Sierra Madre Villages Half-Day Cultural Tour
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Mazatlan, Mexico
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Escape Mazatlan’s bustle in favor of the rustic charm of Concordia and Malpica, colonial towns cradled by the Sierra Madre Mountains, on a half-day tour from Mazatlan with a small group. Visit 16th-century stone temples, admire colonial architecture, and observe artisan crafts such as bread- and tile-making. Refreshments and hotel pickup and drop-off in Mazatlan are included, with an option to add on lunch.
- Half-day tour of towns Concordia and Malpica from Mazatlan
- Escape the city and experience the charm of the Sierra Madre mountains
- Gain more from your visit with insights from a professional guide
- Relax with hassle-free pickup and drop-off from your hotel or port
What's Included
- Beverages
- Bottled water
- Professional guide
- Hotel/port pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pick up and drop off at local hotels (within Mazatlan city limits) and cruise ship terminal
Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
Your tour begins with hotel pickup in the morning when you’ll board an air-conditioned vehicle.
Your first stop is a rustic brick factory along the banks of the Presidio River, where bricks are made by hand. Then continue on to Malpica, a small artisan community famed for its oven-baked bread and colorful tiles.
After a brief stop here, you’ll proceed to the town of Concordia, founded in the 16th century by Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Ibarra. Learn about local industry, which includes silver and gold mining, and visit architectural highlights such as the pink San Sebastian Temple and City Hall.
Following a Mexican lunch (option to include as part of tour), you’ll visit the town’s main plaza and then be transferred back to your Mazatlan hotel or the cruise port.
Your first stop is a rustic brick factory along the banks of the Presidio River, where bricks are made by hand. Then continue on to Malpica, a small artisan community famed for its oven-baked bread and colorful tiles.
After a brief stop here, you’ll proceed to the town of Concordia, founded in the 16th century by Spanish conquistador, Francisco de Ibarra. Learn about local industry, which includes silver and gold mining, and visit architectural highlights such as the pink San Sebastian Temple and City Hall.
Following a Mexican lunch (option to include as part of tour), you’ll visit the town’s main plaza and then be transferred back to your Mazatlan hotel or the cruise port.
1
Concordia
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 109 reviews
Sandie_H, Mar 2026
The tour was not worth the cost, but our driver/guide was very good and tried his best to make it interesting. Our bet stop was the little home bakery. All their bakery goods were excellent and I wish we had bought more to bring with us.
Unfortunately we toured on Sunday and many things were closed , plus in the town of Concordia all the electricity was out.
The highlight was the lunch in Mazatlan on the beach. The food was excellent.
Rae_H, Jan 2026
Jesus was a wonderful guide, flexible and attentive to the various interests and needs of his guests. Great excursion!
Anonymous, Nov 2025
Our experience was canceled but the company rebooked us on another, similar tour and it was amazing! Our guide was JeanCarlos and his understanding of the local history, culture, and customs was interesting and very enjoyable. We would highly recommend this company to anyone.
Virginia_E, Feb 2025
Jesus was a wonderful and knowledgable guide who showed us some of the “real life “ of sierra Madre villages. We saw demonstrations of brick, bread, tile and pottery making. We learned about the history and culture of the area. Highly recommend this excursion.
Brian_P, Feb 2025
We wanted to experience Mexico outside of the Mazatlan resort area and this was just the ticket. Our excellent guide José picked us up at our resort (quite far out but no extra $), We and another couple then spent about 7h with him, all enjoyable.
Our first stop was the town of Malpica where we visited a bakery (great treats at reasonable prices), a potter who makes round, colourful plaques (again, reasonably priced), and another potter who makes bowls and wall art (we bought one of those). All great prices but no pressure. We watched the potters at their work, which was educational.
Then on to the town of Concordia with a cathedral and a nice place to walk about. Very relaxed and safe, no hurrying from José.
These first stops took about 4 hours. After that we returned to the Mazatlan area for lunch (which we had prepaid). The beachside restaurant was fine, the meal very filling. It’s the same restaurant as the Viator town tour. If you don’t want a big lunch, order a la carte. Very reasonable.
As with our other Viator tour, our only criticism is that the restaurant is quite far north of downtown Mazatlan, so lots of car time for that. But the itinerary was great, José was great, so highly recommended if you want to experience a bit of the real Mexico.
Dan_W, Feb 2025
It was much longer than we expected. It was good to see the outlying areas of Mazatlan. Our driver was very knowledgeable.
Robert_D, Feb 2025
It was very good and enjoyed it. We got out of the area we have been in a while and saw some small towns and townpeople.
Vince_G, Feb 2025
We loved seeing the smaller communities, their way of life and how they make a living. It was truly interesting.
Cassandra_C, Nov 2024
We were excited for this tour, but unfortunately the guide never showed up, and we received no communication about delays or specific pick up times.
Originally booked for Wednesday, but was asked to move to Thursday to join another tour. Fine with that. I asked for pick up confirmation time and did not receive an answer.
This morning we arrived at the hotel lobby before the start time on our ticket (9am, though alternately it also says 9:30 in a description). It is now 10:25. We have attempted to message via viator, on Facebook messenger, direct email, phone, and asked our hotel concierge to phone. We've received no answer or communication, and the hotel concierge said it looked like the phone number listed on their website doesn't actually exist.
Unfortunately we will not be going on this tour because the tour company has not arrived and have requested a full refund. Would have loved to go on this tour, as we love exploring local places, cultural sites and learning about local crafts and industry.
Margaret_K, Sep 2024
The Tour was good and disappointing at the same time. Since the driver had to pick up passengers from ship, he gave us an additional tour of Old Town. However, then trip was delayed. We stopped at a potter’s shop (instead of tile) and we got to the bakery after they had cleaned up and selling what was left. The Tour Guide was very informative; however, he kept mentioning gratuities (“are you happy”). It got to be annoying!! The trip ended up being about 8 hours instead of 5.
Carl_W, May 2024
1. The most memorable part of this tour was the 20 minute stop in downtown Mazatlan, where I was able to buy souvenirs at a reasonable price.
2. Brick making. At this stop we observed how they made bricks mostly by hand. Labor intensive job out in the hot sun. I wasn’t really interested.
3. Stop by a bakery, where they made bread the old fashioned way using a wood burning stove without a thermostat. You could purchase some bread or pastries. Nothing really special about this stop.
4. Stop at a shop that made ceramic tiles and you had the opportunity to purchase. This was all done by hand. Nothing special about this stop.
5. Stop in the small town of Concordia. You will have the opportunity to take pictures and visit the church. I wasn’t interested in the church, nor the City Hall.
6. Lunch. Well, so so. I’ve had better.
Tracy_r, May 2024
Chuy was a great guide enjoyed the bread best cinnamon rolls we have ever had! The tiles and pottery experience will never be forgotten amazing to see it hand made! A must do tour
Addison_B, Apr 2024
Really enjoyed the tour with Jesus. The little towns were charming and I was able to see some things I didn’t get to see in Mazatlán. Drinks in van were plentiful and my kids liked seeing tile making and picking out pastries.
Sabrina_E, Apr 2024
Great day trip to see a little more of the region and see some traditional artisans at work.
Our guide and driver, Jesus, was very kind, friendly, and easy-going AND is a safe and thoughtful driver!
Our group of 4 were picked up at our vacation rental apartment on time--though we didn't get confirmation of the pickup time until early that morning when we checked our email. (I would recommend that the tour operator clarify that the pick-up times will be between, say, 9:00-10:00 so that people have an understanding of the time frame in advance.)
- Lunch at the restaurant in Copala was OK. Nothing special.
- AC in the van uses recirculated air, so I think we were all ready to pass out on the way back to Mazatlán!! LOL
- Another member of the group had apparently signed up for an extra tour of historic Mazatlán, though that was not made clear to us. Jesus accommodated us nicely and dropped our group off while the others had a chance to visit the cathedral.
Overall, it was a very pleasant outing. We really enjoyed it and it was a great way to cap off our 4 days in MAZ.
Whitney_L, Apr 2024
Humberto was a fantastic guide! Our party of nine consisted of four teenagers and five adults, and Humberto made an effort to keep all the kids engaged throughout the day. We much appreciated the history and other information Humberto shared with us at each location and during the drive. Btw, if you’re into birds, Humberto is your guy.
The bakery in Malpica bakes the absolute best cinnamon rolls (the other baked goods were also fantastic).
We selected the “lunch included” option — one of our kids is vegetarian, and the staff at the ranch prepared a vegetarian plate for her, which we greatly appreciated.
If you’re interested in an educational experience away from the touristy area of Mazatlan, we highly recommend this tour.
Truc_H, Apr 2024
The Mazatlan Tours that Viator contracted with is a hot mess. Totally unorganized and lacking in communication.
They accepted my reservations irresponsibly - apparently they were already fully booked from a cruise ship crowd that landed in Mazatlan. AFTER CHARGING MY CREDIT CARD, the Mazatlan Tour company asked me if I could change my date and I replied no because I was leaving the next day.
Then the company went silent.
I asked for a response via their website and email and never got a response. Called their local number multiple times and no response.
Called Viator’s support service multiple times and they assured me the driver was on his way.
He never came. Finally After TWO HOURS of calls with Viator’s customer service, I was told the tour company refunded my money. I’m still waiting for my refund!
This wasted my entire morning as I had tried to get a hold of someone since 7am due to the pick-up time being 9am.
This experience really put a damper on what was a glorious trip in Mazatlan.
drmoright, Mar 2024
Lovely lunch in pretty little town in the mountain, stopped at artisans studio as well as bakery at brick makers
Our guide Chuy was ver knowledgeable
Pat_W, Mar 2024
We were in a van that holds 14 people. I was towards the back. The roads are very curvy and bumpy. The driver was going fast. I ended up having motion sickness. Just a heads up if you are like me. Be prepared.
Nicole_E, Feb 2024
Was not what expected . Was expecting to see bread making and all we got was pastry that was bought they even had the plastic trays left around the kitchen and we had to buy them. And they changed the restaurant we were supposed eat at.
Christine_I, Feb 2024
It was a horrible trip. A complete waste of one of only 4 days we had here. We were hoping for a cultural experience but got mostly stops at places to buy things. Our host did his job but seemed uninterested In us. He was on his phone a lot. Not much running commentary on the culture etc. We spent a long time driving to and from the last church for no reason. The lunch was only ok. We did a lot of Viator tours on this thrip and this was the only one subpar
Melody_P, Jan 2024
We really enjoyed the tour and Humberto and his wife Patricia were welcoming and friendly. There is a lot of driving involved but the villages we visited were charming and interesting. The bakery was a wonderful surprise as was the brick/tile making demonstration. The churches we visited were beautiful and lunch at Grandpas farm was absolutely delicious! Great service and great food. The tequila stop at the end was very fun and it was nice to try some flavours that even I (as a tequila lover) have not tried before. We were very fortunate to have a great group on the tour as well which definitely made the outing even more enjoyable!
Laurie_P, Jan 2024
This was the best local tour we have ever done! We stopped by an active brickmaking site as well as pottery and woodworking shops. Over the next few hours and four different local towns, we also saw a bakery, a tile maker, and a jeweler. We had a chance to take the most amazing pictures of the local towns, their houses of worship, and their local life. The first two areas were fairly quiet and remote but the third had a very busy city center that was bustling with activity. The fourth and final town in the mountains where we had lunch was so picturesque and absolutely beautiful.
We had gone on a city tour the day before, and the prices of the vendors we had visited were a bit ridiculous - not so with this trip! Everyone was very kind and unassuming, and the prices were very reasonable. We did not realize how many places we'd be stopping or we would have brought more cash (pro tip: everywhere on this tour accepted USD or pesos; only the final jeweler/gift shop accepted credit card).
The restaurant at the final town was also amazing - the food was SO good! Highly recommend the local dish, but the beef fajitas were also great.
Cannot say enough good things about the tour experiences or Jesus' depth of knowledge. It was just my husband and I on the tour on this particular day, and Jesus kept up with all of our questions throughout the day!
Lidia_Z, Jul 2023
I recently took the Sierra Madre tour, and let me tell you, it left much to be desired. Here's my honest review:
Our tour driver was okay, but my recommendation would be for them to handle their vendor commissions more discreetly. I felt like I was being taken advantage of, and it dampened the experience. I am 100% fluent in Spanish, and the tour guide was aware.
Now, let's talk about the length of the tour. It's simply too long. The majority of the time was spent driving, and the sites we visited were downright terrible. For instance, there was a stop at a so-called "brick maker," which turned out to be a random spot next to the road and a junkyard. No real tour, just a disappointment. The smell was unpleasant, and it lacked any semblance of interest.
Next up was a stop at a supposed "bakery," which turned out to be someone's living room. Frankly, I was reluctant to purchase any food due to concerns about hygiene. Not exactly an appetizing experience.
The visit to a ceramic maker was equally disappointing. The tour guide guilt-tripped us into buying unattractive ceramic pot holders because of the maker's age. It was a forced purchase, and the quality was subpar.
We did have a decent lunch at one of the stops, but overall, the places we visited felt like ghost towns—boring and uneventful. Considering the long drive and lackluster sites, I cannot recommend wasting your time on this tour. It's best to avoid it altogether.
Save yourself the disappointment and explore other options. Deer Island was amazing. Stone Island was also good but more crowded. Those two are time better spent than this.
Irene_O, Jul 2023
Knowledgeable and helpful guide
Friendly people
Villages were very very interesting. Lovely churches
Great information on the history of the area
Wonderful hilly and arid landscapes
sonya_m, May 2023
Humberto was a perfect tour guide, extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, funny. The bakery was amazing, and the tile maker! Lunch, time for stops and shopping we’re all appropriate, recommend a tour as you are able to experience culture beyond in these beautiful little towns, and recommend Humberto!!
Carol_T, May 2023
Our tour guide, Carlos, was great. He was warm and inviting and encouraged us to question what he showed us. He was so very knowledgeable and brought alot of history to life on our tour.
Cynthia_K, Apr 2023
A good authentic Mexican adventure. A lot of riding on bus to get to 3 little towns. Tour driver/guide was great and had a lot of history stored in his head to share.
Naveed_S, Apr 2023
What a great experience! Out tour guide Ismael “smiley” was the best tour guide we have ever had. We Would do it again.
Susan_L, Mar 2023
This was just what I wanted in the tour. Small group- 6 of us and lots of unique culture and history of the Mexican people. I was staying in a tourist locale and this tour took me into the traditional villages of the Sierra Madre mountains. I would highly recommend.
Jane_P, Mar 2023
The tour was nice, however I would have liked more time in Concordia as it has a lot more to offer than Copala. We actually had to ask the tour guide to stop so we could look around and even doing this we were only given 20 minutes in Concordia.
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