My family has roots in Guadalajara, Jalisco, so this travel guide is brought to you by the locals. I visit my family in Guadalajara regularly, and I always look forward to being in this beautiful destination. This Guadalajara travel guide lists the places and things we do as a family and where we take any new comers that decide to visit Guadalajara with us.
The Mexican state of Jalisco has inspired countless songs and movies with its diverse landscapes and traditions. Jalisco has so much to offer. Some notable mentions include the mountain town of Mazamitla, the Agave fields of Tequila, the beaches of Guayabitos, and Guadalajara, of course.
Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico and state capital. The nearby destinations that I mentioned are two to four hours from the city driving. You definitely want to include these nearby destinations to your itinerary if you’re going to be in Jalisco. However, this Guadalajara travel guide will focus on the best things to do in the city including where to stay, what do do, and where to eat. You’ll see why my family loves and is so proud to be from Guadalajara.
Travel Guide for the Historic City Center Guadalajara
You just have to visit the Centro Historico de Guadalajara or Historic City Center, especially if you’re a first timer. The main attraction here is the architecture and important landmarks.
My most recent trip to Guadalajara was in December for the holidays. After a slow morning at home, we wanted to get out to do some walking and eat dinner. My aunt, little cousins, and my grandparents were with me, and we headed to the Centro Historico to enjoy our evening as a family.
Chispa Tip: Guadalajara does get chilly in the winter, especially at night and in the fall and winter seasons. Make sure to bring sweaters and a light jacket for your trip.
La Playita: Budget Friendly Eatery Downtown
Our first stop downtown was at Loncherias La Playita. My family has been coming to this restaurant for many years, and it’s one of those classic stops I love to make when I’m in town. We come here for the patitas de puerco, which are finger licking food pigs feet cooked and pickled in Vinegar. You eat these with salt, lime, and hot sauce. So good. La Playita also sells lonches. These sandwiches are made with birote, a Mexican-style bread, and your choice of meat. You can also get hotdogs, hamburgers, tacos, and the famous Torta Ahogada, which is THE Guadalajara specialty.
The food and service are both good at La Playita, for a low price. Plus, this restaurant is conveniently located around the corner from Plaza de Armas, which is the heart of the historic city center. This was our next step stop on our evening out as a family.
Plaza de Armas: A place to gather and surround yourself with community
A plaza is someplace where community gathers during their leisure time. You’ll see kids running around, playing, couples walking hand in hand, street vendors, and musical performances.
The focal point of any Mexican plaza is the quisoco, which is a round pavilion or gazebo. Standing at the Plaza de Armas, the view around you is stunning. The plaza is surrounded by historic buildings such as the Palacio de Gobierno and the Guadalajara Cathedral.
My family and I took a seat on one of the benches surrounding the quiosco to enjoy the Mariachi band that was performing live. Soon, I realized the Mariachi band was inviting people to get up on stage and sing a song. There was a significant crowd of people at the plaza watching and recording the Mariachi performance. I worked up the courage to sing with the Mariachi on that chilly winter night in Guadalajara’s historic city center. It was an unforgettable moment.
Palacio De Gobierno: History and Art Combined
On our walk along the historic city center of Guadalajara, my grandpa pointed out to me the bullet hole on the crystal clock adorning the facade of the Palacio de Gobierno. He said it’s from when Pancho Villa’s troops came into Guadalajara during the Mexican Revolution. It’s true; and the city has maintained this bullet hole as a reminder of this historic event.
You definitely want to tour the inside of the Palacio de Gobierno. You’ll see some wicked, impressive murals by the artist José Clemente Orozco. The mural that was the most striking to me is called Flaming Hidalgo. It’s a large mural that depicts Miguel Hidalgo holding a torch and leading the country to independence.
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Orozco is a Mexican muralist from Jalisco and painted several murals in Palacio de Gobierno in the late 1930s. His work can be seen in many historic buildings in Guadalajara, including the MUSA Museum of the Arts of the University of Guadalajara.
Guadalajara Cathedral: Rich architecture and design
I also invite you to step inside the Guadalajara Cathedral. It’s stunning from the outside and inside.
Paseo en Calandria: Old world charm with a twist in Guadalajara’s downtown
My sister and I did a tour of the historic city center on a calandria, which is a horse and carriage. You’ll find these downtown everyday and at all times of the day. Horse calandrias bring some of that historic charm to the city center. However, electric calandrias were introduced in 2018, and so horse carriages and electric carriages share the streets. Your driver will point out important buildings and landmarks while you ride. Our driver even made a stop for us to get some ice cream to enjoy on our ride.
Eat at La Chata: A famous restaurant for authentic Mexican food
Another great spot to eat when you’re in the Centro Historico is the restaurant, La Chata. This is a well known restaurant for authentic Mexican cuisine like pozole and carne en su jugo. The location downtown is always busy, and no, you can’t make reservations. You might have to wait in line a few minutes for a table, and don’t let the security guard with a riffle standing at the door scare you away. Instead, focus on the women cooking up something delicious in the open kitchen at the front of the restaurant.
Here’s what my party ordered for our meals: my sister got a Chile relleno (stuffed pepper), I got a meat smothered in green tomatillo sauce with rice and beans on the side, and my aunt ordered a chicken stew with vegetables.
This restaurant has multiple locations in Guadalajara. They also sell traditional drinks and alcohol such as cazuelitas and agues frescas like horchata and jamaica.
MUSA museo de las Artes
I also really enjoyed our visit to the MUSA Museum (Museo de las Artes de la Universidad de Guadalajara). This art museum offers great exhibits. In 2019, I went to see the Guillermo del Toro exhibit at the MUSA. I’m so glad we got to go to that. I’m a huge fan of Guillermo del Toro movies, and while I’m not an art museum lover, I could certainly appreciate this particular exhibit called Guillermo Del Toro, At Home With My Monsters/En Casa Con Mis Monstruos.
The exhibit showcased Del Toro’s hand sketched storyboards for movies, a replica of the the faun in Pan’s Labyrinth and a very scary, life-size replica of the monster in that movie, the pale man that has eyeballs on his palms. The exhibit also showcased the Victorian era inspired wardrobe for the movie Crimson Peak, which was a beautiful display.
You should check out the special exihibits at the MUSA when you’re in Guadalajara. This museum brings great, interesting exhibits to the city.
Shop at San Juan De Dios
Internally known, Mercado de San Juan de Dios in Guadalajara is a large indoor market that’s a little dirty and busy. It’s where you go to get good deals, and you can find just about everything. Some vendors sell phones and accessories, leather huaraches/shoes, purses, gun accessories, herbs, toys, medicine, you name it. There’s also food stands inside the market, but I don’t recommend that you eat here – just playing it safe.
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This is busy market and you should always walk with your purse/bag in front of you and be aware of your surroundings. I’ve never experienced petty theft, but it’s a fair warning anytime you’re traveling to a major city. Also, bring cash to the market so you can easily pay for goods and souvenirs.
Centro Joyero
Right around the corner from the Mercado San Juan De Dios in Guadalajara is the Centro Joyero. This place is a very nice indoor, multi-story market full of fine jewelry vendors. You’l notice there are even armed guards at the door when you walk in. But don’t let that scare you. It’s a perfectly safe place to shop or just browse. You can find great jewelry here made from gold, silver, precious stones, artificial stones.
A quinceanera could find a beautiful jeweled crown here for their party. Couples can find their engagement ring and wedding bands. My boyfriend made himself a class rings here. Basically, he designed what he wanted the ring to look like and provided the jeweler with a rough sketch and screenshots of the different elements. He purchased a gold ring from the jewelers and within hours they etched his design on the ring. This Centro Joyero is a wonderful place to visit when you’re in the Guadalajara city center.
Mercado de Tonala
I always say that my favorite thing to do when I travel to Guadalajara is to shop <3. There are such beautiful things made in Mexico, and in Guadalajara, you can find stunning artisan work from all other Mexico regions.
A great market to visit in Guadalajara is the Mercado de Tonala. This market is outdoors, set up along several street blocks. Here you can find things that you’re not as likely to see in San Juan De Dios or Tlaquepaque, so it’s worth a visit. Besides clothes and accessories, I see a lot of home goods at Mercado de Tonala. I like to come here to get inspiration on the Mexican-style aesthetic of interior decor. Expect the market to be busy and somewhat dirty, but dare to venture out. Keep in mind, the market is available on Thursdays and Sundays.
Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque is such a cute part of town. I go to Tlaquepaque every time we are in Guadalajara to shop, listen to live mariachi, and take a leisurely walk. The cobblestones streets of the town center are lined with shops and restaurants. I buy the best artisanal clothes and accessories here. You’ll find a lot of quality leather goods like bags and jackets. You’ll also see a lot of work with Bordados (embroidery) which is my favorite style, seen in shoes, clothes, accessories.
Besides the shops and restaurants, you’ll also find street vendors in Tlaquepaque. Some of my favorite things to get from street vendors here are tacos, of course, and steamed vegetables. Often times there’s also seasonal markets to shop unique goods you really don’t find in the United States.
El Parian, is a must-visit in Tlaquepaque. It’s an indoor-outdoor plaza with a gazebo in the middle and surrounded by restaurants. We always come to El Parian to enjoy live Mariachi music in the evenings while sipping on classic mexican cocktails like cazuelitas and hierba buenas.
It’s important to know that there are different restaurants surrounding the main stage. Some are going to insist on a drink minimum for a table and will sometimes go as far as insist that you stick to their tequila sponsors or try to uncharge you. My family and I don’t like those terms and conditions, so we sit at Don Betos. Here, the service is friendly, the food is good, and they don’t require a food or drink minimum spend.
There are tons of restaurants available in Tlaquepaque and overall it’s a very lively and fun neighborhood in Guadalajara. I’ve rented an airbnb in this neighborhood and my sister has stayed in a hotel here. I also have cousins that like to stay in Tlaquepaque when they visit Guadalajara. It’s a recommendable neighborhood to visit and book your stay because it’s a safe, walkable, and charming town.
Chapultepec: Nightlife and culture
Chapultepec, also known as, Chapu, is where the fun, night-life seeking crowds gather. While Tlaquepaque is family friendly, Chapultepec Avenue is more for the 18+ crowd that wants to party and have a good time. Chapultepec is an Avenue where both sides of the street are lined with bars, clubs, and restaurants. Between the two-way traffic lanes, there’s a pedestrian walkway. Activity in this part of town picks up in the evenings. You’ll find a pop-up market that sets up on this street. It’s not as many vendors as you’ll find in Tlaquepaque or Tonala, but it’s a cute array of vendors selling unique, hand-made goods.
On a couple occasions, I’ve also seen dance parties happening on the pedestrian walkway. People gather to dance salsa, bachata, and anything else that comes on the loud portable speaker. A crowd of dancers took over the floor while others watched and enjoying the night, the music, and the liveliness of the community.
I also enjoy coming to Chapultepec because my cousin in law is an architect that’s designed many restaurants along this street. It makes me so proud to see his work!
Chapultepec is another neighborhood that’s good to stay at when you’re traveling to Guadalajara. I’ve stayed at the Casa Bosques Eduviges, and highly recommend this hotel. The property is right off the main attraction, Chapultepec Avenue, and this is a safe and walkable neighborhood in the daytime and night time. As always, be careful and keep your guard up, especially if you’re traveling alone.
Chapalita
Chapalita is a new neighborhood to me. I was just introduced to this part of Guadalajara on my last trip. We were looking to grab lunch, and my grandpa suggested La Gorda in Chapalita. This restaurant is alright. I didn’t love what I ate, but it was decently good. The cuisine is authentic Mexican, like at La Chata. The restaurants are direct competitors and both have multiple locations in the city.
The Chapalita neighborhood is relaxed and posh. After we ate, we walked the tree lined street from the restaurant to the plaza. And like any good plaza, there is a beutiful gazebo at the center, this one white and elegant. The gazebo is circled by benches, lush green grass and tall trees. This was a serene and picturesque spot to sit down with my grandpa and mom, with warm cup of coffee and chai, to listen to my grandpa tell me about his life.
My grandpa said that when he was in his teens, the Chapalita neighborhood didn’t look like it does today with all its shops, restaurants, and development. He says there was nothing there, except the Glorieta Chapalita, which is a traffic circle with a small plaza in the middle. The plaza features a white iron gazebo in the middle, beautifully lit and surrounded by white iron benches. This is lovely place to sit down for a chat, sip some coffee, or read a book. This neighborhood feels cozy and safe. It’s a calm and quiet corner of Guadalajara for out of town visitors. My family in Mexico is thinking about buying a house and moving out of their current neighborhood. Chapalita is at the top of their list of Guadalajara neighborhoods to buy property and live. After visiting, I approve!
Zapopan
My family and I rented a luxurious house in Zapopan on airbnb, and it was a great stay! Zapopan is a neighborhood in Guadalajara that’s safe and popular with out of town visitors. The area we were in is not the most walkable, but it is an upscale neighborhood with large homes behind tall gates. I absolutely loved the style of this home we rented. The floors were marble, there was a crystal chandelier and a tall crystal; doorway. We even hired a private chef to cook for us right at our rental house kitchen. We felt very pampered.
The American dollar goes a long way in Mexico, and you can really afford to pamper yourself in a way that you may not be able to in the United States. Take a manicure/pedicure for example. In the US, this costs you $80+ dollars, and potentially more if you’re getting nail extensions. I got my mani/pedi at a nail salon in Zapopan for $60 USD including nail extensions and nail art. The price difference is ridiculous. I highly recommend Nail District in Zapopan. The nail artist did a great job with the design. Plus, the salon is clean, modern, and I really enjoyed my visit. You can message the salon on Instagram to request an appointment (@naildistrict.gdl)
Final Thoughts: Guadalajara, Guadalajara!
For me, Guadalajara is another home. I love this beautiful city in Mexico, and I hope that you enjoy it just as much. Guadalajara has something for everyone – art, food, and a lively community. I’m sure you’ll enjoy shopping for artesanias, listening to Mariachi music, and enjoying the hospitality of this community.
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