While Mexico City may have it all – from museums to art galleries to world-class bars – sometimes you just need to escape the capital’s hustle and bustle. If you’re feeling a little restless, there are plenty of fascinating sites and cities that offer refreshing day trips from Mexico City. Here is our guide to the 5 best.
* Teotihuacán, State of MexicoAbout a 30 to 45-minute bus journey from the city center is one of Mexico City’s most famous archaeological landmarks: the ancient city of Teotihuacán. While technically no longer a city, this is still easily one of the best day trips to take from Mexico City. Located in the State of Mexico, the pyramids and ruins that remain from this Mesoamerican settlement are truly magnificent. The Pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon can both be climbed, and from them you can take in the full scale of the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site.
* Tepotzotlán, State of MexicoAbout a half an hour drive from the city center is Tepotzotlán. This tongue-twister of a city is often confused with the arguably more popular, hippy-influenced village of Tepoztlán, Morelos. However, Tepotzotlán is just as worthy a day trip and in fact has some incredibly cool sights: the Xalpa Aqueduct, built in the 18th century, is a key one, although the historic center also has some fantastic offerings. The Jesuit church in particular is one of the most striking examples of New World Churrigueresque architecture.
* Toluca, State of MexicoAbout a 50-minute drive away is the state capital of the Estado de México, Toluca de Lerdo. Second only to Mexico City in quantity of museums, this would make a great day trip for culture hounds who want to know more about the history and art of this country. Some particularly excellent museum options here are the Museo de Bellas Artes, Centro Cultural Mexiquense, and the Cosmovitral Botanical Garden, with its stunning stained glass murals. Toluca is also famed for being the chorizo-producing hub of Mexico, so take the opportunity to try some while you’re there.
* Cuernavaca, MorelosAbout an hour’s drive from the center of the city is Cuernavaca, Morelos state’s capital. Full of royal residences, churches, and museums, Cuernavaca is a sleepy town known for an abundance of Spanish-language schools. Check out La Casa del Olvido (or Olindo), which housed Emperor Maximilian in 1866 during his attempts to forget his wife Carlota, or visit the nearby Las Estacas, home to the Bahidorá Festival. Now known as the “land of eternal spring,” Cuernavaca has numerous sights that will delight any visitor.
* Pachuca, HidalgoAbout an hour’s drive from Mexico City, or double that time if you take the bus, is the state capital of Hidalgo, Pachuca. Nicknamed la bella airosa for its windy climate, its sights are generally mining related, given that Pachuca was once a hive of mining activity. This mining city therefore has connections with Cornwall in the United Kingdom, and it is also the birthplace of the Mexican paste (pasty), which developed from the iconic Cornish pasty. But the British connection doesn’t end there – the city’s emblematic reloj monumental was built by the same company responsible for Big Ben.