Mexico City Day Trips in 6 Days on a Budget
Mexico City Day Trips in 6 Days on a Budget
Six days from a Mexico City base covers the same four destinations as the 4-day plan, Teotihuacan, Puebla, Cholula, Tepoztlan, Cuernavaca, and Taxco, but splits the two paired trips into six separate days instead of rushing Puebla and Cholula, or Tepoztlan and Cuernavaca, into single long days. If you’d rather compress this into fewer, longer days, or extend Taxco into an overnight, see the 5-day version . Every leg here still runs on a second-class intercity bus.
Book these before you go:
- Teotihuacan tours and balloon flights on GetYourGuide , shared sunrise flights sell out on weekends
- Hotels in Mexico City on Booking.com , a single base for all six nights, pick something near a Metro line
- Puebla day tour on Viator , useful if you’d rather not manage a same-day round trip solo
- Taxco day tour on Viator , worth comparing against the 2.5 to 3 hour bus
| Day | Focus | Bus time (one way) | Bus cost (round trip) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Teotihuacan | about 1 hour | roughly 120-140 MXN, plus 210 MXN entry |
| Day 2 | Puebla | about 2 hours 10 min | roughly 300-400 MXN |
| Day 3 | Cholula | about 2 hours 10 min, plus a short local hop | roughly 300-500 MXN |
| Day 4 | Tepoztlan | about 1 hour | under 240 MXN |
| Day 5 | Cuernavaca | about 1 hour | under 240 MXN |
| Day 6 | Taxco | 2.5-3 hours | roughly 600-660 MXN |
Day 1: Teotihuacan by second-class bus
Metro Line 5 to Autobuses del Norte, then the Autobuses Teotihuacan counter at Sala 8 inside Terminal Central del Norte; departures every 15 to 30 minutes, fares roughly 60 to 70 MXN each way. Entry to the UNESCO-listed archaeological zone is 210 MXN for foreign visitors, 105 MXN for nationals and resident foreigners; check current hours on the official INAH site . Go at opening for the Pyramid of the Sun before the heat and the tour buses arrive.
Day 2: Puebla, on its own
Estrella Roja and AU run from TAPO every 10 to 30 minutes, primera clase fares roughly 150 to 250 MXN one way. With a full day instead of splitting it with Cholula, you get real time in the UNESCO-listed historic center: the cathedral, the Talavera workshops, and a proper sit-down mole poblano lunch instead of a rushed market stop before the return bus.
Day 3: Cholula, on its own
Take the same TAPO buses back out toward Puebla, then either a direct Cholula bus (roughly 200 to 250 MXN more from TAPO) or a local colectivo or taxi from Puebla’s CAPU terminal for far less, a 20 to 30 minute hop. A full day here means climbing the tunnel through the Great Pyramid , visiting the site museum, and lingering for the Popocatepetl view instead of one quick photo stop.
Day 4: Tepoztlan, on its own
Pullman de Morelos runs from Terminal Central del Sur, known locally as Taxqueña, about every 15 to 30 minutes; the ride takes roughly an hour, fares typically under 120 MXN one way. A dedicated day gives you time to actually finish the El Tepozteco pyramid hike above town, not just glance up at it, plus the artisan market, busiest on Sundays.
Day 5: Cuernavaca, on its own
Same Taxqueña terminal, same Pullman de Morelos operator, roughly an hour, fares typically under 120 MXN one way. The “City of Eternal Spring” earns its own day for the Palacio de Cortes, its Diego Rivera murals inside, and the colonial gardens around town, all of which get rushed when paired same-day with Tepoztlan.
Day 6: Taxco, on its own
Board an Estrella de Oro or comparable primera clase bus from Taxqueña; 2.5 to 3 hours each way depending on traffic on the mountain highway, one-way fares typically 300 to 330 MXN. Walk the silver workshops and the streets around Santa Prisca church. With six days total, a same-day round trip still works here, though the 5-day itinerary shows how to turn it into an overnight if you’d rather trade a day trip elsewhere for a slower Taxco.
Is splitting Puebla and Cholula into two days worth losing a day trip elsewhere?
Yes, if rushing either one bothers you. Puebla’s historic center and Cholula’s Great Pyramid both reward more than the two or three hours you get when they share a single day; splitting them costs you one extra terminal trip and roughly 100 to 150 MXN in bus fare, not a full extra destination, since Cuernavaca and Tepoztlan absorb the sixth day instead.
What’s the cheapest way to string all six trips together?
Buy each ticket the same morning at the terminal rather than online in advance; second-class fares are the same either way, but same-day purchase avoids paying for a fixed departure time you might miss. The whole six days of intercity bus fares, entries, and the short Cholula hop should land under 2,000 MXN per person, well below what six separate guided tours would cost.
Keep your paper bus tickets until you’re off the return bus; some operators still check stubs at the door in Taxqueña and TAPO.