The Wayro route from Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala is 116 miles (187 km), about 2 h 7 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 116 mi (187 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 7 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MEX-160 → PUE 438D → MEX-190D → MEX-190 → MEX-119D |
| Mexican states on the route | Morelos (Level 3), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-119D, MEX-117D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 4.6 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 Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala is like
PUE 438D (34 mi) and MEX-160D (21 mi) carry about 47% of the 116 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-190D, MEX-119D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-160, MEX-190 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 3 states: Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 4–9 | 5 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 9–30 | 21 | Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 30–47 | 17 | Morelos |
| PUE 438D | 47–81 | 34 | Morelos, Puebla |
| MEX-190D | 81–92 | 11 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 92–102 | 10 | Puebla |
| MEX-119D | 102–113 | 11 | Puebla, Tlaxcala |
| local roads | 113–116 | 3 | Tlaxcala |
- Mile 55 of this route: Morelos → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 105 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
Stops between Cuernavaca and Tlaxcala
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 106)
- Nature and outdoors: El Tepozteco National Park (mile 14), Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (mile 106)
- Museums and history: El Tepozteco (mile 14), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 92), Museo Regional de Cholula (mile 96), Cholula (mile 98)
El Tepozteco
High on a hill above Tepoztlán, El Tepozteco holds the remains of a shrine to Ometochtli-Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, fertility and the harvest, along with terraced platforms built from around AD 1200.
El Tepozteco National Park
Eroded volcanic hills of the Sierra de Tepoztlán fill this national park, about half of which lies in Mexico City's Milpa Alta borough. A short, steep climb leads to the Tepozteco archaeological zone; wear good shoes, since the rocks get slippery.
Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl
Inscribed by UNESCO in 1994, this World Heritage site groups early 16th-century monasteries that Franciscan, Dominican and Augustinian friars built on the slopes of Popocatépetl, with large open spaces used to evangelize the Indigenous population.
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.
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.
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.
Museo Regional de Cholula
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
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.
Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos
Opened on April 2, 2015, Los Ladrillos Ecological Park is a nature reserve in the municipality of Zacatelco, in Tlaxcala.
When you get to Tlaxcala
Museo Miguel N. Lira
Downtown Tlaxcala's Museo Miguel N. Lira fills the old State Printing Office, linked to the writer and poet. Visitors see his manuscripts, family photos and personal belongings, plus the original linotype machines and the press that printed his work.
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.
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.
More drives to Tlaxcala
- Cuautla to Tlaxcala
- Toluca to Tlaxcala
- San Juan del Río to Tlaxcala
- Zitácuaro to Tlaxcala
- San Miguel de Allende to Tlaxcala
- Irapuato to Tlaxcala
From Cuernavaca to other places in Mexico
- Cuernavaca to Valle de Bravo
- Cuernavaca to Zitácuaro
- Cuernavaca to El Oro
- Cuernavaca to Tlalpujahua
- Cuernavaca to San Juan del Río
- Cuernavaca to Amealco
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala?
About 2 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 116 miles.
How far is Tlaxcala from Cuernavaca by car?
About 116 miles (187 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 Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala?
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 Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala?
The U.S. State Department rates Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; 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 Cuernavaca to Tlaxcala use?
In order: MEX-95D, MEX-160D, MEX-160, PUE 438D, 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 Cuernavaca and Tlaxcala?
Closest to the road: El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 14, 1 mi from the route); International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 92, 1 mi from the route); Parque ecológico Los Ladrillos (park, mile 106, 0.4 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.