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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Pachuca
Pachuca de Soto
Give Pachuca one full day plus one night: mining museum, the 1910 clock tower and a paste lunch. Add a second night only if you want El Chico or Real del Monte.
Pachuca is the capital of Hidalgo, about 90 km north of Mexico City, at roughly 2,400 m in a windy valley ringed by hills. Its draw is mining heritage, a compact colonial centre and the Cornish paste, not a long sightseeing list. Most travellers pass through in a day or use it as a base for the mountains around Mineral del Chico and Real del Monte.
- Country
- Mexico
- Local name
- Pachuca de Soto
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- May–Sep (rain), late Sep–mid Oct if you dislike crowds
- Stay
- 1–2 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
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Paste (Cornish pasty) | M$25–60 |
| Coffee | M$35–70 |
| Comida corrida (set lunch) | M$90–180 |
| Barbacoa plate | M$120–220 |
| Beer: draught / corner shop | M$50–90 / M$25–40 |
| Tuzobús single ride | M$10 (check) |
| Taxi across the centre | M$60–120 |
| Mina de Acosta entry | M$120 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MEX · Mexico City Benito Juárez
- Direct buses to Pachuca from Terminal 1 roughly every 30 min; about 90 min
- NLU · Felipe Ángeles (AIFA)
- Closest major airport by road; Futura and ADO run buses to Pachuca, about 90 min
Typical fares
- MEX Terminal 1 → Pachuca bus
- about M$200, 90 min (check)
- NLU (AIFA) → Pachuca bus
- about M$156, 90 min (check)
- Tuzobús ride
- M$10 with a prepaid Tuzocard (check)
- Taxi bus terminal → Centro
- M$60–100
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 centre is walkable. Tuzobús BRT runs in dedicated lanes with prepaid Tuzocard (2026 fare about M$10 one way, check); combis and peseros cover the rest for a similar fare and stop on request. Taxis are metered-ish and reliable; Uber covers the city. Distances between the centre and the stadium or Mina de Acosta are too long to walk.
See and do
Known for
- Reloj Monumental (1910 clock tower)
- Mining heritage and Mina de Acosta
- Pastes (Cornish pasties)
- Cuna de Fútbol and Estadio Hidalgo
- Macromural de Palmitas
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral del Monte (Real del Monte) | Local bus or combi from Pachuca; exact route and departure point: check. | About 1 h |
| El Chico National Park / Mineral del Chico | Bus or combi toward Mineral del Chico, then local transport to the park; check current connections. | 1–1.5 h |
| Tula de Allende | Bus from Pachuca Central de Autobuses; check current timetable. | About 1.5–2 h |
| Actopan | Bus from Pachuca Central de Autobuses; check current timetable. | About 1 h |
| Mexico City | First-class bus from Pachuca Central de Autobuses to Autobuses del Norte; check current timetable. | About 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro Histórico
- Walk to Plaza Juárez, the clock tower, the photography museum and the market. Best for one night without a car.
- Around the Central de Autobuses (Coscotitlán)
- Practical for early departures; about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of the centre, so take a taxi or combi into town.Practical for early departures; about 1.2 mi (2 km) west of the centre, so take a taxi or combi into town.
- Zona Plateada / Blvd Felipe Ángeles
- Modern hotels, malls and the soccer stadium; needs taxis or the Tuzobús for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| One paste, please | Un paste, por favoroon PAS-teh por fah-VOR |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la central de autobuses?DON-deh es-TA la sen-TRAL deh ow-toh-BOO-ses |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Help | Ayudaah-YOO-dah |
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
- Altitude about 2,400 m: take the first day slowly if you flew in from sea level.
- Wind and sudden afternoon rain: carry a light shell most of the year.
- Mina de Acosta is outside the city and closes Tuesdays; hours vary by season — check before you go.
- Some small museums (axolotl, miniatures) keep very limited hours and may ask you to call ahead.
- Bus-terminal restrooms charge a small coin fee; keep change.
Pachuca is a working state capital and generally calm in the centre by day; use Uber or radio taxis after dark, keep to lit streets around Plaza Juárez, and treat the hillside miradores as daytime-only walks.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pachuca yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Reloj Monumental (1910 clock tower)
- Mining heritage and Mina de Acosta
- Pastes (Cornish pasties)
- Cuna de Fútbol and Estadio Hidalgo
- Macromural de Palmitas
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Gobierno del Estado de Hidalgo: www.hidalgo.gob.mx/
- Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe, Pachuca: basilicapachuca.org/
- Wikivoyage: Pachuca, revision 5325653 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5325653
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/pachuca). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.