Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Guadalajara, Mexico

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Jalisco’s capital city, Guadalajara, is an ambassador for the country. It’s rich in the vivid Mexican traditions that are seared into the collective imagination of millions of international travelers: Guadalajara is home to the brassy sounds of mariachi, the pageantry of charrería (the forerunner of American rodeo), the rich flavor of birria and countless other dishes—and it acts as a gateway to tequila country. The timeless beauty of the city spans from its blend of neoclassical buildings, Spanish Renaissance cathedrals, and historic homes that are shining examples of Mexican modernism. But it’s not stuck in the past, either. Of late, Guadalajara has seen the growth of a vibrant bar scene that’s gained international recognition, alongside a thriving design culture. With all this interest, it’s no surprise that an expansion of the Guadalajara International Airport is currently underway to improve access and service the growing demand: A complete remodel of Terminal 1 and improvements to Terminal 2 have already been completed, and an additional access road will be finished by May 2026, just in time for the FIFA World Cup for which this city will host four games.

We know, you’ve heard a lot about Mexico City, but Guadalajara rivals CDMX in its heritage-rich offerings and up-and-coming creative class, while feeling slightly less congested. We even named it one of the Best Places to Go in 2026, for this very reason. If “Jalisco es Mexico”, as the state’s slogan reads, Guadalajara is its beating heart.

Below, we cover everything you need to know before a visit—including when to go, what to do, and very importantly, what to eat.

The best time to visit Guadalajara

Guadalajara’s high season spans from the drier months of October to December. Daytime highs brush the lower 80s, but the season also coincides with festivals like Fiestas del Octubre, Guadalajara International Book Fair, and a surge of families returning from abroad for the holidays. While temperatures drop somewhat after the new year, hotels remain at a premium from January to May.

Throughout June 2026, which is the beginning of the wetter season, Guadalajara will host four World Cup matches at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, an upscale city in the municipality of Guadalajara. You can currently get World Cup 2026 tickets at FIFA’s official ticketing portal, authorized hospitality providers such as Pitchside, and secondary sites like SeatGeek and VividSeats. The games will be held on June 11, 18, 23, and 26, respectively.

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Snag seats, see cities, and feast your eyes on the beautiful game.

How to get to Guadalajara

There are plenty of direct flights to Guadalajara from major US cities such as Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and more. Both domestic and Mexican carriers American Airlines, Volaris, Viva, Alaska, United, and Aeromexico provide easy access to the city. For people living in southern California, there are lower fares from Tijuana International Airport on Viva, Volaris, and Aeromexico—and with Cross Border Xpress, passengers can walk into the airport directly for a fee.

Where to eat in Gaudalajara

A few things to understand on a high level: When it comes to Mexican gastronomy, Guadalajara is home to some of its greatest hits. The city is the birria capital of Mexico where the savory dish is made with mainly goat, but also lamb, beef, and veal; it can even incorporate seafood. Likewise, this city is a destination for sandwiches. Two musts are tortas ahogadas, consisting of salty birote bread drowned in tomato sauce and fiery salsa de chile de arbol; and lonches, for which lunch meet and local cheese are layered in a softer bread roll. You’ll find many types of tacos available throughout the day, of course, not to mention top notch seafood. Luckily some of the most imaginative chefs and bartenders in Mexico are in this city, making use of all of the above, in totally new ways.

Afternoons at Siete y Medio de Paco are for sipping Bloody Marys and shots of craft tequila like Don Fulano Fuerte, or Caballito Cerrero Chato Blanco with fresh seafood. Start with chilled oysters garnished in callo de perla (pen shell clam), and chile serrano rings. More than a dozen enticing tostadas such as a spicy aguachile chiltepín pair nicely with local craft beer, as does a torta ahogada de camarón.

The city has a formidable taco culture from morning stews to fried meats after hours. A great place to start is Tacos Don José, a stand that offers carne asada, birria, chicharrón, and a variety of rotating guisados topped with strips of panela cheese carved straight from a wheel onto your taco. Each bite gets a colorful boost by pickled vegetables, cactus salad, pickled red onion slivers, and piquant salsas.

Upscale dining

There are plenty of modern Mexican destination restaurants that highlight regional cuisine, unique ingredients, and delve into Indigenous heritage—and celebrated chef Francisco Ruano is at the heart of this universe in Guadalajara. Ruano’s Restaurante Alcalde has continued to refine its tasting menu since opening in 2013, and remains one of the best fine dining restaurants in all of Mexico. Here, leche de tigre, a cool stock of tender coconut, is adorned by sea urchin set in the center of a breathtaking orbit of colorful oils and edible flowers—when combined, a single bite conjures images of palapas, hammocks, and ceviche stands on the beach. The former chef de cuisine at Alcalde, chef Zayr Huescas, recently opened La Casa de Las Brasas inside a hip industrial space in Arcos Vallarta featuring a stunning selection of shellfish in a rectangular display. Mexican oysters and the clam of the day, prepared in a bright solution of seasoned lime speckled in dots of spicy oils, are paired with Mexican natural wine; meanwhile grilled jumbo prawns in turmeric habanero are cooked over mesquite.

In working class Barrio Santa Teresita, one of Mexico’s most ambitious molinos is making waves in the culinary world. At Xokol, chef Oscar Segundo and chef Zrysw Ruelas Díaz and their teams churn out tasting menus on a long table set under a canopy of heirloom corn and husks. Highlights include a soft tamal submerged in a mosaic of four lacquered, individually spiced bean sauces, and a mole de insectos accompanied by roast duck that’s eaten with ornate ceremonial tortillas.

Before one of your fancy meals in Guadalajara, climb the stairs at El Gallo Altanero to the charming terrace bar lit by a stained glass featuring sunrays and blue agave. Here,Cascahuin tequila cocktails, like tepache jaibols (highballs), are served in prayer candles. To end the evening, head to Mecenas, which is set in a cathedralesque corridor and draws a young, attractive crowd with house-made spirits spun into cocktails, and bar bites by chef José Luis Hinostroza.

What to do in Guadalajara—when you aren’t eating

Guadalajara is rich in familiar Mexican traditions, museums, impressive architecture, and art galleries featuring historic works and contemporary ceramics. Start by wandering the historic center, where it’ll be easy to stumble upon all of the above—a highlight of which is the Museo Cabañas, where you can take in the magnus opus frescoes of muralist José Clemente Orozco, completed in 1939. For a walkable neighborhood with boutique shopping and plenty of trendy restaurants to stumble upon, work your way through Colonia Americana. To learn the history of local handcrafts, like bandera ware and blown glass, ask your hotel concierge for help joining a tour of Tonalá and Tlaquepaque, where you can visit the workshops that top restaurants and hotels in Mexico purchase their ceramics from.

If the magnetism of tequila country beckons, as it does for most travelers, there are two tequila-themed trains that deliver tipsy passengers to Tequila itself, which is designated as a Pueblo Magico (magic town) for its beauty and cultural value. On board the José Cuervo Express or the Tequila Express, the beloved liquid flows freely until happy travelers are delivered to the namesake town for more agave adventures inside historic haciendas.

Watching the World Cup in Guadalajara

In the month of June, Estadio Akron, home of the Chivas soccer team, will be renamed Estadio Guadalajara (to comply with FIFA regulations regarding sponsorships) and will play host to four group-stage matches. The stadium, which was opened in 2010, is accessible by public transportation on several local bus lines, plus a BRT line (Mi Macro Pereférico) with the Estadio Chivas station near the venue. Didn’t score a ticket? There are still local sports bars and restaurants where locals and travelers alike will be watching the games, such as La Vitola, a Mexican cantina with multiple screens in Providencia. In Zapopan, McCarthy’s Irish Pub serves as a live music venue and sports bar with many televisions, whereas Cervezería Chapultepec is a colorful pub popular for its one-price menu for all food items. All three of these bars host viewings of soccer matches and other sports year round.

Where to stay in Guadalajara

It was only a matter of time before Guadalajara’s hotel sector caught up with the cool, sophisticated Mexican modernist art scene, and dynamic artisan ceramic and furniture design shops in Tonalá. Jalisco’s capital now has stylish boutique hotels for travelers to unwind in. Located in Colonia Lafayette, at the center of Guadalajara’s contemporary late night landscape, is Hotel Demetria, an elegant steel, concrete, and glass structure housing a museum inside the mezzanine level, including stylish rooms that contain circular freestanding bathtubs. Nearby, Hotel Bellwort, a minimalist luxury hotel designed by local architects contains 32 rooms and suites with neutral tones that are calming after a long day exploring the city. Counting 37 rooms, Casa Habita, a Design Hotel, offers stunning views of the city and includes a pool, rooftop terrace, and suites with balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows, plus Art Deco touches.