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 the world had completely shut down for a couple of years since the last time!

As time goes by, it can be hard to know what to expect from any given place or experience — even if you’ve been there before. So when I was ready to plan my trip to Teotihuacan with Matt, I had no idea what was going to await me in the ancient city. In fact, I didn’t know if visitors were still allowed at all. So I did what any good millennial would do: I turned to geo-tagged Instagram posts to scope out the situation.

I expected to find photo after photo of sweaty tourists baking under the Central American sun — as I had done last time. (Still a vivid memory to this day.) But instead, I found photo after photo of… hot air balloons at Teotihuacan?

Somehow I had missed that during my first visit to Mexico City, but it turns out that it’s super popular to visit the ruins of Teotihuacan by hot air balloon! And as someone who loves unique travel experiences, I knew I had to do it. After a quick chat with Matt to ensure he wasn’t afraid of heights, we set out to do some research on visiting Teotihuacan by hot air balloon — to choose the very best experience for the best price.

Unfortunately, as with any popular travel experience, you have to beware of scams that may pop up. So here’s everything you need to know to plan your own sunrise voyage through the pre-Hispanic skies: Teotihuacan by hot air balloon. [Read more…]