Exceptional Medellín Tour with Jaime – History, Comunas, and Insight Galore! We had the absolute best private tour in Medellín with Jaime through ToursByLocals – hands down one of the highlights of our Colombia trip. Jaime is incredibly knowledgeable, blending Pablo Escobar’s notorious history with the broader context of Colombia’s guerrilla conflicts and the country’s path to peace. He didn’t just recite facts; he wove in personal stories and lesser-known details that made the narrative come alive. The tour kicked off with Escobar’s key sites, then expanded thoughtfully into the guerrilla era, showing how Medellín has transformed. The real standout was our visit to Comuna 13 – Jaime’s connections got us an authentic, safe walkthrough of the vibrant street art, escalators, and local vibe, far beyond typical tourist spots. His passion for his city shines through, and he answered every question with depth and nuance. Bonus: Jaime picked us up in his spotless, comfortable SUV – perfect for zipping around the city. Professional, friendly, and fluent in English/Spanish, he tailored the day to our interests and even shared restaurant recs for later. If you’re in Medellín, book Jaime – you won’t regret it. 5 stars all the way!
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Private tour in Medellin Jaime R
Comuna 13: From Violence to Transformation. My Personal Story
5.0
(10) reviews
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4 hours
1
Tour date
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4 hours
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Jaime R.
5.0
Guide rating
85
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1 hrs
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Born and raised in Medellin, Colombia and totally in love with my country. I feel very fortunate for being able to become a tour guide 9 years ago and making it my full time job, as during my childhood and teenage it was imposible to even think about it, due to the violence we lived in Colombia that made tourism a non existing activity. We had 2 different armed conflicts, one related to the drug cartels and the other related to guerrillas and paramilitaries groups, but then, this country lived an unbelieveble transformation that coverted it into a tourist destination. These are topics covered during my tours, passing through all the bad times and now enjoying the good ones. Talking about my professional life, I used to be a TV producer and worked in media for more than 15 years, untill 2015 that I decided to do a trip by motorcycle around Colombia. It was the first time we could do something like that due to the peace treaty that the goverment did with the armed groups that made the violence decrease gradually. I planned a 2 weeks trip by some regions of Colombia and it ended up being a 3 months trip by the entire country, because I was so amazed with the beauty of this land that I couldn’t stop exploring it. I discovered how gorgeous and interesting Colombia is, with its mountains, rivers, jungle, beaches, wondeful people… That made me think about dedicating my time to show this wonders to other people and that’s when I decided to ge tinto tourism. I worked in a hotel for 1 year and studied for 2 years to get my certification of professional tour guide. In 2018 I opened my own tour agency and since then I’ve been traveling in Colombia accompanied by nice people who come for all over the world. So far, I’ve made around 2,000 tours for people from 73 different nationalities. I lived in Sydney, Australia between 2009 and 2010. This experience allowed me to learn English language and gave me the capacity to understand different cultures, which have been truly useful for my job. If you’re planning to come to Colombia, it’d be a real pleasure to tour with you. Certifications: *Tour Guide Professional Card # 4479 This is a certification granted to trained tour guides in Colombia that allows to do tours in the nationwide. *RNT (Registro Nacional de Turismo) # 57804 The National Tourism Register is the license for tour operators in Colombia. That makes my services legal and allows my car to transport tourist. *English Language (Advanced Level) Certification Granted by Access Language Centre (Sydney, Australia) *Driving License Category C1 No Restrictions
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Premiun experience by the neighborhhod that passed from being the most dangerous to the most iinovative, with a local.
Overview of your Medellin tour
This is an inspiring journey through the process lived in the neighborhoods where I grew up, in the area known as Comuna 13. We experienced a great deal of violence here: in the 1980s, due to gang wars linked to Pablo Escobar and the cartel, and in the late 1990s, because of urban combat between guerrilla forces and paramilitary groups. Eventually, the government managed to bring the situation under control following intense military operations between 2001 and 2002, paving the way for a remarkable transformation. Today, this area is filled with art, innovative transport, and a joyful atmosphere that draws thousands of people from all over the world. For my part, I am very proud to be a guide and to be able to show people around my neighborhood, sharing the story of how its transformation was achieved. It is a change that no one expected and that seemed impossible years ago, yet today it is a reality.
Recent Reviews
Knowledgeable, pleasant, excellent communicator. Could not wish for more in a guide.
This was our first visit to Medellín and the first full day of our visit. Jaime Rincón (Kachay Colombia Tours) was THE BEST. First, while my family understands some Spanish, in order to make the most of our time with a guide and learn as much as we could, we needed someone who was fluent in English. Jaime was fluent in English and patient when we practiced our Spanish. Second, Jaime taught us so much about his hometown and community, so that we left our tour better world citizens than when we started off. Jaime is so proud of the work that Medellín and its people have put in since the late 1990’s (whether it’s the amazingly clean Metra trains or cable cars, or parks, etc.). We were lucky to book a trip with Jaime because he is a hot commodity for tours. I would recommend him to anyone who wants to learn and see and experience Medellín and Colombia. Book early.
This was a fabulous tour with a fabulous guide. I simply can’t say enough about Jaime and his knowledge of this area and its history. If you are interested in knowing how things were just a few years ago and seeing the progress that this city has made, Jaime is your guide. We spent a full day touring with him the following day and it was just as informative and gave us a flavor of the area outside of Medellín. Don’t hesitate to book with Jaime.
Jamie, was timely and well informed. He as an excellent command of the English language. I would recommend him with no reservations
We had an excellent time with our knowledgeable tour guide Jaime. We finished the tour with so much knowledge and information, not just of Communa 13, but also about Colombia as a whole. It was a great way to spend the morning, and a great introduction for the rest of our trip in Medellin. Thank you Jaime
Your Medellin tour itinerary
*Pick-up from your accommodation at a time of your choice. *San Javier Viewpoint: A vantage point overlooking the area known as Comuna 13—where I grew up. There, I will share my personal experiences from the era of armed conflict. *Cable Car Ride: A scenic ride over the mountainside neighborhoods offering an incredible view of the city. *Walking Tour by the Neighborhoods 20 de Julio and Independencias: I'll take you by the alleys of this area. passing by colorful murals, spots for street performers, street food vendors, art galleries, viewpoints, and many more surprises. *Return to your accommodation or preferred drop-off point.
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Transport details
Type: Private Transportation / Category: Minivan
Private transport in a luxury 6-passenger minivan, equipped with air conditioning, automatic doors, a portable cooler with bottled water (included), and seats suitable for tall or large-framed passengers. It is a 2025 luxury model Hyundai Staria minivan.
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Meeting location
Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
You can be picked up at your accommodation or the place you prefer
- You can request a specific meeting location (for example, your hotel) during the checkout.
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a 20% deposit!
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