Teotihuacán: The place where the gods were created
Walking around Mexico City is like walking through a living museum. It was the first capital city in the Americas, and everywhere are reminders that it was the center of the Aztec empire. The Zócalo, the main square to this day and an iconic landmark, was once the ceremonial center of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochititlan. Templo Mayor, an archaeological site just next to the Zócalo, is the spot where the Mexica saw the sign that they had reached the promised land. Though Mexico City has all the trappings of a major modern city, like other great ancient cities such as Rome, relics from the past are scattered about. But like the Colosseum in Rome, one ancient site in Mexico City stands out among the rest: Teotihuacán.
Located about 30 miles from the city center, Teotihuacán is a must-visit while in Mexico City. At its peak, it was the largest city in the Americas before colonial conquest. It was the Rome of the Americas and exerted policial, cultural, and economic control over territory that extended to modern-day Honduras. Massive pyramids rise up from the fertile valley, and beautiful carvings and frescos adorn temples. The archaeological site is a testament to the architectural and artistic brilliance of this ancient civilization.
Plan your trip
Unlike many other ancient ruins around Mexico, Teotihuacán is easy to access from Mexico City. While plenty of tour companies offer to take you there, you can easily visit this archaeological site independently. We think it's well worth getting there on your own because you can arrive as soon as it opens to beat the crowds and avoid the harsh midday lighting. Plus, you can take your time exploring this enormous place (be prepared to do a lot of walking, as it takes about 30 minutes to traverse the Avenue of the Dead).
To get there from Mexico City by public transit, take Line 5 (the yellow line) on the metro towards Politécnico. Get off at Autobuses del Norte metro station. The price for a metro ticket in Mexico City is a steal at only $5 pesos ($0.25 USD) a ride.
Once at the Autobuses del Norte metro stop, follow signs for the bus station (directly across the street from the metro). Once inside the bus station, turn left and go to Sala (Gate) 8. There will be a stall called "Autobuses Teotihuacán" where you can buy bus tickets for "Pyramides" or "Zona Arqueológica." A round trip ticket costs $100 pesos ($5.40 USD) per person. Buses depart every 15-20 minutes and the ride to Teotihuacán is about an hour. Your out-bound ticket will have a specific departure time, so make sure to catch that bus. Your return ticket, however, is flexible, and you can catch whichever bus heading back to Mexico City. Since the site opens at 9:00 am and we wanted to be the first ones there to beat the crowds, we took the 7:45 am bus from Autobuses del Norte.
The bus will drop you off at Puerta 1 at Teotihuacán where you buy your ticket and catch the bus back to Mexico City. Tickets to enter the archaeological site are $70 pesos ($3.80 USD) per person and include entrance to the museum.
As this is the most frequently visited archaeological site in Mexico, if you go on a weekend or don't arrive until noon, you can expect crowds. It really paid off to go early on a weekday because we had the entire place to ourselves for the first 45 minutes, allowing us to soak in the majestic site and capture photos without any wandering tourists in them.
The massive site is connected by a long walkway called "Avenue of the Dead." We took our time visiting each temple and pyramid, but the two most famous are Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. The first is the largest structure of the ancient city, and a climb up the 248 steps to the top is worth it. Pyramid of the Moon, while not the largest, offers the best view of Pyramid of the Sun and Avenue of the Dead.
Since we knew we wanted to spend several hours exploring everything and didn't want to be distracted by hunger, we decided to pack sandwiches, snacks, and drinks in a day-pack and enjoyed an early lunch from atop Pyramid of the Moon. This was a great idea, because the only place to buy food is at the restaurant near the ticket center. Bringing our own sandwiches and water meant we didn't have to interrupt our visit with a 30-minute walk back to the entrance to refuel. So we got to eat on a budget while taking in a sweeping view.
Aside from food and drinks, make sure to bring a hat and some sunscreen as there is little shade from the harsh midday sun.
If you find yourself in Mexico City, don't miss this impressive site. Few places in the western hemisphere can rival the grandiosity of Teotihuacán. A visit to this ancient city will leave you in awe of the engineering mastery and historical richness of Mexico's indigenous heritage.