Mexico City is literally the beating heart of Mexico. Located right in the center of the country in its highlands region, there are so many places that you can visit as a day trip from Mexico City. This post will highlight the 5 best places you should consider spending a day during your next Mexico City vacation. All of these locations are reachable by first-class bus, which is a fast, comfortable, and affordable way to travel through Mexico. However another great way to check out these places is by using BlaBlaCar. If you haven’t heard of BlaBlaCar, check out our post on BlaBlaCar! Or if you decide to rent a car and drive, check out our post on driving in Mexico.
1. Puebla
Puebla, the capital of the state of Puebla, is an incredible culturally-rich city located only two hours southeast of the the national capital, making it an ideal day trip from Mexico City. Puebla is easily the biggest city on this list, being the fourth largest in the whole country with a population over 1.5 million. Puebla is known for having some of the best food in all of Mexico, and we can personally attest to that after living there for two years! As one of the wealthier cities in the country, Puebla is stuffed with beautiful architecture, incredible restaurants, world-class museums, and very safe streets.
To get there, you can either take an Uber all the way from Mexico City or you can hop onto an ADO bus from the Mexico City TAPO station to either Puebla’s CAPU station or Paseo Destino station. If you’re nervous about using Uber while in Mexico, be sure to read our post about Uber safety abroad. In our opinion, there is no better day trip from Mexico City than Puebla! For more information on visiting Puebla, be sure to read our Puebla travel guide.
2. Cholula
Situated just 20 minutes west of Puebla, Cholula is one of the coolest places to visit in all of Mexico. While it often gets overlooked thanks to being in the shadow of Puebla, Cholula is a very fun day trip from Mexico City. It is a very well developed and very young town, due to the presence of several top private universities like La Universidad de Las Americas Puebla (UDLAP). Because of the young and relatively wealthy crowd that attend these universities, Cholula is jam-packed with great restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Cholula is the home to the largest pyramid in the entire world.
Additionally, there are adorable churches literally on every block. Between Cholula and Puebla, there are over 365 gorgeous churches – more than one for every day of the year! The coolest part about Cholula, however, is the fact that it is the home to the largest pyramid in the entire world. Yes, bigger than the Pyramids of Egypt. The catch is that most of it is now underground after centuries of environmental change. Be sure to check out the Pyramid’s museum as well as the stunning church that sits on top of the mountain. To get here, you can take a bus to Puebla and then Uber to Cholula, or you can consider just taking an Uber all the way from Mexico City. For more information on visiting Cholula, be sure to read our Cholula travel guide!
3. Tepoztlan
Tepoztlan is a magical town in the state of Morelos located just an hour and a half south of the city, making it another ideal day trip from Mexico City. The most famous site in Tepoztlan is definitely its massive pyramid sitting on the peak of a mountain overlooking the town. Getting to the point of the pyramid is a misleadingly difficult hike, but the views are absolutely worth it. If you’re a more intermediate hiker, you can head even higher to a peak that overlooks the pyramid and town. If you choose to hike, be sure to bring plenty of water, because the hike is really exhausting, and the weather gets hot. Also, be sure to check out Tepoznieves while you’re in town! It is a local (yet nationally known) ice cream chain that has some really interesting flavors, and we suggest that you try Beso de Angel. To get to Tepoztlan, you can take a direct bus from Mexico City’s Taxqueña Station.
You can soak in gorgeous views and eat delicious ice-cream in Tepotzlan.
4. Taxco
Taxco is one of the most beautiful towns in central Mexico, and it is absolutely worth a visit. This town in the state of Guerrero accrued its wealth and beauty from its rich silver mines, and you can very easily fall in love with the quaint and charming locales lining every street. The church in Taxco is one of the most iconic and recognizable churches in all of central Mexico, too. The whole town has a very European feel. Also, because of the local mines that are still in use, you can get very high-quality silver here for very low prices. Taxco is located about 3 hours southwest of Mexico City, making it the furthest day trip from Mexico City on this list, but it is absolutely worth the time. To make the most of your day, grab an early morning, direct bus from Taxqueña Station to arrive in time for a late breakfast or brunch!
You can get very high-quality silver in Taxco for very low prices.
5. Teotihuacan
If you’re looking for a day trip from Mexico City that doesn’t actually take a full day, Teotihuacan is the place for you. These ginormous and stunning Aztec pyramids are located only about 45 minutes northeast of the city, in the State of Mexico. For a small fee you gain access to the entire park. The unique thing about these pyramids is that you’re allowed to climb them, which is usually not the case with iconic Mexican ruins, like Chichen Itza. A popular activity here is riding in a hot air balloon overlooking the entire park.
The really unique thing at Teotihuacan is that you’re allowed to climb the pyramids!
There are also several restaurant options in this area. We’d recommend checking out Restaurante La Cueva Teotihuacan, where you eat underground in a cave and can watch a live Aztec dancing performance. Getting to Teotihuacan is very easy. There are buses that leave directly from Mexico City to Teotihuacan, but your best bet is probably just taking an Uber because of how close they are. For more information on visiting, read our post on the best pyramids in Mexico!
Thanks for reading our post on the best day trips from Mexico City! Hopefully you have an incredible time visiting these amazing destinations. If you decide to visit any of these incredible places, let us know! If you have any questions or thoughts, either drop a comment below or send us an email!
