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When visiting Mexico, it’s almost a must to do some tequila tastings! Going on a tequila tour is a great way to get to taste multiple different tequilas, however, many Puerto Vallarta tequila tours are a tourist traps.
We researched up and down for a Puerto Vallarta tequila tour that offered not just unique tequila tastings, but one that also taught us how tequila is made.
When we found Finca 18, a newer distillery in Puerto Vallarta, we learned they make tequila in the traditional way, they explain the entire distilling process, and the tequila tour ends with a tequila tasting. We knew we needed to visit!
Highlights Of This Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour + Tasting
- Five different tequila tastings
- Optional chocolate pairing with the tequila tasting
- Tequila tour at the actual distillery
- Tour done by a certified agave spirits master, one of 20 worldwide in perfect English
- Beautiful grounds
Book Your Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour Here
Getting To The Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tasting
Finca 18 is located 18 km outside of Puerto Vallarta. Although it may seem like the name of the tequila distillery comes from the 18km distance, it actually comes from the number of speedbumps you hit coming from Puerto Vallarta. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to get to Finca 18 via public bus, however, we recommend giving yourself two hours to get there, as the distillery is a beautiful place to relax if you arrive early!
There are three different options for getting to Finca 18, pre-arranged group pick-up, taxi, or local bus. Find the exact location here.
Pre-Arranged Private Hire | The pre-arranged group pick-up can be coordinated with Greg, through the Finca 18 website. He’ll send a car to pick up your group or if he’s free, he’ll come get you himself.
Taxi / Uber | Getting a taxi or Uber, or the also popular, InDrive, you can arrange a pick up from your accommodation. However, since Finca 18 is nearly an hour out of town, you will likely not be able to get a taxi or Uber on your way back. You can always try and arrange a return time with your driver, but this isn’t guaranteed.
Local Bus | Taking the local bus to Finca 18 is actually really easy and is incredibly cheap. For under 20 pesos per person each way, you can snag the local bus and get dropped off right at the Finca 18 gates. This is the way we got to and from our Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour and we loved that it added a bit of a local feel to the entire experience.
The bus you need is C25, and you can get it from Panama Street between Peru and Columbia right behind Ley.
The Finca 18 Distillery and Grounds
The Finca 18 grounds are gorgeous. In fact, even if you weren’t doing a full tequila tour from Puerto Vallarta, it’s a beautiful place to enjoy an escape from the city. There’s a covered area with multiple different areas to relax and take in the Mexican countryside.
This area used to be a restaurant, but it’s now converted into a lounge and tequila tasting area. There’s a bar here, and within the first half of 2024, the Finca 18 team hopes to have a bar tendered hired to offer drinks to guests both before and after their tequila tours and tastings.
Honestly, the lounge area is the perfect place to arrive for your tequila tour early and just sit and soak it all in before your tour begins. And shoot, there’s even wifi in the lounge area, so it’s truly perfect to enjoy both before and after the tour.
The Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour Guide, Greg
Greg is an extremely knowledgable tour guide, and brings in not only a love of tequila to the tour, but also a background in being one of twenty certified agave spirits masters in the world. His expertise in tequila is nearly unmatched!
From contact before the tour to your greeting as you arrive on site, and then the tour and tequila tasting, Greg is your guy.
He’s also a partner in the Finca 18 business, and works hands-on in the distilling process, bringing the tour to a completely new level.
Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour
The Finca 18 tequila tour in Puerto Vallarta is arguably the best tequila tour. I’ve only been on one other one, but have heard many stories of other Puerto Vallarta tequila tours, and I think Finca’s is the best.
Not only are you touring the actual distillery and tasting the tequila that is made right there on-site, you’re also getting first-hand knowledge from someone who is distilling, tasting, and running Finca 18.
Unlike other tequila tours in Puerto Vallarta, the tour is given by someone who’s passionate about making tequila and wants you to love tequila as much as he does. Greg’s passion for tequila shined throughout the entire tour, making the tour both more memorable and more of an immersive learning experience.
You’ll learn things like how long the distilling process takes. You’ll see the actual plants the tequila is made from. And, you even get to go inside the Cava, or cave, where the tequila ages… and shoot, those barrels smell good!
Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tasting
After walking around the distillery grounds for about 45 minutes, the tequila tasting begins. And this isn’t just a shoot back a shot of tequila tasting. Greg’s background as a certified agave spirits master, enables him to teach those doing the tequila tasting different ways to bring out different flavors of the tequila.
Greg explains how to breathe while you taste the tequila, how to move the tequila around in your glass to bring out different flavors, and even how to move the tequila through your mouth as you drink it.
Each tasting is given in a different glass to enhance the tasting experience.
Not only that, but as an optional add-on of 180 pesos, you can pair your tequila tasting with a chocolate tasting from a local chocolatier. Each of the chocolates is perfectly paired with the tequila tasting, and are melt in your mouth, drool-worthy good.
Not interested in the chocolate pairing, no worries, snacks are provided to enjoy as you sample the different tequilas.
Things To Note About This Puerto Vallarta Tequila Tour + Tasting
Tequila Tour Duration
The tour itself is located at the distillery 1 hour 15 minutes outside of Puerto Vallarta via public transportation. So when considering joining this tour, it’s important you keep in mind the extra time for transportation, the tour and tequila tasting, and the time you’ll likely want to spend on the Finca 18 grounds.
We’d recommend planning for five hours in total for this Tequila Tour in Puerto Vallarta.
Timing For Your Tequila Tour and Tasting
When choosing a time, it’s worth noting that most of the tour is done outside in the sun. There are super cute personal umbrellas provided, but it’s still pretty hot and you’ll be walking / on your feet for about an hour.
It may be best to choose an early tour if you’re concerned about the heat!
Money
Credit cards are accepted at Finca 18 both at the gift shop and to purchase the chocolate pairing and any bottles of tequila you’d like to bring home.
If you are taking public transportation to and from the tequila tasting, you’ll need to bring pesos with you to pay the bus driver.
A New Tequila Tour in Puerto Vallarta
Finca 18 is only two years old at the time of writing this. On the tour, you’ll learn more about the start of the distillery, the history of the grounds the distillery is located on, and the heart and passion that goes into the making of this tequila.
With it being such a new distillery, and the politics of who can and cannot say they’re tequila, it’s actually a Raicilla that is made at Finca 18. But don’t let that deter you, you’ll also learn all about the name behind tequila, mescal, and Raicilla, and why they have to be Raicilla on the tour.
The Future of Finca 18 Tequila Tastings in Puerto Vallarta
With Finca 18 being such a new distillery, the agave plants the tequila is made from on their land are still too young and new. While their agave plants mature, they are sourcing their agave both locally and ethically.
They are the only distillery that makes their tequila from the blue agave seed, and they currently have over 12,000 agave plants in three different gardens across 11 different species that will soon be producing the Finca 18’s tequila.
Once those plants mature, the entire distilling process, from seed to sip will be created right on the the Finca 18 property!
Truly, you don’t want to miss this tequila tour and tasting in Puerto Vallarta!
More on Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
We’ve spent quite a lot of time in Puerto Vallarta and have a lot to share! We think you may like the posts below.
LEARN MORE | All Our Puerto Vallarta Travel Guides in One Place
TRY MORE | Finding the Best Traditional Taco in Puerto Vallarta
SEE MORE | 15 Beaches in Puerto Vallarta
EXPLORE MORE | 15 Beach Day Trips Near Puerto Vallarta
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Not quite ready to experience the best tequila tour and tasting in Puerto Vallarta? Save this post so you don’t forget about it here!
Although we were guests of Finca 18 in collaboration with this post, all our opinions and hype of Finca 18 are our own. We’ve done over 20 distillery tours in Scotland, and can honestly say this one compares with some of the best whisky tours we had there.
