Tapatio Tours

So often, I see people objecting about driving in Guadalajara and having to hire a driver/guide when they want to take visitors on a sightseeing trip into the city. If one can either drive or get themselves into Tlaquepaque centro, we stumbled on an alternative - the double decker Tapatio Tour buses. Regular adults are $125MXN and seniors/youth are $70MXN which allows you on/off priveleges for a full day on all four loops - Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque, Tonala and Zapopan. Your colored plastic bracelet is purchased at the Rotunda, their central distribution point in centro Guadalajara. The upper deck is great for unobstructed viewing but you may wish to wear a hat and apply sunscreen on sunny days.

While we are not your typical tour types, these trips are such that you control your own movements. My only criticism is that the sound system in six languages is marginal.

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Because of limited time on a Sunday, we only did the Tlaquepaque and Guadalajara loops. Photo album:
https://picasaweb.google.com/118146709599975173363/TAPATIOTOURSGUADALAJARAMEXICO?authkey=Gv1sRgCIT8uI7T9brYmgE#5851198964238659362

If you wish to pick up the bus in Tlaquepaque, the collection point is 145 Juarez on the right side of the street by the large iron Catrina.

Their website is currently undergoing renovation but can normally be found @: http://www.tapatiotour.com/

Good deal pricewise and great photos too. It's such a clear blue sky!

The Guadalajara area Chamber of Commerce paid me to make sure of the blue sky! In all actuality, that is exactly what the sky was like that Sunday. So much so, that my legs, arms and face picked up some color traveling in the upper deck.

Great info Neil. Thanks!

It’s the best I’ve seen in a long time.

Yeah! Yesterday was my 3rd. time that I took that Tour, I only went to Tlaquepaque and Guadalajara, to me, those two are the best, as for Tonala, I go to the Tianguis almost every week just to look around and to have lunch at "El Arandense", they have the best sea food in town

Elita:

You threw me for a loop by calling it ""El Arandense" instead of "Mariscos "El Arandense". I have to profess that we have never tried this restaurant due to my seafood allergy to any and all shellfish. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's, we went to El Rincon del Sol and got to know the manager quite well. When he opened his own restaurant, El Boquinete, right behind Hotel Tonala, we followed him. For whatever reason, he went out of business and we have now migrated back to El Rincon del Sol.

I'm sorry to hear about your allergies CG, but they also have steaks and chicken. Rincon del Sol is very good too, I was there with some friends (gringos), two weeks ago and we had chilaquiles con pollo, mushroom omelet, fruit and yoghurt for breakfast, everything was very good; and for dinner, we had "devil shrimp", margaritas were very good too :) and one of my friends also had white wine. The service is very good, they have a young waiter that speaks good English, well, I mean, good enough to communicate with the customers :)

Elita:

Like many areas of Central Mexico, TripAdvisor (world's largest travel site) is really lame with either a lack of info or inaccurate info when it comes to Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque and Tonala! I was really shocked back in 2011 when I discovered they didn't even have a travel article about Tonala. In September of 2011, I wrote the following:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g499426-c166502/Tonala:Mexico:Tonala.Arts.And.Crafts.Goldmine.html
Then after our most recent trip, I discovered that they had an attraction called "Tonala Craft Market" without a single review, so I wrote the following:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g499426-d3913612-Reviews-Tonala_Craft_Market-Tonala_Guadalajara_Metropolitan_Area_Pacific_Coast.html

When reflecting back to our first visit to Tonala in 1998, we have been amazed by the changes, some good and some negative. On the plus side: the cleaning up of the town, the installation of numerous private parking areas, the improvements made in the appearances of shops and the renewal in certain areas with new clusters of shops. On the negative side, we feel that in reaction to market demand and the economy, there has been a drop off in the quality of products being offered and a definite influx of product from China and other foreign sources. There has been a noticeable consolidation of shops into more specific areas whereas we always use to enjoy walking the entire town in search of those special treasures. A good example is Francisco Madero which has lost many of its "crafts shops" and they are now either clothing or shoe stores.

You're right CG, I think one if the reasons why now there are more clothing and shoe stores is mainly because of the population, of course, back then, everybody had to go to Guadalajara (Medrano or Obregon) to buy those items and Tonala was more hand crafts. There is also a big parking lot by Tonaltecas avenue, well, you've been at the restaurant many times :) so, when you walk out from Rincon del Sol, just keep going straight to the main avenue (Tonaltecas) and you'll find this huge place where most of the people park their buses from many places around, like Puerto Vallarta, Zacatecas, etc., and shop around...

Elita:

We have a favorite parking lot in the next block towards the plaza on Francisco Madero from El Rincon del Sol.

Since you are a resident of Tonala, I would encourage you to become a member of TripAdvisor and assist in getting Tonala and its restaurants, hotels and attractions to publicity that they deserve. For example, your favorite restaurant isn't even listed.

You can enjoy an open air buses tours and explore Mexican city of Guadalajara. It gives you a very nice trip, and by the way very good picture.