Rio Claro Jungle River Private Tour from Medellín
4.3
Rio Claro Jungle River Private Tour from Medellín
By Medellin Travels
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Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 0-99
Duration: 11h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: German, English, French, Spanish
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Highlights
- Comfortable and spacious new vehicle
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private tour
- All fees, parking, and tolls
- Entry/Admission - Canon del Rio Claro Reserva Natural
What's not included- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- We pick up guests in Medellin main hotels and airbnbs. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance in adding your hotel or address manually into the system. For guests staying outside the city a meeting point will be given.
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Pushchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 29265P13- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Brink sun block, towel, and swim trunks and/or bathing suit
- Light sweater for evening
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- Most travellers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 29265P13
From
£196.17
per adult (price varies by group size)
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Itinerary
- 1Your morning begins with a hotel pick-up by your friendly, licensed tour guide. Sit back for a relaxing 3-hour journey in a comfortable new private SUV or high-end vehicle with air conditioning and tinted windows. Your experienced driver will take you into the verdant heart of the Andes mountains, making stops along the way, where you can photograph beautiful canyons, waterfalls, and lush landscapes chock-full of exotic birds, plants, and fruits. Go for a swim in the turquoise waters, hike along the bedrock bank, or embark on an adventure through magical jungle caverns. We'll stop for lunch in a famous and traditional paisa cuisine restaurant (food not included). Your guide will accompany you every step of the way, explaining the nuances and subtleties of your surroundings and allowing you to rest and recharge your batteries amidst this paradise on earth. Your day concludes with an evening drop-off back at your hotel.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Merlin C0 contributionsGreat tour with knowledgeable guidesHad a full day adventure with our excellent tour guides Philip, Matteo, and steady driver Jefferson. Saw and experienced so much from the humble homemade arepa to the glorious heights atop Guatapé. They pack a lot in and keep the tour moving but it’s totally worth it. From land to sea and back again this is a great intro to all that you might want to see. Definitely recommend it!Written 7 February 2025
- drewatucker0 contributionsA++Really enjoyed our tour and fornutate to see this area. We got to see and experience so much more that we could on our own. Appreciate it fully and would reccomend highly. A++Written 25 January 2025
- NewLivingstone0 contributionsFor this price, I had expected a more professional and personalized service.Very interesting tour and fascinating to see the places you have read about in books and seen on television. And incredible to realize that the lovely city that is Medellin now was a war zone thirty years ago due to the narcism of one man. My guide was very knowledgeable about the topic and had answers to all my questions. That said, I did feel more like a number than a true guest. It was a private 1:1 tour, but I did not feel the guide had any interest in the person he spent 4 hours with. He did tell me about his past addictions, which seemed out of place for me. At the Cathedral, he bought water and a chocolate bar for himself and he didn't offer me anything, nor did he even alert me to the fact that I could buy something there. Very strange. He was also was attending personal matters towards the end of the tour. Several times, I had to ask the guide for a moment to take pictures and he never proactively offered to take a picture of me. We had to do everything quickly and I was already back at my Airbnb in less than 4 hours, feeling slightly confused and USD170 poorer. The day before this trip, we had a full day excursion to Guatape with five people including bus, boat tour, lunch and guided tour for the same amount. So in short: It wasn't a bad experience, but for USD170 I do expect a more professional and personalized service.Written 2 January 2025
- iantZ7526JW0 contributionsFantastic private tour of El Peñol and Guatape!I had a fantastic private tour of El Peñol and Guatape with Carlos! Carlos knows all the ins and outs of the area and can cater the tour to what you like. We were able to have great local coffee, snacks and food. 10/10 would recommend going with Carlos. I would also recommend going early to beat the traffic!Written 2 January 2025
- srr11190 contributionsA Great Introduction to MedellinAfter picking us up at our airbnb in Laureles, Carlos led us on a private tour of the city. Included were a ride on the cable cars, a visit to Comuna 13 and the Plaza Boteros. With only a short time to spend in Medellin, we were able to get a good sense of the city, its past, its present and its possible future. Carlos was knowledgeable, engaging and willing to share his thoughts on past and current Colombian events. He even gave us the name of a great coffee shop in the neighborhood where we were staying! I highly recommend this tour to anyone trying to get their initial bearings in this fascinating and beautiful city.Written 30 December 2024
- clairehZ4820VN0 contributionsIncredible OpportunitySuch an incredible, once in a lifetime experience. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone interested in the Escobar family. Gloria was very welcoming and open to any and all question you may have about her, her family, or the cartel. I am very grateful to Medellin travels and Alex the guide/driver/translator for providing this opportunity.Written 27 November 2024
- S24YEwilliamb0 contributionsGreat Day / Great GuideWhat a fabulous tour! We started by taking the Metro and gondola(s) up to Arvi. Fascinating to see the life up in the hills and then encounter a sea of green below. Definitely ask to include a 30-45 min walk into the canopy as part of your tour (and maybe plan to come back for a whole day in the park). Then down to Plaza Botero which was magical including lunch outside overlooking the sculptures and the city life. And finally up to the delightful and colorful chaos and energy of Comuna 13. So much to see, hear, taste and experience. Our guide, Carlos, was amazing. (Carlos Medellin-contact me so I can return your independiente hat) So friendly, thoughtful and filled with interesting stories and anecdotes about Medellin, its history, culture, food. He’s really special and he took extra care to make sure that my mom and I had a fabulous day.Written 17 November 2024
- 246bassemk0 contributionsGreat city private tourExcellent tour guide, friendly,answered all the questions, gave solid recommendations, knows the city inside and out,highly recommendedWritten 11 November 2024
- joaom586190 contributionsEscobar tourAmazing tour, learned so many things different from Netflix documentaries and was able to visit true areas affected, will definitely book jail tour!Written 13 October 2024
- Adventure5792350 contributionsStunning vistas and a special dayGreat experience! John, our tour guide, picked us up from our hotel in the morning and drove us to Guatape. We climbed the 700 steps to the top of La Piedra to stunning views. Wow! We then drove to the nearby town of Guatape which was quaint, colorful and photogenic. John took us to some good shopping areas for chocolate, coffee, emeralds and other souvenirs. The tour company and John were great and arranged a birthday surprise for one of our tour members at a local restaurant - thank you for making this a memorable and fantastic day for all of us!Written 1 October 2024
- Z8035UDmarkm0 contributionsAndres Gonzales - the best Pablo Escobar tour guideWe took a private Pablo Escobar tour with Andres Gonzales, and he was an excellent guide. We toured the cities where Pablo conducted his life and tried hiding from his enemies. The Parque which the government sponsored as they demolushed his Palace is rather eye opening. The deaths he was involved with amounted to 46k people, so he was truly a wicked man, and a narcissist. Always on the move. Andres was an excellent guide and the tour was quite revealing of the history of Columbia. I highly recommend Andres! He was professional, very knowledgeable and very pleasant. We enjoyed his company and are proud to know him. Take the tour with him; you won't be dissatisfied. He's GREAT!.Written 23 August 2024
- ErickD941140 contributionsThe best tour I've ever been on!John was the BEST tour guide I've ever had! I've never had a tour guide take such care to accommodate me. HIGHLY recommendWritten 31 July 2024
- ThomasCopeland0 contributionsBeautiful scenes at every turnGreat time and very scenic. The quaint town of Guatape was a joy to walk. At every corner there was something to photograph.Written 29 June 2024
- MaryLynn D0 contributionsTake this tour with CarlosCarlos Restrepo was our guide and he did a great job. He was very personable, spoke English well, and was very informative. He did the tour in an organized fashion and told us about all the neighborhoods so we felt like we got a little more than just Pablo info. To top it off - he was a good driver😜Written 19 June 2024
- OnAir8017040 contributionsWorth it!This tour was incredible! Carlos was our guide, and he was wonderful. He picked us up on time at our hotel, and took us out to El Penol, telling us about the area and answering all of our questions. El Penol itself is an intense climb, but the views are so worth it! And then we were able to go into the town of Guatape, wander around, and had a great lunch at a restaurant recommended by Carlos. And, after seeing the multiple group tours all being herded around, we were so glad to have booked a private tour-it’s definitely worth the cost! Overall it was a great day and one we will not forget!Written 14 June 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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4.3
6 reviews
Excellent
5
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1
Rory L
Antioquia Department, Colombia3 contributions
Alex is an amazing tour guide. This was my second tour with him and he really becomes more of a friend than a guide. Our trip exploring the Río Claro was amazing. Alex knew all the right spots to get once in a lifetime photographs. He is a wealth of knowledge and a fun person to spend the day with. I would recommend him for any tour you are interested in in and around Medellin.
Written 11 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Big R, thanks for the awesome review my Celtic brother! Thanks for letting others know how much fun we have on our tours.
My guests are like my family...we don't do tours, we bond and make friendships.
Thanks again bro. Talk to you soon when you come back down.
Big bear hug for you...Rrhh..haha!
Alex
Written 12 June 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MtnGirl
Bozeman, MT151 contributions
We had an amazing day with Medellin Travels exploring the Rio Claro jungle area. We were picked up in a clean van at our hotel. The driver, Chappi, was great at navigating the mountain roads quickly but safely. Our guide, George (who is from Medellin), spoke excellent English, studied Colombian history at university, and captivated us during the roughly 3 hour drive with a full explanation of Colombia’s past and present. The stories were so interesting that the time passed very quickly. This area of the jungle was controlled by the cartels until recently, but is now safe to visit. The jungle is expansive and dense, and the drive through the mountains is stunning. When you get to the park, you can hike along the banks of the river as far as you would like - the trail gets rougher the further you go, but that was part of the fun. We stopped to swim along the way. The canyon has steep walls covered in vines, and the floor of the river is marble, so when the water is clear (no rains) it is green. They have 3 activities you can choose from aside from hiking and swimming - rafting, cave exploring, and ziplining. We did the ziplining, which was super fun. The caves would be amazing to do but it is a 3-hour trek through the limestone cave system, and we didn’t have enough time because we trekked and swam for a while. It was an unforgettable experience in Colombia. We did this with 3 kids - ages 11-15, and they were two steps behind the guide, completely engaged, the whole time. They LOVED it. I highly recommend escaping the city and exploring the jungle, and you must go with Medellin Travels.
Written 31 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlos M
1 contribution
Jun 2019 • Solo
So I decided to take the Rio Claro Jungle tour because I wanted something adventurous and exciting this time and of course! Alex delivered as usual, He is so much fun, courteous, articulate and knowledgeable, Alex, Lina are supercool!! tour was simply spot on! since this is my 3rd time in Colombia and Just can't get enough! Thanks again Alex had a blast !!
Written 26 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Carlos M, for this lovely review!
I'm stoked that you found our Rio Claro Jungle River tour exciting and adventurous. It's my favorite tour out of the 45 different tours that we offer. As you saw, we went to the jungle and came back the same day in the evening, you can't do that anywhere else, thus you save money and 5 days time of jungling around somewhere else...haha.
Thanks for saying that me and Lina are super cool, we don't do tours, we make friends from all over the world!
I have some fantastic photos of you basking in the turquoise river and you under that waterfall!
You know this is your home brother, anytime you want to come down to my piece of paradise, do not hesitate to call your friends here at Medellin Travels!
Big hugs,
Alex and Lina from Medellintravels.com
Written 29 June 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jason W
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • Solo
If you have never been on a hike, then this trip might be okay for you. But if you have, then you will probably feel like just as much of a schmuck as I did for paying this ridiculous sum of money for what is essentially a hike in a forest. "Jungle River Tour"! Sounds great, doesn't it? And it costs a lot of money - so, if you're an idiot like me, then you'll think that's proof that you're about to go on an Alan Quartermain style adventure into a dark and forbidding wilderness.
No. Not at all. After sitting in a van for two hours, you pull into the parking lot of what is basically a wilderness park. You get out and you follow your "guide" down a trail. I put "guide" in parenthesis because you don't really need a guide here. This is a well-traveled path that you'll see dozens of people walking on - none of who paid anything to be there other than the admission for the park. There are some people Zip-Lining and some people doing some Spelunking. They're having a good time. Us? We're just walking on a path. The caves we walk into aren't caves. They are indentions.
On the way back, we were stuck in traffic and it took about three hours to get home. Five hours in a van. About one hour walking on a trail in a forest. And I spent over $200 on it. I told the guy who ran the operation that this not come anywhere near being a "Jungle River Tour", and said that I believed it wasn't unreasonable to ask for half my money back. Because it wasn't just about the mediocrity of the trip. I feel that I lost an entire day of my trip to Colombia. The whole day was taken by this. But the guy told me that he wasn't going to be giving me anything back.
I did enjoy one bit of swimming that I was able to do. But - showing how far this is from deserving the title "Jungle River Tour" - there was a lifeguard at this river. And he made sure that nobody did anything out of the ordinary.
Other than that, the only good thing thing that came from this was that I now have something to which I can refer whenever I'm jokingly warning myself or others about being careful how they spend their money during travel. "Just make sure it's not a jungle river tour!" "No jungle river tours!"
No. Not at all. After sitting in a van for two hours, you pull into the parking lot of what is basically a wilderness park. You get out and you follow your "guide" down a trail. I put "guide" in parenthesis because you don't really need a guide here. This is a well-traveled path that you'll see dozens of people walking on - none of who paid anything to be there other than the admission for the park. There are some people Zip-Lining and some people doing some Spelunking. They're having a good time. Us? We're just walking on a path. The caves we walk into aren't caves. They are indentions.
On the way back, we were stuck in traffic and it took about three hours to get home. Five hours in a van. About one hour walking on a trail in a forest. And I spent over $200 on it. I told the guy who ran the operation that this not come anywhere near being a "Jungle River Tour", and said that I believed it wasn't unreasonable to ask for half my money back. Because it wasn't just about the mediocrity of the trip. I feel that I lost an entire day of my trip to Colombia. The whole day was taken by this. But the guy told me that he wasn't going to be giving me anything back.
I did enjoy one bit of swimming that I was able to do. But - showing how far this is from deserving the title "Jungle River Tour" - there was a lifeguard at this river. And he made sure that nobody did anything out of the ordinary.
Other than that, the only good thing thing that came from this was that I now have something to which I can refer whenever I'm jokingly warning myself or others about being careful how they spend their money during travel. "Just make sure it's not a jungle river tour!" "No jungle river tours!"
Written 29 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dede
Houston, TX13 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
Beautiful! Nice drive and the river was wonderful. Our guide was knowledgeable and fun and the transportation was clean and comfortable.
Written 24 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for reviewing us and our Rio Claro Jungle River private tour. We are elated that you had a spectacular time basking in the tranquil, light green waters of the river canyon.
Also, we pride ourselves in safe and smooth driving, as well as keeping our vans impeccably clean.
We hope to see you back here with us in Medellin!
Your friends from
Medellintravels.com
Written 25 August 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
savannahjp
Miami, FL8 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
My wife and I were on our second trip to Medellin earlier this month and, having done 3 wonderful tours with Alex and Medellin Travels last year, we decided to contact Alex and get his recommendations on a couple new tours to do for our trip this year. We ended up doing the Express Coffee Plantation Tour (approx 3 hours) and the Rio Claro Jungle/River tour (approx 11 hours). Both tours, while very different from each other, were excellent and very memorable. The coffee tour takes you to a local (maybe half hour ride) coffee plantation. The actual coffee tour at this location is given by an extremely colorful, entertaining and enthusiastic man who owns and runs the plantation. We learned so much about how coffee is grown and made, and at the end got to sit and have a fresh cup from beans picked on the plantation. Very educational tour and would be great also for families with kids as its fun to learn how things are grown and made, and also because the owner/tour guide is extremely entertaining!
The Jungle tour starts with a 3 hour drive out of Medellin and through the Colombia countryside to the Rio Claro River. It is a nice hike from the trailhead along the river to the beach where you are able to take a swim and use a rope to cross to the other side of the river, which was fun an exhilirating! Alex was extremely knowledeable in describing all the local flora and fauna during the hike, and its made all the more enjoyable because it is very easy to tell how proud Alex is of Colombia's natural resources and how much he likes being out there with you during this tour. We really felt like it was a hike and a swim with some friends rather than being taken in by a "tour guide". We learned so much about Colombia's natural resources during this trip and we saw all sorts of birds and colorful butterflies. Once the river portion of the tour is over, its back in the comfortable van for the drive back to Medellin, which, very happily, is broken up by a stop for a late lunch/early dinner at a roadside restaurant with an amazing view into the valley below. The food here, which is all cooked over a wood burning stove was excellent, and extremely inexpensive. This tour is all day so plan to bring bottled water and snacks with you (though there are a couple stops along the way to the river so you could always get water at the stops). Also bring a bathing suit and towel for the river swim! Oh and sunscreen and bug repellent are good ideas also. during our trip we didnt really have any bugs to speak of, but best to be on the safe side. Again, we love Alex and Medellin travels. They are 5 for 5 over the past two years in giving us great, fun tours, that we feel are priced very fairly for the value that you get. If you have a few days in Medellin, build your trip around a couple of these tours. You will not be disappointed..
The Jungle tour starts with a 3 hour drive out of Medellin and through the Colombia countryside to the Rio Claro River. It is a nice hike from the trailhead along the river to the beach where you are able to take a swim and use a rope to cross to the other side of the river, which was fun an exhilirating! Alex was extremely knowledeable in describing all the local flora and fauna during the hike, and its made all the more enjoyable because it is very easy to tell how proud Alex is of Colombia's natural resources and how much he likes being out there with you during this tour. We really felt like it was a hike and a swim with some friends rather than being taken in by a "tour guide". We learned so much about Colombia's natural resources during this trip and we saw all sorts of birds and colorful butterflies. Once the river portion of the tour is over, its back in the comfortable van for the drive back to Medellin, which, very happily, is broken up by a stop for a late lunch/early dinner at a roadside restaurant with an amazing view into the valley below. The food here, which is all cooked over a wood burning stove was excellent, and extremely inexpensive. This tour is all day so plan to bring bottled water and snacks with you (though there are a couple stops along the way to the river so you could always get water at the stops). Also bring a bathing suit and towel for the river swim! Oh and sunscreen and bug repellent are good ideas also. during our trip we didnt really have any bugs to speak of, but best to be on the safe side. Again, we love Alex and Medellin travels. They are 5 for 5 over the past two years in giving us great, fun tours, that we feel are priced very fairly for the value that you get. If you have a few days in Medellin, build your trip around a couple of these tours. You will not be disappointed..
Written 21 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason, my Itallian stallion!!! Hey man, I really appreciate this long novel you wrote..haha..kidding.
No but really, I think everyone reading this really digs all of your thorough description, and attention to detail,
I know I do.
Your awesome...and I love you guys too!
I have many repeat guests like you guys that become friends..you know our saying "We don't do tours, we make friends from all over the world".
I'm happy that you enjoyed our Express Coffee Tour and the Rio Claro Jungle river tour.
Thanks for stating that the tour is very fairly priced for what you get.
Keep in touch brother!
Big bear hugs for you guys..arrhhh!
Alex from Medellintravels.com
Written 22 March 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi, we are traveling with a 10 year old child. Is this tour suitable for children? From what I read it sounds like he would be able to participate in the activities just wanted to double check.
Written 12 March 2019
Hello Sightsee, absolutely, this tour is feasible and apt for a 10 year old. We go at your pace, whether you choose to hike more or lounge at one of the beaches with waterfalls.
Regards,
Alex from Medellin Travels
Written 12 March 2019
Hi, when would the tour be the 130 euro as stated above? It turns out to be twice as much any day I choose🤔 Tia
Written 21 February 2019
Hello Tia, All tours are starting from so of course if your group is 5 or more the price is less. Our tours are private and Rio Claro is located 3hrs+ from Medellin, the tour last 12hrs total, we include the entrance fees, taxes, insurance, professional driver and bilingual tour guide so taking this into consideration for 1 single guest the price of course will be more. Take care!
Written 12 September 2019
Forgive my ignorance. During the period 17 March to 5 April, I will be staying at the Hotel Arame in Envigado. Does this location qualify as a pickup point in Medellin? It is likely that I would be booking a tour for two people. Thank you in advance for your response.
Written 9 February 2019
Good morning Mr. Dee,
Absolutely, we will indeed pick you up at the stipulated hotel in Envigado.
Cheers!
Alex from Medellin Travels
Written 9 February 2019
It says $145 ? Why is the price $ 315 when you attempt to check out
Written 20 January 2019
Hello Michael, It clearly says starting at $145 so if your group is larger you get this price.
You're a single traveler and the price for 1 guest for a private tour is right, with a bilingual profesional tour guide, insurance, taxes, entrance fees, toll fees and a distance of 4hrs drive from Medellin to go and 4hrs to return etc.
Written 30 January 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.