Charter Club Tours - Around the Lake

Some folks at the Swarm asked me to post comments about the tour my husband and I took yesterday around the lake, so here goes...

The tour was provided by Charter Club Tours in Ajijic. There were 5 of us on the tour, plus Rosie and Carlos providing narration and driving. Both did an excellent job, and we enjoyed the day very much! The other 3 people touring were another couple from Lakeside (who had been on the same tour before), and their visiting granddaughter. The van departed Ajijic at 8:00 am, heading east through Chapala. They indicated the road conditions were poor or blocked going east past Mezcala, so we took the northern route from Chapala and cut over through Poncitlán. The tour took us through Ocotlan, Jamay, La Barca, Sahuayo, Tizapán El Alto, Tuxcueca, San Luis Soyatlán, Jocotepec and back to Ajijic. At the start, they indicated that they usually return around 4:30 or 5:00, but it all depends on the people and traffic on a given day. I believe we got back closer to 7:00 pm - a very full day. The van was comfortable and clean with adequate A/C.

Obviously, you can't stop everywhere along the way and still keep this to a day trip, but we did stop quite a few places to stretch, shop a bit, and do some sightseeing. Rosie was a very informative tour guide and provided excellent commentary along the way. Lunch was in La Barca. There were plenty of opportunities for taking photos. If anybody is interested in seeing some samples from where we went, here's a link to my Facebook album from the day (public share, so you don't need a Facebook account to view): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4594850799664.179418.1544023397&type=1&l=da65b88799

The price for this day tour was $1,700 for the two of us, plus we added a tip at the end to thank them for a job well done. If you're interested in more info, check their website here, and click on "One Day Tours" on the left menu: http://www.charterclubtours.com.mx/index.html

Heather

1,700? That's a little steep for a day trip...We went on one yesterday to Guachimontones pyramids and to Tequila for 325 a piece. The van was also spacious and clean with a/c. Primo Tours is the name. www.primotoursmexico.com You should check them out.

Nice review, very informative.

Was lunch included in the price?

I have heard that Charter Club are good tour operators, but that's hearsay as I have never taken one of their tours. Noe does an excellent job too.

Anyone who wants to go on one of the Thanksgiving Beach trips should check out the hotels on your own from the hotel website and should get recommendations from other people.

Good tour but expensive and does not include lunch or it didn't when I took
the tour a few years ago. Tour Guide was great but she was a teacher so
sometimes I felt like a student when she told us to stop talking LOL. Good
tour for newbies if you can afford it. She has much knowledge about the
area.

Z

Thanks, all. Yes, there are probably tours that are less expensive. We selected this one in particular based on recommendations from some other folks. We were impressed with a couple of unexpected little museum stops that were included, and our tour guide's knowledge and flexibility. Others may be similar.

We'd love seeing reports from others about tours they've taken - especially day trips or possibly something with one overnight then back home (we have a sick kitty to care for and can't leave home for very long). Since we're new to the area, we're wanting to see and learn more with some guidance, so we'll know about interesting options for company when they come to visit. Perhaps people can start a separate topic with more appropriate title for their own reviews, so they're easier to find??

John, if you have some experience with the other tour company you're talking about, I'd love to hear about it. Have you done reviews of them somewhere I can find?

Not a formal review, but... We also did a private tour of Guad & Telaquepaque (sp?) some years back with Arcelia Grosvenor (Sid Grosvenor's wife). Just the two of us, and tailored to what we wanted to see/do without a lot of structure. Pretty much a full day trip, and cost for that was $65 US (about $850 MX at the time, I think). She will take as many people as will fit in her SUV for the same price, so this would be a good option for a larger group of maybe 4-5 people who would like a guide and ride.

Axixic, lunch wasn't included in the price... just the tour. We each paid our own bill for food and other items we shopped for along the way. Same with the Guad tour we took some years back.

Heather