From Mexico City they are two white peaks above the haze. The one on the right is smoking.
At Paso de Cortés, 3,700 m up, it stands right in front of you. You are not allowed any closer.
The one you can climb is the other: the sleeping woman, 5,230 m.
Scroll –
closer in
Two 5,000-meter volcanoes, one national park, two completely different sets of rules. Popocatépetl has been continuously active since it reawakened in 1994 and is closed within a 12 km (7.5 mile) radius of the crater – the volcanic traffic light stands at Yellow Phase 2, and CENAPRED repeats every day: “No intentes subir al volcán” – do not try to climb the volcano. You can still see it, from Paso de Cortés, legally and from the closest point allowed. And you can climb its neighbor across the pass: the dormant Iztaccíhuatl.
The summit, all flanks and the former climbers' base at Tlamacas lie inside the exclusion zone. The State of Mexico's high-mountain police checks at Paso de Cortés and patrols Tlamacas; according to the park administration, anyone who enters is handed over to the authorities. Offers for a “Popocatépetl climb” are illegal.
The national park is open. You register at the visitor center, pay the daily fee in cash and get a wristband. No guide required – on the marked Portillos and Ayoloco routes up to the summit, El Pecho.
On September 21, 2026 CENAPRED counted 120 exhalations, 55 minutes of tremor and an ash plume drifting south-southwest; ash fell in Amecameca on August 31, 2026. If activity rises to Phase 3, CONANP closes the whole park – most recently from May 19 to June 10, 2023. Snow, fog and wildfires also lead to closures.
Photo: Carlos Valenzuela · CC BY-SA 3.0
The pass between the two volcanoes is where Hernán Cortés crossed toward Tenochtitlán in 1519. Today there is a visitor center, the pay station and a monument – and you stand at about 3,700 m (12,100 ft) between a mountain that smokes and one that sleeps.
From Amecameca the road winds 23 km (14 miles) uphill through pine forest until the trees thin out and the pass opens. To the left Popocatépetl, an almost perfect cone, above its crater a plume of steam and gas that is white or gray depending on the wind. To the right the long silhouette of Iztaccíhuatl, which from here really does look like a woman lying down: head, chest, knees, feet. The wind is cold, even in summer, and the air is already so thin that you sway for a moment when you get out of the car.
If you only want to look, this is the place – in the morning, before the clouds build. When the Popo has one of its small explosions you do not hear it; you just see the plume suddenly turn thicker and darker. When ash falls, it crunches between your teeth. On weekends the parking lot is full; on a clear winter weekday morning you have the pass almost to yourself.
For the Iztaccíhuatl climb you continue: 6.5 to 8 km (4 to 5 miles) of dirt road to La Joya, by car only with a reservation, otherwise on foot. What starts there has nothing to do with a hike – 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation gain in thin air, scrambling sections, glacier remnants, a start in the middle of the night. On top, on the Pecho, in clear weather you see the Popo's ash plume from above and the Valley of Mexico below.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. Day tours from Mexico City or Puebla take you onto Iztaccíhuatl, usually as far as the Refugio de los Cien or the Rodillas, not to the summit. The view of Popocatépetl is included – whether it smokes or sits in cloud that day is up to the mountain.
Photo: Metrocamell · CC BY-SA 4.0
The park belongs to CONANP, Mexico's protected-areas agency; the exclusion zone around Popocatépetl is set by civil protection on the basis of CENAPRED's hazard maps. There is no online ticket and no time slot – but there is registration on site and a mandatory reservation for anything that drives beyond the pass or stays overnight in the park.
At the Paso de Cortés visitor center every person signs in and pays 30.50 MXN per day – cash, in pesos. You wear the wristband visibly for the whole stay; park rangers and the high-mountain police check. Children under 6 and people with disabilities pay nothing.
The dirt road beyond the pass requires a reservation: portal reservaciones.conanp.gob.mx (create an account, wait for approval) or phone +52 597 978 3829 / 3830, Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–3 p.m. On weekends, without a reservation the drive ends at Paso de Cortés; on foot you can always continue.
CONANP strongly recommends an authorized mountain or mid-mountain guide for Iztaccíhuatl and publishes the list with registration numbers on the park's Facebook page. Ask the operator for the number – unlicensed guides are a known problem.
The Albergue Altzomoni on the road to La Joya and camping also need a reservation; a night at Altzomoni costs another 30.50 MXN per person. If you start for the summit at night, you register the day before. Whether the high-mountain huts on the mountain are open is not documented.
| Park fee per person and day, proof by wristband · about €1.55 | 30.50 MXN |
| Night at the Albergue Altzomoni, per person and night, in addition · reservation required | 30.50 MXN |
| Children under 6 and people with disabilities | free |
| Guide for the summit climb, optional · operator prices per expedition, about €125–355 | 2,500–7,000 MXN |
Photo: Luis Alvaz · CC BY-SA 4.0
The park administration names only two marked routes and, since the fatal fall on the Arista de la Luz in December 2025, explicitly warns against “new” paths. Three climbers died on Iztaccíhuatl in 2025. Safety equipment is to be “worn at all times and used correctly.” Heights of intermediate points and walking times come from operators.
| Iztaccíhuatl, Ruta de los Portillos (standard route) – La Joya (about 4,000 m / 13,100 ft) → Refugio de los Cien (about 4,780 m / 15,680 ft) → Las Rodillas (about 4,740 m / 15,550 ft) → El Pecho (5,230 m / 17,160 ft) | 10–14 hours round trip from La Joya, 15–17 hours from Paso de Cortés; to Las Rodillas only, 8–10 hours. About 1,200 m (3,900 ft) of elevation gain, scrambling sections (UIAA I–II), boulder fields, glacier remnants at the Pecho. The usual plan: a night at La Joya or the refugio, start between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. Season November–March (firm snow, clear views, very cold), rainy season June–September with afternoon thunderstorms. |
| Iztaccíhuatl, Ruta Ayoloco – La Joya → Ayoloco glacier area → El Pecho | The second marked route, often used for the descent. Same heights, same season, same demands. Other paths are unmarked – the park administration asks you to use only Portillos or Ayoloco and to tell relatives your route. |
| Popocatépetl, view from Paso de Cortés (no climb) – Amecameca (2,480 m / 8,140 ft) → Paso de Cortés (about 3,700 m / 12,100 ft) | 23 km (14 miles) of road, about 45 minutes from Amecameca. Visitor center, pay station, parking lot; walks near the pass and toward La Joya are suitable for families. Checkpoints and roadblocks during elevated activity, access road closed in snow. Best views early in the morning in the dry season. |
Photo: Haakon S. Krohn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Without a car: From Mexico City's TAPO terminal with the Volcanes or Autobuses del Sur lines to Amecameca (every 20 minutes from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., about 1 h 20, ticket around 30–40 MXN). In Amecameca take a taxi or shared taxi to Paso de Cortés (23 km / 14 miles); arrange a pickup for the way back. From Puebla: CAPU – Estrella Roja to San Marcos – Volcanes to Amecameca. From Cuautla: Volcanes to Amecameca.
By car: Autopista México–Puebla (150D) to the Chalco exit, continue toward Cuautla to Amecameca, at the edge of town turn left toward Tlamacas/Paso de Cortés via San Pedro Nexapa; park entrance at km 82.5 of the federal highway México–Puebla. Parking lot at Paso de Cortés; driving on to La Joya only with a reservation. Roadblocks by the authorities are possible during activity or snow. Germany's Federal Foreign Office advises driving overland only in daylight.
November to March for the climb: clear views, firm snow, little precipitation – but very cold and crowded on snowy weekends (March 31, 2026: around 100 visitors in one morning, increased police presence). October to May for views and hikes; in the rainy season June–September the fog closes in by midday, with afternoon thunderstorms. Popo view: early in the morning before the clouds build; the ash plume is visible depending on the wind.
Photo: Luis Alvaz · CC BY-SA 4.0
If you really want to reach the Pecho, you need two days: the drive in, a night at La Joya or the refugio to acclimatize, a start in the dark. Operators take adults only and exclude people with high blood pressure, asthma or vertigo. Ask in advance whether the park fee, tent, crampons and helmet are provided – and for the guide's CONANP registration number.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 22 September 2026. The summit tours have only a handful of reviews – this is a small market. Whether you make it to the top depends on weather, snow and your acclimatization: Mexico City sits at 2,240 m (7,350 ft), and jumping to 5,230 m (17,160 ft) without a night in between is the most common reason for turning back.
Photo: Irosasr · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Luisalvaz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Yes, continuously since December 21, 1994. On September 21, 2026 CENAPRED reported 120 exhalations, 55 minutes of tremor and an ash plume drifting south-southwest; the traffic light stands at Yellow Phase 2. Major peaks of activity came in December 2000, 2013, 2019 and May 2023.
About 5,400 m (17,700 ft) – sources give 5,393 to 5,452 m depending on the survey and year, because the summit crater changes with the activity. Iztaccíhuatl measures 5,230 m (17,160 ft).
From Paso de Cortés (about 3,700 m / 12,100 ft, legally permitted, visitor center) you face it directly; from the Sacromonte in Amecameca you see both volcanoes. From Puebla and Cholula it often shows clearly in the morning, before the clouds build.
30.50 pesos (under US$2) per person and day, in cash at the Paso de Cortés visitor center; you get a wristband for it. A night at the Albergue Altzomoni costs another 30.50 pesos (as of July 2026).
Operators reckon 10–14 hours round trip from La Joya, 15–17 from Paso de Cortés. Day tours therefore usually end at the Refugio de los Cien or the Rodillas. For the summit, two days are the norm – also because of acclimatization.
As far as Amecameca, yes: from the TAPO terminal in Mexico City every 20 minutes, a good hour. The last 23 km (14 miles) to the pass are by taxi or shared taxi; best arrange the return trip right away.
No. Since the 1994 reawakening a 12 km (7.5 mile) exclusion radius applies around the crater; the traffic light stands at Yellow Phase 2 (CENAPRED, September 21, 2026) with explosions and incandescent ejecta. Anyone who goes in is handed over to the authorities – and risks their life; five climbers died there in 1996.
Yes, as of September 22, 2026 the national park is open; Popocatépetl remains at Yellow Phase 2. CONANP closes at short notice when activity rises (most recently May 19–June 10, 2023), during wildfires or in snow/fog – check the CENAPRED report and the park's Facebook page before you drive.
Not required, but CONANP recommends one of its authorized mountain guides – the list with registration numbers is on the park's Facebook page. The route is long, with scrambling sections and glacier remnants; without experience you should not go alone.
From La Joya (4,000 m / 13,100 ft) operators reckon 10–14 hours round trip to the Pecho (5,230 m / 17,160 ft), from Paso de Cortés 15–17 hours. Two days are the norm: a night at La Joya or the Refugio de los Cien (4,780 m / 15,680 ft), start between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
For driving beyond Paso de Cortés to La Joya, and for Altzomoni and camping, yes – via reservaciones.conanp.gob.mx or by phone Mon–Thu 9 a.m.–3 p.m. If you only drive to Paso de Cortés or continue on foot, you register on site.
Bus from the TAPO terminal (Mexico City) to Amecameca, every 20 minutes, a good hour. From there a taxi or shared taxi 23 km (14 miles) up to the pass; best arrange the return trip right away.
Paso de Cortés and the trails around La Joya, yes – dress warmly, it is at 3,700–4,000 m (12,100–13,100 ft). Not the summit climb: operators take adults only, and in 2025 a teenager who climbed alone died of hypothermia at 4,400 m (14,400 ft).
For the summit: crampon-compatible boots, crampons, ice axe, helmet, three-layer system, down jacket, glacier glasses, headlamp, sleeping bag rated to −15 °C (5 °F), 3 liters of water. For Paso de Cortés a jacket, hat and sun protection are enough – plus a dust mask and glasses in case of ashfall.
Outside the 12 km (7.5 mile) zone ashfall is a nuisance, not a danger (mask, glasses); ash fell in Amecameca on August 31, 2026. The State of Mexico's high-mountain police is present at Paso de Cortés and in Tlamacas; Germany's Federal Foreign Office mentions only the volcanic exclusion zone for the park and advises driving in daylight.
November to March for the climb (clear, firm snow, but very cold and crowded on weekends), October to May for views and hikes. In the rainy season June–September fog moves in from midday.
Sources · accessed on 22 September 2026
