Nevado de Toluca Tour: Hike to the Peak and Visit Charming Town (Private / 12h)

Overview

Join our Nevado de Toluca Tour from Mexico City to hike an extinct volcano, the 4th highest summit in Mexico. Known for its impressive natural beauty, it boasts impressive mountainous views and two unique twin lakes inside of its crater. Afterward, visit Toluca, the capital city of the State of Mexico famous for its attractive historic center, and Cosmovitral, the world’s largest stained-glass structure that hosts an expansive botanical garden.

Highlights 

• Climb Mexico’s fourth-highest peak.
• Enjoy impressive mountainous landscapes.
• See unique twin lakes in the crater of an extinct volcano.
• Stroll the picturesque historic center of Toluca.
• Visit a botanical garden with beautiful stained-glass murals.

Itinerary

In the morning, meet your guide and head towards Nevado de Toluca National Park observing an impressive change of natural landscapes on the way.

Once there, start our Nevado de Toluca tour with an impressive 10-km hike to the crater. On your way, enjoy the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and two lagoons inside an unusual crater. In other words, it is considered the highest of its kind in the world. This volcano is truly the most representative natural landscape of the State of Mexico.

Afterward, head to Toluca, the capital city of the State of Mexico with a picturesque colonial center. Once there, visit its attractive squares, churches, lively shopping arcades, art galleries, and museums. The vast Plaza de Los Martires, with the Cathedral and Palacio de Gobierno, marks the town center. Most of the action, however, takes place a block south in the pedestrian precinct ringed by “Los Arcos” (archways).

Also, at lunchtime, make a stop for a food experience in a local market. Get delighted with authentic Mexican dishes and try tasty traditional sausage (chorizo, longaniza), quesadillas, tacos, mixiotes, barbacoa, mushroom soup, etc.

Moreover, visit the Cosmovitral, the world’s largest stained-glass structure that boasts an expansive botanical garden. The building now houses 3500 sqm of lovely gardens, lit through 48 stained-glass panels designed by 60 artisans.

After a full day of experiences and adventures, return to our vehicle and relax on the way back to Mexico City.

Why go with us

• We will spend the time of the tour purely on hiking and sightseeing: no visits to restaurants and souvenir shops (unless you ask).
• An ideal choice for small groups: the price of the tour is fixed and varies just slightly depending on the number of participants.
• We are flexible: we can adjust the program and route to your interests while the duration of the tour can always be extended for an extra fee.

Logistics

• DEPARTURE TIME

The default departure times for this tour are 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 AM, but those can also be adjusted per your request. Our guide will meet/pick you up at the requested time and might need to contact you by phone, so please kindly provide a valid phone number during your booking.

• DEPARTURE POINT

The tour includes complimentary pick-up and drop-off: please indicate the exact time and location for your pick-up during your booking (e.g. in the "Special Requirements" field). If you cannot find this field, just reply to the booking confirmation that you get in your email. Alternatively, send us a message or call the number indicated on your booking confirmation at least 24 hours before the tour. We can pick you up from hotels and apartments situated in the following parts of Mexico City: Downtown, Reforma, Polanco, Condesa, Roma, and Centro Historico; other more remote locations might involve an extra fee.

• TOUR DURATION AND CUSTOMIZATION

The standard duration of the tour is 12 h from the moment of pick-up till drop-off. At the same time, this tour is customizable which means you can adjust the route and time to spend in each location. E.g. if you want to visit a place that is not part of the itinerary (attraction/restaurant/market, etc.), we can do it on a complimentary basis if this visit (1) still fits the standard duration of the tour and (2) doesn't involve a major change of the route.

• WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU

Comfortable clothes and shoes; hat or cap, sunglasses, and sunscreen; travel insurance, personal ID; good mood and curiosity.

Notes

• Children under 3 come free.
• The type of vehicle depends on the size of your group and may include a car, 7-seater, or minivan.
• This is a private tour: only your group will participate.
• This tour involves ~10 km of hiking (~3 h), so travelers should have moderate physical condition.
• Nevado de Toluca is ‎4,680 m high (13,800 ft.) (vs. Mexico City with ~2,300 m) with 538 m elevation gain on the trail that we are gonna take, so for travelers coming from lower altitudes, it’s recommended to take at least 1-2 days in Mexico City upon arrival for adaptation to avoid altitude sickness.