Photo by Erick Medina on Unsplash
The 3-day plan, rearranged for 5 days: every place stays and a few more are added, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How much walking? On foot, about 1.1 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 88.1 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A pre-Hispanic site in the north of the city, with twin temple platforms of stone and steep stairs, built in the centuries before the Spanish arrived. It lies a short taxi ride from the centre.
Go when Morning, before the heat.
Local tip A pre-Hispanic site of twin temple platforms, set among the houses of the city. Bring a hat and water, since there is little shade. Check ahead on the opening.
A stone palace begun by Hernán Cortés in the 1520s, with a view over the valley, now a regional museum of Morelos. Along the upper gallery runs a long mural by Diego Rivera that tells the story of the region from the Spanish conquest to the revolution.
Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Go to the upper gallery for the Rivera mural, and read it from left to right. Check ahead on the opening, since a museum can close for a day without notice.
Cecina is thin, dried and salted beef, a speciality of Morelos, grilled and served in tortillas with onion, coriander and a sharp sauce.
Local tip Order a few and add lime, since the meat is salty.
The main square of old Cuernavaca, where the town gathers in the cool of the evening, joined to a second small garden, the Jardín Juárez, with a bandstand. Sit on a bench, listen for music, and watch the town go by.
Go when Early evening (about 6:46 PM), when the town comes out.
Local tip Take a bench and a cold drink and watch the town. Keep your bag in front of you in the crowd and leave before it is very late.
A small garden of trees and benches with a bandstand, beside the Plaza de Armas, where families and friends sit in the cool of the evening.
Go when Evening, when the bandstand lights up.
Local tip A small garden of trees and benches beside the main square. A good place to sit for an ice cream or a hot drink.
Folded corn tortillas filled with cheese and squash blossoms, cooked on a griddle, a light supper under the trees of the square.
Local tip Ask what fillings are fresh that day, and eat them hot.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The cathedral of Cuernavaca, begun by Franciscan friars in the 1500s inside a wide walled yard, with thick walls and an open air chapel that give it the look of a fortress. It is a working church, so stay quiet during services.
Go when Morning, outside the hours of services.
Local tip Walk into the walled yard first and look at the open air chapel. A working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet during services.
A waterfall that drops into a ravine on the western edge of Cuernavaca, with a path and rails around it, a green place away from the squares.
Go when Morning, in the cool.
Local tip A waterfall in a ravine on the western edge of Cuernavaca, reached by a short walk. How much water falls depends on the season, so do not count on a full flow. Keep to the paths and rails.
A museum in an old church house a short walk from the cathedral, with the art, textiles and folk craft of many countries, gathered by the American painter Robert Brady, who lived in Cuernavaca for years.
Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A former church house near the cathedral, now a museum of the art and folk craft collected by an American painter who lived in the city. Check ahead on the opening.
A garden of terraces, ponds and old trees built in the 1700s by the family of a silver mine owner, José de la Borda, who also paid for the church in Taxco. Later it served as a summer retreat of the emperor Maximilian. It is a calm place for an unhurried hour.
Go when Afternoon, when the light is soft.
Local tip Walk the terraces and sit by the pond. It is a garden with steps and slopes, so wear shoes with grip. Check ahead on the opening.
A warm bowl of chicken or bean soup with tortillas and a squeeze of lime, a plain supper after a day on the hill.
Local tip Order something light and go to bed early.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A small temple, dedicated to the local god Tepoztécatl, set on a ledge of the cliffs above the town. A steep path of rock steps climbs through the forest to it, and the view over the valley is the reason to go. Start early, bring water and shoes with grip, and check ahead on conditions.
Go when Early morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Bring plenty of water and wear shoes with grip, since the steps are steep and worn. Keep to the path, and do not climb in rain or after a storm. Check ahead on conditions and on whether the site is open.
The market of Tepoztlán, with stalls of fruit, herbs, woven things, painted masks and ices in unusual flavours, in the streets of a small town with cliffs on all sides. It is busiest on market days, so check which they are.
Go when Midday, once you are down from the hill.
Local tip Taste an ice in an unusual flavour and look at the painted masks and woven goods. Hold your bag in front of you in the lanes, and ask before you photograph a seller.
Oval corn cakes filled with beans or cheese, cooked on a griddle and topped with cactus paddle, onion and a sauce, eaten standing at a market stall.
Local tip Watch them cooked on the griddle, and eat them while they are hot.
A small museum of pre-Hispanic figures and vessels in Tepoztlán, gathered by the poet Carlos Pellicer, in a building beside the old convent.
Go when Midday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A small museum of pre-Hispanic objects, beside the old convent, collected by a poet of the region. Check ahead on the opening.
The old convent of the Nativity, built by Dominican friars in the 1500s, part of a group of early monasteries that share a World Heritage listing. A thick walled church and cloister stand beside the market. A working church, so stay quiet during services.
Go when Afternoon, outside the hours of services.
Local tip Walk through the cloister and look at the thick walls and the faded paintings. A working church, so cover your shoulders and stay quiet.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A hilltop city of the centuries after the fall of Teotihuacan, now an archaeological site, with a temple of carved stone feathered serpents, a ball court and a cave used to watch the sun. It lies south west of Cuernavaca, a drive from the city.
Go when Morning, before the heat.
Local tip An archaeological site on a hilltop with carved stone walls and a ball court. It is open and sunny, so bring a hat, water and shoes with grip, and go in the morning. Check ahead on the opening.
A long system of caves in a national park south of Taxco, with tall chambers and rock formations that the visitor walks through on a guided tour. It is a drive from Taxco, on a rural road.
Go when Morning, so you can be back on the road in daylight.
Local tip The caves are visited on guided walks only. The path is long and damp, so wear shoes with grip and bring a light layer. Check ahead on the tours, and keep to main roads on the way.
A soup of hominy corn and pork in a green sauce of pumpkin seeds and herbs, a dish of Guerrero, served with a plate of toppings.
Local tip Add the onion, radish and lime at the table to your taste, and take the chili slowly.
An old estate on the northern edge of Taxco, from the early days of the silver trade, where ore was once worked. Today it is a cultural and university centre, and its old walls can be seen from the road.
Go when Morning, on the walk out of the old town.
Local tip It stands on the northern edge of Taxco, a walk downhill from the plaza and a steep walk back. Check ahead on whether the grounds are open to visitors.
An 18th century house with a carved stone front in a Moorish style, where the German traveller Alexander von Humboldt stayed in 1803. Today it is a museum of art from the viceroyalty, with religious paintings, vestments and carvings.
Go when Afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip Look at the carved stone of the front before you go in. Check ahead on the opening, since small museums keep their own days.
Soft corn tamales wrapped in a leaf, with a warm cup of atole or chocolate, a light supper before the long drive back.
Local tip Unwrap the leaf and eat only the soft dough inside.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A baroque church of rose coloured stone, built in the 1700s with money from the silver mine owner José de la Borda. Its twin towers and carved front look over the plaza, and the altarpieces inside are covered in gold leaf. A working church, so stay quiet during services.
Go when Morning, outside the hours of services.
Local tip Stand in the plaza to see the whole front before you go in, then look up at the gold leaf inside. A working church, so stay quiet and keep your voice low.
The sloping main square of Taxco, in front of the church, with arcades, cafe tables and narrow streets of silver workshops running uphill from it. Look for the hallmark 925 on a piece before you buy, and walk slowly, since the stones are steep and uneven.
Go when Late morning into midday, with a coffee.
Local tip The streets slope steeply, so take small steps and wear shoes with grip. Silver is sold in workshops and stalls here, so ask about the stamp and compare before you buy.
A tall statue of Christ on a hill at the edge of Taxco, with a view over the white walls and red roofs of the town. The ride up is steep and winding.
Go when Late afternoon, for the view (about 6:46 PM).
Local tip A tall statue of Christ on a hill above the town, with a long view over the roofs. The road up is steep and winding, so go with a driver or a taxi. Check ahead on access.
A museum of the American designer who helped start the modern silver craft of Taxco in the 1930s. It holds pre-Hispanic objects that he collected, and a display on silver and its makers. Check ahead on the opening.
Go when Late afternoon, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A small museum, so it takes little time. It sits on a steep street a short walk from the church, so allow time for the climb.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to February and November to December are the most comfortable months for walking around Cuernavaca. This plan is built for march, which is a good month. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Cuernavaca, planned for march. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
On foot, about 1.1 to 2.2 kilometers a day, and 88.1 kilometers by car in all across 5 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of getting happily lost in Mexico CityAbout 70 km awayAn easy add-on
3 days of mole, tiles and a pyramid in Puebla and CholulaAbout 120 km away
3 days of pine mountains, basalt prisms and Cornish pastiesAbout 170 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
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