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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Cuernavaca
Give Cuernavaca 2 nights as a cool-climate base for Xochicalco and Tepoztlán, or 1 night if you only want the zócalo and Cortés palace.
Cuernavaca is the capital of Morelos, 84 km south of Mexico City and about 1,500 m up, so it stays mild while the capital bakes. The centre is small: plaza, cathedral, Borda Garden and the Cortés palace in one walk. Most visitors come for two nights, use it as a base for Xochicalco and Tepoztlán, and leave before the Sunday traffic back north.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Nov–May (dry, mild)
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heavy rain), Easter week and weekends for traffic
- 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$500–900 excl. bed · Mid M$900–1,800 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
- Police, fire, ambulance 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 |
|---|---|
| City bus ride | M$8 |
| Taxi in the centre, daytime | M$35–55 |
| Taco al pastor | M$3–8 |
| Budget set meal (soup, pasta, main, dessert) | M$100–180 |
| Palace of Cortés entry | M$60 |
| Teopanzolco entry | M$100, free for Mexican residents |
| Coffee | M$40–70 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CVJ · Cuernavaca Airport
- Small field south of the city; most travellers arrive via Mexico City instead.
- MEX · Mexico City Benito Juárez
- Buses run from both terminals to Cuernavaca, about 2 h with traffic.
Typical fares
- Bus Mexico City (Terminal del Sur) → Cuernavaca
- about M$130, 75 min without traffic
- Bus Mexico City airport → Cuernavaca
- about M$235, about 2 h
- Taxi zócalo → Vista Hermosa
- M$50–80 by day, roughly double at night
Get around
City buses cost about M$8 per ride; taxis have no meters, so agree the fare before you get in (M$35–55 by day in the centre, roughly double at night). Uber and radio taxis operate; radio taxis booked by phone leave a dispatch record.
See and do
Known for
- Zócalo and cathedral
- Palace of Cortés (Regional Museum)
- Xochicalco ruins
- Year-round mild climate
- Spanish-language schools
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Xochicalco | Taxi or tour from Cuernavaca, about 38 km southwestTaxi or tour from Cuernavaca, about 24 mi southwest | Half a day |
| Tepoztlán | Bus from the Central de Autobuses, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Tlayacapan | Bus or car north via the tollway | 1–1.5 h |
| Cuautla | Bus from the Central de Autobuses, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Mexico City | Pullman de Morelos bus from the Casino de la Selva terminal | 1.5–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro (zócalo and cathedral)
- Walk to the plaza, museums and markets; noisier on weekend nights.
- Vista Hermosa
- Malls, restaurants and Teopanzolco ruins; 10–15 min by taxi from the centre.
- Chapultepec / eastern Cuernavaca
- Quieter, greener, near Chapultepec Park; you will need taxis or buses.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much to go to…? | ¿Cuánto cuesta ir a…?KWAN-to KWES-ta eer a |
| Please stop here | Pare aquí, por favorPA-re a-KEE por fa-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fa-VOR |
| Is it safe to walk there? | ¿Es seguro caminar por ahí?es se-GU-ro ka-mee-NAR por a-EE |
| I don't speak much Spanish | No hablo mucho españolno AB-lo MOO-cho es-pa-ÑOL |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la central de autobuses?DON-de es-TA la sen-TRAL de ow-to-BOO-ses |
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
- Agree every taxi fare before boarding; there are no meters.
- Friday southbound and Sunday afternoon northbound on the Mexico–Cuernavaca tollway can add 2 h or more.
- Some 16th-century monastery churches in Morelos are still closed after the 2017 earthquake: check before travelling.
- Afternoon rain from June to September is heavy and sudden.
Cuernavaca is a normal working city, not a resort: use radio taxis or Uber at night, keep to the centre and known suburbs, and check current state-level advice for Morelos before you go.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cuernavaca yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Zócalo and cathedral
- Palace of Cortés (Regional Museum)
- Xochicalco ruins
- Year-round mild climate
- Spanish-language schools
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- INAH — Teopanzolco: www.inah.gob.mx/zonas/126-zona-arqueologica-teopanzolco
- INAH — Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, Palacio de Cortés: www.inah.gob.mx/red-de-museos/249-museo-regional-cuauhnahuac-palacio-de-cortes
- UNESCO — Xochicalco: whc.unesco.org/en/list/939
- Wikivoyage: Cuernavaca, revision 5337136 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5337136
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/cuernavaca). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.