How to get from Oaxaca to Puebla

Why visit Puebla?

If you’re looking to continue your journey into central Mexico, then Puebla is a city you shouldn’t miss! It’s a must-see for tourists who enjoy beautiful streets filled with music, crafts and other cultural activities. Puebla is the home of the traditional Talavera ceramics, crafted out of an impressive technique to produce intricate patterns.

If you particularly enjoy history and architecture, you’ll be enthralled by Puebla’s stunning buildings and cathedrals, not to mention Cholula, one of the biggest pyramids found in Mexico. Puebla’s food scene is also something worth talking about, with its delicious dishes like Mole Poblano and Chiles en Nogada.

The bus is the only suitable way for travellers to cross the distance of 340 kilometres (211 miles) from Oaxaca to Puebla. The journey takes around 5 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes, and ticket prices start from 650 MXN ($35).

Buses from Oaxaca to Puebla depart every day from two bus terminals in Oaxaca, with a total journey time of around 5 hours 10 minutes to 5 hours 45 minutes.

If you are travelling by day, the views will help you forget about the long journey. By night, you can catch up on some sleep.

Before you leave for the bus terminal, make sure to check which bus company you’re travelling with. ADO buses depart from the Main Oaxaca Bus Terminal in the city centre, while AU buses leave from Terminal Periferico.

In both cases, the best option to get to the bus terminal is by taxi. Rates for a ride from the city centre start at 50 MXN ($2.70).

Buses from Oaxaca to Puebla run throughout the day.

ADO and AU are the bus companies operating on this route. ADO offers a more comfortable ride with better seats and onboard toilets, while AU is the cheaper option with simpler buses and no restrooms. Check out our Mexico Transport Guide for a full comparison of their bus types and amenities.

The bus journey from Oaxaca to Puebla takes around 4h 40m - 5h 15m. Ticket prices start from 520 MXN ($28).

Once you reach Puebla, you’ll be dropped off at the Central Bus Terminal (CAPU). The best way to get to the city centre from here is to take an authorised taxi from right outside the terminal. If you prefer a ride-hailing app, Uber is also available in Puebla.

The fare to the city centre starts at 80 MXN ($4.30) and takes about 20 minutes.

Local buses are cheaper but slower

Several city buses pass through CAPU. Wait at the bus stop near the entrance and look out for one of these routes:

• RUTA 10 (9 stops): Covers Fayuca, Plaza San Pedro, TELMEX, Wal-Mart San Manuel and C.U.
• RUTA BLVD-C.U. (16 stops): Passes Centro Escolar Morelos, Mercado Hidalgo, Blvd. 5 de Mayo, Centro de Convenciones, Plaza Dorada and Ciudad Universitaria (C.U.).
• ENLACE 2010 (14 stops): Includes Blvd. Norte, China Poblana, Blvd. Héroes del 5 de Mayo, Parque Ecológico, Hospital Militar and La Margarita.

Depending on traffic, the bus will take around 50 minutes to reach the last stop.

If you’re heading to Zocalo de Puebla (the main square), you’ll need to get off at the bus stop outside Centro de Convenciones and walk about 1 km from there — not something we recommend if you’re carrying a lot of luggage.

Still, a bus ticket is quite cheap with fares from 6 MXN ($0.30).

IMPORTANT: RUTA buses don’t accept cash. If you don’t have a RUTA prepaid card yet, you’ll have to get one from one of the vending machines at the terminal.