San Cristóbal de las Casas Travel Guide

Is San Cristóbal worth visiting

San Cristóbal is absolutely worth visiting! It’s not only the perfect base to explore all that Chiapas has to offer, the city is also an incredible destination on its own. The fact that it’s largely inhabited by indigenous people makes it unique and unlike anywhere else in Mexico. What’s more, it’s full of trendy coffee shops as well as restaurants. Furthermore, Chiapas is one of the most affordable regions in Mexico.

photo edited with the **Mexico preset pack**

Is San Cristóbal save

Like with many places in Mexico, safety seems to be a concern for many, mostly due to negative media coverage of Mexico. Hence why I felt this San Cristóbal de las Casas travel guide wouldn’t be complete without addressing this matter.

San Cristóbal, like most of Mexico, is considered save. The only exception is the unstable situation on the road between Ocosingo and San Cristóbal, which is a known Narco territory where roadblocks and robberies are known to occur. However, you do not need to pass this route to get to San Cristóbal, so there’s no need to worry. I just want to mention it so that you know to avoid it! Even though San Cristóbal is safe, you should still take normal precautions, just like you would anywhere else. Avoid flashing your valuables, wearing expensive jewellery and walking around late at night.

For more practical tips to stay safe, I recommend that you read these 14 tips for staying safe while traveling!

When is the best time to visit San Cristóbal

The best time to visit San Cristóbal de las Casas is during the dry season, from November to May. In this period you get warm temperatures and little rain. Note that due to the high altitude, it can get pretty cold, or I might even say very cold, when the sun goes down. So regardless of which time of year you visit, make sure to pack something warm to wear in the evenings!

During my visit which was in February, the day time temperatures were pleasant, around 22°C (72°F). At night it cooled down significantly to around 12°C (54°F), but due to the humidity it felt much colder. Luckily, our apartment had some ponchos that we could use in the evenings.

sunset in san cristóbal de las casas mexico — a beautiful sunset in San Cristóbal // photo edited with the **Color Pop preset pack**

Where to stay in San Cristóbal

I would recommend staying in or close to the historic centre (Zona Centro). It’s the most convenient way to explore the city as way you will be close to all major attractions. You’ll also have the best coffees and restaurants within walking distance. Here are some of the best accommodation options for every budget:

Best hostel in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Kotantik

Best budget hotel in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Casa Azabache

Best mid-range hotel in San Cristóbal de las Casas: La Estancia

Best luxury hotel in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Collection O Casa de Familia

Here you can see reviews and compare prices of accommodations in San Cristóbal

How to get to San Cristóbal de las Casas

If you are traveling to San Cristóbal from within Mexico or Guatemala, it’s possible to get there by bus. It’s likely to be a very long ride though, depending on where you’re coming from. Check bus routes, schedules and prices here.

Alternatively, the closest airport to San Cristóbal de las Casas is Tuxtla Gutiérres (TGZ), which is located roughly 80km (50 miles) away. To get to San Cristóbal from the airport you can take a taxi, a public bus, a private shuttle or you can rent a car.

Taking an OCC/ADO bus

Those traveling on a budget will probably prefer to take an OCC bus (from the ADO company) from the airport. This is a convenient and affordable way to get from Tuxtla airport to San Cristobal, it’s a direct bus and the journey takes around 1,5 hours. Tickets are $250 MXN pesos and can be purchased at the ADO counter in the airport, or online. When booking online just make sure to put in Aeropuerto Ángel Albino instead of Tuxtla airport, as the system doesn’t recognize it.

Taking a taxi

Taking a taxi is the most convenient way to get from Tuxtla airport to San Cristóbal. Taxi will cost around $800 MXN pesos, which can be split between whoever you are traveling with, or even a stranger. It might seem strange to some to share a taxi with a stranger, but it’s a common practice among locals. If you are a solo female traveler, I’d recommend you to approach a fellow female traveler and if she wants to share a taxi. I have actually made a few friends this way during my travels!

An important thing to keep in mind when taking a taxi from Tuxtla airport to San Cristóbal is to make sure to take an official taxi! After you pass baggage claim and make your way toward the exit, you will see taxi counters on your right just before exiting the airport. Head to the counters, where you will book and pay for the taxi. You will then be handed a ticket that you will give to the taxi driver.

Renting a car

If you are planning to do a road trip in Chiapas, I would recommend that you rent a car directly at the airport. This will be significantly cheaper than renting one once your in San Cristóbal, plus it saves you the hassle of figuring out how to get to San Cristóbal from the airport. You should also keep in mind that it’s difficult to rent an automatic car in San Cristóbal, which is important to know for those that don’t know how to drive a manual. Use rentalcar.com to compare prices to make sure you get the best deal!

Although roads in the state of Chiapas aren’t in the greatest condition, driving is considered safe. Just make sure to avoid the road between Ocosingo and San Cristóbal, which is a known Narco territory where roadblocks and robberies are known to occur.

How to get around in San Cristóbal de las Casas

As long as you are staying in or close to the historical centre, San Cristóbal is very walkable and all major tourist attractions can be reached by foot. Taxis are easy to locate and very affordable, should you need them. We paid $80 pesos ($4 USD) for a 10 minute ride from the bus station to our apartment, just to give you an idea of the price you can expect. Make sure to always negotiate the fare upfront and have cash for the fare, as taxis in San Cristóbal generally do not take cards!

Although San Cristóbal is walkable, it is not built for dragging around luggage, especially if it’s heavy. Sidewalks are very narrow and usually made of cobblestone and/or have holes in them. So believe me when I tell you that if you are carrying a suitcase on wheels, you will want to take a taxi if you need to move your luggage from A to B. When we arrived in San Cristóbal, we had planned to walk to our apartment which was about 15 minutes away. We gave up on that after just about 2 minutes, sat down at a local restaurant where we had tacos and margaritas, and then asked the waiter to call us a taxi 🙂 This might just be the most important thing you take from the San Cristóbal de las Casas travel guide :)))

There is no Uber or Grab in San Cristóbal.

To give you an idea about how affordable San Cristóbal is – $70 pesos equals $3.5 USD

Things to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas

There are a ton of things to do in and around San Cristóbal de las Casas.

Join the free walking tour

The free walking tour is a great way to begin your trip in San Cristóbal. Discover the history of the city, learn about the culture, traditions and customs and get to know the city from a local perspective. The tour is interactive, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments.

The tour starts here, in the heart of the city, at Plaza de la Paz. The tours take place every day at 10am and 5pm. They are in English and last about two hours.

Explore the many Artisan Markets

San Cristóbal de las Casas is home to a range of interesting markets that are worth browsing through.

Mercado de Artesanias de Santo Domingo, is a market full of colourful indigenous crafts, such as textiles, jewelry, baskets and weavings. It’s located next to Templo de Santo Domingo and is open every day from 9am to 8pm.

Mercado de Dulces y Artesanias Ámbar is an indoor market where you’ll find sweats, baked treats as well as clothes and handmade items. It’s open every day from 8am to 9.30pm.

Mercado José Castillo Tielemans is the most traditional market in San Cristóbal, over 50 years old. It’s a lively market where can buy local products, handicrafts, all sorts of foods, including baked goods. It’s open every day from 7am to 8pm.

san cristóbal is very colourful <3 // photo edited with the **Color Pop preset pack**

Visit a museum

As the cultural capital of the state of Chiapas, San Cristóbal is home to a number of interesting museums. They focus mostly on textile and the ancient Mayan culture & traditions. Here are some of the most popular ones.

Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya (Maya World Textile Center)

Inside the Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo, you will find the Maya World Textile Center. A museum that focuses on Mayan textiles and embroidery techniques, displaying over 500 examples of handwoven textiles from throughout Mexico and Central America. The museum features permanent exhibition rooms where you’ll see videos explaining the production process of clothes and textiles.

Note that Maya World Textile Center is closed on Mondays.

Entrance fee: $65 pesos ($3.25 USD)

Museo Mesoamericano del Jade (Jade Museum)

One of the things that Chiapas is famous for is its jade, a precious stone used by ancient Mayas. The museum showcases replicas of Mayan jade jewelry and other jade objects found in Mexican archeological sites.

Entrance fee: $35 pesos ($1.75 USD)

Museum Casa Na Bolom

Casa Na Bolom, which means House of the Jaguar, is an historical building that is now a museum dedicated to the protection of Chiapas’ indigenous culture as well as the environment. It was once the home of Danish archaeologist Frans Blom, and his wife Gertrude Duby Blom, a Swiss photographer. The couple were among the first foreigners to contact the Lacandon indigenous group, which are the only ethnic group to manage to escape the Spanish conquest. Among things you will see in the museum are photos of the Lacandon culture and hand drawn maps of the entire Chiapas rain forests, which used to belong to the Lacandon group. Today Casa Na Bolom operates as a hotel, restaurant, museum and a research center.

Note that Na Bolom is closed on Mondays.

Entrance fee: $60 pesos ($3 USD)

Take a walk down Calle Real de Guadalupe

san cristóbal de las casas travel guide — Calle Real de Guadalupe // // photo edited with the **Mexico presets**

Wandering the pedestrian street Calle Real de Guadalupe was honestly one of my favourite things to do in San Cristóbal. It’s essentially the main promenade, a lively street where you’ll see street vendors and performers. Real de Guadalupe is lined with trendy coffee shops and restaurants, as well as many arts & crafts stores.

street vendor // photo edited with the **Mexico presets**

Admire the view from Iglesia de Guadalupe

At one end of Calle Real de Guadalupe you’ll find Iglesia de Guadalupe. You will need to climb a few stairs to get there, which is certainly worth it for the views you get from the top!

Try a cup of Chiapas coffee

This San Cristóbal de las Casas travel guide wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Chiapas coffee! Mexico is one of the top 10 coffee producers in the world, with the state of Chiapas making up 40% of the Mexico production. There are a number of trendy coffee shops all around San Cristóbal, almost too many! Our favourite one was Ki Múul, which is located on Real de Guadalupe.

Ki Múul café // photo edited with the **Mexico preset pack**

Go on a day trip

San Cristóbal de las Casas is a popular base for doing day trips to the many places worth seeing around the state of Chiapas. I can highly recommend visiting Sumidero Canyon, which is just over an hour’s drive away. We did an amazing day trip that included a scenic boat ride through the canyon as well as a stop in the picturesque town Chiapa de Corzo.

Other popular day trips include Palenque, Agua Azul waterfall and Misol-Ha waterfall. Note that these are roughly a 5 hour drive from San Cristóbal, so it will be a very long day.

For those that aren’t up for so much time on the road but want to visit a waterfall, there is a more manageable option. El Chiflon waterfalls are only a 2.5 hour drive from San Cristóbal. The easiest way to visit El Chiflon is on an organized day trip. However, these usually include a stop at Montebello Lagoons, which may or may not interest you. If you’d rather visit on your own, the easiest option is to rent a car. To make sure you get the best deal, use rentalcars.com to compare prices. It’s also possible to take a combination of a bus and a colectivo. Take an ADO or OCC bus from San Cristóbal headed to Comitán de Domínguez (around $96 pesos), and from there take a colectivo to El Chiflon ($30 pesos).

Visit some of the churches of San Cristóbal

With the state of Chiapas being one of the most religious part of Mexico, it might come as no surprise that there are many churches in this area. Some of the ones worth visiting are:

I hope you found this San Cristóbal de las Casas travel guide helpful and that is answered the questions you had about visiting San Cristóbal. If you’re planning to head over to Guatemala from San Cristóbal, check out this post about how to get from San Cristóbal to Guatemala.