Top 3 Things to See in Guadalajara, Mexico for Families
Easy itineraries for visiting the can’t-miss highlights of Guadalajara
Historic Downtown Guadalajara (Centro)
The central point of downtown, and truly the heart of the city, is the Catedral de Guadalajara (Basílica de la Asunción de María Santísima) with its stunning yellow tile roofs. This is a particularly magical place during any of the holidays, especially around Mexico’s Independence Day and Christmas - the decorations and activities catering to kids are incredible. Four distinct and lively plazas surround the church, as well as many historic buildings. With no cars to worry about, its perfect for stroller-strolling and/or kids to run off all that extra energy while seeing core city landmarks.
Plaza Guadalajara (we think of as “The Fountain Plaza”) has lovely indoor and outdoor cafes and abuts the Palacio Municipal which you can visit for free (but its nothing particularly special). There are often people dressed up in a wide variety of characters out on the plaza much to kids’ delight - its customary to pay them if you take a photograph.
Rotonda de los Jaliscienses Ilustres honors the leaders and artists of Jalisco state; this is the most peaceful of the four plazas. The Museo Regional de Guadalajara (regional museum) is very affordable and housed in a beautiful historic building - highlights include a full mammoth skeleton and a wide array of relics from pre-Colombian Mexican peoples. Generally, we have found that most museums in Mexico aren’t as explanatory as those we are accustomed to - labels/signs (if they exist) will almost certainly only be in Spanish.
Plaza de Armas is home to Centro’s quiosco (a raised octagonal pavilion you see at the center of every Mexican town), with lovely gardens and benches - a great spot for parents to sit while kids “perform” on stage :)
Plaza de la Liberación is the largest plaza, connecting the Catedral to another Centro architectural icon, the Teatro Degollado. This plaza most often hosts markets, artistic demonstrations, and other exciting events, and is where you can take a perfect family photo with the GUADALAJARA GUADALAJARA sign (after Vicente Fernandez’s famous song).
You can catch a horse-drawn (or “horse-less” motorized) carriage from Plaza Guadalajara for a fun ride around the historic area - our kids’ favorite is the “Cinderella” pumpkin-shaped carriage. There are many restaurants and street food stands; if you’re looking for lunch or dinner with delicious food and a view of a plaza, we recommend Los Illustres (which has stairs and an elevator and overlooks the Rotonda) or La Antigua (you can sit out on in Plaza Guadalajara, or go inside and upstairs for an elevated view).
If you’d like to keep the car-free walking adventure going (especially if your kids are fountain fanatics), head on westward past the Teatro to the Plaza Tapatia (sidebar: Tapatio/a means someone or something from Guadalajara) and, if you want, all the way out to the Plaza de Iberoamérica which features some seriously-odd-but-loved-by little-people statues right in front of the historic Hospicio Cabanas (a UNESCO World Heritage site but which I don’t recommend entering - its enormous & doesn’t have enough to keep kids entertained).
For the those among us with resilient kiddos, very close to Centro are 2 other important GDL sights that its fun to be able to say you’ve visited:
Mercado Libertad (Mercado San Juan de Dios) is the largest indoor market in Latin America - you can find literally anything here, if you’re not too intimidated by the sheer volume and busy-ness! Give it a go just to say you did!
Plaza de los Mariachis: Jalisco state (of which GDL is the capital) is home to Mexico’s quintessential Mariachi music. If you’d like to see Mariachi bands in action, this little plaza is a wonderful stop.
Getting there: Plug Plaza Guadalajara into Uber. If you drive, we’ve never had trouble parking under the Mercado Corona, the easiest marker for which is the Monumento a José Antonio "El Amo" Torres (Av. Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla 474, Zona Centro, 44100 Guadalajara, Jalisco).
Downtown Zapopan (Zapopan Centro)
Zapopan, once a separate town completely, now comprises the northwestern part of Guadalajara. Its motto is The City of the Boys & Girls. Its historic center is small - perfectly small for little ones who don’t want to walk too far.
We recommend the following route:
Start at the Palacio Municipal de Zapopan (our favorite parking spot is here - cash only!); after your kids enjoy climbing the borders around the edge of the trees and/or the fountain, head inside quickly (its free!) to see the staircase mural
Walk to the other end of the Palacio and cross the street to walk through the quaint courtyard of the Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol; you’re of course welcome inside if you’re so inclined!
Exit onto the Avenue Hidalgo, walk up the road, and cross the street to see the famous Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Zapopan
Walk down through the plaza in front of the Basilica (Plaza de las Americas - John Paul II) and visit/let your kids climb all around inside one of two enormous bronze head statues (Cabeza Vainilla Javier Marín) near the top of the pedestrian street starting at the western edge of the plaza (Prol. 20 De Noviembre).
Continue walking (and/or have a meal) along the Prol. 20 De Noviembre. On the way, stop by the Plaza Caudillos to let your kids climb all over the ZAPOPAN sign and see what else is going on - we’ve found this is a happening Plaza :) A little further on is the second climb-in bronze head, the Cabeza Roja Javier Marín
Keep going down the Prol. 20 De Noviembre until you pass under the Arcos de Zapopan monument and let your kids run around the edge of the huge fountain (Fuente de Zapopan)
Head across the street towards the elevated metro-rail station - there are 2 great playgrounds underneath it.
From here, the world is your oyster. Wonder through some of the cute streets of Zapopan (perhaps conveniently stopping at nearby cool rooftop bar AXNO), head to “kids’ heaven” at nearby Parque de los Ninas y los Ninos or Bosque los Colomos (see Parks & Playgrounds section below), or go dancing with some of the local Tapatios in Plaza Caudillos!
Tlaquepaque Centro: a hub of beautiful Mexican art & artisanry
Pedestrians-only Calle Independencia, Tlaquepaque
While not the most kid-friendly activity, no trip to Guadalajara would be complete without visiting Tlaquepaque, even if just to walk through a few of the many incredible shops and eat a lovely lunch. Tlaquepaque is technically its own town, and a Pueblo Magico at that. There is no better place to pick up souvenirs and gifts.
We recommend starting at the Plazoleta del Arte and strolling up pedestrian-only street Calle Independencia going westward (to the left and slightly uphill if you started at the Plazoleta) all the way to the Jardin Hidalgo, Tlaquepaque’s central square. Visit the shops and/or restaurants along the way as you please. Some of our favorites are below (starting from near the Plazoleta and going up the street), but honestly most are great:
Casa Luna restaurant - not super affordable, but their food, decor & ambiance (and often live music/performers) is well worth it; we always take visitors here.
El Patio offers traditional Mexican food set in a colonial mansion with a central patio and fountain, and a children’s play area towards the back.
Inmaculado Cafe is beautifully decorated and has a kids play area and table toys for your little ones
We most often just return down Calle Independencia but if you reach the Jardin and want to do more, take a return stroll down Calle Juarez, one block south running parrellel to Calle Independencia with a lovely wide pedestrian sidewalk. Note: If you got to Tlaquepage in or around Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Calle Juarez is closed to cars and wonderfully decorated in celebration. Please share your favorite finds in the comments!
Getting there: If you take an Uber, set your drop-off here. If you drive, we regularly park here - don’t forget to bring cash to pay for your parking.
Other posts you may enjoy & helpful resources for families in Guadalajara:
For restaurants in Guadalajara that kids love, with play places and/or acitivities so grown ups can enjoy a meal in relaxation, go here!
For the best playgrounds, parks, and attractions for kids in Guadalajara, see our post here!
Interested in venturing a little further afield? Our post about great family activities within about an hour’s drive from Guadalajara is here!
For variable and seasonal events in GDL, go to This Week in Guadalajara (TWIG).