Shopping · Guadalajara · Mexico
Shopping in Guadalajara
Shopping streets, markets and souvenirs worth the suitcase space.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
_-_384.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Guadalajara is a strong shopping city for Mexican crafts, especially ceramics and blown glass from Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, as well as leather goods, tequila and charro accessories. Modern malls such as Andares cover international brands. Best souvenirs: Tequila, Tonalá and Tlaquepaque ceramics and Blown glass.
Key facts
- Shopping areas
- 4
- Markets
- 2
- Top souvenir
- Tequila
Where to shop
Tlaquepaque
Galleries, designer ceramics, blown glass and sculpture along Calle Independencia and Calle Juárez.
Tonalá
Workshops and showrooms for pottery, glass and furniture at lower prices than Tlaquepaque.
Andares and Puerta de Hierro
Upscale malls and international brands in Zapopan.
Colonia Americana
Independent design shops, bookshops and vintage stores around Avenida Chapultepec.
Markets
Mercado San Juan de Dios
Three floors of crafts, leather, sweets, produce and food stalls in the centre.
Tonalá street market
A huge twice-weekly market of ceramics, glass and home goods.
What to buy
Tequila
Bottles from Tequila-region and Los Altos distilleries; look for '100% agave' on the label.
Tonalá and Tlaquepaque ceramics
Hand-painted pottery and burnished clay pieces; ask shops to wrap them for travel.
Blown glass
Tlaquepaque's glassmakers produce colourful glasses and pitchers.
Leather goods
Belts, boots and bags from the San Juan de Dios market and specialist shops.
Charro and mariachi accessories
Sombreros, embroidered belts and bow ties sold around the centre.
Streets and markets worth a wander
Market · Centro Histórico
Mercado San Juan de Dios
Officially the Mercado Libertad, this 1950s concrete market is one of the largest covered markets in Latin America, with three floors of produce, leather, electronics, crafts and sweets.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Neighbourhood · Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque and El Parián
The old town of San Pedro Tlaquepaque has a pedestrian main street of colonial houses converted into galleries, ceramics and glass shops and restaurants.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Art
- Couples
- After dark
- Free
Market · Tonalá
Tonalá street market
Tonalá, a pottery town about 12 km east of the centre, holds a huge street market twice a week where workshops sell ceramics, glass, papier-mâché, furniture and home goods, often at wholesale prices.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Art
- Free
Street · Colonia Americana and Lafayette
Avenida Chapultepec
This avenue with a wide central promenade runs through the Americana and Lafayette, lined with cafés, mezcal bars, taquerías and galleries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- After dark
- Food
- Free
- Couples
Food and drink to take home
Edible souvenirs travel best when they are dry or sealed: consider Tejuino, Jericalla, Tequila and Cantaritos. Street carts throughout the centre and around the markets, often with a big clay pot. Check your home country's rules on bringing food and drink back.
Shopping by neighbourhood
| Area | Price level | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | $$ | Cathedral plazas, murals and the big covered market |
| Colonia Americana and Lafayette | $$$ | Early 20th-century mansions, cafés and bars along Avenida Chapultepec |
| Providencia | $$$ | Upscale residential area with restaurants and boutiques |
| Zapopan and Andares | $$$ | Business hotels, malls and the old Zapopan basilica |
| Tlaquepaque | $$ | Pedestrian streets, ceramics galleries and mariachi at El Parián |
| Chapalita | $$ | Quiet residential streets around a central roundabout |
Paying and bargaining
Prices are in MXN. Tip about 10–15% in restaurants and bars, and give small change to car-park attendants and bag packers in supermarkets. Mariachis expect payment per song in addition to any tip.
- Greet people with 'buenos días' or 'buenas tardes' in shops and when getting into a taxi.
When to shop
Shops and markets are quietest in January–February and May–July; the busiest months are the peak holidays.
- September: Mariachi festival continues (usually early September)
- October: Fiestas de Octubre — month-long fair (October)
- November: Feria Internacional del Libro (FIL) — book fair (usually late November to early December)
- December: FIL book fair continues (early December)
Staying near the shops
$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping and families
Zapopan and Andares
Business hotels, malls and the old Zapopan basilica
Questions travellers ask
+What should I buy in Guadalajara?
Tequila, Tonalá and Tlaquepaque ceramics, Blown glass and Leather goods.
+Where is the best shopping in Guadalajara?
Tlaquepaque: Galleries, designer ceramics, blown glass and sculpture along Calle Independencia and Calle Juárez.
+What are the best markets in Guadalajara?
Mercado San Juan de Dios and Tonalá street market.