Tour Basilica of Guadalupe and Pyramid of Teotihuacán - Sanctuary of the Virgin

I am bummed to be writing this review as I have had really great success with Viator in the past but quite literally this was not the excursion I planned. I had booked a tour of the pyramids and the basilica only. The booking clearly said no food and drink nor did it mention any other stops. I had some time sensitivity as I needed to get to a dinner later that night. The trip was off from the start. I was told to be ready promptly at 7:30am at my hotel but then I get a text that they were running late. No problem that happens. Once they arrive it is clearly chaos. I end up getting moved twice to another van and then to a minibus where the guide clearly has no idea who I am other than I only speak English. This takes a lot of time so it is 8:45am when it finally gets sorted. Then we are off - it is a slow start and we end up going to an archeological site not listed on my materials. We end up staying about 30-40 minutes for what was a 10- minute stop. Next we need to offer a bathroom break but we end up at a gas station with no water so no toilets. This should have been 5 minutes but ends up taking 20 minutes because the guide doesn’t tell us to get back on the bus quickly so we lose more time with people grabbing snacks. We make it to town by 11am but then end up at an very expensive gift store for a tequila tasting. But again there is no sense of time and no clear direction from the guide so it is after 1pm before we start for the pyramids. The guide is doing a good job relaying knowledge throughout but he doesn’t have good control over the group and is not clear in his directions at all. He is speaking a lot of Spanish and catching the English speakers up as he can. We get to the pyramids which are crowded with a lot of tourists. I am travelling alone and I get separated from the group. I know no one in the group and no one is looking out for me. I don’t speak Spanish and try my best to find them but all I recall is the guide saying we are dropping off at gate two and heading to another gate - which I recall as gate three. Lost and unable to speak Spanish I walk the whole complex a few times trying to find my group. I start to panic and I text the company and I can see that the message is read but no response. Finally I call them and they tell me go to gate 4. I find my guide there on his phone and when he sees me he says I don’t know where I lost you. It is clear that no attempt was made to find me either. I am clearly upset and completely sunburned from walking up and down the structure for close to two hours (even with sunscreen). I realize I should have been more careful but never would have thought no one would look for me. The thing that was scariest for me is that I had already moved rides three times. The guide didn’t know my name, didn’t have my contact information, didn’t know anything about me. I had to show him my ticket three times. What would have happened to me if I didn’t find them? Next we go to a buffet at 3pm for lunch. I, again, I had no plans to eat lunch on this tour as I had a dinner to get to after. I ask to sit on the bus to calm down and I am told no. So I sat outside in the shade for another hour while the group ate. Again, the tour I chose said no food or drink. No mention of lunch and I know others said theirs said same. At 4:30 we finally head to the basilica but first another shop at a gift store. It was lovely and I feel better with some water. I find my way back to the bus with ease but then I am told that they need to speak with me and hurry me off the bus. In the commotion, I drop my bags which included a blessed rosary for my friend. I am told that I need to hurry and get on the another van so that my van can travel with other guests in a different direction. This would be fine but I am told to hurry as they are leaving right away. I get back on the bus to quickly gather my things and lost the rosary along the way. I am really sad as this was my last day of a beautiful trip and this was not a good experience. The guide was good in his descriptions but the chaotic nature and lack of concern for guest experience was shocking.

The tour was very good, the truth is that Guide Hector is fantastic. He has a lot of culture and knows very well about the history of the basilica, the pyramids, he explained everything he knew and even when we asked him something we didn’t know gladly answered us. It looks like it's very studied. The transport is very good. The times of the tour are magnificent. Highly recommended.