I have visited Mexico City over 10 times during the past decade and these are some of my favourite day trips:
Teotihuacán Pyramids
Distance from Mexico City: 50km, (1-1.5 drive)
Entry fee: 95 pesos
How to get there:
Take a bus from Central de Autobuses del Norte station, drive or catch an uber
Things to do in Teotihuacán:
This is a must-do day trip for all first time visitors! Teotihuacán means "the place where gods were created" and it was built between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D.(more than a 1,000 years before the arrival of the Aztecs). It's a very large archaeological site and you need at least 2-4hrs to really appreciate its vastness, including the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon (you are not allowed to climb either of them anymore).
Hot tip: Join an early morning hot air balloon flight over Teotihuacán for first-class views!
Where to eat:
La Gruta- a very unique dining experience in a cave!
Tepoztlán Magical Town
Distance from Mexico City: 82km (1.5hr drive)
Entry fee: FREE
How to get there:
Tepoztlán is one of the many pueblos mágicos (magical towns), located south of Mexico City and is a very popular weekend destination because of its close distance to the capital. You can catch a bus from Mexico City's southern bus terminal (Taxqueña), or drive if you have a car.
Note: there is another magical town called Tepozotlán, located north of Mexico City, so do not confuse the two!
We visited Tepoztlán on a Sunday and it was buzzing with day trippers and the whole town was like a party! If you prefer a quieter experience, then maybe visiting on a weekday would be a better option.
Things to do in Tepoztlán:
Wander the streets of this pretty town and try some of the local street food, such as nieves (shaved ice) or itacate (triangular shape thick corn tortilla, similar to a sope). On the weekend you can also visit a temazcal, a pre-hispanic type of sauna meant to aid with spiritual and physical cleansing and release of toxins.
The must-do activity in Tepoztlán, however, is the vigorous hike up the Tepozteco pyramid. This hike is not long, but it’s no joke. It took us about 45mins up and 45mins down with a small stop at the top of the pyramid, but the trail basically consists of steps, steps, and more steps, so it’s pretty challenging, even if you are fairly fit. Bring lots of water and start early before it gets too hot and crowded!
Malinalco Magical Town
Distance from Mexico City: 100kms (2-2.5hr drive)
Entry fee: FREE (Pyramid/Zona Archeológica 80 pesos)
How to get there:
Google maps showed a 2hr drive from Mexico city, but the roads were in a really poor state, so it took us much longer. There is a bus from Terminal Poniente (Observatorio) (Autotransportes Flecha Roja bus company), but double check the departure schedule.
Things to do in Malinalco:
Malinalco is another pueblo mágico close to Mexico City, but it’s a little bit more off-the-beaten track. The roads in this region are shocking, so be ready for a bumpy ride to get there, but it’s all worth it. We visited on a weekday and it was nice and quiet. You can stroll around the town centre, visit the local markets, try some of the local restaurants, and definitely visit the pyramid.
The walk up the pyramid is much easier than the hike up Tepozteco and you get lovely panoramic views from the top. The area was inhabited by the Mexicas when the Aztecs conquered it in 1470 and built the temples for the Sun God and God of Wars. Its main use was for initiation rituals and sacrifices of the Aztec military elite, the Eagle and Jaguar warriors. It is one of the best pre-served Aztec sites and definitely worth the visit.
Taxco de Alarcón
Distance from Mexico City: 178km (2.5 hour drive)
Entry fee: FREE
How to get there:
Drive from Mexico City or catch a bus from Mexico City's southern bus terminal (Taxqueña), which takes about 3 hours, so you might want to consider staying overnight.
Taxco is one of my favourite magical towns, not only because I love silver and Taxco is the "Silver Capital" of Mexico, but it is also very picturesque.
Things to do in Taxco:
Soak in the atmosphere of the old town and wander around the cobbled streets, have a drink at one of the rooftop bars across from the Cathedral or drive up to the Cristo Monumental lookout for stunning views. You can also try one of the typical dishes- pozole. The Taxco version of this soup is served with pork cracklings.
The main activity to keep you busy all day is shopping for silver jewellery! If you like silver, Taxco will be like paradise for you-from handcrafted silver jewellery to mass-produced pieces, you will a piece (or three) to your liking, all at very reasonable prices.
Fun fact: The silver-making industry was reinvigorated by an American, William Spratling, who opened a silver workshop in Taxco in 1929.
Tula de Allende
Distance from Mexico City: 85km (1.5-2hr drive)
Entry fee: 90 pesos
How to get there:
Drive, or take the bus from Mexico City's Terminal Norte to Tula de Allende, and then a taxi.
Things to do in Tula de Allende:
The main attraction in the area is the archeological site of ancient Tula. Tula was the centre of the Toltec Empire and reached the height of its power from the 10th to the 12th century, after the fall of Teotihuacán and before the establishment of Tenochtitlán (Today's Mexico City).
The walk through the archeological site is very pleasant and you can admire some of Mexico's finest succulent plants along the way. Once you get to the remains of the main pyramid, you can walk up to admire the Atlantes de Tula, hand-crafted stone statues that represent Toltec warriors.
Tula de Allende itself feel like a rather plain provincial town, so there really isn't much to do besides visiting the archeological site.
Hot tip: I recommend combining the visit to Tula de Allende with Grutas de Tolantongo and make it an overnight trip.
Grutas de Tolantongo
Distance from Mexico City: 200km (3.5-4hr drive)
Entry fee: 200 pesos pp+ 30 pesos for parking
How to get there:
This stunning hot springs paradise is one of my favourite places in Mexico and although doable as a day trip, I would recommend staying overnight as the drive from Mexico city is close to 4hrs long (depending on traffic).
You can get to Tolantongo by public transport by taking a bus from Mexico city to Ixmiquilpan and then a microbus (colectivo) to Grutas Tolantongo. You would then need to take a shuttle inside the park to get around the different attractions.
Driving is a better option as you have the freedom to stop wherever you like for however long you like. If you are doing an overnight trip, you can stay inside the park (note that no advanced bookings are accepted and that you will need to pay the park entrance fee for 2 days) or in the nearby towns of Ixmiquilpan or Tasquillo (which is what we did).
It is a good idea to arrive as early as possible (the ticket office opens at 7am and most attractions open at 8am) and avoid weekends and public holidays for the best experience.
Alternatively, you can take an organised day tour from Mexico City.
Things to do in Tolantongo
Grutas de Tolantongo is essentially a natural park run by a local community cooperative that offers several world-class hot spring areas. Although it's not a luxury resort, the natural beauty of this place is simply breathtaking.
You can visit the following places in the Tolantongo Park:
Pozas Termales (Thermal Pools)
This was definitely a highlight for me as it looks as beautiful in reality as it does on Instagram! Since we got there early on a Friday, we had a few of the pools all to ourselves and were really able to relax (and take some great pics:).
These man-made pools use the natural hot spring water and you can enjoy the stunning views while soaking in one of them. The water was warm, not hot, which was perfect for me as the outside temperature was close to 30 °C.
Thermal River
Next, we visited Tolantongo River, which was even more stunningly blue than the thermal pools! This natural hot spring river maintains a pleasantly warm temperature, allowing you to soak here to your heart's content!
Waterfall, Tunnel and the Cave
The last place we visited was the famous tunnel and cave. To enter the cave, you need to walk through a waterfall, which consists of two sections: one with warm hot spring water and another with refreshingly cold fresh water. Once inside the cave, there is another small thermal waterfall, which creates a kind of sauna effect. Although this place was quite crowded by the time we arrived (a bit before 11 am), it was still such a unique experience.
Other activities
If you have the time and are feeling adventures, there is also a zip line in the park and plenty of hiking options. There are also many restaurants inside the park (bring enough cash) and a few little shops where you can buy refreshments.
Although still a bit off the beaten track, Grutas Tolantongo is quickly becoming an internationally known tourist attraction, so come visit soon before it gets too crowded!
Tlalpujahua
Distance from Mexico City: 1685km (2.5-3hr drive)
Entry fee: Free
How to get there: Drive or take a bus from Mexico City's Terminal Poniente (Observatorio).
Another magical town you can visit on a day trip, but even better as a part of a multi-day trip to Michoacán, is a former gold mining town Tlapujahua. Now that there is no more mining, the town has become somewhat famous for Christmas spheres and ornaments. You can wonder around the town (be prepared for steep hills!), visit a nearby mine and/or another mining town, El Oro (meaning gold).
Hot Tip: Combine your trip to Tlalpujahua with a stop at one of the Monarca butterfly sanctuaries, where you can witness millions of butterflies that migrate from Canada to Mexico annually between November and February to avoid the colder months.
Puebla & Cholula
Distance from Mexico City: 134km (approx. 2.5-3hr drive)
How to get there: Drive or catch a bus from Mexico City's Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente (TAPO) bus station.
Hot tip: Stay overnight and visit some of the nearby pueblos mágicos.
While it's possible to visit Puebla, the fourth largest city in Mexico, on a day trip, it is advisable to spend several days there to fully enjoy its architectural and culinary treasures.
Puebla, Mexico, is a lively city steeped in history and culture and is renowned for its Talavera pottery and azulejos tiles, which decorate many of its structures with detailed and colourful patterns.
The city is also the birthplace of the iconic Mexican dish mole poblano, a rich and complex sauce made with a variety of spices, often served over chicken. You can try different kinds of mole, such as mole Poblano (made with chocolate and spices), mole negro (the traditional black mole), mole verde (green mole), mole pipian (made primarily with pumpkin seeds).
San Pedro Cholula is a magical town located approximately 10 km from Puebla, often known as 'the city of churches', boasting a total of 365 churches—one for each day of the year! Among these is the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, which is built on top of a pyramid in Cholula, allowing you enjoy stunning views of the volcano Popocatepetl in the backdrop.
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