How to visit Teothiuacan
If you ever find yourself passing through Mexico City, then you owe it to yourself to visit the Teotihuacan Pyramids. Situated about 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, this was the first time in my life that I’ve come face to face with pyramids and the scale was breathtaking.
Teotihuacán was a home to over 120,000 people at its peak. The largest pyramid here, Pyramid of the Sun, is the third largest pyramid on the planet. At second place is the world-famous Giza, and in the first place is the yet-to-be-excavated Great Pyramid of Cholula.
The town of Cholula is about an hour southeast of Mexico City. I had never heard of a pyramid there, or that it was the largest. After doing some cursory research on the Cholula pyramid I could not believe it. This pyramid has not been even excavated yet. The base of it is *four* times larger than the pyramid of Giza! It is the largest monument created by man, ever! With a church on top of it (thanks, Spaniards), it’s also the oldest continuously occupied building on the planet. They built a church because it looked like a regular hill and people had forgotten there was a pyramid there at one point.
How does one visit Teotihuacán?
There are a couple of ways to get to Teotihuacán from Mexico City: bus or Uber. If you are really looking to save money then the public bus is the cheapest way to get there. I am sure there are organized tour buses as well. I wanted to save time and not have to get myself to the North Bus Station, so I requested an Uber. For only $20 the driver will take you all the way to the gate. With the traffic that took about an hour and a half almost. When you arrive you will be at Gate 1. This is where the admission tickets are sold, and after that you’re on your own, free to explore and to be respectful of course.
Returning back home
It’s a lot simpler than it seems. LTE coverage is pretty poor out here because of the altitude and how rural it is, meaning not many cell towers. This means that you’ll be hard-pressed to find an Uber back home. On the other hand, getting a bus back to the city is a breeze and at only 50 cents or so, it’s a no-brainer.
There are three gates into the Teotihuacán. You came in through Gate 1. The second gate is located directly opposite of the largest pyramid: Pyramid of the Sun. Just past all the trinket stores and such. The third gate is a bit further up, directly opposite of the smaller pyramid: Pyramid of the Moon. If you take Gate 3 you can simply walk a couple hundred yards and you’ll hit Gate 2.
When you exit through Gate 2 you will find yourself on the street called Avenue of the Pyramids. There will be several Mexican restaurants on your right. I try to skip anything that seems like a tourist trap so I couldn’t tell you if the food was good or not there. I asked a friendly /abuelita/ to point me to the next bus and the bus station. I was told the bus comes every 45 minutes or so and to simply wait in front of the “5 Estrellas” (5 Stars) restaurant (Mexicans are a little more generous with their stars than the Michelin Guide). The bus makes several stops along its route to Mexico City with the last stop at the Northern Central Bus Station or Central Camionera Del Norte. From here you can take an Uber anywhere in the city or take the subway for some ridiculously cheap price like 5 cents that will make you feel ashamed you’re paying so little.
Survival Tips
There is a lot of walking here and some of it strenuous. Especially if you want to go to the top of the pyramid. Honestly, I don’t know why you wouldn’t, you’ve presumably flown here at least 5 hours to get to Mexico City, took an hour and a half bus ride to this remote location and then to not climb it would be such a pity for a once in a lifetime experience. Anyways, bring lots of water! It is hot and dry, no matter the season and time of year. This also means you should apply sunscreen before going, again no matter what time of year.
Reconstruction
Try to bring some snacks and food with you. I got both very hungry and very thirsty. It takes a couple hours to see the ancient city and you’ll already have spent 1–2 hours on transport then you have another 1–2 back to the city. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be starving. On a positive note, the Northern Central Bus Station has lots of food options like bakeries and such. That’s a good place to stock up before the trip or break the fast after a long day.
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