tour
- Read the total duration before the price. Four hours and nine hours are both on this page at $145. That single number is the biggest difference between these tours and the easiest one to miss.
- Book the morning departure if lunch matters. On the private tour a full lunch comes with the morning shift only; midday and afternoon departures get a snack instead.
- Wear long trousers and closed shoes with grip. The operators advise it themselves. These are mud trails through farmland, and sandals or shorts are a genuine mistake.
- Bring a passenger rather than a second quad. All three allow a passenger on the machine, which is the cheapest way to bring a partner or a teenager who cannot drive. Confirm the passenger rate when booking.
- Check the age minimum against your group. Two tours let 16 year olds drive; the full-day 4x4 tour requires 18. If you are travelling with older teenagers, that rules one option out.
- Take the health restrictions seriously. All three list spinal injuries, cardiovascular problems and pregnancy as contraindications. Quad trails deliver a genuine pounding over several hours.
- Know where you are being collected from. One tour picks up from your hotel or Airbnb; another meets at a rental car office on Carrera 43A; the third at the Juan Valdez in Parque Lleras. Check before you plan your morning.
- Pack a swimsuit and a full change of clothes. The waterfall stop is a swim, not a photo op, and the trails are muddy. Include spare shoes: guests who brought only one pair regretted it.
- Sunscreen the skin your riding position exposes. Legs below shorts catch the sun for hours on open trail, and it is the one burn guests mention specifically.
- Do not schedule anything tight afterwards. The recurring failure on these tours is delay, occasionally severe, with one group waiting nearly three hours past their start time. Most departures run punctually, but leave yourself slack.
- Carry cash for the rest stop. Drinks and snacks partway through are not always covered by the tour price, and guests have asked operators to state this more clearly up front.
- Bring a driving licence if you have one. It is not universally required, but at least one guest was questioned at check-in for not carrying one.
- Let the guide film. Guides on these tours take the photos and videos at the viewpoints, so you can ride with both hands where it counts.
- Pair a half-day ride with something else. The four and four-and-a-half hour tours return you to the city with the afternoon intact, which is enough for a flight over the valley or a city tour.
How We Selected These Tours
The Colombia Trip Insider team assessed Medellín's ATV operators on the factors that decide whether a quad day works: how much of the tour is actually spent riding, whether safety gear and training are provided as standard, and how clearly each operator states its pickup arrangements and age limits. We kept only verified listings holding 4.8 or better with a real review record. Where an operator's inclusions shift depending on departure time, we said so rather than quoting the best case. The three here cover a short private ride, a straightforward hotel-pickup half day, and a full-day trip with a mountain descent and a river swim, so you can choose on the shape of the day rather than on a price gap that barely exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an ATV tour in Medellín cost?+
Between $139.99 and $145 per person across the three best-rated operators, which is an unusually narrow range. Every one includes round-trip transport, safety gear, a guide and some food. Because price barely varies, compare on riding time and total duration instead: the same $145 buys either a four hour tour or a nine hour one.
How long are ATV tours in Medellín?+
Four to nine hours door to door, with two to three hours of actual riding. The short private option runs four hours with around three of them on the trails. The full-day tour runs nine hours, of which two are riding and the rest is transport, a river swim and lunch in a mountain town.
Do you need experience to ride an ATV in Medellín?+
No. All three tours are beginner friendly, provide training and a practice lap before the trail, and have guides riding alongside throughout. Helmets and boots are issued, and the full-day operator includes insurance. Guests with no previous quad experience routinely describe the briefing as short but adequate.
What is the minimum age for ATV tours in Medellín?+
Sixteen to drive on two of the tours and eighteen on the full-day 4x4 tour. All three allow a passenger to ride on the quad with a driver, which is how younger travelers and non-riders usually join. Confirm the passenger rate when booking, since it is rarely listed.
Where do ATV tours from Medellín actually go?+
Into the mountains ringing the city, not within Medellín itself. Most quad biking near Medellín is concentrated around Guarne, roughly 45 minutes east, where the main trail networks sit. Other routes run through the hillside outskirts where the city's wealthiest neighbourhoods are, or roughly an hour south for a thousand metre descent. Transport from the city is included on all three.
What should I wear on an ATV tour in Medellín?+
Long trousers and closed-toe shoes with good grip, plus clothes you do not mind ruining. These are mud trails through farmland and forest, and you will finish dirty. Helmets and boots are provided, and the full-day tour hands out ponchos. Bring a change of clothes if you have plans afterwards.
Are ATV tours in Medellín safe?+
They carry the normal risks of off-road riding, managed with training, gear and guides who ride with the group. All three operators advise against joining if you have spinal injuries, cardiovascular problems or are pregnant, and one is not wheelchair accessible. Guests consistently describe the safety briefings as thorough.
Are Medellín ATV tours good for experienced riders?+
They are enjoyable but not fast. These run as convoys with a guide in front and another at the rear, stopping regularly to regroup, so the pace follows the least confident rider in the group. Experienced riders are the ones who most often say they wanted more open trail and fewer halts. Guides do pick up the pace when everyone can handle it, so it is worth flagging your experience at the briefing.
Should I bring a swimsuit on a Medellín ATV tour?+
Yes. Most routes stop at a waterfall or river where you can swim, and arriving without a swimsuit is the most common regret guests report. Bring a full change of clothes including spare shoes, since the trails are muddy and you will finish dirty whether or not you get in the water.
Can you combine an ATV tour with other activities in Medellín?+
Yes, if you book a half-day ride. The four and four-and-a-half hour tours return you to the city by early afternoon, leaving time for a paragliding flight over the Aburrá Valley or a city tour the same day. The nine hour full-day tour takes the whole day and cannot realistically be paired.
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