Taxco de Alarcón clings to a hillside in the state of Guerrero, 180 km south of Mexico City, its white-painted colonial architecture cascading down steep cobbled streets to the Plaza Borda below the twin towers of Santa Prisca church. The town built its wealth on silver — first from the colonial mines exploited by the Spanish from the 1520s, and then from the 20th-century transformation into Mexico’s silver jewellery capital by José de la Borda and later American expat William Spratling, who revived the craft industry in the 1930s. Today Taxco has over 200 silver shops and workshops, a Baroque cathedral among the finest in Mexico, and a dramatic physical setting that rewards exploration on foot.
For the full city guide, see our Taxco travel guide.
Top Taxco Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | Price (approx.) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Workshop Visit & Jewellery Making | 2–3 hrs | from $25 USD | Crafts, shopping |
| Grutas de Cacahuamilpa Cave Tour | 3 hrs | from $20 USD | Natural wonders |
| Colonial Walking Tour with Santa Prisca | 2.5 hrs | from $18 USD | Architecture, history |
| Taxco & Cacahuamilpa Day Trip from Mexico City | 10 hrs | from $65 USD | Day-trippers |
| Silver Mine History Tour | 2 hrs | from $20 USD | History, industry |
| Taxco Sunset Rooftop Tour | 2 hrs | from $25 USD | Photography, views |
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For Arts, Crafts and Shopping
Silver Workshop Visits
The most direct way to understand Taxco silver is to visit a workshop rather than a shop. Several silversmithing families open their studios to visitors — the process involves wax modelling, casting, hand-finishing, and stone setting, all done by artisans who have often trained from childhood in family workshops.
The major silver market (Mercado de Artesanías) near Plaza Borda sells finished pieces at fixed prices. For bespoke work or to watch the craft in process, workshops near the Spratling Museum and along Calle de los Plateros operate with open-door policies during business hours. Guided workshop visits that include a silversmithing demonstration and explanation of silver purity grades (925 sterling vs lower-grade alloys) cost approximately $20–35 USD per person as of 2025.
The most respected names in Taxco silver include Los Castillo (founded by one of Spratling’s original students) and Taller Maya — both have studio-showrooms where visitors can watch work in progress.
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William Spratling Museum
Spratling, an American architect who arrived in the 1930s, hired local craftsmen and redesigned Taxco’s jewellery output to reach international markets — his revival essentially created the modern Taxco silver industry. The Spratling Museum (Museo William Spratling) in the former mine administration building displays pre-Columbian artefacts alongside his personal collection and documents his influence. Entry approximately $3 USD as of 2025. Guided museum visits combined with a walking tour cost approximately $20–30 USD per person.
For Natural Wonders
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa (Cacahuamilpa Caves)
The Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, 30 km north of Taxco, are among the largest cave systems in the world, with two main chambers extending 2 km into the mountain and reaching heights of 80 metres. The caves contain extraordinary stalactite and stalagmite formations — the named formations (Elefante, La Novia, El Castillo del Moro) give scale to what is otherwise an abstract geological spectacle.
Guided cave tours run every hour from the park entrance (approximately 9 am to 4 pm), cost around $12–15 USD as of 2025 per adult, and take approximately 2 hours. The caves maintain a constant temperature of 18°C — a jacket is useful even in summer.
Combined Taxco and Cacahuamilpa day tours from Mexico City include transport, cave tour, and time in Taxco’s silver district for approximately $60–80 USD per person as of 2025.
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For History and Architecture
Colonial Walking Tour — Santa Prisca & the Plazas
Taxco’s UNESCO-protected historic centre is one of the best-preserved colonial urban ensembles in Mexico. The walking tour circuit covers:
Santa Prisca Church — built 1751–1758 under the patronage of silver magnate José de la Borda, the twin-towered façade is a masterpiece of Mexican Baroque (Churrigueresque style). The interior gold altarpieces are original. Entry is free; guided tours include the sacristy with colonial paintings.
Plaza Borda — the central square named after the same Borda family, ringed by silver shops in colonial buildings.
Ex-Hacienda del Chorrillo — the former Borda hacienda and mine processing facility, now a cultural centre, 10 minutes walk from the plaza.
Teleférico (cable car) — a gondola to the Hotel Montetaxco on the hill above the town, with views across the valley. Approximately $5 USD each way as of 2025.
Walking tours covering these sites cost approximately $15–25 USD per person as of 2025 for 2–2.5 hours with a local licensed guide.
Mine History Tour
The Mina El Bordo on the road below Taxco is a former silver mine (now disused) that offers guided visits into its lower levels. The tour covers the working conditions of colonial-era and 20th-century miners, the geology of the silver deposits, and the machinery used in later processing. Approximately $18–25 USD per person as of 2025.
For Day-Trippers from Mexico City
Taxco is easily reached from Mexico City on the Autopista del Sol (approximately 2 hours without traffic). The most common format is a Taxco and Cacahuamilpa combination — morning caves, afternoon silver district, return by evening.
Day tour operators from Mexico City charge approximately $60–85 USD per person for a fully guided day that includes transport, Cacahuamilpa entry, a walking tour of Taxco’s centre, and lunch. These tours typically use private vehicles or small buses and limit group size to 8–12 people.
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Practical Tips for Booking Taxco Tours
Easter week (Semana Santa): Taxco is famous for its elaborate Holy Week processions — penitentes carrying crosses through the cobbled streets at night are a striking and deeply serious religious observance. The town is heavily visited in this week; accommodation must be booked months in advance.
Silver quality: Sterling silver in Mexico is marked 925 (92.5% pure silver). Many Taxco pieces are lower purity (980, 950, or 800). Ask for the purity stamp before buying and carry a small magnet — real silver is not magnetic; many low-quality items mixed with other metals will react.
Getting around: Taxco’s streets are too steep and narrow for normal cars. White VW Beetle taxis (now being phased out but still common) and motos (small motorcycle taxis) navigate the hills. Most sights are reachable on foot from the main plaza, though the lower streets require a climb back up.
Best time: November through April is dry season. The town is dramatic in the rainy season (June–September) when the hillside is vivid green, but cobblestones become slippery and some mountain roads to Cacahuamilpa require checking conditions before travel.