Party boat vs regular trajinera

Four ways onto the water

Most visitors choose between a public trajinera, a party boat and a guided tour, and a fourth option runs straight to the Island of the Dolls. All of them use the same kind of boat on the same canals. What changes is who plans the ride, what is included and how much of it you control. The answers below come from Mexico City's tourism site, Wikipedia and the booking pages of the three booked options, and they leave out prices because those change.

Hiring a public trajinera

Mexico City's tourism site says passengers usually book two to three hours, and that four-hour trips are not unusual. The price is posted per hour and fixed, even when negotiating seems to be on offer, and smaller boats for six to eight people charge the same rates. A boat takes at most 18 people, including children under four, and passengers cannot move to another boat. The site names several landings along the canals, and warns that people near the light rail station are paid by one particular landing.

What a party boat adds

The party boat adds a programme. Hosts meet the group, pour tequila and beer, play music, run traditional Mexican games and teach local slang, and the boat stops at a chinampa for a traditional dish. The organiser lists unlimited tequila, beer, soft drinks and water, food, games, music, souvenirs and restrooms inside the fare. The trade-off is that the hosts set the pace and the group is shared: a standard group is up to 50 people, with a private option for up to 100. Mariachi songs and anything bought from vendors are extra.

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What a guided sightseeing tour adds

The traditional boat tour on the booking cards is lively too, but it leans toward explanation. Its description promises the history of the canals, a look at the greenhouses and flowers of the area, a short break on a chinampa to eat, a tequila-making story, a pulque tasting, a michelada lesson and a mezcal tasting. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, sweet treats, food and a speaker for music are included, and live music costs extra. Its booking page summary says some travellers would like more cultural context, so ask the guide questions.

A tequila-tasting party boat

A second party-style option on the booking cards is a 2.5-hour tequila-tasting boat. It lists unlimited tequila and beer, a pulque tasting, a shot glass, prizes, a souvenir and karaoke, and says it has no live mariachi or norteño music. Mezcal, in reposado, espadín and flavoured styles, is part of the tasting, and snacks come from vendor boats along the way. It suits a group that wants the tasting to lead, with the games and karaoke as the entertainment rather than a food stop at the centre.

The Island of the Dolls boat

The fourth option is a two-hour direct boat to the island. Its booking page says it is transport to the Island of the Dolls and not a party boat, and lists intoxication and bachelor or bachelorette groups as not allowed. Wikipedia describes the island as the best-known chinampa in Xochimilco, where Julián Santana Barrera hung dolls for decades, and says visitors sometimes leave offerings. It adds that some boat operators refuse to take people there out of superstition. The booking page says guests explore the island with a relative of its creator.

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Who sets the pace

On a public boat you decide the stops, the length and the music, and you pay for the hours you use, so a slow afternoon costs more than a short one. On the party boat the hosts decide, and the fare covers the programme whatever the group does. On the guided tour the guide leads the commentary and the tastings. On the island boat the route is the point. The booked boats run for two to two and a half hours, apart from the tequila-tasting boat at two and a half, and the island boat at two. If you love a plan, pick a booked boat. If you want to stop where you like, pick a public one.

What reviewers say about each

As of this update the party boat averages 5.0 from 1,869 reviews and the guided tour 4.9 from 754. The tequila-tasting boat averages 5.0 from 406 and the island boat 5.0 from 148. Summaries of recent reviews praise energetic guides, games and generous drinks on the party-style boats, and a calm canal ride and knowledgeable guides on the island boat. The suggestions differ: more time on the water for the party boat, more cultural context for the tour, clearer meeting-point directions for the tequila boat and clearer timing for the island boat.

Alcohol, noise and safety on any boat

Mexico City's tourism site says alcohol on public boats is limited to one bottle of liquor per boat or three bottles or cans of beer per adult passenger, and that visibly intoxicated people are reported to the tourism desk. Loud music is banned apart from the operators' speakers, passengers stay seated with hands and feet inside, life vests are provided and rubbish stays on board. A booked boat supplies its own drinks, so those limits describe what you bring yourself. The same page adds that operators may interrupt or cancel tours and that cancellations are not refunded, which is a reason to read the terms before you pay for a public boat. Whatever you choose, keep the group seated when the boat moves.

Which to choose

The right boat depends on the group and the mood, so match the choice to who is coming. Size matters as well: a public boat takes at most 18 people, while the party boat's standard group is up to 50, shared with other travellers unless you book the private option.

• Friends, a birthday or a bachelorette trip: the party boat.
• A group that wants tastings and some history: the guided tour.
• Two people or a family who want quiet and their own timing: a public trajinera.
• Anyone curious about the Island of the Dolls: the direct boat.

Who this isn't for

This comparison is not for anyone who wants a boat with no alcohol at all: the three booked options here include it, though the party boat also includes soft drinks and water. A public trajinera lets you choose what to bring. It is also not a price guide, because rates change, so check the posted rate at the landing or the live fare on the booking page before you commit.