In shortBring swimwear, comfortable shoes you can soak, a towel and a dry change, a waterproof bag, a head torch for the grotto and tunnel, sun protection, and cash in pesos. Every payment inside Grutas Tolantongo is cash, including admission at MXN 230 per person per day, parking at MXN 50 and lockers at MXN 150. Babies may only enter the water in a swim nappy.
MXN 230admission, per person per day
MXN 150locker, MXN 50 refunded
MXN 50parking, per vehicle per day
42.9 kmto the nearest cash machine
What to bring to Tolantongo, item by item
Everything here happens in or beside water that the park's own pools page gives as 36–38 °C in the cave, tunnel and terraces, on limestone that stays wet all day. So the list is short and unglamorous: things that work soaked, things that keep something else dry, and pesos.
A head torch earns its place for the grotto and the tunnel, which is why the full-day departure from Mexico City lends one in its kit backpack along with a sport towel and a waterproof phone cover. If you are travelling independently or on a tour that leaves the kit to you, buy the torch before you leave the city.
Sun protection matters more than the mild numbers suggest. The resort sits at 1,280 metres on the canyon floor, average highs at Ixmiquilpan reach 28 °C in April and May, and the upper terraces are fully exposed from mid-morning.
- Swimwear: the official information page requires it for the grotto, the tunnel and the river
- A swim nappy for babies, who are admitted into the water in nothing else
- Comfortable closed shoes with grip that you do not mind getting wet; comfortable shoes are required on the suspension bridge too
- A towel, and a second dry one if you plan to stay in the river into the evening
- A full dry change of clothes, including footwear, for the drive back
- A waterproof bag for wet swimwear plus a cover or pouch for your phone
- A head torch, hands-free rather than a hand-held one
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- Drinking water, or cash to buy it at the shop
- Cash in pesos, in small notes, for everything listed below
The day that packs most of this for you
$134 for 14 to 16 hours, rated 4.8 from 1,569 reviews, with a kit backpack holding a headlamp, sport towel, waterproof phone cover, wet-clothes bag, wet wipes and sunscreen, plus a dry bath towel, soap and shampoo for afterwards.
★ 4.8/5 · 1,569 reviews
Swimwear, shoes and children in the water
The park states one dress rule and repeats it on both its information page and its river page: swimwear plus comfortable footwear for the grotto, the tunnel and the river, with babies in aquatic nappies only. Street clothes are not an option in the water, and nor are bare feet on the rock.
Supervision is on you. Depth is a reason to pack for swimmers rather than paddlers: the official pools page says some of the swimming pools are deep enough to require the ability to swim, and that children have to be watched the whole time. There are security personnel on site whose instructions you follow; the park does not advertise lifeguards. The official page is blunt about not trying to climb the waterfalls, and on the suspension bridge there is no running, shouting, pushing or playing.
If you are bringing a pushchair or travelling with someone of reduced mobility, the park recommends the Paraíso Escondido zone, the only partly accessible section, and that is also where the suspension bridge and about 40 thermal pools sit.
Tolantongo is cash only: how much to withdraw in Ixmiquilpan
Cards are not accepted anywhere inside the park, according to the official information page. The ticket window, the restaurants, the hotels and the shop all take cash. There is no cash machine at or near Tolantongo either; the nearest one is in Ixmiquilpan, 42.9 km and about 1 hour 11 minutes away on the cooperative's own distance table, so make the withdrawal before you start down into the canyon.
Build the number from the park's price list rather than guessing, then add a buffer, because deposits are taken in cash too and they tie up money you were planning to spend. Count an entrance ticket into your float for every day you intend to be inside: it works only on the day you buy it, and a room booked in the park comes without entry, so two days in the canyon means two lots of MXN 230 per person out of your wallet.
On an organised day trip the arithmetic is smaller but not zero. The Early & Express departure includes park tickets and leaves lunch to you; the small group day includes entrance to the caves but not water; and on the full-day tour lunch is pre-ordered from a menu and collected at the end of the day. The zipline is never included anywhere.
| What you pay for | Cash to carry |
|---|
| General admission | MXN 230 per person, charged for each day |
|---|
| Parking | MXN 50 a day for the vehicle; the space comes without custody |
|---|
| Locker | MXN 150 out, MXN 50 back on returning the key |
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| Shuttle between park sections | MXN 15–20 each on the regular run; MXN 150 per leg for a special trip, up to five people |
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| Zipline, the complete circuit | MXN 300 per person |
|---|
| Four-person tent, pitched by staff | MXN 250 a night plus a MXN 200 refundable deposit |
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| Room inside the park | MXN 650 to MXN 2,800, most doubles MXN 1,300–2,400 |
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Lockers, parking and somewhere to put your bag
Hand over MXN 150 for a locker and MXN 50 of it comes back with the key, and the official price page limits rental to the hours between 8:00 and 17:00. That is the detail that catches evening bathers: the thermal river and some terrace pools stay open until 21:00, long after the locker counter has shut, so take out what you need before five.
Parking is MXN 50 per vehicle per day, and the cooperative's wording is worth reading before you load the boot. You are buying a space. No custody arrangement comes with it and no liability is accepted for damage or for anything that disappears, so travel light enough that nothing of value stays in the car.
Toilets and showers, changing rooms, a basic medical service, 24-hour security and fast food are all on site, and the restaurant and grocery store run 8:00 to 22:00, which is where a forgotten bottle of water or a packet of something gets replaced, for cash.
What you cannot bring through the gate
Four things are turned away. Pets are not allowed into the park at all, and there is no stated exception, so a dog in the car is a trip that ends at the ticket booth. Firewood, gas canisters and alcoholic drinks may not be brought in either. Campers get one concession: charcoal and charcoal grills are permitted.
After 23:00, playing music or making disruptive noise is prohibited, campgrounds included. Pack accordingly if you are sleeping over, which also means a head torch doubles as your lighting for the walk back to the tent.
The zipline has its own set of conditions, and they decide what you carry up to the platform: light footwear, no backpacks and no caps, a signed liability waiver, and no launching with a wet body. Check yourself against the limits before you queue, because they are firm: over-10s only, 93 kg maximum, and the park says it is not suitable for anyone with heart problems. No advance booking is needed, so you can decide on the day, but dry off and leave your bag with someone first.
Questions people ask
Does my tour cover the park ticket, or do I need cash for that too?
It depends on the departure. The Early & Express day includes park tickets, and the small group tour includes entrance to the Tolantongo caves. On the full-day tour, lunch is pre-ordered from a menu and the money is collected at the end of the day. Carry pesos regardless, for the shuttle between sections, a locker, drinks and anything you decide to add.
Can I buy things I forgot once I am inside?
Up to a point. There is a grocery store and a restaurant in the park, both open 8:00 to 22:00 according to the official information page, so water, snacks and basics are covered. They take cash only, like everything else here. A head torch, grippy shoes and a dry change are not things to count on finding on site.
What should I bring if I am visiting in the rainy season?
Mid-June to mid-July is the stretch the park calls its rainy period, and it tells campers not to pitch near the riverbank in those weeks; the wettest month at Ixmiquilpan is September, at around 137 mm. Add a rain layer and footwear that copes with mud on the canyon paths. Plan on spending the day on the terraces and in the grotto, because the official advice for the rainy months is to stay away from the river and do what security staff tell you.
Is there anything I should leave behind for the suspension bridge?
Nothing is banned, but the bridge rules are specific: comfortable shoes, children supervised without a break, and no running, shouting, pushing or playing on the structure. The MXN 230 entrance ticket already covers it, and the crossing is open from 8:00 until 17:00. Keep your hands free and your phone secured if you want a photo from the middle.
How much cash buffer is sensible?
More than your planned spend, because the park holds deposits in cash. A locker takes MXN 150 and gives MXN 50 back with the key; a rented four-person tent is MXN 250 a night plus a MXN 200 refundable deposit. Add the fact that admission is charged again for every day of a stay, at MXN 230 per person, and that the nearest cash machine is an hour's drive away in Ixmiquilpan.
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