Things to do & places to visit in Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Jalisco, Mexico

Guadalajara Metropolitan Area district in Jalisco, Mexico. Timezone: America/Mexico_City, current date and time: Wednesday, May 08, 2024, 0:06.

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Top things to do (18)

• Children's Museums
• Historic Sites
• Canyons
• Forests
• Speciality Museums
• Shopping Malls
• Flea & Street Markets
• Art Museums
• Government Buildings
• Religious Sites
• Points of Interest & Landmarks
• Science Museums
• Hiking Trails
• Parks
• Convention Centers
• Monuments & Statues
• Arenas & Stadiums
• Architectural Buildings

Top places to visit (22 attractions)

1. 4.5 Andares Centro Comercial (533 reviews)
   - Take a stroll
   Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Spent More than 3 hours Shopping Malls
   
   
   Andares it's a meeting place, where friends and families come together to enjoy the best shopping, dinning and entertainment experience in Guadalajara. #AmoAndares See more..
   
2. 4.5 Estadio Omnilife (498 reviews)
   - Tour
   Arenas & Stadiums
   
   
   I was not able to experience an actual soccer game here due to the dates of my trip, however, i was able to do the stadium tour. Tour is only about $8-$12 and it is worth it. It is about 1 hour long and you get to see locker room and multiple views of the stadium. See more..
   
3. 4.5 Palacio de Gobierno del Estado de Jalisco (453 reviews)
   - Paintings and murals on ceilings and walls
   Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Historic Sites • Art Museums • Government Buildings
   
   
   This 18th-century government building, which served as the headquarters of the Juarez administration in 1858, contains a number of the famous murals by Jose Clemente Orozco. See more..
   
4. 4.5 Basilica de Zapopan (443 reviews)
   - Basílica and Zapopan community
   Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM Architectural Buildings • Religious Sites • Monuments & Statues
   
   
   This beautifully ornate church, built in 1690, is one of the city's oldest structures. See more..
   
5. 4.5 Expo Guadalajara (442 reviews)
   - Furniture Expo in Guadalajara, Mexico
   Convention Centers
   
   
   A massive expo center which holds many of latin America's annual events and conventions. See more..
   
6. 4.5 Independencia Avenue (362 reviews)
   - Must see for shoppers
   Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   Mall shopping has a place in my life for needs and artisan shopping fills my soul with the joy of craftsmanship and beauty you can't find in a shopping mall. The layout of shops in Tlaquepaque along Calle Independence is so beautiful and inviting. Hand crafted clothing, shoes and bags, jewelry, art galleries, furniture and decorating items, as well as local coffee, sweets and tequila and many different restaurants for your snacking breaks. The town square is a lovely place to have a cold drink and people watch if shopping is not your thing. Having been to both Tlaquepaque and Tonalá, I would recommend doing both pueblos, since the shopping experiences are quite different, but equally enjoyable. So happy to have made the trip and will definitely return. See more..
   
7. 4.5 Plaza de la Liberación (285 reviews)
   - Take a walking tour, it's much more interesting
   Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   This always busy downtown plaza lies at the heart of the city's historic district. See more..
   
8. 4.5 Parque Metropolitano de Guadalajara (269 reviews)
   - Good place to work out
   Parks
   
   
   Ride a bike, walk, run and if you get early catch one of the many classes in different spots of the park. Good place for a get together with the family and share pizzas or make a barbecue. No alcohol is allowed. See more..
   
9. 4.5 Santuario de Nuestra Senora de Zapopan (243 reviews)
   - I HAD READ ABOUT THIS TREASURE AND NOW I SAW IT.
   Points of Interest & Landmarks
   
   
   This church is second in importance only to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. I had read about the annual pilgrimage that takes place there in Dane Chandos' book VILLAGE IN THE SUN. Chandos (a pseudonym) was a British adventurer who spent the last years of his young life in the village of Ajijic on Lake Chapala and died in the 1940s and is buried in the Ajijic cemetery with his father. The pilgrimage has been happening for centuries. The actual statue of the this version of the Blessed Mother reminded me of the small statue of the Infant of Prague in the Czech Republic. I expected it to be larger than it is but it originally was carried by a Franciscan Friar and is made of corn paste. The colonial architecture is magnificent and the plaza in front of the basilica is huge. It is well worth a visit. See more..
   
10. 4.5 Mercado Libertad (230 reviews)
    - Fun experience
    Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Flea & Street Markets
    
    
    This arts and crafts marketplace offers many places to shop and bargain. See more..
    
11. 4.5 The Magic Top Museum (227 reviews)
    - CHILDREN'S MUSEUM EL TROMPO MAGICO
    Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent 2-3 hours Science Museums • Art Museums • Children's Museums
    
    
    We're looking for the curiosity and excitement of the children about science and arts, through interactive experiments on everyday life: that's The Magic Top Museum, where to know it's fun! See more..
    
12. 4.5 Museo Panteón de Belén (218 reviews)
    - Great history with awesome tour guides to explain it
    Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Speciality Museums
    
    
    I would make this a stop in your adventures in Guadalajara. Short uber ride from the central plaza. Its not expensive, however please pay the extra fee that they charge to take pictures. It's worth every penny. Learn about the legends of the city. The Vampire, Nachito and the architect that built the cemetery. Each one has a great story. The tour guide was knowledgeable and approachable. We took the last tour of the day which is at 3pm. Get there on time. Enjoy See more..
    
13. 4.5 Glorieta Chapalita (194 reviews)
    - One of the best designed parks in the city.
    Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    This square is surrounded by interesting restaurants and is a nice place to relax. See more..
    
14. 4.5 Tonala Craft Market (183 reviews)
    - Go on Sunday
    Flea & Street Markets
    
    
    It will blow your mind! If you love to shop you'll be in heaven. It's shopping on steroids. I don't particularly like shopping, but I was entertained by all the stuff. Lot of stuff!! My friend and I went in July so it was pretty hot, but there are plenty of cafes and restaurants to stop off at. I got the impression most of the items were not high quality, but I can't say for sure. If you want high, high quality go to Tlaquepaque instead. See more..
    
15. 4.5 Nueve Esquinas (171 reviews)
    - Cute little Plaza!
    Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    This plaza connects nine streets and offers many fine restaurants. See more..
    
16. 4.5 Rectoría de la Universidad de Guadalajara (135 reviews)
    - Visit to MUSA art museum (Rectoria de la Universidad de GDL)
    Architectural Buildings • Art Museums
    
    
    This building houses an art museum with murals by Jose Clemente Orozco. See more..
    
17. 4.5 MUSA Museo de las Artes Universidad de Guadalajara (135 reviews)
    - Excellent local museum
    Wednesday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Art Museums
    
    
    This museum hosts frequent international exhibitions and also houses a large collection of Mexican art. See more..
    
18. 4.5 Bosque de la Primavera (121 reviews)
    - Great getaway
    Hiking Trails • Forests
    
    
    We asked at the tourist office and got the number of the appropriate bus from downtown Guadalajara (6 pesos). It took about an hour to get to the small town off the highway, and then it was a 20 minute walk to the park gate (5 pesos). From there, we walked three km to the Río Caliente, a pleasant stroll along a dusty road through pine and oak (take a hat). The río (another 10 pesos) is a thermal stream under a steep hill where although it was already around 11:30am we managed to see painted whitestart, western tanager and a few other cool birds just darting around the hill. I imagine it would be very productive if you get there early. The stream has small dams in places allowing you to swim and the warm water is really relaxing. Apparently, it's crowded on weekends, but there was almost no one there during the week in December. It was fabulous to get out of the crowds and bustle of Guadalajara for a hike in pure nature. On the way back you can take a bus from the village to Zapopan. It was very indirect and took another hour, but it did drive through the countryside for part of the way. And Zapopan in the late afternoon was gorgeous. Note that there are no food places in the Bosque, so bring food and water. See more..
    
19. 4.5 Parque Mirador Independencia (93 reviews)
    - La Barranca de Huentitan (Mirador)
    Parks
    
    
    Spectacular views of the Barranca de Oblatos canyon can be seen from this dramatically located park. See more..
    
20. 4.5 Barranca de Oblatos (87 reviews)
    - Harder than I thoughy
    Spent 2-3 hours Canyons
    
    
    This 2,000-foot gorge makes for an interesting view. See more..
    
21. 4.0 Glorieta La Minerva (384 reviews)
    - Prominent City Landmark
    Monuments & Statues
    
    
    This Roman goddess statue is the gathering place after the Mexican soccer nationals. See more..
    
22. 4.0 Wax Museum (Museo de Cera) (222 reviews)
    - FUN with the Girls
    Speciality Museums
    
    
    This newly opened wax museum contains a wide selection of famous figures. See more..