★★★★★
Hierve el Agua was the reason we came and it did not disappoint. The views back down the valley from the terrace are the thing we keep describing to people.
Julian · Canada · Couple · August 2026
Oaxaca: Hierve el Agua Petrified Waterfalls and Pools Tour
From $36 per person
- Duration: 6 hours
- Time at Hierve el Agua: 3 hours
- Departs from: 5 de Mayo 300, Oaxaca de Juárez
- Operator: El Convento DMC
- Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours before departure
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead — you are not charged today.
The lowest fare on this route
From $36 for the return drive and three hours of your own time.
Three hours at the springs
Free time, spent however you decide to spend it.
Dropped at your door
Hotel or apartment drop-off at the end, not a meeting point.
Six hours, start to finish
Out by mid-morning, back with the afternoon intact.
No itinerary to keep up with
One stop. Nothing to be late for except the van.
What you are buying, stated plainly
This is the drive, solved. A comfortable van leaves 5 de Mayo 300 in the centre, covers the hour and a half of valley road and mountain climb, waits while you spend three hours at the springs, and drops you at your accommodation afterwards.
It does not include the entrance ticket, and it does not include a guide inside the site. The second part is not a shortcoming: only guides from the local community may work inside Hierve el Agua at all. What that leaves is the cheapest honest way up the mountain, at 4.7 from 311 reviews.
If you like arranging your own day and resent an itinerary, that is a feature. If you want somebody to explain what you are standing on, it is not the trip for you and the alternatives are below.
Your six hours, in order
- Morning pickup — 5 de Mayo 300. In the centre; ask for the agency by name.
- The road east (about 1.5 h). Through the valley, past Mitla, then the climb.
- Hierve el Agua (3 h free time). Terrace, pools, the descent if you want it.
- Back down (about 1.5 h) and dropped at your hotel or apartment.
Who this suits, and who should book something else
Book this if
You are a confident traveller who wants the transport handled and the day left open, and you would rather spend the difference on lunch.
Book something else if
You want the entrances covered and a guide for the valley. The Hierve el Agua and mezcal distillery trip includes site entry and a distillery tasting for a modest step up.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- Round-trip transport
- Hotel or Airbnb drop-off
- Three hours of free time at Hierve el Agua
Paid separately
- Entrance ticket
- Bilingual guide
- Food and drinks
Where it leaves from
5 de Mayo 300, in the centre. The operator asks travellers to ask for the agency by name at the address and its collaborators will point you to the vehicle — so allow five minutes rather than arriving at the last moment. Drop-off at the end of the day is at your own accommodation.
Know before you go
- Take 100–150 pesos a person in small notes. Two cash-only gates and no machine on the route.
- Eat first. There is no breakfast stop on this run, so have something before you leave and carry a snack.
- Plan the three hours before you arrive. Descend early, swim after.
- Built for travellers on their feet. The site is uneven rock throughout, and this trip is not suitable for under-2s or for anyone with a mobility impairment. For a gentler pace, a private car sets its own.
- Swimwear, towel, change of clothes. Mineral water dries chalky.
- Free cancellation at 24 hours. Useful on a road that occasionally closes.
What travellers said
★★★★★
A good day out with children. The guide was genuinely good with them and the kids enjoyed the pools far more than we expected them to.
Samantha · New Zealand · Family · August 2026
★★★★★
We travelled with a five-year-old and our guide found viewpoints that worked without doing the whole descent. She gave us plenty of context on the drive and a list of things to see back in Oaxaca. The driver made the mountain road feel safe.
Anja · Germany · Family · July 2026
★★★★★
Booked this as transport only to Hierve el Agua and got more than that. The guide clearly loves Oaxaca and talked us through the whole valley on the way out.
Vadim · United States · Solo · June 2026
Read all Hierve el Agua tour reviews
Questions about this trip
What is not included in this fare?
The entrance ticket at the springs, the community road charge, a guide inside the site and any food or drink. The fare covers the return drive and the drop-off, and that is deliberately all it covers.
So what do I actually pay on the day?
Roughly 70–100 pesos a person across the two gates, plus whatever you spend at the stalls. Take small notes; neither gate accepts cards.
Is it really only six hours?
Yes — about an hour and a half each way, and three hours of free time at the springs. That is as long on the terrace as trips costing three times as much.
Is there any guiding at all?
Not as part of the fare. Travellers often describe the driver pointing things out on the way, but the trip is sold as transport and free time, so treat any commentary as a bonus rather than the product.
I would rather have a guide and the tickets sorted.
Then the full valley day is the one to book. It carries a certified guide, a local guide at the springs and every charged entrance already paid, and still allows three hours on the terrace.