Privat rundtur: Lake Chapala, Tlaquepaque & Tonalá Crafts + VFRanch

What a great day! Octavio picked us up in Ajijic and we visited Chapala, a lovely town. Then, we headed west to the VF Ranch (Vincent Fernandez, he was a traditional Mexican singer and actor, known as "The King of Ranchera"). It's a working ranch and we saw horses, cattle and an arena where they hold rodeos. Very picturesque. Then it was on to Tonala, Octavio's home town. He proudly showed it off! A promenade with sculptures depicting the culture very uniquely. The Museum of the Tastoanes of Tonala / Mask Museum. Not your boring, ordinary museum - the masks are not to be missed. The town itself is an Artisan city, with workshops creating art with clay, ceramics, furniture, etc. A great town to visit. We chose not to go to Tlaquepaque as we had already been there. Then home. Octavio was wonderful - friendly, flexible and knowledgeable.

Excellent experience. Octavio guided us with knowledge of the places and shared with us what he knows about Tonalá, Chapala, and Tlaquepaque. It is a tailored experience. Totally recommended.

Our experience with Octavio Sectur was absolutely incredible! Our guide, was a true storyteller who brought the history of Guadalajara to life. They were engaging, deeply knowledgeable, and paced the tour perfectly. It felt like exploring the city with an old friend. Highly recommend!

Wonderful exploration of arts and nature of Jalisco region. Tonala very memorable with indigenous history and arts preserved. Lake Chapala, Ajijic and Tlaquepaque magical!!

We had an amazing time on this tour! Everything was well organized, the guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and we got to see so many beautiful places. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the area!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I didn't expect to cry at a lake. I did. Let me be honest: I almost didn't book this tour. My mom and I were traveling together — just the two of us — and we were nervous about handing our day to a stranger in an unfamiliar city. We'd had mediocre group tours before. The kind where you're rushed, ignored, and handed a laminated map. This was nothing like that. Octavio picked us up in a clean, new car with the AC already running and cold water waiting on the seat. Before we even left, I knew this was different. 🏺 TONALÁ — We had no idea this place existed. The MUTA Mask Museum alone was worth the whole trip. It's not just a museum — it's a walk through the soul of a town. The Guardians' Walk tells the pre-Hispanic story of Tonalá through the hands of its own native artisans: sculpture, craft, and history woven together in a way that stops you mid-step. We stayed longer than planned. Octavio never rushed us. 🌊 CHAPALA — I did not expect to feel this. When the lake came into view, my mom grabbed my arm. It's that kind of big. That kind of blue. We sat lakeside, ate incredible food, had cold drinks in the breeze, and just... existed for a while. One of those rare travel moments where you forget to take photos because you're too busy being present. 🍦 TLAQUEPAQUE — The perfect ending we didn't plan. Octavio surprised us with a final stop at El Parián. We ended the day with ice cream in hand, wandering cobblestone streets, laughing. It felt like a gift. What made Octavio exceptional wasn't just his knowledge — it was his instinct. At every stop he'd quietly ask: "Would you like me to walk with you, or would you prefer some time on your own?" That question — simple, respectful, consistent — made us feel like guests, not customers. He managed every ticket, every logistics detail, every transition. We never once had to think about what came next. Two women traveling alone. We felt safe, seen, and taken care of the entire day. Book this. Bring your mom. Bring your best friend. Bring whoever deserves a perfect day in Jalisco. You won't regret a single hour. — Traveled: mother & daughter, private tour — Highlights: MUTA Mask Museum, Lake Chapala, El Parián de Tlaquepaque — Would book again: without hesitation.

Octavio in guia super experienced and very friendly truly made every minute extraordinary....: and the theme of Handling private services is an excellent way to manage vase places to our tastes.... Thank you Octavio I hope to take another tour with you!!!!!

The tour was exactly as described and more! Octavio was wonderful and very friendly, knowledgeable, personable, and a great driver. We appreciated the local cultural experiences, information and details, as well as the beauty in the towns we visited. We had great conversation between stops, found a lot of common interests and enjoyed a great selection of music in the car. We loved the food places he took us to and even the little side attractions along the way. Our tour was a few days after Xmas so it was a busy holiday time and Octavio was patient and understanding with traffic and a lot of people. We can’t thank him enough for making our day awesome! Definitely a better tour option than the others. Even after the tour, Octavio gave food recommendations based on earlier conversations in the car and that was such an “above & beyond” service that I have never received from other tour operators. We traveled with 4 adults and a child and everyone had a great time and was given attention to - all inclusive service for the whole family! BOOK THIS TOUR! You won’t regret it!

I was looking for a driver for our trip on 12/15/25. I came across Octavio's post and contacted him. He provided me his car insurance, INE, and his license to ensure we felt safe hiring him. Octavio was our driver for 4 days while visiting GDL, Arandas, Tequila and surrounding areas. He was reliable, on time, and very trustworthy. He waited for us while we were on our tours making it easy for us to travel from place to place with piece of mind. If you are a foody, he has some great local gems to eat at as well. He also took us to places of interest that were not on our agenda. I would recommend Octavio.

Excellent treatment, you know every point visited, Tonala had breakfast, in Chapala we ate and tasted the famous Charal, makes recommendations of places to eat, and as an extra bonus took us to the Rancho the 3 colts of Vicente Fernández, complete the experience with a Sweet bread and a freshly baked Salt Birote, it is not a conventional tour, it is an experience as if you were his Familiar, Octavio an excellent host, native of Guadalajara.