Atlixco to Zacatelco Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Atlixco to Zacatelco is 33 miles (53 km), about 41 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Tlaxcala is the Mexican state that contains Zacatelco. See the full advisory for current details.
International Museum of the BaroqueHistoric centre of PueblaMuseo Regional de CholulaCholulaAtlixcoZacatelco
Route from Atlixco to Zacatelco with the 4 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance33 mi (53 km)
Driving time, no stops41 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-119D
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-190D, MEX-119D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 1.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below4

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 insuranceRequired 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 Atlixco to Zacatelco is like

MEX-190D (13 mi) and MEX-190 (9 mi) carry about 67% of the 33 miles. MEX-190D, MEX-119D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala. None of the 4 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Atlixco to Zacatelco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Puebla
MEX-190D3–1613Puebla
MEX-19016–259Puebla
MEX-119D25–305Puebla, Tlaxcala
local roads30–333Tlaxcala
  • Mile 29 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Atlixco and Zacatelco

International Museum of the Baroque

Mile 16 · Art museum · 1 mi from the route

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.

Historic centre of Puebla

Mile 17 · Urban area · 4 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.

Museo Regional de Cholula

Mile 21 · Anthropology museum · 1 mi from the route

Right beside the Great Pyramid and archaeological zone of Cholula, this public museum displays collections ranging from pre-Hispanic and colonial art to contemporary and folk art.

Cholula

Mile 21 · Archaeological site · 2 mi from the route

Cholula's Great Pyramid grew in successive construction phases around an adobe core. INAH repair work on its Pocito staircase after the 2017 earthquakes turned up broken pre-Hispanic braziers and a small limestone figure of the rain god Tláloc.

When you get to Zacatelco

Laguna de Acomulco

Lake · in Zacatelco

A quiet lagoon in the state of Tlaxcala, Laguna de Acomulco is surrounded by vegetation and rural scenery and works well for a short walk, landscape photos or a calm break in nature.

Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos

Park · in Zacatelco

Opened on April 2, 2015, Los Ladrillos Ecological Park is a nature reserve in the municipality of Zacatelco, in Tlaxcala.

More drives to Zacatelco

From Atlixco to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Atlixco to Zacatelco?

About 41 min of driving without stops, over 33 miles.

How far is Zacatelco from Atlixco by car?

About 33 miles (53 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 Atlixco to Zacatelco?

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 Atlixco to Zacatelco?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Atlixco to Zacatelco use?

In order: MEX-190D, MEX-190 and MEX-119D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Atlixco and Zacatelco?

Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 16, 1 mi from the route); Museo Regional de Cholula (anthropology museum, mile 21, 1 mi from the route); Cholula (archaeological site, mile 21, 2 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.