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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Chihuahua
Give Chihuahua 2 nights: one full day for the centro museums and mansions, one for the Nombre de Dios caves. It is a stop, not a base.
Chihuahua is the state capital and the northern gateway to the Copper Canyon railway, about 4 hours by expressway from the El Paso/Juárez border. The colonial centro is compact and walkable, with Pancho Villa's house, the mint and government palaces, and the Nombre de Dios caves 20 minutes out of town. Most travellers pass through on the way to Creel or the border.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Oct–Nov, Mar–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (35–40 °C (95–104 °F), heavy rain in Jul–Aug), late Dec–early JanJun–Aug (95–104 °F (35–40 °C), heavy rain in Jul–Aug), late Dec–early Jan
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$600–1,000 excl. bed · Mid M$1,000–1,800 excl. bed · High M$1,800+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$40–70 |
| Tacos at a local taqueria | M$80–150 |
| Norteño plate (beef, flour tortillas) | M$180–350 |
| Draught beer at a craft brewery | M$70–120 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or Uber ride3.1 mi (5 km) taxi or Uber ride | M$90–150 |
| Museum entry | M$20–60 |
| Cowboy boots | M$1,500–6,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CUU · General Roberto Fierro Villalobos International Airport
- About 18 km (11 mi) southeast of the centre; taxi to the city roughly M$150. American Airlines via Dallas–Fort Worth; Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and Señor Air domestic.About 11 mi (18 km) southeast of the centre; taxi to the city roughly M$150. American Airlines via Dallas–Fort Worth; Aeroméxico, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and Señor Air domestic.
Typical fares
- Airport CUU → centro, taxi
- about M$150, 20–25 min
- Bus to Grutas de Nombre de Dios
- about M$6
- Bus Chihuahua → Creel
- 3.5–4 h; fare check at the Central de Autobuses
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centro is walkable. For anything else use Uber, taxis or the Bowí BRT line, which runs north–south on a prepaid smart card bought and topped up with cash. Privately run city buses are cash-only and hard to navigate without route maps.
See and do
Known for
- Pancho Villa's house and the Revolution Museum
- Norteño food: beef, flour tortillas, chiles rellenos
- Cowboy boots and western shops
- Grutas de Nombre de Dios caves
- Gateway to the Copper Canyon railway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Grutas de Nombre de Dios | Bus 'Nombre de Dios/Ojo' from the city, about M$6, then a short walk | About 1 h each way |
| Creel | Bus from the Central de Autobuses, 3.5–4 h | About 4 h |
| Ciudad Juárez and the US border | Chihuahuenses buses leave hourly, about 4 h by expressway by car | About 4 h |
Sleep
- Centro Histórico
- Walk to the cathedral, museums and Plaza de Armas; budget sleeps cluster east of the cathedral between Calle Libertad and Victoria.
- Avenida Zarco and the mansions
- Pre-revolutionary villas and quieter streets; 10–15 min walk to the centro.
- Periférico de la Juventud
- Business hotels near the ring road; cheaper parking, but you need a taxi or Uber for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorlah KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Violent crime in the state has been high since 2007; killings have mostly targeted people in the drug trade, and tourists are rarely affected. Avoid bars and clubs with a criminal crowd.
- Military checkpoints can appear in the city and on nearby roads: stop and follow instructions.
- Summer heat: 35–40 °C in Jun–Aug, with most rain in Jul–Aug.
- Winter nights drop near freezing and it snows once or twice a year.
- The Chepe Express tourist train now starts and ends in Creel, not Chihuahua; the slower Chepe Regional still serves the city but runs less often and tickets are sold at the station or by phone.
Safer than Juárez but not a city to wander at night: stay in the centro after dark, use Uber or a taxi, and skip bars with no posted prices.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Chihuahua yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pancho Villa's house and the Revolution Museum
- Norteño food: beef, flour tortillas, chiles rellenos
- Cowboy boots and western shops
- Grutas de Nombre de Dios caves
- Gateway to the Copper Canyon railway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Chepe Regional (Ferromex): chepe.mx/chepe-regional/
- Bowí BRT, Chihuahua: otch.chihuahua.gob.mx/
- Wikivoyage: Chihuahua, revision 5243479 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243479
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Chihuahua
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US has a consulate in Ciudad Juárez; most other countries keep embassies in Mexico City (check).
Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants; MXN 20–50 for porters and guides' helpers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/chihuahua). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.