Huauchinango to Malinalco Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Huauchinango to Malinalco is 157 miles (252 km), about 3 h 30 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. State of Mexico is the Mexican state that contains Malinalco. See the full advisory for current details.
Tulancingo CathedralPyramid of the MoonTemple of the Feathered Serpent, TeotihuacanBasilica of Our Lady of GuadalupeMuseo de los FerrocarrilerosPorta Coeli CathedralMuseo Experimental El EcoMuseo de Historia NaturalLa Marquesa National ParkHuauchinangoMalinalco
Route from Huauchinango to Malinalco with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance157 mi (252 km)
Driving time, no stops3 h 30 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-132D → MEX-132 → MEX-85D → Circuito Interior → MEX-15 → MEX-15D → EM 6
Mexican states on the routePuebla (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Mexico City (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-132D, MEX-85D, MEX-15D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 6.3 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 Huauchinango to Malinalco is like

MEX-132D (41 mi) and MEX-132 (41 mi) carry about 52% of the 157 miles. MEX-132D, MEX-85D, MEX-15D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-132, MEX-15 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Puebla, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Mexico City. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Huauchinango to Malinalco, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–33Puebla
MEX-132D3–3229Puebla, Hidalgo
MEX-13232–7341Hidalgo, State of Mexico
MEX-132D73–8512State of Mexico
MEX-85D85–938State of Mexico, Mexico City
connecting roads93–974Mexico City
Circuito Interior97–1025Mexico City
MEX-15102–1075Mexico City
MEX-15D107–11811Mexico City, State of Mexico
connecting roads118–1191State of Mexico
EM 6119–13920State of Mexico
local roads139–15718State of Mexico
  • Mile 7 of this route: Puebla → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 54 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 92 of this route: State of Mexico → Mexico City (state line)
  • Mile 114 of this route: Mexico City → State of Mexico (state line)

Stops between Huauchinango and Malinalco

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 94), Museo de los Ferrocarrileros (mile 94), Museo Experimental El Eco (mile 100), Museo de Historia Natural (mile 103)
  • Nature and outdoors: Museo de Historia Natural (mile 103), La Marquesa National Park (mile 117)
  • Museums and history: Tulancingo Cathedral (mile 26), Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (mile 94), Museo de los Ferrocarrileros (mile 94), Porta Coeli Cathedral (mile 99), Museo Experimental El Eco (mile 100), Museo de Historia Natural (mile 103)

Tulancingo Cathedral

Mile 26 · Cathedral · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tulancingo Cathedral grew from a 16th-century Franciscan mission. The present church, designed by architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro and consecrated in 1806, has an unusual Neoclassical portico with Ionic columns and a triangular pediment.

Pyramid of the Moon

Mile 68 · Step pyramid · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

In the western part of ancient Teotihuacan, in present-day San Martín de las Pirámides, the Pyramid of the Moon mimics the contours of Cerro Gordo, the mountain just north of the site.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan

Mile 70 · Step pyramid · 1 mi from the route

The Temple of the Feathered Serpent is a pyramid at Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian city in central Mexico that rose around the 1st or 2nd century BC and was occupied into the 600s or 700s.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mile 94 · Catholic parish church · 0.5 mi from the route

The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at the foot of Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City's Gustavo A. Madero borough, is a Catholic basilica dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe within the Primate Archdiocese of Mexico.

Museo de los Ferrocarrileros

Mile 94 · Railway museum · 0.6 mi from the route

In the former La Villa train station in northern Mexico City, this museum opened in 2006 and tells the story of Mexico's railroads and the railroad workers' social movements.

Porta Coeli Cathedral

Mile 99 · Catholic cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Porta Coeli Cathedral, also called the Church of the Gate of Heaven, is the Mexico City cathedral of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, in communion with Rome.

Museo Experimental El Eco

Mile 100 · Museum · 0.6 mi from the route

Designed by sculptor Mathias Goeritz, who worked closely with architect Luis Barragán, Museo Experimental El Eco is a contemporary art space in central Mexico City.

Museo de Historia Natural

Mile 103 · Museum · 0.2 mi from the route

In the second section of Chapultepec Park, the Museo de Historia Natural y Cultura Ambiental displays mounted animals, fossils, rocks, minerals, sculptures and models about life on Earth and Mexico's biodiversity.

La Marquesa National Park

Mile 117 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

Set in high-altitude conifer forest along the Mexico City–Toluca highway, La Marquesa National Park offers roadside eateries, horse and ATV rentals, mountain biking and camping, and marks the site of the 1810 Battle of Monte de las Cruces.

When you get to Malinalco

Malinalco

Archaeological site · in Malinalco

Carved straight into the hillside above Malinalco, the Cuauhcalli is a rock-cut temple at the heart of this archaeological zone. The Mexica took the Matlatzinca town around 1476 and used it to train and consecrate elite warriors.

Desierto del Carmen National Park

National Park of Mexico · in Malinalco

Declared a national park on October 10, 1942, Desierto del Carmen is a protected area in the municipality of Tenancingo, in the State of Mexico.

More drives to Malinalco

From Huauchinango to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Huauchinango to Malinalco?

About 3 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 157 miles.

How far is Malinalco from Huauchinango by car?

About 157 miles (252 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 Huauchinango to Malinalco?

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 Huauchinango to Malinalco?

The U.S. State Department rates Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Mexico City Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Huauchinango to Malinalco use?

In order: MEX-132D, MEX-132, MEX-85D, Circuito Interior, MEX-15, MEX-15D and EM 6. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Huauchinango and Malinalco?

Closest to the road: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (catholic parish church, mile 94, 0.5 mi from the route); Museo de los Ferrocarrileros (railway museum, mile 94, 0.6 mi from the route); Museo de Historia Natural (museum, mile 103, 0.2 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.