Teotihuacan is the ruin site that puts everything in scale. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third-largest pyramid in the world. The Avenue of the Dead stretches two kilometers through the center of what was once a city of 100,000+ people. This was built before the Aztecs, before the Toltecs — by a civilization so old that the Aztecs themselves did not know who built it. They named it Teotihuacan: “the place where the gods were created.”
The Pyramids
The Pyramid of the Sun is 65 meters tall and you can climb it. The staircase is steep and there is no shade. Start early in the morning or late afternoon. From the top the view stretches across the entire site and the surrounding valley.
The Pyramid of the Moon is smaller but sits at the end of the Avenue of the Dead with the most dramatic approach. You can climb about halfway up. The view from the midpoint down the Avenue of the Dead is the classic Teotihuacan photograph.
The Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcoatl) in the Ciudadela complex has the most detailed carvings at the site — alternating serpent heads and goggle-eyed rain god faces. Excavations here found mass sacrificial burials of over 200 people.
Getting There
Teotihuacan is 50 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. Buses leave from Terminal Norte (Autobuses del Norte) every 15-20 minutes from a dedicated gate marked “Piramides.” The ride takes about an hour. Buy a round-trip ticket. The bus drops you at Gate 1 near the Ciudadela.
Entry fee is around 90 pesos. The site is large — budget at least 3 hours to walk the full Avenue of the Dead and climb both pyramids. Bring water, a hat and sunscreen. There is almost no shade on the site.