Several companies offer full-day tours to the magic town of Tequila and its environs, although prices may seem steep for those on limited budgets, especially if family members tag along too.
At the top of the range is the fancy Mundo Cuervo Express, a train/bus combo ride costing 2,850 pesos for an adult, while the Tequila Express (the original train ride, but now only by bus) is 1,550 pesos, or 800 pesos without food and entertainment.
A far more economical option is the jaunt offered by the Tapatio Tour company, which has been ferrying visitors around the Guadalajara metropolitan area for more than two decades. Their buses leave for Tequila each day from the Rotunda de los Jaliscienses at 9 and 11 a.m. The cost: 400 pesos. The Tapatio Tour website says the tour includes stops at an agave field, a tequila store (with tastings) and a distillery. Plenty of time is allowed for sightseeing and dining in Tequila before the ride back to Guadalajara, arriving at 6:30 or 8:30 p.m.
Tapatio Tour also offers an eight-hour tour from Guadalajara to Chapala and Ajijic, leaving 10 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, also starting at the Rotunda, and costing 400 pesos.
The Tapatio Tour website, at tapatiotour.com.mx, is currently offering a “super promotion,” with three tours—Tequila, Chapala and Guadalajara (there are five to chose from including Tlaquepaque and Tonala)—available for 730 pesos.