3 days in Guadalajara

Day by day

1. Day 1: Guadalajara Cathedral and Hospicio Cabañas

   Guadalajara Cathedral, Hospicio Cabañas and Plaza de los Mariachis, then Lucha libre at Arena Coliseo in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Guadalajara Cathedral

      The cathedral was begun in the 16th century, and its pair of yellow-tiled spires, rebuilt in the 19th century after earthquakes, are the emblem of the city.

   2. Late morning

      Hospicio Cabañas

      Lie back on the benches provided in the chapel to look up at the dome; it is the intended way to see the Man of Fire.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Torta ahogada

      Torta stands and small shops across the city, especially in the centre and around markets; ask for 'media ahogada' for less heat.

   4. Afternoon

      Plaza de los Mariachis

      A small square beside the church of San Juan de Dios, where mariachi bands in charro suits wait to be hired for songs at the restaurant tables.

   5. Evening

      Lucha libre at Arena Coliseo

      Buy a cheap mask from the sellers outside and sit in the middle sections, where the atmosphere is loud but family-friendly.

2. Day 2: Palacio de Gobierno and Teatro Degollado

   Palacio de Gobierno, Teatro Degollado and Plaza Tapatía, then Tlaquepaque and El Parián in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Palacio de Gobierno

      Climb to the top of the staircase and look back down; the mural is designed to be seen from below and above.

   2. Late morning

      Teatro Degollado

      This neoclassical theatre, opened in the 1860s, has a portico of Corinthian columns and a horseshoe auditorium whose ceiling is painted with a scene from Dante's Divine Comedy.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Birria

      Birrierías across the city, the upper floor of the Mercado San Juan de Dios and the specialist birria restaurants in Las Nueve Esquinas, a small plaza south of the centre.

   4. Afternoon

      Plaza Tapatía

      Walk it from the cathedral end towards Cabañas in the late afternoon, when families and street performers fill the plaza.

   5. Evening

      Tlaquepaque and El Parián

      Visit on a weekend afternoon to browse the galleries, then stay for drinks and mariachi at El Parián as the evening begins.

3. Day 3: Museo Regional de Guadalajara and Mercado San Juan de Dios

   Museo Regional de Guadalajara, Mercado San Juan de Dios and MUSA – Museo de las Artes, then Avenida Chapultepec in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museo Regional de Guadalajara

      In an 18th-century seminary beside the cathedral, the regional museum covers Jalisco from prehistory onwards, with a mammoth skeleton, shaft-tomb ceramics from western Mexico, colonial paintings and ethnographic rooms on the Wixárika (Huichol) people, all arranged around a cloistered courtyard.

   2. Late morning

      Mercado San Juan de Dios

      Head straight to the top-floor food court for lunch, then try a cup of tejuino from the vendors around the ground floor.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Carne en su jugo

      Traditional restaurants and fondas across the city; it is a classic weekend family lunch.

   4. Afternoon

      MUSA – Museo de las Artes

      The University of Guadalajara's art museum occupies a grand early 20th-century building on Avenida Juárez, with changing exhibitions of Mexican and international art.

   5. Evening

      Avenida Chapultepec

      Explore the side streets, such as Calle Libertad and Calle Morelos, where many of the best small bars and coffee shops are.

Before you go

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Centro Histórico keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Colonia Americana and Lafayette ($$$) suits nightlife, food lovers, couples and solo travellers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 15–22 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.9 hours in December to 13.4 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Guadalajara
• 2 days in Guadalajara
• 5 days in Guadalajara

Questions travellers ask