How to Plan a Day Trip to Teotihuacan Without a Tour

For those visiting Mexico City, you can’t miss out on a visit to Teotihuacan. This fascinating archaeological site is 25 miles from the city center. As with any day trip, you’ll have to do a bit of planning to get the most out of your experience — especially if you choose to visit Teotihuacan without a tour, like I did for the first time in 2018.

A couple of notes before I get into it. I’ve now been to Teotihuacan twice, with my second visit in 2022 — so as you can imagine, a lot has changed as a result of the pandemic. During my first visit, you could climb the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, as well as the smaller buildings lining the long avenue. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case, as these are all off-limits due to preservation efforts.

With that in mind, I’m not sure I would recommend visiting Teotihuacan without a tour as highly as I did before these recent developments. That’s because it takes a lot of time and effort to get out to the archaeological site, and if you’re not able to climb, all you can really do is walk around, and it’s a looooong walk from one end to the other. (The pyramids are still really amazing to marvel at, of course!) But I personally feel that, now, it’s more worth it to join a tour — whether that’s a Teotihuacan hot air balloon tour like we did in 2022 (read my review here) or a different guided tour.

Anyway, if you still prefer to go it on your own, here’s how to plan your trip to Teotihuacan without a tour.

Trip Logistics

Decide when you want to go. Which day of the week? Full day or half day? Morning/afternoon, or afternoon/evening, or both? Also, check the weather forecast!

I went on a Saturday and arrived around noon. It wasn’t so busy that there was a line to climb the Pyramid of the Sun, but it was somewhat busy. Some of the girls I met in my hostel went on a Wednesday, and it wasn’t busy at all. If you do decide to go on the weekend, I’m guessing mornings would be a little more peaceful.

Once you’re there, you’re going to do lot of walking. Several miles, at least. Make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothes and shoes. If you’re planning to climb the pyramids, I might recommend against jeans. (That’s just me.) Unlike other ancient sites I’ve visited — I’m looking at you, Angkor Wat — there is no dress code, so feel free to wear shorts and sleeveless tops. Which reminds me…

Don’t forget your sunscreen! The weather was beautiful, 75 degrees Fahrenheit and not a cloud in the sky, when I was there. When the girls from my hostel came back with burned shoulders, I applied sunscreen by the gallons to mine, but I forgot about the tops of my feet. Which were mostly covered by my sandals. After 4 hours in the sun, my shoulders were protected, but my feet were burned in a weird pattern. Thanks, sandals.

Entry into Teotihuacan costs 80 pesos, or about $4.07 USD.

Transportation to Teotihuacan without a tour

Depending on where you’re staying in Mexico City, your lodging may offer organized group trips to Teotihuacan. I know my hostel did, and other people I’ve talked to said their hotel did as well. But I was down for an adventure on my own, so instead I took the metro and the bus — which was actually really easy.

From your nearest metro station, travel to the Autobuses del Norte stop — it’s on the #5 (Yellow) Line. That will only cost 5 pesos, or roughly $0.25 USD. Then, follow the signs/crowd to Terminal Central del Norte DF, which is the bus station. (My suggestion, if you’re planning to go on your own, is to download my favorite travel app, Citymapper.)

It’s a little confusing once you get in there; you’ll see a bunch of numbered kiosks with different destinations. Go all the way to the left, to Sala 8, and there you can buy your bus ticket to Teotihuacan. It costs 104 pesos round trip, or $5 USD. Your ticket to Teotihuacan will be for a specific time — the next available bus — but the return trip is open-ended. Buses depart approximately every 15-20 minutes and rarely fill up. After you have your ticket in hand, the counter attendant will direct you on where to board the bus, which is just around the sala. You don’t have to go through security or anything, just walk up to the bus and board (or wait in line if one has already formed).

It’s a charter bus, complete with a bathroom in the back and overhead storage space if you need it. The trip takes about an hour, and the bus will stop and pick people up at different points along the way. When you arrive at Teotihuacan, the bus will drop you off in a circular drive, and you’ll all walk the rest of the way to the park entrance, where you’ll buy your entry ticket, which is 80 pesos or about $4 USD.

When you’ve finished your day and are ready to return to Mexico City, go back to where the bus dropped you off, and wait for the next bus back. Easy!

Services at Teotihuacan

The amenities are pretty limited once you’re at Teotihuacan. Other than a small cafe and restrooms at the entrance, there’s really no place to get anything to eat or use the bathroom once you’ve started your walk down the several-miles-long Avenue of the Dead. Near the end, you’ll start to see people eating popsicles and ask yourself, “Where did they get those?” Take a left at the Pyramid of the Moon, head towards the Palacio del Quetzalpapálotl, and you’ll find both popsicles and restrooms.

People will be selling water at the entrance, as well as at the vendor area near the Palacio. That being said, you’re definitely going to want water. Make sure you bring some with you, or buy it when you arrive. Bring a backpack, load it up with water and snacks (and sunscreen), and you’ll be good to go!

 

What else do you want to know about planning a day trip to Teotihuacan without a tour? Leave me a comment!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on April 29, 2018.