Weekend Excursions

Weekend excursions include the following services: transportation by bus, hotel, breakfast, guided tour and entry to museums. To obtain more information about places you can visit at the weekend, please ask at the Student Services Coordination. We require a minimum of 15 students to be able to organize a weekend excursion.

Guanajuato Guanajuato is a colonial city with a rich past. It is one of the most important cities of the colonial period and is famous as the cradle of the independence movement in Mexico. It is also an ancient mining city of considerable importance. Its buildings reflect the splendor of times of abundance. Visitors to Guanajuato can experience its underground streets, the Granaditas Corn Exchange, the Juarez Theater and the Mummy Museum. Guanajuato is five hours from Guadalajara.

Zacatecas The city of Zacatecas gives its name to the State. Picturesque and unspoiled, its palaces of pale, pink stonework and its paved streets are a beautiful sight to see. The facades and towers of the cathedral in baroque style are especially worth a visit. Zacatecas is a mining town and among the first in the country for silver production. For a panoramic view, try the overhead cable car that takes you up to the highest point of the city, the Bufa mountain. There are two excellent museums that illustrate the history of Mexico. Zacatecas is five hours from Guadalajara.

Michoacan Michoacan is a green and fertile state. On the tour, visits will be made to Patzcuaro, Janitzio, Zirahuen, Tzintzuntzan, Camecuaro and Uruapan. Michoacan is the land of the Tarascan culture and well known for the handicrafts produced in each of its towns. It is five hours from Guadalajara.

Puerto Vallarta This is one of the most important tourist venues in Mexico. With its beaches, mountains, marinas, night clubs, pleasant walks and the charm of its people, Puerto Vallarta delights all who visit it. It is about four hours from Guadalajara.

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Guachimontones Archaeological Site, One day tour: Just one hour from Guadalajara these mysterious mounds are believed to be built by a pre-Hispanic civilization that flourished around the year 300 B.C. and had its heyday from 200 to 400 A.D. Spanning the ruins are ten circular buildings (the Guachimontones), surrounded by ball courts, rectangular plazas, residential units, and cultivated terraces. Each of the Guachimontones include a circular altar at the top. The geometry of the circular ruins is built in relationship to the four directions; the edges of each building corresponds to the horizon and there are markers indicating the sun's position during the solstice and equinox.

The term Guachimontones comes from the nahuatl word Huaxe (gourd) and the Spanish word monton (pile), and thus could be translated as a "pile of gourds." One hour drive from Guadalajara city.

Guadalajara and nearby places of interest: Guadalajara is known as the "Pearl of the West" or the "City of the Roses" and is agreed to be the place where mariachis originated. The old center is the heart of the city. There we can find wonderful examples of Spanish colonial architecture.

This tour includes visits to places of special interest, such as the Cathedral, the Central Square, the State Government Palace, Cabanas Cultural Institute with its famous murals by Jose Clemente Orozco, the Degollado Theater and the colorful Libertad Market. This excursion ends with a visit to the nearby town of Tlaquepaque, famous for its pottery and handicrafts.

Tequila Tequila is the town that has given its name to the traditional Mexican drink, known throughout the world. On this trip, visitors will see parts of the town and the Blue Maguey plantations. The Blue Maguey (Agave Azul) is a plant that only grows in this region and it is the plant used to make tequila. Students can visit some tequila distilleries and see how the drink is made. Tequila is about 60 minutes from Guadalajara.

Chapala Just 45 minutes away from Guadalajara, Chapala is the biggest lake in Mexico. The average daily temperature is 25 degrees centigrade. Visitors can take trips on boats, bathe in natural hot spring waters and go horseback riding. On this excursion also a short visit is made to Ajijic, which offers a wide range of handicrafts for those who like to go shopping for bargains.

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