Visiting Teotihuacan Pyramids in a day

As part of our long weekend in Mexico City, we spent one of the days exploring the Teotihuacan Pyramids on the outskirts of the city.

How to get there on public transport: Make your way to Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte. Once you’re in the terminal, head to gate 8. Here, you will find the desk to purchase your tickets. Bus tickets cost around [insert cost in pesos], and they will advise you on the time your bus departs. Then, head out to the bus terminal to find your bus. The bus ride took approximately an hour with 2 or 3 stops along the way. When you arrive at your stop, the bus driver will announce “pyramids” to let you know it’s your stop. You’ll also know it’s your stop when the bus pulls off the highway onto a cobblestone road. Once off the bus, make your way over to the entrance where the cars are entering. You’ll buy entrance tickets for 75 pesos, approximately $4 USD. From here, it’s a 5-minute walk across the car park to the main gate where you’ll show your ticket and be allowed through the gate.

What time of day to visit: As we were only in Mexico City for a long weekend, we could only visit on a Sunday. As we found out, Sundays offer free entrance for Mexican residents. With this in mind, we made sure to arrive before the gates opened at 9 am when the crowds were low. As the day went on, from about 11 am onwards, there were huge lines of people waiting to climb the pyramids compared to no lines in the morning.

What to see: There are three main pyramids to see. Two of these you will be able to climb: the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. The climb up can be steep in places, but it’s definitely worth it for the view. The last pyramid, the Temple of the Feathered Serpent, cannot be climbed but has fantastic carvings. The Avenue of the Dead is the main walkway between each of the pyramids, with ruins from the ancient city on each side of the avenue. After you visit the pyramids, you can walk over to the archaeological museum to see some of the artifacts they have found during the excavation of the site. This is included in your museum ticket.

Tip: If you’re planning to buy a souvenir from the local market stands spread throughout the site, it’s worth getting prices from a few different places, as the price does vary from store to store.