From museums, old mines and historic buildings to lively callejoneadas, Zacatecas has plenty to offer. If you are running short on time, read about my 1-day walking tour of this wonderful city!
About this Trip
Zacatecas is one of those places that stays under the radar for both foreigners as well as people from Mexico—I was one of those people. For this reason, Zacatecas remains a town that holds a lot of its local charm and colonial past, with less tourists than other, higher profile destinations.
What are the must see stops, if you are on a time crunch? Read on to find out how we spent one full day in this amazing colonial city of Zacatecas!
Overview
- Morning
- Cerro de la Bufa
- Cable car ride
- Mina el Eden
- Afternoon
- Historic downtown
- Museo Rafael Coronel
- Night
- Callejoneada
Cerro de la Bufa
In this stop, you will have several things you’ll need to cross off the list. Get here early to avoid the crowds!
- Enjoy the view! Walk to the side of the hill past the horsemen statues
- Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio
- Museo Toma Zacatecas – audio visual museum
- You can zipline as well from here
Cable Car Ride
This is the best way to get to our next stop: a scenic view of the city via cable car.
TIP: get the one with the glass floor. It gives for an extra experience. It is well worth the extra $1-2/ticket.
Mina el Eden
You can’t visit this old mining town and not visit its mine! It is very well managed with English and Spanish tour guides. You get on a small train to take you to the heart of the mine, where you’ll be guided through the rest it. This is a must visit. You have to check out the night club inside the mine!
In this unique experience you’ll learn about the history of Zacatecas as it pertains to mining, as well as the risks that the miners would have to endure to get their job done. It is nice and cool inside the mine. That was a nice break from the warmth outside.
Historic Downtown
Zacatecas has preserved numerous buildings that are distinguished by their artistic layout in pink quarry. Walking the streets of historic downtown is a pleasure that is difficult to top. Its colonial architecture will draw you to it. Enjoying an ice-cream, a cup of coffee, or having a meal. This is the right spot to do this.
Enjoy historic buildings such as the Palacio de Gobierno, the Cathedral, and also the Plaza de Armas.
Museo Rafael Coronel
It was difficult to pick which a single museum in this city. The Museo Rafael Coronel was our choice because 1) it is housed in an ex-convent and 2) it has an impressive mask collection. The museum is deceptively big. We felt it was the right choice!
Fun fact: Rafael Coronel was the son-in-law of the famous muralist Diego Rivera. The museum contains mexican folk art collected by this zacatecan artist.
Callejoneadas
A callejoneada is a tradition where people walk and sing through the emblematic streets and callejones (alleys) of the city. The music is generally a “tamborazo” band.
In Zacatecas, a donkey carries a mezcal jug and accompanies the attendees through the streets. The partiers carry a jarrito (small jar) that they use to get refills along the way. I personally am not a drinker so I didn’t try the mezcal, but it was very neat to see the interaction of the people and the way they enjoyed the music.
There are a few street food options along the way.
You really could spend several days exploring the wonderful city of Zacatecas. However, if you are ever in a hurry, I hope you find this list of things to do useful.
If you want to know more about this place and other places in Mexico I recommend the book below. Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Be sure to let me know what you think about Zacatecas in the comments below! And don’t forget to check out my other blogs and travel itineraries!
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Great pictures, and I bet a nice experience!!
Thank you, Vicky! It was a very pleasant surprise to get to visit Zacatecas. It’s ever hardly on people’s bucket list, but now I see how much it has to offer. Thank you for visiting our blog!
Padrisimas fotos! El hotel Quinta Real es hermoso y el servicio es único. El teleférico de vidrio me dio un poco de miedo jaja! Leyendo tu blog me dieron ganas de regresar a Zacatecas.
Gracias por tus consejos antes del viaje! Nos fueron muy útiles para planear todo en un solo día. ¡Qué bonito nuestro México!
Thanks for sharing……love your blog, easy to understand and no much writing.
Hi Angeline! Thank you for your comments. I absolutely loved spending time in Zacatecas, and equally enjoyed writing this article. So glad you liked it!