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.

How much does it cost to enter Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park?

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.

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.

How long 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.

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).

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.

Near Mexico City · 2 days · 14.4 miles

Iztaccíhuatl Hiking Guide

Paso de Cortés to the hut and the First Knee in 2 days.

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A day page
A day map and elevation profile
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The route

My GPS recording of 2 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Iztaccíhuatl route: 2 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Paso de Cortés and Segunda Rodilla Iztaccíhuatl. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 2 days
Distance: 14.4 miles
Climbing: About 5,850 ft (1,784 m) up
Start and end: Paso de Cortés

What's inside

Where things stand. The park in October 2026: open, Popocatépetl's alert level and what closes Paso de Cortés, the 2026 fee and the reservation to drive to La Joya, checked on CENAPRED's and CONANP's own pages.
Both days. Stats, the time I took, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that part of my film.
My GPX files. My own recordings of both days, with waypoints for Paso de Cortés, Altzomoni, La Joya, the portillos, the hut and my turnaround, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
Getting there. Mexico City to Paso de Cortés by rental car or by bus to Amecameca and a taxi, with 2026 prices, and where to sleep near Amecameca.
The hut and the summit. The Grupo de los Cien hut, and the route on from my turnaround to El Pecho as the official sources and guides describe it, plainly marked as research.
Altitude, cold and safety. Acclimatizing from Mexico City, freezing nights, no water on the mountain, storms, Popocatépetl, and what to carry.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of checks and a printable one-page summary of the route.

About this trip

In March 2023 I hiked up Iztaccíhuatl, the sleeping-woman volcano outside Mexico City, on my own: from Paso de Cortés past La Joya and up the Portillos route to the little Grupo de los Cien hut at about 15,500 ft, a night there with a stray dog and Popocatépetl erupting next door, then up the ridge at dawn to the First Knee at about 16,500 ft, where I turned around short of the summit. It's the Iztaccíhuatl part of my film 5 Days in Mexico City. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for both days, where things stand in 2026 with Popocatépetl, the new fee and the La Joya reservation, getting there from Mexico City by car or bus, altitude and cold, the route to the summit as reported, and a trip sheet.

Watch the film on YouTube (320K views).

The Day 1, Paso de Cortés to the Grupo de los Cien hut page from the Iztaccíhuatl Hiking Guide

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Paso de Cortés to the Grupo de los Cien hut

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 43-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated October 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

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.
How much does it cost to enter Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park?: 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.
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.
How long 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.
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).
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.

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