Day Trips from Guadalajara

Guadalajara is well-positioned for day excursions — the Tequila route, Mexico’s largest lake, highland villages, and canyon country are all within 2 hours.

Tequila (1.5 hours)

The town of Tequila is 60 km northwest — the centre of the agave distilling industry and a UNESCO World Heritage agave landscape. Distillery tours (Cuervo, Herradura, Sauza, plus smaller artisan producers) run daily. The Tequila Express scenic train from Guadalajara runs on weekends (~USD 120 all-inclusive with transport, distillery tour, and food). By road, local buses from the old bus station take 1.5 hours (~MXN 80). José Cuervo’s La Rojeña is the oldest operating distillery in the Americas.

Tlaquepaque and Tonalá (30 minutes by bus)

Two craft towns on the outskirts of Guadalajara now effectively absorbed into the metro area:

Tlaquepaque (San Pedro Tlaquepaque): pedestrianised streets with galleries, ceramic workshops, blown glass studios, and quality artisan shops. The El Parian plaza has mariachi bands. Best on weekends. Bus from centro takes ~40 minutes.

Tonalá: the larger and more artisan-focused of the two — furniture, ironwork, talavera, pottery. The Thursday and Sunday street market (Mercado de Artesanías) covers much of the town centre.

Lake Chapala (1 hour)

At 1,100 km², Lake Chapala is Mexico’s largest natural lake. The lakeside town of Ajijic (pronounced “Ahee-heek”) has a significant North American expat community and a mildly colonial architecture. The lake views are good; the town has decent restaurants and a walkable malecón. Take a boat to the small island of Alacranes if water conditions permit.

Buses from Guadalajara’s old bus terminal to Chapala/Ajijic: ~1 hour, hourly.

Tapalpa (2 hours)

A pine-forested highland town in the Sierra del Tigre, at 2,000m elevation. The town itself is attractive — whitewashed buildings, cobblestones, a good local cheese (quesillo) and wine culture. The surrounding countryside has horse riding, hiking, and Las Piedrotas — a volcanic rock formation about 5 km from town. Day trips possible but an overnight stay gives a better experience of the town in the evening after day visitors leave.

Barranca de Huentitán

One of the deepest canyons in North America runs through the northern edge of greater Guadalajara — the Barranca de Oblatos and Barranca de Huentitán, two parallel canyons separated by a promontory. The Parque Mirador Independencia has the best viewpoint. The canyon is 600m deep at its most dramatic point. Getting to the bottom requires a 3–4 hour descent/return hike. The park is accessible by city bus from Guadalajara centro.