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With more than 21 million people crowding the streets, regular day trips from Mexico City may be a fun escape, but they’re also a necessity for keeping sane in this crazy place.
After spending three months in Mexico City and a year in total in Mexico, I’ve visited tons of pretty towns, national parks, and off-the-beaten-path destinations around CDMX and this round-up collects my 14 favorites in one place.
From ancient ruins and rowdy boat canals to active volcanoes and UNESCO sites galore, this guide to the 14 best day trips from Mexico City has something for every traveler!
14. Teotihuacan
1 hour from Mexico City
Teotihuacan is probably the single most popular day trip from Mexico City. These ruins are so old, they were ruins when the Aztecs discovered them.
An Uber will get you there in about an hour, and from there you can wander through the massive site, climb the pyramids, and learn more at the museum. Go early to avoid the crowds and heat, and then get lunch at La Gruta cave restaurant next door (one of the most unique restaurants in Mexico).
13. Xochimilco Canals
1 hour from Mexico City
The Xochimilco canals are another essential day trip from Mexico City and one of my personal favorites.
Mexico City was built on a lake, so there used to be canals everywhere to deal with the water. These are some of the last canals left, and they’re full of colorful trajinera boats and merry revelers. Go with a group and bring some beer to day drink (and dance to mariachi bands) with on the water!
Plan your day trip to Xochimilco.
12. Izta-Popo National Park
1 hour from Mexico City
Did you know there are active volcanoes right outside of Mexico City?
Unfortunately, you can’t see them because of all the smog, but if you take a quick one-hour bus ride you’ll find yourself in one of the most beautiful national parks in the country! You can hike as little or as much as you want on the trails and get awesome views of Popo volcano erupting in cute little puffs of smoke as you go.
Izta and Popo are the second and third tallest mountains in Mexico, so for outdoorsy folk this is definitely one of the best day trips from Mexico City.
Plan your day trip to Izta-Popo National Park.
11. Texcoco
1 hour from Mexico City
Texcoco is a spectacular day trip from Mexico City because you’ll probably be the only gringo there. This day trip from CDMX is as authentic as it gets and combines my two favorite things: good food and good hiking.
First, eat traditionally smoked breakfast barbacoa at El Pica 1 (named one of the best restaurants in Mexico on the Taco Chronicles) and then walk to Texcotzingo to climb a mountain to the ruins of an ancient bath and palace on a hill. A match made in heaven.
Plan your day trip to Texcoco.
10. Desierto de Los Leones
1 hour from Mexico City
Desierto de Los Leones isn’t a desert and it doesn’t have lions, but it’s still one of the easiest and most rejuvenating day trips from Mexico City. This is one of the oldest protected parks in Mexico and some of the highlights are:
- 400-year-old ruins of an abandoned convent
- Multiple mountains over 11,000 and 12,000 feet
- And miles of trails through a cool pine forest
This easy escape is a true breath of fresh air when the smog and crowds of Mexico City feel like too much.
Plan your day trip to Desierto de Los Leones.
9. Tepoztlan
1.5 hours from Mexico City
Tepoztlan is a Pueblo Magico 1.5 hours from Mexico City. It’s most well known for the Tepozteco ruins – which sit atop a massive mile-long staircase winding up the mountain – and for their joyful Carnival celebrations.
Even if you can’t go for the pre-Lent festival, visiting the markets, convent, and ruins in this small town are worth a day trip from Mexico City.
Plan your day trip to Tepoztlan.
8. Puebla and the Cholula Pyramid
2 hours from Mexico City
Puebla is the 4th largest city in Mexico, so buses run between Puebla and CDMX pretty much constantly. Puebla is interestingish, the historical center is a UNESCO world heritage site and it has some pretty architecture.
The best part of Puebla, though, and why it’s worth a day trip from Mexico City, is the neighborhood of Cholula, which is home to the largest pyramid in the world.
The Cholula Pyramid is a UNESCO site and you can visit the tiny church on top of it and the tunnels that run through the base. Puebla isn’t a very popular stop on the classic tourist trails through Mexico, so Cholula is a great day trip for history buffs looking to get a little off the beaten path.
Plan your day trip to Puebla and Cholula.
7. Malinche Volcano
2.5 hours from Mexico City
After you visit Izta-Popo National Park, Malinche should be next on your list.
Malinche is an imposing 14,636 feet and not an easy climb, but the views are so worth the effort. If you’re in shape and looking for a challenge, the 6th tallest mountain in Mexico makes for a great (but tiring) Mexico City day trip.
Plan your day trip to Malinche National Park.
6. Taxco
2.5 hours from Mexico City
Taxco was founded by Hernan Cortez, so the beautiful colonial architecture stands in stark contrast to the city’s darker past. It was originally built as a silver-mining community and Taxco is still famous for its silver jewelry exports today.
A day trip to Taxco means eating, drinking, some leisurely wandering, and taking lots of photos of the cascading red-roofed town. If you’re up for it, you can also take a dip in the natural blue pools and waterfalls in the forest outside of the city.
5. Michoacan Monarch Sanctuaries
2.5 hours from Mexico City
If you’re in Mexico City between November and March, stop what you’re doing and plan a day trip to the monarch sanctuaries immediately. Yet another on the long list of UNESCO designated sites in Mexico, the monarch sanctuaries stand out as what I believe to be the best day trip from Mexico City.
Every year thousands of monarch butterflies migrate south from the US and Canada to spend the winter in the mountains of Michoacan. We hiked to the Cerro Pelon sanctuary and spent an unforgettable hour walking through forests of swirling butterflies.
Mexico’s monarch migration is a must-see bucket list event in North America and the most memorable day trip you can take from Mexico City. Don’t miss it!
Plan your day trip to the monarch sanctuaries.
4. Queretaro
3 hours from Mexico City
Santiago de Queretaro is a beautiful and unfairly overlooked city northwest of CDMX.
It’s colorful, romantic, and so clean and quiet compared to the capital. This is a great escape if you’re looking for cozy bars, vineyards, good food, and a relaxed atmosphere for a day or weekend away, especially for a Valentine’s Day or birthday celebration.
I don’t have a Queretaro travel guide (yet) but this list of the 10 best Instagram spots in Queretaro will help you start putting together an itinerary for your day trip.
3. Pena de Bernal
3 hours from Mexico City
Bernal is one of my favorite Pueblo Magicos in Mexico. This colorful town has a vibrant orange church, gorgeous flower-covered pedestrian streets, art galleries, coffee shops, and a huge, imposing, impossible-to-miss monolith.
This monolith – called Pena de Bernal – was a sacred place to the indigenous communities who lived in the area and you can still climb up it today. The highest viewpoint is about halfway to the top, but if you have climbing gear and experience you can scale it all the way to the peak.
Plan your day trip to Pena de Bernal.
2. San Miguel de Allende
3.5 hours from Mexico City
If you haven’t been asked by a local if you’ve visited San Miguel de Allende yet, you must be new to Mexico.
This absolutely gorgeous city is one of the top day and weekend trips from Mexico City because it’s just freakin’ beautiful. The central church is spectacular and your visit will pretty much just be a series of ever more breathtaking viewpoints as you explore the city.
Galleries, shopping, rooftop bars, and the botanical garden will dominate your itinerary on this memorable Mexico City day trip and the city wouldn’t have it any other way.
Plan your day trip to San Miguel.
1. Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
4.5 hours from Mexico City
Is 4.5 hours too far to be included on a list of day trips from Mexico City? Probably, but I’m leaving it because Sierra Gorda is one of the most underrated destinations in Mexico.
The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is yet another UNESCO site (Mexico has an impressive 35) and this 1,500 square mile reserve is one of the most ecologically diverse places in the country.
With canyons, waterfalls, mountains, campsites, hiking trails, historical towns, and more, Sierra Gorda is an awesome overlooked hiking and outdoors destination in Mexico and a perfect weekend trip from CDMX – after you cross everything else off this day trip bucket list, that is!
Plan your day trip to Sierra Gorda.
Ready to plan your own day trips from Mexico City?
Explore unique stays on Airbnb – like these light-filled lofts in Roma and Condesa, my favorite neighborhoods in the city – or the top-rated hotels on Booking.com to book your stay.
Then, check out more food, culture, and outdoors experiences in Mexico City to round out your itinerary (or book a multi-day Mexico tour to finish your travel planning in one click)!
This article is part of the Miscellaneous Mexico City series. Read the rest below:
Mexico City Travel Guide: What to Eat, Drink, and Do in Mexico City
12 Things to Do in Mexico City at Night
8 Best Places to Live in Mexico: Ranked
How to See the Monarch Butterfly Migration in Mexico
29 Best Instagram Spots Around Mexico City
The Gringos Guide to Xochimilco Boats in Mexico City
Or, check out the complete Mexico Series for 50+ more articles on what to see, eat, drink, do, and discover in the country.
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