Tequila Factory Tour - Puerto Vallarta

[ugagal07]

I have found tours that go to Tequila, Mexico and tour the actual Cuervo distillery, not a fake tourist set up. However, many are geared towards hotel guests and not cruisers. The Splendor will be in port 9am-10pm and I'd love to get to Tequila. Anyone know of anything?

[MSN-Travelers]

I'm not sure what tours you have found but I suspect most are no longer in business. As far as I know, the current version of the "Tequila Six Pack Tour" is the only one that is still in operation. Here is an example of the tour description - http://www.puertovallartatours.net/tequila-six-pack-tour.htm

 

We did this tour in November 2007. The tour description said we would visit the Jose Curevo distillery and total travel time would be about 11 hours. In reality, we went to the La Cofradia distillery and it took every bit of the 11 hours and more. The distance is only 80 miles or so but most of the distance is twisting two-lane roads clogged with fully loaded commercial truck traffic. Granted we did have stops for breakfast, lunch and an archeological site (maybe 3 hours total).

 

If you had a car waiting for you at the dock and knew where you were going, you might be able to take a run for Tequila on your own. Hopefully there won't be any trucks that break down on the highway.

 

Here are a couple of links that talk about distillery tours in the Tequila area - http://www.tequilasource.com/distillerytours.htm & http://www.rutadeltequila.com.mx/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=301&lang=en&Itemid=

 

I understand Hacienda Doña Engracia has a pretty good operation that has the look/feel of the real thing. http://www.haciendadonaengracia.com/#

 

Good luck & enjoy!

[Ine]

In the past we visited the distillery of "Casa Herradura" in Tequila. The tour of the plant took about 45 minutes -1 hour and we tasted various types of tequila.

I think only if you hire a private driver you can make such a tour, because of the distance.

Tequila is about 4 hours from PV, travelling over the Tollroad is quicker but not as nice as over the "normal"road.

[TCF]

We stopped in PV last April and did a tour through Johann and Sandra (there ads are at the top of the threads). Our driver was Mel,(this is important because it was a custom private tour put together by Mel at our request, not one that showed the distillery as a part of it). He took us to what I would call a "boutique" Tequila distillery called Rancho Verano.

 

It was the best stop on the whole six hour tour! A family operation that makes very high end Tequilla in quantities only large enough to supply the region. We bought six bottles.

 

They showed us step by step how the liquor is made....they were entertaining as well as knowledgeable .

 

The cost of the tour was reasonable.

 

Sounds better to me than trying to race across the country to a distillery to see mass production.

 

Just a suggestion.

[PhoenixJim]

Doña Engracia & a little place called Santo Tequilla are both good, went to both & enjoyed them !

[ashok1982]

We just came back from our cruise Dec 27-Jan 3 Mariner of the sea to Mexican Riviera. From ship, we booked mexican fiesta tour ($46/pp), it was 5.5 hours tour in air conditioned bus. It started at 9 AM, we drove for half hour to a ranch, Raul our tour guide gave the tour of the tequila factory. Tequillas are made here because when you touch ovens they were hot. We tasted different kind of tequilas. You can buy different kind of tequilas here (price from $30 - $65 for 750 ml, regular tequila was $45; almond $30; peach and apricot $30) . Lunch (pork, beef, mexican rice, salad, bean, fruit, tortilla, and some kind of potato appetizer was included in this tour), mexican dance and music was provided by the ranch group. We were done with this by noon. After that we went to city tour, stopped at some silver jewelary shop, stopped at down town, took tour of the church and came back by 3:30 to the pier. You can stay longer in downtown on your own and take a bus or taxi back ($10 for the taxi from downtown to pier and not by person). Bus costs 50 cent/pp. All amounts are in US dollars. For bus make sure you have exact change because driver does not carry any cash.

[stellfamily]

Hi there. How did you book your tequila tour---private tour or did you go through the cruise ship?

[ugagal07]

We're going to do a tasting after horseback riding instead. No private tour operators would set that up for me because they said making it back to the ship would be too close and their reputation is built on getting their passengers back to the ship... I can understand that though, if I missed the ship, well, it would be ugly. Maybe another trip!

 

Thank you to everyone for the suggestions though!

[dtchem1]

If you go to Tequila, there are carriage drivers and buses that will do tours of the city including Sauza, Cuervo and other factories. I was ther on a Sunday and Cuervo was closed but others were open for tours and tastings.

[stellfamily]

Will be there March 2010, any suggestions on how to go about getting private tours in ports?

[dtchem1]

If you can't find it online just be search, look on these boards for names of tour guides. As far as Tequila, there are tour buses waiting in the center of town. There are alos usually tour guides waitng, like vultures, at every port, but you don't know the quality of these guys. Take the reccomendations of people on these boards first.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We just came back from our cruise Dec 27-Jan 3 Mariner of the sea to Mexican Riviera. From ship, we booked mexican fiesta tour ($46/pp), it was 5.5 hours tour in air conditioned bus. It started at 9 AM, we drove for half hour to a ranch, Raul our tour guide gave the tour of the tequila factory. Tequillas are made here because when you touch ovens they were hot. We tasted different kind of tequilas. You can buy different kind of tequilas here (price from $30 - $65 for 750 ml, regular tequila was $45; almond $30; peach and apricot $30) . Lunch (pork, beef, mexican rice, salad, bean, fruit, tortilla, and some kind of potato appetizer was included in this tour), mexican dance and music was provided by the ranch group. We were done with this by noon. After that we went to city tour, stopped at some silver jewelary shop, stopped at down town, took tour of the church and came back by 3:30 to the pier. You can stay longer in downtown on your own and take a bus or taxi back ($10 for the taxi from downtown to pier and not by person). Bus costs 50 cent/pp. All amounts are in US dollars. For bus make sure you have exact change because driver does not carry any cash.

 

I did that exact same tour through Princess in January of '08. It was an excellent tour, and we usually do private tours. Our guide's name was also Raul and we enjoyed him very much. There are private operators also doing tequila tours. Do a search of this forum for recommendations from people who have done them.:)

[ashok1982]

Hi there. How did you book your tequila tour---private tour or did you go through the cruise ship?

 

Sorry for late reply. We booked through ship. I looked at the Mariner of the seas explorations paper, this tour is adults $38, Child $28. Duration 5 hours.

Description of the tour: Mexican Fiesta PV88 -

Drive to the downtown area for a guided tour in the heart of Puerto Vallarta. Passing through the downtown area you will see the famous water front Malecon, the ever popular statues and the beautiful Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral. Enjoy free time to do your shopping. You will then return to your motor-coach and head to Hacienda Dona Engracia, where a party awaits you. At this picturesque Hacienda we're planning a real Mexican Fiesta, with colors, displays, pinatas, contests and more for you. Upon arrival you will enjoy a guided tour of the Tequila Factory process and free samples. While having lunch, you will be entertained by costumed waiters and surrounded in an ambience of Mexican Fiesta music, Tortilla making contest, traditional Mexican folkloric ballet and even dancing horses!

After the party you will board your motor coach and return to the ship.

Note: Short pants are not permitted in the cathedral. Tequila samples are only given to guests 21 and older.

 

We first end up going to the Tequila factory and then to silver jewelry shop and then to downtown (saw church) and back to ship. They served the lunch at 10:30 Am and left the tequila factory at noon. Tequila factory and ranch is same place. I felt there was not much time left for the downtown exploration. According to description we were supposed to go to the downtown first and then have lunch at the ranch. Everyone had breakfast in the morning and were not hungary at 10:30 AM. That was the only drawback this tour had; otherwise it is every thing it says it will be. Tequila ffactory tour, tequila samples, contest for little girls to make tortillas, dance, music, lunch, pinata for kids at end.