The Wayro route from Tlaxco to Ixcateopan is 194 miles (312 km), about 4 h 7 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 194 mi (312 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 4 h 7 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-119 → MEX-117D → MEX-119D → 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-117D, MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 7.7 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 Tlaxco to Ixcateopan is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (33 mi) carry about 37% of the 194 miles. MEX-117D, MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-119, MEX-95 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero. Of the 8 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Tlaxco to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119 | 1–16 | 15 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 16–18 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-117D | 18–29 | 11 | Tlaxcala |
| connecting roads | 29–30 | 1 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119D | 30–40 | 10 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 40–62 | 22 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 62–95 | 33 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 95–133 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 133–138 | 5 | Morelos |
| local roads | 138–145 | 7 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 145–164 | 19 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 164–166 | 2 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 166–171 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 171–172 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 172–194 | 22 | Guerrero |
- Mile 39 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 88 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 158 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Tlaxco and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 25), Museo Miguel N. Lira (mile 26), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 173), Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (mile 173)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 160)
- Museums and history: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (mile 25), Museo Miguel N. Lira (mile 26), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 98), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 173), Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (mile 173)
Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco
Ocotelulco was the principal Tlaxcalan lordship in 1519; its site museum displays about 750 excavated objects beside temple remains painted with Tezcatlipoca and the fire serpent, and an ethnobotanical garden surrounds the building.
Museo Miguel N. Lira
Downtown Tlaxcala's Museo Miguel N. Lira fills the old State Printing Office, linked to the writer and poet. Visitors see his manuscripts, family photos and personal belongings, plus the original linotype machines and the press that printed his work.
Great Pyramid of Cholula
Under a hilltop church dedicated to the Virgin of los Remedios lies Tlachihualtepetl, a pyramid built in superimposed stages with a base about 400 meters per side. Excavations have opened roughly 8 km of tunnels inside the mound.
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.
Las Pilas archaeological site
Set inside a bathing park in Jonacatepec, Las Pilas was a ceremonial center devoted to water, where inhabitants built channels to collect and store underground water for irrigation; burials were found within the channel system.
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 Tlaxco to other places in Mexico
- Tlaxco to Chipilo
- Tlaxco to Otumba
- Tlaxco to Omitlán
- Tlaxco to Atlatlahucan
- Tlaxco to Jilotepec
- Tlaxco to Zimapán
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tlaxco to Ixcateopan?
About 4 h 7 min of driving without stops, over 194 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Tlaxco by car?
About 194 miles (312 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 Tlaxco 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 Tlaxco 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 Tlaxco to Ixcateopan use?
In order: MEX-119, MEX-117D, MEX-119D, 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 Tlaxco and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Museo de Sitio de Ocotelulco (museum, mile 25, 0.3 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Virreinal de Taxco (museum, mile 173, 0.3 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church building, mile 173, 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.