Best of Guadalajara

The cultural capital and economic dynamo of Jalisco state, Guadalajara inspires the imagination with its wealth of grand museums, fiery mariachi music and colorful cobblestone neighborhoods ripe for exploring. A walking tour through the city center is the best way to learn about the city’s turbulent history and see its colonial treasures. Beyond the outskirts of Guadalajara stretch the sun-baked fields that nourish spiky blue agave, which is transformed into tequila at big and small distillers all across the region. 

After seeing the sights of Guadalajara, previous kimkim travelers have headed off on specialized tours nearby. Though less than five miles south of central Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque feels like an artisan village from another era. You can encounter the craft makers at work inside old pastel-hued mansions, or focus on the village’s rich gastronomic heritage on a food tour. Further afield, you can visit communities along the mountain-backed shores of the spectacular Lago de Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake. There are also charming colonial towns like Mascota and Sayula, the archaeological site of Guachimontones and one very famous town by the name of Tequila, where you can taste its iconic spirit amid the agave-filled landscape.