Tequila Tour or Going on Your Own from Guadalajara: Which Is Better?
Hola Tequila Tour •
A tour is the better option if you want to taste tequila and see distilleries and agave fields in a single day. Going on your own makes more sense if you mainly want to stroll around the town, or if you are staying overnight. The real difference is less about the fare and more about who drives back and which places you actually get into.
Tequila is about 60 kilometres northwest of Guadalajara, a little over an hour by car without traffic. There are four ways to make the trip.
Quick comparison
- Tour in a van: transport and logistics sorted, tastings planned, and nobody in your group has to drive. Fixed schedule.
- Public bus: the cheapest option. You organise everything and stops add time.
- Your own car: total freedom, but someone cannot drink.
- Tourist train: an experience in itself and by far the most expensive, with limited departure dates.
How much does it cost to go on your own?
The bus is the cheapest way, at a little over 200 pesos round trip according to recent travel guides. Check the fare at the ticket office before you go, as it changes. To that you need to add the distillery visit, the tasting and any transport out to the agave fields, each paid separately.
By car you pay fuel and tolls if you take the highway. Tourist train fares have been above 3,000 pesos per person.
Once you add up entrance fees and local transport, going on your own is cheaper, but often by less than it first appears.
How do you get to Tequila by bus?
Buses to Tequila leave from the Antigua Central Camionera in Guadalajara, roughly every half hour according to travel guides, and the trip takes between one and two hours depending on traffic and stops.
The important detail is the way back: confirm the time of the last bus before you leave, because missing it means paying for a much more expensive ride.
Can you drive to Tequila?
Yes, the drive is easy and takes a little over an hour on the toll highway towards Tepic. The catch is that tequila tastings and driving do not mix, so someone in the group has to stay sober for the whole day. The road back also gets dark on winter evenings.
What do you see on a tour that you miss on your own?
The biggest difference is access. The agave fields are working farmland outside the town, and without a guide or transport it is hard to walk among them and see a jima demonstration. Small artisanal factories are also harder to arrange on your own.
On our tour, the day includes:
- Round-trip transport from Guadalajara in an air-conditioned van
- A guided tasting of blanco, reposado and añejo at Don Valente
- A visit to the artisanal Tres Mujeres factory and its underground cellar
- An agave field visit with a jima demonstration
- Free time in the Magical Town
- A stop in Amatitán for cantaritos
When is going on your own the better choice?
Going on your own is better if you are spending the night in Tequila, want to move at your own pace, do not plan to drink, or simply want a walk around the square and lunch. It is also a good choice if you need a tour in English, since ours is guided in Spanish only.
When is a tour the better choice?
A tour is better if you only have one day, want to taste without worrying about the drive, are travelling solo or have never been before. It also removes the need to compare distilleries, schedules and buses.
The trade-off is a fixed schedule. Our tour leaves at 11:30 and gets back to Guadalajara at around eight in the evening, with stops set in advance.
Is a Tequila tour worth it?
Yes, if tasting and understanding tequila is the point of your trip. You pay for logistics and access, and you save yourself a designated driver. If what you want is just the town, a bus and a free afternoon will do.
Quick summary
One day and tastings: tour. Tight budget and only the town: bus. Overnight stay and freedom: car. A special occasion: tourist train. If the tour suits you, the price for each day and the available spots are in the booking calendar.