13 Spa & Hot Spring Days in Mexico That Repay the Booking

1.Full-Day Tour Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,277 reviews · 14 to 16 hours (approx.) · from $134Our pick

This 14 to 16-hour trip takes you from Mexico City to Tolantongo’s thermal pools, warm river, and waterfall-filled caves. Expect a 5:45 am start, breakfast in Actopan, air-conditioned transport, a small backpack with useful gear, and guides such as Lalo, Danny, Diego, and Alex. Lunch and the optional zip line cost extra.

“We had a great trip!! The springs were beautiful. We went on a cooler day and on a Monday, so it was very quiet, which we loved. I went with six friends to celebrate a bachelorette, and all really enjoyed the hot springs, though the warm caves were honestly the standout. A phenomenal touch!! The trip to the area itself wasn’t bad, just a bit bumpy. The only real area for improvement was that the bus was quite cold on an already chilly day. That said, the drinks at the springs were great, and the staff there were wonderful. Overall, it’s a fantastic option for a day trip from Mexico…”

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2.Shaded Hot Spring, Massage and Mex Grill in Puerto Vallarta

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 571 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $165

Leave Puerto Vallarta with guide Antonio or Jose for a full day in the countryside. Shop for fresh produce, visit a tortilla workshop, soak at Nuevo Ixtlan hot springs, eat a charcoal-grilled lunch, then finish with a one-hour massage overlooking the beach in Bucerias. Expect a small-group outing, a long bumpy drive, and plenty of food.

“Everything about this trip was wonderful. Took away all the stress of traveling. Antonio was helpful, funny and informative. On the way we stopped for fresh fruit and vegetables and visited a tortilla bakery. Yum. The ride thru the countryside was great and our driver told us about Mexican history and culture. The springs were perfect, just hot enough, and I was glad to see locals there too. I opted in for the mud mask as well. We were served the fresh fruit we had chosen while relaxing and chatting in the pool. There are changing rooms and bathrooms there. We were then served a homemade meal with vegetables, including…”

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3.Tolantongo Caves Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 540 reviews · 14 hours · from $92

Spend about 14 hours traveling from Mexico City to Tolantongo Caves with an English or Spanish guide such as Daniel, Alvaro, Nina, or Rodrigo. Swim in cliffside thermal pools, walk through waterfalls and caves, and visit the tunnel area. Bring cash, water shoes, a towel, and a waterproof phone case.

“The views were super impressive. The pools were incredibly relaxing.”

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4.Early & Express Tolantongo Hot Springs

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 525 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $125

Leave Mexico City around 4:30 a.m. for Grutas Tolantongo with a small group of up to 10 people. Guides such as April, Ara, Aline, and Javier lead you through the cliff pools, cave, tunnel, and warm river before returning by dinner. Park entry and air-conditioned transport are included, but breakfast and lunch cost extra.

“Our guide April and driver Alex were great! They picked us up from the hotel super early and we were on our way by 4:30am. We got there by 7:50 and were the first ones to enter the pools. It’s so nice to have the place almost to ourselves before the crowds came in. They even provided snacks and plastic bags for our wet clothes at the end. I felt like the tour guide company were organized and knowledgeable. There weren’t a lot of people on Monday, I was told that weekends are crowded with locals so I would suggest booking during the weekday.”

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5.Tolantongo Caves Hot Springs & Waterfalls Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 254 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $89

Travel from Mexico City to Hidalgo for a full day at Tolantongo Caves, where warm pools cling to the mountain above a thermal river, waterfalls, grottos, and a suspension bridge. Amigo Tours provides roundtrip transport, park entry, and an English-speaking guide. Guides such as Ada, Alexa, Nina, and Cristian have led recent departures.

“It was an amazing experience I can not describe in words. Must visit when in Mexico just 1 day and live life the fullest there”

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6.Horseback riding & Temazcal combo with lunch and mezcal tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $180

This Mazatlan outing combines a ranch visit, horseback riding through agave fields and along the beach, a temazcal ceremony, lunch, and tastings of six flavored mezcals. Pickup is available from hotels, apartments, or the cruise port. Note that some published details and guest accounts describe a 12-zipline course instead, so confirm the day’s program before booking.

“First time doing this activity and it was awesome, a bit scary but a one for the books, all the staff super friendly and of course the food is also the best.”

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7.Small Group Tour to the Tolantongo Caves

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 100 reviews · 14 hours · from $138

Leave Mexico City at 5:30 am for Hidalgo’s Tolantongo Caves. With an English or Spanish guide, you’ll visit the cave, river, waterfalls, thermal pools, and Paradise Tunnel. The day includes about four hours at the site, free time for swimming, and a long drive, so bring water shoes, cash, a towel, and a passport copy.

“It was a really nice trip, but I think you need to negotiate with yourself if it’s worth the drive, since it’s 4 hours to get there and it took us almost 7 hours to get back because of the traffic.”

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8.Natural Hot Springs Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 81 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $175

Leave Cabo San Lucas with Carlos or Max for a private trip into the Sierra de la Laguna. Soak in warm natural pools, swim in cold river water, or scramble upstream to waterfalls and a secluded spring. The seven-hour outing includes pickup, transport, snacks, entry fees, and a bilingual guide. Lunch at a family restaurant is optional.

“What a fabulous hike in a beautiful secluded natural area. Carlos is the best, most knowledgeable guide! We could not have done the hike without him. After a long day of exploring hot springs, waterfalls, and learning about the native plants and animals, we finished our amazing day with the absolute best guacamole and lobster tacos.”

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9.Aguas Termales a Caballo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 59 reviews · 3 to 4 hours (approx.)

Travel from Puerto Escondido to San José Manialtepec, meet a local farming family, watch tortillas being made, then ride calm horses for about 50 minutes across the Manialtepec River to five thermal pools. English-speaking guides such as Willy, Carlos, and Jamie may lead the day. Expect a private, rural outing with swimming, drinks, and plenty of mountain scenery.

“Amazing experience. Our driver Carlos was amazing and very knowledgeable. Took us to the town where we would be riding the horses, we met Jamie which was our tour guide and he made the experience a 20/10. Definitely would recommend.”

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10.Tolantongo Hot Springs Day Trip with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 46 reviews · 14 hours · from $132

Leave Mexico City at 5:30 am for Hidalgo’s Tolantongo Caves. An English- or Spanish-speaking guide leads you to the grotto, hot springs, river, pools, and walking areas. You get guided sightseeing plus several hours of free time for swimming, photos, a meal, and relaxation. The long drive is the trade-off.

“Amazing day and worth the long drive! a great mix of adventure exploring the caves and relaxation in the hot pools!”

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11.Night Mayan Temazcal Purification Ceremony

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $137

Travel from Cancun to Dos Palmas for a Maya purification ceremony led by a shaman. You’ll learn to play a sea snail, enter a hot temazcal, swim in an illuminated cenote, and share dinner in a local home. Guides including Erica, Melissa, Olga, Gustavo, and Ricardo have led this tour, though the guide is not guaranteed.

“The authenticity of the Mayan village was great. The ceremony was somewhat tarnished by another group that came in a different van that immediately ordered beer when they arrived. This ruined the sacredness of the ceremony for my wife and I. In the future I think it would be better to limit the sale of alcohol to after the ceremony. Otherwise we enjoyed it very much and the cenote was beautiful. The meal that was prepared was also delicious.”

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12.Tour to the Tolantongo Caves, starting from Querétaro

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $197

Leave Querétaro at 7:00 am for a full day at Grutas Tolantongo, where you can move between the grotto, tunnel, thermal river, pools, waterfalls, and suspension bridge. An English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport are included. Bring a swimsuit, towel, water shoes, cash in pesos, and a dry bag.

“We all loved Tolantongo….but we didn’t have a guide, we had a driver. He had never been there before this trip. Therefore we wasted time, and were frustrated not understanding the lay of the park. After reading the great reviews of others guides we were all disappointed in the situation. And paying for four people, I felt I did not get my moneys worth.”

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13.Complete Temazcal Treatment

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 32 reviews · 2 hours · from $70Best value

At Temazcal NA-HÁ MAYA, you spend two hours moving through a traditional steam hut, aromatherapy, music therapy, hydrotherapy, virgin-clay exfoliation, tea, and a 60-minute relaxing massage. Meet at the Mayan pyramid with the big signal. English and Spanish instruction is available, with groups limited to eight people.

“It’s a fun spa with traditional steam hut, mud exfoliating and great music.”

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