We Don’t Talk About Pablo: Untold Narcos Story And Transformation

Diana was a great guide! This is a powerful tour, especially the House of Memory. It's a must if you want to understand the real impact of the cartels on the people of Medellin.

We did the “We Don’t Talk About Pablo” tour with Carolina, and it was one of the most meaningful experiences of our trip to Colombia. We were traveling as a family of five, with three teenagers (16, 18, and 20), Carolina struck exactly the right tone: deeply knowledgeable, emotionally intelligent, and engaging for all of us. Not a sugarcoated version of Colombia’s past—it was an honest, intense, but deeply human story about Medellín, the war on drugs, and the country’s path to recovery. Carolina met us at the inflection monument, the cable car and downtown Medellín, weaving in personal stories, historical insights, and present-day context that made everything come alive. She was incredibly flexible and warm, able to answer every question with respect and nuance. WHEN NOT TI BOOK: if your are seeking light entertainment— IF YOU WANT: to understand Colombia beyond the headlines, we wholeheartedly recommend both Carolina and the company. Communication by both impulse travel and Carolina was excellent, scheduling was precise, and everything went exactly as promised. Thank you, Carolina, for your honesty, energy, and generosity. We’ll never forget

It was incredibly refreshing to learn so much about Medellin's complicated history and the importance of different perspectives and so many human stories. Thanks to our outstanding guide, Carolina, we really appreciated the opportunity to unpack the word "victim", how its meaning transcends far beyond those who were killed or injured and why it also stretches to include such things as irreparable damage to land and extinction of certain bird and insect species. This tour was also filled with so much that is so positive and regenerative. Two examples I loved: the cable car system that makes it possible for those who live in the hills to navigate with relative ease and far less time getting to and from the center of Medellin for work, medical services and other resources not found as easily near their homes. Carolina also took us to see and spend time in a BiblioMetro, (Medellin now has six)-- facilities for people of all ages to use: library and computer stations and related resources; play activities; relaxing moments before continuing home; after school space for children waiting for their parents to pick them up after work, etc. Carolina was a fantastic guide every step of the way. She is so so knowledgeable and well prepared. She is so passionate about her city, her country, her own journey. She is everything that one hopes for with a guide. Her knowledge, facilitation and emotions resonated with us. Carolina and this tour is one that we will always remember and for which we are grateful. Thank you Carolina and Impulse Travel!

Carolina was an excellent guide and gave us lots of personal family stories. Firstly we stopped at the memorial park, then in Communa 8 and finally the museum of memories. No it’s not an easy tour, but one which needs to be heard. So please book it whilst you’re in Medellin. Very different to anything else you’ll do here.

Loved everything about working with Impulse. The tour was fascinating and informative and our guides Anna and Carolina were just amazing. Highly recommend this tour as well as Impulse in general for tours in Medellin.

Do NOT use this company. They cancelled our tour at the last minute. Claimed the main museum was closed. It was open and we went on our own ! Horrible communication and lack of respect.

Tour was amazing, guide was very informative and answered any an every question. Must do!! Highly recommended

This was by far my most favorite tour of all time through my Colombia experience. Our tour guide, Mauricio, brought my family and me through Medellin safely and securely. Not only did we see the beautiful city, but he also made sure that we had everything we needed. Great tour! Highly recommend it! Very cool tour! Good job your doing Mauricio👍🏾

Carlos was a great guide, we really enjoyed the tour. Learning about the history of medellin was fascinating!

We had a private tour with two guides. We had seen the Comuna 13 the day before so they were kind enough to readjust our schedule and take us to The Catedral instead. Both guides were really knowledgeable and offered us a great experience. One of the best tours I've done!

For anyone that is interested in the life and times of the world renowned criminal and biggest drug trafficker of all times! Nevertheless, he also did "good" to the local people of Medellin who still appreciate and honor the man for what he did in helping them live in better homes he actually had build for them. A type of South American Robin Hood.

<p>Our guide was amazing. He grew up in Medellin during the Pablo Escobar times so he was able to share some real life recollections and stories and how he was affected. We felt very safe with him as well as we visited some areas which used to be very dangerous once upon a time. His English was great and very easy to understand. We loved this tour</p>

I cannot say enough great things about this tour! Carolina was our guide, and she went above and beyond to make sure we got the best treatment and full experience. (PLEASE ask for her if you can!) We started off our tour at the Monaco Building and proceeded to Escobar's grave site where Carolina explained the entire span of his rise and fall. There were so many things I did not know about him! She added on a graffiti tour of Comuna 13 to show us how much Medellin has transformed since his death, and treated us to a delicious mango popsicle when we made it to the top. If you are interested in this notorious figure in Colombia, I highly recommend this tour! :)

Juan Carlos was very knowledgeable and pleasant to talk to. He was able to tell the story of Medellin in depth from the view point of the victims of narco-trafficking/violence of the 1980s/1990s. I would highly recommend this tour.

<p>Our guide for this tour was a gentleman named Juan Carlos, and he was absolutely fantastic. I'll break down our day so that other travelers can get a sense for what this tour really is, because although it was one of the activities I enjoyed most in Medellin, the description listed online isn't entirely accurate.</p> <p>Before I start, be aware that this tour took us a little over 4hrs total-- NOT the 2hrs that is listed in the description. So plan adequately if you have a time constraint luckily we did not. We started at 2pm when Juan Carlos met my group of 3 at our hotel. We got in his car personal vehicle, and he began to drive us around the city and give us the background on Pablo Escobar. We drove until we arrived at The Monaco Building, our first stop, where we pulled over, chatted a bit more, and took a few pictures, before continuing to the grave of Pablo Escobar and his family, which was fascinating. We then drove to the rooftop where Pablo was finally killed, and again took a few more pictures from the car. Following this, we drove to Communa 13, an absolutely vibrant and unique neighborhood in the hills that was probably my favorite destination. We walked around this area for a bit, looked in some local shops, saw the world famous graffiti and outdoor escalator system, and finished up the tour and headed back to our hotel.</p> <p>Overall, this tour was wonderful. Juan Carlos was super friendly and informative, and made us feel comfortable and welcome. Not to mention it was incredibly informative, and a great educational opportunity. We saw everything we were essentially hoping to see, and got some great pictures to bring back home. The only comments I would make for future travelers is to understand that this tour is largely done from the car, minus the few stops at the three historical sights, so it's not like a traditional walking tour. And as I said before, its also close to 4hrs, so just understand the time it takes.</p> <p>If you're interested in Pablo Escobar, this is the tour for you. Highly recommended and would certainly do it again!!</p>

Have been to Colombia and Medellin a number of times, so was somewhat unsure if this was worth doing. However, it was a nice tour, well organized and informative about Colombia, Medellin, and the infamous Escobar. Was met at the hotel on time as agreed by Sara. Interesting to go to see the areas of Medellin where this very bad dude frequented and put into context his impact during a very tough time for this lovely country.

<p>Our guide was great and taught enough to make us feel like an insider of the history of Pablo's life, both good and bad. Definitely take this trip for the knowledge and the value!!</p>

<p>Extraordinary tour and tour guide Caroline was fantastic. Highlight of the tour was the Comuna 13. Strong recommendation!</p>

<p>This was an amazing tour!!! It highlighted important facts and key locations that were prominent in Pablo Escobar's life. I loved this tour because it also focused on key spots in Medellin. We learned so much about the city itself and saw many different neighborhoods. Our driver was Guillermo and our tour guide was Carlina Lopez. They were absolutely phenomenal!!! Carlina was very informative and answered all of our questions, she even introduced us to some of her friends in the area and had us try some famous empanadas and ice pops! Guillermo drove us to all these different locations. At the end of the tour I accidentally left my phone in the car and Guillermo drove back to where he dropped us off and gave it to me!! They couldn't have been nicer. I highly suggest this tour because you will learn so much about Medellin with amazing guides.</p>

<p>Great tour with a very knowledgeable guide. It was a little longer than expected, mostly due to traffic on the road between destinations, but we learned a lot about the history of Pablo Escobar and the city of Medellin in general.</p>

<p>Our guide Juan was extremely knowledgable and awesome!! Would love to have him again for another tour next time I go back to Colombia!</p>

<p>Awesome tour. Our guide Juan Carlos educated us not only on Pablo but also the rich history of Medellin. Far beyond my expectation and worth the price. Juan made us feel as if we were visiting a friend who was showing us around the city. You will have enough pictures to fill a photo album.</p>

<p>Great value and very informative. Our guide was friendly and took us to some extra places. Brilliant. Recommend.</p>

<p>Wilson, our tour guide was great!! Very interesting tour. Very informative and fun! A must if you are into Pablo and the history!! Thanks!!</p>

<p>Great tour! Our tour guide, Luis Ospina, was very personable and a great story teller/history teacher. He even took us to La Catedral for a small extra fee.</p>

<p>This tour was simply amazing. Our tour guide had a strong knowledge of the history around Pablo Escobar and Medellin in general. He not only took the tour to the places listed on the website, but also took the time to take us to local food places that really made the tour excellent. Thank you</p>

<p>Very good tour. The driver was excellent and very knowledgeable</p>

<p>The guide for this tour, Hector, really provided an enjoyable, informative, interesting tour that went beyond Pablo Escobar. I learned about the culture and history of Medellin and how the city has changed during the past 40 years.</p>

<p>Let me first start off by saying I'm not a person who leaves reviews so the fact this is being written is a testament to the quality of the tour. My friend and I booked this tour on a whim and can honestly say we are very happy we did. Our entire trip to Colombia was amazing but this tour was indeed one of the highlights. Our tour guide, Carlos, provided us with an in-depth tour of not only Pablo Escobar's life but also the continued impact his legacy has had on the people and government of Colombia. We anticipated a general tour of who Pablo was and what not but the way Carlos was able to intertwine it into the current politics of Colombia was quite impressive to say the least. Besides the general sites specific to Pablo i.e. his grave, house, etc. we also were given a tour of one of the towns within Medellin that was most heavily effected by the violence between the cartels, military, paramilitary, police, and the people. This town was a real eye opener because you're able to see how the violence has shaped the community but not shaken their virtue to bounce back and seek a more stable life. So, to conclude, if you're only looking for a tour on Pablo Escobar, then this tour is not for you because what you're really getting is an in-depth tour into the history of Colombia and current geo-politics effecting the country. Carlos, thank you again for your time, this tour was something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I wish you the best going forward and believe the passion you have for your country and others like you will be the reason future generations of Colombians will not have to endure the hardships of so many that came before them.</p> <p>David</p>

<p>Very good Tour! I would recommend this to everyone, Nicolas is a very good tour guide. It was much more than I expected, not only about Pablo Escobar, Nicolas expanded to Medellin and Colombia History, we ended in Comuna 13 eating natural local icecream. Very good experience! Highly recommended to do this tour the first day when someone arrives to Medellín.</p>

<p>I did this tour with my parents. It was AMAZING!!!! Carlos was an excellent tour guide. His personal experience brought another dimension to the tour. He has a way of telling his personal story that's captivating. If you have time do this tour with him! BRILLIANT!</p>

<p>Great driver and my tour guide was very informative about the Pablo Escobar era. My only disappointment was we did not get to visit the prison he built for himself. I would recommend this tour to anyone that is interested in this part of Medellin history.</p>

<p>A very interesting trip and also a perfect way of getting around in Medellin</p>

<p>This tour was not available so Viator placed us in the Don't say that name Tour Our guide was John William and we were very pleased of the change after the tour was done, John was a great tour guide, he is very correct on the information given and neutral, he gives out the information without been from one side or the other, when he took us to the house where Escobar was killed, the TV Series Narcos was been shot right then and there, so it was very exciting seen the actors and some of the process, john took us to the electrical escalator which was a huge desire of us to visit and he made it happen!! in other words if you want to know more about Escobar.. try the DO NOT SAY THAT NAME TOUR</p>

<p>Tour was very interesting. Our tour guide used to be a police officer during the Escobar era in Medellin and had some fantastic stories. He was also very helpful with assistance outside the tour</p>

<p>If you are intrigued by Pablo Escobar, do yourself a favor and take this tour! Oh my gosh it was far more than we had anticipated. My daughter and I were picked up at our hotel by our Multi-lingual guide, Carlos, right on time. He gave us a brief background about himself and how he came to know, first hand, about the illusive Pablo Escobar. If you could imagine being a police officer in Medellin during the reign of this man, well, that's exactly what Carlos represented. We toured the exterior of the home where Escobar was murdered by the police. We experienced the grave site where he was buried with family and his body guard who also was murdered on that fateful day. It's a fitting resting place for this man, as it is secluded yet the view encompasses the very districts in which he built homes and neighborhoods for those who had nothing. He gave these homes that he built away, sometimes with no strings attached...other times with a favor to pay back. We were able to peer through a chain link fence at some of the airplanes that Escobar used to transport drugs to Miami. These planes are junk now, but you can almost hear the sound of the motors as they lifted off on their way to Miami. The next stop was touring the neighborhoods that Escobar built and gave away. Pretty amazing to see these homes today. We wrapped up the day by stopping at one of Escobar's favorite taverns where the original owner still works on a daily basis. We met him and had a beer there. What a time! Our guide Carlos was awesome. The tour was awesome, unhurried, and every question was answered. I now have mixed feelings about Escobar. He was a bad guy, we all know that. As a matter of fact,our guide Carlos may have easily fell victim to his killings...but this guy was also loved by those who had nothing but the shirts on their backs. What a great tour...thank you Carlos!</p>

<p>A great tour. I would highly recommend it to anyone.</p>

<p>The escobar house was the best and Albert was a great narrator</p>

<p>Tour guide was great, the tour was really interesting and informative. loved it, would highly recommend</p>

<p>The idea of this tour was great, and it was a must for me to do prior, but the tour itself was alittle disappointing. The tour guide was pretty good, but there is not much to see. regular house from distance where he was killed, falling apart building and cemetery with no even head stones or picture</p>

<p>The tour was excellent. My tour guide Camillo, was very informative and he knew what he was talking about. The tour was very relaxed and there wasn't any fixed timetable. I would definitely recommend this your to anyone visiting Medellin.</p>

<p>Great tour, but a little expensive for a ride around the city.</p>

<p>It's been a couple of weeks since we returned from Colombia (Bogota/Medellin/Cartagena) and by far - the tour Camilo gave us of Medellin was the highlight of our trip! I'm still thinking about the intriguing stories and historical references he shared with us during our tour of Pablo Escobar's hometown. We initially signed up for an Escobar tour out of general curiosity, but what Camilo showed us will stay with us forever. A progressive city ready to explode, so lush and bright and friendly - but with a difficult past that's hard to comprehend at times. Camilo answered all of our questions without hesitation and with a personal touch. He told us where he was when Escobar was killed and what it was like for him and his friends and family. He also warmed our hearts with his hospitality, and we could feel how much he loves Medellin. It definitely rubbed off on us.</p> <p>Visited November 2014</p>

<p>Our guide Elver was terrific. We saw a lot but did not feel rushed. He was a good and articulate guide.</p>

<p>Our tour guide was amazing and super informative! He customized the guide to meet our interests.</p>

<p>Great private tour! Our guide, Camilo Uribe, was wonderful. We learned a great deal while being comfortable in a private SUV. He educated us but also shared his experiences growing up during this dark time in Medellin's history.</p>

<p>It's a GREAT way to get a sense of Pablo's influence in Medellin and why he is so revered and LOVED at the same time. The rour guide was awesome, he even took us on the "ski lift" to get a general sense of the magnitude of the city.</p>

<p>Very nice tour, lots of info and a good tour of places in city.</p>

<p>My husband and I did a private car tour with John. He was on time picking us up from hotel, and took us to 3 main places: Pablo's grave, the location of the first bombing of Pablo, and the house where he died. The best part of the tour was really the personalization that John gave us as a person who grew of in Medellin during those times. It was great to hear about how things were and how things are changing for the better for all the people in Medellin. I was really interested in those stories. The grave site was very interesting. The other 2 locations were ok. We aren't able to do much other than stand outside the buildings. I think what would have made this tour even better is it we could have gone to the old compound/now theme park to see what it looks like now and hear what it used to be like. I would pay extra for that. Either way for what the tour offers, it's a good start, and as more people travel to Medellin, it will only get more and more popular. I think it's good that more of these tours are happening because as Colombia becomes more popular, more people are going to want to know about Pablo Escobar. It's great to be able to compare what the American media said about this man vs. actually hearing about it from a person who lived during those times in Colombia. I've traveled to many cities and Medellin is easily one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to. Even though it's past is dark, thanks to Pablo, it's future is incredibly bright and I am excited to see where it will be 5-10 years from now.</p>