2-Day Aguascalientes Itinerary

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 1.5 to 3.2 kilometers a day, and 4.7 kilometers in all across 2 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.

Day 1. San Antonio and the north of the centre and The railway and the east

4 stops · 3.2 km on foot

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1
Morning
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
2
Midday
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
3
Afternoon
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 13 min walk1.1 km
4
Afternoon
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.
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. Everything today is indoors, so rain does not change the plan.

Day 2. The pink centre and San Marcos and the west

4 stops · 1.5 km on foot

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1
MorningIndoor
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 walkunder 0.1 km
2
Morning
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
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 9 min walk0.7 km
3
Morning
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
About 9 min walk0.7 km
4
MiddayIndoor
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.
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. Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and Palacio de Gobierno are covered, so keep them. Move Plaza de la Patria and Jardín de San Marcos to a dry day if you can.

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 2 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 1.5 to 3.2 kilometers a day, and 4.7 kilometers in all across 2 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.