Breakfast
Sweet bread and coffee with cinnamon
A warm sweet roll and a mug of coffee spiced with cinnamon and brown sugar, in a cafe near the square, to warm up on a cool morning.
Local tip Ask for what came out of the oven that morning.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. The centre is flat and compact, so a room within a short walk of the main square saves taxis.Details
- Flying in
- Most visitors from abroad connect through Mexico City or another large hub. The airport lies well south of the city, so a taxi or a booked ride takes you to the centre. Plan to land in daylight, and check current official travel advice before you book.
- By long distance bus
- The long distance bus station stands south of the centre, with city buses and taxis outside. Ask for the Plaza de la Patria, the main square, and agree the fare or use a booked ride before you set off. The four days already allow for the transfer.
- High desert air
- The city stands at about 1,900 metres in dry country, so the sun is strong and the nights are cool, even in warm months. Carry water, a hat and a light layer, and go easy on the first day if you are coming from sea level.
- Day 1 starts nearby
- Day 1 starts at the Plaza de la Patria, so settle in, drop your bags and take an easy walk around the square as the pink stone turns warm in the evening light.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.2 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 41.8 kilometers by car or transit in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. The pink plaza and its palace
4 stops · 0.5 km on footThe old centre of Aguascalientes, on foot and on the flat. A wide square at its heart, a cathedral in pink stone on one side, the state government palace with its murals on another, then a museum of the region in an old building a few blocks west.
If you only have half a dayPlaza de la Patria, then Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción. A wide square of pink stone and trees, then the baroque cathedral on its edge.
- 1Morning
Plaza de la Patria
The main square of the city, a wide plaza of pink stone, trees and benches with the cathedral, the government palace and an old theatre around it. Start here, sit for a few minutes and watch the city go by.
Go when Morning, once the stone warms up, or in the evening (about 6:06 PM) when the square fills.
Local tip Take a bench and look at the cathedral and the palace across the way. At this height the sun is strong, so a hat helps, and the evenings are cool.
Photo by Emmanuel Mejia Chang on Unsplash About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km - 2Morning
Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
The cathedral, a baroque church on the square, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption. Look at the carved front from the plaza before you go in. It is a working church, so keep your voice low and cover your shoulders during services.
Go when Morning, when the sun lights the carved front.
Local tip Stand on the plaza and look at the front before you go in. It is a working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet during services.
Photo: José Luis Mondragón Garib…, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons About 2 min walk0.1 km - 3Midday
Palacio de Gobierno
The state government palace on the south side of the square, a building of the 1600s in pink stone with an arcaded courtyard. Murals by the Chilean painter Osvaldo Barra look down on the stairs and walls. Check ahead on whether visitors may go in.
Go when Late morning, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Look up at the murals along the stairs and the courtyard walls. It is a working government building, so check ahead on whether visitors may go in, and be polite to the guards.
- Lunch
Gorditas
Thick, stuffed corn cakes, griddled and filled with stews, beans or cheese, from a small place on a side street near the square.
Local tip Pick a place with a short wait, a sign that the food moves quickly.
About 4 min walk0.3 km - 4Afternoon
Museo Regional de Historia de Aguascalientes
A museum of the story of the state, from the earliest peoples to today, in a building of 1901 by the local architect Refugio Reyes Rivas. Follow the rooms in order, and check ahead on the opening.
Go when Afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Follow the rooms in order, since they run from the earliest peoples to today. Read the labels in Spanish if you can, and check ahead on the opening.
- Dinner
Tacos dorados and esquites
Crisp rolled tacos with a warm cup of corn off the cob, topped with cheese, lime and chile, from a street cart as the day cools.
Local tip Ask for the chile on the side, since the sauces can be strong.
If it rains. Rain falls on many afternoons in the wet months, and the pink stone gets slick. Do the cathedral and the palace first, then use the museum as your shelter and keep the walk on the square for a gap in the weather.
Day 2. Posada, death and a tall dome
4 stops · 2.2 km on footA day for José Guadalupe Posada, the engraver born in this city whose skeleton in a wide hat came to be called La Catrina. A museum of death near the centre, his own museum in the old quarter of the Encino, then a church with a tall dome and a museum of regional art.
If you only have half a dayMuseo Nacional de la Muerte, then Museo José Guadalupe Posada. A university museum of objects about death in Mexico, then the museum of the engraver born in this city.
- Breakfast
Chilaquiles and coffee
Fried tortilla pieces in a red or green sauce, topped with cream and cheese, with strong coffee, a filling start before a day of museums.
Local tip Choose the green sauce if you want a milder start.
- 1Morning
Museo Nacional de la Muerte
A university museum in the centre, next to the church of San Diego, filled with objects about death in Mexico. Skulls, art and folk figures show how the country has looked at death, with humour as well as respect. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Morning, as an indoor stop.
Local tip The rooms are full of skulls and skeleton figures, shown with humour as well as respect. Look at how the same subject changes from case to case, and check ahead on the opening.
About 12 min walk1.0 km - 2Midday
Museo José Guadalupe Posada
The museum of the engraver José Guadalupe Posada, born in Aguascalientes, in the old quarter of the Encino. His sharp prints of skeletons, politicians and everyday scenes ran in the cheap papers of his day, and one skeleton in a wide hat came to be called La Catrina. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Look for the skeleton in a wide hat, then the smaller prints around it, which are the funniest. The old quarter around the museum is calm to walk, with a church and a small garden nearby.
Photo: Fotografa Lety Jaime, CC BY-SA 3.0 on Wikimedia Commons - Lunch
Pozole
A bowl of hominy stew with pork, chile and lime, served with chopped lettuce, radish and crisp tostadas on the side, a dish for a day out.
Local tip Add the lime and radish to taste, and eat it while it is hot.
About 14 min walk1.2 km - 3Afternoon
Templo de San Antonio
A church begun in 1895 and finished in 1908 by a self taught local architect, Refugio Reyes Rivas. It mixes Gothic, classical, baroque and Arabic styles with a tall dome, and the inside is richly decorated. It is a working church, so stay quiet and cover your shoulders.
Go when Afternoon, when the light comes into the dome.
Local tip Walk all the way around the outside first, since the styles change from side to side. Inside, look up. It is a working church, so stay quiet and cover your shoulders.
About 2 min walkunder 0.1 km - 4Afternoon
Museo de Aguascalientes
The art museum of the state, beside the church of San Antonio, with work by painters and artists born in the region. Take your time in the rooms and check ahead on the opening.
Go when Late afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip It is an art museum of painters and artists born in the region, so choose the rooms that catch your eye rather than trying to see them all. Check ahead on the opening.
Photo by Octavio González on Unsplash - Dinner
Tamales and atole
Steamed corn dough with a filling of pork, chicken or cheese, wrapped in a husk, with a warm corn drink, a simple supper near the church of San Antonio.
Local tip Open the husk and leave it on the plate, and try one sweet and one savoury.
Photo: ottmarliebert.com, CC BY-SA 2.0 on Wikimedia Commons
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If it rains. This is a day of indoor stops: the museum of death, the Posada museum, the church and the art museum. Take a taxi between them when the rain is heavy, since the walk between the Encino and San Antonio is long.
Day 3. A garden, the railway and warm water
4 stops · 0.2 km on foot, 4.6 km by car or transitA day that turns east. A garden tied to the spring fair, a museum of the railways in the old station, the old public baths now a cultural centre, then the district of Ojocaliente, named for the hot water that gives the city its name.
If you only have half a dayMuseo Ferrocarrilero de Aguascalientes, then Centro Cultural Los Arquitos. A railway museum in the old station, then the old public baths, now a cultural centre.
- Breakfast
Eggs a la mexicana
Eggs scrambled with tomato, onion and green chile, served with beans and warm tortillas, a plain breakfast before a day of walking.
Local tip Order a fresh fruit juice to go with it.
- 1Morning
Jardín de San Marcos
A garden in the old San Marcos quarter, with paths, a bandstand with fountains, bronze figures, old trees and a rail of pink stone around it. It is closely tied to the spring fair, which grew up in this part of the city. Come on an ordinary day to stroll.
Go when Morning, under the trees, or late afternoon (about 6:06 PM).
Local tip Walk the paths and look at the bronze figures, then sit by the bandstand. The spring fair fills this whole quarter, so on an ordinary day it is a different, calmer place.
Photo: Renebeto on Wikimedia Commons - Lunch
A set lunch of soup, rice and a stew
The midday set meal of many homes and small places, a soup, a plate of rice and a stew, with a fruit water, found on the streets near the garden.
Local tip Ask what the stew of the day is, and eat the soup first.
About 9 min by car or transit2.3 km - 2AfternoonIndoor
Museo Ferrocarrilero de Aguascalientes
A museum of the railways in the old station of the city, in a rail complex east of the centre. Engines, wagons, rails and the stories of those who worked on them fill the rooms and yards. Wear a hat for the outdoor parts, and check ahead on the opening.
Go when Afternoon, with a hat for the yards.
Local tip Go through the rooms in the old station, then walk out to the engines and wagons. There is little shade in the yards, so take water, and check ahead on the opening.
About 3 min walk0.2 km - 3AfternoonIndoor
Centro Cultural Los Arquitos
A cultural centre in a building of 1821 that held the first public baths of the state, a few steps from the railway museum. Look at the stone arches and the rooms, and check ahead on the opening.
Go when Afternoon, right after the railway museum.
Local tip The old public baths are now a place for exhibitions and classes. Look at the stone arches and the lines of the building, and check ahead on what is on and whether you can go in.
About 9 min by car or transit2.2 km - 4Evening
Ojocaliente
The district east of the centre that takes its name from hot water. The city itself is named for its hot springs, and thermal baths are found in and around this district. Ask your hotel which ones take day visitors, and check ahead on the rules.
Go when Late afternoon into evening (about 6:06 PM), when the air cools.
Local tip A soak in thermal water suits a cool evening after a day on foot. Ask your hotel which baths take day visitors, check ahead on the rules, and drink water before and after.
- Dinner
Quesadillas and a guava sweet
Folded tortillas with melted cheese or a stew, then a firm sweet made from the guava of the region, a speciality of the west of the state.
Local tip The sweet is dense and sticky, so buy a small piece to share.
If it rains. The railway museum and the old baths are mostly indoors, but the yards and the garden are open to the sky. Keep the garden for a dry hour, and a soak in warm water is a good plan for a wet evening.
Day 4. A hill town and a lake
3 stops · 37.2 km by car or transitA day north by car or with a driver. A town in the hills, a small town beside a lake, then a wide reservoir at the edge of the Sierra Fría, where the air is cooler. Keep to the main roads in daylight and check ahead on the road.
If you only have half a daySan José de Gracia, then Presa Plutarco Elías Calles. A small town of the north of the state, then a wide reservoir at the edge of the Sierra Fría.
- Travel from OjocalienteAbout 28 min by car or transit12.4 kmWhere Day 3 ended.
- Breakfast
Eggs, beans and coffee
A plain breakfast of eggs, beans and warm tortillas with strong coffee before the drive north.
Local tip Eat well and carry water, since the hills have few places to buy food.
- 1Morning
Jesús María
A town in the hills just north of the city, in cooler, higher country where ranching and farming are the work of the land. Stop at its main plaza for a coffee, then carry on north. A car or a driver makes the day easy, and the town is part of the same urban area.
Go when Morning, on the way north.
Local tip A short stop at the plaza and a coffee. A car or a booked driver makes the day simple, and the roads are best in daylight. Check ahead on the road before you set off.
Photo: Luisalvaz, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons About 36 min by car or transit22.1 km - 2Midday
San José de Gracia
A small town of the north of the state, in dry hill country close to the lake, with a plaza and a church. It is a calm stop on the way, and a good place to fill a water bottle before the shore.
Go when Midday, before the lake.
Local tip Fill a water bottle and stretch your legs at the plaza before the shore. The country is dry hills with little shade, so carry a hat and sun cream.
Photo: José Juan Figueroa, CC BY 2.0 on Wikimedia Commons - Lunch
A grilled meat plate
Grilled meat with tortillas, beans, onion and salsa, a simple plate from a roadside place on the way to the lake.
Local tip Choose a busy place, and keep to bottled or boiled water.
About 10 min by car or transit2.8 km - 3Afternoon
Presa Plutarco Elías Calles
A reservoir at the edge of the Sierra Fría, held by a concrete dam finished in 1928, with water spread across the dry hills. Walk the shore, look at the dam wall, and take sun cover. Do not swim without local advice, and check ahead on access.
Go when Afternoon into evening (about 6:06 PM), as the light softens on the water.
Local tip It needs a car or a driver, and the shore has little shade. Take water and a hat, keep back from the dam edge and the water, and check ahead on access and the road. Leave before dark.
Photo: Luisalvaz, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons - Dinner
A late supper in the old centre
A plate of stew or gorditas, then a hot drink, on one of the streets near the Plaza de la Patria after the drive back.
Local tip Order what the table beside you is having, and ask what is in season.
If it rains. Storms can close the hill roads and the shore in the wet months. Check the sky and the road before you set off, shorten the day to the town stops if it turns bad, and never stand near the dam edge in a storm.
Departure day
After the last day. Leave time for the road out to the airport or the bus station, both outside the centre.Details
- Leaving town
- Book the taxi or the ride the day before. The airport and the bus station both lie outside the centre, so keep your tickets and ID in an easy pocket and leave time for traffic on the way.
- Skulls and sweets
- A small print of a skeleton in the style of Posada, a box of sweets made from guava, and a hand painted skull are all easy to carry. Wrap anything fragile well, and check the rules on food before you fly.
- If you have a few hours
- Take one more slow walk around the Plaza de la Patria, or sit on a bench in the Jardín de San Marcos with a cold drink and watch the city go by.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Aguascalientes?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to March and October to December are the most comfortable months for walking around Aguascalientes. This plan is built for november, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 4 days in Aguascalientes, planned for november. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.2 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 41.8 kilometers by car or transit in all across 4 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Keep exploring
Nearby trips
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3 days of tunnels, alleys and mummies in GuanajuatoAbout 150 km away
4 days of mariachi, tequila and craft lanes in GuadalajaraAbout 180 km awayMore like this
Make this plan yours
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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