The Wayro route from Apizaco to Ocuituco is 83 miles (133 km), about 1 h 49 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 83 mi (133 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 1 h 49 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-117D → MEX-119D → PUE 438D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-117D, MEX-119D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 3.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
Driving this route in a car with U.S. plates
| Temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) | Required: this route is outside the zones where U.S.-registered cars can skip the temporary import permit (Baja California, Baja California Sur and part of Sonora) |
|---|---|
| Mexican auto insurance | Required for all vehicles: buy a Mexican policy before you drive |
Sources: U.S. State Department, Mexico travel information (updated August 11, 2026); permits are issued by Banjercito.
What the drive from Apizaco to Ocuituco is like
PUE 438D (22 mi) and MEX-117D (11 mi) carry about 40% of the 83 miles. MEX-117D, MEX-119D are toll highways (cuota). It runs through 3 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos. Of the 7 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Apizaco to Ocuituco, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–3 | 3 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 3–14 | 11 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 14–15 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119D | 15–25 | 10 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 25–46 | 21 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 46–68 | 22 | Puebla |
| local roads | 68–83 | 15 | Puebla, Morelos |
- Mile 23 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 73 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Apizaco and Ocuituco
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 10), Teatro Xicohténcatl (mile 11), Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 22), Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (mile 75)
- Nature and outdoors: Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 22)
- Museums and history: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 10), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 35)
Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco
Ocotelulco was the principal Tlaxcalan lordship in 1519; its site museum displays about 750 excavated objects beside temple remains painted with Tezcatlipoca and the fire serpent, and an ethnobotanical garden surrounds the building.
Teatro Xicohténcatl
Tlaxcala's Teatro Xicohténcatl opened in 1873 and was reopened in 1888 after remodeling. Look up to see John Fulton's ceiling mural of the nine muses, painted in Art Nouveau style against a Tlaxcalan landscape.
Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos
Opened on April 2, 2015, Los Ladrillos Ecological Park is a nature reserve in the municipality of Zacatelco, in Tlaxcala.
San Gabriel Franciscan Convent, Cholula
The San Gabriel Franciscan Convent, also called San Gabriel Friary, is a church and friary in Cholula, part of the Puebla metropolitan area.
Tonantzintla Observatory
The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.
International Museum of the Baroque
Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
When you get to Ocuituco
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
Convento de San Juan Bautista
This convent in Tetela del Volcán, known for its carved wooden sacristy and light-filled cloister walks, was cleaned of soot left from its use as a barracks during the Mexican Revolution in a conservation project completed in 2009.
More drives to Ocuituco
- Tepoztlán to Ocuituco
- Cuernavaca to Ocuituco
- Mexico City to Ocuituco
- Zacatelco to Ocuituco
- Tlaxcala to Ocuituco
- Chiautempan to Ocuituco
From Apizaco to other places in Mexico
- Apizaco to Omitlán
- Apizaco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Apizaco to Atlatlahucan
- Apizaco to Metepec
- Apizaco to Jilotepec
- Apizaco to Malinalco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Apizaco to Ocuituco?
About 1 h 49 min of driving without stops, over 83 miles.
How far is Ocuituco from Apizaco by car?
About 83 miles (133 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Do I need a permit to drive my U.S. car from Apizaco to Ocuituco?
Yes. A temporary vehicle import permit (TIP) is required for a U.S.-registered car on this route, which is outside the zones where it can be skipped. Mexican auto insurance is required for every vehicle.
Is it safe to drive from Apizaco to Ocuituco?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Apizaco to Ocuituco use?
In order: MEX-117D, MEX-119D and PUE 438D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Apizaco and Ocuituco?
Closest to the road: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (museum, mile 10, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (park, mile 22, 0.4 mi from the route); Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán (convent, mile 75, 0.1 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway mile markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route (roughly 2 to 7 miles depending on the type, farther for World Heritage sites): at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, with no more than five of one type, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place and city descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on September 29, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.