5 Great Day Trips from Mexico City

The sprawling capital city of Mexico is a place that you will never get bored in. Although we’ve visited Mexico City twice and spent a whole month there in total, we could still return and do something we haven’t done yet. However, there are also quite a few day trips you can do from Mexico City, especially if you plan to spend a bit longer than a couple of days there.

We appreciate that the city itself is huge, so getting in and out of it can take some time. Therefore, in this guide we only wanted to include some of the places that don’t require you to travel 8-9 hours just so you can enjoy a place for 1 or 2. The below list is a great mix of popular and lesser known areas, as well as giving you a variety of activities to look forward to including historical site visits, colourful towns and cities to wander around, and even some hiking opportunities.

If you’d like to see our Mexico City adventures then make sure to watch our YouTube videos by clicking here. You can also check out our Mexico Playlist for more adventures across the country.

5. Day Trips from Mexico City

1. Teotihuacan Pyramids

The Teotihuacan Pyramids are possibly one of the most popular day trips from Mexico City. The majority of people who visit the capital will almost certainly visit this historical site.

Teotihuacan was settled around 400 B.C. and was at its peak around 400 A.D. The Aztecs found it in the 1400’s, after it had been abandoned for centuries, and named it Teotihuacan, which means ‘the place where the gods were created’. It became the centre of religion, economics, culture, and art in the region, and had a major influence on the surrounding areas too. Since 1987, Teotihuacan has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

This huge archeological site is home to thousands of single-story apartment compounds, pyramids, temples and other structures. Some of the most important structures are the Pyramid of the Moon, the Pyramid of the Sun, the Ciudadela (‘Citadel’) and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent).

How to Get to the Teotihuacan Pyramids from Mexico City

Teotihuacan is about 50km northeast of the Historic Centre of Mexico City, and it’s easily accessible by both public and private transport.

By Bus. An easy and affordable way to get to Teotihuacan. First, take Metro Line 5 to the Autobuses del Norte stop. Click here to view the metro line map. Once at the Autobuses del Norte terminal, look for the ticket office that has ‘Autobuses Teotihuacan’.  The bus will drop you off at Puerta 1 (Gate 1), which is the southernmost point of the site. To get the bus back to Mexico City, leave through Puerta 2 (Gate 2). For more details, read our step-by-step guide on how to get to Teotihuacan by bus.

By Taxi / Uber. If you want extra comfort, convenience, and don’t mind paying a higher price, then take an Uber or taxi to Teotihuacan. If you opt for a taxi, make sure to use an official one, ideally ordered from your hotel / hostel’s reception.

By Organised Tour. A popular way to reach Teotihuacan is with a day tour. There are many tour operators offering either a dedicated Teotihuacan tour or one that visits other places as well, such as Tlatelolco and the Basilica of Guadalupe.

2. Xochimilco Canals

Another quite popular day trip is to the Xochimilco Canals within the Xochimilco district of Mexico City. Also known as The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, you can explore the canals in one of the colourful gondola-like boats called trajineras.

The canals used to cover an extensive area and connected most of the settlements in the Valley of Mexico for the transport of goods. Unfortunately, most of the canals have dried out over the years, with only the ones in Xochimilco remaining. In 1987, these canals were declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today, the Xochimilco Canals are a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the Historic Centre, without travelling for hours. You can rent one of the trajineras and ride various distances along the canals. Boat drivers normally offer a minimum of a one hour tour, with some rides lasting up to 5 hours. The cost will depend on the length. Obviously, if you find some friends to share the ride with, you can get a pretty decent deal. Alternatively, you can also choose a private ride, which is what we ended up doing, as there was no-one else around at the time of our visit.

Apart from enjoying the ride and the scenery, there are a few points of interest in the maze of canals. One is to see Axolotls, one of the most interesting creatures on our planet. Today, Mexican axolotls only exist in the wild in the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico City, so it’s quite a unique thing to do in Mexico. On a longer boat tour you can also visit the creepy Island of the Dolls (Isla de Las Muñecas).

How to Get to Xochimilco from Mexico City

The Xochimilco Canals are about 25km to the south of Mexico City’s Historic Centre.

By Public Transport. Using a combination of metro and light rail, getting to Xochimilco is pretty straightforward. First, take Metro Line 2 to the Tasqueña stop. From there, transfer onto the light rail, called Tren Ligero, which goes all the way to Xochimilco. Click here to view the metro line map.

By Taxi / Uber. A more convenient and comfortable option is to take a taxi or Uber from Centro Historico. Obviously, the price will be higher for a private transport, unless you share the cost with some fellow travellers. Plus, there’s a good chance that you’ll get stuck in the crazy Mexico City traffic. As always, if you opt for a taxi, make sure to use an official one, ideally ordered from your hotel / hostel’s reception.

By Tour. If you’re travelling solo or don’t have too long in the city, then consider booking an organised tour. This way you can avoid waiting for people to share the cost of a boat rental, or being forced to pay a large sum for a private ride. The tours usually include drinks and a good atmosphere. Some tours also include a visit to other attractions.

3. Puebla and Cholula

Two colourful cities worth visiting on a day trip from Mexico City are Puebla and Cholula.

The city of Puebla is officially called Puebla de Zaragoza, although most people just refer to it as Puebla. It was founded in 1531 and at the time it was called Puebla de los Ángeles or “City of Angels”. Today, Puebla is the largest city in the state of Puebla and the fifth largest in Mexico. In 1987, Puebla’s Historic Centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Cholula is also located in the state of Puebla, about 15km west of Puebla City. It is divided into two municipalities: San Pedro Cholula and San Andres Cholula, but is still part of Puebla City’s metropolitan area. The city was founded around 500 BCE, which makes it the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the western hemisphere. Today, Cholula is one of 12 Pueblo Magicos, or Magic Towns, in Puebla state.

Things to Do in Puebla

There are plenty of things to do in Puebla, which we have gone into more detail about in our dedicated guide. Below, we’ll just list some of the highlights for inspiration:

1. Take a free walking tour of the historic centre. (The perfect activity if you’re short on time and want to learn more about Puebla).
2. Relax at the Zocalo – the Main Square of Puebla. It’s where some of Puebla’s most important buildings are, as well as many cafes and restaurants. A lovely green place to relax and people watch.
3. Check out the most beautiful churches in Puebla. Puebla is home to many impressive religious buildings. Our favourites were the Puebla Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Church and the Rosary Chapel, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and the San Francisco Church.
4. Visit Biblioteca Palafoxiana. It’s the oldest public library in the Americas and it has around 45,000 volumes spread across multiple stories.
5. Visit some of the museums in Puebla. There are also many interesting museums such as Museo Amparo, the Museum of the Mexican Revolution, Casa de los Muñecos and Museo Casa de Alfeñique. Plus, you can explore the Puebla Tunnels, where you can learn more about the history of Puebla and the region.
6. Wander around Puebla’s colourful markets, districts and streets. Stroll down Callejon de los Sapos (the Alley of the Frogs), watch artists develop their work right in front of you in the Barrio del Artistas, find a souvenir at El Parian market, or buy some sweets along Calle de los Dulces.

Things to Do in Cholula

Although Cholula is much smaller than Puebla, this Magic Town has some beautiful attractions. Once again, we’ve summarised everything you can do in Cholula in our detailed guide, so here we’ll just list the highlights.

1. Appreciate the scale of the Great Pyramid of Cholula. It is the largest pyramid in the world by volume, so you cannot skip a tour of the archeological site.
2. Enjoy the views from the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Remedies. This iconic yellow church sits atop the pyramid. The church itself is worth a closer look, but the panoramic views of Cholula and the volcanoes are what will make the climb worthwhile.
3. Visit the museums of Cholula. Both the Regional Museum of Cholula and Cholula Site Museum are worth visiting if you want to know more about the pyramid and the region’s history.
4. Relax at Plaza de la Concordia, the Zocalo of Cholula. It’s a great place to relax, check out some important buildings, or grab some food.
5. See the beautiful churches of Cholula. Just like Puebla, Cholula is also home to many impressive churches, such as the Parish of San Pedro Cholula and the San Gabriel Convent.

How to Get to Puebla and Cholula from Mexico City

Puebla is about 100km east of Mexico City, in the state of Puebla. The average journey time is around 2.5 hours.

By Public Transport. First, you’ll need to get to the TAPO bus terminal to the east of the Historic Centre. To get there, just take Metro Line 1 or Line B and get off at the San Lazaro metro stop. Click here to view the metro line map. Once at the bus station, book a bus ticket to Puebla with the ADO bus company from the ticket office. To save some time, you can also book your ADO bus ticket online. Once at Puebla CAPU bus station, take a taxi or Uber to the city centre to save some time.

To Cholula, you can get a bus from the Autobuses Puebla – Cholula y Anexas station in Puebla. The journey takes about 45 minutes. If you’re short on time, we suggest taking an Uber or taxi to Cholula, which will only take about 20 minutes.

By Organised Tour. It’s a common way to visit Puebla from Mexico City. Most day tours, like this one from Amigo Tours LATAM, also take you to Cholula, which will save you some precious time.

4. Izta – Popo National Park

Mexico City is located in close proximity to many volcanoes, including the very active Volcan Popocatépetl. If you enjoy the outdoors as much as we do, then definitely take a day trip to Iztaccíhuatl–Popocatépetl National Park (Izta-Popo for short), to experience the two volcanoes up close and personal.

Once you reach the park, you have the option to do a shorter trail, which allows you to be at a high altitude without the need for a guide. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can even summit Volcan Iztaccíhuatl, which is the third highest peak in Mexico. Otherwise, just admire the smoking Popocatépetl from a safe distance. For obvious reasons, you won’t be able to summit Popo.

How to Get to Izta – Popo National Park from Mexico City

The park is a long way from Mexico City. Getting there on your own will require multiple changes of transportation and some basic Spanish knowledge for buying tickets and negotiating taxi fares.

By Public Transport. Just like with a trip to Puebla, you’ll need to get to the TAPO bus terminal first. Take Metro Line 1 or Line B and get off at the San Lazaro metro stop. Click here to view the metro line map. Once at the bus station, book a bus ticket to Amecameca from the ‘Volcanes’ ticket office. In Amecameca, find a taxi ride to the national park. Ask to be dropped off either at Paso de Cortes or at La Joya. 

By Organised Tour. The easiest way to reach Izta-Popo National Park is by booking a guided tour. You won’t need to think about the logistics of getting to the park, or figuring out the hiking trails. If you wish to summit Iztaccíhuatl, then we highly recommend going with a guide.

By Hire Car. You can also hire a car for the day using Discover Cars. This option gives you a lot of freedom, but you also have to drive through Mexico City, which can be a bit stressful due to the horrendous traffic conditions and crazy drivers.

5. Desierto de los Leones National Park

If you want to get out into nature but don’t want to go so far outside of Mexico City, then consider visiting Desierto de los Leones National Park. It’s located about 30km to the southwest of the Centro Historico and covers about 4,600 acres.

The altitude within the park varies between 2,600 to 3,700 meters above sea level, with the highest peak, Cerro San Miguel, rising to 3,770m. Desierto de los Leones was first declared a forest reserve area in 1876 and then became a national park in 1917.

Today, it’s a popular place for dog walking, mountain biking, camping and hiking, mainly by residents of Mexico City. The main attraction of the park is the Ex Convento Desierto de los Leones. It was built in the 17th century by monks seeking a quiet and peaceful place away from the city noise. 

We went on a 16km long hike around the park that also incorporated the beautiful convent. The route took us to some fantastic viewpoints of the park, as well as Mexico City in the distance.

How to Get to Desierto de los Leones National Park from Mexico City

By Hire Car, Uber or Taxi. Renting a car for a day is a convenient way to get to the national park. However, don’t forget that you have to drive through Mexico City, which can be rather stressful. You can hire a car using Discover Cars. Alternatively, just book an Uber or taxi, although be aware that it’s a long way to go, so not every driver will be willing to take you.

By Public Transport. As always, you can get to the park with public transport. First, take Metro line 7 and get off at the Barranca del Muerto station. Click here to view the metro line map. From the bus stop at the junction of Avenue Revolucion and Barranca del Muerto, take a bus towards Santa Rosa Xochiac.

By Organised Tour. There aren’t many organised tours to the national park. However, we found a hiking tour provided by Dielinguue that will take you on a short walk around the park, as well as a tour of the convent.

Final Thoughts on Day Trips from Mexico City

We never thought that Mexico City would become one of our favourite capital cities in the world. Whilst we loved that there was so much to do in the city centre itself, what really made Mexico City memorable for us were the very different kinds of day trips we went on.

Obviously, we really loved hiking in Izta – Popo National Park and seeing Popocatepetl volcano smoking so close by. We also loved our time in Puebla and Cholula, which both felt so much more relaxed than the capital city. Of course, a trip to Teotihuacan is very popular but it was something we always wanted to do. It was nice to balance that with a visit to Desierto de los Leones National Park, where we saw hardly any foreign tourists.