The Wayro route from Zacatelco to Tonatico is 152 miles (244 km), about 3 h 4 min of driving without stops.
| Distance | 152 mi (244 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 3 h 4 min |
| Main roads, in order | MEX-119D → PUE 438D → MEX-94D → MEX-95 → MEX-55 |
| Mexican states on the route | Tlaxcala (Level 2), Puebla (Level 2), Morelos (Level 3), Guerrero (Level 4), State of Mexico (Level 2) |
| Toll roads | MEX-119D, MEX-94D, MEX-95D |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 6.1 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 Zacatelco to Tonatico is like
MEX-94D (38 mi) and PUE 438D (34 mi) carry about 47% of the 152 miles. MEX-119D, MEX-94D are toll highways (cuota); MEX-95, MEX-55 are free federal roads (libre). It runs through 5 states: Tlaxcala, Puebla, Morelos, Guerrero, State of Mexico. Of the 8 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Zacatelco to Tonatico, 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 | 112–127 | 15 | Morelos, Guerrero |
| MEX-55 | 127–151 | 24 | Guerrero, State of Mexico |
| local roads | 151–152 | 1 | State of Mexico |
- 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)
- Mile 132 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
- Mile 140 of this route: State of Mexico → Guerrero (state line)
- Mile 144 of this route: Guerrero → State of Mexico (state line)
Stops between Zacatelco and Tonatico
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 132)
- Nature and outdoors: Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (mile 132)
- 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)
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.
Former convent of Saint Dominic de Guzmán
In the town of Hueyapan, the 16th-century church and former convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán keeps original frescoes and moldings inside, around a modest cloister typical of its era.
Convento de Santiago Apóstol
In the town of Ocuituco, the Temple and Ex-convent of Santiago Apóstol (Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol) belongs to the UNESCO-listed group of 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl, inscribed in 1994.
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.
More drives to Tonatico
- Valle de Bravo to Tonatico
- Zitácuaro to Tonatico
- Tlalpujahua to Tonatico
- Amealco to Tonatico
- San Juan del Río to Tonatico
- Tequisquiapan to Tonatico
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 Tonatico?
About 3 h 4 min of driving without stops, over 152 miles.
How far is Tonatico from Zacatelco by car?
About 152 miles (244 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 Tonatico?
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 Tonatico?
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; State of Mexico Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (advisory issued May 29, 2026). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Zacatelco to Tonatico use?
In order: MEX-119D, PUE 438D, MEX-94D, MEX-95 and MEX-55. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles and states for each one.
What are good stops between Zacatelco and Tonatico?
Closest to the road: International Museum of the Baroque (art museum, mile 17, 1 mi from the route); Las Pilas archaeological site (archaeological site, mile 64, 1 mi from the route); Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park (National Park of Mexico, mile 132, 0.1 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.