Tepoztlán, located in the State of Morelos, is one of nearly 200 Pueblos Mágicos in Mexico. It is very easy to get from CDMX to Tepoztlán by bus, making it one of the best day trips from Mexico City.
We are just back from our 2nd day trip to Tepoztlán (January 2026), and this makes a great opportunity to update this post, which was originally written in April 2021.
How to get from CDMX to Tepoztlán
This time, I used Rome2Rio for basic information on which bus companies operate the route.
In this case, it was OCC/ADO and Pullman de Morelos.
I checked ClickBus, ADO and Pullman de Morelos websites.
Despite what Rome to Rio quoted, all 3 sites were showing the same price: 200 pesos per person one way (January 2026).
I booked 2 seats for the 8.30 am directly on the ADO site (I hate booking tickets on agency websites (old habits and all) and saved the QR Code boarding passes on my phone.
Buses to Tepoztlán run out of the Terminal Central del Sur, often referred to as just Tasqueña, which is located next to the Tasqueña Metro Station, one of 163 metro stations in Mexico City.
It is the terminus station of Line 2, the blue line.
You may have heard about the 6.5-magnitude earthquake that struck San Marcos in Guerrero State just before 8.00 a.m. on January 2, 2026. We were at the bus station waiting for our bus when the Sismo Alarm sounded.
Even if the epicentre was around 400 km away, Mexico City felt it quite badly. Everyone filed out calmly and waited across from the entrance. After about 20 minutes everyone was allowed back inside
Our bus was delayed 10 minutes, and then we spent almost 30 minutes trying to exit the bus station. The traffic is nuts in Mexico City at the best of times.
We arrived at the bus terminal in Tepoztlán at 10.10 am. It’s then a 20-minute walk to the centre.
We made a beeline for the market where we had enjoyed our breakfast on our first visit, only to learn that most of the food stands are now located in a newly built Municipal Market, which is where we headed:
Photo 1: Itacates from our trip in 2021:
Itacates are a traditional Mexican food, with the name originating from the Nahuatl word for “food for the journey,” referring to food carried for work or travel.
And they are a beloved speciality antojito (snack) of Tepoztlán.
The distinctively triangular itacates are made from corn dough. We like the ones made from maíz azul, like the Blue Corn Tlacoyos, which I wrote about already.
Photos 2 and 3 from 2026:
I had mine with queso and flor de calabaza:
And queso with setas:
With a café de olla.
I love Tepoz, on the 3rd floor of the Mercado Municipal in Tepoztlán:
Superb views of the mountains in Tepoztlán:
Climbing Tepozteco Mountain
In 2021, we headed through the cute cobbled streets toward the Tepozteco Mountain and the Tepozteco Archaeological Zone:
El Tepozteco on Tepozteco Mountain is 350 m above town. Start early, take lots of water and wear suitable shoes. Be grateful for the shade on the lower slopes. Stop frequently to look back towards town:
In 2021, the Tepozteco Archaeological Zone was closed:
El Tepozteco is a small archaeological site dedicated to Tepoztēcatl, the Aztec god of the alcoholic drink ‘pulque’. It now costs 210 pesos to enter.
The Legend of Tepozteco:
Over the years, the legend of the Tepozteco has been told, which tells the story of a maiden who used to bathe in the Atongo canyon. In those days, it was said that the ravines gave off “airs”, which the young woman did not believe, and after a short time, she noticed that she was pregnant. The maid appeared before her parents, announcing, embarrassed, her pregnancy. After the child was born, the grandfather made several attempts to get rid of it. On one occasion, he threw it from a great height against some rocks, but the wind returned the baby to the plain. At another moment, they abandoned him in the middle of some magueys, but at the time, the leaves were bent until they reached his mouth to feed him with mead. In a last test, the infant was stranded in the nest of some giant ants, which, instead of devouring it, brought food to it. In this place of abandonment, an elderly couple found the baby, adopted him and named him Tepoztécatl, who would be the future patron of Tepoztlán.
Near the home of Tepoztécatl lived Mazacuatl, the dreaded serpent of Xochicalco, to whom the settlers gave the elderly as a sacrifice.
One day, the village leaders announced the sacrifice of Tepoztécatl’s adoptive father, he took the place of his father and decided to give himself to the serpent. As he walked towards the cruel fate, he collected pieces of obsidian that he kept on his clothes. Once he was in front of Mazacuatl, she devoured him without hesitation.
When Tepoztécatl was in the belly of the reptile, he used the pieces of obsidian to tear the belly of the animal. As he walked back to his house, he passed through a celebration in which they used drums and flutes; The boy, listening to the sweet melodies, wished he could play the instruments and when he was unable to do so, he sent a storm that threw sand into the eyes of all those gathered there; When they were finally able to regain their sight, Tepoztécatl had already retired taking those instruments with him, the musicians chased him and when they were about to reach him, the little boy urinated, thus forming the throat that crosses Cuernavaca.
When the boy reached Tepoztlán, he seized the highest hills, perching on the Ehecatépetl; as they could not reach it due to the height, they made some cuts in the base trying to knock it down, from here, the air corridors were formed.
Tepoztécatl enjoyed the favour of his native town and was designated as the Lord of Tepoztlán and priest of the rabbit god. However, he disappeared only two years later, no one knows his whereabouts, but many say that he decided to live next to the pyramid for the rest of the sunrises.
Note: this has been translated from an information banner in town.
Caution: The rocky path can be slippery in places. Take good care on the descent.
In 2021, we clocked up a massive 26.3 km for the day.
In 2026, we were content just to enjoy the Pueblo Mágico, Tepoztlán.
We headed up the main street and climbed just a short way towards El Tepozteco, enjoying the shade before heading back to a restaurant in town to enjoy a refresco.
Tepoztlan is a very popular place. It will be packed whenever you go!
Murals in the Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán in the State of Morelos, Mexico:
Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad:
Ex Convento de Tepoztlán:
If you have your own wheels, you could also combine Tepoztlán with a trip to Cuernavaca, as it’s only 20 km away.
We headed back to the bus station just after 4 pm and took the 5 pm ADO bus back to Mexico City. The tickets were again 200 pesos, and the ride took 90 minutes. As for all buses in Mexico, the times quoted on the websites are merely a suggestion. Never travel with a tight schedule.
