On Board Mexico's All-you-can-drink Tequila Train

No, it’s not just legend: The tequila train, formally known as the Jose Cuervo Express, is the only old-style train in all of Mexico, and it travels between the western Mexico city of Guadalajara and the community of Tequila, which the Mexican Secretariat of Tourism has called a Pueblo Mágico (or Magic Town).

Step onto the vintage vehicle and back in time for a glamorous day of cocktails by train car. When you ride the Jose Cuervo Express, you'll enjoy tequila tastings, agave harvesting, and good, old-fashioned sightseeing. You'll also be treated to Mexican snacks and Jose Cuervo tequila cocktails in addition to onboard entertainment like Loteria (Mexican bingo).

All riders receive access to Centro Cultural Juan Beckmann Gallardo, a tour of Jose Cuervo’s La Rojeña distillery (the oldest in Latin America), and free time in the town of Tequila. Jose Cuervo has been producing tequila at La Rojeña for over 250 years since Jose María Guadalupe de Cuervo began selling the first Vino Mezcal de Tequila de Jose Cuervo after the King of Spain granted him a charter to commercially produce the spirit.

The train features four different wagons — Express, Premium Plus, Diamond, and Elite — each offering its own experience. For instance, the Diamond Wagon evokes the old-school allure of train travel with leather and wood accents and an embossed ceiling. 

The most impressive, however, is the Elite Wagon, a luxurious wood-paneled car with floor-to-ceiling windows and well-crafted, comfortable spaces from which to watch the scenery fly by, tequila in hand. The Elite experience comes with a line of custom cocktails, as well as an open bar stocked with Jose Cuervo spirits like the brand's crown jewel, small batch Reserva de la Familia Platino, Reposado, and Extra Añejo tequilas.

If that’s not enough indulgence, the trip also includes a three-glass educational tasting led by a tequila expert, live mariachi music, and a tour of the Reserva de la Familia private cellar.

The website promises you “will be dazzled by the spectacular view offered by the [Elite] wagon’s large windows to admire the impressive beauty of the landscape.”

The 11-hour journey starts at 9 a.m. in Guadalajara — and you can choose from either a morning or sunset train experience, with the other leg of the journey by bus.  

Trips start from $130 for the Express wagon, which is also the only class that allows children. Tickets for kids 6 years old and over are $107 per person, while kids 5 and under travel for free without an assigned seat.