Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco Road Trip: Stops & Tolls

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco is 442 miles (711 km), about 7 h 21 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Zacatecas — Level 4, Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Tlaxcala is the Mexican state that contains Zacatelco. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo de la InsurgenciaMuseo Espacio, AguascalientesMuseum of Contemporary ArtCerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkTula National ParkTeotihuacanMuseo de Sitio de OcotelulcoMuseo Miguel N. LiraGuadalupe, ZacatecasZacatelco
Route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance442 mi (711 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 21 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-M40D → MEX-117D → MEX-119
Mexican states on the routeZacatecas (Level 4), Aguascalientes (Level 2), Jalisco (Level 3), Guanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-117D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 17.7 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco is like

MEX-45D (163 mi) and MEX-M40D (103 mi) carry about 60% of the 442 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-117D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-119 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Zacatecas
MEX-45D4–2521Zacatecas
MEX-4525–5328Zacatecas, Aguascalientes
local roads53–574Aguascalientes
MEX-4557–8730Aguascalientes, Jalisco
MEX-45D87–229142Jalisco, Guanajuato
MEX-47D229–28152Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D281–31635Querétaro, State of Mexico
connecting roads316–3182Hidalgo
MEX-M40D318–421103Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Puebla
MEX-117D421–43615Puebla, Tlaxcala
MEX-119436–4426Tlaxcala
  • Mile 30 of this route: Zacatecas → Aguascalientes (state line)
  • Mile 83 of this route: Aguascalientes → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 132 of this route: Jalisco → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 242 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 283 of this route: Querétaro → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 316 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 345 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 360 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 377 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 389 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 396 of this route: Hidalgo → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 419 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 424 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)

Stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Zacatelco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 67), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 68), Tula National Park (mile 329)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 240), El Cimatario National Park (mile 246), Tula National Park (mile 329)
  • Museums and history: Museo de la Insurgencia (mile 48), Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 67), Museum of Contemporary Art (mile 68), Teotihuacan (mile 377), Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 432), Museo Miguel N. Lira (mile 433)

Museo de la Insurgencia

Mile 48 · Museum · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Set in a 17th-century estate, the Museo de la Insurgencia opened in 1964 to tell the story of Mexico's independence movement. One hall shows farm, mining and textile tools from hacienda work; another displays everyday objects from past eras.

Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes

Mile 67 · Art museum · 0.8 mi from the route

Inside the Tres Centurias complex at Aguascalientes' old train station, Museo Espacio is a contemporary art museum, so a visit pairs current work with a look at the city's railroad buildings.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Mile 68 · Art museum · 0.2 mi from the route

Aguascalientes' Museum of Contemporary Art shows works by contemporary Mexican artists in its Jesús F. Contreras gallery.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 240 · 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.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 246 · 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.

Tula National Park

Mile 329 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

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.

Teotihuacan

Mile 377 · 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.

Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco

Mile 432 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

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.

Museo Miguel N. Lira

Mile 433 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

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.

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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco?

About 7 h 21 min of driving without stops, over 442 miles.

How far is Zacatelco from Guadalupe, Zacatecas by car?

About 442 miles (711 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas 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 Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco?

The U.S. State Department rates Zacatecas Level 4: Do Not Travel; Aguascalientes Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacatelco use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-45, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-M40D, MEX-117D and MEX-119. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Zacatelco?

Closest to the road: Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (art museum, mile 67, 0.8 mi from the route); Museum of Contemporary Art (art museum, mile 68, 0.2 mi from the route); Tula National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 329, 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.