Popocatépetl
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Popocatépetl is a 17,802 ft summit in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (Mexico). PeakAtlas rates it strenuous hike (Restricted / volcanic); best season is Nov–Mar. Permit required. Typical staging is Amecameca (15 mi). PeakAtlas lists 3 OpenStreetMap lodging pins near the summit — coverage is often thinner outside well-mapped regions. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.
- Elevation
- 17,802 ft
- Prominence
- 9,908 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Strenuous hike
- Best season
- Nov–Mar
- Permits
- Permit required
- Staging
- Amecameca · 15 mi
- Mapped lodging
- 3 OSM places
- Listed trails
- 2
As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.
How hard is Popocatépetl, and what do you need before you go?
Popocatépetl is listed as Restricted / volcanic with a best season of Nov–Mar. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Restricted / volcanic
- Best season
- Nov–Mar
- Access / staging
- Amecameca, Mexico State
How tall is Popocatépetl, and where is it?
- Location
- Mexico State, Mexico
- Elevation
- 17,802 ft
- Prominence
- 9,908 ft
- Mountain range
- Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
- Difficulty
- Restricted / volcanic
What makes Popocatépetl notable?
Mexico’s legendary smoking volcano above the Valley of Mexico.
An active Mexican volcano near Mexico City, historically climbed but often closed due to eruptive activity.
After you check trip readiness for Popocatépetl, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Mexico State, Mexico.
Closest places
- Amecameca — Mexico State via Mex-115
- San Pedro Benito Juárez — Mexico
- La Magdalena Yancuitlalpan — Mexico
Notable trails & routes
- Paso de Cortés
- Tlamacas route