A colorful “Pueblo Mágico” with cobblestone streets and rainbow-hued buildings; endless fields of blue agave rolling across the vast landscape; the smell of bad decisions and sober regrets in the air…welcome to Tequila!

Lame jokes aside, the teeny-tiny town of Tequila – which sits nestled among the blue agave fields in the state of Jalisco – is almost exactly the type of place you’d imagine it to be: vibrant, celebratory, laid-back…and yes, with more than enough tequila to go around. Yay?

Truth be told, after a few too many wild nights in college (…and okay, maybe after college) I have a hard time stomaching the stuff. But when I had an extra day to spare in Jalisco’s capital city, Guadalajara, I knew that I couldn’t pass up the chance to see where this infamous spirit originated.

Here’s everything you need to know about planning a day trip to Tequila, including how to get there, what to do and see, and most importantly, where to taste tequila!

A Brief History of Tequila

A lot of people may not know this, but just as genuine champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France, true tequila can only come from Tequila and its surrounding municipalities. In fact, the name “Tequila” has been protected by the Mexican government since the ’70s.

Distilled beverages that are made using the blue agave plant and are produced outside of these areas (or that are not made of 100% blue agave) are known as mixto.

Ready for another surprising fact? The town of Tequila was originally founded in 1530…by Franciscan monks!

Less than 100 years later, a Spaniard named Pedro Sánchez de Tagle rolled into town with the idea to grow and cultivate the blue agave plant, distill it, and produce an alcoholic beverage that would be cheap, local, and strong.

(Side note: The Aztecs were technically the first to begin fermenting blue agave – possibly even as early as 1000 B.C. – but the Spaniards were the first to distill it into the beverage that we now know as “tequila.”)

In the mid-1700s, the Cuervo family (ever hear of them? ;)) became the first to commercially distill tequila. And the rest is history!

Thanks to its colorful past and unique heritage, the town of Tequila and the surrounding blue agave fields have been awarded “World Heritage Site” status.

How to Visit Tequila, Mexico

Private or Group Tour

I booked a group tour to Tequila directly with my hostel in Guadalajara, the Hostel Hospedarte Centro. I paid 450 pesos, which covered the tour and tastings, but not lunch.

At first, I was a bit disappointed to discover that I had booked a stereotypical “big bus” tour; oftentimes hostels are great about creating their own small-group tours that feel unique and personalized, but sadly that wasn’t the case this time around. I later found out this was called the Tequila Grand Tour.

However, I actually ended up having one of my most fun travel days EVER.

There were a few classic “big bus” problems; for instance, certain aspects of the tour felt extremely rushed, and the lunch was a super average-yet-overpriced buffet in the middle of nowhere. And in a country known for its incredible food, this was a very sad thing!

But my fellow travelers on the tour were an absolute blast, the tastings were extremely generous (I sampled a whopping EIGHT different varieties…at least, I think so? I may have lost count…), and the atmosphere was just like one giant party.

There was drunken dancing, and there was drunken singing; there was the time I requested that the entire bus sing Despacito and miraculously, everyone obliged; and there was the time that a group of seriously inebriated local gals dubbed me “gringa compadre”…

…and then there was the moment when everyone seemingly passed out at the exact same time on the drive home, and the bus was quiet for the first time all day. Ahhhh.

But seriously – I tend to avoid these huge group tours like the plague, since I’ve found that smaller options almost always offer a better value. But in this case, the big bus proved me wrong…or was it the tequila working its magic? Either way, I had the time of my life!

That said, if you would prefer a small group option, I recommend the Tequila Tour by Mickey Marentes. At 135 USD it’s quite a bit more expensive than the tour I booked, but group sizes range from 4-12 people and the company has received glowing reviews online.

I actually tried to book this tour originally, but ended up being the only person who booked for my date, and they couldn’t accommodate a single visitor. A little sad, but it all worked out in the end!

Jose Cuervo Express

If you happen to be in Guadalajara on a Saturday, consider making the trek to Tequila in style with the Jose Cuervo Express! It’s a full-day affair, complete with guided tastings, a tour of the agave fields, free time in town, and a few other events and activities.

Sadly this wasn’t an option for me, as I visited during the week. I was also traveling alone, and feel that this would probably be more fun with at least one companion.

What to Do in Tequila, Mexico

Drink Tequila…Duh

Let’s start with the obvious here: if you’re making the trip all the way to this rural region in the middle of nowhere, you had better be prepared to sip some of the good stuff. Our tour focused on a tasting of Tres Mujeres tequila, which included sampling EIGHT (!!!!!) different varieties.

The tastings weren’t quite full shots…but they weren’t quite half shots, either. They’re very generous with their pours, and well, I’ll admit it – I was drunk. Everyone was drunk. Embrace it!

Side note: I’m a total wimp and had to chase every single tasting with a sip of water. You’re technically supposed to “savor” the flavor and let the tequila roll around on your tongue, so you can taste the differences between each variety, but….nope. Nah. Just no.

Learn How Tequila is Harvested & Distilled

One of my favorite things about visiting Tequila was learning how the spirit is produced. It all starts with growing the blue agave plants, which can take up to 10 years!

When the plant is finally harvested, it’s actually the piña or “heart” of the agave that is used to produce the tequila, not the impressive-looking leaves. Those are painstakingly cut off by the harvester, called a jimador.

The piñas are then cooked in a large oven, crushed, and juiced. The fermentation process transforms the sugars from those juices into alcohol. Finally, the liquid is distilled, aged, and bottled.

Voila, tequila!

Admire the Blue Agave Fields

Charge up those cameras, because Tequila’s blue agave fields are worth staging a full-on photoshoot for.

…Not that I did that, because, um…I got a teensy bit too tipsy as soon as we arrived, and quickly forgot all about my plans to take photos! Fortunately I did manage to snap a few pictures before I started drinking, but trust me when I say that it’s all too easy to get caught up in the fun and festivities, and forget to admire your gorgeous surroundings.

After all, these agave fields played a large role in Tequila earning its “World Heritage” status. The landscapes and views are unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been; just endless rows of sage-colored plants, with dusty mountains rearing their heads in the distance. Just beautiful!

Explore the Town of Tequila

I’ve hinted at this a few times already in this post, but now’s the time where I’ll spell it out in plain language: Tequila is a small town, with not a whole lot going on. The entire population sits around 27,000…so, roughly the same as the number of undergraduate students I attended college with!

There’s not a whole lot going on in Tequila, but it’s extremely picturesque and colorful (which seems to be a trend among all of Mexico’s colonial heartland towns) and nice for leisurely strolling and exploring.

The church in the town’s main square, Parroquia Santiago Apostol, dates back to the 18th century and is the site of the nightly blessing conducted by the local priest. Who knew the birthplace of tequila would be so religious?

One spot that might be worth adding to your itinerary is the National Museum of Tequila, along with a distillery or two (Jose Cuervo’s is hands-down the most popular).

You should also pop into the town hall, where you can check out a massive mural depicting the importance of the blue agave plant to Mexico’s history and culture. Latin America always seems to have the best street art, and this unexpected find definitely delivers on that!

Dance to the Sound of Mariachis

Sorry, wallflowers – if you think you’re getting out of this one, you’re going to need to toss back a shot of liquid courage and take one for the team.

Mariachi originated in the state of Jalisco, and the tradition is still very much alive and well in places like Tequila.

I am reaaaally not a dancer, but a long day of tequila tasting combined with the energetic, upbeat rhythms that filled the air had me shimmying and shaking with the whole group. It was a blast!

And there you have it – everything you need to know about taking a day trip to Tequila from Guadalajara! Feel free to leave any questions you might have in the comments section below.

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Are you a fan of tequila? Would you ever want to take a day trip to Tequila, to see how it’s produced? Do you enjoy food and beverage tastings while traveling, and if so, what has been your favorite experience so far?

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