The Wayro route from Ixtenco to Ixcateopan is 178 miles (287 km), about 3 h 48 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 178 mi (287 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 48 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-140D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-92D |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), Guerrero (Level 4) |
| Toll roads | MEX-140D, MEX-150D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.1 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 Ixtenco to Ixcateopan is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 40% of the 178 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-94D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-190, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Ixtenco to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-140D | 2–17 | 15 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 17–20 | 3 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 20–35 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 35–46 | 11 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 46–80 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 80–118 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 118–122 | 4 | Morelos |
| local roads | 122–130 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 130–149 | 19 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 149–151 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 151–156 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 156–157 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 157–178 | 21 | Guerrero |
- Mile 7 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 73 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 143 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Ixtenco and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 157), Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (mile 157)
- Nature and outdoors: La Malinche National Park (mile 9), Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (mile 31), Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 145)
- Museums and history: Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 25), Chalcatzingo (mile 81), Xochicalco (mile 130), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 157), Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (mile 157)
La Malinche National Park
Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.
Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla
Behind the facade of Puebla's Santo Domingo church hides the Capilla del Rosario, inaugurated in 1690. Gold covers its walls, pilasters and vaults, and contemporaries hailed it as the eighth wonder of the New World.
Jardín Botánico Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
On the Ciudad Universitaria campus of BUAP in Puebla, the university botanical garden covers about 10.7 hectares and was formerly named after Ignacio Rodríguez Alconedo.
Historic centre of Puebla
Laid out from scratch in 1531, Puebla's UNESCO-listed core is a grid of tile-covered houses, colonial churches and the 16th–17th-century cathedral, with the old archbishop's palace that houses the Palafox Library, established in 1646.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park
Protected as a national park since 1936, this area near Taxco centers on the Cacahuamilpa caverns, where a guided route of about 4 km passes chambers up to 80 meters high, decorated with flowstone and floor-to-ceiling columns.
Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco
Silver baron José de la Borda paid for Santa Prisca with the bonanza from his San Ignacio mine in Taxco, and the church was dedicated in 1759, the same year his nearby house on the plaza was finished.
Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco
Housed in the historic Casa Humboldt in Taxco, the Museo de Arte Virreinal shows colonial sacred art recovered from the Santa Prisca parish church, along with permanent exhibitions on Alexander von Humboldt and the town's history.
When you get to Ixcateopan
Ixcateopan
Some 36 kilometers from Taxco in the rugged mountains of northern Guerrero, the ruins at Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc belong to a city that served as an important regional ceremonial center.
More drives to Ixcateopan
- Tlaltizapán to Ixcateopan
- Tepoztlán to Ixcateopan
- Metepec to Ixcateopan
- Oaxtepec to Ixcateopan
- Tlayacapan to Ixcateopan
- Zacualpan de Amilpas to Ixcateopan
From Ixtenco to other places in Mexico
- Ixtenco to Omitlán
- Ixtenco to Huasca de Ocampo
- Ixtenco to Tonatico
- Ixtenco to El Oro
- Ixtenco to Mineral de Pozos
- Ixtenco to Santa Fe de la Laguna
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ixtenco to Ixcateopan?
About 3 h 48 min of driving without stops, over 178 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Ixtenco by car?
About 178 miles (287 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 Ixtenco to Ixcateopan?
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 Ixtenco to Ixcateopan?
The U.S. State Department rates Tlaxcala Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Guerrero Level 4: Do Not Travel (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Ixtenco to Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-140D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-92D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Ixtenco and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Chalcatzingo (archaeological site, mile 81, 2 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church building, mile 157, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (museum, mile 157, 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.