Looking for a Last-Minute World Cup Trip? Guadalajara May Be Your Answer.

It’s one of the most affordable host cities

Photo: Foto Para Ti/Shutterstock

Regardless of what host city you visit, tickets to the match are likely to be the most expensive part of the trip. But depending on which teams are playing, Guadalajara matches skew a little less expensive than the US and Canada.

El Tri, Mexico’s national team, is only playing once in Guadalajara on June 18 – and tickets will cost you around $2,000 per seat on resale sites like Stubhub. But as long as you don’t want to see the home team, tickets are much more reasonable. Seats for South Korea vs. Czechia start in the high $200s, with other matches available in the $300-$400-per-seat range. Not a bargain, but inexpensive by 2026 World Cup standards.

Fortunately, you can save money on hotels. According to Kayak’s price averaging tool, plenty of hotels with a rating of at least eight out of 10 are available for between $100 and $200 per night on June 11 (the day of the South Korea/Czechia match). Compare that to the average hotel rate for an early-in-the-tournament match in other cities, and it’s clear it’s a cost savings. And don’t forget how affordable (not to mention delicious) food is around the city.

See a different side of Mexico before heading to the stadium

Mariachi originated in Jalisco sometime in the 18th century. Photo: ehudson/Shutterstock

Guadalajara is a metro of around 5.6 million, roughly the size of Phoenix or Miami. It feels every bit the Latin American metropolis, with its frenetic traffic, sidewalk food stalls, and cafes emanating Spanish music. Unlike many World Cup host cities, Guadalajara gives you a chance to delve into the unfamiliar once your football-watching is done. Sure, the US and Canadian cities have plenty to do, but for many Americans, their experiences in Mexico are limited to resorts near the ocean.

Guadalajara feels more culturally distinct, offering an experience that feels more akin to Bogota or Santiago than Cabo. It’s home to some of the best restaurants and cocktail bars in the Americas and it’s the birthplace of Mariachi, as well the unofficial capital of tequila country.

Guadalajara is in the state of Jalisco, home to 13 “Pueblos Magicos,” or Magical Towns. And that descriptor isn’t just a marketing moniker. Pueblos Magicos are towns designated by the federal government as having unique experiences essential to the cultural fabric of the country, and most have a combination of natural beauty, distinct architecture, and well-preserved history and landscapes that tell the story of Mexico. Many look like they’re inspired by movie sets (though it’s usually the other way around).

Jalisco is also where you’ll find the Tequila region of Mexico. It makes it easy to spend a few days in Guadalajara, then drive an hour or so out of town to visit and tour distilleries like Jose Cuervo, La Fortaleza, Casa Sauza, and El Tequileno. As in many wine regions in the US, there are a number of tour operators offering bus tours from the city, making the trip easy and relatively safe. TQM Tours is a good place to start, though you can also find tours via Viator and Airbnb experiences.

Guadalajara’s stadium is actually convenient

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In host cities like San Francisco, Kansas City, Dallas, New York, and Miami, stadiums are a long, traffic-clogged trip from their city centers. Your options for getting to the game are either fighting said soul-crushing gridlock, piecing together awkward public transportation options, or taking designated World Cup transport options that can cost upward of $100 per person. Yes, you read that right – $100 to ride public transportation for one event.

Guadalajara’s stadium is far more accessible. The stadium is about a half-hour drive from the city center. However, the city’s Mi Macro rapid transit bus system is convenient and quick, with frequent service and dedicated bus lanes that do away with traffic woes. The stadium is about a 20-minute walk from the Estadio Chivas stop, and on match days, you’ll be in good company with excited fans as you make the stroll. As of now, there are no reports of inflated transportation pricing, making the ride cost about 9 pesos (roughly 50 cents). You’ll need to pay with a Mi Movilidad card, which you can pick up at any station.

Estadio Akron is also one of the cooler looking soccer venues in the world. It sits in a valley surrounded by small mountains popular with hikers and cyclists. Its design evokes its surroundings, shaped like a volcano with grass-covered walls curving inward to the stadium’s white roof. The roof either represents clouds or volcano smoke, depending who you ask. Traditionally, Chivas supporters of Chivas (the local pro football club) fill the parking lots to tailgate before games. Unfortunately, World Cup tailgating is more or less restricted.

Guadalajara turns a soccer match into a full vacation

As one of the country’s largest metros, Guadalajara offers a cosmopolitan, urban experience packed with art, great restaurants, and inviting cocktail bars. Each neighborhood could make a case for being its own trip, but combined, your options for what kind of experience you want to have are almost endless.

Colonia Americana has some of the best bars in Mexico

Photos: Matt Meltzer

Colonia Americana, or “Americana” for short, is Guadalajara’s buzzy upscale area, filled with the crowds you’d expect in any city’s most affluent nightlife district. Time Out thought enough of it to name it the coolest neighborhood in the world back in 2022, and since then, it’s only gotten better. Its streets are shaded by trees and lined with mansions that once belonged to American diplomats. Think of it as an old-money-turned-new-fun neighborhood, along the lines of Back Bay in Boston or the old city in Charleston, South Carolina.

Americana is home to two of North America’s “50 Best” best bars in North America: El Gallo Altanero and Mecenas. The former is a not-so-secret upstairs speakeasy near an old church on a quiet street, while the latter is a dim, backlit bar that makes its own spirits from herbs. There’s also a Harry Potter-themed restaurant at Punto Magico. It’s not quite at the level of Universal Studios, but is worth the trip to see a Spanish-speaking Sorting Hat. For a true, over-the-top dinner, check out Santo Coyote, with show-stopping design elements like a red skull room, waterfalls, and a literal library of tequila.

Tlaquepaque is one of the artsiest hubs in Mexico

Photos: Matt Meltzer

Tlaquepaque, in addition to being endlessly fun to say, is the creative arts hub of Guadalajara. One of Jalisco’s Magical Towns, it’s essentially one long street lined with colonial mansions transformed into art galleries, sculpture gardens, restaurants, and sweets shops. Stroll Calle Independencia, named for the town’s role in Jalisco’s independence, and browse stores selling everything from pottery to clothes made by local artisans. Every block or so, you’ll find statues telling abstract stories of the state’s independence.

When you want some shade, pop into the Sergio Bustamante gallery and head to the back, where the backyard is transformed into a trippy sculpture garden where you can linger as long as you like. Casa Luna is the neighborhood’s best sit-down restaurant, with fairy light-draped trees and a well-curated artisan gift shop.

At the end of Calle Independencia is Guadalajara’s famous El Parian cantina, the largest cantina in the world. You can while away the afternoon drinking bowls of tequila filled with fruit (called cazuelas) as you scarf chips and salsa and listen to live mariachi bands. Though El Parian is known around the world, the crowd is still mostly local, and it’s one of the best places to relax and soak in the city’s culture.

Zapopan’s historical sightseeing

Photo: Kit Leong/Shutterstock

This neighborhood is home to Guadalajara’s most iconic cathedral, Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Zapopan. It’s the centerpiece of the neighborhood, but far from Zapopan’s only attraction. Spend an afternoon strolling Andador 20 de Noviembre, grabbing food from one of the food stands selling elote and torta ahogada. Then cool off inside the Museo del Arte Zapopan, or MAZ, home to the city’s biggest collection of modern art.

To eat like the locals do, head a block or two off the main drag and grab lunch at a fonda — little, unassuming restaurants with massive portions of homestyle Mexican food. I’ve found the best food at Salon Candele and Fonda Doña Gabina.

Centro Historico overflows with historic charms

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Centro Historico is Guadalajara’s historic downtown, with a pedestrian street passing by the city’s most important buildings. During the World Cup, it will be hosting FIFA’s official fan zone, so expect lots of crowds. But you may be able to partially escape them by tucking into the cool confines of any number of important cultural buildings, from the 19th-century neoclassical Teatro Degollado to the Palacio de Gobierno, where Mexico revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo officially abolished slavery in 1810. Traffic here can get sticky, so your best bet is to take the L3 light rail to Independencia and walk from there.

Head into the mountains in Mazamitla

Ziplining with the boys. Photo: Matt Meltzer

To see a side of Guadalajara most people miss, head into the mountains to the magical town of Mazamitla. It’ll feel a world away from the bustle of the big city (though it is hosting an official viewing zone in its historic town square, if you can’t bear to miss a match).

The town square is next to the town’s notable main church, with curious Chinese-influenced architecture. Before heading that way, consider doing a self-guided birria taco crawl through Mazamitla’s main market, where you can also see artisans making ice cream by hand.

The tall pine trees and red soil feel like a slice of the Sierra Nevada (though it’s actually the Sierra del Tigre Mountains), making it a popular weekend getaway for families from Jalisco and Michoacan. Consider booking a few days at Monte Verde Resort, where you can hike through the mountains, zipline through the trees, and run a ropes course as the sun sets.