Chiapas is Mexico's southernmost state, a highland-and-jungle frontier on the Guatemalan border where colonial San Cristóbal de las Casas sits at 2,200 metres above sea level, the Maya city of Palenque rises out of rainforest, and the Grijalva River cuts the thousand-metre walls of the Sumidero Canyon. It is the most indigenous state in the country: Tzotzil, Tzeltal, Ch'ol, Tojolabal and Zoque communities keep their languages, markets and ceremonies as living practice rather than performance. Waterfalls at Agua Azul, Misol-Ha and El Chiflón, the turquoise lakes of Montebello, the coffee fincas of the Soconusco and the empty Pacific beaches at Puerto Arista round out a state that rewards slow, careful travel.
- Public
- Chiapas has no metro, tram or commuter rail, and public movement runs on two layers: OCC and ADO first-class coaches linking Tuxtla Gutiérrez, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Comitán, Palenque, Tapachula and Villahermosa from purpose-built terminals, and a dense web of colectivo vans and combis that fill every gap for 20-120 MXN (approx. USD 1.18-7.06). The Tren Maya reaches its western terminus at Palenque station (17.5333, -91.9795), opened on 1 January 2024, and the Tren Interoceánico Line K began carrying passengers between Ixtepec in Oaxaca and Tonalá on the Chiapas coast on 21 November 2025, with the Tonalá-Ciudad Hidalgo extension still under construction. Inside towns, urban combis charge 10-15 MXN (approx. USD 0.59-0.88).
- Taxi
- Taxis are unmetered across the state and fares are fixed by zone or agreed before departure. A ride inside San Cristóbal de las Casas costs about 40-60 MXN (approx. USD 2.35-3.53), and many San Cristóbal taxis operate as shared colectivo taxis on fixed routes for about 20-30 MXN (approx. USD 1.18-1.76) per seat. In Tuxtla Gutiérrez expect 50-90 MXN (approx. USD 2.94-5.29) across the city, and 450-600 MXN (approx. USD 26.47-35.29) between the city and Ángel Albino Corzo airport. Uber and DiDi both operate in Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Tapachula; coverage in San Cristóbal, Comitán and Palenque is thin to non-existent, so street taxis and colectivos remain the default there.
- Rental
- A rental car opens up Lagunas de Montebello, the Selva El Ocote, the Soconusco coffee fincas and the Pacific beaches, none of which run on a convenient timetable. Compacts rent from roughly 700-1,400 MXN per day (approx. USD 41-82) at Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport, plus 300-450 MXN per day (approx. USD 17.65-26.47) for the compulsory Mexican third-party liability cover. Highway 190D between Tuxtla and San Cristóbal is a modern toll motorway; Highway 199 north to Palenque is a winding two-lane mountain road with topes, fog above 2,000 m, occasional road blockades and informal rope-and-chain toll stops on the Ocosingo-Palenque stretch where a few pesos are asked. Driving after dark outside the main corridors is best avoided.
- Walking
- San Cristóbal de las Casas is built for walking: the Andador Guadalupano and Andador Eclesiástico are pedestrianised, and the cathedral, Santo Domingo, the markets and most guesthouses sit within 15 minutes of the Plaza 31 de Marzo, though the town sits at 2,200 m and the first day of stairs feels it. Chiapa de Corzo, Comitán and Palenque town all have compact walkable centres. Tuxtla Gutiérrez is a spread-out modern city where distances demand transport, and Palenque, Toniná and Yaxchilán involve real climbing on steep, slick stone in high humidity.
Transport at a glance
Airport transfers
Getting from the airport to your accommodation.
- Items
- {'airport': 'Ángel Albino Corzo International (TGZ)', 'light_rail': 'No rail link; the nearest passenger rail is the Tren Interoceánico Line K station at Tonalá, about 180 km southwest on the Pacific coast', 'taxi': 'Authorised taxis to central Tuxtla Gutiérrez run roughly 450-600 MXN (approx. USD 26.47-35.29) for the 35 km trip, about 40-45 minutes; Chiapa de Corzo is nearer and cheaper at roughly 350-450 MXN (approx. USD 20.59-26.47)', 'ride_hailing': 'Uber and DiDi both work in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, though app pickups at the terminal are sometimes redirected to the car park; fares to the city typically run 300-450 MXN (approx. USD 17.65-26.47)', 'car_rental': 'Hertz, Europcar, Avis, Alamo and local desks operate in the terminal from roughly 700-1,400 MXN per day (approx. USD 41-82), plus 300-450 MXN per day (approx. USD 17.65-26.47) for compulsory Mexican liability insurance'}, {'airport': 'Tapachula International (TAP)', 'light_rail': 'No rail link; the Tren Interoceánico Line K extension from Tonalá toward Ciudad Hidalgo was still under construction in 2026', 'taxi': 'Roughly 250-400 MXN (approx. USD 14.71-23.53) into Tapachula, about 25 minutes; 150-250 MXN (approx. USD 8.82-14.71) to Puerto Madero', 'ride_hailing': 'Uber and DiDi operate across Tapachula and are usually cheaper than the airport rank', 'car_rental': 'A small number of desks in the terminal, from roughly 800-1,500 MXN per day (approx. USD 47-88); booking ahead is advisable because the fleet is limited'}, {'airport': 'Palenque International (PQM)', 'light_rail': 'The Tren Maya Palenque station (17.5333, -91.9795) lies a few kilometres away and is the terminus of the line to Campeche, Mérida and Cancún', 'taxi': 'Roughly 150-250 MXN (approx. USD 8.82-14.71) into Palenque town, about 10 minutes', 'ride_hailing': 'No reliable Uber or DiDi coverage in Palenque; taxis and colectivos are the practical choice', 'car_rental': 'Very limited rental supply at the airport; picking up in Villahermosa or Tuxtla Gutiérrez gives far more choice'}
Local transport
Getting around the city.
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Taxis & rideshare
What to expect from taxis and apps.
- Items
Intercity travel
Getting between cities and regions.
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- Route
- Tuxtla Gutiérrez - San Cristóbal de las Casas
- Mode
- OCC and ADO first-class coach on Highway 190D
- Duration
- 1h 15m to 1h 30m
- Frequency
- Departures roughly every 30-60 minutes from about 05:00 to 22:00
- Price
- About 74-120 MXN (approx. USD 4.35-7.06)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx or the ADO app; the Tuxtla terminal is on Boulevard Antonio Parente Algarín in Colonia Paraíso Ojo de Agua (16.7614, -93.1386) and the San Cristóbal terminal is on Boulevard Juan Sabines Gutiérrez at the Insurgentes junction (16.7298, -92.6367)
- Route
- San Cristóbal de las Casas - Palenque
- Mode
- ADO and OCC coach, or tourist shuttle van
- Duration
- 5h 30m to 6h 30m by coach; about 5 hours by shuttle with waterfall stops
- Frequency
- Several coach departures daily, typically around 06:30, 13:00, 19:00 and 23:00; shuttles leave in the early morning
- Price
- Coach 220-320 MXN (approx. USD 12.94-18.82); shuttle 300-550 MXN (approx. USD 17.65-32.35) depending on stops
- Booking
- ado.com.mx for coaches; shuttle agencies line Real de Guadalupe in San Cristóbal and sell seats until the evening before. Coaches on this corridor often route via Villahermosa rather than Highway 199 through Ocosingo
- Route
- San Cristóbal de las Casas - Comitán de Domínguez
- Mode
- OCC coach and colectivo van
- Duration
- About 1h 30m
- Frequency
- Coaches roughly hourly; colectivos leave when full through the day
- Price
- Coach about 100-160 MXN (approx. USD 5.88-9.41); colectivo about 80-100 MXN (approx. USD 4.71-5.88)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx, or the colectivo yards on Boulevard Juan Sabines near the OCC terminal; Comitán is the base for Lagunas de Montebello, El Chiflón and Chinkultic
- Route
- Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Oaxaca
- Mode
- ADO and OCC coach, largely overnight, via Highway 190
- Duration
- About 10-12 hours
- Frequency
- Two to four departures daily, mostly in the evening
- Price
- Roughly 700-1,100 MXN (approx. USD 41.18-64.71)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; the mountain route through the Isthmus is slow, and Volaris and Viva Aerobus connections via Mexico City are often faster than the coach
- Route
- Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Villahermosa
- Mode
- ADO and OCC coach
- Duration
- About 7-8 hours
- Frequency
- Several departures daily including overnight services
- Price
- Roughly 600-900 MXN (approx. USD 35.29-52.94)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; Villahermosa is the standard connection point for Palenque, Tabasco and flights out of VSA
- Route
- Palenque - Cancún
- Mode
- Tren Maya
- Duration
- Full-day journey across the peninsula via Escárcega, Campeche and Mérida
- Price
- About 1,169 MXN for the Turista México fare and 891 MXN for the resident fare (approx. USD 68.76 and USD 52.41); the separate higher foreigner-only tariff was scrapped in 2026
- Frequency
- Daily services; the network ran 20 trains a day in 2026 with expansion toward 32 planned
- Booking
- trenmaya.gob.mx and reservas.ventaboletostrenmaya.com.mx, or the ticket counter at Palenque station
- Route
- Palenque - Villahermosa
- Mode
- ADO and OCC coach on Highway 186
- Duration
- About 2h 30m
- Frequency
- Frequent departures through the day from the terminal on Avenida Juárez
- Price
- Roughly 250-380 MXN (approx. USD 14.71-22.35)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; this is the fastest link between Palenque and a well-connected airport
- Route
- Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Tapachula
- Mode
- ADO and OCC coach via Arriaga and the coastal Highway 200
- Duration
- About 6-7 hours
- Frequency
- Several daily departures including overnight services
- Price
- Roughly 550-850 MXN (approx. USD 32.35-50.00)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; Volaris and Aeroméxico also link Tapachula to Mexico City if time matters more than cost
- Route
- Ixtepec (Oaxaca) - Tonalá
- Mode
- Tren Interoceánico Line K
- Duration
- Several hours on the Pacific plain, with stops including Arriaga
- Frequency
- Passenger service opened on 21 November 2025; departures are limited and schedules change, so confirm before travelling
- Price
- Line K fares are heavily subsidised and set well below coach prices; confirm the current tariff at the station ticket window
- Booking
- treninteroceanico.gob.mx and the station ticket offices; the Tonalá-Ciudad Hidalgo extension through Pijijiapan, Mapastepec, Acapetahua and Huixtla was still under construction during 2026
- Route
- Tuxtla Gutiérrez - Mexico City
- Mode
- ADO GL and ADO Platino overnight coach
- Duration
- About 13-15 hours
- Frequency
- Several overnight departures daily
- Price
- Roughly 1,300-2,100 MXN (approx. USD 76.47-123.53)
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; the flight from TGZ takes about 1h 45m and is frequently cheaper than the Platino fare
- Route
- San Cristóbal de las Casas - Ciudad Cuauhtémoc (Guatemalan border)
- Mode
- OCC coach or colectivo via Comitán
- Duration
- About 3-4 hours
- Frequency
- Several coaches daily, plus colectivos from Comitán through the day
- Price
- Roughly 250-350 MXN (approx. USD 14.71-20.59) by coach
- Booking
- ado.com.mx; onward transport into Guatemala is picked up on foot at La Mesilla, and tourist shuttles from Real de Guadalupe in San Cristóbal run through to Panajachel and Antigua
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Chiapas is mountainous and the map lies about travel time: the 190 km between San Cristóbal de las Casas and Palenque takes five to six hours by road, and the 400 km from Tuxtla Gutiérrez to Tapachula takes six to seven. Ángel Albino Corzo International (TGZ), 35 km from Tuxtla Gutiérrez in the municipality of Chiapa de Corzo, is the state's main gateway and handled about 1.7 million passengers in 2025; Tapachula (TAP) serves the Soconusco coast and Palenque (PQM) has a single Mexicana route to Felipe Ángeles. San Cristóbal de las Casas has no airport of its own and is reached by a 75-90 minute run up Highway 190D from TGZ. OCC and ADO coaches are the backbone of intercity travel, colectivo vans handle villages and ruins, and the Tren Maya ends its run at Palenque, where a short walk connects to the Tren Interoceánico Line FA station at Pakal Ná. Road blockades by teachers' unions and community groups are a genuine planning factor on Highways 199 and 190 and can add one to four hours, or close a road for a day.
Airports
Ángel Albino Corzo International Airport
Tapachula International Airport
Palenque International Airport
Villahermosa International Airport - Carlos Rovirosa Pérez
Useful apps
Download before you arrive.
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Road blockades are part of travel planning in Chiapas: teachers' unions and community groups periodically close Highways 199 and 190 with sit-ins, adding one to four hours or turning traffic back entirely. Drivers who meet a blockade should wait or turn around rather than attempt to push through, and coach operators simply cancel when protests are known in advance
Most ADO and OCC coaches between San Cristóbal and Palenque now run the longer route via Villahermosa rather than the direct Highway 199 through Ocosingo, which is why a 190 km trip takes five to six hours
On the Ocosingo-Palenque stretch of Highway 199, informal rope or chain stops are sometimes set up by local groups asking a small payment of 20-50 MXN (approx. USD 1.18-2.94) per vehicle; carrying small notes and paying calmly is the normal practice
Night driving outside the Tuxtla-San Cristóbal motorway is best avoided: unlit topes, fog on the highland passes, livestock on the road and no phone signal are all common
San Cristóbal de las Casas has no airport - arrivals fly into Ángel Albino Corzo (TGZ) near Tuxtla Gutiérrez and continue by shared van (roughly 250-450 MXN, approx. USD 14.71-26.47) or OCC coach from the Tuxtla terminal (74-120 MXN, approx. USD 4.35-7.06)
Colectivo vans in Chiapas leave when full rather than on a timetable, start soon after dawn and dry up between 16:00 and 18:00, so the last van back from Montebello, Chamula or the coast should be checked with the driver on the outbound trip
Carry cash in small denominations: colectivos, community-run sites, the Sumidero Canyon boat docks and the Lacandón boat operators at Frontera Corozal do not accept cards, and ATMs outside the main towns are unreliable
The Tren Maya terminates at Palenque station (17.5333, -91.9795), a short walk from the Tren Interoceánico Line FA station at Pakal Ná, but the station is several kilometres from Palenque town and the ruins, so a taxi is needed at each end
The Tren Interoceánico Line K reached Tonalá on 21 November 2025 and the extension south toward Huixtla and Ciudad Hidalgo was still being built through 2026, so the Pacific coast beyond Tonalá remains a bus-and-combi journey
Altitude matters on arrival: San Cristóbal sits at about 2,200 m and Tuxtla Gutiérrez at about 530 m, so the 75-minute ride between them is a 1,700 m climb and cold-weather clothing is needed in the highlands even in the dry season