Discover Tequila

Visitors to Tequila encounter agave through stories, exhibits and guided distillery tours. There is also a central walking tour, regional cuisine and hikes toward Volcán de Tequila. These varied experiences give your trip its own focus: you can explore culture and the history of production, or set aside time for the landscape.

Agave history and regional collections

The Museo Nacional del Tequila is dedicated to the history and uses of agave in Mexico, from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. Its five permanent exhibition rooms feature a wide variety of exhibits: replicas of archaeological artifacts sit alongside a dwelling made from agave leaves and information about Mayáhuel. Tools used for cultivation and harvesting illustrate the work involved with the plant; photographs show agave fields and the Sauza family. Stamps, bottles, coins, paintings and documents about tequila production round out the collection. A visit to the museum thus brings together botany, historical depictions and objects from the history of production.

The Museo Juan Beckmann Gallardo offers a different perspective, with its collection of 19th- and 20th-century carriages connected to Jalisco and Tequila. Those interested in the region’s history can consider this collection alongside the agave exhibits. The Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol is also one of Tequila’s sights.

History in the wider region

There are historical themes to explore beyond the city, too. In the wider region around Tequila, remains of the Teuchitlán cultures dating from 200 to 900 AD include evidence of agricultural terraces, houses, temples, ceremonial mounds and ball courts. These remains broaden the perspective beyond the more recent history of production: they point to different ways of living, farming and communal life in the region.

City walk, distillery or hike

A central walking tour can take you on foot around the Plaza Principal and past the Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol. Other stops include the portales, with their bars, restaurants and tequila shops. If you want to explore the city on foot, this route connects different aspects of the town: the central square, the church and the dining and shopping options along the portales.

For a focus on the history of production, guided tours of local distilleries are available. They explain the production process and include a tasting. Another activity takes you out of Tequila toward Volcán de Tequila: hikes offer views across the valley from higher elevations. The city tour and the hike offer different experiences—town life and production on the one hand, views across the valley on the other.

A special way to travel to Tequila is on the tourist Tequila Express from Guadalajara, which takes you to the city and showcases the agave landscape along the way. It is a travel experience in its own right, distinct from a walk around town or a hike toward the volcano.

Regional food and drinks

There are local specialties to discover in the food and drink, too. Birria is one of the regional dishes to try in Tequila. The traditional drink Batangas was invented in 1980 at La Capilla. It is made with tequila, cola, lime and salt. Its ingredients offer a different way to experience tequila as part of a drink than a tasting on a distillery tour.

When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, it helps to decide first what you want to focus on: do you mainly want to visit museums, take the central walking tour and go on distillery tours, or is a hike toward Volcán also part of your trip?

Discover more destinations

More destinations: Talpa De Allende, Ipala, Coyula, Tesistan, Puerto Vallarta, La Barca, La Manzanilla and Municipio Zapotlanejo.

Go to the main travel overview: Jalisco.