Here are the TOP-RATED Grutas de Tolantongo Tours from Mexico City
Planning to visit Las Grutas de Tolantongo in Hidalgo, Mexico?
You’ve come to the right place, as I’ve been on a Tolantongo tour, and I’ve also visited without a tour.
I 100% recommend this Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo Tour with Arturo, especially for first time visitors who don’t plan to spend the night.
It is the BEST Tolantongo tour I know of (rated 4.95/5 Stars, with 3,875+ reviews) — but I do mention other options in this article, including this Private Tolantongo Tour).
Besides the best Grutas de Tolantongo tours, you’re also about to discover all my Tolantongo travel tips to visit these Mexico hot springs.
So after you book the tour that’s best for you, don’t miss the Tolantongo Travel FAQ at the end of the article, so you visit Tolantongo like a pro.
Ready to discover the best Grutas de Tolantongo tours? Let’s get to it!
The Top 3 Best Mexico City to Grutas de Tolantongo Tours
My #1 Pick: Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.95 out of 5 Stars, with 3,875+ Reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 15 hours | ✅ Book it now!
Why choose this tour?
It is the best-rated option I’ve found, with the most reviews. After 3,875+ reviews, and a near-perfect 5 Star rating, this one is a guaranteed good time.
It is also one of the most complete Grutas de Tolantongo tour of them all — with everything included and no pesky hidden costs.
You’ll first make your way to the Angel of Independence statue on Reforma Avenue, which is centrally-located and easy to get to by bus or Uber.
From there, your transport is included, and so is breakfast, Tolantongo admission, and everything else you might need.
This Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo Tour includes:
- Transportation
- Breakfast
- Tolantongo entry ticket
- Tolantongo guide
- Incidentals
What others are saying:
This was the greatest experience I’ve ever been on in my life honestly. From beginning to end, we were taken care of. —Mia (See more reviews)
…an unforgettable experience, thanks to our amazing guide… From start to finish, everything was smooth, well-organized, and safe. —Ryan (See more reviews)
2. Top-Rated PRIVATE Tolantongo Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.8 out of 5 Stars, with 100+ Reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 13 hours | ✅ Book it now!
Why choose this tour?
It’s one of the only private Tolantongo tours I’ve seen, and the highest rated of the few that I have seen.
So, if you have a large group, or just want to be in charge of the day, this is the best Tolantongo tour for you.
With a private tour, you have more control over the itinerary, so if you love one particular area of the park and want to spend more time there, you can.
If you don’t want to visit a specific area of the park (because you loved that other area so much), you get to decide that too.
This Private Tour to Tolantongo Grottoes includes:
- Hotel or Airbnb pick-up
- Private transportation
- Tolantongo entry ticket
- Transportation within Tolantongo
- Tour guide
What others are saying:
[Our guide Richard] was friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. He provided fascinating insights about the region, ensured we were comfortable throughout the journey, and gave us great tips on how to make the most of our time at the hot springs and caves. —Alexander (See more reviews)
Richard was the best. He was so polite and helpful. The hot springs and river was so relaxing. We could have stayed all day. Would recommend to everyone. —Terri (See more reviews)
3. Tolantongo’s Hot Springs and Thermal Baths Tour
⭐️ RATING: 4.98 out of 5 Stars, with 1,000+ Reviews | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 14 hours | ✅ Book it now!
Why choose this tour?
This is one of the highest rated Tolantongo tours available!
It’s also among the best, most complete Grutas de Tolantongo tour of them all — with everything included and no pesky hidden costs.
Tour guide, Taz, has stellar reviews (4.98 out of 5 Stars), and people return from this tour calling him a friend.
The groups are small, so you get individualized attention and personal recommendations to enjoy the tour.
This Tolantongo Hot Springs and Thermal Baths Tour includes:
- Hotel or Airbnb pick-up
- Transportation
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Tolantongo entry ticket
- Tolantongo guide
- Small groups only
- Visit to Virgin of Guadalupe Chapel
What others are saying:
It was a 10/10 experience for me and my friend. I would highly recommend it to anyone, I felt safe at all times, and c’mon the place is just breathtaking!! —Jeanette (See more reviews)
Such a cool experience. Definitely worth a day trip with Taz… much better than going on your own. —Yasoob (See more reviews)
Why Take a Grutas de Tolantongo Tour?
You have three options on how to get to Tolantongo from Mexico City, and these include
- Taking one of the best Mexico City to Grutas Tolantongo tours, like this top-rated group tour
- Renting a car and driving
- Taking public transportation via the ADO bus and colectivo (small, shared van)
I went with a group tour and 100% recommend doing the same.
A group tour is the most convenient — and often, most inexpensive, way to visit Tolantongo — for the three reasons below.
🤑 1. It’s cheaper: You save money by not paying for a hotel room at one of the Las Grutas Tolantongo resorts, and returning to Mexico City the same day.
Average Las Grutas de Tolantongo resort price is $100 USD per night.
😎 2. It’s hassle-free: Not dealing with a rental car, insurance, gas, and driving in a foreign country makes a tour the easiest option.
The tour is also usually less expensive than renting a car in Mexico City and driving to Tolantongo.
For Mexico City solo travelers who don’t have others to split the car costs with, the tour is the way to go.
⏳ 3. It’s faster: Tolantongo public transportation is a bit confusing and can take up to 8 hours each way — so you lose a lot of time to travel.
In addition to the reasonable cost of the tours, you have the convenience of not having to deal with driving or figuring out public transportation.
If you do want to take public transport, use this link for directions.
What to Bring to Tolantongo Grutas
You’ll of course want to bring a bathing suit, sunglasses and a change of dry clothes for the ride back.
Besides these, and Mexico travel insurance, here are the 10 things you won’t want to forget on your tour of Tolantongo caves.
1. Cash (Pesos): Tolantongo is cash only
They don’t take credit cards anywhere on the property, so bring enough cash for food, drinks, souvenirs, the Tolantongo zip line, incidentals, locker rental, etc.
Make sure you bring pesos, not dollars, as they won’t accept dollars at Las Tolantongo Grutas.
💸 Concerned about your cash staying dry? Pick up this waterproof phone pouch!
Depending on your travel style, consider bringing $500-$1,000 pesos ($25-$50 USD) for a day trip.
If you’re staying overnight, you’ll also need an extra $1,500-2,500 pesos per night to pay for your Tolnatongo hotel.
Whatever amount you think you’ll need, you might want to double it just in case — as there’s no ATMs at Tolantongo, and the closest ATM to Tolantongo is about an hour away.
2. Water shoes for Tolantongo
While water shoes sometimes seem optional, they are necessary at Las Grutas Tolantongo.
You will really mess up your feet if you don’t have them, as the entire Grutas de Tolantongo complex is unpaved and rocky.
I’ve been twice now, and have never seen anyone without them.
3. Waterproof phone holder (or Waterproof pouch)
You’ll also want a waterproof phone holder to carry your phone and some cash around.
These waterproof fanny pack pouches are another great option, if you need to carry around more than just your phone and a few pesos.
4. Reusable water bottle with filter
A water bottle is essential — and these Water-To-Go Bottles not only keeps you hydrated but will also filter your drinking water so you don’t get sick in Mexico.
If you’d like to get your own, use code SOLO15 for 15% OFF your order.
You can fill the bottle anywhere, and its three-stage filter makes it safe to drink.
5. Go Pro Camera (or Akaso Underwater Camera)
If you’ve been considering buying this GoPro HERO13 camera, gorgeous Las Grutas Tolantongo is the perfect place to use it!
For those who want a waterproof camera, minus the GoPro price tag, this Akaso Brave 7LE is a your best option. It has great ratings for a fraction of the cost.
6. Quick dry towel (Microfiber towel)
There are distinct areas at Las Grutas de Tolantongo, and you’ll want a towel to dry off with as you go from place to place.
With these quick dry microfiber towels, you’ll always have a dry towel.
7. Waterproof dry bag
You’ll want a dry bag to put all your wet stuff in for the drive back to Mexico City.
This Earth Pak is a great option because it also comes with a FREE waterproof cell phone pouch.
8. Eco-friendly sunscreen
Do your part to keep the Tolantongo blue waters looking gorgeous by using only biodegradable, reef safe sunscreen (AKA EcoSunscreen) when swimming.
🧴 Prefer not to use sunscreen at Tolantongo at all?
You can do your part to practice responsible tourism in Mexico and opt for a long sleeve bathing suit (rash guard) instead of sunscreen.
9. Mexico SIM card
- 3GB Cellular Data (at full 4G/LTE speeds) valid for 30 days starting at your arrival in Mexico
- Unlimited Calls and SMS (only text) in Mexico, USA or Canada
- Can also be used in USA and Canada for Data, Calls and SMS
- Unlimited Social Networks (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat)
- LTE capable (LTE Coverage is available in most cities and touristic areas)
The cell signal at Tolantongo isn’t very strong, but if you have a Telcel SIM Card, you’ll have the best signal possible.
Telcel is the biggest Mexico cell phone company, so they have the best SIM cards in Mexico, which will work in Mexico City, Tolantongo Grutas and everywhere else.
Frequently Asked Questions About Grutas de Tolantongo
What is Las Grutas Tolantongo Mexico?
Short answer: One of the best Mexico hidden gems there is!
Longer answer: Las Grutas de Tolantongo Hidalgo Mexico is a turquoise water playground.
It is located in the municipality of Cardonal, in San Cristobal City, Hidalgo state, in Central Mexico.
Tolantongo Grutas is way up in the mountains, at 4,200-feet (1,280 m) above sea level in Mezquital Canyon.
Mezquital is what’s known as a box canyon, meaning it’s shorter and narrower than larger river canyons.
It is surrounded by hot springs and underwater thermal pools, which heat all the waters throughout Las Grutas de Tolantongo.
There’s also an onsite zip line, suspension bridge, regular swimming pools, hotels, campsites, about 10 restaurants, convenience stores, lockers, medical facilities, and more.
Yes, — Tolantongo is a big place!
What does Tolantongo mean?
The word tolantongo comes from the Aztec word tonaltonko, meaning “where it feels warm.”
Like the name says, the water at Tolantongo is always warm!
Are there Grutas de Tolantongo flights?
No — Mexico City International Airport (code: MEX) will be the best airport for Tolantongo for the majority of travelers.
However, the closest airport to Grutas de Tolantongo is Queretaro International Airport (code: QRO).
They’re actually both lovated a few hours away, but since Mexico City airport has more direct flights, most travelers visit Tolantongo from Mexico City.
Is Tolantongo worth visiting?
Yes — Though it’s a bit of a trek to get there, Grutas Tolantongo is one of the best places to visit in Mexico.
I recommend this tour so much because all you have to do is show up and enjoy, as someone else will handle Tolantongo transportation logistics and driving.
What’s the best time to visit Grutas de Tolantongo?
Tolantongo is open all year — but if you can, plan to visit during the week.
As a year-round destination, and one of the best day trips from Mexico City, Tolantongo is always VERY crowded on weekends.
What’s the Tolantongo weather like?
It is located in Central Mexico, which has what is known as an “eternal spring” climate, so it has springtime temperatures for most of the year.
The Tolantongo rainy season is heaviest during July-August, but runs from about May-September.
What’s the Tolantongo admission prices?
The majority of Grutas de Tolantongo tours include admission; all the best Tolantongo tours listed in this article do include admission.
In the event you go on another tour, and they don’t include admission, a Grutas Tolantongo entry ticket is $230 pesos (about $12 USD) for the day.
What are the best things to do at Tolantongo Grutas?
The entire site is quite large and consists of four distinct areas: the pools, the cave, the tunnel and the river, as well as other attractions and several restaurants.
Check out the Grutas Tolantongo map below to get a better idea of the size, but here’s what you need to know about the four main areas.
1. Tolantongo Cave and Tunnel
The cave and the tunnel are right next to one another.
This area of Tolantongo is where most of the hot water comes from, which then feeds out to the whole site.
Do note that because of this, there is a strong current here, so use caution inside the Tolantongo cave and tunnel.
To enter, you’ll pass under a small waterfall. Inside, the cave and tunnel are both dark, so be aware.
When visiting Las Grutas Tolantongo, staff members positioned inside have flashlights to help you see.
However, some people bring a headlamp like this one to explore deeper parts of the cave.
2. Tolantongo Pools
These are Tolantongo hot springs where most of the Instagram shots happen.
If you’re looking to get the Instagram money shot and don’t want any other people in your Instagrammable Tolantongo photos, you need to be at the pools within the first 30-45 minutes of opening.
After the first hour or so of being open, the Tolantongo pools will be full of people all day, as they are one of the most popular places in Tolantongo.
🚌 TOLANTONGO shuttle to the pools
The pools are located in the extreme upper part of Tolantongo. It is a long, steep, rocky climb up from the base, so please don’t attempt it.
The majority of tours will drive you up to the pools, but if they don’t, you’ll want to pay for the Tolantongo colectivo van.
This shuttle van is available in the parking lot for a small fee of $10 pesos per person ($0.50 USD) — and you’ll definitely want to take up and back down.
⚠️ Note: The driver usually waits to fill the van before going, but if you pay $30 pesos ($1.50 USD) they’ll take you alone.
3. Tolantongo River
While the Tolantongo pools are the most photographed place, the river is one of the most beautiful places at Tolantongo.
It cascades down in sections, and at each section, you can sit under the water as it falls on you for a hydro-massage.
4. La Gloria Tolantongo (Home to the Tolantongo Zipline)
La Gloria Tolantongo is a separate section of Tolantongo, which you can access by walking across a bridge near the staircase you take to the Tolantongo Cave and Tunnel.
It costs $200 pesos ($10 USD) to enter the Tolantongo La Gloria Park, which has nice waterfalls and natural pools, as well as the Tolantongo Zipline.
It is 2,625-feet-long (800 m) and takes you over a few areas of the park — but note that there is an extra fee of $300 pesos ($15 USD) per person, per ride.
Even if you don’t do the zipline, La Gloria Tolantongo is worth visiting because it’s far less crowded than Tolantongo itself.
5. The Suspension Bridge
Located right next to the pools, don’t pass up the chance to walk across the suspension bridge to get some amazing views of the canyon below.
Also next to the pools, there’s a small tunnel to walk through.
6. Tolantongo Swimming Pools
Las Grutas de Tolantongo has a few regular swimming pools onsite.
If you want to work on your tan, there’s lounge chairs by the pools, and restaurants nearby.
7. Tolantongo Hiking
There are some pretty trails going through the valley around Tolantongo.
These are easy hikes, but you do need the right shoes, so don’t forget to pack Teva sandals, Chacos, sneakers, or Keen shoes if you’re planning to hike.
Head here for more tips on what to bring to Tolantongo.
Las Grutas de Tolantongo Map
Additional Tolantongo Information
Final Thoughts on Taking Las Grutas de Tolantongo Tours
As you have seen, there are quite a few Grutas de Tolantongo tour options.
All the tours listed in this article have been vetted for quality and great reviews, so rest assured you’re in for an amazing trip to Tolantongo when you book any of them.
🤔 Still not sure which one to choose?
My pick for the BEST Tolantongo tour is this Tolantongo Hot Springs Tour with Arturo — rated 4.95 out of 5 Stars, with 3,875+ reviews.
Tolantongo Tour vs Going On Your Own
Grutas Tolantongo is one of the best Mexico City day tours, located about four hours north of the city.
As one of the top off the beaten path Mexico travel destinations, planning a trip to Las Grutas de Tolantongo Mexico can prove tricky — which is why I opted for this Tolantongo group tour (and suggest you do as well 😁).
While the tours may seem pricey at first, remember you won’t have to spend the night at a Grutas de Tolantongo hotel.
Hotels cost $45-165 USD per night, and on the Tolantongo day trips featured in this article, you’ll be back in Mexico City the same day.
Looking for a Tolantongo overnight tour?
This is the only one I have ever come across — and as you might have guessed, it’s quite pricey.
If you decide you want to stay overnight, I actually recommend going on your own, without a tour.
If you want to do that, check out my Ultimate Guide to Tolantongo Grutas which has information about staying overnight in a Tolantongo hotel, and how to safely drive there.