Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan Road Trip: Route, Stops & Safety

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan is 134 miles (215 km), about 2 h 37 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Querétaro is the Mexican state that contains Tequisquiapan. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Tequila CorralejoIrapuato CathedralCelaya CathedralCerro de las CampanasClaustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio ConinEl Cimatario National ParkPénjamoTequisquiapan
Route from Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan with the 6 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance134 mi (215 km)
Driving time, no stops2 h 37 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-90 → MEX-45D → MEX-57D → QRO 4 → QRO 200
Mexican states on the routeGuanajuato (Level 3), Querétaro (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-45D, MEX-57D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 5.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below6

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 Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan is like

MEX-45D (68 mi) and MEX-90 (28 mi) carry about 72% of the 134 miles. MEX-45D, MEX-57D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-90 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 2 states: Guanajuato, Querétaro. None of the 6 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.

The route from Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–22Guanajuato
MEX-902–3028Guanajuato
MEX-45D30–9868Guanajuato, Querétaro
MEX-57D98–1079Querétaro
connecting roads107–1081Querétaro
QRO 4108–1146Querétaro
QRO 200114–13319Querétaro
local roads133–1341Querétaro
  • Mile 89 of this route: Guanajuato → Querétaro (state line)

Stops between Pénjamo and Tequisquiapan

  • Nature and outdoors: Cerro de las Campanas (mile 94), El Cimatario National Park (mile 100)
  • Museums and history: Irapuato Cathedral (mile 32), Celaya Cathedral (mile 68)

Tequila Corralejo

Mile 7 · Distillery · 1 mi from the route

Tequila Corralejo is distilled in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, at the historic Hacienda de Corralejo, where the brand, established in 1996, offers guided tours and hosts social events.

Irapuato Cathedral

Mile 32 · Cathedral · 2 mi from the route

Irapuato's cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, dates from the 18th century and has a Baroque facade. It served as the seat of the local parish until 2004, when the new Diocese of Irapuato made it a cathedral.

Celaya Cathedral

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

Celaya's main Catholic church, the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, occupies the space of a former chapel that was annexed to the neighboring Temple of St. Francis.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 94 · National Park of Mexico · 1 mi from the route

Rising within Querétaro City, the Cerro de las Campanas is a hill that is protected as a Mexican national park.

Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin

Mile 96 · Convent · 1 mi from the route

The Cloister of San Felipe Neri in central Querétaro was part of the Oratorian convent and stands beside the Templo de San Felipe Neri, now the city's cathedral.

El Cimatario National Park

Mile 100 · National Park of Mexico · 3 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.

When you get to Tequisquiapan

Galería Libertad

Art museum · in Tequisquiapan

Run by Querétaro's state culture department, Galería Libertad is a public gallery in the historic center of Santiago de Querétaro devoted to exhibiting, promoting and teaching the visual arts.

More drives to Tequisquiapan

From Pénjamo to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan?

About 2 h 37 min of driving without stops, over 134 miles.

How far is Tequisquiapan from Pénjamo by car?

About 134 miles (215 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 Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan?

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 Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan?

The U.S. State Department rates Guanajuato Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Querétaro Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.

What roads does the drive from Pénjamo to Tequisquiapan use?

In order: MEX-90, MEX-45D, MEX-57D, QRO 4 and QRO 200. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Pénjamo and Tequisquiapan?

Closest to the road: Tequila Corralejo (distillery, mile 7, 1 mi from the route); Cerro de las Campanas (National Park of Mexico, mile 94, 1 mi from the route); Claustro de San Felipe Neri - Palacio Conin (convent, mile 96, 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 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.