Xico to Real de Asientos Road Trip: Route, Tolls & Stops

By admin, 3 October, 2026

The Wayro route from Xico to Real de Asientos is 510 miles (820 km), about 8 h 59 min of driving without stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Veracruz — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Puebla — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Tlaxcala — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Hidalgo — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; State of Mexico — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Querétaro — Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution; Guanajuato — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Jalisco — Level 3, Reconsider Travel; Aguascalientes — Level 2, Exercise Increased CautionAdvisory issued May 29, 2026; checked September 29, 2026. Aguascalientes is the Mexican state that contains Real de Asientos. Check the full advisory for this state before you go.
Xalapa CathedralJardín de EsculturasParque Nacional Cofre de PeroteLa Malinche National ParkParque nacional XicoténcatlJorge R. Acosta MuseumCerro de las CampanasMuseo Nacional de la MuerteMuseo EscarcegaXicoReal de Asientos
Route from Xico to Real de Asientos with the 9 stops listed below (blue dots).
Distance510 mi (820 km)
Driving time, no stops8 h 59 min
Main roads, in orderVER 7 → MEX-140 → MEX-140D → MEX-136 → MEX-M40D → MEX-57D → MEX-47D → MEX-45D → MEX-45 → MEX-71 → AGS 9 → MEX-39
Mexican states on the routeVeracruz (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Tlaxcala (Level 2), Hidalgo (Level 2), State of Mexico (Level 2), Querétaro (Level 2), Guanajuato (Level 3), Jalisco (Level 3), Aguascalientes (Level 2)
Toll roadsMEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)about 20.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below9

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 Xico to Real de Asientos is like

MEX-45D (142 mi) and MEX-M40D (87 mi) carry about 45% of the 510 miles. MEX-140D, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-140, MEX-136, MEX-45, MEX-71, MEX-39 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 9 states: Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Aguascalientes. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.

The route from Xico to Real de Asientos, road by road

RoadRoute miles (from–to)Length, miState
local roads0–66Veracruz
VER 76–104Veracruz
connecting roads10–133Veracruz
MEX-14013–185Veracruz
connecting roads18–191Veracruz
MEX-140D19–8566Veracruz, Puebla, Tlaxcala
MEX-13685–13752Tlaxcala
MEX-M40D137–22487Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, State of Mexico
connecting roads224–2251Hidalgo
MEX-57D225–26035Hidalgo, State of Mexico, Querétaro
MEX-47D260–31353Querétaro, Guanajuato
MEX-45D313–455142Guanajuato, Jalisco
MEX-45455–48429Jalisco, Aguascalientes
local roads484–4884Aguascalientes
MEX-71488–4957Aguascalientes
AGS 9495–5016Aguascalientes
MEX-39501–5087Aguascalientes
local roads508–5102Aguascalientes
  • Mile 51 of this route: Veracruz → Puebla (state line)
  • Mile 76 of this route: Puebla → Tlaxcala (state line)
  • Mile 146 of this route: Tlaxcala → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 153 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 166 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 183 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 197 of this route: State of Mexico → Hidalgo (state line)
  • Mile 226 of this route: Hidalgo → State of Mexico (state line)
  • Mile 259 of this route: State of Mexico → Querétaro (state line)
  • Mile 301 of this route: Querétaro → Guanajuato (state line)
  • Mile 410 of this route: Guanajuato → Jalisco (state line)
  • Mile 458 of this route: Jalisco → Aguascalientes (state line)

Stops between Xico and Real de Asientos

  • Right off the route (under 1 mile): Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12), Jardín de Esculturas (mile 12), Museo Nacional de la Muerte (mile 473), Museo Escarcega (mile 473)
  • Nature and outdoors: Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote (mile 42), La Malinche National Park (mile 96), Parque nacional Xicoténcatl (mile 114), Cerro de las Campanas (mile 302)
  • Museums and history: Xalapa Cathedral (mile 12), Jardín de Esculturas (mile 12), Jorge R. Acosta Museum (mile 214), Museo Nacional de la Muerte (mile 473), Museo Escarcega (mile 473)

Xalapa Cathedral

Mile 12 · Cathedral · 0.9 mi from the route

One of Xalapa's oldest buildings, the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception mixes a baroque core with neo-Gothic touches added in 1895, and holds the remains of Bishop Rafael Guízar y Valencia.

Jardín de Esculturas

Mile 12 · Museum · 0.9 mi from the route

Xalapa's Jardín de Esculturas is an open-air sculpture garden and museum displaying works by nationally and internationally recognized artists.

Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote

Mile 42 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Cofre de Perote National Park protects the forested slopes of the mountain, and its role is practical as well as scenic: a little over 40 percent of the water used in Xalapa comes from here.

La Malinche National Park

Mile 96 · National Park of Mexico · 10 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Tlaxcala's La Malinche National Park surrounds the inactive Matlalcuéyetl volcano, with pine, oak and fir forests on its slopes, hiking trails, birdwatching, and stone cabins and campsites at the Malintzi Vacation Center.

Parque nacional Xicoténcatl

Mile 114 · National Park of Mexico · 7 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Covering roughly 600 hectares in central Tlaxcala, Xicohténcatl National Park takes in the historic center of Tlaxcala city plus Quiahuixtlán, Ocotelulco and Tepeticpac, which correspond to three of the old Tlaxcalan lordships.

Jorge R. Acosta Museum

Mile 214 · Museum · 1 mi from the route

Next to the Tula ruins, the Museo de Sitio Jorge R. Acosta traces the rise and decline of the Toltecs and their city, Tollan Xicocotitlan. It moved into new facilities in 1982 and covers nearly 20 years of digs led by archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta.

Cerro de las Campanas

Mile 302 · National Park of Mexico · 12 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

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

Museo Nacional de la Muerte

Mile 473 · Art museum · 0.1 mi from the route

Run by the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, the Museo Nacional de la Muerte displays objects about death in Mexican culture, drawn from a collection donated by printmaker Octavio Bajonero Gil.

Museo Escarcega

Mile 473 · Art museum · 0.7 mi from the route

Eduardo Escárcega Rangel created this museum in the city of Aguascalientes to show his personal collection of paintings and prints by local, national and international artists.

More drives to Real de Asientos

From Xico to other places in Mexico

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from Xico to Real de Asientos?

About 8 h 59 min of driving without stops, over 510 miles.

How far is Real de Asientos from Xico by car?

About 510 miles (820 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 Xico to Real de Asientos?

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 Xico to Real de Asientos?

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

What roads does the drive from Xico to Real de Asientos use?

In order: VER 7, MEX-140, MEX-140D, MEX-136, MEX-M40D, MEX-57D, MEX-47D, MEX-45D, MEX-45, MEX-71, AGS 9 and MEX-39. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.

What are good stops between Xico and Real de Asientos?

Closest to the road: Xalapa Cathedral (cathedral, mile 12, 0.9 mi from the route); Museo Nacional de la Muerte (art museum, mile 473, 0.1 mi from the route); Museo Escarcega (art museum, mile 473, 0.7 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.