How to Visit Teotihuacan from Mexico City

Whether you know a lot about Teotihuacán or you’ve just seen pictures of the pyramids, it is definitely somewhere you need to visit if you have the chance! While Teotihuacán was made an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, much of its history is still a mystery. Luckily, it’s easy to get to Teotihuacan from Mexico City as it’s only 30 miles (50 km) away – which makes it a great day trip from CDMX! There are many popular tours you can take to the pyramids, however it is also very easy to get to on your own! Read on to find out how!

A Brief History of Teotihuacán

The Aztecs named the city Teotihuacán which means ‘The City of the Gods’. However, the city was not built by the Aztecs. It is believed to have been built as early as 400 BC! Teotihuacán was at its highest point around 500 AD when its population was up to 200,000 people. At this time it was one of the largest cities in the world! No one is sure why the city collapsed, however it is believed to have fallen by 550 AD. The Aztecs later found, and named, the city in the 1400s – centuries after it had fallen! While there aren’t written records from the original city, archeologists have found many interesting artifacts, murals, and even many human sacrifices! To this day, there are still archeologists working at Teotihuacán discovering more about this ancient city!

Hours and Entrance to Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan is open seven days a week from 9am-5pm (however it is currently closing at 3pm due to COVID). Teotihuacan is very busy on Sundays as Mexican citizens have free entrance. It is also busy on Mondays as many large museums in Mexico City are closed on Mondays. This can be either good or bad! If you have lots of time and you want to avoid crowds, don’t go on a Monday. However, if you have limited time you can go to the pyramids on a Monday and save the other museums for when they are open!

I would advise you to get to Teotihuacan as close to 9am as possible! There are less people there at 9am and it is also not as hot. Both times I visited the pyramids, it was significantly hotter than it was in CDMX! There is also not much shade at the pyramids and it takes quite a bit of walking to see all the sites.

You can purchase tickets at any of the entrance gates. Tickets were 80 pesos (~$9usd) as of July 2021. Make sure to have cash on you!!! You can only pay cash for both the bus ticket as well as the entrance ticket!

Teotihuacan With or Without a Guide

The first time I went to Teotihuacán, I went by myself with no guide. There are some signs throughout the site explaining parts of Teotihuacan, however they don’t go too in depth. I still had a great time walking around and seeing everything!

However, when my parents came to visit me I knew they would like to know more about the history of the city. Luckily there are many licensed guides by the entrances who offer tours of Teotihuacán. Unfortunately there is not a set price for these guides! The first guides we talked to wanted over 2,300 pesos (~$110usd) for a tour in English! We declined and continued walking to the entrance. We then found our great guide who quoted us 750 pesos (~$37usd) for a 1.5 hour tour of Teotihuacan. He shared lots of history and great information with us that we wouldn’t have known without him! This is a great option if you want to learn a lot while still having the freedom to spend as much time as you want at Teotihuacan (and you don’t mind getting yourself there on your own).

You can also sign up to take a tour from Mexico City. While this option is more expensive, you don’t need to worry about any of the logistics like how to get there or if a tour guide on site is charging you extra since you’re a tourist. Check out some of these highly rated tours!

How to Get to Teotihuacan From Mexico City

Teotihuacan By Public Bus

I took the public bus to Teotihuacan both times that I went – once by myself and once with my parents – and I can assure you that it is very easy! First, you need to get to the North Bus Terminal (aka Autobuses del Norte or Terminal Central del Norte). We ubered there, however you can also take the metro there to keep your trip even cheaper! The metro station is called ‘Autobuses del Norte metro station’ and it’s right across the street from the huge bus station.

Once you arrive at the bus station, go in the doors and turn left. Walk the whole way to the end where you’ll see a giant 8. Once you’re at the 8, you’ll see ‘Teotihuacan’ or ‘piramides’. Both times I went it was the longest line at the end of the bus station and there were other tourists waiting to buy tickets.

As of July 2021, a ticket from the North Bus Terminal to Teotihuacan was 52 pesos each way. So 104 pesos total (~$5usd). The buses start at 6am and depart about every 20 minutes. On the way to the pyramids you will have a ticket for a set time (usually the next bus), however the ticket returning to CDMX does not have a time on it. I was quite comfortable and felt safe on the bus to Teotihuacan, even when I was alone. However, the bus did not have a toilet!

The bus takes about an hour to get there and closer to an hour and a half to return (due to traffic entering the city and more cars later in the day). Make sure you use the toilet in the bus station before you leave (it costs 6 pesos). Also if you are low on cash, there are ATMs at the bus station. Make sure you have enough cash to pay for the Teotihuacan entrance!

Returning Back to CDMX

If you bought round trip bus tickets, you can wait for the bus outside of gates 1, 2, or 3. We personally took gate 3 as there are less people waiting there (and it’s the first gate the bus stops at) so it’s much easier to get seats together. There are often many people waiting for the bus outside gate 1! That being said, there isn’t much of a ‘bus stop’ at gate 3. You simply cross the road and wait by the side. The bus should come by every 20-30 minutes. Just hand them your ticket to make sure you’re heading the right direction and the bus will take you back to the North Bus Terminal in Mexico City!

Teotihuacan by Uber/Taxi/Didi

If you really do not want to take the bus, Uber is another option to get to Teotihuacan. However, the prices on Uber and Didi (another app like Uber that is prevalent in CDMX) fluctuate a lot!!! It could be as low as 500 pesos one way or as high as 1,500 pesos depending on the time, the weather (yes, it’s higher when it rains), how many people are using the app, etc. Be prepared for the return trip to cost more than it did to get there! I’d also advise you to check the prices on both Uber and Didi before you leave. Often one of them will be significantly lower than the other (it is changing constantly). I personally didn’t take taxis in CDMX as I felt safer with Uber/Didi since rides are recorded electronically through the app, however it would be an option too.

Teotihuacan on a Guided Tour

As stated before, you can also take a tour to Teotihuacan from CDMX. Most of the tours will pick you up from your hotel and take you back after the tour. While this eliminates having to figure out your own transportation, you have less flexibility with how much time you want to spend there. It could be a good option depending on your preferenecs!

Must Sees at Teotihuacan

Pyramid of the Sun

The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest pyramid at Teotihuacan and the third largest pyramid in the world! There are 248 steps up to the top of the pyramid. While you used to be able to climb the pyramid, since covid you cannot climb any of the pyramids at Teotihuacan! Hopefully this will change in the future, however our guide told us it might stay this way to help preserve the pyramids. Let me know if you have heard differently!

Pyramid of the Moon

The Pyramid of the Moon is at the north end of Teotihuacan. While it is not as tall as the Pyramid of the Sun, it is centrally located between twelve smaller platforms. People would congregate on these platforms to watch the rituals going on at the Pyramid of the Moon (yes, think human/animal sacrifices…). While I wasn’t able to climb the pyramids due to covid, the Pyramid of the Moon is located perfectly if you want a great view down the Avenue of the Dead.

Avenue of the Dead

The Avenue of the Dead is the main street through Teotihuacan. It begins at the Pyramid of the Moon and goes on for about 1.5 miles (2.5 km). It was named the ‘Avenue of the Dead’ by the Aztecs as they thought the mounds along the road looked like graves. However, they are not graves. They are part of the residential area where people used to live. Make sure you don’t miss the amazing jaguar mural located along the Avenue of the Dead!

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent)

The Temple of Quetzalcoatl (or the Temple of the Feathered Serpent) is the third largest pyramid at Teotihuacan. It is located close to entrance 1. Over 200 sacrificed bodies were found in the foundations of the Temple of Quetzalcoatl!

What to Bring to Teotihuacan

• Comfortable shoes for walking – the Avenue of the Dead alone is 1.5 miles long! You will do a lot of walking at Teotihuacan. Even if you can’t climb the pyramids, there are a lot of steps along the way that you will walk up/down.
• Water – make sure to bring some water with you as you will do a lot of walking and it can get hot at the pyramids!
• Sunblock – the sun can be very strong here! It will be hotter than Mexico City and there isn’t much shade!
• Hat/sunglasses – same as above. Make sure you’re prepared for the sun!
• Toilet paper – while there are toilets by the entrance gates, it is likely that they won’t have toilet paper.
• Cash – Make sure you have cash for the buses, the entrance ticket, and if you want a guide or any souvenirs.