A Medellin bachelor party is on your bucket list for quite some time now and it looks like you’re finally coming. But you have no idea where to stay, what to do and how to begin.
You’ve come to the right place.
Here at Medellin Crew, we have almost a decade of experience in planning bachelor parties in Medellin. From groups of 30+ guests to two partners in crime living it up, we’ve seen it all. But times have changed and so has the city.
Medellin Bachelor Party Origins
It seems like only yesterday when one or two groups of guys (after watching Narcos) took a leap of faith and visited Medellin.
We say leap of faith because in 2013-2015, people were ashamed to admit they were coming to Medellin. Why? Well, there was stigma surrounding the city’s past. Bachelors would tell their families and with every group, there was always one guy that had to drop out.
There were only a few dozen Airbnb’s available and to guarantee the best ones, you had to book months in advance.
The only two great restaurants were Carmen, Cielo and Ocio (now Oci). It was rice and beans or bust, really.
Nightclubs were authentic Medellin parties with old school reggaeton. But no English was spoken and nightlife was cliquey.
The only similarity with 10 years ago and today are the beautiful women that are woven into the fabric of ‘paisa’ culture.
I’d like to say those were the good old days but many would argue times are better now.
Medellin in 2024
The Medellin we knew back then is long gone. It had to die out for a new Medellin to be born out of the ashes. A developed city, beautiful parks, amazing nightlife and epic restaurants. Keeping the beautiful women, paisa hospitality and over the top intangibles.
Now that we’ve got your attention and are ready to hit the ground running. Here are our 9 easy to follow steps to plan your Medellin bachelor party.
Step 1 – Pick the right time for a Medellin Bachelor Party
By right time we don’t mean months, we also mean enough time to put this all together.
A good rule of thumb is 4-5 months to plan this type of event. You’ll need time to find the right rental, assemble the right crew and for some, grovel for permission.
When it comes to time of year, Medellin is the city of Eternal Spring. But there are a few periods we don’t recommend.
- Easter: In such a heavily influenced catholic country, Easter is the holiest of weeks. Many locals go on vacation and the tradition still stands where businesses shut down on Good Thursday or Good Friday.
- August / Medellin Flower Festival: Families and couples love this time because the city is bright and beautiful. But bachelor party groups have to deal with large lines at the airports, packed clubs and no reservations anywhere.
- Election times: This is rather difficult to anticipate but it can ruin any Medellin bachelor party. During local and national elections, dry law is in place. Meaning no alcohol served at any establishment.
Step 2 – Pick the right crew
We’ve had groups where they refuse to party their asses off because they don’t trust a few people from their squad.
This is ridiculous but it happens. Dudes get strong-armed into inviting those who can’t be trusted.
We also recommend keeping your group’s size between 6-12 guests. There are half a dozen rentals with 12+ bedrooms so if privacy is key, groups of 15+ can be a burden. Not to mention try finding a top restaurant that will accommodate 20+ guests. Not easy.
Step 3 – Best Villas and Penthouses for a Medellin Bachelor Party
Airbnb tends to be everyone’s go-to platform and it’s revolutionized the way we do business. But Airbnb is only a half truth.
I can go through at least a few dozen “party friendly” villas that aren’t what they promise.
Places with questionable reviews, irresponsible landlords and outdated pictures. Unfortunately, many users don’t do enough research on rentals and end up crashing and burning.
Poblado is the only place where you should be. Whether it’s in the nightlife area or not, you have no business staying anywhere else.
Look for recent reviews, superhost status, read the rules carefully and ask questions.
Check out our luxury rentals at the best prices.
Step 4 – Getting Around in Medellin
Places in the nightlife area tend to be great because of location, but rarely you’ll find a place big enough to accommodate larger groups.
Sometimes you’ll find yourself in an area where even if it’s a 3 minute drive, you’ll have to rely on third party transportation.
Taxis can be unsafe and although Uber is popular, we still recommend keeping an eye out. We recommend a van or SUV (via a third party company) to accompany you at all times. Especially after hours.
A 15-19 passenger van will run you about $250 for all night. A small price to pay for comfort and security. Especially for a group of 10+ guests.
Step 5 – Food and Drinks
Most trips to Medellin tend to last 72-96 hours. Meaning you have precious time to do everything you want.
This is why breakfast is as important as it is. We’ve found that once groups are fed in the morning, you get much more out of your day. Bigger groups usually have a couple guys who wake up early while the rest sleep in nursing a hangover.
This wastes time and comes in the way of any daytime activity you’d like to get done.
Breakfast we recommend at home and with a VIP Chef. Lunch and dinner we recommend trying something a bit more local.
Best Restaurants for lunch and dinner
- Hatoviejo: Local Colombian cuisine
- Carmen: Top 50 best restaurants in Latin America
- Oci: One of the city’s best dinner spots
- Mamba Negra: Epic views, trendy, upscale
- Don Diablo: Amazing steakhouse
- Bar XO: Carmen’s newest bar serving up amazing foods and cocktails.
Step 6 – Do I need a Bodyguard in Medellin ? / Is Medellin Safe?
Medellin has come a long way from what people knew back in the 90s and early 2000s. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t keep an eye out.
Cops might still shake you down if you give them the opportunity. You might also find yourself in some trouble after hours if you’re drunk and belligerent.
We recommend keeping the flashy jewels at home. That means Rolexes and everything expensive. Anything that will draw unnecessary attention to yourself.
A bodyguard will keep an eye out for you and deal with the money as well as translating. This way all you have to focus on is making sure your group has a great time.
Step 7 – Best Tours in Medellin
If you’re going to be in Medellin for 3-4 days, we recommend you become immersed in the culture.
With big groups this might be challenging but don’t worry, we’re here to recommend the best possible tours.
- Comuna 13: Once Colombia’s most dangerous neighborhoods, Comuna 13 (San Javier) is full of culture. Amazing views of the city, cable cars, soccer fields and spectacular street food. This is a tour of the city’s history as well as where its going.
- Guatape: Guatape is a town that’s 90 minutes away from Medellin. A town known for its monolith and beautiful lake with picturesque views. In Guatape you’ll find boat parties, cultural tours and delicious food.
- ATVs in Medellin: Nothing screams bachelor party activities more than ATVs in Medellin. From the waterfalls to the horses and even the views, you’ve never experienced an ATV tour like this.
There are at least half a dozen tours that you can’t leave the city without experiencing but these three are a good start.
For any 4-day trip we recommend at least two of these excursions.
Step 8 – Concierge Services for a Medellin Bachelor Party
We get a lot of groups asking how necessary is a concierge for a Medellin Bachelor Party. How easy is it to plan and set up a bachelor party without a concierge?
To make a long story short, you don’t need a concierge but everything does become easier with one. If you want to find your own drivers, tour providers, chefs and feel the communication is easy with all, you don’t need a concierge.
But try juggling those logistics, while getting in touch with every member of your party and collecting money from them, good luck.
A concierge in Medellin’s sole purpose isn’t to be your translator. On the contrary, it’s logistics, it’s comfort and it’s convenient.
The person who is stuck with the headache of putting this shindig together has a huge responsibility. Not only to the group but to themselves. When you plan a trip, you’re responsible for every aspect and there is no one pickier than your friends.
So can you set this up on your own? Sure. But do you really want the responsibility?
Step 9 – Medellin Nightlife
As icing on the cake, Medellin bachelor parties always need the right plans for nightlife.
Chances are you’re here from Thursday – Sunday/Monday. So you know you’ll have Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to hit the town. But what are the best options for a Medellin nightlife itinerary? Here are a few of our favorite bars, clubs and rooftop bars in Medellin.
- Gusto – Hip hop, reggaeton, gentleman’s club.
- La Isla – Strip club
- Fase Dos – Strip Club
- Teatro victoria – 4 nightclubs in one. Reggaeton, hip-hop, crossover.
- Ene Bar – Rooftop bar, trendy, great cocktails and even better reggaeton music.
- Envy rooftop – Deep house, great place for pregaming.
Medellin Bachelor Party Itinerary
Now that you have the basics of what you need to put this event together, we’d like to show you what an average weekend should look like.
You’ll have a luxury rental, transportation, concierge and bodyguard service. You will also have 2-3 tours, pre-planned Medellin nightlife and enough leisure time to regain your strength.
Will you sacrifice a few extra hours of sleep and go ham on electrolytes? Absolutely. But will it be the trip with which future bachelor parties are measured? You’re damn right.
If you want to learn more about how to live an experience like this, be sure to contact us today.
