Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas Road Trip

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas is 442 miles (711 km), about 7 h 56 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; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Zacualpan de Amilpas. 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, AguascalientesCerro de las CampanasEl Cimatario National ParkTemplo y exconvento de San FranciscoHistoric center of Mexico CityLuis Barragán House and StudioGuerrero ChimalliSacromonte National ParkGuadalupe, ZacatecasZacualpan de Amilpas
Route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance442 mi (711 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 56 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-47D → MEX-57D → MEX-5D → MEX-115
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), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-43D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D
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 Zacualpan de Amilpas is like

MEX-45D (163 mi) and MEX-45 (58 mi) carry about 50% of the 442 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-45, MEX-115 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 8 states: Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Morelos. Of the 9 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas, 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-57D281–33958Querétaro, State of Mexico, Hidalgo
MEX-5D339–39354State of Mexico
connecting roads393–3941State of Mexico
MEX-115394–41420State of Mexico
local roads414–44228State of Mexico, Morelos
  • 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 241 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 336 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 423 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Zacualpan de Amilpas

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 67), Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (mile 329), Sacromonte National Park (mile 408)
  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 240), El Cimatario National Park (mile 245), Sacromonte National Park (mile 408)
  • Museums and history: Museo de la Insurgencia (mile 48), Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (mile 67), Luis Barragán House and Studio (mile 370)

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.

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 245 · 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.

Templo y exconvento de San Francisco

Mile 329 · Convent · 0.6 mi from the route

The Templo y Exconvento de San Francisco is a church and former convent located in the city of Tepeji del Río, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo.

Historic center of Mexico City

Mile 370 · Old town · 8 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Luis Barragán House and Studio

Mile 370 · Museum · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Guerrero Chimalli

Mile 373 · Colossal statue · 1 mi from the route

Rising 60 meters beside Bordo de Xochiaca Avenue in Chimalhuacán, this steel sculpture by Sebastián depicts an Indigenous warrior holding a shield (chimalli) and a mace.

Sacromonte National Park

Mile 408 · National Park of Mexico · 0.3 mi from the route

Sacromonte National Park is a national park and protected area in the State of Mexico, established in 1952 and covering roughly 0.44 square kilometers.

More drives to Zacualpan de Amilpas

From Guadalupe, Zacatecas to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas?

About 7 h 56 min of driving without stops, over 442 miles.

How far is Zacualpan de Amilpas 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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?

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 Zacualpan de Amilpas?

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; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Guadalupe, Zacatecas to Zacualpan de Amilpas use?

In order: MEX-45D, MEX-45, MEX-47D, MEX-57D, MEX-5D and MEX-115. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Guadalupe, Zacatecas and Zacualpan de Amilpas?

Closest to the road: Museo Espacio, Aguascalientes (art museum, mile 67, 0.8 mi from the route); Templo y exconvento de San Francisco (convent, mile 329, 0.6 mi from the route); Sacromonte National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 408, 0.3 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.