Guadalajara Airport to Ajijic Transfer
South from GDL to Lake Chapala and Ajijic, at a fixed price for the whole vehicle.
The drive
GDL to Ajijic, away from the city
Ajijic is 27.6 miles from GDL Terminal 1, about 40 min free-flow. It is one of the few transfers from Guadalajara airport that never enters the city: the airport sits between Guadalajara and the lake, and this drive heads the other way.
The route leaves the airport onto MEX-23, the Guadalajara–Chapala highway, and runs south through farmland and low hills to the lakeshore at Chapala. From there the same road turns west along the north shore of the lake to Ajijic.
Because it avoids the city's avenues, this is the most predictable transfer out of GDL. The free-flow time is closer to the real time here than on any drive into Guadalajara itself.
This transfer at a glance
- Distance
- 27.6 miles, MEX-23 all the way
- Free-flow time
- about 40 min
- Direction
- South, away from the city
- Fixed price
- Per vehicle, set when you book.
Prices
What an Ajijic transfer costs
One price for the whole vehicle. A round trip is twice the one-way price, with the return pickup set from your departure flight.
| Vehicle | Seats | One way | Round trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | Up to 2 | $225 | $450 |
| Premium SUV | Up to 5 | $250 | $500 |
| Executive SUV | Up to 5 | $285 | $570 |
| Sprinter Executive | Up to 12 | $550 | $1,100 |
| Sprinter Coach | Up to 14 | $550 | $1,100 |
| Executive Coach Bus | Up to 40 | $1,015 | $2,030 |
| Motor Coach | Up to 55 | $1,130 | $2,260 |
Lake Chapala
Chapala and Ajijic, on the north shore
Lake Chapala is the lake the airport operator itself calls the largest in Mexico, and the towns along its north shore are strung out along one road. Chapala, the town that gives the lake its name, comes first; Ajijic is a few miles further west.
GAP places the airport south of the city on the Guadalajara–Chapala road, 15 kilometers north of Chapala, which is why the lake is closer to GDL than much of Guadalajara is. Chapala is 22.6 miles from the terminal; Ajijic, 27.6.
| Town | Miles | Free-flow time | Premium SUV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapala | 22.6 | about 35 min | $230 |
| Ajijic | 27.6 | about 40 min | $250 |
From the airport
What the airport offers for the lake
The airport operator's ground-transportation listing for GDL names airport taxi services, at desks in the arrivals area, open 24 hours — nothing else. For a trip to the lake that means an airport taxi from the desk, or a car arranged in advance.
A pre-booked transfer is the second: the price is fixed before you fly, the driver is waiting outside the arrivals exit with a sign showing your name, and the flight is tracked, with the first hour after landing free.
Arriving
Getting to the door in Ajijic
Many lakeside homes, rentals and small hotels are on side streets off the shore road, some up the hillside behind the town. Send the exact street address and, for a private home or a gated community, the name of whoever will open the gate.
If a street is too narrow or too steep for the vehicle, the driver stops at the nearest point it can use and carries the bags from there. Tell us if anyone needs the car at the door.
For a lakeside address, send
- The full street address, and the colonia.
- The gate contact, for a private community.
- Whether anyone needs the car at the door.
From the lake
The lake and the city, both ways
Ajijic sits farther from the city than from the airport. That shapes every trip that starts at the lake: an airport run is quick and clear of the city, while a trip into Guadalajara crosses the whole southern side of it.
| To | Miles | Free-flow time |
|---|---|---|
| GDL airport | 27.6 | about 40 min |
| Guadalajara Centro | 37.0 | about 55 min |
| Zapopan / Andares | 42.2 | about 1 hr 5 |
Flights
Where GDL's flights go
GAP, the operator, describes GDL as having flights to Mexico, Central America and the United States. For the lake, that makes GDL the natural airport whether the trip starts at home or abroad, and the transfer the same short run south either way.
We track every arrival. An international flight takes longer to clear immigration and customs than a domestic one, and the first hour of waiting after landing is free either way.
Going home
From the lake to a flight
The return is the easy direction: the airport is on your side of the city, so the drive to it never crosses Guadalajara. Allow for the airline's own check-in cutoff, add the free-flow drive and a modest margin, and the pickup time follows. We suggest it when you book.
Longer stays
Arriving for a long stay
Visits to the lake often run to weeks rather than days, and a long stay means more luggage than a head count suggests. Tell us the number of cases as well as passengers; two people with a month's bags can need an SUV rather than a sedan. A round trip is twice the one-way price, with the return set for whenever you leave.
Into the city
When the lake needs the city
For a day in Guadalajara from the lake — appointments, shopping, a meeting — the vehicle can be booked by the hour instead, with a four-hour minimum, and the driver waits between stops. The city leg is where the time goes: TomTom's 2025 Traffic Index puts Guadalajara's average rush-hour speed at 17.4 km/h, so allow for it in the hours booked.
Nearby
More from Guadalajara
The other routes from GDL and the city hub.
Booking
What we need, and what is included
The flight number, the full address at the lake, and how many people and bags.
Tolls are included in the quoted price. Tips are not included and are at your discretion. Child seats are free if you ask when you book. Cancelling is free up to 24 hours before pickup.
The Guadalajara hub covers the city. For the agave country instead: the Tequila day trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
27.6 miles from Terminal 1, about 40 min free-flow, on MEX-23.
From $250 one way in a Premium SUV for up to five, or from $225 in a Business Sedan for two. Round trip is twice the one-way price.
No. The airport is south of the city, and the lake is further south; the route never enters Guadalajara.
Yes — 22.6 miles from the terminal, on the way to Ajijic.
GAP's ground-transportation listing for GDL names airport taxi services only. A pre-booked car is the other option.
Outside the arrivals exit at GDL, with a sign showing your name.
No, per vehicle, for everyone who fits in it.