Your LASIK Trip to Medellín: Day-by-Day Itinerary

The Ideal Trip Length

A LASIK trip to Medellín works comfortably in seven to ten days. You can compress it to five days if needed (arrive, consult, procedure, follow-up, fly home), but the extra days make the experience dramatically more enjoyable — and give you a buffer for any scheduling adjustments.

Here's the day-by-day breakdown for a seven-day trip:

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival

Land at MDE airport, clear immigration (90-day stamp, no visa needed for US/Canada/EU), and take an Uber or clinic-arranged transfer to El Poblado. The ride from the airport to El Poblado takes about 45 minutes through the mountains — a stunning introduction to the city.

Check into your Airbnb or hotel. Spend the afternoon walking El Poblado to orient yourself. Identify the nearest pharmacy, the clinic location, and a few restaurants for the week. Have dinner at one of the dozens of excellent restaurants within walking distance. Get to sleep at a reasonable hour — you want rested eyes for tomorrow's consultation.

Day 2 (Sunday): Consultation

Many Medellín clinics offer Sunday consultations for international patients to maximize your trip. The evaluation takes 60 to 90 minutes and includes corneal topography mapping, pachymetry (corneal thickness measurement), pupillometry (pupil size in various lighting), wavefront analysis, dry eye assessment, and a comprehensive eye health examination. Your surgeon will review the results with you, confirm your candidacy, explain the recommended technique, and answer all your questions. If monovision is being considered (for patients over 40), you may receive trial contact lenses to test the approach.

After the consultation, you're free for the rest of the day. This is a good afternoon for Museo de Antioquia and the Botero sculptures in Plaza Botero — enjoy them through your glasses one last time.

Day 3 (Monday): Procedure Day

Arrive at the clinic at your scheduled time. The pre-op preparation takes about 30 minutes: numbing drops, mild sedative, facial cleaning. The procedure itself takes approximately 15 minutes for both eyes. You'll be in the clinic for about two hours total including waiting and post-op drops.

Go directly to your accommodation afterward. Close the blackout curtains, put on your sleep goggles, and nap for three to four hours. When you wake up, your vision will already be noticeably clearer than your pre-surgery uncorrected sight. Apply drops as prescribed, eat a delivered meal, and go to sleep early. Wear the protective goggles overnight.

Day 4 (Tuesday): Follow-Up + Light Recovery

Morning follow-up appointment at the clinic. The surgeon checks your corneas, confirms flap positioning, and tests your visual acuity (most patients are already 20/25 or better). You'll receive updated drop instructions.

The rest of the day is yours, but keep it low-key. Walk around El Poblado at a relaxed pace — the spring-like weather is perfect for it. Have lunch at a sidewalk café. Browse a bookshop and notice you can read the titles across the room. Your eyes will tire more easily today, so don't push it. Evening: order in, rest, drops on schedule.

Day 5 (Wednesday): First Full Day of Clear Vision

This is the day most patients describe as transformative. Your vision is sharp, the initial dryness is manageable with drops, and you're cleared for moderate activity. Take the Metrocable to Santo Domingo and walk through the neighborhood. Visit Parque Explora or the Botanical Garden. Have a leisurely lunch in Laureles for a different neighborhood feel.

Continue applying drops regularly and wear sunglasses outdoors. Avoid swimming pools and direct water contact with your eyes.

Day 6 (Thursday): Explore Freely

By now you're functionally back to normal. Take a day trip to Guatapé — the three-hour drive through the countryside is scenic, and climbing the 740 steps of the Piñón rock with clear vision is an experience patients consistently cite as a highlight. Or visit the coffee region on a guided tour, or explore the street art and escalators of Comuna 13.

Day 7 (Friday): Departure

Final check-in with the clinic if needed (often a quick video call suffices). Pack up, enjoy a last Colombian breakfast, and head to the airport. Flying is perfectly safe 48 to 72 hours after LASIK — apply artificial tears frequently during the flight, as cabin air is dry.

For context, that total — including the flight, a week of accommodation, dining, sightseeing, and the procedure — often comes in at or below the cost of LASIK alone in the US.