Amazing....family owned and preserved!!!! So different than the huge commercially operated ones. I was lucky to have a family member be the tour guide. Hearing the story and her experiences growing up in the area. A dry cave. No bats. The preservation of the ire cave is amazing. Human footprints have been minimal Izard. Every step was full of beauty. So worth the drive and small fee. Gift shop was filled with everything you could imagine..., Clean restrooms and an RV campground is also there. read more

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This is my favorite cavern because it is just so beautiful!! I came here with my brother during our trip to Seminole Canyon SP. He knows that I'm a huge geology sucker since childhood. I remember speaking to a previous professor some years before who had mentioned that I should check out the Caverns of Sonora "if I ever get the chance to". So I had that opportunity during uni life. The cave was slippery and of course some were wearing flip flops. Thankfully, parts of the cave had railings. The caves were cold and spooky dark where the lights were shining. The stalagmites and stalagtites were plenty and intriguing. Some were dripping with water. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and knew what to say. The gift shop doesn't sell pieces of the cave formations so that was a bit bumming. read more

Cave 3 of 5 and Sadly I couldn't check in here as cell service is non existent...We bought our tickets in advance just for this reason...along with saving them in my Apple Wallet...we printed them as well....The Cave...absolutely stunning...Again this felt like a personal tour, as it was just us 3 and the guide...Easily get a sore neck trying to take everything in as the only thing that didn't have a crystal or formation on it was the skinny path you were on....There were more Wow's from my GD than I could count...This is truly the cave of all caves. Like walking inside a huge Geode...just amazing! read more

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Such an amazing experience. Def not as hot as I thought. Tour guide I think she said her name was Jo but I could be wrong. (Dark hair in a braid) She was great, answered any questions we had, and very professional. Give this place a go if you're in the area, you will not be disappointed read more

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Cool place, not crowded, very knowledgeable staff. The tour guide was smart and funny. My kids and I learned a lot and had tons of fun. Lots of deals and fun stuff at the gift shop. read more

Caverns Of Sonora - Tours Near Me - Sonora, Texas

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Been to numerous caves throughout Texas, as well as Carlsbad as well. This one is definitely one of my favorites. I have never seen so many crystals in a cave. A truly amazing experience. Guide was knowledgeable and made it fun. read more

Amazing! We had the opportunity to drive out at your Caverns of Sonora. We pulled up to a long private road and at the end was an RV park with camping grounds and the business for the cave tour. Two tickets were $29 per adult. The tour was about 45 minutes. I enjoyed the tour. Our tour guide Sergio was knowledgeable and funny. He made the tour extremely pleasant. He gave a lot of great information about the cave and many different rock formations. The cave is pretty humid, more than I'm used to. The air does get thin in my opinion in some places. There are about 360 steps in the cavern and a steep incline in places. There is also a nice gift shop that has various items for sale. I Bought a nice wind chime. Overall it was a great experience and would definitely recommend. I want to go back and try their spelunking version of the tour. read more

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Michelle gave a hands down 10/10 tour. So knowledgeable and passionate about geology and the cavern process, I thought the resident PhD was the guide! This is the third Texas cave/cavern have been to and by far the best tour and formations. I learned so much about the different cave systems and even facts about cave preservation and restoration techniques. read more

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Had a great experience. Tickets can be bought online or there when you arrive. It is about 20 minutes out of the city of Sonora. We chose the Crystal palace tour, that is almost 2 hours long. We had only 4 people in our group what was nice. Looks like they have up to 12 in each tour. The guide Carolina was friendly, and had a nice personality. We enjoyed the information she provided. It's very humid and hot inside the cave, and sometimes the floor is slippery. There are stairs and railings for safety. The calcite formations are beautiful, and very diverse. There is so much to see in such little time! They also have a 4 hour "wild" tour that sounds life fun. Nothing other than cameras or phones allowed inside the cave (bags, etc.) read more

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Great time saw cool artifacts, lots of pretty things to look at. Overall very good time in the caverns was not as hot as expected. read more

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Absolutely Amazing place. It was like traveling to a new dimension. I learned so much and was in awe the whole time we were down there. read more

This place was beautiful and the staff was so inviting and informative. We learned so much and our tour guide was super helpful! She was some what short and brown eyes! Amazing experience. They've got a nice shop and really nice amenities to take back home. Would definitely come back and recommend! read more

Caverns Of Sonora - Tours Near Me - Sonora, Texas

This place is amazing. The owner and her staff are so nice. My wife and I can here today to take a tour. I was not able to take it as I'm disabled but they had me watch a movie that showed the entire tour plus it had a geologist explain everything in the caverns in detail. I really enjoyed that. This place should be on National Geographic or Discovery Channel.My wife was able to take the guided tour and loved it. They have lots of wildlife in this working ranch. Peacocks and other birds. Lots of displays. The owner is a nice old lady and has a general manager who is quite a story teller. I highly recommend this park. They also have RV Camping with full hookups read more

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Such a fun stop off I-10 with a quaint setting in the quiet area just east of Sonora. My tour guide Z was awesome and knowledgeable. The store area was full of friendly people and I chatted to just about all the staff there. There are peacocks and other fauna moving around. The caves were spectacular. Truly well maintained and really really incredible to experience. First cave that I have been in that was warm around 70° which made walking through very pleasant. One of those places that photos can't do justice. read more

This was a great stop as we drove out of San Antonio on 10. Great signage to get us there when GPS coverage was spotty. Our tour guide Roland did a fantastic job of pointing out all of the very cool cave formations while fielding questions like a pro from adults and two young boys on our tour. It was awesome to see them so interested in learning all Roland had to tell us. Of course, the highlight of any cave tour was getting a Cave Kiss! At several points during the tour droplets of pure joy will splash down on you and impart seven years of good luck. The water is cool and when we went with high humidity the temperature inside felt like 85. Trust the staff when when they tell you leave your coats, sweaters and jackets behind. I felt like I was doing Cave Yoga instead of Bikram but it was all so worth it to see the extraordinary structures formed by water! The cave is thoughtfully lit to highlight the most beautiful sights, but our guide pointed out so much more using his own light source. He kept us safe and did just an overall job! The gentleman who sold us our tickets was equally as charming and I am just so glad we stopped. The gift shop is pretty cool with a wide variety of rocks, minerals and fossils. As far as caves go this one was surprisingly awesome!!!! read more

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I encourage you to go... if you feel like being harassed by their employees on social media who are stalking to see if anyone "touched" their cavern. I now realize it's frowned upon to touch them, but it was my first time in a cavern, and it's human nature to want to touch things we see. I didn't know I'd get the 3rd degree. Actually I didn't while I was there. It was a super pleasurable trip. But yes, I did touch the wall. Did I hurt it? No. I'd never do that. The tour guide reminded us not to touch anything and of course I complied, but beforehand, I got a photo of my arm barely touching the damn thing and posted it on Instagram.. and here it is 1 month later and their employee is messaging me telling me to take my photo down and sending me pictures of the penal code.. which does not in fact state that I committed any crime by touching it. Anyways, the cavern is beautiful. If you do wish to go see it, Just beware.. read more

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This review is late, I'm sorry John! I went on the Wild Tour aka the Discovery Challenge Tour! It is WELL WORTH the time and money to go on this 4 hour long tour of the caverns. Plan your trip now before they bring up the price (and even then, it would still be completely worth it!). You'll need to made a reservation at least 2 weeks in advance so they can coordinate (very few guides are trained for the Wild Tour). I was lucky that the day I called was 2 weeks from when I wanted to go out and visit as well as being a weekday so it wasn't already booked. All you have to bring is yourself in clothing you don't mind getting ruined (seriously, the shirt I wore still has a stain after being run through the wash) and some good tennis shoes. No stiff hiking boots because you'll need your full range of motion in some of the tight turns. Everything else is provided which includes elbow/knee pads, lighted helmet, and rappel rigging. I went with my boyfriend and our friend on this amazing trip through the caverns. Simply put, you get to experience what it is like to be an actual caver (aka spelunking) but in a safer environment. No ferreting yourself down a random hole on vacation only to get stuck and perish because nobody knew where you went. Our guide was John and was absolutely amazing and gave me props for my repelling during and after the tour was over. He was extremely knowledgeable about the caverns and gave us lots of information. We even got a chance to experience absolute darkness. Absolutely no lighting in the cavern and you can feel your eyes strain for light that does not exist that far underground. We were all saddened still about the butterfly and were asked our opinions about a possible restoration. It is a difficult topic. I didn't think of the idea until later, but I think having a display set up in the shop with a replication of the butterfly would be a good idea. That way the original and it's story remains, while those curious could see how it would have looked. Or a display with a replication of the missing piece. It is up to the owners to decide, but I think this idea may make a good compromise for the mixed feelings it evokes. The staff at the shop were great too. Our merry band spent probably at least an hour if not longer going through the gift shop. I apologized about keeping them past close when I realized the time and they were all super nice and remarked that the closing time wasn't a hard time when a tour was running and they are fine if it gets a little fudged. Oh, did I mention the fudge?! It was absolutely delicious! We heard there was a couple in California that would even order up a whole tray for delivery from time to time, it was that good! John is also authorized to crack open geodes so of course I spent a lot of time picking out one of each geode type to crack. A certain geode in my attached photos was meant to have googly eyes but the stores were all out (who knew there was a googly eye shortage?) so we got our crafting on and made some eyes for it. Thus I could finally post this review! read more

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We planned the caverns of Sonora as an overnight stop on our rv trip. The small rv park was clean and quiet, nothing fancy but had connections for water and electric and that was just fine. I called ahead to let them know we'd be a bit part their normal hours. We pulled in just at dark but the attendant still popped out and directed us to where to pull in our rv, very polite for us arriving after hours. In the morning we caught their 9.30am cavern tour and it was really amazing and beautiful. And oddly enough it was a warm cave !We were so glad we stopped here. The tour guide was absolutely very knowledgeable and loved her tour and educating us in the small group setting. It turned out every one we met there was so very nice and welcoming but they all knew so much. To top it off, the gift store was a destination all to itself. I have never seen such an incredible variety of gifts and items at very reasonable prices. I had no intention of buying anything on this trip but ended up buying all the upcoming birthday and Christmas presents bc they had such unique gifts that I couldn't pass up. We can't give enough stars for our trip there, it was a fantastic stay!! read more

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Gotta see this- at least once! This is one of those things in life I've done twice. Back when I was married, we took our little kiddos to see this amazing cavern. My kids are older now, I'm not sure they remembered it nor truly appreciated it, so I took them again while road tripping to Big Bend. It is one of the most decorated (with stalagmites and stalactites) caverns in the world! They have done a wonderful job of protecting and preserving it. The caverns are on private property and tours are run frequently and in small groups. You are only allowed to take a camera down into it to avoid accidentally damaging the formations. The temperature is quite warm and pretty humid, so I strongly recommend leave your jacket/hoodie/sweater behind. What you need to know: if you are claustrophobic, this might not be for you. You'll be inside for about an hour and a half. Most of the space feels "open", but one of my teenagers got "uncomfortable" underground that long. She didn't panic and was able to calm herself with deep, slow breaths- just something to keep in mind. Also, it's about $20 per person over 12 (I think that was the cutoff), which can be pretty pricey for a big family. All that said, it is really spectacular and definitely worth seeing. Our guide was very informative and asked us often if we had any questions. Stop in (or under ) if your headed west. Tell me what you think. Safe travels. read more

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Found this place off the beaten path during a rough time, going down into the mine was so cathartic and the people who work there are so sweet. I'll never forget my trip into the mine and talking with the tour guide.. Thank you for my experience. read more

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I've driven past the signs and exits for twenty five years. My wife and I decided a few weeks ago to make day trips every few weeks, and the CoS were the first choice, just over a couple of hours from Midland. The gift shop staff were wonderful, as was our tour guide who will be a Freshman at Aggieland in the Fall. The cavern is a warm humid cavern so make sure you dress comfortably with good walking shoes! You will climb and descend stairs , as well as slopes. You will eventually descend 155 feet to the deepest point. The trip takes you from the dead portion to the semi active to actively growing part of the cavern. You enter and depart from entirely different points. Oh yeah, do not touch anything in the cave but the hand rails. A repeat trip is in our future read more

Well worth the drive. This is an inspirational experience and the staff is so knowledgeable. Our guide Colton was phenomenal.

These caverns are amazing. Never seen so much popcorn. This is a must when driving through the area. read more

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We almost missed this spot driving through Texas. These caverns are one of the most intriguing I've been to. The tour guide was informative, funny and patient. He allowed for us to take our time to enjoy our surroundings as I like to take tons of photos. There is a store with snacks and lots of awesome souvenirs for purchase. It can get a little humid down at the bottom so keep that in mind. It was a social treat to find these caverns and to have the experience in touring them! Highly recommend! read more

Caverns Of Sonora - If you look close enough you can see me in this picture. - Tours Near Me - Sonora, Texas

What the other reviews say is true, some of the people here have a bad attitude. But the caves are worth putting that aside! You go on a guided tour through the caves and get to learn about how they were discovered (some mind blowing stories), expanded, and how some shenanigans changed them in unfortunate ways. Beautiful and breathtaking. They do have kennels for your puppers, which we appreciated! The views around are also quite nice and they have peacocks on site. read more

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Such a fun trip, the staff and tour guides are so friendly. We had just made it for next tour and they came to tells us and waited for my family. Beautiful place read more

After much discussion I can't say there is a cave I have not enjoyed touring. The history and science behind each caves is fascinating. This cave was no exception. The unique formations within the cave were amazing. During one section the number of geodes embeded in the wall were fascinating. This is the warmest cave I have ever been in. Generally the caves I have been in have been cool. This cave had no air movement and was very humid. I was wearing a face mask and it was rough going through the cave with a mask. I had to take it off twice for a second to get some fresh air. The haedest climb on the tour was at the end when you climbed several steep stairs as a part of a couple of switchbacks to exit the cave. But the guide was very courteous and thoughtful of the entire touring group as he encouraged the group to move at their own pace and take a break for as long as they liked after climbing a number of stairs at the end. The cost was $20 per person (adult, don't know if they had discounted prices for youth). Tour lasted a little over and hour. Also tours left at scheduled times. We got there about 10:15am and next tour was scheduled for 10:45am. I walked around behind the gift store and found a maintained trail that wound up a hill. I took my time to make sure I didn't stumble upon any snakes and the path was fairly rocky. Saw a lot cactus and grasshoppers. I also saw a rabbit. Path was easy to follow. I did realize I needed to get back for the tours I went back down the path at a much quicker pace. As I reached the beginning of the path I ran into a rattlesnake that was lying across the opening of the trail. It slithered away quickly onto an adjacent rock and kept shaking its tail. I was careful to give it a wide berth. I enjoyed my overall experience with this cavern. read more

Beautiful cave. I like it more than Natural Bridge Carvens in San antonio. The tour during spring break lasts 1h15. I felt like under the sea with the scence. read more

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We stayed in their campground and did the cave tours in the morning. Everything was great. Pull through sites with water and power. Cavern tour was awesome. We saw peacocks, Guinea hens, an armadillo, and deer from our campsite. read more

I took a tour during COVID. The pace was excellent - it didn't drag and there was plenty of time to stop and take pictures or admire formations. The tour guide Bill was knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. The cave system is beautiful. A great stop on I-10. read more

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Impressive cavern! Absolutely worth the visit. Our tour guide, Abby, was excellent. Recommend making reservations early. Book the 10am and go to Lala's Mexican Cantina in Sonora afterwards--partially outdoor bar opens at noon. read more

Caverns Of Sonora - Tours Near Me - Sonora, Texas

This is by far my favorite show cave in Texas! It is a trek from any populated corner of the state and is literally in the middle of nowhere, but if you are headed out on I-10, the signage to get you there is pretty reliable. The tour itself was a bit on the pricier side of most show cave tours, but not exorbitantly so. $20 for two hours to see a jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, wow-factor subterranean showcase, to me is well worth every penny! Literally, everywhere you look is just incredible! And some of the rarest and most breathtaking formations that I have seen on any cave tour (I am a huge cave nerd and amateur speleologist). It was the home of the famous "butterfly" formation, but some jerk broke off one of the "wings" and of course ruined it for everyone. You can still appreciate the extreme rarity of the formation though. We had a very interactive guide and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. If you have been on show cave tours before, there is a lot of the same explanations of cave formations and a demonstration of total darkness, but you will not be bored, trust me! The quantity of pillars here is mind-blowing as well! The gift shop was very nice (I collect amber and they had some very reasonably priced pieces) and they have peacocks behind the shop that are docile. Definitely worth a stop whether passing through or as a destination! read more

We made this a stop on our way home from Big Bend and it was worth it. We stayed at the on-site campground. Clean grounds, spots for tents and pull thrus, bathrooms and showers. We woke to cows walking by our camper and then a porcupine and peacocks. We booked the private tour due to COVID. Our tour guide was Lacey Jo. Although young she was awesome. She was friendly and informative. I highly recommend Sonora Caverns. read more

Love the cavern and the ppl here know what they're talking about!!! The gift shop! Wow!!! I love the gift shop, there Crystals are so cheap and awesome sizes! Just a really really nice place! Ppl so nice. read more

We were treated rudely by the staff.. the 35-40 year old woman (can't call her a lady) who would have taken our money was as rude and condescending as a person could be. When she described the conditions in the cave she made it sound like we were descending into hell. Because of her rudeness we left without going into the caves. Not going to give our $40 to her. read more

We're doing a road-trip from Houston to New Mexico. Stayed a night in Sonora and went to the Caverns in the morning. They offer guided tours through the underground cave. Our tour guide was a young college student- he was very knowledgeable and patient. The tour was 1.75 miles and took about an hour and a half. Overall, great experience. Cellular service is spotty, so be sure to download or print tickets before you get there. read more

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An amazing place to visit. We took the tour with Juan and enjoyed it very much!!! He is knowledgeable and nice. Gave the group time to enjoy the ace and take pictures. Beautiful cave with 3 different not activity zones, so different things to see along the way. Nothing is allowed inside the cave besides cameras. Wear light long sleeve shirt or a tshirt. No jackets are allowed in the cave. The tour is about 1.5 hrs. Nice gift shop . read more

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We love exploring caverns. Caverns of Sonora was only 8 miles off our route so we stopped. (We are in our 60s) The older woman selling the tickets gave us a list a mile long of things we COULD NOT do but not a single positive thing about the caverns. As she continued I wondered 1. Why she had this job. 2. How many people she had scared away with her threatening tone 3. Why would I take a chance of entering this place. I decided not to tour. I told my husband it just felt too negative. I would wait for him. He too was overwhelmed by the gravity of the task of touring this rule laden cave and also decided against the tour. We are off to Carlsbad! read more

From the moment we called, to see if they were doing tours, to the moment we left and the peacocks giving us a warm farewell, it was absolutely wonderful! It began with the sweetest lady answering saying ABSOLUTELY we are doing tours today! Our tour guide Monica was very knowledgeable and passionate about the caverns! It is truly a site to be seen! read more

Caverns Of Sonora - Tours Near Me - Sonora, Texas

When I visited 15-20 years ago I was blown away by this cave. I'm not sure why I came away a bit disappointed on a recent return visit but it just didn't seem as magnificent as before. I suspect I didn't see as much of the cavern because the tour, advertised at one hour, forty five minutes, was over in one hour flat, and felt rushed. We were told it had been shortened due to staffing issues. We almost certainly covered less of the active part of the cave than on my earlier visit. The highlight of the tour seemed to be the remains of their prized butterfly formation, which someone had broken while attempting to steal a number of years ago. I don't fault them for presenting it and the story on the tour, but it came across a bit as a "this is why we don't let you out of our eyesight, treat you all as suspects, and rush you through" lecture. If you want to see a flourishing, active cave in Texas, this place is a must. The cave itself is definitely more than the three stars I've giving it. Don't expect the best tour experience, though you can certainly find worse. Lighting design, while natural (no fake colored lighting), could be better. read more