When I was planning our stay in Mexico City, it was clear that I wanted to put a trip to Grutas Tolantongo right at the top.

Not because of the weather or the crowds of tourists. Purely for logistics.

For the first three nights we stayed at the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México right on the Zócalo, and the only embarkation point for our organized trip was at Hostel Amigo, about a five-minute walk from the hotel.

So I didn't have to deal with Uber at 4am or complicated transfers across town.

Like most travel activities, I purchased this trip through GetYourGuide for the price of 2 260 mxn per person.

Start at 5:15am

We met at the front desk of Hostel Amigo at 5:15am. It's about a 7 minute walk from our hotel, and even at this time of night, we don't feel unsafe on the street.

It's not a fancy lounge, but it serves its purpose well. One can go to the toilet, buy a coffee, a banana, an apple or a simple sandwich to go.

At about 5:45 we board our orange van.

I was pleasantly surprised that it was not fully occupied. Instead of a cramped minivan, we had a fairly comfortable Mercedes Sprinter waiting for us with plenty of room and air conditioning.

The drive to Grutas Tolantongo takes approximately 4.5 hours one way.

A stop in Ixmiquilpan

About halfway through the trip, we stopped in the town of Ixmiquilpan.

And I recommend taking full advantage of this stop.

There's still a lot of cash in the Tolantongo area, so it's the perfect place to withdraw money from an ATM.

We then continue a few minutes to a local restaurant to sample traditional barbacoa (a way of preparing meat). It's not compulsory, so anyone who doesn't want to can buy supplies at the Oxxo minimarket across the street.

We bought our water shoes here for 100 pesos and in retrospect it was one of the best investments of the whole vacation. They came in handy not only in Tolantong, but also later in the cenotes in Yucatan.

What exactly are Grutas Tolantongo?

Grutas Tolantongo is a natural thermal resort hidden in the mountains of the state of Hidalgo about 200 kilometers north of Mexico City.

The local thermal water springs directly from the rock and has a pleasant temperature of around 35 to 38°C all year round.

The biggest attraction is the famous artificial cascading pools built high on the hillside above the valley, from where there are spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

The area is still being expanded. The original pools have been significantly reduced and more and more are being added.

The purely natural part of the complex includes 2 caves and a cascading river.

The area is quite large and I can easily imagine a full day stay here.

First stop: the cave

Upon arrival, the organized part of the day begins.

Most things have to stay in the van. Alternatively, you can use the paid lockers for 250 mxn, but for an organized trip this didn't make sense to me.

There are always free public toilets, showers and changing facilities at all car parks.

We then checked to make sure we weren't taking anything prohibited.

Practically only a swimsuit, a towel and a small waterproof case for your cell phone are allowed. Really just a small one, no 3 litre waterproof bag!

And I soon understood why.

Because the first stop was the thermal cave itself.

The water is chest deep in places and it is almost completely dark inside. You orient yourself mainly by the people in front of you.

The passage itself takes only about 5 minutes, but it is a very unusual experience. Hot water, steam and almost zero visibility create a special atmosphere.

You can hardly take pictures from here anyway. I didn't make it.

Yeah, and no water in the water! I can't imagine walking barefoot on slippery rocks.

The waterfall and the giant open cave

After the passage comes the part I liked significantly more.

A huge open cave with thermal water and a waterfall.

Here there is already enough light, beautiful views and much better conditions for swimming and photography.

We spent 30 minutes here.

And it was here that I first thought the early alarm was worth it. Really nice!

Swimming in the thermal river

Next stop was the thermal river.

The water is a beautiful blue-green colour and there are several stalls along the shore with snacks and cocktails.

We had approximately 45 minutes to swim. The water in the river is a bit colder than the cave, but still pleasantly warm and a bit refreshing at the same time.

This was a nice relaxing stop. After swimming we had nachos and two cocktails.

Here again, our water shoes came in handy because of the pretty sharp little rocks.

The famous cascade pools

We then returned to the van and drove about ten minutes to the most famous part of Tolantong.

To the cascading pools.

The ones you probably know from Instagram.

Currently over 40 thermal pools carved into the hillside above the deep valley, with more under construction.

We had about an hour and a half of free time here.

But I can imagine a full day. Just beach-like serenity, only with breathtaking views of the mountains, the canyon and the other cascading pools.

You can switch between pools at will. Some have colder water (they are deep or lie mostly in the shade), others have uncomfortably hot water.

Either way, it's very varied and the views are incredible.

There are walkways, stairways, tunnels and bridges between the pools.

Practical information

Above the pools there is a hotel and several restaurants, bars, souvenir and ice cream shops.

We headed for a late lunch before leaving, but they had almost nothing to interest us, so we ended up with a fruit bowl and two not-so-good cocktails.

There are also public toilets, changing rooms, showers and lockers on site to store luggage for 250 mxn.

But again, we left all our stuff in the van.

Book a trip to Grutas de Tolantongo

Long way back

The return to Mexico City again took approximately four and a half hours.

On the way we stopped at a traditional bakery where they had good local empanadas with many different flavours - sweet and savoury.

During the return trip, our guide asked each group for their favorite song and played it over the speakers.

It was quite lovely at the beginning.

Then he started playing his favorite songs. This was getting a little (later, a lot) annoying because we'd rather sleep.

We arrived in Mexico City around 7:30pm again at Hostel Amigo.

Who to book the flight through and how much did it cost?

I booked through GetYourGuide.

Incidentally, as I almost always do when I travel - whether we've been to Koh Samui, Zanzibar or Cancun - I've simply had a good experience with it.

Most of the agencies that organize trips to Tolantong work on GetYourGuide.

The day trip cost us a total of 4 520 mxn, so 2 260 mxn for 1 person without food.

Check current prices at Getyourguide.com

Communication with the local agency was very good. All the information came in the GetYourGuide app and via WhatsApp, the instructions were clear and there was not a single problem during the whole event.

This is exactly how I imagine an organized trip.

What is included?

• transport there and back
• entrance fee
• guide service

What is not included?

• No food (box lunch is optional, but no one has to pay for it)
• tips
• any water equipment

What's sure to come in handy

• Water shoes (a definite must-have)
• Cash (you really can't pay by card almost anywhere on site)
• swimsuit (you can't do without it)
• towel (not available on site)
• waterproof phone case
• food and especially drinks

What can you buy on site?

• Water shoes (around 150 mxn to 200 mxn, while on the way around 100 mxn)
• water equipment (always about a third more expensive than elsewhere)
• food - several restaurants, local fast-food places, ice-cream parlours

Would I recommend a trip?

Yes.

Despite the very long journey and therefore relatively limited time on site.

• 4.5 hours there
• about 15 minutes to change into swimwear and move to the caves.
• about 15 minutes through the cave tunnel
• approx. 30 minutes swimming in the large cave under the waterfall
• 5 minutes moving
• approx. 45 minutes swimming in the river
• 15 minutes transfer
• approx. 1.5-2 hours at the cascade pools
• 4.5 hours back

Even so, the pools, river and caves are something you won't see anywhere else in the world.

It is a unique place and we certainly don't regret our trip here.

Is it possible to visit Tolantongo on your own?

Yes, but personally I probably wouldn't recommend it.

There's no public transport at all, so you'd have to rent a car.

• Compare car rental prices in Mexico City

For a day trip, this doesn't make much sense to me, unless you plan a bigger road-trip around the state of Hidalgo.

However, traffic around Mexico City is quite challenging - often extreme traffic jams, confusing signage and even lengthy transfers.

You can't drive all the way to the caves. You have to park in the official parking lot about 7 km from the pools.

• 50 mxn per car / day
• 230 mxn entrance fee

A free shuttle bus runs once every 30 minutes from the car park to the caves and pools.