Why You Should Visit Teotihuacan on Your Mexico City Trip

Mexico City is the most populous city in the Western Hemisphere; geographically, it’s nearly the double the size of New York City. With that being said, you can imagine how it would be difficult to run out of things to do in Mexico City. But a one-hour bus ride outside CDMX transports visitors to a metropolis from a different era. This is the Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. But why should you want to visit Teotihuacan?

I first learned about Teotihuacan as a high-school senior in Spanish IV. We were months away from graduation and tasked with taking our first-ever exam completely in Spanish — complete with an essay question. And the topic was Teotihuacan. So when I visited Mexico City for the first time, seven years later, I knew I had to see it for myself.

For those who don’t have the same, somewhat-random connection, let me explain why you should visit Teotihuacan.

1. Cultural and archaeological significance

Teotihuacan was once the largest city in the pre-Colombian Americas. It is thought to have been inhabited between 100 B.C. and at least 550 A.D. During its peak, this thriving civilization was one of the top most populous cities in the world. These days, Teotihuacan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most-visited archaeological site in Mexico.

The city’s inhabitants — though historians aren’t exactly sure who they were — had a flourishing obsidian tool industry. They lived in multi-family apartments in diverse neighborhoods. They worshipped the Storm God and the Maize God, and they routinely practiced human sacrifice.

While in Mexico City, visit the famous Anthropology Museum to gain more insight into the people who lived there so long ago. Or, when you arrive at Teotihuacan, hire a guide who can walk you through history as you walk through the ruins. You can also book a trip from Mexico City that can provide a guide and/or transportation.

2. Connect with nature and history

With a city the size of Mexico City, there are sights and sounds, cars and people, everywhere. Teotihuacan offers visitors the opportunity to get away from the city hustle. While walking along the Avenue of the Dead, it’s not hard to find yourself imagining how the civilization looked thousands of years ago. Who were the people who have walked this same path?

At the very end, way in the distance, you’ll see the Pyramid of the Moon; to its right, off to the side, the Pyramid of the Sun. Immediately, you’ll be struck by the sheer size of these pyramids as you begin the trek toward them. They seem big from far away, but when you get up close, they’re somehow even more impressive.

In fact, the giant Pyramid of the Sun is the third-tallest pyramid in the world. Only the Pyramid of Cholula (Mexico) and Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) are taller!

3. It’s day-trip material

What makes a good day trip? Though I’ve never actually listed it out before, here are a few things I look for when planning day trips:

• Transportation is simple and/or direct
• Travel time is short relative to the amount of time I will spend there
• Day-trip location is interesting enough to keep me busy/spend several hours there
• Day-trip location offers me something different from where I am spending most of my time

Teotihuacan met all of these guidelines. The bus ride from Mexico City was an easy option, and it was only an hour’s drive each way. I spent four hours exploring the pyramids and ancient ruins, which was far different than anything I could see in the city. With a total day-trip time of six hours, I returned to CDMX just before dinner.

Note: During my 2018 visit, I spent some of my time climbing the pyramids, though this is no longer possible (more on that later). So your visit may end up being shorter than my first one.

4. The price is unbeatable

I’ve been to two other places in my life that I would consider to be somewhat similar to Teotihuacan: Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and Angkor Wat Archaeological Park in Cambodia. Since I was at Angkor Wat more recently, this stands out to me. Entrance for one day in the park there is $37 USD.

Entrance for one day at Teotihuacán is currently 80 pesos — or roughly $4 USD. Let that sink in… it costs less than five bucks to spend a day amongst some of the world’s most fascinating ancient ruins. You gotta take that opportunity!

5. You can even visit Teotihuacan by hot air balloon

If you’re willing to wake up before the sun, I highly recommend visiting Teotihuacan by hot air balloon.

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 no longer permitted 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 I was able to visit 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.

 

Have I convinced you to visit Teotihuacan? Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on April 25, 2018.