Zacatecas travel guide
Pink cantera, silver mines and Villa's hill above the Bufa
A high-altitude silver-mining capital with a World Heritage centre of pink stone, a mine tour under the city, the Bufa battle hill and excellent museums. March to May and October to November are dry and mild; give it two or three days, plus Guadalupe and La Quemada. Prices are moderate, and the permitted stay is stamped at entry.
Silver built this city in a ravine in north-central Mexico. Spanish prospectors struck ore here in the 1540s, and the money that followed paid for a centre of pink stone churches, mansions and steep alleys so complete that UNESCO lists the whole colonial core. At about 2,400 metres it is also one of the highest state capitals in the country, so take the first afternoon slowly.
Above the rooftops rises the Cerro de la Bufa, the rocky crest where Pancho Villa's Division of the North won the Battle of Zacatecas in 1914, an anniversary still marked every June. A cable car swings across the valley to reach it when it is running, and the old Mina El Edén still burrows under the streets for tours of the shafts.
Visitors stay for the museums as much as the architecture. Three former monasteries and colleges now hold the Coronel brothers' collections and the Felguérez abstract art museum, and in the evening callejoneadas, roving street parties led by a brass-and-drum tamborazo band, wind through the lanes.
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Top things to do in Zacatecas
A World Heritage silver city with a mine tour, a battle hill, mask and abstract-art museums and the Guadalupe convent next door.
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Best time to visit Zacatecas
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Highs climb from 22 to 27 C with almost no rain (8 to 20 mm a month); May is the warmest month, and Holy Week brings the cultural festival.
Afternoon storms bring 88 to 106 mm a month, while highs ease to 23 to 26 C; mornings stay bright and the hills turn green.
Sunny days of 18 to 20 C but nights at about 6 C; pack a warm coat and expect frost on the Bufa.
Late August brings the Morismas de Bracho, a huge mock battle between Moors and Christians on the hills near the city, and September has the state fair; rooms in the centre book up for both.
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Getting there
ZCL flights, the Central de Autobuses and bus-only advice for Jalisco routes
Zacatecas International Airport, north of the city near Víctor Rosales, has flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara and Tijuana and direct US routes to Los Angeles, Chicago, San Jose and Dallas/Fort Worth, about 20 minutes by taxi from the Centro, though most visitors still arrive by coach. Most visitors arrive by coach. The Central de Autobuses on the edge of town has direct services from most northern cities and from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, León and San Luis Potosí; from southern Mexico you will usually change in the capital. Taxis and Uber or DiDi link the terminal with the Centro in about 15 minutes. Shared rides on BlaBlaCar are common on the San Luis Potosí, León and Aguascalientes routes.
- Taxi from ZCL
- Centro Histórico in about 20 minutes
- Central de Autobuses
- Direct coaches to most northern cities; taxi or app ride to the Centro in about 15 minutes
- US flights
- Direct services from Los Angeles, Chicago, San Jose and Dallas/Fort Worth
- BlaBlaCar
- Shared rides from San Luis Potosí, León, Aguascalientes and Guadalajara
- Travel to and from Jalisco and Durango by bus, not by private car; rural highways in those directions have seen cartel violence, while buses are considered safe.
- Arriving from sea level, drink plenty of water and go easy on mezcal the first night; the altitude hits harder than people expect.
Where to stay
Below the cathedral, the Alameda and El Cubo, or Guadalupe
Almost everything in Zacatecas is in the old centre, so the closer you sleep to Avenida Hidalgo, below the cathedral, the less climbing you do. The Alameda and El Cubo areas are also central, Guadalupe is a calmer neighbouring town, and street gradients deserve a check before booking.
- Centro Histórico around the cathedral
- Walk to everything, hostels and boutique hotels in old stone houses; rooms on the Plaza de Armas side catch street noise and callejoneada bands
- Alameda and El Cubo aqueduct
- Calmer, greener streets at the southern end of the centre, home to the Quinta Real hotel built around an old bullring; a downhill walk to the sights, uphill back
- Boulevard López Mateos
- Chain hotels with parking along the main road below the centre; convenient for drivers, dull for evenings
- Guadalupe
- Quiet suburban town by the great convent, with cheaper hotels; you will rely on taxis or buses into Zacatecas
- Interior rooms are common in converted colonial houses; ask for one with an outside window if light matters to you.
Getting around
Stepped callejones, the Bufa cable car and taxis by the hour
Walk Zacatecas: its Centro Histórico is small, but streets twist up the canyon sides, many too steep and narrow for cars, some becoming stairways. Pace yourself for the altitude and wear shoes with grip on the cantera paving; the Bufa cable car and taxis cover the rest. For anything uphill, such as the Bufa, the mine entrance or the outskirts, taxis are plentiful and fairly priced; confirm the fare before setting off. Uber and DiDi both operate. The Teleférico runs 650 metres from Cerro del Grillo across the city to the northern end of the Bufa, when it is operating. The Maxibus sightseeing bus leaves from the Plaza de Armas for a 45-minute loop past the main sights, and city buses run out to Guadalupe.
- Teleférico
- Cerro del Grillo to La Bufa, 650 metres above the rooftops
- Maxibus tour
- 45-minute loop from the Plaza de Armas
- Taxi or Uber
- Centro to the Bufa summit in about 10 minutes
- City bus
- Centro to Guadalupe in roughly 20 minutes
- Use the Mina El Edén's upper entrance by the Cerro del Grillo to come out near the cable car, then ride or take a taxi over to the Bufa and walk back down into town.
Know before you go
What makes Zacatecas worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- The cathedral's west front at late afternoon, when the low sun turns its carved pink cantera almost orange.
- Riding a mine train into Mina El Edén, where the tunnels and shafts run right under the city.
- Following a callejoneada through the lanes behind a tamborazo band, with mezcal passed around in small clay cups.
Good to know
- Altitude is real: the centre sits around 2,400 metres, and the Bufa higher still, so climbs leave you breathless at first.
- Winter nights drop to about 6 C and many colonial hotels have little heating; ask for extra blankets.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Zacatecas, month by month
Zacatecas's high altitude brings cool nights, cold winters and summer afternoon rain. Tap a month for averages.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Zacatecas (Servicio Meteorologico Nacional, via Wikipedia).
The cathedral, Mina El Edén and the Cerro de la Bufa in a weekend
Start a Zacatecas weekend at the cathedral on Avenida Hidalgo, built in 1730-1760 and covered in some of Mexico's most exuberant Churrigueresque carving; its interior was stripped in the civil wars, so the outside is the show. Then see the government palace murals on the Plaza de Armas and the Museo Pedro Coronel in the former Jesuit college.
Afternoon. Climb to the Museo Rafael Coronel, set in the ruined convent of San Francisco, which holds thousands of Mexican dance masks. Late in the day, take the tour of Mina El Edén, closed as a working mine in 1960 and now the biggest mine visit in the country; a little train takes you in.
Evening. Eat near the Plaza de Armas and join a callejoneada if one is setting off.
Day two, morning. Ride the Teleférico if it is operating, or take a taxi, to the Cerro de la Bufa. The Museo de la Toma de Zacatecas tells the story of Villa's 1914 victory, and the views over the domes are the best in the city. Walk back down the paths into town.
Afternoon. See the Museo de Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez, then the El Cubo aqueduct and the Alameda. With a third day, go to Guadalupe for the convent and its Museo de Arte Virreinal, or to the hilltop ruins of La Quemada.
Asado de boda, birria de chivo and mezcal in the Arroyo de la Plata
Every Zacatecan wedding serves asado de boda, a rich red mole of dried chillies, chocolate and orange peel poured over pork or chicken. The orange gives a sweet, slightly bitter note absent from the moles of Puebla or Oaxaca, and the traditional restaurants around the Plaza de Armas and Avenida Hidalgo serve it.
Where Jalisco makes birria from lamb or beef, Zacatecas uses goat. Birria de chivo is slow-cooked in a chilli broth and eaten in a bowl with onion, oregano and fresh tortillas. The stall to find is Birriería Don Polo in the Mercado Arroyo de la Plata, which has been ladling it out for more than half a century. Gorditas, thick corn pockets filled with stews such as chicharrón in red sauce or rajas with cheese, make the best cheap lunch, sold from comales across the centre.
Sweets are tied to the dry land. Queso de tuna is a dense, dark paste made from the fruit of the prickly pear, and street stalls sell candied fruit and cajeta.
To drink, this is mezcal country. Zacatecano and Huitzila are traditional local brands; insist on 100 percent agave. For something gentler, the Meowka cat café on Avenida Rayón serves coffee in the company of its resident cats.
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How we research our Zacatecas travel guide
Zacatecas's museums, mine tours and transport are checked against the official Zacatecas website, UNESCO's listing for the historic centre and the city's Wikipedia record, with entry rules from the Instituto Nacional de Migración.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of ZacatecasInstituto Nacional de MigraciónUNESCO World Heritage Centre
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Zacatecas.
Getting there
Plan on a taxi from the rank outside arrivals, which reaches the cathedral area in about 20 minutes.
Recent advice is to avoid private-car travel between Zacatecas and Jalisco or Durango because of cartel violence on rural roads; coaches on the same routes are considered safe. The city itself is regarded as safe for tourists.
Zacatecas International Airport, north of the city near Víctor Rosales, has flights from Mexico City, Guadalajara and Tijuana and direct US routes to Los Angeles, Chicago, San Jose and Dallas/Fort Worth, about 20 minutes by taxi from the Centro, though most visitors still arrive by coach. Most visitors arrive by coach. The Central de Autobuses on the edge of town has direct services from most northern cities and from Mexico City, Guadalajara, Aguascalientes, León and San Luis Potosí; from southern Mexico you will usually change in the capital.
General
The centre stands at roughly 2,400 metres, so many people feel short of breath on the steep streets for a day or two. Drink water, eat lightly and limit alcohol at first.
Pancho Villa's army stormed the federal positions on the hill and took the city in the Battle of Zacatecas, one of the decisive fights of the Revolution. A museum on the summit tells the story.
Zacatecas's wedding mole: a red chilli sauce with chocolate and orange, usually served with pork or chicken.
Birriería Don Polo in the Mercado Arroyo de la Plata has served goat birria for over 50 years and is the classic stop.
Ask your hotel or watch the Plaza de Armas in the evening, especially at weekends, when groups gather before setting off through the lanes. Anyone can tag along, and mezcal is usually passed around.
Yes. The vast former Franciscan convent in Guadalupe, about 10 minutes away, houses the Museo de Arte Virreinal, one of Mexico's best collections of colonial painting.
Walk Zacatecas: its Centro Histórico is small, but streets twist up the canyon sides, many too steep and narrow for cars, some becoming stairways. Pace yourself for the altitude and wear shoes with grip on the cantera paving; the Bufa cable car and taxis cover the rest. For anything uphill, such as the Bufa, the mine entrance or the outskirts, taxis are plentiful and fairly priced; confirm the fare before setting off.
Timing & weather
Plan on about an hour underground. A small train carries you into the old silver mine, then guides lead you along tunnels and over shafts.
In late August, when thousands of costumed participants restage battles between Moors and Christians on the hills of Bracho, just outside the city.
The best time to visit Zacatecas is Mar to May, Oct to Nov. Dry, sunny days of 22 to 27 C; nights stay cool at this altitude.
- Dry spring: March - May (Highs climb from 22 to 27 C with almost no rain (8 to 20 mm a month); May is the warmest month, and Holy Week brings the cultural festival)
- Summer rains: June - September (Afternoon storms bring 88 to 106 mm a month, while highs ease to 23 to 26 C; mornings stay bright and the hills turn green)
- Cold, clear winter: December - February (Sunny days of 18 to 20 C but nights at about 6 C; pack a warm coat and expect frost on the Bufa)
May is the warmest month in Zacatecas, with average highs of 27°C, and January the coolest, with lows of 6°C. July is the wettest month, at about 106 mm of rain; April is the driest. Zacatecas's high altitude brings cool nights, cold winters and summer afternoon rain.
Visa & documents
Tourist stays in Mexico are visa-free for citizens of the US, Canada, the UK, the EU and many other countries. Immigration officers decide how many days you can stay (up to 180) and stamp your passport or issue a digital record. Holders of valid US, UK, Canadian or Schengen visas may also be exempt.
