One of my favorite things about Mexico City (besides the cheap metro, the museums, the neighborhoods, the history, and the weather) is that it is surrounded by incredible cultural and natural wonders! Whether you’re looking for an outdoor adventure, a piece of important history, or a pueblo mágico, Mexico City is an incredible base for exploring this country.
Here are my favorite daytrips from Mexico City, all places you can get to within 2.5 hours, one way on public transportation. Before we get into it, you must know that this sprawling city has four bus terminals — yes, that’s right, it has a bus terminal for north, south, east, and west! The biggest bus terminal with the most options is Mexico Norte, but you will want to pay attention to my suggestions and confirm that you are headed to the correct terminal or else your daytrip might get a whole lot longer
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PUEBLA CITY AND CHOLULA
I know what you’re thinking, spending just one day in Puebla, one of the biggest cities in Mexico? While this city is certainly big and sprawling, the historical center is pretty confined and I think it makes for the perfect day trip. I’ve been in Puebla twice and both times, I was pretty satisfied with my short visit.
To get to Puebla, you want to head to TAPO, the eastern bus terminal and buy a comfortable two hour journey for about $200 pesos with AU or ADO lines. Once you get into Puebla’s terminal, be prepared to move a little bit more via bus or Uber to get to the city center.
The centro historico is very walkable and colorful with my favorite destinations here are Callejon de los Sapos, the Artists Quarter, the oldest library in the Americas, and the impressive cathedral. For more on a quick daytrip to Puebla, you can read about my first impressions in 2021.
If you leave Mexico City very early — say 6 or 7 am — you could see not just the center of Puebla, but also it’s neighboring pueblo magic, Cholula. Your best bet is to take an affordable Uber or taxi the 30 minutes from the center of Puebla to the center of Cholula.
Today, a beautiful yellow church sits on the top of a large mound which is an unexcavated pyramid said to be the “longest continually inhabited neighborhood in the Americas.” That being said, you can still tour a small archaeological site for 90 pesos at the base of the hill. Of course, you can live up your pueblo magico dreams with the cheap bars, artisan markets, and colorful cathedrals. If you want to stay the night, it seems like a really hip spot for young folks and well worth the extra day. But if you want to make a long long day to see Cholula and Puebla and catch an evening bus to CDMX too!
2. VALLE DE BRAVO - PUEBLO MAGICO
To head to this charming lakeside town, you'll want to start from the western bus terminal, Observatorio. (As of 2024, they are constructing the metro line here so you need to Uber or bus to the station.) There are buses leaving about every hour and taking about 2 hours 30 minutes to arrive to Valle de Bravo, Estado de Mexico.
This town is famous for being like the Hamptons for wealthy Mexicans, as they have a second home on the lake where they come to retreat from the busy city. The town itself is really gorgeous, and you can enjoy either the whitewashed, colonial town of Valle de Bravo and continue onward to the even wealthier neighborhood of Avándaro. Throughout the lakeside, you can hail a colectivo taxi for a mere 25 pesos per seat.
Avándaro felt like Lake Tahoe or Aspen in the summer-- a ritzy, walkable downtown with health food stores, sports shops, and hipster cafes. While it is definitely not the stereotypical Mexico, it is a gorgeous natural setting and comfortable climate (not as hot as most the country!!)
Unfortunately, water levels are at an all time low throughout the country so the big lake (dam) that is typically the main draw has depressingly little water right now. We chose not to go out on a boat, but you can get on a 1- 2 hour party boat for cheap if that's your vibe.
Instead, we had better luck visiting two beautiful and free waterfalls, Cascada Velo de Novia and Cascada Avándaro. Other folks enjoy watching or trying parasailing, as this is the main space for parasail enthusiasts in the country.
Valle de Bravo is not just a comfortable outdoor paradise for people, it is also a key habitat for the migrating monarch butterflies! Unfortunately, climate change made the monarchs flee early this year and we just missed them in Febrary, but there is a sanctuary nearby that is typically full of the visiting monarch between January and March.
3. NEVADO DE TOLUCA
This high altitude lake and volcanic crater is one of the most unique places you'll find in Mexico! I've gone twice, in two different seasons, and both times I was enamored by the view. You can read about our first visit here. Be prepared for cold weather, altitudes over 4500 meters, and a full day of walking or hiking. Don't forget the water and food you will need to get through the day, too!
My first time we tried to get there on transit and didn't get it quite right and the second time it was spot on. Head to the western bus terminal, Observatorio, and catch a bus heading to Raices. It will probably also make a stop in the city of Toluca. After a little under 2 hours to Raices, you will likely be greeted by a local colectivo truck that will drive you up to the parking lot of Nevado de Toluca. From here you, can take another 30 minute colectivo to the crater rim, or hike up 4 hours.
This is a very, very long day, but worth it! You should be out the door by 7AM at the latest and even earlier if you want to spend more time hiking. Of course, going on a tour like this one can make all the details easier and probably means you can get a bit more sleep.
High mountains have their seasons, so you are better off hiking between November and April in order to avoid the summer rainstorms and snowstorms that can make it sketchy.
4. TEOTIHUACAN PYRAMIDS
If it's your first time in Mexico City, this should definitely be on your itinerary! With buses leaving from Mexico Norte station about every 15 minutes for an hour long journey, it is totally possible to go early, beat the midday sun, walk around San Juan Teotihuacan pueblo magico, and be back by evening.
5. AJUSCO NATIONAL PARK
Did you know the higest point in Mexico City proper is almost 13,000 feet above sea level (3900 meters)?! Mexico City is known for being high up, but within the city limits you can get even higher by hiking through Ajusco national park. The one caveat is that it is not easy to arrive on transportation, so we cheated here and booked an outing with Luis at Rose Adventures to drive us and guide us up the mountain.
Heading south from the city, you climb up and up until parking at the trailhead for Pico de Aguila (the highest point in the park). If you want the most incredible view, book a sunrise tour up the mountain, which gets pretty busy on weekends. We valued our sleep a bit more and started hiking at about 7 AM, reaching the summit around 10 AM and getting back down shortly after 12. The hike starts in the forest and clears out to a rock scramble just above the treeline.
Because CDMX is the most air-polluted city in the Americas, don't expect the most clear view of your surroundings, but you can hopefully catch some of the most important landmarks in the city and on a very clear day, see Popo and Izta volcanoes!
6. TULA ARCHAELOGICAL ZONE
This archaeological site is overshadowed by Teotihuacan, but it is also very unique and was once the most important site for the Toltecs and Chichimecas. Head to Mexico Norte bus terminal and hop on a bus for Tula, Hidalgo, just a 1.5 hour ride away.
From the impressive Atlantes (totem-like statues), to the various pyramids and ball courts that are scattered around this archaelogical zone, it is well worth the 90 pesos entrance fee. As a bonus, there is a beautiful natural park and botanical area as you walk out to the ruins, giving you a taste of the local flora as well. Tula itself is a pretty average city and kinda chaotic, so there isn't much to do outside this visit.
7. IZTA-POPO NATIONAL PARK
You can read all about when we summited Iztaccihuatl volcano in one day and one night with a trekking company. However, it is also very popular to just visit for the day and do a shorter hike. To arrive on transit, you can go to the eastern bus terminal TAPO and book the 1.5 hour bus to Amecameca or Volcanes. Once in the mountain town of Amecameca, you can try to hire a taxi up to the national park for a decent price (all the details on this blog).
Taking transit here definitely adds up, so a roundtrip group tour from Mexico City might be your best option with opportunities on Viator. This is a very long, and exhausting day trip and you have to factor in enough time for the transit and a hike. But seeing an exploding volcano up close is a pretty amazing way to spend a day away from Mexico City in my opinion...
Strive to visit in the dry season, from November to April, to avoid the chance of summer rainstorms and snow.
8. CUERNAVACA
Cuernavaca is a place known for being the "eternal spring," with beautiful weather and architecture in the city center. You will want to leave from Terminal Sur. This colonial city is only 1 hour south of Mexico City and often combined with a trip to Taxco or Tepoztlán.
You can read about this city in my blog post, full of stunning cathedrals, beautiful public gardens that date hundreds of years, quaint cafes, and several archaeological zones. Did I mention it is tropical and warm year round? I LOVED it.
Cuernavaca has gotten a lot more dangerous in recent years, so this isn't a place to go out at night or go exploring more off-the-beaten path, but the centro is absolutely gorgeous.
9. TEPOZTLÁN
Tepoztlán is a Pueblo Magico in the classic sense of the term. Located in the state of Morelos, it is 1.5 hours out of CDMX and you'll want to head to Terminal Sur to start this trip.
A historic colonial style pueblo, built at the bas of a prehispanic site, its economy has become catered primarily to tourism. In this bustling and colorful town, stroll through the winding pueblo streets, grab a meal in the bustling mercado, check out the colonial churches, and buy a michelada on the street. The main draw of Tepoztlan is the Tepozteco pyramid atop the mountain. Its a decently steep hike, and can get pretty hot and sweaty, but there are plenty of places to rest in the shade of some massive semitropical trees, and vendors line the path selling beverages and frozen treats all the way up. The view from the top is more than worth it.
10. GRUTAS DE TOLANTONGO
Okay, this one is cheating a bit because it is ~4 hours away each way, but it's quite likely that your standard Mexico travel itinerary won't get any closer to these isolated thermal pools located in the semidesert region of the state of Hidalgo. If you don't have a car, your best bet is to book a full day tour and enjoy the waterfalls, river, pools, and scenery on the cliffside.
If you want to go on public transit, take a 3 hour bus to Ixmiquilpan from Mexico Norte, and from there take a 1 hour local bus to the Grutas. It's all outlined on my blog post here.
And if you are so inclined to stay the night, just bring along a tent or rent one and you can avoid the big crowds by enjoying the pools in the early morning. The natural spot sells meals, snacks, and beer inside for cheap, so you don't even have to really plan ahead!
And the honorable mentions are very popular trips that I have yet to do!
TAXCO, GUERRERO: the silver capital of Mexico and a pueblo magico, this place looks so soo charming and first on my list when I get the chance! About 3 hours south on transit, it may be your best bet to go on a tour like this one to cut costs and travel time. There are also beautiful cave systems and waterfalls nearby, which might justify spending a couple nights out here, just be wary of the safety concerns in the state.
LAS ESTACAS: a beautiful natural pool area in the state of Morelos, with bright blue waters and the feeling of being in the jungle. 2 hours south of the city.
AND if you are willing to spend more than 3 hours on the road for a daytrip each way, other reachable destinations are in the state of Queretaro, my current home! On a long day you can get to places like
Amealco pueblo magico to learn about the traditional Lele doll and try pulque
Tequisquiapan pueblo magico to go wine tasting and get some sun
Bernal pueblo magico to see the infamous big rock, la Peña de Bernal
the city of Queretaro with it's very charming UNESCO World Heritage centro
While this post is a non-exhuastive list of amazing places on the outskirts of CDMX, hopefully it's a good start! Personally, Mexico City is my fave city on earth, so I love to take longer visits and split my time between the city itself and all the cool things in its surroundings :)
Let me know any questions or thoughts in the comments below. ¡Buen viaje!
