About an hour’s drive northeast of Mexico City is an archaeological wonder that makes for a great day-trip with the family: the ancient city of Teotihuacan!
Pre-dating even the Aztec civilization, Teotihuacan (named “the place where gods were created”) is said to have been established as early as 400 BCE. Though much of its history still remains a mystery, what visibly remains of this once-thriving Mesoamerican city are pyramid-shaped structures and a wide stretch of road—dubbed by the Spanish as the Calzada de los Muertos—that connects one end of the city to the other.
Our family has now had two opportunities to visit this UNESCO World Heritage Site: once on our own, and most recently on a hot air balloon tour with our extended family. While a bit out of the way from Mexico City, it is definitely worth a visit if you have an extra day on your hands. See below for our top tips for visiting this ancient and architectural wonder!
The city of Teotihuacan is the homeland of the Teotihuacan peoples.
Trip Purpose
Visit the ruins of Teotihuacan during a trip to Mexico City
About Our Visit
AGE OF THE KID: 5 years
LENGTH OF VISIT: 4-6 hours (plus travel time)
TIME OF YEAR: July & October
DAY OF THE WEEK: Monday and Wednesday
BASE COST
all prices in USD
- Entrance fee: $3/person
- Gas & Transportation (see below)
Add-Ons
- Meals & snacks
- Hot air balloon tour
Top Tips to Make the Most of Your Visit
Before You Go
Plan your self-guided walking tour ahead of time so you have an idea of which entrance to begin. There are many entrances, so plan ahead.
Schedule an Uber or another form of transportation to get you to Teotihuacán and avoid any delays (see below!).
Consider planning your visit for a Monday, when other museums and sites in Mexico City are closed.
What We Packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Standard hiking essentials (especially water, hats, and sunscreen)
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, or hiking backpack, if needed
- Snacks (especially for the hike!) and/or packed lunch, if desired
- Layers (it goes from cold to hot in a matter of hours!)
- DO NOT bring your ukulele—you will have to leave it at one of the entrances and return for it.
How to Get There
Uber, Taxi, or Private Car
1+ hour each way; ~$90+/car roundtrip
We found this to be the most direct way to get to Teotihuacan, but it is may also be the priciest. It also doesn’t come without complications; when my partner tried to call an Uber around 7:30 am, five drivers canceled on us before someone finally accepted through the app. One had attempted to have us pay them in cash outside of the app, but we didn’t feel comfortable enough doing that. Finally, somebody took our ride and we were on our way!
Finding an Uber back to Mexico City around 1:30p was not a problem for us, though we did have to wait about 30 minutes for the driver to arrive. Plus this leg of the trip was half the price of the first leg, at $30! The price can fluctuate; our friends who left later that afternoon reported being unable to catch an Uber, and instead had to fork out almost $100 to pay for a taxi to bring them back to Mexico City.
Public Transportation
2+ hour each way; ~$14/person roundtrip
We did not try taking public transportation to Teotihuacán, but my blog-partner Angel did in her college days!
Book a Tour
1+ hour (plus shopping time) each way; ~$40+/person roundtrip
Tours are great for getting somewhere that might be more challenging to visit on your own via Uber or taxis, and also if you’d rather travel with a group.
What I don’t like about organized tours is that extra time and energy are spent to steer you towards shops (necessary for them to make money, I get it!), and since I’m not much of a shopper it feels like a bit of wasted adventuring time. In this case, it would be even more expensive to visit Teotihuacan by booking a tour rather than taking a car on your own with your family.
Recommended Activities
Arrive Early
There was a marked difference between the number of visitors and the weather at 8:30 am and 12:30 pm. Try to arrive at Teotihuacan as early as possible to beat the crowds and the heat.
Visit Each of the Pyramids
~2 hours
The four most notable structures in Teotihuacan are the Pyramid of the Sun (one of the largest pyramids in the world), the Pyramid of the Moon, the temple of Quetzalcoatl, and the Palace of Quetzopapálotl.
If pressed for time, you can opt just to visit the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, which are in close proximity to each other. We did this on our last trip and were in and out in under two hours.
Climb to see the Temple of Quetzalcoatl
~30-45 minutes
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, climbing the Pyramid of the Sun is no longer allowed. The only structure in Teotihuacán you can presently climb is the (still very) steep structure that gives you a view of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, on the south end of the city. It is worth the panoramic views and to get an up-close look at the amazing carvings on the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
Pro-tip: We saw tour groups doing this and found it much easier to climb up the steep steps of the buildings by walking diagonally! Going down is another matter…
Visit the Museum
~1-2 hours
On our way to the Museum, adjacent to the Pyramid of the Sun, we ran into a docent who did nothing but sing its praises. And he wasn’t wrong–the museum was really cool. It contained a model of the city based on what it would’ve looked like at its height. The museum also contained skeletons of those that were buried among the city, as well as sculptures, art, and historical summaries, some of which were in English! Our whole family had an awesome time here.
Walk the Calzada de los Muertos
~45-60 minutes
One thing to marvel at in Teotihuacan is the way the Teotihuacanos built the city in a grid format, including a straight wide road from one end of the city to the other, dubbed by the Aztecs, the Calzada de los Muertos. This mile-long avenue goes from north to south and features some waterways through the walls that allowed for water to flow.
See Teotihuacan via Hot Air Balloon
If you and your family are up for it, a sunrise hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan is quite the memorable experience. More details in another blog post (coming soon!), but just know that my then-five-year-old went through many phases of the ride—excitement, then nervousness, then enjoyment!
Buy Unique Souvenirs
Stalls and vendors are located throughout the grounds of the site for all your souvenir needs.
My musical family was very much attracted to the animalistic whistles that the vendors of Teotihuacan were selling. Most notably, my daughter and partner were entranced by the whistle shaped like a pyramid (which we got for 20 pesos), as well as the jaguar whistle which never ceased to surprise me throughout our visit, because it really sounds like a large cat!
I was tempted to buy an obsidian plate that, in addition to its healing properties, could serve as a safe filter/viewer through which you can look at the sun! The volcanic rock was monopolized by Teotihuacan during the height of its civilization. Obsidian from the area can be found in many rare colors, including gold and rainbow. These were on the more expensive side, though; the smallest, about the size of a compact mirror, was priced at $50 or so!
Places to Skip
I wouldn’t skip any part of Teotihuacan, but if you’re crunched for time you may opt to visit just the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, which are in close proximity to each other. We did this on our last trip and were in and out in under two hours.
We have not attempted to stay overnight in the town of Teotihuacan, but should you wish to avoid an early-morning wake-up, it might be a good call!
Where to Eat
We did not try it, but there is a restaurant located closest to Puerta 1 and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
Food for sale is otherwise located outside of the archaeological zone, and may be pricey due to it being a touristy area.
Our best rec is to bring your own lunch and snacks. We brought leftover pizza from the night before.
Suggested Itinerary
We opted to enter the archaeological zone through Puerta 2, due to its close proximity to the Pyramid of the Sun, which we had hoped to climb. Given that the pyramid has been closed for climbing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I would instead suggest entering through Puerta 3, which leads you to the Palace of Quetzopapálotl and the Pyramid of the Moon, which is at one end of the main structures in Teotihuacan. Plus the view down the Calzada de los Muertos is stunning!
- 7 am or earlier: Leave Mexico City for Teotihuacan
- 8 am: Start at Puerta 3 and visit the sites in this order (you could also try the reverse):
- Palace of Quetzopapálotl
- Pyramid of the Moon
- Pyramid of the Sun
- Museum
- Calzada de Los
- Muertos
- Temple of Quetzalcoatl
Wishlist for our Next Visit
I don’t think I would go out of my way to visit Teotihuacan again, other than for a cultural festival being hosted there, such as during the spring equinox.
Teotihuacan is an amazing place to stand and wonder about what a city was like in its heyday.
It was also an important opportunity to remember that Teotihuacanos are not simply of the past; just like other native peoples, their descendants continue to walk this earth and steward the resources of the land just as their ancestors did.
Have you and your family visited Teotihuacan? Let us know about your experience in the comments!
Angelica (she/her) is of Cebuano(Pilipinx)-descent and was born and raised in Huchiun Ohlone territory (the East Bay Area--pay your Shuumi Land Tax!), where she also now resides with her partner and their toddler. She loves to spend her time sipping on boba and dirty chai lattes (sometimes together), and eating pescetarian goodies at BIPOC-owned cafes and restaurants.
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