Tlaquepaque and Tonala Private Full-Day Tour
Description
Admire picturesque streets, vibrant markets and colorful handicrafts in this fully-private tour! Our tour kicks off with a visit to a family-run ceramic workshop in Tonala. Here, for five generations, artisans have mastered the art of "barro petatillo," one of the most exquisite ceramic techniques. Then, visit the local market, church and town square to experience the vibran lifestyle of a traditional Mexican barrio. Our adventure continues in Tlaquepaque! Explore charming streets lined with art museums, galleries and artisan shops housed in converted historic mansions. Find everything from textiles and blown glass to pottery and leather before tasting local dishes paired with refreshing cocktails, craft beer, or coffee. Unlike standard group tours, this private journey lets you explore your own interests at your own pace. You’ll be accompanied by a private driver and a local expert, Diego, a cultural guide with a lifelong connection to both areas.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We'll journey through Tonala's heart, experiencing the vibrant market, historic parish, and lively main square, gaining a glimpse into the authentic lifestyle of a traditional working-class neighborhood. Then, we'll visit city hall to gain insights into Tonala's historical significance and learn about the indigenous cultures that have shaped its identity. Finally, we’ll visit the workshop and house of the Bernabe family to admire one of the most refined ceramic techniques in the world: barro petatillo.
We'll wander along an enchanting pedestrian-only avenue lined with magnificent 19th-century mansions now transformed into stylish boutiques, art galleries, museums, and inviting restaurants. We'll have the opportunity to admire the works of renowned local artists, including Sergio Bustamente, Agustín Parra, and Rodo Padilla, at their respective art galleries. We'll conclude our day with a sumptuous lunch at the breathtaking Casa Luna, a restaurant adorned with Tlaquepaque's finest crafts and hailed as one of Mexico's most beautiful. Alternatively, we can experience the local food scene by having lunch at the municipal market, where we can savor traditional dishes prepared by local vendors. Since this is a private tour, we can tailor the experience to your interests, whether that’s food, architecture, art, history, or a combination of everything. At any point, we can pause for coffee, craft beer, tequila or mezcal cocktails, or grab a bite from street stands.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We offer pickup from anywhere in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara, including Zapopan. This is a fully private and flexible tour, so there's no need to wait for anyone else. We go at your pace and can take breaks whenever you like.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour involves a fair amount of walking and may not be suitable for individuals with mobility challenges. If this applies to you, please let me know in advance so we can explore alternative options.
- Take the weather into account when booking your tour. The region enjoys warm temperatures and abundant sunshine year-round, so early hours (8 to 9 am) offer the most pleasant conditions.
Reviews(35)
My husband and I enjoyed our private tour with Diego. We stopped for an authentic breakfast in Tonala before touring the city and stopping at the Bernabé Family shop. The most amazing handmade, hand painted ceramics I have ever seen. Absolutely beautiful! Next, we went to Tlaquepaque where we toured the city and stopped for a traditional drink and snack and did a little shopping. Diego did a great job at explaining some of the important aspects and history of each town. Overall, a very enjoyable experience.
Thanks so much, Kathy, for the wonderful review. I really appreciate you taking the time. Looking forward to seeing you and Rick again soon!
Diego is an amazing tour guide with a wealth of knowledge on the history of Tonala and Tlaquepaque. Throughout the tour, Diego provides key facts and summaries of history that add to the experience of getting to know the daily life of each region. Diego also makes time to introduce you to some local dishes and treats.
Muchas gracias Maria! Fue un placer! Espero verlos pronto otra vez por acá en GDL.
Diego met us right at our hotel and handled all the logistics seamlessly. Our first stop was Tonala, where we were able to explore the local community in a way that felt authentic and unhurried. Diego shared great insights into the town’s history and the local artisan culture. One of the highlights was visiting Bernabé Ceramics—truly one of the most impressive artist workshops I've ever seen. From there, we continued on to Tlaquepaque, where Diego curated a perfect balance of art and culture. We explored beautiful galleries and shops, had a fantastic lunch at one of the most stunning restaurants in the area (Casa Luna). What really stood out was how thoughtful and adaptable Diego was throughout the day—he paid attention to what we enjoyed and adjusted the experience in real time to make it even better. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking for a more personalized, immersive experience of the region.
Thank you so much for the amazing and detailed review. It was a real pleasure meeting you and Roberto and showing you around. If you're ever back in town, just send me a message. I would be happy to show you even more. Hope you had a smooth journey home!
We had this tour with Diego and from the start he was extremely friendly, very knowledgeable about everything he showed us and an excellent guide. He was very aware of my mom who has trouble walking, all at our own pace and completely happy with the service. Fully recommended if you have the opportunity, it is completely worth it.
Muchísimas gracias Fabian! Un abrazo hasta CR, pura pinche vida!
Diego was fantastic! He was so knowledgeable and friendly. We loved the entire experience from the vehicle to the area we toured to the restaurant we had our lunch. Would recommend to our friends and family.
Thank you! I too enjoyed haging out with you and the whole group. I hope you had a smooth journey home!
It’s a great experience to see the Mexican cultura and heritage. Diego was simply amazing. His knowledge due to his toursim and history studies takes this tour to another level.
Gracias Jimmy! Fue un placer!
Diego is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, you can tell he loves his work and the cities/people he introduces you too. I appreciated Diego modifying this tour so i could spend the most of our time in Tonala. I was suprised and excited to visit Talleres Bernabe. The Bernabe Family are world class artisans. I had the best tacos at Felipes as well. Fantastic experience!
Muchas gracias Alicia! It was a pleasure showing you around. I hope to see you again soon, there is a lot more to explore!
Diego was a knowledgeable and patient guide for our Tonala and Tlaquepaque tour. Visited the renowned Tonala pottery workshop of a respected artisan family with generations of tradition. In Tlaquepaque, impressed by the gallery showcasing Sergio Bustamante’s work. Diego’s food recommendations were great. Highly recommend!
Muchas gracias Maria! Fue un placer conocerte y a tu familia. Espero verlos pronto!
The experience of knowing the ceramic workshop of the Barnabas family was incredible, we really enjoyed knowing up close the process of creating these crafts. Tlaquepaque was also a destination we loved, we enjoyed the whole tour. Without a doubt the experience would not have been the same without Diego, a passionate guide to the history and culture of Guadalajara who was attentive at all times to us and answered all the questions we had. We hope to come back in the future and meet some other things that remained pending in Guadalajara.
Gracias Mario! Fue un placer recibirlos, espero verlos otra vez para otra aventura. Un abrazo a los dos!
We booked a Tlaquepaque and Tonala tour with Diego as he has a lot of really good reviews and he absolutely deserves all of them! He’s very knowledgeable, super accommodating and super nice guy, and very passionate about his work. The tour is personal and customized, and he fulfilled all special requests we had. Highly recommended!
Thank you so much amigo! It was a pleasure. All the best to you and Lutz!
