A Review of Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon: Mexico City

Four years after my first visit, I found myself back in Mexico City. And in a totally different situation from the first time. I was there for three weeks instead of five days; I was working while there instead of being on vacation; I was no longer a solo traveler because Matt was with me. Oh, and also a global pandemic had come along since the last time.

As time passes, it can be hard to know what to expect from any given place or experience — even if you’ve been there before. Considering the whole COVID situation, I had zero clue what was going to await me at the ancient city of Teotihuacan. Which means I turned to geo-tagged Instagram posts to scope out the situation for visitors.

And instead of finding photo after photo of sweaty tourists baking under the Central American sun (as I had done last time), I found photo after photo of… hot air balloons at Teotihuacan?

It turns out that visiting the ruins of Teotihuacan, outside Mexico City, is very often done by hot air balloon. And this interested me. After talking it over with Matt — confirming he wasn’t afraid of heights and was willing to spend the money on the experience — I set out to do some research and choose the very best hot air balloon experience for the best price.

Here’s what you need to know to plan your own sunrise voyage through the pre-Hispanic skies — Teotihuacan by hot air balloon. (And be sure to check out my Teotihuacan hot air balloon FAQ, which answers some of the logistical questions.)

Booking Your Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Experience

If you search “teotihuacan hot air balloons,” or “mexico city hot air balloons,” a lot of results are going to come up. How do you choose the best Teotihuacan hot air balloon experience? The details are in the fine print, so here’s what you need to pay attention to.

First, remember that Teotihuacan is about an hour outside of Mexico City. Some experiences offer drop-off and pickup from the city — and some will pick you up directly from your hotel/lodging, while others will provide transport from a designated pickup point.

As most experiences are offered around sunrise, that means you may need to walk/Uber/taxi somewhere at 4:30 or 5am to be picked up on time. But other groups may not include any type of transportation, meaning you’re responsible for obtaining your own ride to and from Teotihuacan. That can definitely be a hassle — waking up at that hour is hard enough, and depending on where you’re staying, you might have to wake up an hour or two earlier to get to the meeting point.

Some of the companies I researched only provided the Teotihuacan hot air balloon experience and did not include entry into the “archaeological zone” of the pyramids, or time to explore them. This may or may not be important to you, so be sure to keep that in mind. And while most experiences will be shared with other travelers — about 12 passengers can fit in the balloon basket — you can usually pay (quite a bit) more in order to make it private, just for your party, if you want.

When we were booking, it was early June, and it looked like many companies had next-day availability. However, it’s likely better to book at least 2-3 days in advance if possible, that way all your logistics can be confirmed. Just be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast. (Though many companies do offer reschedules in the case of bad weather or flight conditions.) As it becomes more popular, trying to book as soon as you can is a good idea to be sure you can reserve your spot.

Why We Chose Flying Pictures for our Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight

Lots of reading and lots of research led me to choose Flying Pictures for our hot air balloon experience. There were a few main reasons for this.

• What Was Included: I’ll explain more about what the day included later, but there were a few things that Flying Pictures offered that other companies either weren’t offering or weren’t clear about. First was the fact that they picked us up directly from our Airbnb and dropped us off at our Airbnb. And second, the price we paid included entrance into Teotihuacan’s archaeological zone, as well as time to explore. Both were major benefits, as not all tour groups included transportation, and not all included entry to the archaeological site.
• Price: Speaking of the price… at $2999 MEX, or about $153 USD per person, it was about $50 cheaper than many other similar experiences, some of which didn’t even include personal pickup or entry to the pyramids.
• Reviews: Many of the companies that pop up when you search on Google reviews have pretty good reviews, but Flying Pictures has 4.8 stars on 296 reviews. For never having flown in a hot air balloon before, that made me feel super comfortable.

Update 2024: I found Flying Pictures on Viator, a travel experience site! Here are a few other options as well.

• Hot Air Balloon Tour — Teotihuacan (Flying Pictures)
• Hot Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacan from Mexico City (Volare)
• Private Tour to Teotihuacan and Hot Air Balloon Ride

One reason I love booking with Viator is their Viator Rewards Program. Basically, each time you book with Viator, you’ll earn cash rewards after your experience to use toward your next Viator experience! The best part? You can use them to save actual money on future bookings. I’m really happy we chose to book with Viator for our Teotihuacan hot air balloon tour.

How Much Does a Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Flight Cost?

Here’s one really important note. While you also might be able to book this type of hot air balloon tour on Airbnb, be careful of booking an Airbnb experience that claims to only be in the ballpark of $20 USD. According to some of the reviews I read on these types of bookings, these are individuals who are basically taking your money as a “booking fee” and then setting you up with one of the main hot air balloon companies, and you still have to pay the rest of the price later.

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Just know that you should expect to pay at least $150 USD or more for the day.

What Our Day Looked Like: Best Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Experience

Here’s everything that our trip to Teotihuacan with Flying Pictures included. (Remember, if you choose a different tour group, your day may look slightly different, but a lot of the basics will probably be the same.) In most cases, you should be able to find plenty of Teotihuacan tours from Mexico City.

5:30am personal pickup in Roma Norte, Mexico City

We woke up at 4:45am in order to get ready for our early pickup. Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep much at all the night before… probably a combination of the warm night air and excitement/anticipation for the day. At 5:30am, we stepped outside our Airbnb apartment and the driver texted me that he had arrived. Turns out, the big white van parked on the street was for us.

6:45am arrival at Teotihuacan hot air balloon “globopuerto”

After two more stops to pick up two more groups of people — a couple and two friends — we were on our way to Teotihuacan, arriving around 6:45. I thought I would be able to sleep on the plane, but the highway was pretty bumpy. Just as the sun was rising, we arrived at the balloon port, which was basically a field, where hot air balloons were beginning to inflate.

Hot coffee and snacks while waiting for the hot air balloon ride

Upon arrival, a bilingual Flying Pictures staff member approached us and assigned us a balloon by placing a sticker on our shirts. She told us where to sign in, where the bathrooms were, and to help ourselves to the coffee and snacks that were waiting for us. We were also welcome to add Kahlua to our coffee or drink some mezcal, if we wanted. (I didn’t want.) But maybe if you’re afraid of heights, it would help?

A 45-minute hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacan Pyramids

As we prepared to ascend into the sky alongside all the other hot air balloons, I couldn’t help but think that ours was one of the prettiest. Several of the other companies you can choose from offer balloons that are branded with their own company name, but this wasn’t the case with Flying Pictures.

We had to climb aboard the hot air balloon using designated footholds in the basket, which was separated into four quadrants with space for the pilot in the middle. Besides us and the two other groups from our van, one other set of three friends joined our flight, so we each had our own corner of the basket.

This was my first ever time flying in a hot air balloon. I really didn’t know what to expect, but I know I definitely didn’t expect it to feel so weirdly normal? It’s like you’re on a platform, and the platform is lifting you super high into the air, but it’s also so sturdy that you feel like you could be on the ground.

And there were two super cool things about taking the hot air balloon. One: seeing the Teotihuacan Pyramids from above and really appreciating the magnitude of them. Especially since you are no longer allowed to climb the pyramids at Teotihuacan. Cool thing number two: seeing so many other hot air balloons around you! I think I counted 30 others at one point. It was such an amazing experience.

A traditional champagne toast after the flight

Our landing was unbelievably smooth — you couldn’t say the same for one of the other hot air balloons we saw come in. (They, uh, more than grazed a tree as they landed, taking a few branches with them.) Since we didn’t land where we’d arrived, a van transported us back to the starting point. There our pilot poured us glasses of champagne and told the story of how champagne toasts became a tradition during the very first hot air balloon flights in France, centuries ago.

Photos, GoPro photos, and drone videos of our group before and during the flight, available for purchase

As we’d boarded the hot air balloon, Flying Pictures staff members with cameras took some photos for us. There were also GoPro cameras hanging on each side of the basket that were constantly snapping pictures during the flight. And a drone captured our takeoff and part of the flight.

After the champagne toast, we were invited into a tent to review the photos and videos — which we could then buy. The photos and videos were amazing quality! Unfortunately, the GoPro on our side of the balloon had malfunctioned, but we still chose to buy the drone video. They have different packages available you can choose from.

Someday, I will convince Matt to finally make a video of our experience, and I’m excited to eventually share it with you. 🙂

An unlimited breakfast buffet at a nearby restaurant

After we were finished at the balloon site, one of the staff members handed each group a breakfast coupon. We boarded a big white van and drove just a few minutes to a restaurant called Gran Teocalli. It seemed that many other balloon companies offered this perk as well, because there were lots of other people there who were doing the same thing as us.

But the buffet breakfast was large and really nice, with plenty of options to keep everyone happy and well-fed. Our group had an hour to eat, which was more than enough time. There’s also a nice gift shop there.

Entrance tickets into Teotihuacan’s archaeological zone and time to explore

Next, we loaded up the bus again to head back to Teotihuacan. Interestingly, I noticed our van wasn’t taking us to the very beginning of Avenida de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead) where the bus had dropped me off during my first visit to Teotihuacan.

Instead, it transported us to a spot somewhat between both the Piramide del Sol y Piramide de la Luna. (Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon.) We got out of the van, and our driver told us we would have about an hour and a half to explore the archaeological zone.

At first, I felt concerned that it wouldn’t be enough time — my last visit to Teotihuacan had been nearly an all-day experience. But it turned out that, for a couple of reasons, an hour and a half was plenty of time. First, the strategic drop-off location meant that we didn’t have to spend an hour each way just walking from the main entrance to the two main pyramids. Second, COVID mitigation measures were still in full force, which meant visitors were not allowed to climb any of the pyramids or ceremonial platforms lining the avenue.

Unfortunately, that meant that once we were inside the archaeological zone, there wasn’t a whole lot to do except take a few more photos and try to avoid getting totally sunburned. Some of the other people from our bus group decided to hire a tour guide for an additional cost, but Matt and I decided to just explore “the city of the gods” on our own.

Transportation back to our Airbnb — arrival around 1:30pm

At the designated time, we met back up with our group and our driver where he’d dropped us off. And we began the drive back into Mexico City. It took a lot longer now that we were going into the city and it wasn’t 6am anymore, but we were dropped back at our place by 1:30pm.

It was nice to think we had so much of the day still ahead of us… but the reality was that we both passed out shortly afterwards. 🙂

Is Seeing Teotihuacan By Hot Air Balloon Worth It?

I’m always on the lookout for unique experiences, even if they cost a little more. And visiting Teotihuacan by hot air balloon was totally worth the money. The whole day was impeccably planned and executed by the Flying Pictures team, making it really easy on us travelers. And the views we got, of both the pyramids and the other hot air balloons at sunrise, were breathtaking.

Back in 2018 when I visited Teotihuacan for the first time, visitors were allowed to climb all the pyramids, including the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. During our 2022 visit, this was not allowed due to COVID precautions. While I thought climbing the pyramids would eventually re-open, this is not the case as of 2024: Visitors are no longer permitted to climb the pyramids due to preservation efforts. I totally understand the reasoning, but it’s still a little sad because being able to climb the huge pyramids was one of the coolest things about visiting.

With all that in mind, I’m even more thankful to have visited Teotihuacan by hot air balloon — otherwise, navigating the public bus system and spending a whole day traveling to and from the historical site may not have felt worth it. But overall, we had an amazing Teotihuacan hot air balloon experience!

Learn About Other Hot Air Balloon Experiences Around the World:

• Hot Air Balloons in Bagan, Myanmar
• Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia, Türkiye
• Hot Air Balloon Ride in Marrakech, Morocco

Have you ever flown in a hot air balloon, or would you give it a try? What questions do you have about the Teotihuacan hot air balloon experience? Leave me a comment — I’d love to hear from you!

-Cathy

Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloon Accident 2023

April 2023 Note: You may have heard about the recent Teotihuacan hot air balloon accident. 😔 The pilot of the balloon is facing criminal charges for being unprepared in the case of an emergency. Based on my research — in both English and Spanish — the company operating the hot air balloon that caught fire was NOT a member of the “Federación de Globos Aerostáticos de Teotihuacán,” (Teotihuacan hot air balloons federation) nor was it registered with the proper permissions to fly.

In fact, the company responsible for the accident was a drive-in movie theatre company secretly offering hot air balloon flights under the table, without authorization to do so — and they don’t even advertise hot air balloon flights on their website. (For more of my thoughts on this horrible situation, check out the comments below.)

As travelers, we have to decide for ourselves what risks we’re comfortable taking. A Teotihuacan hot air balloon ride is an amazing experience! And reading the safety information about Flying Pictures made me feel more secure. Just be smart, do your research on reputable companies, and don’t do anything that makes you feel unsafe. Happy travels. 🎈

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Originally Published on July 11, 2022.