Where to stay · Guadalajara · Mexico
Where to stay in Guadalajara
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Centro Histórico. Cathedral plazas, murals and the big covered market. Best alternatives — families: Providencia; nightlife: Colonia Americana and Lafayette.
Key facts
- First visit
- Centro Histórico
- Families
- Providencia
- Budget
- Centro Histórico
- Nightlife
- Colonia Americana and Lafayette
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Centro Histórico | Cathedral plazas, murals and the big covered market |
| Families | Providencia | Upscale residential area with restaurants and boutiques |
| Couples | Colonia Americana and Lafayette | Early 20th-century mansions, cafés and bars along Avenida Chapultepec |
| Budget | Centro Histórico | Cathedral plazas, murals and the big covered market |
| Luxury | Providencia | Upscale residential area with restaurants and boutiques |
| Nightlife | Colonia Americana and Lafayette | Early 20th-century mansions, cafés and bars along Avenida Chapultepec |
| Food lovers | Colonia Americana and Lafayette | Early 20th-century mansions, cafés and bars along Avenida Chapultepec |
| Solo travellers | Colonia Americana and Lafayette | Early 20th-century mansions, cafés and bars along Avenida Chapultepec |
| Shopping | Zapopan and Andares | Business hotels, malls and the old Zapopan basilica |
| Quiet stays | Providencia | Upscale residential area with restaurants and boutiques |
Guadalajara neighbourhoods in detail
$$ · Best for first-timers, culture and budget
Centro Histórico
The centre's chain of plazas runs from the cathedral and Plaza de Armas east along the pedestrian Plaza Tapatía to the Hospicio Cabañas, with the Teatro Degollado, the Palacio de Gobierno and the regional museum on the way. The Mercado San Juan de Dios and the Plaza de los Mariachis are just beyond. Hotels here are well placed for sightseeing and light-rail connections.
- Good
- Walk to the main sights; Good-value hotels; Light rail to Tlaquepaque and Zapopan
- Watch out
- Quiet and empty at night outside the plazas; Some streets east of Cabañas feel rough after dark
- Nearby
- Guadalajara Cathedral, Hospicio Cabañas, Teatro Degollado, Mercado San Juan de Dios
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, couples and solo travellers
Colonia Americana and Lafayette
West of the centre, the Americana and Lafayette districts were laid out for wealthy families in the early 1900s, and their tree-lined streets still hold Art Nouveau and early modernist houses, including early works by Luis Barragán. Avenida Chapultepec and the streets around it are now the city's liveliest strip of coffee shops, restaurants, mezcal bars and galleries.
- Good
- Best café and bar scene in the city; Walkable, leafy streets; Short taxi ride to the centre
- Watch out
- Bar noise on weekend nights; Prices higher than the centre
- Nearby
- Avenida Chapultepec, Templo Expiatorio, MUSA
$$$ · Best for food lovers, luxury, quiet stays and families
Providencia
Northwest of the Americana, Providencia is a well-off district of wide avenues and low-rise homes, with many of the city's best-known restaurants, shops along Avenida Rubén Darío and Avenida Pablo Neruda, and easy access to Bosque Los Colomos. It suits travellers who prefer calm streets and good dining over historic sights.
- Good
- Calm and green; Excellent restaurants; Modern hotels and apartments
- Watch out
- Taxi needed for the historic centre; Little nightlife
- Nearby
- Bosque Los Colomos, Colonia Americana, Andares
$$$ · Best for luxury, shopping and families
Zapopan and Andares
Zapopan is a separate municipality on the city's western side. Its modern Puerta de Hierro district around the Andares mall has towers, international hotels and high-end shopping, while the old centre of Zapopan keeps its basilica, pedestrian walkway and Wixárika art museum.
- Good
- Modern hotels with pools; Major shopping malls; Close to the stadiums
- Watch out
- Car-oriented and spread out; 30 minutes or more to the historic centre in traffic
- Nearby
- Basílica de Zapopan, Andares, Bosque Los Colomos
$$ · Best for couples, shopping and culture
Tlaquepaque
San Pedro Tlaquepaque, about 8 km southeast of the centre, is an old village swallowed by the city, with a pedestrian main street (Calle Independencia) of galleries, ceramics and craft shops and the big covered square of El Parián, where mariachis play to restaurant tables. Staying here suits shoppers and anyone who wants a smaller-town feel.
- Good
- Walkable and pretty; Mariachi on the doorstep; Boutique guesthouses
- Watch out
- Busy with day visitors at weekends; Light rail or taxi to the centre
- Nearby
- El Parián, Calle Independencia, Tonalá
$$ · Best for quiet stays, families and budget
Chapalita
Chapalita, southwest of the Americana, is a mid-20th-century residential neighbourhood of houses and gardens around the Glorieta Chapalita, with neighbourhood cafés, bakeries and taco stands. It is a peaceful base for longer stays, with Avenida Guadalupe and Avenida López Mateos close by for shopping.
- Good
- Calm and safe-feeling streets; Local prices; Good for apartment stays
- Watch out
- Few sights nearby; Taxi to most attractions
- Nearby
- Glorieta Chapalita, Avenida López Mateos, Providencia
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | $$ | Guadalajara Cathedral, Hospicio Cabañas, Teatro Degollado, Mercado San Juan de Dios |
| Colonia Americana and Lafayette | $$$ | Avenida Chapultepec, Templo Expiatorio, MUSA |
| Providencia | $$$ | Bosque Los Colomos, Colonia Americana, Andares |
| Zapopan and Andares | $$$ | Basílica de Zapopan, Andares, Bosque Los Colomos |
| Tlaquepaque | $$ | El Parián, Calle Independencia, Tonalá |
| Chapalita | $$ | Glorieta Chapalita, Avenida López Mateos, Providencia |
Getting to your hotel
Guadalajara International Airport (GDL) is about 20 km south of the centre; allow 30–45 minutes, longer at rush hour. Authorised taxis sell prepaid fares by zone at counters in the terminal.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Guadalajara for first-time visitors?
Centro Histórico. The centre's chain of plazas runs from the cathedral and Plaza de Armas east along the pedestrian Plaza Tapatía to the Hospicio Cabañas, with the Teatro Degollado, the Palacio de Gobierno and the regional museum on the way.
+Where should families stay in Guadalajara?
Providencia: Calm and green.
+Which area of Guadalajara is best for a budget stay?
Centro Histórico ($$): Cathedral plazas, murals and the big covered market.