Guadalajara is the capital of Jalisco, the birthplace of 2 of the things Mexico is most famous for: Mariachi and Tequila. No wonder you’ll come across the slogan ‘Jalisco is Mexico’ here a lot. Guadalajara is the second biggest city in Mexico and offers plenty of things to do, both in the city and around. With this itinerary, you’ll be sure to get the highlights in just 5 days.
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How to get to Guadalajara
By plane
Guadalajara’s international airport, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, is one of the busiest hubs in Mexico and offers many international and domestic flights. The airport is located about 20 km from the center and can be reached by public transport, although it will likely take you about 2.5-3 hours. So if you don’t want to spend this much time on public transport either take a taxi or, as a compromise between time and money, take a taxi to Periferico Sur or the New Bus Terminal (Central de Autobuses) from where you can take a metro to the center.
By bus
If you’re arriving by long-distance bus, you’ll arrive at the Central de Autobuses. Take the free white bus from one end to the terminal to the metro stop, or walk just walk about 5 min. (I wouldn’t bother taking the bus.)
By Blablacar
Blablacar is a carpooling app and a cheaper alternative than the bus. Many drivers use it as a side job however and might not go unless they’ve got enough people booked into their car. So do make sure you communicate well with drivers and have everything confirmed in time. We’ve noticed that some of the drivers aren’t really paying attention to the application so they might not see your reservation if you book last minute. Confirm they’ve gotten your reservation, the time, and the price, and make sure you still have the option to catch a bus if things happen to fall through.
Getting around Guadalajara
The easiest way to get around is by metro and bus. A ticket costs 10 pesos (or 9.50 if you have the exact change) and needs to be paid in coins. Metro stations offer plenty of machines to buy your ticket and you can freely change to other lines as long as you don’t leave the station. Busses have machines as well, so you don’t need to bother the driver, and tickets are valid for that bus only. If you need to change to another one, you’ll need to buy another ticket.
Typical foods to try in Guadalajara
The 3 most famous typical foods of Guadalajara (and Jalisco in general) are Torta Ahogada, Birria and Carne en su Jugo.
– Torta ahogada. Tortas are sandwiches and common in all of Mexico. Torta ahogada, means ‘drowned sandwich’ and basically is a sandwich drowned in sauce. I’m not a fan, I prefer the ‘normal’ torta, but if you’re here for the food it’s something you need to try.
– Birria is a traditional stew originally made with goat meat, but nowadays beef and chicken are more common.
– Carne en su jugo is another traditional stew. This one is made with beef and served with beans.
Where to stay in Guadalajara
I recommend staying in the center, close to the Catedral. This is where you’ll find the beautiful architecture and plenty of restaurants and musea. It’s also within walking distance of the market and has plenty of transport options.
Things to do in and around Guadalajara - a 5 day itinerary
As you may already know, I love getting out and being in nature. I do enjoy a day or two in the city as well, but then I want some green! So this itinerary contains a mix of things to do in the city, day trips to towns, and nature.
Day 1 - Free walking tour + an afternoon in the city
If you’re coming from far and by bus, you’ll likely arrive in the morning. So head to your accommodation and drop your stuff until it’s time for check-in. Grab a coffee and some breakfast and head to Plaza Liberacion for a Free Walking Tour at 10.30. Just look out for the yellow umbrella close to the Guadalajara letters.
Grab some lunch at the market where the tour ends and now that you’ve got your bearings, keep exploring the city in the afternoon.
Tip: If you can’t make the walking tour on your first day, no worries! Just swap day 1 and 2 around!
Day 2 - La Barranca
La Barranca is a canyon just north of the city and easily reached by public transport. This makes it a great and easy day out while in Guadalajara. Note that the canyon has 2 entry points: Barranca de Huentitán and Barranca de Oblatos. I recommend taking a bus to Barranca de Huentitán, not to Oblatos. Oblatos is the same canyon, but this part doesn’t offer as many hiking options. For a short visit to just enjoy the views from the top and walk down a little, this part is great, but if you want to walk more, head to Huentitán instead. Note that there is not much shade on either side of the canyon, so early mornings are the best time to visit.
Day 3 - Lake Chapala
Lake Chapala is the biggest lake in Mexico. There are lots of little towns around the lake which you can visit. The lake is very popular with retired Americans so that in combination with it being a tourist destination means that prices are a little higher.
We were recommended to check out Chapala, but we didn’t like it that much. It’s the main touristic town around and felt very commercial. Note that there are also lots of children are begging for money.
I recommend checking out Ajijic or San Juan Cosalá. In San Juan Cosala, you’ll find hot springs. If you’re going to Chapala, go to the park. Entry is 5 pesos and it’s nice. Lots of shade, locals chilling or walking their dogs, and views over the lake. And if you’re bored of Chapala, you can easily head to another town from there. A bus to Ajijic is only 9 pesos.
How to get to Lake Chapala
To get to the town of Chapala, you can take a bus from the old terminal for 48-58 pesos, which takes about 1h. There are direct busses going to other towns as well or you can change in Chapala.
Kiteboarding – It’s possible to kite at Lake Chapala during the season, which starts in November. Check out the yacht club in Chapala.
Day 4 -Tequila
Ok, so yes, Tequila is very commerical and touristy, but still worth a visit. It’s only an hour away from Guadalajara, so how could you not visit the birthplace of Tequila while visiting Mexico! The whole area is famous for Tequila and producing a lot. Once you leave Guadalajara, you’ll already notice lots of Agave plantations.
You’ll find plenty of people offering tours in Tequila. The most common ones are:
– Cuervo – The most famous tequila. This is also the most expensive tour. During the weekend they’ll take you to their plantation. During the week they only offer tours to just their factory.
– La Rienda – Also a very well-known Tequila-brand. The factory is big and they’ll give you one sample of their Tequila Blanca at the end of the tour.
– Don Tomás – a smaller factory than La Rienda, but they’ll give you a degustation with several samples.
Both Don Tomás and La Rienda include a city tour on a barrel-shaped bus. Your guide on the bus will be your guide in the distillery as well.
We picked Don Tomás, as we didn’t care too much about a big and shiny distillery, we wanted something smaller and some samples to try. But as it turned out, we were put on a city tour bus where everyone else had booked La Rienda, so we were taken there anyway.
So be a little flexible and be prepared that you might not go on the tour you picked.
How to get to Tequila
Take a tour from Guadalajara or go on your own. Going on your own is easy. Busses leave every hour (every half hour on weekends) from the old terminal and a round trip costs 210 pesos. Due to the traffic in Guadalajara count on about 2-2.5 hours travel time.
Day 5 (& 6) Nevado de Colima National Park
This was by far the best activity that we did while we stayed in Guadalajara! El Nevado de Colima is a national park on the border of Jalisco and Colima with 2 volcanos: one active one and one you can summit. To summit in 1 day, you’ll need to go either by tour or have your own transport.
It’s possible to go by public transport as well, but you’ll need at least 2 days as the bus will only drop you off at the bottom of the volcano, meaning you need to hike up 17 km and 1600m to the park entrance and another 1.5 km to the campsite.
If you have your own transport you can drive as far as a point called Las Antenas, from where it’s only about 1.5 hour to the top.
If you have the time, I’d really recommend staying the night to make the most out of your trip here and to enjoy a gorgeous sunrise in the morning.
This was: Things to do in Guadalajara: a 5-day itinerary
We really enjoyed this city and hope you will too!