This tour was so much fun. Seeing the art and meeting the artists really made it interactive and interesting. Alexandra was an attentive and guide. The art scene in Guadalajara keeps evolving. I can’t recommend this tour enough.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
Excludes
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Cup Cafe is at the corner of Andres Teran and Justo Sierra streets, a block east of Chapultepec Avenue.
Return
- La Extensión is a private gallery / art studio.
Itinerary
1) Cup Cafe - We start at this small cafe, owned by a talented local painter who also uses the cafe as his studio. Guests are welcome to get a hot or cold coffee or tea to start things off as we chat with the artist.
2) Sepia Gallery - This gallery opened in 2022 and frequently changes over exhibitions by talented local artists, both established and emerging. A young local sculptor also has his studio here, and we get the chance to chat with him about his work.
3) Tenango Cafe - This cafe hosts exhibitions of prints and paintings by local artists.
4) La Bodega - This hidden warehouse-style studio is home to an amazing young female ceramics artist, as well as one of the city's top painters. Both artists and their assistants are thrilled to be able to describe their processes to guests.
5) Stop for Refreshments - By this point we've already seen a TON of amazing art and done a fair amount of walking. It's a good moment to make a quick stop at a shop to pick up any refreshments guests may want (beers, cocktails-in-a-can, water, juice, pop, snacks - all are included in the price of the tour).
6) Taller Casa Gato - This is another hidden studio, where two painters work in a range of styles. We enjoy our refreshments while chatting with them and viewing their art.
7) Unnamed Studio - This small studio is where two of Guadalajara's most ambitious young artists works (mostly doing painting, but also printmaking, ceramics and other media). Guests will be fascinated by their explanations of their works.
8) No Somos Nada - This hidden spot has an art gallery and studio spaces for 7 of the most energetic and creative young local artists. They are always excited to tell guests about their work.
9) La Extensión - Guests often say that we "saved the best for last"! This large group studio opened in September of 2023 and is literally "an extension" of several other studios and galleries. The artists and works in the space are constantly changing, with paintings, sculptures, two printmaking studios and more! Don't be surprised if a party or other special event is already getting started in La Extensión around the time that we visit... if so, you will be invited to stay for the fun!
*What we do on each tour is subject to change, depending on artists’ availability, and which galleries have exhibitions on. Sometimes we are unable to visit certain galleries or studios. Sometimes we will visit additional galleries or studios that are not usually on our route, for instance if a special event is happening. Please feel free to send a message when you book telling us if you are looking for a particular type of art, and we will do our best to tailor the tour to your preferences. **please do notify me upon booking if anyone in your group has mobility issues, so I can do my best to accommodate!
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Reviews
amazing „look behinde the scene“ to local artists who are without exception lovely guys and girls! you will definitely find a piece or two you‘d consider to buy! perfect way to get to hidden places!
This was hands down my favourite experience in Guadalajara. Alexandra is such a warm, friendly and knowledgeable guide. We visited five different art studios that aren’t normally open to the public, met and chatted with many talented artists, and saw some incredible art. It was such a unique and personal experience, and I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend!
I had a great time on Ally's art tour. It's a fantastic way to see the local side of Guadalajara and really get a feel for the art scene in the city, which you wouldn't 'see' much of otherwise. We visited lots of different studios and got to chat with all the artists. A very fun afternoon, thanks Ally!
Extraordinary! Alexandra provided this wonderful opportunity to meet with and experience the art of extremely talented local artists here in Guadalajara 😍. It was exceptional in many ways- Alexandra’s passion for art and support for the arts is tremendous and she has created a wonderful network to provide us access to these local artists and their exceptional talent! There really is a lot of talent in this city and if you want to experience it first hand with a passionate and informed guide, then touring with Alexandra is a must.
This was a very interesting, informative and informal introduction to some of Guadalajara’s art scene in terms of studios, artists, overall vibe. Ally, our accomplished guide originally from Canada, is very well connected and knows much about who’s who. Highly recommend even if you just want to see another side/aspect of this amazing city! 5/5 ❤️👌
I had heard Guadalajara had a great arts scene and it's one of the reasons I wanted to go. This tour with Alexandra was a highlight of my trip - meeting local artists, seeing various styles, exhibits and neighborhoods through the eyes of a local was a really nice way to spend the day. I saw a lot of beautiful paintings and prints and was able to bring one home to remember my trip . Thanks Alexandra!
For starters, I was visiting GDL on a solo trip and Alexandra was very accommodating to reschedule me due having a weather related issue at home. We ended up meeting together and right off the bat she was very welcoming. She introduces the artists to you to speak about their piece. Given my amount of questions and curiosity, I managed to take much longer than anticipated but Alex didn’t make me feel discouraged. It was a safe area to crawl around finding hidden studios. I will definitely be coming back to find more hidden gems and recommend her to anyone seeking a more in depth experience to Guadalajara’s art world.
What a fun experience! The tour was a cool way to not only see a fun neighborhood in Guadalajara, but also meet some really amazing artists and view their work. I love doing things art-related in any city, but it's usually museums or shopping. Ally made this feel like a true insiders-look and it was so great to actually meet the artists, ask questions, and hear why they create. This tour is a gem and made our trip feel complete.
We absolutely loved this tour. We met artists in their studios. So great. I'll repeat what others have said; we never would have known about these studios if Alexandra didn't bring us there. She was amazing. So much talent in Guadalajara. 200% recommended.
Every part of this experience was 5 stars, great communication from Ally from the very first contact, rapport with the artists & general interest along the walk. Interesting how many of these artists have works all over Mexico, many in public spaces, collaborations or commercially. I felt truly humbled by their talents.
Alexandra was helpful even well before the tour -=she texted immediately upon booking and even helped with restaurant reservations. She took us to artist studios that we would never find on our own and that would not otherwise be open to the public.
I don’t even have the words to say what an amazing experience this was. Alexandra did a great job of making sure we saw a huge variety of art, and met with most of the artists, seeing the spaces they work, hearing about their processes and ideas behind the work. The only thing we had to think about was how much art we could carry home (although Alexandra can assist in shipping) . Before the tour we were asked about anything specific we wanted to see. (The printing studio was amazing). We started the actual tour by picking up drinks for the artists and ourselves. We then went to 4 (?) different collectives/work spaces where we met about 10 artists. Many of the spaces also had other artists work to view as well. No one was pushy about selling, and everyone was so generous with their time and willingness to share about their art and the experience of being an artist in Guadalajara. After the tour Alexandra send a text list of all the artists we saw as well as links to their Instagram accounts. She is also an amazing resource for information about life in Guadalajara as a non native. The only thing I would have changed… maybe I wouldn’t have gone and seen a bunch of art with my day before the tour. My head is still spinning from everything I saw. When I am back in Guadalajara I will absolutely sign up for this trip again!
This is the best tour to be immersed in a variety of art styles off the beaten path in Guadalajara. Alexandra is highly connected to the artists community and is a wealth of information about the scene. The best part of the tour is visiting and chatting with multiple artists in one day right in their studios. An afternoon well spent in Guadalajara!
I learned lots of intriguing things about arts!
Such an enlightening and expanding experience to meet talented artists and hear about their processes and intentions and a little about their stories as they discuss their pieces. What a precious experience for a visitor! Thank you, Ally, for creating this tour.
A really helpful introduction to Guadalajara’s art scene. We visited several working studios, often with multiple artists in each space, and it would have been impossible to find these places independently. Alexandra is welcoming and knowledgeable, and the atmosphere was relaxed and conversational rather than formal. A good choice if you want to see how the local scene functions day to day and meet artists directly.
Great guide. Fun time. Wonderful art and artists. Definitely recommend to anyone even vaguely interested in art. Very impressed.
Me and my friends are huge art junkies so we actively looked for an art tour and oh my were we lucky to come across this one. This is hands down one of the best art tours I have ever done. You get to meet the artists and go into studios you wouldn’t under other circumstances have access to. We absolutely loved it and wish we had more days to go it again and visit more studios.
Ally was simply wonderful! We learned about the art scene in Guadalajara, visiting several studios, meeting artists, and viewing street art. Exposure to art would not be possible without Ally and her amazing connections. She did a great job on the tour and was welcoming, friendly, and accommodating all guests in our family. This tour is not to be missed!
Such a fun and inspiring art crawl through Guadalajara. The studios were beautiful and unique, and our guide Ally was amazing, friendly, and full of great stories that made the experience feel personal and memorable! Don’t forget to pick up some art during your visit!
We had a blast on this tour, definitely recommend. Ally is so tapped into the local arts scene, and we had a ton of fun meeting the artists and appreciating their art. Guadalajara is an amazing place to visit, and this tour was a highlight. Thanks Ally!
This is my second time doing this tour with Alejandra. It is just as spectacular the 2nd time around. She introduced me to a couple of new galleries as well as previous galleries. Alex is very knowledgeable and the artists are very engaging.
I had an absolutely amazing time at our art crawl in Guadalajara. Ally was our guide and she was absolutely perfect. We were very much interested in the local art scene and she was the perfect person to introduce us to what was happening in Guadalajara.She knew all the artists and we all felt very much at home everywhere we went. She was very knowledgable about the artwork and was genuinely interested in helping us ask questions and appreciate what we were looking at. She provided wine or any beverage of choice and we all felt very comfortable with her leading the way. I would highly recommend her experience to anyone visiting Guadalajara city who has an interest in the local arts scene. She was also full of super great information regarding restaurants and other places to visit in the city. Highly recommend!
We had a fabulous art crawl with Ally! Great experience visiting different studios, chatting with the artists and learning about the art scene in Guadalajara. No pressure to purchase artwork (although many of us did!) but rather to take in the experience and enjoy a few drinks along the way. Thank you Ally!
Thank you Ally for an amazing experience! Your art knowledge and local art connections were very appreciated. It was a wonderful thing to be introduced to the Guadalajara Art scene. We are all so happy to have some great art as souvenirs and to have found artists that we would have never been able to access as tourists. Ally went over and above to suggest restaurants and things to do in the city. I look forward to our next trip to GDL.
We enjoyed our Tlaquepaque tour with Alexandra so much that we booked the art tour as well! It was really cool meeting the local artists and learning about their work. Another amazing tour!
Amazing experience! Would definitely do it again and we even bought some art. The walking was easy and meeting the artists was an extra treat.
I had such a fantastic experience on this art crawl in Guadalajara! Alexandra, our host, was fun, friendly, and incredibly informative—she made the whole afternoon flow with ease and good energy. One of the best parts was that there was absolutely no pressure to buy art, It was about discovery and connection. The tour opened the door to a hidden, vibrant art scene I never would have found on my own. We visited about six main studios, though each space contained smaller “studios within studios,” which made the experience feel expansive and layered. The crawl ended in a striking industrial gallery and working studio that tied everything together beautifully. The art itself covered a wide spectrum: from traditional Mexican styles to modern and abstract works, spanning painting, printmaking, woodcut, and ceramics. Even better, we were able to meet artists at different stages of their careers—from well-established names to emerging voices—each excited to share their stories, techniques, and inspirations. They welcomed questions, and those conversations were some of the highlights of the tour. Overall, it was a rich and rewarding experience—equal parts cultural immersion, education, and inspiration. I’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Guadalajara who wants to connect with its art community in an authentic way.
Alexandra's art tour was so much fun! She knows tons of local artists and took us to six different art studios with multiple artists in each one. The artists were all very interesting as well as being sweet and friendly, and we saw some very nice art. There is no pressure to buy anything, but there is some very nice work at very affordable prices if you are interested. Alexandra is a friendly and very knowledgeable guide (with a PhD in Art History) and we had a great time with her! Highly recommend!
We highly recommend the Art Crawl & Studio Tour! Ally is extremely knowledgeable about a wide range of art and has an awesome personal relationship with many of the artists in Guadalajara. As a result, she was able to tailor the tour to our taste and we moved from galleries to studios with ease. Each stop was filled with valuable info about the artists' style, background, and inventory of works. This tour was like a dream come true for me and my husband! We are art enthusiasts/collectors from America. So, to meet several emerging Mexican artists in their personal studios, as well as a printer/gallery was an awesome experience! Ally even facilitated the purchase of several pieces, giving us a sense of security as she knows the lay of the land. We can't thank her enough for her patience and kindness. She generously took us on a follow up tour the next day since some of the artists we wanted to see weren't available initially. Take the tour... you won't regret it! UPDATE: Ally was instrumental in coordinating the shipment of our artwork. As I stated earlier, we purchased several big pieces, to include paintings and sculptures, and were very nervous about 1) receiving the total shipment without damage, and 2) issues with Customs. Although it took 2 months to reach us in Maryland (with a few changes in the delivery date), every piece was individually wrapped and in pristine condition when received, and we experienced zero issues with customs. I coordinated payments through the Wise app with ease. If you're thinking of purchasing artwork and shipping it to the US, Ally has the experience to get it to you!
As an interior designer and long-time resident of Guadalajara, I spend a lot of time sourcing local art, furniture, and handmade objects for my clients — but even I was blown away by this tour. Alexandra Duncan’s Guadalajara Art Tour is the kind of experience that cracks the city wide open in the best possible way. She doesn’t just show you where the art hangs — she takes you to where it’s born. Think tucked-away artist studios, off-radar galleries, and raw, graffiti-drenched corners of the city that most visitors (and even locals) would never find on their own. We met incredible artists mid-process, had meaningful conversations, and saw a wide range of work — from contemporary sculpture to edgy printmaking, abstract painting, illustration, street art, and mixed media. Ally knows her stuff, but what makes the tour exceptional is her passion and mission: to get local artists and artisans the visibility and connections they deserve, while helping design lovers (like me and my clients) find unique, soulful pieces for their homes. This isn’t a cookie-cutter art walk — it’s a living, breathing, curated experience that shifts depending on what’s happening in the city. Every stop was a gem, and every conversation felt authentic and inspiring. If you’re an art collector, design enthusiast, or just someone who wants to feel the creative energy of Guadalajara in an intimate, real way — book this tour. Immediately. It’s the kind of day that reminds you why we surround ourselves with beautiful things in the first place.
It was amazing and very interesting those workshops i could t imagine that exist in gdl, wonderfull experience the best guide !
Alexandra’s Art tour is a must for anyone who wants to get an insider view of the contemporary art community in Guadalajara. Get a look behind the studio doors, meet the artists and see the inspiring places local artists come together to collaborate and create. Alexandra is a knowledgeable and personable tour guide. Her love of art, history, and for the city of Guadalajara make for a unique and unforgettable experience. (And the food recommendations were on point)
Knowledgeable an engaging hostess which made the art very accessible. This is a very local experience which I loved. Highly recommend checking this out.
Ally was amazing! She designed the tour for us and it was perfect! She is extremely knowledgeable about the local art scene and is personally connected to many of the artists. The tour was so great that I asked her to organize another one in a few weeks for a group of friends.
Hands down... one of the best walking tours I've ever done! I came with a group of friends with mixed interests in art, ranging from screenprinting to photography. This tour was incredibly fun and eye opening, and even got to check out the studios of one of my favorite muralists. I loved the diversity of art, and being able to hear from and engage with so many of the local artists. Im left feeling inspired, and can't think of a better experience to get a taste of Guadalajara's arts and culture. Thank you Alexandra for such an unforgettable tour!
Wonderful tour. One we weren't expecting yet we enjoyed immensely. A behind the scenes look at art the community here we wouldn't have gotten anywhere else.
Alejandra is incredibly knowledgeable and fun to walk with. Every gallery and artist we visited with had something of interest. This was a perfect way to spend my birthday and I will likely connect with Alejandra again when I return.
Blown away by the creativity and community of artists we were able to meet on this tour! Ally did a great job of introducing us to a lot of amazing work in a short period of time. And I came home with unique art and memories from my Guadalajara visit.
There are times when you want a docent to guide you through a big museum, but this is not that. This tour was a boots on the ground, informal opportunity to see artist studios and speak with them about their work. It was amazing! All the artists were very generous with their time and space and Alexandra had lots of info to share, too! So if you want to see painters, print makers and street artists developing their work all with an awesome vibe, this is the tour for you! I HIGHLY recommend it!!
I highly recommend! Alexandra was a fantastic guide. She was Knowledgeable, upbeat and answered so many questions. A very enjoyable tour. Deborah (Canada)
Highly professional tour with Ally. She has a passion for the local Art scene and had the ability to convey this to all the ages and nationalities on the tour. The extras she provided were also unexpected. It was excellent.
Excellent! Well worth time and expense. Guide Ally wonderful. Character minimum for review is a pain in the ass.
Ale was amazing! Her knowledge of the local art scene and the places she took us to made us feel like locas for a day. We enjoyed great galleries, tour mates, and conversations with local artists while sipping tequila. Bought some great art to bring home too. If you come to Guadalajara, this is a must!
This was the most comprehensive and detailed art walk that I've ever participated in! Ally is a master of her craft! She's quite knowledgeable and has a wonderful repoire with the artists and they appear to have a great respect for her.
This tour was honestly the highlight of our entire trip to Guadalajara. I was in town with my partner and some friends for a work conference at the university, and we stumbled on this and went on our last day in town. We are SO GLAD we went! First, Ally was very personable, helpful, and knowledgeable. (That PhD in art history does shine through, as you would expect). She took us across multiple neighborhoods, visiting both some gallery and restaurant spaces with local art, and then to several local studios. Some of these were individual artists or small groups, others were larger collectives. The sheer talent on display for the work we saw was incredible, as was the multiple styles and approaches. Some artists were hailing from architecture and using very precise, geometric approaches. Others were modern and abstract. Others were realists. We saw work in production, work that was about to open, work in ongoing shows, work that was just inspiration for other work. We were invited into the _process_ of these artists, they spent tons of time with us, openly sharing and even critiquing their own work. I have done art tours in much more 'professional' scenes like Paris, DC, London, etc. - there is NOTHING like this i've ever found. Its local, its raw, and its fun! By the end of our 3 hour tour (which turned into nearly 5 because we got to talking with everyone and just having a good time together), we were drinking tequila and listening to music and had seen hundreds of pieces. Everyone in our group bought some to take back to our respective cities, and wished we could take back more. I would absolutely reccommend this tour to any art lover, whether you are a professional artist or collector, or just love art and want to get the real vibe of the local scene. PS: As an added bonus, and on the recommendation of the artists we met, we had dinner afterwards at Octo - which is connected to another restaurant, and the two of them together are essentially another gallery in and of themselves! We spent another hour after dinner touring their collection of local art, with the highlight at the end being the giant mural by Feng. Really incredible day! PS: I bought a large piece from one of the local artists, and Ally is kind enough to facilitate shipping and such. I will post back when that is completed with a review of the purchasing process for those interested.
Our art crawl with Ally was fantastic! We met many wonderful GDL artists and saw some fantastic and eclectic art. We really enjoyed Ally’s insights and talented eye. I would definitely come back for more. Guadalajara has a thriving art scene that I’m excited to come back and check out further.
Great tour! Alexandra is very knowledgeable and knows so many hidden gems around the city. It was lovely to meet the artists and talk to them about their processes and how they get their ideas for their work. I felt very inspired when I left! I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who loves art and wants to visit places unknown to tourists.
During the tour we had a chance to take a glimpse into the art community of Guadalajara. It was great to talk to different artists about their creative process and visit their studios. We had a lot of fun and would definitely do it again ☺️
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