Expert Guide: What to Do in Cholula with Kids (2024)
Many people will have heard of Puebla, one of Mexico’s most beautiful cities, but Cholula, a pueblo magico (magical town) just next door, is less well-known, which is a shame as it’s a truly beautiful city and is absolutely great for an adventure with the kids.
If you’re considering a trip to Puebla, whether as a day trip from Mexico City or as part of a longer vacation, I urge you to explore the city of Cholula too. Let’s look now at what to do in Cholula with kids.
Why is Cholula Good For Kids?
Cholula is a lovely, small town that’s just right to visit with kids. No one is going to be overwhelmed by a trip to Cholula but everyone is going to be excited to visit a town flanked by two volcanoes, one of which is even an active volcano.
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Highlights of Cholula
📌 Walk around the world’s biggest pyramid
📌 Awesome views of the volcano Popocatépetl
📌 Taking the time to visit the nearby national park and seeing two volcanoes
📌 Staying in a well priced hotel in the centre of town
⭐️ Cholula makes it on to my list of great family spring break vacation ideas.
About Cholula
📌 Cholula is actually two small towns – San Pedro Cholula and San Andrés Cholula meaning a visit here is a bit of a two-fer. And in fact, it’s official name is Cholula de Rivadavia although you’re unlikely to ever hear it called that.
📌 The historic town of Cholula is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
📌 Even if you haven’t heard of Cholula, I bet you know about the hot sauce named for the town, right?
📌 Cholula is one of the most important cities in Mexico and it’s one of the oldest, continuously-inhabited cities in the world having existed for over 2,500 years. The Olmecs, Teotihuacanos and Toltecs all lived here. At its peak, it was the second most important city in Mexico after Tenochitlan.
📌 The Great Pyramid of Cholula, Tlachihualtepetl, is the largest pyramid in the world. It was built in the 3rd century BCE.
📌 From Cholula it’s easy to visit the twin volcanoes, Popocateptel and Iztaccihuatl.
📌 The church, Our Lady of Remedies (Nuestra Señora de los Remedios), sits atop the pyramid. The church was built in the sixteenth century after Hernan Cortes ordered the conquering Spanish to build a church on top of every pre-Hispanic temple in the region. This means there are a lot of churches here!
Kid Friendly Chat: Talk to your kids about Mexican history, the actions of the Conquistadores and Cortes, colonialism and how it should be viewed with a twenty-first century lens.
Where is Cholula
Cholula is located in central Mexico in the state of Puebla, south east of Mexico City. The easiest way to get to Cholula is to hire a rental car. When we visited we picked one up at the airport in CDMX.
🚗 Mexico City – 1 hr 30 from Mexico City’s International airport
🚌 Mexico City – 2 hr from TAPO (Terminal Autobus Pasajeros de Oriente)
🚗 Puebla City – 25 minute drive between the two towns
🚌 Puebla City – R3A or M8 bus. 1 hr
➡️ Check rental car prices now
➡️ Check bus timetables in Spanish or English
➡️ If you prefer to take an organised day trip from Mexico City, this is also possible.
Best Time to Visit Cholula
Cholula has a pretty pleasant climate for visitors almost all year round.
🔆 June – February offers average temperatures between 20C -26C (68F – 79F). March/April are the warmest months
☔️ June – September see the most rainfall
🌼 My favourite time to visit Cholula is in the Spring when the temperatures are good and the jacaranda trees are in bloom
⭐️ Check out this Mexico with kids packing list guide
What to do in Cholula with Kids
📌 Let’s be honest, if your kids are like my kids then they don’t give a fig about Cholula’s many churches and they’re only going to want a cursory glance around the museums. They will, however, want to climb things, run, skip, leap and eat all the street-food.
Let’s take a look, therefore, at what there is to do with kids in Cholula that they’ll actually enjoy.
Cholula Pyramid + Museum
The enormous Cholula Pyramid isn’t a pyramid like El Castillo at Chichén Itzá; it’s more of a giant rubble/grass hill because it hasn’t been entirely excavated or renovated. However, exploring this archaeological site is still fun and if/when the pyramid tunnels reopen it’ll be even more fun for the kids.
❌ The underground tunnels were closed during COVID and have never reopened.
⭐️ While you stroll around the base of the pyramid
why not share some of these great facts with your kids ⭐️
✅ This pyramid is the biggest in the world. It’s bigger even than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, than Chichén Itza in Yucatan, than the Pyramid of the Sun outside Mexico City, Kinich Kakmó in Izamal and the biggest pyramids at Calakmul in Campeche (we highly recommend visiting all these pyramids with your kids, by the way).
✅ The pyramid is 25 m (82ft) tall, which is actually a lot shorter than the Great Pyramid so when we say it’s bigger, we are talking about its final size. The Cholula pyramid is 300 m x 315 m and the Great Pyramid is 230 m x 230 m.
✅ Archaeologists unearthed 8 km (approx 5 miles) of tunnels inside the pyramid between 1931 and 1954. They also discovered altars complete with offerings, walls with murals and even human remains from around 900 CE. Over 400 bodies have been found thus far, most from the post-classic period.
✅ Some years after the pyramid was abandoned, an altar to Tlaloc, the god of rain was established here during a period of severe water shortages. Ceremonies in which children were sacrificed to Tlaloc were held. It was thought that the children, after death, would ask the god for water.
✅ The pyramid’s name, Tlachihualtepetl, means “Made-by-hand Mountain” in Nahuatl. It was originally a temple to the god Quetzalcoatl (the Aztec God of Culture and Literature).
Once you’re done exploring the pyramid and the Courtyard of Altars and have checked out the murals (under tin roofs), head to the Museo de Sitio de Cholula to see some of the artefacts found on the site.
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios
As I said, I know full well that most kids have zero interest in churches. Let’s make this fun for them so that you don’t have to miss out on the amazing views from the top of the pyramid. That’s right, this is the famous yellow church built on top of the Cholula Pyramid.
⏱ If your kids are young enough to be conned by the timing trick, definitely time them running up and down sections of the steps up the pyramid. Mine love to be timed and it always helps con them into moving encourage them. Also, you can buy snacks on the top so that helps get kids moving!
📌 The view from the top of the pyramid of the active volcano Popocatepetl (pronounced poh-poh-kah-TEH-peh-til) in the distance is really quite phenomenal. It’s worth the walk up. Note though that on cloudy days the volcano may not be visible. Popocatepetl is one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico so if you’re lucky/unlucky you’ll see it in action (we did!).
📌 Just prior to the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century, this pyramid was considered sacred to a rain goddess called Chiconauhquiauhitl (the Goddess of the Nine Rains). When the Spanish did what those naughty Conquistadors did best and built a Catholic Church right on top of an important indigenous temple, they replaced this goddess with an image of their “Virgin of the Remedies” and claimed she had been ‘seen’ in Cholula. Essentially, the Spanish substituted the Aztec goddess with their own.
The church has been struck by lightning several times, which was thought, in the early days, to be Chiconauhquiuhitl getting her own back on the Spanish and on Catholicism.
Museo Regional de Cholula
This museum is located right at the base of the pyramid and is a wonderful physical space. The museum is split into a number of rooms, each housing a selection of artefacts relating to Mexican history and culture. It’s a good museum for kids precisely because of its layout. It’s easy to take a breather between each room, and no room is too big or overwhelming.
✅ Kids will adore the alebrijes room
Enjoy ALL the Sweet Foods
🍦 Coyotitla is a fascinating ice-cream shop selling interesting, artisan ice cream that embraces and celebrates Mexican food culture. The best thing about the place is that the ice cream is served in a corn- husk so there’s no waste.
🍦 Cuore Italiano, just down the road from Coyotitla is extremely popular, ethically minded and serves delicious flavours of ice cream. My favourite here was a jamaica and basil sorbet.
🍬 Let the kids stop and admire the street-vendors’ selection of candies. Maybe even let them buy a small amount if they complete the whole transaction in Spanish!
Container City, just outside Cholula is a great place to head in the early evening with kids but I recommend leaving before it gets to lively. Container City is a modern and colourful collection of restaurants, and bars.
Other Kids Friendly Activities in Cholula
Parque Soria
Just outside the archaeological site is Parque Soria. Here you’ll find a set of Cholula letters (great for photos of the kids), a nice playground, and space for the kids to run around.
On the weekend there’s also a bustling market in this park, full of souvenir sellers and street food vendors. There are often Danza de los Voladores demonstrations here too.
Ferrocarril Station Markets
Let the kids explore the stalls around these markets next to the old tourist train station (which sadly closed down in 2022 and has never reopened).
Plaza de la Concordia
This is the main plaza of San Pedro Cholula and the kids will be able to run and play on here as it’s pedestrianised. The plaza is surrounded by bars and stores.
Balneario Puerto Escondido
Just a few blocks from the centre of town is an open air water park with water slides, diving boards and play spaces for smaller kids.
What to do in Puebla with Kids
Of course, if you’re in Cholula, you’re going to have to also visit the far more famous neighbouring city of Puebla, one of Mexico’s most beautiful cities. Previously there was a free train between the two cities but sadly, it’s closed down now so you’ll either need to take a cab or a bus if you haven’t rented a car.
Highlights of Puebla for the Kids
Culture in Puebla
📌 The city of Puebla is a city full of culture, particularly in the form of beautiful churches and museums including the incredible Biblioteca Palafoxiana, the oldest library in the Americas – if the kids like Harry Potter they may enjoy this library purely for its old world Harry Potter-esq feel.
I’m not going to talk about all the excellent museums in Puebla here as this article is specifically about what the kids will enjoy. Let’s look now at a couple of museums they’re going to love.
Museo Infantil
On the outskirts of Puebla you’ll find an excellent children’s museum and the Paseo de Gigantes, a miniature village that everyone will enjoy.
The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos (Train Museum)
Many claim that this is the best museum in Puebla and I absolutely think that for kids this is true. Do not miss out.
Estrella de Puebla
This is the biggest Ferris wheel in Latin America. We didn’t have time to take a ride on it but it looks like a lot of fun.
Shopping in Puebla
📌 Puebla is also well known for its shopping opportunities, which the kids may well really enjoy (especially if you give them $500 pesos to spend on souvenirs!)
🍬 Calle de los Dulces – Candy Street
Which kids aren’t going to love this? It really is a road full of traditional candy stores. Do not forget to tell the kids it’s traditional candy though, or they’ll be disappointed.
➕ There’s also a Mexican Revolution Museum on this street, which could be good for older kids who are interested in Mexico’s history.
➕ There are underground tunnels in Puebla that people “think” were used by soldiers during the Battle of Puebla and they could be worth visiting with older kids.
🐸 Callejón de los Sapos – Toad Alley
This generally seems to be translated as “Frog Alley” but since sapo means toad I’m sticking to “Toad Alley”
If you think you’re immune to shopping, I challenge you and your kids to walk around this area without buying anything. With its colourful shops, great displays and the lively weekend market this a purchaser’s paradise.
🛍 El Parián Market
We did stop by this traditional local market here but didn’t feel the need to head deep inside it as we were already shopped out by the time we got here. Expect more traditional clothing, souvenirs, pottery and tiles.
⭐️ While you’re wandering around Puebla, why not stop and get the kids some delicious churros from Puebla La Churrería – the locals’ favourite churros spot in town.
Enjoy Puebla’s Parks
Fort Historic District
This enormous area is made up of a number of different parks and is one of the best places for kids in Puebla. We specifically wanted to visit Parque del Paseo del Teleférico as we wanted to ride the cable car but the whole park area is just gorgeous and feels a lot like Mexico City’s amazing Bosque de Chapultepec. It is packed with museums, forts, play areas, cultural stuff and cafes.
Museums I spotted in the park: Museo de la Evolucion, Museo de la No Intervencion (Fuerte de Loreto), Museo Interactivo de la Batalla de 5 de Mayo, Museo Fuerte de Guadalupe, Museo Regional de Puebla and a Planeterium.
Xanenetla – barrio in this area
This barrio (which we found by mistake when we were leaving the park) is covered in murals. I now read that the area isn’t the safest in Puebla but we didn’t know that when we were there. We never felt unsafe exploring here but if you’re worried, take a guided tour instead of walking alone.
Parque de la Niñez
This is a large park with an artificial lake, and lots of space for children to play
Parque Ecologico Revolucion Mexicana
A large park with a skate rink, artificial lakes and even an outdoor theatre and a small safari park (Arboterra by Africam)
5 de Mayo Theme Park (Parque Temático 5 de Mayo)
Wander through miniatures and models depicting the traditional cultures in the state of Puebla, as well as models referencing historic events.
What Else Is There to Do With Kids Around Cholula?
Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuatl Popocatépetl Zoquiapan
You’ll either need to rent a car or take a tour to get out to the national park that’s actually in Estado de Mexico, and Puebla State.
✅ Yes, the name is a bit of a mouthful but most people just call it Itza-Popo (and yes, the kids can laugh at that if they want!)
➡️ Izataccíhuatl means White Woman (this is a dormant volcano that has the shape of a reclining woman)
➡️ Popocatépetl means: Hill that Smokes (this is an active volcano that regularly smokes and belches out fire)
➡️ The Aztecs mythology has it that the mountains represent two lovers who fate frowned upon, frustrating their efforts to unite in life. Popocatepetl was a fierce warrior who longed for the white princess, Iztaccihuatl. Her father refused to allow their marriage, keeping the two apart. Though their love for each other was frustrated in life, the gods transformed the pair into mountains that would forever lie side by side
➡️ In the early 16th century, the Spanish used the volcanoes as a source of sulphur for their gun powder
🚗 1 hr 30 from Puebla/Cholula to Paso de Cortes in the national park.
🌋 This is a national park that is home to two volcanoes: Izaccíhuatl and Popocatéptl, two of the biggest volcanoes in Mexico (Pico de Orizaba is the biggest). In 2010 it was classed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
🌋 The route up to Paso de Cortes from Cholula/Puebla is filled with truly lovely vistas and you’ll have to stop regularly to take photos. After the towns run out though, the tarred road ends and the journey becomes trickier and the roads more winding.
🌋 Once you leave the lodge and head into Estado de Mexico (rather than Puebla), the road is tarred the entire way and the journey is fast and easy.
🌋 Once you reach the lodge at Paso de Cortes, head inside to register, pay the very small fee and then take a walk around, enjoy the views. Most general hikes begin and end here. You can buy water at the lodge.
➡️ I don’t generally suffer from altitude sickness but I did find myself a little dizzy when we marched around for too long.
Where To Stay In Cholula
➡️ We stayed in Hotel El Cristo near at the base of the pyramid. I highly recommend staying here, it was good value, the breakfast was good, the rooms comfortable and the staff very friendly. The grounds are also great if you have kids with you and the pool is huge.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Cholula With Kids
A trip to Cholula with the kids is a great idea. There’s plenty to keep everyone entertained without the kids being dragged to places they don’t want to visit. All in all, this is a perfect family trip from Mexico City.
⭐️ Other Useful Family Friendly Mexico Adventure Articles ⭐️
✅ Exploring Southern Mexico City
✅ Bosque de Chapultepec (Mexico City’s Amazing Park)
✅ Bacalar
2 Comments
Keith Paulson-Thorp · 04/03/2020 at 5:22 pm
Another great read about some of my favorite places. Next time you must leave time to explore Puebla even more, and don’t hesitate to spend a minute in the churches, especially the cathedral, one of the greatest in Mexico. Nothing speaks of the excess and systemized repression of the colonial era quite like these lavish interiors. I was there in 2004 to play the organs at the cathedral (as well as the organ at Nuestra Señora de los Remedios in Cholula, a time pre-earthquake when everything was still open) and I was impressed by the choirs at the cathedral. They are comprised almost exclusively of indigenous people, as they were in colonial times, and have a very unique sound.
But the architecture and expert layout of Puebla (which was the first city modeled on Thomas More’s “Utopia”) are really remarkable, and the Palafoxiana is such a great and unique place. And of course the food. I love reliving fond memories through your travelogues! Thank you again. ?
Cassie · 04/03/2020 at 6:36 pm
Thanks, Keith. I promise to look in on the churches next time. I do generally but with so much to do it was an easy thing to strike off the list given that generally I get riled up by the incredible inequality we so often see in churches. Playing the organ in such a magnificent building must have been incredible, and the choir sounds amazing. That I’d love to hear.