How to pace a tequila tour from Guadalajara
A tequila day from Guadalajara is built around drinking, and the samples add up faster than the small glasses suggest. Most people enjoy the day more when they arrive at the last stop still able to taste the difference between a reposado and an añejo. These are the habits that help.
How the samples add up
A tasting pour is small, yet a tour stacks several of them. The Agave Experience from ~$149 lists 8 tastings of premium tequila and mezcal in a VIP cellar, then a second distillery in Amatitán, with chilled beer on the van.
Destino Agave pours 5 premium tequilas at its professional tasting, then adds a second tasting with an open bar at El Pedregal. Several tours finish at Cantaritos El Güero, where one clay pot holds a long drink with tequila in it.
Nobody counts your glasses, and that is the point. Over 8 to 11 hours, the total depends mostly on what you choose to finish. Our guide on how to taste tequila properly shows that a sip tells you as much as a full shot.
Food changes the whole day
Tequila on an empty stomach hits harder and sooner. That makes the tours with food built in easier on the body, especially in the first hours.
The Agave Experience starts with breakfast at a Mexican restaurant in El Arenal before any tasting. Destino Agave pairs its tasting with food. On most tours, lunch in Tequila town is paid by you and comes in the free time, so plan to actually eat it rather than shop through it.
Nine tips for pacing the day
- Eat breakfast, or bring snacks. If your tour has no breakfast, eat before you leave, and keep something in your bag for the drive
- Drink water between samples. A glass of water after each tasting slows the pace and helps against the heat in the fields
- Sip, do not shoot. A small sip held in the mouth shows the flavor, while a shot mostly shows the burn
- Spit or skip a sample. Leaving a glass unfinished is normal at a tasting, and nobody at the distillery will mind
- You do not have to finish a cantarito. The pots are large, so share one or leave what is left
- Wear a sun hat and sunscreen in the fields. Sun and alcohol together dry you out faster than either one alone
- Carry cash for lunch and tips. Lunch and drinks at Cantaritos are often paid on the spot, tips too, so check what your listing includes
- Never drive yourself. Book a tour with transport, or arrange a ride back if you go to Tequila on your own
- Ask for a non-alcoholic drink at Cantaritos. The music and the crowd are the same with or without tequila in the pot
None of this means drinking less than you want. It means getting to the evening in good shape, still enjoying the last stop.
A tasting with food along the way
Destino Agave's route from ~$59 is a good fit for anyone who wants to taste seriously without rushing. The professional tasting in a proper glass comes with food, and the guide explains how to tell 100% agave tequila from mixto.
Five premium tequilas, paired with food
Destino Agave visits a craft distillery and pairs its glass tasting with food, then stops at El Pedregal and Cantaritos El Güero. It holds 4.8 from 400+ reviews on GetYourGuide, and food and drinks in Tequila are paid by you.
Ages, health and who should skip
The legal drinking age in Mexico is 18, and the tastings are for adults. The Agave Experience says its tour is not recommended for children. Destino Agave is not suitable for babies under 1 or for people over 80.
Families with children have a better choice in KanKan Tours, which lists wheelchair and stroller access and spends more of the day at the Guachimontones pyramids. Our guide to pyramids and tequila in one day describes it.
Some listings add health limits. The Agave Experience asks guests with heart problems or serious medical conditions not to join. The José Cuervo Express day is not recommended for back problems or during pregnancy, as our page on the train against the van explains.
Getting home after the last stop
Every tour on this site includes the ride back to Guadalajara, which is the main reason to book one rather than drive. Tequila is roughly an hour and a half from the city by road.
A hotel drop-off is the easiest end to a long day. Tours that finish at the Minerva meeting point leave you to find a ride from there, so keep an app ride in mind. Our guide to hotel pickup or a meeting point sets out which tour does what.
Choosing a tour by how much you want to drink
If tasting is the main event, The Agave Experience and Destino Agave give it the most time. If the party ending matters more, GDL Experiences from ~$42 makes Cantaritos El Güero a long finale, as described in what happens at El Güero.
If you would rather drink little, KanKan Tours has one distillery visit and more history. The train day by Aventurate Por Jalisco serves cocktails on board plus one glass with an expert taster. For the cost of each, see our price comparison.
Whichever you pick, the same habits apply. Eat early and keep water close. Treat each glass as something to taste rather than a target, so the agave fields in the morning and the music in the late afternoon both stay clear in your memory.
If you are traveling as a group with mixed tastes, a tour with a long tasting and a lively finale can suit everyone. The keen tasters get their glasses, and the others can sit back with a soft drink at the bar.