The Wayro route from Cholula to Pénjamo is 295 miles (475 km), about 4 h 55 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 295 mi (475 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 55 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-150 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-90 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Cholula to Pénjamo is like
MEX-M40D (106 mi) and MEX-47D (54 mi) carry about 54% of the 295 miles. MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-150, MEX-90 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 6 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato. None of the 9 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
The route from Cholula to Pénjamo, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-150 | 1–9 | 8 | Puebla |
| local roads | 9–21 | 12 | Puebla |
| MEX-M40D | 21–127 | 106 | Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-57D | 127–162 | 35 | Hidalgo, State of Mexico |
| MEX-47D | 162–216 | 54 | Querétaro, Guanajuato |
| MEX-45D | 216–265 | 49 | Guanajuato |
| MEX-90 | 265–294 | 29 | Guanajuato |
| local roads | 294–295 | 1 | Guanajuato |
- 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)
Stops between Cholula and Pénjamo
- Nature and outdoors: Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 25), Tula National Park (mile 116), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 204)
- Museums and history: Teotihuacan (mile 67), Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco (mile 99), Celaya Cathedral (mile 227)
Convento de Huejotzingo
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.
Parque nacional Xicoténcatl
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
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.
Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco
Founded in 1985, the Museo Arqueológico de Apaxco sits across from the parish church of San Francisco de Asís and beside the town hall in Apaxco, State of Mexico.
Atlantean figures
Crowning the main pyramid at the Tula archaeological zone, these basalt sculptures of Toltec warriors stand more than four meters tall in what was once the Toltec capital; the nearby Wall of Snakes shows carved serpents devouring skeletons.
Tula National Park
This park protects the ruins of Tula, ancient capital of the Toltecs. Walk up to the main pyramid to stand beside the Atlantes, basalt warrior figures more than four meters tall, and look for the Coatepantli wall's reliefs of snakes devouring skeletons.
Cerro de las Campanas
Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.
Celaya Cathedral
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.
Tequila Corralejo
Tequila Corralejo is distilled in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, at the historic Hacienda de Corralejo, where the brand, established in 1996, offers guided tours and hosts social events.
More drives to Pénjamo
- Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Jerez, Zacatecas to Pénjamo
- Fresnillo to Pénjamo
- Durango to Pénjamo
- Mazatlán to Pénjamo
From Cholula to other places in Mexico
- Cholula to Apizaco
- Cholula to Calpulalpan
- Cholula to Otumba
- Cholula to Omitlán
- Cholula to Tepotzotlán
- Cholula to Huasca de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cholula to Pénjamo?
About 4 h 55 min of driving without stops, over 295 miles.
How far is Pénjamo from Cholula by car?
About 295 miles (475 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 Pénjamo?
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 Pénjamo?
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 (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cholula to Pénjamo use?
In order: MEX-150, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D and MEX-90. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cholula and Pénjamo?
Closest to the road: Convento de Huejotzingo (convent, mile 9, 1 mi from the route); Atlantean figures (atlantean figures, mile 116, 1 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, 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.