Getting Around Cholula
Cholula is a compact, walkable place, and most visitors find they can cover the main sights on foot. The two halves of the modern city — San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula — flank the pyramid, and the distance between their centers is short enough to walk in a leisurely stretch or to cover in a very quick cab ride. For anything farther out, a mix of buses, colectivos, taxis, and ride-hailing apps fills in the gaps.
On Foot
Walking is the primary way to get around Cholula. The pyramid, the tunnel entrance, the church on the hill, the excavated plazas, and San Pedro's zócalo are clustered close together, so you can move between them without needing any transport at all. The one common exception is Camino Real, the strip where most of the bars are located (opposite UDLA), which sits roughly a twenty-five-minute walk from the zócalo of San Andrés.
Be prepared for the surface underfoot: cobblestones and high curbs are uneven throughout the center. Comfortable closed shoes are a sensible choice, especially if you plan to do a lot of walking.
Bicycles
A large share of locals and university students get around by bike, which makes cycling a realistic option if you are staying for a while. If you are thinking of a longer stay, ask around at the various bike shops — you should be able to pick one up for a few hundred pesos.
Buses and Colectivos
Local buses are cheap and are really only needed to get in and out of Cholula rather than for sightseeing within it. Colectivos shuttle constantly between Cholula and Puebla and are the budget option for that trip; many depart from around 6 Poniente in Puebla, and buses and colectivos marked "Cholula" run frequently along the main avenues. Fares are in the range of a few pesos to the low teens.
For longer connections, there are two buses running from CAPU, Puebla's main bus station, and an express bus from the Cholula–Puebla bus station near the center of Puebla (Autobuses Puebla – Cholula y Anexas, on Avenida 6 Poniente, across from the Mercado de Sabores). Colectivos also run from the corner of Avenida 5 Poniente and Calle 3 Sur in Puebla to Cholula.
From farther afield, Estrella Roja runs direct buses from TAPO bus station in Mexico City to Cholula, though only a few times a day. Buses from Mexico City's TAPO and Norte terminals to Puebla's CAPU terminal are the more frequent option, with ADO and Estrella Roja among the main operators; from CAPU you can continue to Cholula by colectivo, cab, or ride-hailing app.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis around Cholula tend to be more expensive than in Puebla, since drivers are used to the well-off UDLA students. Even so, a short hop around town should cost only a modest amount, and a ride from CAPU to the zócalo of San Andrés runs higher. If you pick up a taxi in the center of Puebla and are willing to bargain, you can usually negotiate a lower fare.
Uber and DiDi both operate in Cholula and are cheap. They are particularly useful late at night, in the rain, or if your lodging sits on one of the quieter edges of town. Street cabs are available too, but agree on the fare before you get in.
By Car
Driving into Cholula from Puebla is straightforward along the Recta. The roads into Cholula are flat and short, with no mountain switchbacks to worry about. Once you are in the center, however, watch out for the many one-way streets, which can be confusing to first-time visitors. Night driving on the darker rural edges toward the volcano side has poor lighting and is easy to get lost in — better to take a ride than to navigate an unfamiliar rental car after dark.
Rail, Metro, and Tram
Cholula has no rail, metro, or tram network for visitors to use. A tourist train once linked the Puebla town center with Cholula, but it shut down in 2021 and is no longer an option. Plan on buses, colectivos, taxis, ride-hailing, walking, and cycling instead.
Getting There from the Airport
Puebla's Hermanos Serdán airport (PBC) is the nearest airport to Cholula, but it has limited routes — mostly domestic, with few connections to the United States. Most travelers instead fly into Mexico City, using either AICM or Felipe Ángeles (NLU), and continue overland by bus.
From Mexico City, buses run from the TAPO and Norte terminals to Puebla's CAPU terminal, with ADO and Estrella Roja among the main operators. Estrella Roja also runs direct from Mexico City's airport (AICM) to Puebla and on to the San Andrés Cholula area, which saves you a transfer. Once you reach CAPU, a short colectivo ride, an Uber, or a cab will bring you the rest of the way into Cholula.
If you are driving from Mexico City, the trip is a straightforward highway run of a couple of hours or more.