Our experience may have been unique due to recent social unrest causing demonstrations in the city center and further affecting the already unpredictable traffic situation. However- I checked recent reviews on viator and they have similar claims to my own. I wish I would have looked instead of overall reviews prior to booking. We originally booked a tour including the casa azul because tickets were sold out on the site, and we assumed these were guaranteed. They were not and we were given the alternative option of the pyramids and shrine. Since we were on this trip in part as a pilgrimage, we thought it would be suiting to have guide and learn some background before seeing the Basilica. The tour was already running late from the start. We were told to meet at 9:10 and were at the meeting time at by 8:40 and let the operator (who was in contact with our guide) know our location. Multiple tours leave this site, we were asked by guides our names to ensure we were with the right person. The guy who was actually our guide, Daniel. Did not approach my family once to ask if we were the group who was waiting for him. He was on his phone or looking around. We were the only Mexicans on this tour and it left a bad taste... Once I approached and clarified he quickly walked to the other side of a building and had us hop on a bus with already irritated tourists. Maybe because we were running late already or lack of organization, but we got little knowledge of what we visited. The plaza de las 3 culturas was a quick sprint and the focus of the translations was always heavy on the English and much of the translation was missed in Spanish. He was also not loud enough for the group to hear and never pulled folks up around him or split the group to address them better. It was not until a person stopped for a selfie did, he pause and offer to take photos for folks. There was a solo Peruvian traveler who he spent most of the tour with, he would yell behind his shoulder for everyone to keep up and stay together, though we had several elder folks on the tour who were visibly distressed keeping up- including my mother. There was a pit stop on the way to the pyramids where it was NOT emphasized it was the last bathroom break for 3 hours. I was trying my best to keep up while keeping an eye on my mother but quickly realized the information he was sharing was not insightful - but rather repetitive or reading a sign we could easily read ourselves. Elder folks had difficulty with stairs, and he never informed them there was a trail they could have accessed to go around the climb. After the pyramids, where we had the best amount of time to wander and explore, we stopped but the "lunch included" where you still had to pay for drinks, and we were overcharged. By this time, we would've paid anything for a bathroom and hydration. We were given a long time to eat and followed up by walking down to an tiny tour "open bar" that was really a commission based 1 oz pulque and tequila tasting. I will say at least the tour was split here between English and Spanish and the guide was entertaining and knowledgeable. After this we were on the way to the shrine and Basilica which was likely to me the most irritating bit of the trip. He may have stopped three minutes at each church and taking one second to point out the volcano. On the bus he said 20 minutes at this site and it was more like 15. We were split up for a while and I am convinced if it had not been for the Peruvian woman he would not have come back for us. We paid to return the next day so my mother could properly pay respects a la virgen. I wish I could recommend this tour however I cannot based on this single experience.
