Shrine of Guadalupe Tour in Mexico City
Mexico City, Mexico
Rating: 
Trip Type: Cultural Tours
Duration: 4 hours
The image of the Lady Virgin you see everywhere in Mexico has a story, and that story began at the Shrine of Guadalupe. This 4-hour tour led by a knowledgeable guide takes you through one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. Admire the architecture of its two basilicas and gaze at the miracle cloak on display. Learn about the events that gave rise to the shrine, and ascend nearby Tepeyac Hill, where it is said the Lady appeared. Transport from central Mexico City is included.
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The image of the Lady Virgin you see everywhere in Mexico has a story, and that story began at the Shrine of Guadalupe. This 4-hour tour led by a knowledgeable guide takes you through one of the most popular Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. Admire the architecture of its two basilicas and gaze at the miracle cloak on display. Learn about the events that gave rise to the shrine, and ascend nearby Tepeyac Hill, where it is said the Lady appeared. Transport from central Mexico City is included.
Meet your knowledgeable guide at a central location in Mexico City and climb aboard a comfortable vehicle that takes you into the northern reaches of the city, an area not typically frequented by tourists.
Arrive at the Shrine of Guadalupe, formally known as the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe, and with more than 20 million annual visitors, one of the top Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.
It is said that a manifestation of the Lady appeared to a peasant man on top of nearby Tepeyac Hill in 1531. Learn more from your guide about what happened that led to the miraculous imprinting of her image on the man’s tilma, or cloak, and consequently, the shrine being constructed here in her honor.
Two basilicas make up the shrine. Start at Basílica Antigua (Old Basilica) from 1709, a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture with Moorish influence and ornate retablos, or devotional paintings. Inside, you’ll find the tilma with the image of the Virgin on display.
Next, admire the New Basilica, completed in 1976, with a circular floor plan that allows visitors to see the Virgin from any place inside the church. As you watch pilgrims stream into the main aisle, your guide shares the importance of the Virgin in Mexican culture both as a religious and cultural symbol. For some of the older visitors you see, this is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage.
Outside, climb Tepeyac Hill, where the miracle began. Then behind the Old Basilica, stroll through a museum displaying 4,000 pieces of religious art from the 17th century.
Enjoy free time to wander the area or attend mass before your vehicle transports you back to the meeting point in central Mexico City.
Arrive at the Shrine of Guadalupe, formally known as the Basilica of our Lady of Guadalupe, and with more than 20 million annual visitors, one of the top Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world.
It is said that a manifestation of the Lady appeared to a peasant man on top of nearby Tepeyac Hill in 1531. Learn more from your guide about what happened that led to the miraculous imprinting of her image on the man’s tilma, or cloak, and consequently, the shrine being constructed here in her honor.
Two basilicas make up the shrine. Start at Basílica Antigua (Old Basilica) from 1709, a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture with Moorish influence and ornate retablos, or devotional paintings. Inside, you’ll find the tilma with the image of the Virgin on display.
Next, admire the New Basilica, completed in 1976, with a circular floor plan that allows visitors to see the Virgin from any place inside the church. As you watch pilgrims stream into the main aisle, your guide shares the importance of the Virgin in Mexican culture both as a religious and cultural symbol. For some of the older visitors you see, this is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage.
Outside, climb Tepeyac Hill, where the miracle began. Then behind the Old Basilica, stroll through a museum displaying 4,000 pieces of religious art from the 17th century.
Enjoy free time to wander the area or attend mass before your vehicle transports you back to the meeting point in central Mexico City.
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