The Best Way to Visit Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan is one of the most popular day trips from Mexico City.  Here is our guide on the best time to visit Teotihuacan, how to get there and how to beat the crowds!

Visiting Teotihuacan – The Basics

Location: About 50 km northeast of Mexico City

Opening Hours: 9am-5pm

Entrance Fee: 70 pesos

The Best Time to Visit Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan is open 365 days of the year.  That’s right – even on Mondays!  You may notice as you are planning your Mexico City trip that a lot of the major attractions are closed on Mondays.  BUT not Teotihuacan!  Yay!

We found visiting on a Monday actually worked out perfectly as it was not too crowded.  Maybe it is because a lot of people assume it is closed on Mondays. If you have some flexibility in your schedule, try to avoid visiting on a Sunday.  This is when admission is free for Mexican citizens and residents so it makes for a very crowded day!

Another important thing to consider is the sun and heat.  There is no shade while exploring the site so it can get quite hot in midday.  Also, a lot of the tours arrive mid-morning so this is when it starts to get pretty crowded.

We found the best time to visit Teotihuacan was first thing in the morning at sunrise.  Not only to avoid the heat, but to see the beautiful sunrise over the pyramids!  It really makes for a magical experience.

How to get to Teotihuacan

You have a few options for getting to Teotihuacan:

• Bus – leaves from the Terminal Autobuses del Norte and is the cheapest option
• Taxi/Private Driver – direct but expensive
• Tour Group – easy with little planning involved but can’t go on your own schedule (check out this traveller’s tour experience here)
• Uber – not the cheapest option but our preferred one!

Each method of getting to Teotihuacan has its pros and cons.  If you are on a budget then the bus is your best option.  However since we were short on time we wanted the quickest and most direct route so we went with an Uber.

To arrive at Teotihuacan at sunrise Uber is really your best option.  Depending on where you are staying in Mexico City, you will have to factor in the extra time it takes to get to the Autobuses del Norte station to catch the Teotihuacan bus.  If you take an Uber, you can wake up early and leave directly from wherever you are staying.

If you are visiting Teotihuacan on a weekday and plan to take an Uber in the morning, be mindful of rush hour.  It’s also important to note that Uber charges an extra surcharge during rush hour.

Our Uber driver picked us up from our hotel in Mexico City just before 7am and rush hour was already starting.  It took a bit of time to get out of the city but once we were on the highway it was smooth sailing.

Tip: Check that your driver will be taking the toll road as it is much faster.  However you will have to cover the cost which is surprisingly high: 77 pesos.  You may have to hand over the cash to the toll booth or your driver may have a device in their car which pays it automatically and then it gets added onto your Uber bill later.

We arrived at Teotihuacan right at 8am, which was slightly later than we had been hoping for, but still early enough to explore in peace and catch the last of the sunrise.

The official opening hours are 9am-5pm but we had no issues buying a ticket at 8am from the guard at the gate.  And since there were a number of people already inside when we arrived I am sure you can get away with purchasing a ticket even earlier.

Where to get dropped off at Teotihuacan

When you order your Uber make sure you put your destination as Los Piramides, not Teotihuacan, otherwise your driver will take you to the town centre which is not where you want to go.

The main entrance is at Puerta 1 BUT our tip is to get your driver to drop you off at Puerta 2 instead.  Our Uber driver was awesome and we have him to thank for this tip!  Gracias Benjamin!

As Benjamin explained, if you get off at Puerta 1 you will have a long 2km walk to get to the Pirámide del Sol which is the main attraction.  If you instead enter at Puerta 2 you will be closest to the Pyramid of the Sun and can catch it just in time for sunrise.

In our opinion this was the best way to visit because we got to explore the ruins in the opposite direction of all the other tourists.  When we arrived at the Pyramid of the Sun there were only a handful of people there and we got to hike up both the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon in peace!

Tip: Make sure you use the toilets when you enter at Puerta 2 because there are none nearby once you enter the site.  You don’t want to have to backtrack all the way to the entrance (I learned the hard way).

What to see at Teotihuacan

Piramide del Sol

This pyramid is the most impressive landmark of this ancient city.  It is the third largest pyramid in the world standing at 70m.  Its base is actually almost the same size as that of the great pyramid in Egypt!

To take in the impressive panoramic view from the top you will need to climb up the 248 steps but is worth it!  We didn’t find the climb too strenuous but we saw a number of people struggling.  However, there are a few landings where you can stop and catch your breath.

Tip: If you are not used to the higher elevation of Mexico City, wait until you acclimatize a bit before visiting Teotihuacan otherwise you may have more difficulty climbing the pyramids

Once at the top of the pyramid you can worship the sun!

Piramide de la Luna

The Pyramid of the Moon sits at the end of the Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead).  It is smaller than the Pyramid of the Sun but still equally as impressive.  Since it is built on higher ground it makes it appear as though you are at the same level as the Pyramid of the Sun.  The views from the top looking straight down the central avenue are beautiful!

I found the steps to be quite steep at first – you’ll get a good buns and thighs workout!

Museo del Sitio

There is an excellent museum located by the Pyramid of the Sun and entrance is included with your ticket.  Unfortunately we missed it as we spent too much time exploring all the smaller ruins.  Definitely check it out and let us know how it is!

La Ciudadela

If you’ve followed our itinerary and entered Puerta 2 upon arrival you will now want to make your way towards Puerta 1.  This is where you will find La Ciudadela which should not be missed.  Luckily by this time the crowds of tourists will be headed towards the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon while you are headed in the opposite direction.

Here you will find what was once the administrative heart of this ancient city.  Toward the back you will find the excavated Templo de Quetzalcoatl with its intricately carved heads of Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc (serpent and rain god).  It is quite an impressive structure.

Where to eat at Teotihuacan

You have a few options for food if you get hungry.  There is a restaurant at the main entrance at Puerta 1, on the second floor, looking out toward La Ciudadela.  There are also some small food shops at all of the entrances.  The most popular restaurant is La Gruta, which is set inside a cave by Puerta 5.

However, you can also just bring some snacks/picnic food and eat atop one of the structures along the Avenue of the Dead, which is what we chose to do.  It is more budget friendly and a good idea if you are tight on time (service in Mexican restaurants is not always the quickest).

Make sure you bring a good amount of water!  You will get thirsty while exploring in the sun.

Souvenirs from Teotihuacan

There are vendors throughout the entire site selling all kinds of souvenirs.  There were a number that came up to us but we didn’t find them to be too persistent or irritating.  The prices were actually VERY good, we were surprised.  Normally I avoid buying anything at tourist sites because I feel like I am getting ripped off.  However it was quite the opposite here and I’m not sure if it was just the particular time and day we were there or what but it was crazy cheap.

For example, I would walk past a vendor and he would offer one of his souvenirs “for a good price” and I’d politely decline and keep walking.  Then he would say “Only $1“.  Another one said “it’s practically free!” I’m talking metal bracelets, earrings, carvings, etc for $1!  It really was practically free.

I ended up buying one of the serpent whistles for $3.  You can also find blankets, postcards, towels, jewellery, and more.

Getting back to Mexico City from Teotihuacan

We spent the entire morning exploring the ruins and were ready to leave around noon.  It was easy for us to find an Uber to bring us back to Mexico City.  The timing works out well because many people arrive at Teotihuacan just before noon.  Since it is a long drive back to Mexico City it makes sense for the drivers to wait around and try to find someone to take back.

Note that Uber drivers are not able to enter the parking lots so you will have to walk outside to meet them.  At first this wasn’t clear to me and I was wondering why the car seemed so close on the app but was taking awhile to arrive.  The Uber driver called me and explained we need to meet him outside the lot (good thing I could understand a little bit of Spanish!)

Tip: It’s helpful to get a local SIM card so you have data on your phone and a local number for drivers to call you on.  Check out this post to find out where to get a local SIM card.

The return journey took an hour and cost $432 pesos including the $77 for the toll road.  In total, there and back with the toll roads, we spent $990 pesos or about $50 USD.  We could have done it cheaper on the bus but felt it was worth it for the convenience, speed and comfort of an Uber.

Click here to read our full Privacy Policy and Affiliate Disclosure Statement

Check out our other Mexico City posts!

Mexico City Guide for Budget Foodies

Hotel Review: Mexico City Marriott Reforma

Mexico City: Perfect 3 Day Guide for Instagrammers

Pin this post!