The Wayro route from Metepec to Tlayacapan is 73 miles (117 km), about 2 h 0 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 73 mi (117 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 2 h 0 min |
| Main roads, in order | EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MOR 2 |
| Mexican states on the route | State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3) |
| Toll roads | MEX-95D, MEX-160D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 2.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
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 Metepec to Tlayacapan is like
MEX-160D (13 mi) and EM 44 (9 mi) carry about 30% of the 73 miles. MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-200 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 8 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Metepec to Tlayacapan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| EM 44 | 4–13 | 9 | State of Mexico |
| connecting roads | 13–16 | 3 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 16–20 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| MEX-200 | 20–24 | 4 | State of Mexico |
| local roads | 24–39 | 15 | State of Mexico, Morelos |
| connecting roads | 39–46 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95D | 46–52 | 6 | Morelos |
| MEX-160D | 52–65 | 13 | Morelos |
| MOR 2 | 65–70 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 70–73 | 3 | Morelos |
- Mile 31 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)
Stops between Metepec and Tlayacapan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 33), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 57)
- Nature and outdoors: La Marquesa National Park (mile 13), Cumbres del Ajusco National Park (mile 32), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 33), Jardín Borda (mile 45)
- Museums and history: Teopanzolco (mile 46), El Tepozteco (mile 57), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 57)
Ciénegas del Lerma
These marshes in the Toluca Valley are three lakes left from a wetland of about 27,000 hectares in the late 19th century. A Ramsar site since 2004, they hold dozens of endemic and threatened species and are a key stop for migratory species.
La Marquesa National Park
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.
Cumbres del Ajusco National Park
Pine and oak forests climb toward alpine meadows in Cumbres del Ajusco National Park, on Mexico City's southern edge. It draws hikers, climbers and cyclists, and it gets occasional snow, a rarity for the region.
Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Seven lagoons, three of them permanent, sit among pine, oak and fir forest above 3,000 meters in this park, decreed in 1936 on the Morelos–State of Mexico line. Hiking, horseback riding, camping and rowboats are popular here.
Jardín Borda
Built in the first half of the 18th century for silver miner José de la Borda, this colonial-era house has an artificial lake, fountains and gardens once fed by the hydraulic engineering of its day.
Teopanzolco
Now surrounded by the city of Cuernavaca, Teopanzolco preserves a Late Postclassic pyramid base that once carried twin temples to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli, a layout closely tied to Tenochtitlan's sacred precinct.
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.
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.
When you get to Tlayacapan
Templo y Exconvento de San Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan
Augustinian friars began this fortress-like church and monastery in the 16th century. Part of the UNESCO-listed group of monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, its former cloister now holds a museum with 17th-century murals and religious art.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In Oaxtepec, the Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is among the first convents the Dominicans built in Mexico, and its walls preserve extensive fresco painting from the colonial era.
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.
More drives to Tlayacapan
- Atlixco to Tlayacapan
- Otumba to Tlayacapan
- Calpulalpan to Tlayacapan
- Toluca to Tlayacapan
- Puebla to Tlayacapan
- Taxco to Tlayacapan
From Metepec to other places in Mexico
- Metepec to Valle de Bravo
- Metepec to El Oro
- Metepec to Ezequiel Montes
- Metepec to Zimapán
- Metepec to Tócuaro
- Metepec to Cotija
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Metepec to Tlayacapan?
About 2 h 0 min of driving without stops, over 73 miles.
How far is Tlayacapan from Metepec by car?
About 73 miles (117 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 Metepec to Tlayacapan?
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 Metepec to Tlayacapan?
The U.S. State Department rates State of Mexico 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 Metepec to Tlayacapan use?
In order: EM 44, MEX-200, MEX-95D, MEX-160D and MOR 2. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Metepec and Tlayacapan?
Closest to the road: Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 33, 0.4 mi from the route); El Tepozteco (archaeological site, mile 57, 1 mi from the route); Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 57, 0.6 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.