must30
Español
The Avenue of the Dead and the pyramids of Teotihuacan seen from a balloon
Hot-air balloons rising over the pyramids of Teotihuacan at dawn
The Pyramid of the Moon at the north end of the Avenue of the Dead
A jaguar mural on a wall of the Palace of the Jaguars at Teotihuacan
The remains of the Tepantitla apartment compound at Teotihuacan

Things to do around Teotihuacan: 10 ideas

Updated Leer en español

Up next

Photo: Hdlrosa, CC BY-SA 4.0

Teotihuacan

Float over the pyramids of Teotihuacan in a balloon at sunrise

Check dates and prices

Photo: Ralibreros112, CC BY-SA 4.0

Plaza de la Luna, Teotihuacan

Climb to the first platform of the Pyramid of the Moon

Tours in Teotihuacan

Photo: Gorgo, Public domain

Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl, Teotihuacan

Find the jaguar murals and feathered shells below Quetzalpapálotl

Photo: Gary Todd, CC0

Tepantitla, Teotihuacan

See the paradise of the rain god in the Tepantitla murals

Photo: Dge, CC BY-SA 4.0

Teotihuacan, the City of the Gods, was the largest city in pre-Columbian America, home to around 150,000 people at its height. It grew from the first century AD on the wealth of obsidian, declined between 650 and 750, and was already a ruin when the Aztecs arrived around 1300 and gave its buildings the names they carry today. The archaeological zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies about 50 km north-east of central Mexico City.

The Mexico page covers the morning walk along the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun, linked below. This page adds the rest of a day here, or a night: a balloon at sunrise, the climb up the Moon pyramid, the jaguar murals, the free painted compounds outside the fence, lunch in a cave and the monastery of Acolman on the way.

10 things to do in Teotihuacan

We earn a commission when you book through our GetYourGuide links, at no extra cost to you.

Hot-air balloons rising over the pyramids of Teotihuacan at dawn

Float over the pyramids of Teotihuacan in a balloon at sunrise

Teotihuacan

A dawn start and most of the morningBook ahead

At dawn, balloons lift off around the ancient city and drift over the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon.

Check dates and pricesSunrise balloon flight with breakfast
Been there?
The Pyramid of the Moon at the north end of the Avenue of the Dead

Climb to the first platform of the Pyramid of the Moon

Plaza de la Luna, Teotihuacan

About an hour, within a site visitNo booking needed

Halfway up the Pyramid of the Moon you get the classic view straight down the Avenue of the Dead.

Tours in Teotihuacan
Been there?
A jaguar mural on a wall of the Palace of the Jaguars at Teotihuacan

Find the jaguar murals and feathered shells below Quetzalpapálotl

Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl, Teotihuacan

About 45 minutesNo booking needed

Beside the Moon plaza, a palace of painted jaguars and, beneath it, an older temple carved with feathered shells.

Been there?
The remains of the Tepantitla apartment compound at Teotihuacan

See the paradise of the rain god in the Tepantitla murals

Tepantitla, Teotihuacan

30 to 45 minutesFree

An apartment compound outside the fence, east of the Pyramid of the Sun, whose murals show the paradise of the rain god.

Been there?
The White Court of the Atetelco apartment compound, with painted walls

Walk to the free fresco compounds of Tetitla and Atetelco

Tetitla and Atetelco, Teotihuacan

About an hourFree

Two free apartment compounds just west of the fenced site, their walls still covered in Teotihuacan frescoes.

Been there?

Watch obsidian being worked around the site

Perimeter road, Teotihuacan

30 minutes to an hourFree

Obsidian made Teotihuacan rich, and workshops around the site still cut and polish the black volcanic glass.

Been there?

Have lunch inside the cave of La Gruta

East perimeter, Teotihuacan

1 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

Lunch in a restaurant set deep inside a cave, a short walk from the east side of the pyramids.

Been there?
The Plateresque façade of the 16th century monastery church of San Agustín in Acolman

Stop at the fortress monastery of Acolman on the way

Acolman

About an hourNo booking needed

A battlemented Augustinian monastery from the 1500s, in the town that calls itself the cradle of the piñata.

Tours in Teotihuacan
Been there?
The Avenue of the Dead at Teotihuacan

Walk Teotihuacan's Avenue of the Dead before noon

Teotihuacán, State of Mexico

3 to 4 hours on siteNo booking needed

Walk the Avenue of the Dead from the carved serpent heads of the Ciudadela, below the Pyramid of the Sun, to the Moon.

Tours in Teotihuacan
Been there?
The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan seen from the east path

Stand below the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan

Teotihuacán, State of Mexico

1 hour for the pyramid and the site museumNo booking needed

Stand at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun, roughly 220 by 230 metres at the base, still dominating the Avenue of the Dead.

Tours in Teotihuacan
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Teotihuacan yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Buses leave Mexico City's Terminal del Norte, near Autobuses del Norte metro on Line 5, about every half hour; check that yours goes to the ruins, not only to the town of San Juan Teotihuacán. Others leave from Potrero metro on Line 3. The ride takes around an hour, and a one-way ticket cost 81 pesos in April 2026. By car it is about 45 minutes on the toll road.

  • Getting around

    The Avenue of the Dead is about 2 km long and there is no motorised transport inside, so plan to walk the length of it and back to your gate. There are five gates; Puerta 1 is by the Temple of Quetzalcóatl, Puerta 2 by the Pyramid of the Sun and Puerta 3 by the Pyramid of the Moon. The painted compounds outside are reached by the perimeter road.

  • When to go

    The site opens daily from 8:00 to 17:00, and tour groups arrive in numbers around 9:30, so start at opening. Early mornings are cold in winter, middays are hot with little shade, and at 2,300 metres the sun burns quickly. On 1 November, the Festival Chamán brings a fleet of balloons for the Day of the Dead.

  • Security

    After a violent incident inside the archaeological zone in April 2026, the site reopened with extra security measures and some access restrictions. Allow extra time at the gate, and look at INAH's announcements before you go.

Questions travellers ask

How do you get to Teotihuacan from Mexico City by bus?

From the Terminal del Norte, near Autobuses del Norte metro, buses leave about every half hour and take around an hour. Check that the bus goes to the ruins, and ask the driver for the last bus back.

Can you climb the pyramids at Teotihuacan?

It changes. In September 2026 the Pyramid of the Sun was closed to climbing, while the Pyramid of the Moon could be climbed to its first platform. Ask at the gate on the day.

When do balloon flights over Teotihuacan go up?

Very early in the morning, around sunrise. You can book directly with an operator or as a package, some with transport from Mexico City.

Are the painted compounds outside the site free?

Yes. Tepantitla, Tetitla and Atetelco lie outside the fenced zone and are free to enter; they hold some of the best murals in the city.

More places in this region

Things to do in Mexico

Photo credits (9)