Day trip
Season: Year-roundCuetzalan day trip
- A misty mountain town in the Sierra Norte
- The Yohualichan pyramids and waterfalls
Puebla is a great base for exploring central Mexico. Within an hour or two are pyramids, volcanoes, flower towns and colonial capitals, and further into the mountains is one of Mexico’s most beautiful villages. Here are the best day trips, starting with the closest.
Cholula
About 30 minutes. The Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest in the world by volume, with a church on top and the volcanoes behind. Add the painted churches of Tonantzintla and Acatepec. Read our Cholula guide.
Africam Safari
About 30 minutes. A large wildlife park south-east of the city, where you drive among giraffes, zebras, rhinos and antelopes, or ride a park safari truck. A great day out with children.
Atlixco
About 45 minutes. A warm, flower-filled pueblo mágico below Popocatépetl, with a pretty zócalo and a hilltop chapel with views of the volcano. Combine it with Cholula on the way.
Tlaxcala and Cacaxtla
About 45 minutes to an hour. Tlaxcala, capital of Mexico’s smallest state, is a calm colonial city with a lovely main square and an early Franciscan convent. Nearby, the ruins of Cacaxtla hide some of the best-preserved pre-Hispanic murals in Mexico, painted more than 1,000 years ago, in brilliant blues and reds.
Val’Quirico
About 40 minutes. A recently built village in the style of an Italian hill town, between Puebla and Tlaxcala, with restaurants, shops and umbrella-covered streets. It is not historic, but it is popular for a relaxed lunch and photos.
The volcanoes
About 1½ hours. The road to the Paso de Cortés climbs through pine forest to about 3,600 metres, between Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. You cannot climb Popocatépetl, which is active, but you can walk on the lower slopes of Iztaccíhuatl. Access depends on the volcano’s alert level, so check before you go, and bring warm clothes.
Cuetzalan
About 4 hours. A misty mountain town in the Sierra Norte, with cobbled streets, coffee, waterfalls, the pyramids of Yohualichan and the voladores. It is a long day, so consider a night there. See our Cuetzalan guide.
Teotihuacan
About 2½ hours. The great ancient city north of Mexico City, with the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. It is usually visited from Mexico City, but tours also run from Puebla.
Tips
- Start early. Traffic leaving Puebla can be slow, and the volcanoes are clearest in the morning.
- Tours are the easiest way to reach Cuetzalan, the volcanoes and Cacaxtla without a car.
- Uber works well for Cholula, Africam and Atlixco.
- Take cash for entry fees, markets and village restaurants.
