The Wayro route from Zacatelco to Ixcateopan is 160 miles (258 km), about 3 h 29 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 160 mi (258 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 29 min |
| Main roads, in order | 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-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D, MEX-92D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
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 Zacatelco to Ixcateopan is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 45% of the 160 miles. MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-92D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-95 is a free federal road (libre). It runs through 4 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Zacatelco to Ixcateopan, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Tlaxcala |
| MEX-119D | 2–7 | 5 | Tlaxcala, Puebla |
| local roads | 7–28 | 21 | Puebla |
| PUE 438D | 28–62 | 34 | Puebla, Morelos |
| MEX-94D | 62–100 | 38 | Morelos |
| connecting roads | 100–104 | 4 | Morelos |
| local roads | 104–112 | 8 | Morelos |
| MEX-95 | 112–130 | 18 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 130–133 | 3 | Guerrero |
| MEX-92D | 133–138 | 5 | Guerrero |
| connecting roads | 138–139 | 1 | Guerrero |
| local roads | 139–160 | 21 | Guerrero |
- Mile 5 of this route: Tlaxcala → Puebla (state line)
- Mile 55 of this route: Puebla → Morelos (state line)
- Mile 125 of this route: Morelos → Guerrero (state line)
Stops between Zacatelco and Ixcateopan
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 139), William Spratling Museum (mile 139)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 127)
- Museums and history: Museo Regional de Cholula (mile 12), International Museum of the Baroque (mile 17), Chalcatzingo (mile 63), Las Pilas archaeological site (mile 64), Xochicalco (mile 112), Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (mile 139), William Spratling Museum (mile 139)
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.
Museo Regional de Cholula
Right beside the Great Pyramid and archaeological zone of Cholula, this public museum displays collections ranging from pre-Hispanic and colonial art to contemporary and folk art.
International Museum of the Baroque
Designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito and opened in 2016, Puebla's baroque museum wraps its galleries in curving white concrete walls beside a reflecting pond. Exhibits cover baroque painting, sculpture, architecture, music, theater and literature.
Chalcatzingo
At the foot of Cerro Chalcatzingo in eastern Morelos, this early site is known for stone reliefs carved mainly between 700 and 500 BC, some among the region's earliest stone sculpture and several in Olmec style, spread across the hillside.
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.
Xochicalco
A fortified hilltop city that thrived between about 650 and 900, Xochicalco is a UNESCO World Heritage site where you can see the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent with its carved reliefs, ball courts, an underground observatory and a site museum.
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.
William Spratling Museum
Taxco's archaeological museum grew from the collection of William Spratling, the American who revived the town's silver craft in the 1930s. It shows pre-Hispanic pieces, including Olmec and Mezcala-style works, plus a gallery on silversmithing.
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 Zacatelco to other places in Mexico
- Zacatelco to Tlaxco
- Zacatelco to Calpulalpan
- Zacatelco to Otumba
- Zacatelco to Atlatlahucan
- Zacatelco to Omitlán
- Zacatelco to Huasca de Ocampo
Continue Your Adventure
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Zacatelco to Ixcateopan?
About 3 h 29 min of driving without stops, over 160 miles.
How far is Ixcateopan from Zacatelco by car?
About 160 miles (258 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 Zacatelco 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 Zacatelco 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 Zacatelco to Ixcateopan use?
In order: 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 Zacatelco and Ixcateopan?
Closest to the road: Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 64, 1 mi from the route); Church of Santa Prisca de Taxco (church building, mile 139, 0.4 mi from the route); William Spratling Museum (museum, mile 139, 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.