Day Trip To Tequila From Puerto Vallarta

Day trip to Tequila from Puerto Vallarta! Explore the town, visit a distillery, learn about how tequila is made, and enjoy tasty samples.

**A big thank you to Via Rio Grande Tours for providing us with a complimentary tour in exchange for this review**

Day Trip To Tequila

After our first house sit in Mexico, we chatted with the homeowners. Knowing that we were still going to be in the country for a while, they suggested other places they thought we should visit. One of those places was the town of Tequila. When we realized we could take a day trip to Tequila with Via Rio Grande Tours, we jumped at the chance.

The town of Tequila was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. It is also one of Mexico’s “Pueblos Mágicos” (Magical Towns). While in Mexico one of our goals was to visit as many Pueblos Mágicos as we could, so we’re happy we got the chance to take this day trip to Tequila.

Note: Although we went with a tour, you can also arrange your own transportation from Puerto Vallarta to Tequila using companies like gottoGO.

Traveling To Tequila From Puerto Vallarta

Getting to Tequila from Puerto Vallarta takes a few hours. Our meet-up spot was at the local Sam’s Club and we were told to be there at 4:45 AM to check in and leave by 5 AM. We arrived as the buses and shuttle vans were just pulling up. Next, we checked in and were told what bus and seats we had.

We left a little late, maybe around 5:30 AM. Then we made two quick stops in the towns of Mezcales and Bucerias to pick up additional passengers. And we were off! We left when it was still dark, but as the sun came up, we could see the landscape changing and it was really quite pretty.

About halfway to Tequila, we stopped for breakfast at La Sierrita Restaurant. They had different meat options for breakfast and the platter came with coffee and cookies. Breakfast is not included but it’s very affordable. We paid $12 for two breakfasts.

After everyone finished eating, we all climbed back onto the bus and continued on our way. We arrived around 11:15 AM, so the bus ride from Puerto Vallarta to Tequila took a little over six hours. Keep in mind, though, that that included two additional pickups and breakfast. If you’re traveling to Tequila from Puerto Vallarta without stops, it is about a four-hour drive.

Things To Do In Tequila

After the bus was parked, we were given an hour and a half to explore Tequila on our own. We followed the crowds and made our way to Tequila’s main square, Plaza Principal. Along the way we passed restaurants, souvenir shops, and, of course, liquor stores selling tequila.

On the main square there are many opportunities to take photos. There is artwork, a sculpture that has “Tequila” spelled out in bright colorful letters, and a gazebo. Next to the square is the town’s main church, Parroquia Santiago Apóstol, which was built in the 18th century.

If you’re visiting Tequila with more time, there are multiple museums in town as well as distilleries that offer tours and tastings.

Visiting The Tequila Tres Mujeres Distillery

We headed to our next stop once everyone was back on the bus. We arrived at the Tequila Tres Mujeres distillery around 1:30 PM. There, we were greeted by our guide who gave us a tour of the property for about an hour. She explained the entire tequila-making process and afterwards, we were able to sample four of the distillery’s tequilas.

At the distillery, we were also given a complimentary lunch and as we ate we were serenaded by a gentleman with a lovely singing voice.

Cantaritos El Güero

After everyone finished eating and walking around the distillery a bit more, we got back on the bus and headed to our final stop. Cantaritos El Güero is an outdoor roadside bar with drinks and live music. They are known for their “cantaritos” which are a tequila-based drink served in clay cups.

They do serve some food, but it appeared to be mostly snacks. The main reason people go is for the drinks. Their drinks come in different sizes, with the Jumbo holding 21 liters (5.5 gallons). It was crazy to see friends all drinking out of these huge jugs.

We were at Cantaritos El Güero for about two hours. We’ll be honest here and say this wasn’t our favorite part of the tour. It was very crowded and there were multiple bands playing at the same time, so it was just a bit too crazy for us. But everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, so many we’re just getting old LOL!

Video: Day Trip To Tequila From Puerto Vallarta

Check out our video to see more of our day trip to Tequila!

Final Thoughts On Our Day Trip To Tequila

It was a quiet ride back to Puerto Vallarta. We think most people had a pretty good buzz going on so they slept most of the way back. We pulled into the Sam’s Club around midnight and everyone went their separate ways.

Our day trip to Tequila was a pretty long day, but we enjoyed getting to visit the iconic town and learning more about the tequila-making process.

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