What To Do In Puebla & Cholula, Mexico
Planning Your Trip To Mexico And Wondering What There Is To Do In The Towns Of Puebla And Cholula?
My first visit to Mexico City was over a decade ago, but I’ve continued to return to this capital city, each time going out to explore further areas surrounding the city, like Puebla and Cholula. I only visited Puebla and Cholula on a day trip because I couldn’t find too many things to see and do here, but I had a great time and it’s still one of my favorite day trips I’ve ever made.
🇲🇽 What To Do In Puebla, Mexico
In the city itself, I don’t think there’s an endless amount of things to see and do, but I do still think Puebla, Mexico is worth checking out, especially since it’s such an easy day trip to make from the popular destination of Mexico City.
➡️ Doing day trips from Mexico City is actually one of my top recommendations for things to do from this capital city since it’s so centrally located with a number of great cities that can be reached in just a few hours
1. Puebla Centro Historico
The historic center of towns in Mexico is always a good place to start when looking for the best things to see or do in a town, and Puebla has one with some beautiful architecture, museums, the Puebla letters (pictured above), and lots of shops and restaurants.
2. 5 de Mayo
Americans know a lot about 5 de Mayo, but most of what they think they know is wrong. It is not Mexico’s Independence Day and it is not a holiday celebrated all over Mexico.
5 de Mayo has a very specific meaning for the people in Puebla because it is the day of “La Batalla de Puebla” when the French attempted to take over Mexico by marching towards Mexico City, but were stopped and defeated in Puebla.
They didn’t win the war there, but they did win the battle and the 5th of May continues to be a symbol of Mexican courage, if not all over Mexico, at least in Puebla.
Other than visiting Puebla on May 5th (there are some celebrations and it is an official holiday in Puebla), you can see the 5 de Mayo Avenue sign like the one pictured above, visit the Museo Interactivo de la Batalla del 5 de Mayo, walk through the Pasaje Histórico del 5 de Mayo, or stop at the Guadalupe Fort Museum.
3. Hike Iztaccihuatl
Although on a clear day you can see it from the city, for a more adventurous experience, you can hike the dormant volcano that is right next to the active one, just outside of Puebla.
4. Try Mole Poblano
Both Puebla, Mexico and Oaxaca, Mexico are famous for their Mole dishes, so you’ll have to try both and see which one you like better.
I don’t like Mole at all so neither one is my favorite, but most people love the creamy-chocolatey sauce.
5. Do A Day Trip
From Puebla, there are a few other interesting places you can visit besides the more popular town of Cholula.
- Atlixco and Chipilo – private tour to the magical flower village of Atlixco and the Italian corner of Puebla
- Cholula, Tonantzintla, and San Francisco Acatepec – private tour to historical, archeological, and religious sites near Puebla
- Zacatlan and Chignahuapan – nature, waterfalls, and lots of Mexican culture
- Cuetzalan Adventure – private adventure tour to a cave with an underground river, and the cobbled streets of Cuetzalan
- Iztaccihuatl Volcano – hike up to the dormant volcano that sits right next to the active one
- Tlaxcala and Cacaxtla – private tour for history, culture, and architecture to the archeological zone of Cacaxtla and the world heritage sites of Tlaxcala
- Cuetzalan & Yohualichan – private tour to two magical towns in the the Sierra Norte of Puebla
- Cantona + Alchichica Lagoon – tour to one of Mesoamerica’s most advanced pre-hispanic cities (Cantona) and the turquoise waters of the Alchichica Lagoon
🛕 What To Do In Cholula, Mexico
As it is with Puebla, I also don’t think there is too much to see or do in Cholula, Mexico, but two of the things this town is known for make it entirely worth the visit in my opinion.
6. The Great Pyramid
The Great Pyramid of Cholula is the number one thing to see in this area in my history-loving opinion and I think it’s one of the best pyramids to see in Mexico.
Not only is it the largest pyramid in the world by volume, it is also extremely underrated, very mysterious, and one of the least visited pyramids in Mexico (compared to Chichen Itza’s 2+ million and Teotihuacan’s 4+ million visitors per year, Cholula only gets about 200,000 per year).
Be sure not to miss going inside of the pyramid, around to the archeological zone, up to the top where the church now sits, and to the museum (all explained further here).
➡️ Here are some of the better-rated tours to compare for visiting the Great Pyramid of Cholula
7. The Active Volcano
Although you can also see it from Puebla on a clear day, one of the best places to get a great look at the active volcano “Popo”, is from the top of the hill/pyramid in Cholula (pictured above).
Aside from hiking up the adjacent dormant volcano, I think this is the best view in Puebla/Cholula to see the smoking volcano.
📆 How Many Days Do You Need In Puebla/Cholula?
Although there isn’t an endless amount of things to do in Puebla and Cholula, Mexico, I do think it’s still worth a quick trip just to see the ancient pyramid, the distant volcanoes, and the city of Puebla.
I visited on a day trip and saw/did everything I wanted to (other than the 5 de Mayo celebrations), but to further explore the surrounding area and maybe go on an adventurous hike up a dormant volcano (next to an active one), then I would say 2 to 3 days would be better in Puebla.
🔁 Sum Up: What To Do In Puebla & Cholula, Mexico
Although Puebla and Cholula, Mexico don’t have as many things to see and do as the popular nearby big city destination of Mexico City, I think these two areas are entirely worth the visit because there is some incredibly interesting history, some beautiful & dangerous natural sites, and a unique celebration that really only takes place in this part of the country.
