San Cristóbal de las Casas packs indigenous villages, museums, markets and canyons within an hour of the centre. Most sights are walkable, and day trips to San Juan Chamula, Zinacantán and the Sumidero Canyon run daily from the tour agencies along Real de Guadalupe. Here are the specific places worth your time, with hours and prices.
Things to Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Indigenous Villages
San Juan Chamula
San Juan Chamula is a Tzotzil Maya village 10 km north of San Cristóbal, reached in about 20 minutes by colectivo from the market on Avenida General Utrilla (around MXN 25). The white church of San Juan is the draw: inside, shamans perform healing rituals with candles, pine needles, live chickens and Coca-Cola on a floor of pine boughs, with no pews. Entry is around MXN 25, and photography is strictly forbidden inside the church, so keep your phone in your pocket. Dress modestly and do not photograph villagers without asking. If you are here in late February, the Chamula Carnival is the village’s biggest day, covered in the events and festivals guide.
Zinacantán
Zinacantán, 13 km from the city, is known for its flower greenhouses and backstrap-loom weavers. The 16th-century church of San Lorenzo is decorated with flowers year-round, and women wear the village’s distinctive purple and blue embroidered shawls. A colectivo from the same market costs about MXN 25. Many visitors combine Chamula and Zinacantán into one morning; a guided tour booked in town costs roughly MXN 250 to 350 per person and includes both villages. The dry season is the easiest time for these village visits, as covered in the best time to visit guide.
Things to Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Museums and Markets
Museo Na Bolom
Na Bolom, at Avenida Vicente Guerrero 33, was the home of archaeologist Frans Blom and photographer Gertrude Duby Blom, who spent decades documenting the Lacandon Maya. The house museum holds their Maya artefact and photograph collection, plus a garden and a small hotel. Entry is around MXN 70, and it opens daily from 9:00 to 19:00. It is the best single stop for understanding the region’s indigenous cultures before you visit the villages.
Museo del Ámbar (Amber Museum)
The Amber Museum sits inside the former convent of Santo Domingo and covers Chiapas amber from raw resin to finished jewellery, including pieces with trapped insects. Entry is about MXN 30 and it opens 9:00 to 19:00 daily. Chiapas produces most of Mexico’s amber, mined around Simojovel, and the museum is the place to learn how to tell real amber from plastic before you buy.
Santo Domingo Church and Craft Market
The 16th-century Templo de Santo Domingo has a baroque facade, but the real action is the daily artisan market in the plaza in front, where weavers from surrounding villages sell textiles, and the Sna Jolobil cooperative inside the ex-convent sells museum-quality pieces at fixed prices. Bargain at the outdoor stalls, but Sna Jolobil’s prices are set and go directly to the weavers. It is open roughly 9:00 to 18:00.
Things to Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Nature and Day Trips
Cañón del Sumidero (Sumidero Canyon)
The Sumidero Canyon is a 90-minute drive west to the embarcadero at Chiapa de Corzo, where motor launches run two-hour trips up the Grijalva River between walls that rise up to 1,000 metres. You will see crocodiles, spider monkeys and the Christmas Tree waterfall. A boat ticket costs roughly MXN 300 to 350, and most agencies in San Cristóbal sell a combined transport plus boat package for MXN 450 to 550. Go in the morning, and check the weather by month guide first, since the dry season (November to April) has the calmest water.
El Arcotete
El Arcotete is an ecotourism park 5 km east of town with a natural stone arch, a river cave you can walk into, and a zipline. Entry is about MXN 20, with the zipline around MXN 60 extra. It opens daily from 8:00 to 17:00, and a taxi from the centre costs MXN 50 to 70. It is a good half-day for families and a cheap alternative to the canyon.
Grutas de Rancho Nuevo
The Rancho Nuevo caves sit 10 km southwest of the city and open onto a series of lit limestone chambers. Entry is around MXN 25, and colectivos leave from the market for about MXN 15. The caves stay cool year-round, which makes them a solid rainy-season option.
Cerro de Guadalupe
Climb the 79 steps to the Iglesia de Guadalupe on the hill above the city for the best free panoramic view of San Cristóbal’s red-tiled roofs and the surrounding mountains. It is free and open daily, and sunset is the busiest time. The climb is short but steep at altitude, so take it slowly and see the travel tips guide for acclimatisation advice.
Things to Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas: Historic Landmarks
Catedral de San Cristóbal
The cathedral on the Zócalo dates to the 16th century, and its facade is painted in bands of yellow, rust and white. Entry is free, and the plaza in front fills with food stalls and marimba players in the evenings. It is the natural starting point for any walking route through the neighborhoods of the centre.
Templo y Arco del Carmen
The Arco del Carmen is a 17th-century arch on the Andador Eclesiástico that once marked the city’s edge, next to a church with a neo-Mudejar brick tower. It is free to visit and sits on the pedestrian route between the Zócalo and Santo Domingo.
Iglesia de la Merced
La Merced is a quieter 16th-century church a few blocks north of the centre, worth a stop for its calm courtyard and its view back over the old town. It is free and open during daylight hours. Nearby, the where to stay guide lists hotels in the El Cerrillo barrio.
