Guadalajara Travel Tips (Jalisco, Mexico) – All You Need to Know Before Your Visit

Are you planning a trip to Guadalajara in Mexico and would like to learn more about it prior to your trip? If so, then in this Guadalajara travel tips post you will find answers to common questions such as where to stay, how to stay safe during your visit and how best to get around the second biggest city in Mexico based on our experience. 

We spent 3 weeks in Guadalajara, took many incredible day trips, tried a ton of Mexican food and all in all we fell in love with this area of the country. 

If you’d like to see our Guadalajara adventures then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here. You can also check out our Mexico Playlist for more adventures.

Introducing Guadalajara, Jalisco

Guadalajara is located to the north-west of Mexico in the State of Jalisco close to the Pacific Ocean. It is the most populated city in the State of Jalisco. With a population of nearly 1.5 million, it’s considered the second most densely populated city in Mexico. Right behind Mexico City, it’s the second most important economic centre in the country. In addition, with a greater metropolitan population just over 5 million, Guadalajara is also the second most populated metropolitan area in the country. 

Whilst the city has become the technological and financial hub of Mexico and is often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of Mexico’, it’s also considered the cultural centre of the country with rich history and traditions. Guadalajara and its surrounding areas are home to the birthplace of Tequila, the origins of mariachi music and where massive cultural events are held such as the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). 

Is Guadalajara Safe?

In short, my answer to this question is: YES.

However, there are a few health and safety precautions you should bear in mind before and during your travels around Guadalajara. 

(For more official safety advice please visit the Government’s website.)

Crime Related Guadalajara Travel Tips

Just like in any densely populated city in the world crimes are not uncommon. Whilst we never felt unsafe in the city or travelling around it, here are a few safety tips based on our experience and research. 

• Avoid walking, using public transport or driving late at night.
• Try to avoid using public transportation during rush hours. It’ll be super crowded and you’re more likely to get pickpocketed.
• Always put your valuables away when using public transportation or walking somewhere less touristy. Even in more touristy areas, I suggest keeping an eye on your valuables such as phones and cameras.
• You’ll see that many people wear their backpacks on their front on public transport and in more crowded places. 
• Try to avoid wearing big branded clothes and accessories if you can. You’ll already scream tourist so you don’t want any more attention on you.
• Book your accommodation in safe neighborhoods, so you won’t have to worry about your belongings when you’re out exploring. 

Health Related Guadalajara Travel Tips

One thing you want to avoid on your holiday is getting sick, especially in a foreign country where you might not even speak the language. Here are a few of my personal health related tips to reduce the risk of getting ill.

• Avoid drinking the tap water. I suggest boiling your water, using a filtered bottle or buying bigger bottles of water (4 or 6 litres) and filling up a reusable water bottle. This will help you to reduce your plastic waste too. 
• Whilst you should avoid tap water, make sure to actually drink enough purified water to avoid dehydration. My advice is to always have water on you. 
• Don’t forget to use sun-cream. It’s hot even during the winter months and you want to protect your skin.
• Don’t be afraid to eat street food, but be cautious, especially with meat and salads. Normally if you see a lot of people eating at a stand you’ll be fine.
• Although basic hygiene, always wash or sanitise your hands before eating. You’ll be eating more with your hands in Mexico and you want to avoid eating germs.
• Sanitising is also a very important way to avoid Covid-19.
• Obviously with Covid-19, check the current rules of the state, but at the time of our stay we had to use masks everywhere including in the streets.
• Air pollution in Guadalajara is quite high, so bear this in mind if you suffer from respiratory problems. (If you’re a contact lens wearer I recommend carrying eyedrops with you when out and about. It came in handy many times during the day.)
• There are many (MANY!) pharmacies in Guadalajara where you can buy medicines so only bring your prescribed medication.

Do I Need to Speak Spanish in Guadalajara?

My answer is Yes and No.

Being the second most important city in Mexico, there will definitely be more English speakers than in less visited areas. However, speaking English is not a given like in many European countries for example. 

As I mentioned before, we stayed in Guadalajara for three weeks and visited just as many less-touristy areas as touristy ones. To visit them we used plenty of public transportation, taxis and other local buses where we had to speak Spanish.

On the other hand we visited places like Lake Chapala, which is a very popular place for American and Canadian retirees. Here, we heard a lot more English than anywhere else in Mexico. All in all, I think at some tourist attractions or at popular restaurants someone will likely speak English but I wouldn’t expect it automatically.

Therefore, one of my biggest Guadalajara travel tips is to learn some Spanish phrases based around ordering food, buying bus tickets, booking activities, asking for prices, and numbers. Don’t forget to download the Google Translate app too, which can be a lifesaver. Practicing a country’s native language is always nice and people will appreciate your efforts.

Top Tip – You can always ask the person if they speak English first, but come prepared in case they don’t. 

How To Get to Guadalajara

By Plane

Guadalajara has an airport, which means that you can access the city via plane. Depending on where you’re coming from there are some direct flights between Guadalajara and some cities in the USA. If you’re coming from other destinations such as Europe, you’re most likely going to fly into Mexico City first, then have to get a connecting flight to Guadalajara. 

By Car

You can opt to rent a car and drive to Guadalajara. We haven’t rented a car during our stay in Mexico. Whilst I have no personal experience or recommendations, I read plenty of useful blog posts about everything you need to know about car rental in Mexico. Discover Cars has been recommended on multiple websites where you can find the best rates as it compares local, national and international companies.

I highly suggest doing thorough research to avoid any problems and extra costs.

By Public Bus

Since we’ve decided to fly as little as possible, we mainly travelled by buses between cities. Although it will take you longer to get to places, they are cheaper, surprisingly spacious and comfortable. These long-distance buses will always have toilets and internet. (Although the internet can be a bit hit or miss.)

There are many different bus companies running services between Mexico City and Guadalajara. We travelled with PrimeraPlus, but we’ve also used Omnibus de Mexico and ETN to get around Mexico and we’ve had no bad experience.

Click here for a detailed blog post about travelling in Mexico by bus.

Top Tip – A very useful website we use all the time when planning our longer trips between cities is Rome2rio and Busbud.

Please Note – In most cases you’ll have to show your passport and your Immigration Form when purchasing a bus ticket!

Where to Stay in Guadalajara

Probably the best and most popular areas to stay in Guadalajara are Downtown and the Historic Centre. Here, you’ll be close to many of the tourist attractions as well as restaurants and bars.

Colonia Americana and the area around Chapultepec Avenue are also considered a great option. These areas are definitely trendier neighbourhoods filled with tons of bars, restaurants and night clubs. It’s a great place if you enjoy going out a lot, but might be noisier if you’re after a quieter stay.

Another two areas you can consider are Zapopan and Tlaquepaque. These are actually two separate cities but part of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. These areas are outside of the city centre, but still have plenty of places to eat and things to do making them a great day trip from Guadalajara proper.

Best Ways to Move Around Guadalajara, Jalisco

Private Vehicle

UBER:

Nowadays Uber is probably the most common way to move around in cities across the world. Uber in Guadalajara can be relatively cheap, really depending on how far you’re travelling and the time of day. It’s easy to use and you can see how much your ride will cost before you book it.

Note – If you’re doing a longer trip across the city, drivers might cancel your trip especially during peak hours, so be prepared to wait a bit longer. In case you end up sitting in traffic for too long you might have to pay extra as well. 

Top Tip – If you can download the Didi app, I recommend using that instead of Uber. Apparently it’s cheaper than Uber but works the same way. Unfortunately, even with a Mexican SIM Card we were unable to download the app, but you might get lucky.

TAXI:

I think it’s pretty safe to use licensed taxis. However, I would ask how much the ride would cost before you get into one. Again, don’t be surprised if they ask for a bit more if you get stuck in traffic.

Public Transportation

LIGHT RAIL:

There are currently 3 different metro lines connecting Guadalajara called Sistema de Tren Eléctrico Urbano. Line 1 runs north/south between Auditoria and Periférico Sur, Line 2 runs east/west between Juárez and Tetlán and Line 3 connects Arcos de Zapopan in the north west with Central de Autobuses in the south east. 

Before your first ride you’ll have to purchase a travel card which costs MX$30. Then you’ll just have to load it with money and can tap it to enter the station. One ride costs MX$9.50 and you normally don’t have to pay again if you’re changing lines. (Although, there was one instance where we had to when changing to Line 3 so just be aware!)

Top Tip – You don’t have to buy more than one card when travelling together. We only bought one and it was perfectly fine.

BUS:

When the metro won’t take you to your exact destination, you can transfer onto a bus. There are a few options to choose from, so I suggest you plan your itinerary in Google Maps. The ride costs MX$9.50 just like the train and you can use the same travel card.

Top Tip – I would avoid taking the very local green buses, unless you’re fluent in Spanish. They can be very confusing and hectic at times.

Safety Summary – We never felt unsafe using any of the above modes of transportation. However, I would still be cautious, keep my belongings close to me and generally wouldn’t travel too long after dark.

Additional Guadalajara Travel Tips

Below are a list of general travel tips that can also be applicable to the entire country not just Guadalajara: 

• Be ready to tip everywhere! 10% is the most common amount to tip in most places. However, restaurants and cafés aren’t the only places you’ll have to tip in Mexico. Expect to give small tips to everyone helping you such as the person packing your shopping bag or a person who voluntarily helps you wave down a taxi.
• Try to have as much change on you as possible!!! Having cash is a life saver in Mexico, but having small change is just as important. You’ll use it mainly for toilets and small tips.
• If you’re in the country for longer I recommend buying a Mexican SIM Card and loading it with data. Some restaurants and cafés or parks might have complimentary WIFI but it won’t be as common as it is in other countries. SIM cards are very affordable and they can be useful for other things such as following your location, organising day trips, tracking your taxi or Uber ride and more.

If you don’t fancy getting a physical SIM card, you can always use Airalo. It is an app that allows you to download a prepaid eSIM to your phone in over 190 countries. You can choose from different packages and data allowances depending on how long you’re staying or how much internet you want to use.

Top Tip – Make sure to have a VPN to avoid hackers accessing your personal data when using public WIFI. We use Surfshark which is the only VPN that offers one account on unlimited devices. 

Final Thoughts on Guadalajara Travel Tips

Mexico in general and especially big cities like Guadalajara get a bad reputation and visiting them can feel a bit intimidating at first. However, I hope that after reading this Guadalajara travel tips post, you feel much more prepared and excited about your upcoming adventures.

Have you ever been to Guadalajara before? If so, how much of the city did you manage to explore and what other advice would you add to my post? If not, would you want to visit Guadalajara? Let me know in the comments below.