The Luis Barragan Tour - The Traveling Beetle

Architecture

Mexico City

The Luis Barragán Tour (Day-long)

$245.00 USD

per person:

The Luis Barragán Tour (Private Tour)

Duration:

7-8 hours

Departure Time:

9:00 am

Tour Guide:

Licensed Architect

Availability:

Tuesday through Friday

Mode of Transportation:

VW Beetle convertible or VW classic Combi bus with a guide & driver

Visited Places:

Chapel & Convent of the Capuchinas, Casa Pedregal (aka Casa Prieto Lopez), and Casa Ortega and its gardens.

• Description
• More About This Tour
• Tour Highlights
• What does the tour include?
• Who is this tour for?
• Rates & Conditions
• Map & Directions

Description

On our daylong Luis Barragan Tour, guided by a licensed architect, follow in the footsteps of one of Mexico’s most emblematic, but also most intensely private architects: Luis Barragán. From his childhood and early career in Guadalajara to his move to Mexico City, our Luis Barragan Tour will have you discover this illustrious precursor of Mexican modern architecture through a wide variety of his works in the city, and how light, color, texture, space and even his deep-rooted faith were common denominators in all of his works. A journey into the life and work of the only Mexican Pritzker Prize winner and a master who has left an indelible imprint on his nation’s architecture.

More About This Tour

An iconic figure of modern Mexican architecture and one of the fathers of Emotional Architecture, Luis Barragan’s designs reflect a universal view of architecture, successfully combining his native heritage and diverse influences from Europe and Africa. A master of shapes, textures, shadows, and light, he skillfully integrates each of these elements into his own remarkably unique creations. Whether he developed low-income housing, high-end residential projects or even public spaces, the work of Barragan is always characterized by clean, straight lines, textured surfaces and bright, cheerful tones.

The Luis Barragán Daylong Tour takes us through the south of Mexico City, where the architect carried out some of his most iconic projects.

We begin with a visit to the Convent and Chapel of Las Capuchinas (also known as the Convento de las Capuchinas or the Nasturtiums Chapel). It’s believed that Barragán’s deep personal faith inspired him to both design and finance this remarkable space, where architecture and spirituality are in perfect harmony.

Next, we’ll make our way to University City, the main campus of UNAM, to experience the Espacio Escultórico—a monumental collaborative land art piece led by Mathias Goeritz, a close friend of Barragán. Set within a striking volcanic landscape, this space resonates deeply with Barragán’s own architectural language.

From there, we visit Casa Pedregal (also known as Casa Prieto López), a private residence designed between 1947 and 1951 for the Prieto López family. Located in El Pedregal, a residential area built atop ancient lava fields, this house is a powerful example of how Barragán blended architecture with nature.

Our next stop is Casa Ortega, one of Barragán’s lesser-known but deeply personal projects. This was the first house he designed and lived in himself—a transitional and formative work that marks a significant turning point in his career.

Finally, time permitting, we’ll take a scenic drive through La Condesa, where we’ll explore some of Barragán’s early works from the 1930s and 40s. These functionalist apartment buildings reflect a socially conscious phase in his career, focused on accessible urban living.

We’ll conclude the tour by dropping you off at your hotel if you’ve opted for a private tour or at the Hotel Camino Real Polanco for guests traveling on a shared tours.

The Luis Barragan Tour offers exclusive access to the interior and exterior spaces of these private properties Barragán designed in Mexico City.

All Luis Barragan tours are given by licensed architects and available in English, Spanish or French.

A suggested read before your tour: Alice Gregory’s New Yorker story on Luis Barragan

For direct access to the story, please visit the New Yorker’s site

Tour Highlights

All our day-long Luis Barragan Tours are given by licensed architects and offer exclusive access to private properties and other works Barragan’s designed. Stops include:

• Convent and chapel of Las Capuchinas (1954-1963)
• Casa Pedregal also known as Casa Prieto Lopez (1947-1951)
• Casa Ortega and its gardens (1942)

What does the tour include?

Your Luis Barragan tour includes:

• Transportation in a VW Beetle convertible or vintage VW Combi bus
• Your guide (a licensed architect) during the 7-8 hour tour
• All private property admission fees
• Photo permit for Casa Pedregal and Casa Ortega (please note that photos are not allowed in the Capuchinas convent.)
• Bottled water
• Hotel pick-up & drop-off (for private tours only). Shared tours pick-up location is at the Hotel Camino Real Polanco

Not included in your Luis Barragan tour are:

• Meals (guests get to choose their preferred lunch option)
• Hotel pick-ups for shared tours
• Purchases you may choose to make along the way
• Gratuities you may choose to give at your discretion

Who is this tour for?

You will particularly enjoy our day-long Luis Barragan Tour if you work or are interested in architecture, design, landscaping, urban planning, or simply have a strong aesthetic sense. Our Luis Barragan day-long tour includes some of the architect’s most iconic works in Mexico City.

Rates & Conditions

Rates for The Luis Barragan Tour:

Day-long tour:

•   Shared tour: $245.00 per person (no minimum booking requirement, but tours will only be scheduled if 3 or more participants sign up)
•   Private tour: $295.00 per person (minimum of 2 people)
•   Solo passenger tour: $485.00 per person

* Children ages 7-14 pay half-price.

Map & Directions

Book your City Tour now! We only require a small reservation fee.

Full payment by credit card or in cash is only required on the day of your tour.

The Luis Barragán Tour (Private Tour)

Reviews

Fabulous

19/12/2024

5.0

I don’t think I have ever given a perfect review of any tour, trip, or person. There’s always something to complain about, but not with the Beetle Tours. We had two tours with the Beetle Tour group and ...

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Best Tour in Mexico City? Quite Possibly!

05/01/2024

5.0

Our tour was so fantastic in 2023 that when we returned to Mexico City in 2024, we had to book another! This time we went on The Luis Barragán Tour (Private Tour), making stops at all of the locations that were ...

View More

The best tour of my life, for real

04/09/2023

5.0

Our guide, Andrés, was fantastic—he gave us a great deal of information—factual and anecdotal-and had great images for us to look at as we drove between locations. And the locations!! He gave us an introduction to each ...

View More

The Luis Barragan Tour

27/04/2023

5.0

This is our second Traveling Beetle tour and both have been excellent. Very knowledgeable guides who are trained architects, with a passion for sharing their insights about the subjects. Traveling in classic VW vans is great. Look forward to more ...

View More

Fantastic Tour of Luis Barragan Sites

20/02/2019

5.0

We spent the day touring some of the most iconic works by Luis Barragan. (Side note, the day after ...

View More

Luis Barragán Tour (Northern route)

12/01/2019

5.0

Absolutely stunning, this was the highlight of my trip to Mexico City! Having access to the beautiful private homes was incredible, and the three public parks / artworks that Barragán designed were amazing too. The tour guide was a practicing ...

View More

Fantastic Guide!

23/03/2023

5.0

My wife and I had a wonderful day with Luis, touring various Barragan homes and gardens. From the time we were picked up in the VW bus at our hotel, we were enveloped in Luis's knowledge and passion for the ...

View More

Fabulous

19/12/2024

5.0

I don’t think I have ever given a perfect review of any tour, trip, or person. There’s always something to complain about, but not with the Beetle Tours. We had two tours with the Beetle Tour group and in specific our guide Marten. Both experiences were seamlessly perfectly orchestrated. The city tour gave us an orientation to the city and the important architectural shifts in the landscape just as we had hoped. And the Luis Barragon tour was breathtaking. Yes, they are a little more expensive than other tours but this is one of those times that you get what you pay for. Both days we went home feeling lucky that we had been in the presence of Martin: a smart, kind, passionate soul. Jane P.

Best Tour in Mexico City? Quite Possibly!

05/01/2024

5.0

Our tour was so fantastic in 2023 that when we returned to Mexico City in 2024, we had to book another! This time we went on The Luis Barragán Tour (Private Tour), making stops at all of the locations that were open during the first week of the new year. If traveling to Mexico in early January make note that many destinations may be closed.

Traveling Beetle tour guide Andres was so impressive on our first excursion that I couldn't imagine riding with anyone else for our next. Thankfully he was available for this tour! It was another magical day exploring the magnificent creations of Luis Barragán. As anticipated, Andres was superb in sharing the history of the iconic architect, guiding us through the city with the utmost care and attention to detail. It was an unforgettable tour that I give my highest recommendation.

Cannot wait to return for another round. Muchas gracias Traveling Beetle! Natalie J.

The best tour of my life, for real

04/09/2023

5.0

Our guide, Andrés, was fantastic—he gave us a great deal of information—factual and anecdotal-and had great images for us to look at as we drove between locations. And the locations!! He gave us an introduction to each place, then allowed us to discover it for ourselves, always available for more conversation and questions. The others in our group were also architects and we had a lively conversation going the whole day! It was the best tour I have taken in my life! Nina Z.

The Luis Barragan Tour

27/04/2023

5.0

This is our second Traveling Beetle tour and both have been excellent. Very knowledgeable guides who are trained architects, with a passion for sharing their insights about the subjects. Traveling in classic VW vans is great. Look forward to more tour options for modern Mexican architects as the culture is so rich and fascinating.

Fantastic Tour of Luis Barragan Sites

20/02/2019

5.0

We spent the day touring some of the most iconic works by Luis Barragan. (Side note, the day after our tour, we were on another tour led by a CDMX local who was very impressed that we had been admitted to these properties, as they are challenging to gain access to). Overall, it was a lovely and inspiring day with great insight and pleasant company. Highly recommended. We took the northern tour, I will definitely take the southern tour the next time we are in Mexico City.

Luis Barragán Tour (Northern route)

12/01/2019

5.0

Absolutely stunning, this was the highlight of my trip to Mexico City! Having access to the beautiful private homes was incredible, and the three public parks / artworks that Barragán designed were amazing too. The tour guide was a practicing architect and very knowledgeable about Barragán and his unique contributions to architectural history and Mexican culture. And the lunch was actually good! Very good, in fact, a gourmet American-style sandwich from a local bakery, small side salad and a cookie! They were even able to accommodate my annoying gluten free and lactose free diet! (I'm sure they can handle vegans too!) I spent more on this tour than on my whole AirBnB stay, but it was totally worth it! (and it was cheaper than other Barragán tours out there, great value)

Fantastic Guide!

23/03/2023

5.0

My wife and I had a wonderful day with Luis, touring various Barragan homes and gardens. From the time we were picked up in the VW bus at our hotel, we were enveloped in Luis's knowledge and passion for the architecture of Barragan and Mexico. Luis, who is a practicing architect, gave us incredibly useful historical and architectural background as we made our way to each property, and then provided detailed tours at each site. We had lots of time at each site and were never rushed. We also had time to talk with Luis about a range of other subjects about Mexico and Mexico City more broadly.

Other Tours

The Luis Barragán (Half-Day Tour)

155.00 USD p/person

Discipline: Architecture

Architect/Designer/Artist: Luis Barragán

Schools/Isms: Emotional Architecture, Modernism, Regionalism

Visited Places:

Convent of Las Capuchinas, Casa Pedregal (aka Casa Prieto López), and a section of la UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico).

The Luis Barragán Tour (Half-day Tour)

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The Homes of Luis Barragán

$250.00 USD p/person

Discipline: Architecture

Architect/Designer/Artist: Luis Barragán

Schools/Isms: Emotional Architecture, Landscaping, Modernism, Regionalism

Visited Places:

Casa Ortega (House & Gardens), Jardin 17 and Casa Estudio Luis Barragán (aka Casa Barragán).

The Homes of Luis Barragán

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Born From Ashes: The Pedregal & Mexican Modernism

$225.00 USD p/person

Discipline: Architecture

Architects/Designers/Artists: Francisco Artigas, Luis Barragán, Max Cetto

School/Ism: Modernism

Visited Places:

Casa Pedregal (Luis Barragán), Parroquia de la Santa Cruz (Antonio Attolini Lack), Casa Max Cetto (Max Cetto) & Casa Locken (Francisco Artigas)

Born From Ashes: The Pedregal & Mexican Modernism

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