Tequila to Tlayacapan Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Tequila to Tlayacapan is 407 miles (655 km), about 7 h 23 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Michoacán — Level 4, Do Not Travel; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Morelos — Level 3, Reconsider TravelAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Morelos is the Mexican state that contains Tlayacapan. This route passes through a state at the advisory's highest level. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive.
Museo del Periodismo y las Artes GráficasRayón National ParkCathedral of AtlacomulcoLa Marquesa National ParkLagunas de Zempoala National ParkCuernavaca CathedralEl TepoztecoTepoztlán Ex Convento MuseumTequilaTlayacapan
Route from Tequila to Tlayacapan with the 8 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance407 mi (655 km)
Driving time, no stops7 h 23 min
Main roads, in orderMEX-15D → MEX-15 → MEX-55D → MEX-55 → EM 44 → MEX-200 → MEX-95D → MEX-160D → MOR 2
Mexican states on the routeJalisco (Level 3), Michoacán (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3)
Toll roadsMEX-15D, MEX-M40D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 16.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below8

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 Tequila to Tlayacapan is like

MEX-15D (275 mi) and MEX-55D (34 mi) carry about 76% of the 407 miles. MEX-15D, MEX-55D, MEX-95D, MEX-160D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-15, MEX-55, MEX-200 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico, Morelos. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Tequila to Tlayacapan, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–44Jalisco
MEX-15D4–2521Jalisco
MEX-1525–3611Jalisco
MEX-15D36–290254Jalisco, Michoacán, State of Mexico
connecting roads290–2933State of Mexico
MEX-55D293–32734State of Mexico
MEX-55327–3325State of Mexico
local roads332–3386State of Mexico
connecting roads338–3391State of Mexico
EM 44339–3478State of Mexico
connecting roads347–3503State of Mexico
local roads350–3544State of Mexico
MEX-200354–3595State of Mexico
local roads359–37314State of Mexico, Morelos
connecting roads373–3807Morelos
MEX-95D380–3866Morelos
MEX-160D386–39913Morelos
connecting roads399–4001Morelos
MOR 2400–4044Morelos
local roads404–4073Morelos
  • Mile 104 of this route: Jalisco → Michoacán (state line)
  • Mile 272 of this route: Michoacán → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 365 of this route: State of Mexico → Morelos (state line)

Stops between Tequila and Tlayacapan

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 291), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 367), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 391)
  • Nature and outdoors: Rayón National Park (mile 268), La Marquesa National Park (mile 347), Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (mile 367)
  • Museums and history: Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas (mile 40), Cathedral of Atlacomulco (mile 291), Cuernavaca Cathedral (mile 380), El Tepozteco (mile 391), Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (mile 391)

Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas

Mile 40 · Museum · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

The Museo del Periodismo y las Artes Gráficas stands on Paseo Alcalde, formerly Avenida Alcalde, in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Rayón National Park

Mile 268 · National Park of Mexico · 5 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Just outside Tlalpujahua, Rayón National Park (Parque Nacional Rayón) marks the start of the area's famous butterfly reserve country, which stretches south and west from here.

Cathedral of Atlacomulco

Mile 291 · Catholic cathedral · 0.4 mi from the route

Atlacomulco's cathedral, the Catedral de la Divina Providencia, is the seat of the Diocese of Atlacomulco and is dedicated to Divine Providence, making it the town's principal Catholic church.

La Marquesa National Park

Mile 347 · National Park of Mexico · 11 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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.

Lagunas de Zempoala National Park

Mile 367 · National Park of Mexico · 0.3 mi from the route

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.

Cuernavaca Cathedral

Mile 380 · Cathedral · 3 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Franciscans built this 16th-century convent church, now Cuernavaca's cathedral and part of the UNESCO-listed monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl; visitors can see its murals, side chapels and a sacred art museum.

El Tepozteco

Mile 391 · Archaeological site · 1 mi from the route

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

Mile 391 · Museum · 0.5 mi from the route

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

Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán

Convent · in Tlayacapan

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 Juan Bautista de Tlayacapan

Convent · in 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.

Templo y exconvento de San Guillermo

Convent · in Tlayacapan

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

From Tequila to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Tequila to Tlayacapan?

About 7 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 407 miles.

How far is Tlayacapan from Tequila by car?

About 407 miles (655 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 Tequila 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 Tequila to Tlayacapan?

The U.S. State Department rates Jalisco Level 3: Reconsider Travel; Michoacán Level 4: Do Not Travel; 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 Tequila to Tlayacapan use?

In order: MEX-15D, MEX-15, MEX-55D, MEX-55, 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 Tequila and Tlayacapan?

Closest to the road: Cathedral of Atlacomulco (catholic cathedral, mile 291, 0.4 mi from the route); Lagunas de Zempoala National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 367, 0.3 mi from the route); Tepoztlán Ex Convento Museum (museum, mile 391, 0.5 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.