Is Teotihuacan Worth Visiting Or Is It An Overrated Tourist Attraction?

Thinking Of Visiting The Famous Archeological Site Of Teotihuacan A Little Outside Of Mexico City, But Wondering If It’s Really Worth Seeing Or If It’s Overrated?

Besides going to a professional soccer game in Mexico City, my other top interest on my very first trip to this capital city was going to the great historical site of Teotihuacan, and although there are a few downsides to consider before visiting, I think this archaeological site is definitely worth adding to your itinerary for a few reasons, especially if its your first time here.

🛕 Is Teotihuacan Worth Visiting?

Although it's not particular to September, one of the best things to do in Mexico City is to visit the nearby archaeological pyramids of Teotihuacan.

⭐️ Overall – Is Teotihuacan Worth Visiting:

✅ Teotihuacan is one of the most interesting and mysterious archaeological sites in Mexico in general, and one of the best sites to see in the Mexico City area so it’s definitely worth visiting if you love history like me

❌ Teotihuacan does get millions of visitors each year, tours can be a bit cheesy (at least they used to be), getting here can be a hassle, and there was a somewhat recent safety concern here, so if you’re not that into history or archaeology, this Mexico City site probably won’t be worth visiting for you

Continue reading for more details on all of this so you can plan out a fun, safe trip to the archaeological site of Teotihuacan.

✅ Why Teotihuacan Is Worth Visiting

Out of all the archaeological sites I’ve visited in Mexico (like Chichen Itza, the Tulum Ruins, the Great Pyramid of Cholula, etc.), if I had to pick a favorite, I would probably say I enjoyed Teotihuacan the most and definitely think it’s worth visiting because:

✅ Teotihuacan is a bit of a more mysterious site in terms of its origins, since the original builders are still not known

✅ Teotihuacan has more pyramids to see with the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent

✅ although it can change due to the condition of the site, it is a bit more interactive in the fact that you can climb all or parts of the pyramids
- pictured above is me standing on top of the Pyramid of the Sun with the Pyramid of the Moon in the background

✅ in general this archaeological site is one of the most important and best things to see in central Mexico, and one reason Mexico City is definitely worth visiting

It is a very cool historical site with a lot of mystery.

✅ in comparison to sites like Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan is also a bit cheaper to visit
- currently entrance fees to Chichen Itza cost about 300% more than Teotihuacan

✅ Teotihuacan is also a little bit easier to reach compared to other sites since it’s only about 1-1.5 hours from the major area of Mexico City

✅ compared to other parts of Mexico, this central area has a much higher altitude so the weather here is spring-like year round which makes for a more pleasant experience exploring outdoor sites like the pyramids

✅ although Teotihuacan gets millions of visitors each year, at least compared to my visits to Chichen Itza, it actually felt like one of the lesser visited sites

❌ Why Teotihuacan Might Seem Overrated

It can be pretty cheesy and touristy unfortunately.

Although I loved visiting the Teotihuacan Pyramids and I definitely think they’re worth adding to your itinerary, a few reasons why you might find them uninteresting or overrated include:

❌ how crowded they can be – millions of people visit this site each year so there could be large crowds (however I found Chichen Itza to be busier, at least the times I’ve visited)

❌ cheesy tours – they used to be really really touristy but now a lot of guided tours seem to be focusing on a more authentic historical experience (which is why they advertise “without tourist traps”), so cheesy tours might not be as much of a problem anymore

❌ getting here – although Teotihuacan is close to Mexico City, it can still take over an hour to reach (traffic can be bad here) so you may not want to waste time visiting this site

❌ history – if you’re not at all interested in archaeological or historical sites, you probably won’t find the centuries old structures at Teotihuacan to be very interesting or worth visiting on your Mexico City trip

❌ cost – it’s not a free site to visit and if you don’t want to try to figure out how to get there on your own, the guided tours can get pricey, especially the private and hot air balloon options

❌ safety – unfortunately the Teotihuacan site was the location of a somewhat recent attack so public spaces like this could be dangerous, however hopefully security is even more strict now after this tragedy

➡️ Concerned About Safety In Mexico City? here are a few guides to help you out on how to be extra safe here, the safest ways to get around, the best safe areas to stay, and why you shouldn’t use Airbnb here

🚘 How To Visit Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan might not seem worth visiting for some.

Although it’s usually considered to be part of Mexico City, Teotihuacan is actually pretty far from most of the touristy areas and it can take over an hour to reach depending on the time and location you start from, but no matter what, I think it is definitely still worth visiting.

Day Tour To Teotihuacan From Mexico City

If you want the safest, most convenient, and most stress-free way to get here, your best option is to go on a guided tour. There are tons of them, but here are a few of the highest rated options:

🛕 YouTours CDMX (5.0 stars and 2,100+ reviews) private tour to Teotihuacan

🛕 Yolotli Adventures (5.0 stars and 800+ reviews) hotel pickup, 3 pyramids tour, and lunch at La Gruta

🛕 Paseos Olmedo (4.9 stars and 10,300+ reviews) morning or afternoon tour without tourist traps

🎈 Tlatoani Tours (4.9 stars and 7,700+ reviews) pickup in CDMX, hot air balloon flight, pyramids, and breakfast in a cave

🎈 Teotihuacan Adventures (4.9 stars and 2,600+ reviews) full day, pickup in CDMX, hot air balloon flight, pyramids, and breakfast in a cave

Teotihuacan might be more worth visiting vs Chichen Itza for a few reasons.

Teotihuacan Without A Tour

If you want to get to Teotihuacan without a guided tour, the safest, nicest, and cheapest option (compared to taxis) is going to be with Uber, but you might have a hard time finding a willing driver, plus the cost could be $40-50 one way.

A lot of people that don’t want to take a tour to Teotihuacan choose to take the bus from Mexico City, and say it’s a very simple, easy, and cheap process.

I don’t normally recommend public transportation here (not very safe, usually very crowded, and takes a lot longer), but I have taken the bus to some nearby cities and it’s turned out great, so riding the bus from Teotihuacan to Mexico City could be a good option if you want to explore on your own time and are looking for the most budget-friendly option.

There are also some private transfer options to the Teotihuacan Pyramids if you want a safe and secure ride but don’t want an actual tour.

🔁 Sum Up: Is Teotihuacan Worth Visiting?

Although the Teotihuacan Pyramids get millions of visitors each year, tours have been a bit cheesy in the past, and a few other downsides might make some reconsider visiting this historical site, I think Teotihuacan is one of the coolest archaeological sites to visit in Mexico and one of the best Mexico City sites to see that’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary. The easiest way to get here is on a guided tour, but you can also reach it on your own or opt for the unique up in the sky view.