There are two Tequila sightseeing trains. The round-trip Herradura Express runs from Guadalajara to Amatitán, stopping at the Casa Herradura Distillery. The Jose Cuervo Express train runs one way from Guadalajara to Tequila, with the return journey by bus, and visits the La Rojeña Distillery. Both tour options offer a similar cultural experience: while on board, learn about tequila, sip tequila cocktails, and sample typical Mexican snacks, and then hop off to tour a distillery. Most tours also include a traditional Mexican lunch plus an entertaining show of mariachi music and dance. Tickets for both trains, especially the 1st-class carriages, can sell out well in advance, so plan ahead—especially for the summer months.
The train ride from Guadalajara takes between 1.5 and 2 hours; round-trip tours typically last all day.
On the Jose Cuervo Express there are three seating options—Express, Premium, and Premium Plus—while the Herradura Express offers Club or Premium seats.
Refreshments, including snacks and tequila cocktails, are served on board.
All trains have restrooms.
Bring sunscreen, a hat, and comfortable shoes for walking around the distillery and agave plantations.
The legal minimum drinking age in Mexico is 18 years old.
Trains depart from Guadalajara station in central Guadalajara. Most tours include hotel pickup and round-trip transfers to the station. Riding the train is possible only as part of a round-trip tour from Guadalajara; you cannot board the train in Tequila or Amatitán.
Trains run Friday to Sunday and can get busy, so it’s essential to book your seats in advance.
The state of Jalisco is the home of Mexico’s world-famous tequila industry. Here, about 74,130 acres (30,000 hectares) of blue agave plantations and more than 140 tequila distilleries produce some 50 million gallons (189,270 cubic meters) of the spirit each year. Tequila is produced from the agave tequilana (blue agave) plant using a traditional distillation process and has a minimum of 40 percent alcohol. The main types of tequila are blanco (white or silver tequila), made from 100 percent blue agave; reposado, tequila that has been aged in white oak barrels for between two months and a year; and añejo, tequila aged for over a year.
