Cholula to Lagos de Moreno Road Trip: Where to Stop on the Way

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Cholula to Lagos de Moreno is 329 miles (530 km), about 5 h 20 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Jalisco is the Mexican state that contains Lagos de Moreno. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Convento de HuejotzingoExconvent of Santa María MagdalenaParque nacional XicoténcatlTeotihuacanTulaJorge R. Acosta MuseumEl Cimatario National ParkCerro de las CampanasCelaya CathedralCholulaLagos de Moreno
Route from Cholula to Lagos de Moreno with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance329 mi (530 km)
Driving time, no stops5 h 20 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-150 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → JAL 302
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 13.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Cholula to Lagos de Moreno is like

MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-45D (105 mi) carry about 64% of the 329 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-150 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 7 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Cholula to Lagos de Moreno, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–11Puebla
MEX-1501–98Puebla
local roads9–2112Puebla
MEX-M40D21–127106Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-57D127–16235Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-47D162–21654Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D216–321105Guanajuato, Jalisco
connecting roads321–3221Jalisco
JAL 302322–3297Jalisco
  • Mile 25 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 48 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 56 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 68 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 85 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 99 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 128 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 162 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 203 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 313 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)

Stops between Cholula and Lagos de Moreno

  • Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 25), El Cimatario National Park (mile 198), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 204)
  • Museums and history: Teotihuacan (mile 67), Tula (mile 116), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 116), Celaya Cathedral (mile 227)

Convento de Huejotzingo

Mile 9 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

Founded by Franciscans in the 16th century, the former convent of San Miguel Arcángel in Huejotzingo shows colonial Plateresque architecture on the western slopes of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1994.

Exconvent of Santa María Magdalena

Mile 20 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The former convent of Santa María Magdalena (Exconvento de Santa María Magdalena) is a 17th-century Baroque church built by the Dieguino friars, still in use as a Catholic temple of the Archdiocese of Puebla.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 25 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Teotihuacan

Mile 67 · Historic site · 13 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Built between the 1st and 7th centuries AD, this UNESCO-listed ancient city lines the Avenue of the Dead, where you can walk between the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.

Tula

Mile 116 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

Once the Toltec capital, the Tula archaeological zone is best known for its Atlantes, basalt warrior figures over four meters (13 feet) tall crowning the main pyramid. Visitors also see a ball court, the Burnt Palace and the Coatepantli wall, carved with snakes devouring skeletons.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 116 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 198 · National Park of Mexico · 9 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

El Cimatario National Park protects about 24 square kilometers of land just south of the city of Santiago de Querétaro.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 204 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Celaya Cathedral

Mile 227 · Church building · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

When you get to Lagos de Moreno

Teatro José Rosas Moreno

Opera house · in Lagos de Moreno

Construction of the Teatro José Rosas Moreno in Lagos de Moreno began in 1867, and the theater opened on May 5, 1907. It is named for Jalisco writer José Rosas Moreno.

Museo de los Altos de Jalisco, Casa Agustín Rivera

Museum · in Lagos de Moreno

The Museo Casa Agustín Rivera Altos de Jalisco is a museum you'll find in the town of Lagos de Moreno, in the state of Jalisco.

More drives to Lagos de Moreno

From Cholula to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Cholula to Lagos de Moreno?

About 5 h 20 min of driving without stops, over 329 miles.

How far is Lagos de Moreno from Cholula by car?

About 329 miles (530 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 Cholula to Lagos de Moreno?

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 Cholula to Lagos de Moreno?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Cholula to Lagos de Moreno use?

In order: MEX-150, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and JAL 302. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Cholula and Lagos de Moreno?

Closest to the road: Convento de Huejotzingo (convent, mile 9, 1 mi from the route); Tula (archaeological site, mile 116, 1 mi from the route); Jorge R. Acosta Museum (museum, mile 116, 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.