5 Days in Mexico City - Roma Norte, Frida Kahlo Museum and Hiking Iztaccihuatl
Kraig AdamsMar 2023
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Out and back from Paso de Cortés, the national park office, about…
- Cost
- Entrance MXN 125 per person per day
- Lodging
- Huts
North America · Mexico
Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl
Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico
- Distance
- 14.4 mi23.2 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 5,853 ft1,784 m
- High point
- 16,496 ft5,028 m
- Season
- I went March 7 and 8, 2023
- Lodging
- Huts
Hikes / North America / Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl
In March 2023 my wife and I spent a few days in Mexico City. When she flew home, I rented a little white car, drove out to the volcanoes and hiked up Iztaccíhuatl on my own. I started at Paso de Cortés, the pass between Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, walked about seven miles up to a small metal hut on the ridge with Popocatépetl erupting behind me, and spent the night there with a stray dog. The next morning I climbed by headlamp to the First Knee, about 16,500 ft (5,030 m) by my GPS, and turned around. It wasn't a true summit, but I'm still glad I did it. Two days, 14.4 miles by my GPS. It's the trip from my film 5 Days in Mexico City.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Hard · about 7 mi (12 km) and 2,927 ft (892 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 16,496 ft (5,028 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation12,051–16,490 ft14.4 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
5 Days in Mexico City - Roma Norte, Frida Kahlo Museum and Hiking Iztaccihuatl
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Paso de Cortés, the national park office, about 12,120 ft (3,695 m) by my GPS, about 23 km above Amecameca
- Finish
- Paso de Cortés, the national park office, about 12,120 ft (3,695 m) by my GPS, about 23 km above Amecameca
- Direction
- Out and back from Paso de Cortés, the national park office, about 12,120 ft (3,695 m) by my GPS, about 23 km above Amecameca: up to the hut and the First Knee, and back down the way I came
- Usual difficulty
- An easy walk-in, then a steep, rocky, loose climb to over 15,000 ft with all your water, a freezing night and a windy ridge. The summit beyond my turnaround is mountaineering
- Best time
- I went March 7 and 8, 2023
- Permits
- Entrance wristband, MXN 125 a person a day (2026), online or at Paso de Cortés; a CONANP reservation to drive to La Joya
- Getting there
- Mexico City is the base. It sits at about 7,350 ft (2,240 m), which makes a few days there good preparation for the altitude. Flights land at Mexico City's airport (MEX). In March 2026, an authorized taxi from the airport to Roma or Condesa cost about MXN 275 to 620, and an Uber about MXN 190; app cars can only pick up at their marked spots outside the terminals.
- Lodging
- Huts
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911 · park office (597) 978 3829.
Phone signal
- Don't count on a phone signal on the mountain.
Insurance
- Make sure your travel insurance covers local treatment and unexpected medical evacuation.
- Not all hospitals in Mexico deal directly with insurers.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Paso de Cortés to the Grupo de los Cien hut. The only way off is back down the way you came: 2.2 miles and about 2,300 ft down from the hut to La Joya, then 4.6 miles on to Paso de Cortés. Turn back if the altitude is hitting you hard (a headache that gets worse, vomiting, confusion, breathlessness at rest), if a storm is building, or if you're running low on water.
- Day 2, The hut to the First Knee and down to Paso de Cortés. This is the way off. If the altitude is getting to you at the hut or on the ridge, the fix is to go down.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, huts.
5 Days in Mexico City - Roma Norte, Frida Kahlo Museum and Hiking Iztaccihuatl
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Planning questions about Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl?
Two, with one night in the Grupo de los Cien hut, like me: up to the hut the first day, then the ridge early the next morning and down. Many people drive to La Joya and go to the hut and back in one day, which saves 4.6 miles each way. Add a day or two in Mexico City first for the altitude, and a spare day in case the park closes.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl cost?
MXN 125 (about US$7) per person per day in 2026, paid at the park office at Paso de Cortés. Mexicans and foreign residents pay half. Driving up to La Joya also needs a reservation with CONANP. I paid about $1.50 in 2023.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Mexico City and Iztaccíhuatl?
I went March 7 and 8, 2023.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is Iztaccíhuatl open?
Yes, in October 2026: no closure of the Parque Nacional Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl was reported that year. Popocatépetl, next door, is at Yellow Phase 2 on CENAPRED's alert; if it goes to Phase 3 the road to Paso de Cortés closes, as it did in May 2023. Fires, snow and cold fronts close it at short notice too, so check CENAPRED and CONANP the day before.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a guide to climb Iztaccíhuatl?
No. The park's rules say visitors may hire guides, preferably local ones, but don't require one, and I went alone. CONANP advises not hiking alone, and the summit ridge beyond the knees is a mountaineering route where a guide makes sense.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How far is the hike to the Grupo de los Cien hut?
By my GPS, 6.8 miles (10.9 km) from Paso de Cortés with about 4,300 ft of climbing, or 2.2 miles and about 2,300 ft from La Joya. The hut is at about 15,500 ft (4,724 m) by my GPS; published figures are 4,730 to 4,780 m.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get to Iztaccíhuatl from Mexico City?
By car, about two hours via the México-Puebla toll road, Amecameca and the paved road up to Paso de Cortés. Without a car, take a Volcanes or Sur bus from the TAPO station to Amecameca, then a taxi to Paso de Cortés or La Joya (about MXN 250 to 450 one way, as reported).
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is there water on Iztaccíhuatl?
No. It's a dry volcano hike with no water sources: carry all of it from Paso de Cortés. I brought about two liters for two days and was almost out by the second morning.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.