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    The rocky summit of the Pico del Águila on the Ajusco, dusted with snow, seen from the south of Mexico City in March 2016

    Photo by Gerardo Noriega, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Ajusco

    Mountain Tlalpan, Ciudad de México Municipality of Tlalpan Valley of Mexico

    Mexico City's own volcano: a fir-forest hike to the rocky Pico del Águila, close to 3,900 m, with views to Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.

    From Mexico City: 40 min by car (35 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Ajusco

    Where to stay near Ajusco

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Ajusco.

    Hotels in Ajusco Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Ajusco

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include Ajusco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Half Day Private Tour to Pico del Águila in Ajusco ★ 5.0 (20) · From US$104
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Ajusco

    • From Mexico City: about 40 min by road (~35 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
    Rent a car at MEX Flights to MEX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Popular tours to Ajusco

    Half Day Private Tour to Pico del Águila in Ajusco ★ 5.0 (20) 6 h From US$104
    Ajusco Sunrise Hike with Drone photos-highest sunrise in CDMX ★ 5.0 (5) 11 h From US$130
    Conquer Ajusco The Emblematic Mountain of CDMX 7 h From US$106
    Hike Ajusco Volcano Sunrise Summit Adventure Photos and Video 8–10 h From US$110
    Mexico City Hike: Conquer the Ajusco National Park 12 h From US$120

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Ajusco

    The Ajusco is the volcanic massif that closes off the south-west of Mexico City, in the borough of Tlalpan. It belongs to the Sierra Chichinauhtzin, part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and its summits are the highest ground inside the city limits: the Cruz del Marqués and, a few metres lower, the sharp rock tower of the Pico del Águila, also called Cuauhtépetl. Sources put the Pico del Águila anywhere from 3,880 to 3,937 m. The name comes from Nahuatl and is usually read as "where the water blooms". On its slopes sits the small Xitle volcano, whose eruption around 1,670 years ago laid down the lava fields of the Pedregal and led to the abandonment of the old settlement of Cuicuilco.

    The upper slopes were protected as the Parque Nacional Cumbres del Ajusco in September 1936 under Lázaro Cárdenas, with 920 hectares; a later decree of 1947 modified its limits. The forest of fir, pine and oak gives way to high bunchgrass near the top, and snow still dusts the summit a few times a year.

    Climbing the Pico del Águila is one of the classic Sunday hikes of the capital. From the Circuito Ajusco road the summit is about two hours on foot: the first stretch climbs gently through fir forest, and the last kilometre and a half turns steep and rocky, with slopes of up to 35 degrees and a narrow rock spine near the top, the Espinazo del Diablo, where you need a head for heights and a little scrambling. From the summit you see the whole city on one side and Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl on the other. A popular 8.7 km loop from the El Abrevadero restaurant links the Pico del Águila and the Cruz del Marqués along a horseshoe ridge, with 816 m of climbing on loose rock. Lower down, the Ajusco is lined with ejido parks, campsites and cabins, and with restaurants where hikers eat after the descent.

    How to get to Ajusco

    Drive from Mexico City: 40 min, 35 km

    By car, take the Carretera Picacho–Ajusco from Periférico Sur (near the Canal 13 studios) and follow it up to the Circuito Ajusco, the scenic road around the mountain from which the trails to the summit start. Another approach follows Calzada de Tlalpan onto the road toward Cuernavaca and turns off around km 25 toward San Miguel Xicalco, passing La Magdalena Petlacalco and San Miguel Ajusco on the way to Santo Tomás Ajusco. By public transport, take a bus marked San Miguel Ajusco from Metro Universidad (Line 3); in Ajusco, taxis take you on to the park entrances for about 50 to 100 pesos.

    Directions to Ajusco on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Ajusco on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Ajusco

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Ajusco: hours, prices and tips

    Time needed
    About two hours up to the Pico del Águila from the Circuito Ajusco; guided groups that go slower and start before dawn plan 7 to 8 hours round trip. Wikipedia; El Universal · checked Oct 2026
    Best season
    September to May is the best season for the summit routes. Fastest Known Time · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Experienced hikers can go alone; otherwise go with a guide. Local guides charged around 700 pesos per person in 2024. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Chilango · checked Oct 2026
    What to bring
    Sturdy hiking boots (high ones help with the tall grass and thorns near the top), sunscreen, sunglasses, a cap and layers for changing temperatures. Chilango · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Ajusco: what to see and do

    Hike to the summit of the Pico del Águila for views of the city, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
    Cross the Espinazo del Diablo, the rocky spine just below the top.
    Walk the horseshoe ridge loop linking the Pico del Águila and the Cruz del Marqués.
    Watch the sunrise from the summit on an early guided climb.
    Camp or rent a cabin in the ejido parks on the lower slopes, such as San Nicolás Totolapan.
    Refuel at one of the restaurants by the trailheads after the descent.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Ajusco

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Ajusco.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include Ajusco; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 30 km more to Ajusco, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for Ajusco.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    If you plan on hiking at altitude at Ajusco, check that your policy covers it: some plans leave adventure activities out.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Tepoztlán: download a map of the way to Ajusco before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Ajusco mild

    Ajusco shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 30 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    For the clearest views from Ajusco, go in the driest months (January, February, March, and December); in the rains, clouds tend to build up by midday.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán's cliffs rising behind a white colonial church, Morelos mild
    Morelos Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Ajusco, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Ajusco

    Near Ajusco

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Ajusco

    Mountains in Ciudad de México · 9 Mountains near Mexico City · 14 Mountains near Tepoztlán · 13 Mountains near Cuernavaca · 10 Mountains near Metepec · 10 Mountains near Malinalco · 6 Mountains near Tlayacapan · 12 Mountains near Toluca · 6

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.