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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Arandas
Go for one night if you want small artesanal tequila distilleries without Tequila's crowds; skip it if you only have a Guadalajara day to spare.
Arandas is a highland town of about 60,000 people at 2,061 m in Los Altos de Jalisco, roughly 2.5 hours by first-class bus from Guadalajara. It sits inside the UNESCO-listed agave landscape and is known for family distilleries that still roast agave in brick ovens. Two churches, a Saturday market and three or four distillery visits fill a comfortable overnight; the town is not a beach or a big-sight destination.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Oct–May
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rainy season), early January if you want quiet (Feria crowds)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$600–1,000 excl. bed · Mid M$1,000–1,800 excl. bed · High M$1,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance (national) 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$30–60 |
| Market lunch (comida corrida) | M$80–150 |
| Restaurant main course | M$200–350 |
| Beer: draught in a bar / can at an oxxo | M$50–80 / M$25–40 |
| Bottle of artesanal blanco tequila | M$400–900 |
| Local taxi ride in town | M$50–100 |
| Bus Guadalajara → Arandas, one way | About M$200 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GDL · Guadalajara (Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla)
- Closest major airport; bus or rental car onward, about 2.5–3 h to Arandas.
Typical fares
- Bus Guadalajara → Arandas, Coordinados
- about M$200, 2.5 h (check)
- Taxi in town
- M$50–100 (check)
- Distillery tour and tasting
- about M$400 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable in 15–20 minutes end to end. Distilleries outside town (El Mexicano, Casa Centinela, Tequila Ocho's La Alteña) need a taxi or a booked tour; agree the fare before you get in. No useful local bus network for visitors.
See and do
Known for
- Artesanal tequila distilleries (Los Altos)
- Parroquia de San José Obrero
- Parroquia de Santa María Guadalupe
- Feria de Arandas in early January
- Saturday tianguis
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tequila | Bus or car via the Guadalajara road, then the Tequila valley route | About 2–2.5 h |
| Guadalajara | Coordinados first-class bus from the Arandas bus station | About 3 h |
| Talpa de Allende | Car or bus with a change; mountain roads | About 4 h |
| Mazamitla | Car via the Guadalajara road | About 3.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro
- Walk to both parish churches, the market and the main distilleries; most hotels are here.
- Santa Bárbara / outskirts
- Quieter, cheaper rooms with parking; 10–15 min walk or a short taxi to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| A tour of the distillery, please | Un recorrido por la destilería, por favoroon reh-koh-RREE-doh por lah des-teh-leh-REE-ah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Distillery tours are by appointment; some houses do not run public tours at all — confirm before you travel.
- Altitude is about 2,061 m: take the first day easy if you came straight from sea level.
- Nights in winter drop near freezing; many mid-range rooms have no heating or air conditioning.
- Bus station restrooms charge a few pesos — carry coins.
- Rural roads to distilleries are unlit after dark; do not walk them at night.
Arandas is a small, calm highland town and the usual tourist day is low-risk; the real issues are unlit rural roads at night, winter cold in unheated rooms and altitude on arrival. Use 911 for anything urgent.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Arandas yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Artesanal tequila distilleries (Los Altos)
- Parroquia de San José Obrero
- Parroquia de Santa María Guadalupe
- Feria de Arandas in early January
- Saturday tianguis
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tequila Ocho / La Alteña distillery tours: www.tequilaochomexico.com/tours-2/
- Tequila El Mexicano: www.elmexicanous.com/
- Wikivoyage: Arandas, revision 5334378 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334378
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Arandas
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Arandas; the US consulate general is in Guadalajara, and most other countries keep embassies in Mexico City (check).
Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; M$20–50 for porters and guides' helpers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/arandas). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.