By road, Ixtepec and Tepoztlán are about 464 miles (747 km) apart, or roughly 8 h 10 min of driving.
| Total distance | 464 mi (747 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 8 h 10 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-185D → MEX-185 → MEX-145D → MEX-150D → MEX-190 → PUE 438D → MEX-160 → MEX-160D |
| Mexican states on the route | Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos |
| Toll roads (as marked in OpenStreetMap) | MEX-185D, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 18.6 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.
The Ixtepec–Tepoztlán drive in a few lines
MEX-150D (131 mi) and MEX-145D (118 mi) carry about 54% of the 464 miles. It runs through 4 states: Oaxaca, Veracruz, Puebla, Morelos. OpenStreetMap marks tolled sections on MEX-185D, MEX-145D and MEX-150D. Of the 9 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Ixtepec to Tepoztlán: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185D | 2–16 | 14 | Oaxaca |
| connecting roads | 16–17 | 1 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 17–39 | 22 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 39–44 | 5 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 44–61 | 17 | Oaxaca |
| local roads | 61–64 | 3 | Oaxaca |
| MEX-185 | 64–122 | 58 | Oaxaca, Veracruz |
| connecting roads | 122–123 | 1 | Veracruz |
| MEX-145D | 123–241 | 118 | Veracruz |
| MEX-150D | 241–372 | 131 | Veracruz, Puebla |
| connecting roads | 372–373 | 1 | Puebla |
| MEX-190 | 373–388 | 15 | Puebla |
| local roads | 388–398 | 10 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 398–432 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-160 | 432–449 | 17 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 449–461 | 12 | Morelos |
| local roads | 461–464 | 3 | Morelos |
- Mile 81 of this route: Oaxaca → Veracruz (state line)
- Mile 309 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 424 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
Where to stop on the way to Tepoztlán
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 296)
- Nature and outdoors: Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (mile 296)
- Museums and history: Huatusco (mile 248), Convent Church of Santo Domingo, Puebla (mile 377), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 387), Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos" (mile 446)
Huatusco
Above the Atoyac River in Carrillo Puerto, Cuauhtochco has a Mexica-era temple that still keeps original surface finishes. Expect no visitor facilities, and consider hiring a local guide.
Cañón del Río Blanco National Park
Protected as a national park by Mexico's government, Cañón del Río Blanco is a natural area in Veracruz state.
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.
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.
Tonantzintla Observatory
The Tonantzintla Observatory in Puebla was home to the National Astrophysical Observatory directed by Guillermo Haro. Its main instrument, a Schmidt camera, was a wide-field telescope built for photographing the sky.
Museo Histórico del Oriente de Morelos "Casa de Morelos"
In this 18th-century house in Cuautla, José María Morelos lived during the 1812 Siege of Cuautla. Its INAH galleries trace regional history through Morelos and Emiliano Zapata and display "El Niño," his first cannon, a gift from the Galeana family.
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Yecapixtla
The 16th-century church and former monastery of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla belongs to the Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, inscribed by UNESCO in 1994 as early missionary architecture with large open courtyards.
Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol
Built by Augustinian friars, the Templo y Exconvento de San Mateo Apóstol in Atlatlahucan is well preserved, with murals and decorated vaults, and is associated with the origins of the Chinelo dancers.
Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo
Augustinian friars began the Templo y Exconvento de San Guillermo in Totolapan in the mid-16th century; part of the UNESCO-listed Popocatépetl monasteries, it was badly damaged in the 2017 earthquake, and INAH has supervised its restoration.
Once you reach Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum
Tepoztlán's Dominican monastery, built between 1555 and 1580, keeps original 16th-century murals in its cloister. Upstairs, the museum covers local daily life, faith, festivals and dances, and the complex is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Museo Carlos Pellicer
Tepoztlán's Museo de Arte Prehispánico Carlos Pellicer, opened in 1965 and named for the poet and museographer, displays a collection of pre-Hispanic objects in the former granary of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Natividad.
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.
More drives to Tepoztlán
- Mexico City to Tepoztlán
- Metepec to Tepoztlán
- Toluca to Tepoztlán
- Atlixco to Tepoztlán
- Taxco to Tepoztlán
- Tepotzotlán to Tepoztlán
From Ixtepec to other places in Mexico
- Ixtepec to Capulalpam de Méndez
- Ixtepec to San Miguel, Morelos
- Ixtepec to Tetela del Volcán
- Ixtepec to Otumba
- Ixtepec to Atlatlahucan
- Ixtepec to Omitlán
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Ixtepec to Tepoztlán?
About 8 h 10 min of driving without stops, over 464 miles.
How far is Tepoztlán from Ixtepec by car?
About 464 miles (747 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 Ixtepec to Tepoztlán?
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 Ixtepec to Tepoztlán?
The U.S. State Department rates Oaxaca Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Veracruz Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla 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 Ixtepec to Tepoztlán use?
In order: MEX-185D, MEX-185, MEX-145D, MEX-150D, MEX-190, PUE 438D, MEX-160 and MEX-160D. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Ixtepec to Tepoztlán?
Closest to the road: Huatusco (archaeological site, mile 248, 2 mi from the route); Cañón del Río Blanco National Park (national park, mile 296, 0.5 mi from the route); International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 387, 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 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: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place 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.