I visited Guadalajara, Mexico’s 3rd-largest city, and I was amazed by the diverse range of cultural attractions it offers. And yes, that includes food (and, in a nearby town called Tequila, they make a particular beverage you might have heard of). Guadalajara is a truly underrated destination that deserves more attention; I found it so authentically Mexican.
It’s an excellent option for a quick trip (relatively) nearby. And I truly can’t recommend it enough!
Welcome to this trip report about Guadalajara (Mexico).
Here are all the topics I will be covering.
Introduction to my trip to Guadalajara (Mexico)
Here’s an overview of why I went on this trip and where I went on this trip.
Context
The context for this trip is straightforward: I was offered a free trip! I’m accustomed to getting free travel thanks to my travel rewards, but the main part of this trip cost me neither cash nor points (which is obviously even better).
Flair Airlines, Canada’s only ultra low-cost carrier (ULCC), invited me on their inaugural flight from Toronto to Guadalajara (they also fly there from Vancouver). As an AvGeek, I love inaugural flights!
However, in addition to that, the Guadalajara tourism office also offered me 3 free nights at a luxury Marriott Bonvoy hotel along with several activities and meals. And I had never visited Mexico, apart from a day in Mexico City on my way to Peru back in 2017.
So I couldn’t say no! I don’t receive sponsored trips that often; I only got 1 other in 2024, along with a few more sponsored hotel stays. It’s a great perk of having a travel website, and it gives me topics I can create content around for you, too.
Since I was attending a credit card industry conference in Texas a week later, I decided that it wasn’t worth going back home and that I’d rather make the trip more worthwhile and get a better taste of Guadalajara. So I stayed for an extra 7 days. It cost me very little, as I redeemed Marriott points for free hotel stays for the extra nights, and everything else is pretty cheap.
I then flew nonstop from Guadalajara to San Antonio. I will hopefully be able to use the free return flight Flair had offered me to return to Mexico later, maybe even back to Guadalajara specifically.
Itinerary
Here’s my overall itinerary (I’ll soon share a separate trip report for my 2nd-ever trip to San Antonio, Texas).
I only visited Guadalajara and the nearby town of Tequila.
Here’s an overview of the places I visited in Guadalajara.
I chose not to move around the region too much, as I worked a lot while I was there.
But if you like beaches more than I do (which you almost certainly do), it’s a great idea to choose nearby Puerto Vallarta if you want a coastal vacation, and combine it with Guadalajara to also do some real traveling!
And closer to the city, the Lake Chapala area is apparently very nice, too (it’s Mexico’s largest lake). If you have more time, the whole Bajío region has a lot to offer. San Miguel de Allende and Querétaro City are just 2 others among the 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites in the area.
Destinations on my trip to Guadalajara (Mexico)
Here’s an overview of the 2 cities I visited on my trip.
Guadalajara
The capital city of the state of Jalisco, Guadalajara is definitely among Mexico’s cultural hubs. It’s a huge city with a population of 5.3 million people in the metropolitan area, which is more than Montreal.
The city has so many things to see, including a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site. The food is as good as you’d expect from Mexico.
Some of the most iconic Mexican traditions are actually specifically from Guadalajara or Jalisco: mariachis, tequila, birria, etc.! It was a perfect first (extended) trip to Mexico. An authentic experience.
You can read my post about visiting Guadalajara.
Tequila
Many people are unaware that tequila (the beverage) is named after Tequila (the city).
It’s just outside of Guadalajara, but I spun it off here to have at least 2 separate destinations listed, given the few places I visited on this particular trip.
I think it’s a must-do spot, as a day trip from Guadalajara at the very minimum.
You can read a teaser of my day in Tequila in my post about visiting Guadalajara.
Reviews from my trip to Guadalajara (Mexico)
Here are the hotels, airlines, and airport lounges I tried on my trip.
Hotels
I stayed at 3 Marriott Bonvoy hotels:
- The Westin Guadalajara
- AC Hotel Guadalajara Expo, Mexico
- Hotel Guadalajara Country Club by HNF
The Westin Guadalajara
This luxury hotel was by far the best of the trip, unsurprisingly. I love the Westin brand, and the experience was as great as usual at this one.
If you want to splurge, The Westin Guadalajara is an excellent option.
It’s modern and luxurious, and the service was very good.
AC Hotel Guadalajara Expo, Mexico
The AC Hotel brand is usually a solid midscale option, and this one was no exception.
The AC Hotel Guadalajara Expo, Mexico, and the following hotel were a better value with points for my extra days.
This one was very nice, and it’s probably the better choice between the 2, at least until the renovations are done at the next one.
Hotel Guadalajara Country Club by HNF
If you don’t recognize any of Marriott’s 30+ brands in this name, that’s normal. It’s actually a former Aloft hotel that is currently undergoing renovations and using a temporary name.
I wanted to try a few different hotels, and the Hotel Guadalajara Country Club by HNF has a better location than the other 2.
I also got a tremendous free suite upgrade thanks to my Marriott Bonvoy elite status (Titanium). But the hotel’s common areas are in the midst of major work, so it’s not for everyone at this time.
Airlines
I flew on 1 airline (I’ll include my return flight in the San Antonio trip report):
- Flair Airlines (Canada 🇨🇦)
Flair Airlines
I had a great experience on Flair Airlines, just like the 6 previous flights I had taken with them.
The planes are recent, the service is friendly, and the flights are canceled less frequently than all other Canadian airlines (yes: actual non-debatable data). There are so many myths about ULCCs, but travelers who are better informed about this business model know the experience is usually great!
And it’s often so affordable!
My Flair flight was from Toronto (YYZ) to Guadalajara (GDL).
You can read my review of Flair Airlines.
Airport lounges
I visited 3 Priority Pass/DragonPass VIP airport lounges:
- KLM Crown Lounge (Toronto YYZ)
- Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 3 International (Toronto YYZ)
- VIP Lounge East (Guadalajara GDL)
KLM Crown Lounge (Toronto YYZ)
In North America, airline lounges are generally better than independent lounges (it varies a ton, though). So I headed to the KLM Crown Lounge for the 1st time, and it was great.
It was modern and very stylish, and most importantly, extremely quiet.
The hot food selection could be better, but overall it’s a solid lounge option (at least for a North American airport).
Plaza Premium Lounge Terminal 3 International (Toronto YYZ)
To be honest, with 6 Plaza Premium lounges at YYZ, I got a bit confused and I really thought I had already visited this one (and already taken pictures). So, I didn’t take any pictures other than of the food.
Plaza Premium lounges are usually good, sometimes great. This one was good, I would say. A bit busier than the KLM lounge, though. That said, I only did a very quick visit because I wanted more food options before boarding.
Unlike the free lounge access benefit offered by most cards (like the 4 free passes with the TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card that also gives you $1025 in free travel), I have unlimited passes with the best premium card in Canada, the Amex Platinum Card. So I can visit all the lounges.
VIP Lounge East (Guadalajara GDL)
I’ll include it here, even if I’ll put the flight in the next trip report. This independent lounge has 2 locations in the airport, and the one I visited was excellent.
It was actually also very modern, stylish, and quiet. And the food selection was a bit disappointing, too.
But it was an early morning visit, so that never helps in terms of food.
Logistics of my trip to Guadalajara (Mexico)
Here are the logistics of my trip to help you plan a similar one if you’re interested.
Flights
For flights, as always, I took the time to apply every single one of the 31 tips to save money on plane tickets (for my return flight at least, since the first was free). Flights are the expense that can vary the most in price, so it’s vital to learn how to find cheaper ones, like I have. You should too; it’s vital.
As mentioned, Flair Airlines has very low prices to Guadalajara (GDL) that Flytrippers regularly spots:
- From Toronto
- As low as $204 (CAD 282) roundtrip
- From Vancouver
- As low as $224 (CAD 310) roundtrip
There are no other direct flights from Canada to Guadalajara. From other cities, you can either take a positioning flight to those 2 Canadian gateways (the self-transfer tip) at a relatively low price by booking ahead and being flexible.
Or you can fly to Guadalajara with a quick connection in the U.S., but it can be pricier ($434 (CAD 600)) roundtrip from Montreal, for example.
An alternative is flying to Puerto Vallarta (PVR). The cities are not that far away; it’s a 4.5-hour bus ride for as low as $38 (CAD 52), or a 1-hour flight for as low as $29 (CAD 40).
Flair flies to Vallarta from 5 Canadian cities, as do 4 other airlines from various cities (Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, and Air Transat).
You can redeem points of the more simple type for Flair or any other airline if the cash price is low or if you want a very specific flight.
You can redeem points of the more lucrative type if the value is good, which can sometimes be the case on United with Aeroplan points.
Accommodations
For accommodations, as always, the option I choose depends on the trip. But I always follow the same 6 simple steps to find cheap hotels, no matter the destination.
Like in almost all huge cities, there are so many options to suit all types of travelers.
Many Mexican destinations are great places to get many free nights with Marriott Bonvoy points, and the prices in points were not too bad in Guadalajara. So that’s what I did.
Airports
For airport lounge access, as always, I had that for free thanks to my Amex Platinum Card. Don’t miss our ultimate guide to airport lounges soon. In the meantime, you can read our teaser on how 6 different lounge benefits work.
For transportation between the airport and the city, as always, I first consider public transportation as it’s the most cost-effective option.
There are 2 different buses between the airport and Guadalajara, and they both cost $1 (MXN 10). I sadly had to Uber for my return, as my flight was too early for the buses. Of course, I had taken that extra cost into account when comparing flight prices, and it was still cheaper overall. That ride cost me $19 (MXN 370), so the fact that Uber is affordable does not include the airport (as is often the case).
Transportation
For transportation between cities, as always, the option I choose depends on the trip once again. In this case, I only went to Tequila and I was with the group, so we had a minibus. Otherwise, there are many bus options for travel between Mexican cities. However, rental cars can also be quite affordable in Mexico, so that can be cheaper if you’re not traveling solo.
For transportation within Guadalajara, as always, I first considered if I needed a car. The answer is almost always no within cities. You really don’t need one in Guadalajara.
The central area and many neighborhoods are pretty compact and walkable, which is fantastic.
To get around, I sometimes used the subway system, which covers many parts of the city. It costs just $0 (MXN 7) per ride.
The city also has a bus system that is very affordable at just $0 (MXN 4) per ride. There are also some bus rapid transit routes (BRT; which feature a dedicated right-of-way, like a tram but with a bus). These are a bit more expensive ($1 (MXN 10) per ride, but it was very efficient and quick.
Honestly, Uber is pretty cheap, too. If you’re not traveling solo, it’s probably worth the added convenience. Even if you’re solo, for some longer itineraries it’s just not worth taking the bus or subway unless it’s a direct route.
So even if you’re staying a bit further, like I was, it won’t add that much cost given those low prices, like $5 (MXN 90) to go from my hotel (somewhat far away) all the way to the city center.
Budget
For the budget, as always, the choice of a country is the most important one if you want to save money. And as always, make sure to budget correctly by deducting the expenses you would have incurred by staying at home from your real budget.
Mexico is not among the world’s cheapest countries… but it’s undoubtedly cheaper than Canada, the U.S., and almost all of the Caribbean.
Most importantly, when taking into account the cost of flights to get there, the overall cost of traveling to Mexico is squarely among the cheapest in North America for sure. Especially if you’re good at finding cheap flights.
In terms of the cost at the destination, it’s pretty affordable.
I did the activities that weren’t free in the first few days of the trip, when the Guadalajara tourism office hosted me (along with 2 members of the Flair marketing team and 4 other content creators/photographers).
The other days, I spent less than $14 (CAD 20) per day on food and transportation. It could’ve been much cheaper, but I Ubered quite a bit to save time.
And my hotels were free thanks to my Marriott points.
Payments
For payments, as always, I tried to pay with my credit card whenever possible to earn rewards. It makes no sense to pay cash, wherever you are. Credit cards were very widely accepted in Guadalajara, so I really didn’t need a lot of cash. Even Amex cards were accepted in many places, but I’m always unlocking a Visa/Mastercard bonus at the same time as an Amex bonus.
For which card to use to pay, as always, I chose one on which I was unlocking a welcome bonus. Since I was earning nearly 10% back with that specific deal, of course, it’s better to pay the 2.5% foreign transaction fee that almost all Canadian cards charge… rather than pay 0% on the free EQ Bank Card (Prepaid Mastercard) but earn just 0.5% back. Basic math.
For how to get cash, as always, I withdrew money at an ATM there (never in Canada). My online search didn’t turn up any no-fee ATMs in Mexico (unlike in many countries), but Inbursa had the lowest fee at $1 (MXN 23), and they had many locations in Guadalajara. The currency is called the Mexican peso.
For which card to use to withdraw, as always, I used my free Wise debit card. That product has only 1 purpose, and it’s for ATM withdrawals (don’t go PAYING with it; that makes no sense!). I can withdraw $253 (CAD 350) per calendar month for free (in a maximum of 2 withdrawals).
For both payments and withdrawals, as always, I avoided the dynamic currency conversion (DCC) scam. I chose the local currency whenever a payment terminal offered me the option between the local currency and my card’s currency.
Insurance
For medical travel insurance, as always, I was covered for free with my credit card. You do NOT need to pay for the trip with the card to be covered, contrary to what everyone seems to think (there are SO many things most people think they know about credit cards, like this). The insurance covers trips to Mexico, like almost all countries.
For all other types of travel insurance, as always, I was also covered for free by paying for the flight with my credit card (flight delay, baggage delay, trip cancellation, trip interruption). I didn’t pay for a hotel in cash, so I was not covered by the hotel burglary insurance (but in my 15+ insurance claims, none were ever for that coverage anyway). I also didn’t rent a car, so I didn’t need the car rental damage insurance.
Miscelleaneous
For Internet access, as always, I would’ve gotten a cheap eSIM card to avoid the roaming scam… if Mexico hadn’t been included in my great plan that covers 80+ countries for free. I also used a VPN for safety and convenience. In my case, my favorite is NordVPN, and it worked great in Mexico.
For packing, as always, I traveled with carry-ons only, like all pro fliers do. Of course, I brought the 6 only travel items that are truly essential, but I’ll make sure to share a post with more packing tips soon.
For climate, Guadalajara is quite warm year-round but warmer in the summer, as you’d expect. There’s a lot more rainfall from June to September, but I was there in the 2nd half of September and it didn’t rain at all.
For safety, as always, it’s best to be rational and seek more information rather than just be scared for no reason. In the case of Mexico, it is true that some regions actually are “less safe” by the standard definition. But Guadalajara is not one of them, so no worries there.
For entry rules, as always, I checked them because they can change at any time (like in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and soon 30+ European countries). Trips to Mexico do not currently require a visa or anything special for Canadians and Americans.
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Summary
My trip to Guadalajara was my first extended experience in Mexico, and I absolutely loved it. It’s definitely an excellent option if you want to go somewhere not too far with great cultural attractions!
What would you like to know about my trip to Guadalajara? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Guadalajara, Mexico (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)
