3 Days: Mexico City Day Trips
Three days builds directly on our 2-day plan : Teotihuacan on day one, Puebla and Cholula on day two, then a third day pairing Tepoztlan’s mountain hike with Cuernavaca’s colonial palace, both close enough to combine. All three days run on direct buses from Mexico City terminals. For the full six-trip week, jump to the 7-day version .
Book these before you go
- The Teotihuacan sunrise balloon, sells out days ahead in high season: book the balloon flight
- A combined Puebla and Cholula day tour if you’d rather skip managing two bus legs: check current tours
- Your Mexico City base for all three nights: check rates in Mexico City
| Day | Trip | Distance / Travel Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teotihuacan | ~50km NE, ~1hr each way |
| 2 | Puebla and Cholula | ~130km SE, ~2h10min plus 20-30min |
| 3 | Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca | ~82km S, ~1-1.5hrs, 17km apart |
Day 1: Teotihuacan
Pre-dawn pickup around 4am for the balloon flight (1,990 MXN weekdays, 2,300 MXN weekends), or catch Autobuses Teotihuacan from Terminal Central del Norte, Sala 8, departures every 15-30 minutes from 6am, up to 104 MXN one way. Entry runs 210 MXN foreign, 105 MXN nationals and residents, per the official archaeological zone page . Climb the Pyramid of the Sun before 10am and catch a return bus before the roughly 2pm cutoff.
Day 2: Puebla and Cholula
Estrella Roja runs direct from TAPO, every 10-30 minutes, roughly 198-280 MXN one way, a genuine 2h10min ride. Walk Puebla’s UNESCO center, per the official Puebla page , then push 20-30 minutes on to Cholula for the Great Pyramid, the world’s largest by volume, entry 210 MXN foreign per the official Cholula archaeological zone page . The underground tunnel section reopens in late July 2026 after six years closed, genuinely rare timing. Eat mole poblano before the bus back.
Day 3: Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca
Morning
Pullman de Morelos runs from Terminal Sur (Taxqueña), roughly 200 MXN one way, 1 to 1.5 hours to Tepoztlan. The El Tepozteco hike climbs 45-90 minutes to a hilltop pyramid, small INAH entry fee collected at the top, cash only. Sunday adds a genuinely good artisan market to the climb, per the official Tepoztlan destination page .
Afternoon
Cuernavaca sits only 17km further, close enough to fold into the same day. The Palacio de Cortes, now the Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac, holds Diego Rivera murals inside one of the oldest colonial buildings in the Americas, entry roughly 90-100 MXN, closed Mondays.
Evening
Return bus to Terminal Sur, back in Mexico City for a final dinner. Three trips, three completely different landscapes, zero rental car.
Is Pairing Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca in One Day Too Rushed?
Not for a first pass. The hike takes half a day at most, and the 17km hop to Cuernavaca is quick enough that you’ll still get a real afternoon at the Palacio de Cortes. If you’d rather sit with each place longer, our 5-day plan splits them into separate days instead.
Which of the Three Days Should You Cut if You’re Actually Down to Two?
Cut Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca before Puebla and Cholula. The mountain-and-palace day is genuinely worthwhile but the most skippable of the three if your trip shrinks, since Teotihuacan and the Puebla/Cholula combo cover more distinctly different territory, pyramids, colonial UNESCO center, and an active volcano backdrop, in the same two days.
Confirm your Teotihuacan return bus time before you climb, the roughly 2pm cutoff catches more travelers than any other detail on this itinerary.