Guide to Las Grutas Tolantongo: Mexico’s Best Hot Springs

Last updated on July 2, 2025

There are hundreds of wonderful places across Mexico, but few can compare to Las Grutas Tolantongo in Hidalgo, Mexico. This unique natural waterpark is home to thermal hot springs, bright turquoise rivers, and warm caves to explore.

While the destination is a bit off the beaten path, it’s worth the detour. In this guide to visiting Las Grutas Tolantongo, we share everything you need to know about traveling here and why it has been one of our favorite destinations in Mexico.

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Getting to Las Grutas Tolantongo

The hot springs of Tolantongo Hildalgo are nestled in the mountains over 1,280 meters (4,100 ft) high. Its elevation gives it striking views all around, but also makes getting to Las Grutas Tolantongo a bit tricky. The road to the park is very steep and windy.

Driving from Mexico City to Grutas Tolantongo

We drove from Teotihuacan, a suburb of Mexico City to Las Grutas de Tolantongo Hidalgo, Mexico. It took around three-and-a-half hours to drive to the top of the canyon and another 30 minutes to drive the windy road into the hot springs area.

You can rent a car if you aren’t driving there in an RV or van. But be warned, driving out of Mexico City is NO joke. There are restrictions on what license plates can drive on certain days of the week and the roads can be extremely stressful to navigate.

🚫🚗 We do not recommend driving in Mexico City!

Taking a guided tour to Grutas Tolantongo

The easier option is to book a tour from Mexico City. Book a private tour when planning a day trip from Mexico City to Las Grutas de Tolantongo hot springs. The private tour, while more expensive, allows you to spend time in the areas you enjoy the most and is a much better overall experience.

It also means you won’t have to stop at the top of the mountain and get in smaller commuter buses. The private tour will be in a small van that can easily go up and down the mountain. There is a small fee for the commuter buses which you can learn about here.

How to get to Las Grutas Tolantongo by bus

If you’re on a budget and want a cheaper, car-free route to Las Grutas Tolantongo, you can take a public bus from Mexico City. Go to the Central del Norte bus station and purchase an Ovnibus or Red Arrow line bus ticket to Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo. The buses depart from platforms 7 or 8, but it’s a good idea to confirm where to meet your bus driver at the ticket booth.

Once you arrive in Ixmiquilpan, you’ll need to get another bus to the municipal market of Ixmiquilpan, “Mercado Morelos”. You can look for a collectivo that says “Mercado Morelos” on the front, where you’ll get off at the “San Antonio” parking lot.

Grutas Tolantongo sends buses regularly to pick people up at the top and will drop you off at the end of the day here, too. Just confirm the timetable to return buses to Mexico City to make sure you are back on time! If you are flexible on the timeline, plan to stay overnight. This gives you time to enjoy all of Las Grutas Tolantongo’s amazing attractions. We stayed two nights and would have happily stayed more.

Where to stay at Las Grutas Tolantongo

There are a few options for accommodations at Las Grutas Tolantongo. Visitors can rent a tent and camp on-site, park their RV or van and camp near the river, or stay in one of the three hotels at Las Grutas Tolantongo.

The area is really remote, so there aren’t many accommodations in the town just outside of Las Grutas Tolantongo. There were a few vacation rentals but it was about 45 minutes to an hour to get there one way, which makes staying at one of the on-site hotels far more appealing.

You cannot book hotel rooms beforehand. Booking the on-site hotels is done on a first come first serve basis. The rooms are basic with a single or double queen or king bed. Hotel room cost ranges from $1,000 MXP to $2,500 MXP, roughly $60 to $152 per night. You can see the cost and pictures of the rooms here.

To increase your chances of getting a room, come early and avoid visiting on the weekends. Also, avoid coming during any major holidays in Mexico. We arrived on Sunday, the last day of a three-day weekend for Mexican Nationals and there were hundreds of people waiting for busses to head back up the mountain.

If the hotel rooms are booked, or if you prefer rent a tent and sleeping equipment from the hotel. Many people had tents with sleeping bags and set up along the river. There are public restrooms nearby and showers for washing. The cost to rent a tent is $250 MXP per night. Extra items like lamps, sleeping bags, tables, and chairs can be rented for an additional fee. See the pricing for all tent equipment here.

We camped next to the river in our RV paying roughly $12 per night without hookups plus the daily entrance fee.

How much does Las Grutas Tolantongo Cost?

As of April 2024, it costs 200 pesos (roughly USD 12) to visit Las Grutas de Tolantongo. Prices are subject to change so it’s a good idea to check for updates to pricing on their website directly.

💵 🚨 The park does not accept credit cards so have plenty of pesos to pay for your entry. You’ll also want enough pesos for food, rent lockers, and grab refreshments.

When is the best time to visit Las Grutas de Tolantongo?

The ideal time to visit Las Grutas Tolantongo is during the dry season from November to early spring. June and July are the wettest months of the year which can lead to flash flooding.

In 2022 Las Grutas de Tolantongo dealt with an unusual amount of rain washing mud into the river making it brown instead of the beautiful blue it usually is. If you’re looking for the bright turquoise waters you’ve seen in pictures, the dry season is the time to come.

Things to know before visiting Las Grutas Tolantongo

The park hours are as follows:

• Caves, tunnels, waterfalls, and pools: From 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Thermal pools (Only some) and river: From 8:00 a.m. to 09:00 p.m.
• Restaurant and kitchens (Only some): From 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Grocery store (only some): From 8:00 am to 9:00 pm
• Box office: From 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

🐶 Pets are not allowed at Las Grutas Tolantongo. We were able to bring our 2 indoor-only cats there (but I think we slid under the radar). If you have a dog with as you RV you’ll have to find a place to leave them. Remember, the park does not accept credit cards and there is NO ATM. So make sure to have plenty of pesos with you beforehand.

What to bring to Las Grutas Tolantongo

Las Grutas Tolantongo is like a natural waterpark. There are activities for adventure and excitement and areas to relax and enjoy incredible views. You can cater your experience to fit your interests, but in general, it’s a good idea to bring the following:

Swimsuit – Swimming in most waterfalls is allowed so make sure to bring your bathing suit. We love Andie Swim’s eco swimsuit line which uses recycled plastic for their form-fitting suits.

Quick Dry Towel – There are plenty of high-quality, fast-drying towels on the market right now, so there is no reason to pack in bulky ones that take up unnecessary space. Our favorites are from Teslate but these Turkish towels from Amazon are great too.

Water Sandals – Traversing the landscape around the waterfalls can be tricky. We highly encourage a good pair of water shoes with traction. Dennis loves his Earth Runners and Liz recommends these Chacos.

Water and Snacks – Make sure to have fresh water and snacks on hand. Most waterfalls won’t have stores nearby if you get hungry or thirsty, so it’s best to bring your own. We suggest bringing a reusable water bottle like this Camelbak that has a life straw in it to help filter and remove any unwanted chemicals like chlorine, lead, and organic matter.

Sun protection – We are not big fans of sunscreen. Most are actually toxic to your body and known to cause skin cancer. It’s also bad for the environment you’re swimming in. But if you must use sunscreen we recommend this brand, which has no harmful ingredients, uses zinc to block the sun, and is environmentally safe.

If you’re okay ditching the sunscreen make sure you have a sun shirt and hat with you. We love Free Fly apparel which uses bamboo and has 30 SPF protection. It’s also a good idea to have a buff to protect your neck and face.

Dry Bag – If you’re bringing any filming equipment (like a GoPro) to capture the beauty and the fun at Las Grutas Tolantongo in Mexico, make sure you have a dry bag with you.

You cannot bring any water bottles, bags, or other items up to the cave or tunnel area. However, you can bring your shoes and a towel. They have lockers you can rent for $80 pesos for the day at the bottom of the hill. There are also tons of stalls for food and refreshments and public restrooms to shower and change when you’re done.

Things to do at Grutas de Tolantongo

Below are a few of the things to do at Grutas de Tolantongo.

1. Explore the caves (las grutas)

The area where the waterfall and caves are located is closest to the hotels and parking lots and is definitely best for those seeking a bit of adventure. As you walk along there are incredible waterfalls everywhere you turn, cascading into the hot thermal rivers. It’s an incredible sight!

If you are up for an adventure make sure to walk through the cave tunnel. There is a rope for you to hold on to (you’ll want to). It’s super narrow, there’s loads of steam, it can get quite packed with people, and has lots of slippery spots. This is not for everyone, but we loved exploring the cave tunnel. 

The cave is located below the largest waterfall and is a large cavern with tons of thermal features pouring water into the warm pool. At the back of the cavern, there is a small opening leading to another area of the cave. It’s very dark, so have a flashlight or use your phone’s flashlight (if waterproof).

This was a super cool and unique spot to explore and we enjoyed getting a “massage” from the water flowing from open thermal features. The current is extremely strong here, so you should be a strong swimmer if you want to explore.

2. Relax in the pools

On the complete opposite side of Las Grutas Tolantongo are the pozas or thermal pools. This is the area where the iconic Instagram photos are taken or the incredibly epic shots overlooking gorgeous mountain vistas. The pools aren’t as hot as other hot springs. Rather, they are semi-warm, but it felt great to soak nonetheless.

These pools are super popular so get there early if you want to have the pools to yourself — especially if you want the Instaworthy shot without droves of people in it. There are technically two sides to the thermal pool area which can be accessed by walking through a steam tunnel, or suspension bridge, or simply walking along a sidewalk at the top of the pool area by the hotel. We loved walking through the steam tunnel!

3. Go zip lining

If you haven’t had enough adventure during your stay, you can go zip-lining. The park has a zip line that runs the length of 1,890 meters (6,200 ft) across 4 runs. We didn’t do the zip line during our stay but the views are absolutely epic. I’m sure it would be a fantastic time!

Is Grutas Tolantongo worth visiting?

Las Grutas Tolantongo is absolutely worth visiting despite its somewhat challenging road to get there. If you’re planning a trip to Mexico or traveling to Mexico, make sure to add this destination to your travel bucket list.

I would love to hear if this post helped you plan your trip to Las Grutas Tolantongo or if you enjoyed visiting there in the past. We can’t wait to come back here again and are thankful we were able to experience this wonderful place.