48 hours in Tequila MX.
I love a great Day Trip – and I love a great tequila. Mix the two together and we find ourselves Tequila, Mexico. About an hour outside of Guadalajara. The birthplace of Tequila is vibrant, with cobble stone lined streets, and surrounded by stunning agave fields with views of Volcán de Tequila in the distance. With endless tour guides full of ultimate day of drinking and learning about the origins of tequila. Visiting Tequila can be done in a day but there is also amazing hotel and AirBnb’s and restaurants if you want to stay and enjoy for a bit longer.
Where To Stay
Our first day and night we spent in Guadalajara and stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton. We arrived at 6 am and the plaza outside was dark and empty but when we woke up from a little nap and headed outside, it was alive and busy! The location couldn’t have been even more perfect. Located in the center of Guadalajara surrounded by everything you may need, the best part? the hotel’s rooftop. The food and drinks are delicious, topped with the best view overlooking the city – it was perfect.
The next day we headed out to Tequila and booked our room at the Matices Hotel de Barricas, the barrel hotel. It was a beautiful property and my first unique stay. The rooms are int he shape of ginormous barrels. Some have single king beds and other double full beds. I noticed when booking, some offered “private bathroom”. I made sure to choose one with a private bathroom just incase the other rooms didn’t have one.
Ready for the kicker? Everything seemed great UNTIL, the young guy that led us in a tequila tasting showed up to our room to drop off extra tequila. We did request this BUT he ends up laying on our bed as if he were one of our friends and complains how he doesn’t want to go to his second job. I didn’t know what to say and do in the moment but i was watching his every move and made sure to stand by the door. He eventually left and my friend & I were a little freaked out. I brought this up to the hotel and haven’t heard anything back. So would I recommend staying here? No.
I do recommend these two AirBnb’s that my friends stayed in.
What To Do
In Guadalajara
We spent our time walking around the plaza and taking in all the beauty of the city. Take a horse and carriage ride throughout the city or stroll through all the vendors. Stop and buy a fresh juice, indulge in a sweet treat or savory chips. We walked through the streets and found ourselves in what seemed to be the dress district. Every store window had some of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. From bridal to quinceañeras, to baptisms to first communion dresses, I look forward to maybe returning for something here in the future. Catch a Chivas game, no matter if you’re a fan or not, games in Mexico are always a party with fun snacks.
Where to Eat in Guadalajara.
Guadalajara is home to some of the best restaurants. Making is difficult to choose where to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here’s a list of some of the best restaurants.
During our stay we ate at the following…
Tomate: a family style taqueria. This place is delicious!! And what i loved the most is that they bring all the meats and sides on plates with a thick stack of fresh tortillas and we dive in, family style. Their contraltos are incredible too! Be prepared for a line but just know it is worth it.
Torta Loca: Located in mall/market called Mercado San Juan de Dios. This market is full of restaurants and each floor is dedicated to a particular dish. The tortas were delicious but messy!
Recoleta Confiteria Argentina: if you love pink and pretty things, this place is for you. It is an IG famous location so there is a line and a wait for seating. However you can take items to go. We stopped here before leaving to tequila for coffee and pastries.
In Tequila
From Guadalajara to Tequila, you can take the Jose Cuervo train, tour bus or Uber. We wanted to do the train but it was fully booked, so we got an Uber that only costs 20 bucks. When in Tequila you’ll want to drink a cantarito, eat street tacos in the plaza, get a photo in an agave field and do some tequila tasting.
Once in Tequila there are so many options for tequila tasting. From Jose Cuervo Distillery to Matices Hotel de Barricas and everything in between. We sadly didn’t make it to our tour because we stopped at Cantaritos el Güero for “a drink”. Girl, let me tell you, you need a day for this place. Cantaritos el Güero is a lively roadside beer garden full of drink, snack and live music. We had a blast here, drinking, dancing, laughing and singing. We forgot all about our tequila tasting reservation lol.
What I Wore
Guadalajara and Tequila were both extremely hot and humid. Be prepared by bring light materials that flow easily, comfy sandals or sneakers for walking, sunblock and mosquito repellent.
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Overall our trip was one for the books. We did leave with wanting to do a re-do in order to experience more tequila tasting tours. What would I do different? Head to Tequila first, pace our drinks and save Guadalajara for last and utilize our time to recover and relax.
I hope this guide helps you navigate your visit and planning!
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