Best Tianguis in Guadalajara

A special Mexican market, an authentic experience and great way to stock up on treasures

In a few words - tianguis is a temporary market, tracing its roots back to Mesoamerican time. It was a common trading place before Spaniards arrived, and luckily tianguis is still a major part of Mexican culture today. Nowadays your common tianguis is filled with everything from fresh produce to mass-produced goods - at least in big cities like Guadalajara. So it is almost like going to a regular mercado--except you’re out wandering the streets through stalls of vendors in the open air. Visiting the different tianguis that are located throughout Guadalajara is one of the best ways to experience this city. Read on to explore some of the tianguis of Guadalajara where you can find the best vibes.

This temporal market takes place on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Located in the Municipality of Zapopan, you can do your grocery shopping here, have a delicious handmade meal, and find a variety of household goods. However, the real attraction of this tianguis is its huge second-hand clothing zone. So if you like to dig through mountains of clothing in search of hidden treasures, this place is your vibe. Especially since there are very few thrift shops in Guadalajara.

Insider Tip: Stop by Quesadillas "El Roger" and order a fried quesadilla with mouthwatering "flor de calabaza."

Wednesday, Friday ,Sunday - 8a.m. to 3 p.m. Av.Nicolas Copernico 120 (between av.Tepeyac  and av.Moctezuma)

You can probably guess from the name of this tianguis that it is a cultural market. However, it would be better to call it a subcultural market. This tianguis is the place where hippies, rastas, and rockers gather - surrounded by clouds of incense and marijuana smoke. In between the wafting smells of mota y incienso, you can find books, records, clothes, handmade jewelry, and places to get pierced and have your hair dreaded into locks.  This tianguis takes place every Saturday at Plaza Juarez, next to park Agua Azul, and starts at 10 a.m. till 7 p.m.

This tianguis is referred to as the cheap market. It’s not necessarily a touristy place, but it surely is an attraction due to its size, At around 50 blocks, it’s one of the largest tianguis in Mexico. You can find a bit of everything here: clothing, different kinds of equipment, furniture, animals, including exotic animals. 

Tianguis Baratillo takes place every Sunday along St. Juan R. Zavala. The corner of St. Javier Mina and St. Juan. R. Zavala is a great starting point since Javier Mina street is closed to cars until 2 p.m. the same day due to ViaRecreActiva (no cars Sunday). 

Vendors are usually set up and ready to sell by 8 a.m. and stay open until 4 p.m.

This market is located in the Municipality of Tonala and is all about arts and crafts. At this tianguis you can find a huge variety of local handmade goods, the most beautiful painted ceramics, all kinds of local art, and even reproductions. It is a perfect place to buy unique souvenirs or decorations for your casa. 

Tianguis Tonala takes place on Thursdays and Sundays from 8 a.m.to 3 p.m. It is located along several streets of Tonala. A great place to begin is at the corner of St. Lopez Cotilla and Av.Tonaltecas.

This tianguis is this writer’s favorite Sunday stop. Basically, It is a flea market. Tianguis de Antigüedades is only two streets long, but it is packed with lots of antique vendors. I only wish this tianguis would go on forever because old stuff is my vibe. If that’s your vibe too, then add this tianguis on your bucket list right now. It occurs every Sunday at Av. Mexico between Av. Chapultepec and St. Bernardo de Balbuena from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Insider Tip: After enjoying antiques, stop by Tea Recs for a tea or by El Puesto Ambulante for a beer.