Getting there & around

Getting to Teotihuacán

Almost everyone comes as a day trip from Mexico City, about 50 km northeast. The three ways in are your own car, the direct bus, and a tour — in that rough order of freedom versus hassle.

By bus is the cheapest reliable option and easier than people expect. Go to Terminal Central del Norte (the Autobuses del Norte metro stop, Line 5) and find the Autobuses Teotihuacán counter, usually around gate 8. Buses leave every 15 to 20 minutes through the morning, take about an hour depending on traffic, and cost only a few dollars each way (approximate). The one thing that trips people up: ask for the bus to “Los Pirámides,” not to the town of San Juan Teotihuacán. Same direction, but the town bus drops you in the plaza, a taxi ride from any gate, while the pyramids bus stops right at the perimeter, usually near Puerta 1, 2 or 3. Tell the driver you want the archaeological zone and he will call your stop.

By car takes about an hour outside rush hour and a good deal longer if you leave the city after 8 a.m. Take the Mexico–Pachuca toll road (México 85D) and follow the Teotihuacán exit signs; the cuota is the smoother, safer choice over the free road. There is paid parking at most gates. Drivers get one real advantage here: you can pick your gate and skip the entrance shuffle.

The nearest airport is Felipe Ángeles (NLU), which is genuinely close — 30 to 40 minutes by car. If you are flying into NLU rather than Mexico City International (MEX, which is more like 60 to 90 minutes away), the pyramids make a natural first or last stop on a trip. There is no useful public transit from either airport straight to the site, so it is a taxi, a rideshare, or a rental.

Uber and DiDi both work from Mexico City and will bring you door to gate for a fair bit more than the bus. Getting a ride back from the site itself can be slow — drivers are thin out there — so it is often easier to have the museum staff or a restaurant call you a local taxi, or to plan the bus for the return leg.

Getting around the site

Inside, it is all on foot, full stop. There is no shuttle along the Avenue of the Dead, and no bikes or golf carts for hire. The full walk from the southern gates up to the Pyramid of the Moon and back is a few kilometers over uneven, sometimes slick stone, with real elevation change on the pyramid stairs. Wear proper shoes, not sandals.

The five gates (Puerta 1 through 5) ring the perimeter. Puerta 1 puts you at the Ciudadela and the south end of the avenue; Puerta 2 and 3 land you near the Pyramid of the Sun; Puerta 5 is up by the Moon. A friend who lives here would tell you to go in at the south and walk north, so the morning light is behind you for photos and you finish at the Moon’s plaza with the best view down the causeway.

Dawn balloon rides are a separate, pricier add-on booked ahead through local operators — worth it only if a sunrise flight over the pyramids is specifically your thing, not a substitute for walking the site. See the visiting info page for hours and what to carry.