The Wayro route from Cholula to Tepotzotlán is 103 miles (166 km), about 2 h 11 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 103 mi (166 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-150 → MEX-M40D → MEX-136 → MEX-142 → MEX-132 |
| Mexican states on the route | Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-M40D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.1 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 Tepotzotlán is like
MEX-136 (34 mi) and MEX-M40D (18 mi) carry about 50% of the 103 miles. MEX-M40D is a toll highway (cuota); MEX-150, MEX-136, MEX-142, MEX-132 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Puebla, Tlaxcala, State of Mexico. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cholula to Tepotzotlán, 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 | 21–39 | 18 | Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| MEX-136 | 39–73 | 34 | Tlaxcala, State of Mexico |
| MEX-142 | 73–81 | 8 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-132 | 81–86 | 5 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 86–103 | 17 | State of Mexico |
- Mile 25 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
- Mile 58 of this route: Tlaxcala → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Cholula and Tepotzotlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 55), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 71)
- Nature and outdoors: Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (mile 55), Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park (mile 69), El Tepeyac National Park (mile 86)
- Museums and history: Tepetlaoztoc (mile 66), Texcoco Cathedral (mile 71), Paleontological Museum in Tocuila (mile 73), Luis Barragán House and Studio (mile 95)
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.
Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve
Surrounding the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Los Volcanes is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, where North American and tropical wildlife zones meet.
Tepetlaoztoc
Tepetlaoztoc, also spelled Tepetlaoxtoc, was an Aztec-Nahua settlement of the Late Postclassic period in central Mexico, and it stayed occupied into the colonial era.
Molino de Flores Nezahualcóyotl National Park
Named for Antonio Flores de Valdés, who inherited the estate in 1642, this former hacienda and mill near Texcoco became a national park in 1937. Visitors walk among its ruins, the San Joaquín church remains and a chapel built on rock.
Texcoco Cathedral
Texcoco's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception occupies a former convent built by the Franciscans in the 16th century, one of the order's early convent complexes in the Americas.
Paleontological Museum in Tocuila
The Paleontological Museum in Tocuila, in Texcoco, State of Mexico, is a fossil museum displaying part of a rich deposit of Late Pleistocene animals from the Americas.
Historic center of Mexico City
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City's Centro Histórico holds the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Aztec Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List in 1987.
El Tepeyac National Park
Decreed in 1937 on reforested slopes of the Sierra de Guadalupe, including Cerro del Tepeyac, this national park was created for rest and recreation, with views toward Mexico City and the old Lake Texcoco plain.
Luis Barragán House and Studio
Luis Barragán built his own house and studio in Mexico City in 1948, blending modern design with Mexican vernacular touches. The concrete house and its private garden joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.
When you get to Tepotzotlán
Parque de las Esculturas
Seventeen sculptures by Charlotte Yazbek, first shown at the Mexico Pavilion of the 1964 New York World's Fair, stand in this Cuautitlán Izcalli park. The artist oversaw their installation here in 1976.
Cuautitlán Cathedral
Cuautitlán's St. Bonaventure Cathedral (Catedral de San Buenaventura) is a Catholic church that forms part of the convent of the same name in this State of Mexico municipality.
Museo Nacional del Virreinato
Housed in the former Jesuit college of San Francisco Javier in Tepotzotlán, begun in 1606, this national museum covers three centuries of colonial art. Its Baroque church, built 1670-1682, keeps altarpieces designed by Miguel Cabrera and Higinio de Chávez.
More drives to Tepotzotlán
- Mexico City to Tepotzotlán
- Toluca to Tepotzotlán
- Cuernavaca to Tepotzotlán
- Cuautla to Tepotzotlán
- Celaya to Tepotzotlán
- San Miguel de Allende to Tepotzotlán
From Cholula to other places in Mexico
- Cholula to Apizaco
- Cholula to Calpulalpan
- Cholula to Otumba
- Cholula to Omitlán
- Cholula to Huasca de Ocampo
- Cholula to Actopan
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cholula to Tepotzotlán?
About 2 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 103 miles.
How far is Tepotzotlán from Cholula by car?
About 103 miles (166 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 Tepotzotlán?
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 Tepotzotlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cholula to Tepotzotlán use?
In order: MEX-150, MEX-M40D, MEX-136, MEX-142 and MEX-132. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Cholula and Tepotzotlán?
Closest to the road: Convento de Huejotzingo (convent, mile 9, 1 mi from the route); Los Volcanes Biosphere Reserve (biosphere reserve, mile 55, 0.6 mi from the route); Texcoco Cathedral (cathedral, mile 71, 0.7 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.