The National Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is the most visited Marian pilgrimage in the world. My husband and I visited the sacred place and we wanted to share our experience to help you maximize your visit and save you time, and money. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is also known as the La Villa de Guadalupe which means “The Town of Guadalupe”.
Just to give you a synopsis of the sacred place, the Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego to ask the bishop to build a church for her. Juan Diego delivered the message to the bishop but he did not believe him. Then he told the Our Lady and begged him again to see the bishop. He then delivered the message for the second time but the bishop ask him to ask the Our Lady for a sign. The Our Lady told Juan Diego to come back the next day to bring the bishop the proof. Juan Diego was not able to come due to his sick uncle. The Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego to assure the illness of his uncle. The Our Lady ordered Juan Diego to go on top of the hill and pick up the flowers and bring it to the high priest. Juan Diego collected the flowers, placed it in his tilma, and went to see the bishop. He unfolded his tilma and the different flowers were scattered and instantly showed the venerated image of the Virgin Mary.
Here are the top things to do:
Visit The New Basilica
The beautiful new basilica has modern architecture which on the outside imitates the figure of the Virgin’s mantle that protects all her children who come to visit. It can house up to 10,000 people but reduced to 500 during the COVID pandemic. If you are a devotee or not, a traveler, or a pilgrim, this place will captivate your heart because of its beauty. Its greatest treasure: the tilma of San Juan Diego, which can be found on the altar.
Attend The Mass
- Check the main website of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the mass schedule. There is a mass almost every hour daily. The last mass on weekdays is at 7pm which we consider the most serene due to less people. All the masses are in Spanish. Although we do not understand entirely, it is still one of the most memorable moment for us to celebrate our faith among with the wonderful community and to see the tilma in the altar during the mass.
- Reminder to wear appropriate clothes to show respect.
- Make sure to come at least 20 minutes early before the mass starts so you can form in line to enter the new basilica. If you want to be near the altar and in the center, you should go in the line in the middle. Any where you seat, you will be able to see the tilma.
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Image of Our Mother, the Virgin of Guadalupe on the Tilma of San Juan Diego
- This is the beautiful image of her pregnancy, the living presence of Jesus.
- This can be visited up close in the back of the church. If you are a believer, this can be the highlight of your visit. During the COVID pandemic, the friendly staff checked our temperature and to clean our hands with the sanitizer. They did a great job of putting rows of moving pathway to prevent the crowding of people beneath the tilma. We visited during pandemic so we visited the tilma several times but during normal operations this can be crowded. Make sure to prepare yourself (prayer), cameras and video cams. This is the moment where you want to slow down the time while witnessing the sacred tilma.
Place Your Petition
Immediately after the moving pathways, take the left hallway. You will see glass windows where you can place your petition to be included in the mass. We paid 100 Mexican Pesos for the petition. The church lady doesn’t speak English but she is so helpful. Since we can pick up some Spanish, it helped us a little bit to communicate. Place a Petition Here.
Light A Candle
This can be found in the back of the church. You can buy candles in the souvenir store inside or outside the church.
Visit the Different Chapels Within The La Villa de Guadalupe.
- The Expiatory Temple to Christ the King – this chapel houses the tilma (Our Lady of Guadalupe) for 262 years. This is the Old Basilica of Guadalupe.
- The Parroquia de Capuchina (Parish of Capuchin)- is the convent of the Capuchin nuns.
- The Capilla del Pocito (Pocito Chapel) – where you can find the the well where the water flowed.
- El Cerrito del Tepeyac (the Hill of Tepeyac) – where the first apparition of the Our Lady to Juan Diego and where he picked up the miracle roses.
- The Antigua Parroquia de Indios (Indians Old Parish Church) – built in 1531 which is the first place to nest the tilma (Our Lady of Guadalupe). Juan Diego resided here to protect the holy sign.
Buy Souvenirs
- There are 3 religious good stores inside the La Villa. We recommend the one in the corner behind the new basilica. This is the biggest and the price is decent. Buying religious items/souvenirs in the main church gift store provides financial support to the church. They accept cash in pesos, and credit/debit card. Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Outside vendors – there are lots of vendors and souvenir shops outside the basilica. Some of them accept credit or debit card but they do not accept US dollar bills.
- The local store vendors on top of the hill inside the La Villa near the El Cerrito del Tepeyac chapel surprised us for the price. Unfortunately they only accept pesos. The price here is way cheaper than the local vendors outside the La Villa.
- If you need Mexican pesos, there is an ATM machine inside the La Villa near the back entrance. We used our debit card and we had no problem withdrawing pesos. Wish we knew this because we tried different banks and money exchanges but they ask for our passport (which we left in the hotel). Our lady of Guadalupe
Have Your Religious Items Blessed By The Priest
This blessing occurs several times of the day at the left side of the new basilica, near the entrance of the tilma. The guests lined up with their religious items while the priest continuously blessing with the holy water.
Museum of the Basilica of Guadalupe
The entrance fee is 10 Pesos. Expect to spend about 1 hour to 2 hours in the museum.
Guided Tour
- The basilica is offering a group guided tour for free. Unfortunately this was not offered during our visit due to COVID pandemic.
- You can also book a tour from different private companies if you want to know more about the area then spend more time on your own in La Villa after the tour of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Overall, this experience is for everyone and not just for the believer. It is rich in faith, history, and culture. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions. Before you make a visit, please check out our list to bring during summer travel.
