A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Guadalajara vs. Reno for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Backpackers

Should you visit Guadalajara or Reno?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Guadalajara or Reno, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Guadalajara

Guadalajara is a vibrant, cultural, and historical city. Because this is such a big city, visitors will find many sights and attractions around town. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums. See Guadalajara travel costs.

Reno

Reno is a energetic, growing, and vibrant city. It's also popular because of the museums, nightlife, and food. See Reno travel costs.

Guadalajara and Reno: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Guadalajara or Reno?

Tourists will generally find more to do in Guadalajara than Reno. It is bigger and it has more sights, attractions, and activities for travelers. Guadalajara is famous for its mariachi music, tequila, and many festivals. It is also well known for the Guadalajara Cathedral. Reno is famous for its casinos and nightlife scene.

How is Guadalajara different from Reno?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Reno and Guadalajara. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Guadalajara or Reno?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for its museums and history. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

Guadalajara offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. It's a city that's filled with culture and history, with many impressive landmarks such as the Guadalajara Cathedral. Also make sure you visit the Instituto Cultural de Cabañas, Expiatory Temple, the Government Palace, and the Regional Museum of Guadalajara.

Reno is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. Museums in town range from art and history to local or quirky. The National Automobile Museum, the Nevada Museum of Art, Fleischmann Planetarium, and the Anthropology Museum are some of the favorites.

Is the Food Better in Guadalajara or Reno? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for its restaurants. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its restaurant scene.

Guadalajara has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The cuisine uses some key ingredients such as corn tortillas, chilis, and beans. You'll find a lot of street food which includes tacos and tortas as well as restaurant dishes like birria (meat stew), pozole (hominy soup), and fish ceviche.

Reno offers number of good local restaurants to choose from. The food scene has been growing in recent years and you'll find plenty of casual restaurants that serve hearty and filling comfort foods.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for Nightlife?

The vibe at night is very good in both Guadalajara and Reno.

Many people head to Guadalajara for the nightlife scene. The city comes to life at night. You'll find vibrant dance clubs, live music, and traditional bars. The craft beer scene has also grown in recent years. The most active areas are around Chapultepec Avenue and Zapopan.

Reno has plenty to do after the sun goes down. There's a big nightlife scene with a huge number of bars and entertainment options. There are also a growing number of breweries in town.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for its Old Town?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for its historic old town charm. However, Reno does not have a historic old town.

Many visitors explore the old town while visiting Guadalajara. The city center is filled with Spanish colonial architecture. With a walking tour you will find baroque, neoclassical, renaissance, and Gothic style buildings that highlight the city's long running past and rich history.

Reno does not have a historic old town.

Is the Shopping Better in Guadalajara or Reno?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for its shopping areas. Also, Reno is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Guadalajara. One of the best shopping streets is Avenida Juarez. A must-see stop is also the large indoor market of Mercado Libertad. You'll also find shopping centers and retail outlets around town.

Reno is a great destination for shopping. In addition to your standard suburban shopping malls and strip malls, there's the Midtown District, which has local retail shops and an eclectic and alternative vibe. The area has thrift shops, music vendors, and more.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for Families?

Reno is a nice place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. However, Guadalajara is not a good destination for its family-friendly activities.

Reno offers lots of family activities. You'll find some arcades and entertainment options for kids in some of the casinos. There's also the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, which has kid-friendly, hands-on exhibits, and the largest zoo in Nevado, the Sierra Nevada Zoological Park.

Guadalajara is not the most family-friendly destination. While it's not the most popular destination for families, those who visit will enjoy exploring the nature parks or amusement parks.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for Couples?

Guadalajara and Reno are both nice to visit as a couple.

Guadalajara is a good city for couples to visit. It's filled with nice architecture, a vibrant nightlife scene, and great urban parks, making it a nice and romantic destination for couples.

Reno is a nice destination for couples. There are outdoor parks and scenic walks like the Truckee River Walk or the Rancho San Rafael Regional Park. There's also several great museums and some interesting restaurants.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Reno is lacking in options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers and backpackers visit Guadalajara. There are plenty of hostels and cheap hotels around town.

Reno is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not really on the backpacker circuit so you won't find any real hostels in town.

Is Guadalajara or Reno Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Guadalajara and Reno both offer reasonable public transit to get you around.

Public transit is mostly limited in Guadalajara. There's a bus system as well as a metro system with two lines, which are primarily used by commuters.

Public transit is generally limited in Reno. There's a public bus system with routes around town.

Is Guadalajara or Reno a more walkable city?

Guadalajara is an excellent place to visit for its ease of walking around. However, Reno is lacking in options for its walkability.

Guadalajara is a very walkable destination. The city center is pedestrian-friendly. This is also where you'll find most of the sights.

Reno is generally not very walkable. While there are some reasonably walkable neighborhoods, you really need a car to get around town.

For even more information, also check out Is Guadalajara Worth Visiting? and Is Reno Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Reno or Guadalajara?

How long in Guadalajara or Reno?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Guadalajara and Reno. In our opinion, Guadalajara has more to see and do, so we recommend that you spend more time in Guadalajara than Reno. In general, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Guadalajara, and 1-3 days is enough time in Reno.

Couples should spend more time in Guadalajara than Reno. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Guadalajara that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Guadalajara than Reno if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Guadalajara.

One day in Guadalajara or Reno?

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the destination of Guadalajara. Visiting the old town is also a must. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. With so much to do, one day is probably not enough time to see everything.

Visitors enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the energetic city of Reno. One day should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

A weekend in Guadalajara or Reno?

Guadalajara is a fun place to experience. If you have a weekend, this is a great place to go. The old town is one of the main draws for visitors. A weekend is often enough time to do most activities. The entire region has so many activities, and you'll want time to do everything.

Visitors enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the vibrant destination of Reno. This city offers something for everyone. Plenty of people spend a weekend in the area when traveling. If you enjoy all that's offered here, then a weekend is just the right amount of time to spend here.

Five days in Guadalajara or Reno?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the vibrant destination of Guadalajara. This city offers something for everyone. Exploring the old town is a popular activity. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

The growing city of Reno offers shopping and museums. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel.

A week in Guadalajara or Reno?

The cultural city of Guadalajara offers nightlife and food. Make sure you visit the old town while you're here. The length of your trip often depends on your style of travel. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips.

Many people enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting Reno. Anyone can find something fun to do here. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Cancun, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Mexico, The Best Train & Rail Tours in United States of America, and The Best Sightseeing Tours in United States of America.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Guadalajara and Reno, we can see that Reno is more expensive. And not only is Guadalajara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Guadalajara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Guadalajara and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Reno would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Reno than you might in Guadalajara.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Guadalajara Expensive? and Is Reno Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Guadalajara or Reno?

Guadalajara has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Reno. When comparing the sizes of Guadalajara and Reno, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.