5 Days: Mexico City Day Trips

Five days takes the 4-day spine , Teotihuacan, Puebla and Cholula together, and Taxco, then splits what was one combined day into two: Tepoztlan’s hike gets its own full day, and so does Cuernavaca’s colonial palace. Same six-trip family, more room to breathe on the closer pair. See the 6-day plan for the next extension.

Book these before you go

Day Trip Distance / Travel Time
1 Teotihuacan ~50km NE, ~1hr each way
2 Puebla and Cholula ~130km SE, ~2h10min plus 20-30min
3 Tepoztlan ~82km S, ~1-1.5hrs each way
4 Cuernavaca ~85km S, ~1-1.5hrs each way
5 Taxco ~170-180km SW, ~2.5-3hrs each way

Day 1: Teotihuacan

Balloon pickup around 4am (1,990 MXN weekdays, 2,300 MXN weekends) or Autobuses Teotihuacan from Terminal Central del Norte, Sala 8, every 15-30 minutes from 6am, up to 104 MXN one way, per the official archaeological zone page . Entry 210 MXN foreign, 105 MXN nationals and residents. Return buses stop around 2pm.

Day 2: Puebla and Cholula

Estrella Roja from TAPO, every 10-30 minutes, roughly 198-280 MXN, a genuine 2h10min ride. UNESCO center and mole poblano in Puebla, per the official Puebla page , then 20-30 minutes on to Cholula’s Great Pyramid, entry 210 MXN foreign per the official Cholula archaeological zone page . Tunnels reopen late July 2026 after six years closed.

Day 3: Tepoztlan

Morning

Pullman de Morelos from Terminal Sur, roughly 200 MXN, 1 to 1.5 hours. Given a full day instead of half, add the artisan market alongside the El Tepozteco hike, 45-90 minutes up to a hilltop pyramid, small cash entry at the top.

Afternoon

Wander the town itself, ex-convent included, at a pace the combined Tepoztlan/Cuernavaca day from the shorter itineraries doesn’t allow. Check the official Tepoztlan destination page for current market days.

Evening

Return bus to Terminal Sur, back in Mexico City for dinner.

Day 4: Cuernavaca

Morning

Same Pullman de Morelos route to Cuernavaca, roughly 200 MXN, 1 to 1.5 hours, only 17km past Tepoztlan but its own dedicated day here.

Afternoon

The Palacio de Cortes, now the Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac, holds Diego Rivera murals inside one of the Americas’ oldest colonial buildings, entry roughly 90-100 MXN, closed Mondays. A full day here also covers the city’s colonial gardens properly, rushed on the combined version.

Evening

Return to Mexico City for a final night before the longest drive of the trip.

Is Splitting Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca Into Two Days Worth the Extra Travel?

Yes, if you’ve genuinely got the fifth day to spend. Both trips run the same 1 to 1.5 hour route from Terminal Sur, so you’re not adding meaningfully more transit, just more actual time in each place instead of rushing the hike to make room for the palace, or vice versa.

Day 5: Taxco

Morning

The genuine outlier, 170-180km southwest, 2.5-3 hours each way on Highway 95D. Buses run from Terminal Sur via Costa Line, Futura, or Estrella de Oro, roughly 300-380 MXN one way, background on the official Taxco destination page .

Afternoon

Hillside streets, the free Santa Prisca church, and silver workshops selling what they actually make. Skip the drive by booking a Taxco day tour instead.

Evening

Long bus back for a final Mexico City night. Budget a late arrival and don’t plan anything after dinner.

Why Does This Five-Day Version Still Treat Taxco as a Single Long Day?

Because five days is exactly enough to fit all six stops without an overnight away from base. If a sixth day opens up, splitting Taxco into an overnight is the better move, our 7-day plan does exactly that.

Pack a change of clothes in your day bag for Taxco specifically, the switchback drive and the town’s hillside stairs make it the most physically demanding single day of the five.