Teotihuacan

I went there today for the third time, and finally was able to see the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. You have to go through Gate 1, instead of 4 or 5 that lead you to the Pyramid of the Moon or the Pyramid of the Sun. There aren’t as many tourists as there were at the other pyramids, which is a good thing. I climbed up a fairly well-maintained set of stairs to the platform, which was a pyramid build in front and on top the Feathered Serpent. The newer pyramid thus shielded the lower portion of old one from damage throughout the past 1,500 years or so. The platform itself has solid rails and was quite safe.

As to the sculptures, they are spectacular and give the whole site another dimension. I would recommend a visit to the Anthropological in Mexico City to see the fully colored replicas before going to the site to truly appreciate it.

I visited this WHS in December 2021 and spent 2 nights here to have ample time for taking photos at sunrise and sunset, at the WHS proper, from a distance and from high above, knowing beforehand that climbing the Pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon was forbidden as part of the COVID restrictions in place.

I would agree with Els that prohibiting tourists from climbing the pyramids will remain post-COVID, and it really isn't a bad thing at all. Like Uluru in Australia, the end result is a picture-perfect site for everyone to enjoy safely without the need of too many security guards, railings, etc and much restoration. Moreover, it is very easy to make up for the views from the top of the pyramids by joining a sunrise hot air balloon flight with one of the many companies providing the service. On a sunny day, the views over the empty pyramids, the platforms, the citadel and the avenue of the dead (without the pre-COVID crowds on the pyramids for sunrise).

Unlike Chichen Itza, all the structures at Teotihuacan lack the intricate sculptures and designs, except the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. This temple is an architectural delight almost half way through the avenue of the dead after the Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun. Unlike the steps with sculptures alternating the rain god Tlaloc and the feathered serpent heads, with long undulating feathered serpents in profile underneath them on the rear side, the temple, …

Teotihuacan is a bit of a “What You See Is What You Get”-site, and with the consistent use of the same materials and architecture, it even gets repetitive.

Complementary to what has been said already by previous reviewers, I’d like to add some Covid info for visitors as well as direct you to the fantastic murals in the Tepantitla Palace.

Visiting during Covid times

The archaeological site of Teotihuacan is still open every day of the year. What has changed (status of January 2022):

• A cap on the allowed number of visitors has been introduced, which allows for specific amounts of tourists to enter at each of the Gates 1-5. It means that arriving early has become even more recommended (it’s also less hot and less crowded in the early morning). Still, it doesn’t sell out easily, maybe except for Mexican holidays.
• Climbing the two main pyramids is now forbidden. It wouldn’t surprise me if they keep it that way also post-Covid.
• Wearing a face mask is officially required everywhere, but especially the foreign tourists don’t seem to comply with that rule.

What hasn’t changed? The annoying whistle-sellers are still there. All of them!

Tepantitla Palace

The on-site information at Teotihuacan really sucks, some 50% of the information panels are so weathered that they are unintelligible. There are also hardly any signposts to the various entrance gates or major monuments. This does not help in finding the Tepantitla …

I woke up after another cold night thinking "should I skip the pyramids and sleep more? It's easy to do it again from Mexico City on another trip". Glad I didn't. Too cold to fall asleep anyway, so I went to the breakfast buffet to recharge: "last Mexico WHS here I go!"

I actually thought it would be busy but not really, and definitely relative to its size. Compared to El Tajin there were probably only 15% Mexican tourists and that is assuming they even are. El Tajin was ~98% but could be seasonal. Arriving at 8am at the front gate I first checked out the Serpent temple. A guide was there talking a lot about tombs. Unsure if they actually know facts or make it up. Funnily enough there is a sign at the entrance to explain it was NOT made by aliens!! Shame on people to even think so in today's science age (History Channel I'm looking at you). From the distance you can obviously already see the Sun and Moon temples and awe at them. People can climb up? I should have rested up more! It also takes a loooong time to walk towards them. One wow factor is the short climb from a lower area and see the temples arise beyond. Magical. There are dozens of structures along the way with some signs (in 3 languages usually) if you are interested but most people don't bother. Your main goal are those pyramids!

I climbed …

It is hard to add more to the reviews already here. The pyramids really are an impressive spectacle. Aside from them I really enjoyed the citadel, with its magnificent temple of the Feathered Serpent and also the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl near the Pyramid of the Moon was very worthy of investigation.

We got there fairly early to avoid larger crowds and brighter sun shine, and it worked to an extent. The climb up the Pyramid of the Sun was certainly a lot quieter at nine than it was an hour or so later. However the long hot trek back to gate one started to bring flash backs to our near melting at Volubilis, It was made slightly worse by finding out return buses actually depart from gate two, where we had just walked from. There was a slight improvement in circumstances though as our bus stopped at the metro(bus) station Indio Verdes, which made our trip back to the hotel much easier, and may be of more use for others travelling to/from Mexico City.

A week or so later we got a wonderful view of the pyramids appearing above fields of cacti as we drove in from the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque. In a piece of good timing, shortly before our visit we were able to brush up on our history thanks to an episode of the BBC's Lost Kingdoms of Central America which was devoted to Teotihuacan.

I did enjoy this trip and you could certainly get an …

We spent a good 5 hours exploring this vast WHS. Teotihuacan is a place that you should consider careful planning. Firstly, besides what you may find online, its open on Monday. Secondly, prepare for the sun and purchase water. Thirdly, don't think the Pyramid of the Sun is the only highlight of this huge site. Lastly, arrive early before the buses of tourists and vendors. Despite these realities, the site is so vast the numbers make no difference unless you are hiking up the Pyramid of the Sun after 11am.

The best view of the site, is without a doubt from the Temple of the Moon looking out over the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Sun. Nearby, is a ruined palace site that includes original (& recreated) paintings of this ancient Mesoamerican culture.

I very much enjoyed my time visiting this site, and it should not be missed by anyone who visits Mexico City. On a side note, the Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque is located somewhat near Teotihuacan. At this point I know of no easy way to visit both WHS using public transit in one day. Yet, I am sure this will eventually become a reality.

Seemingly, an inevitable tourist activity when visiting Teotihuacan is hiking the Pyramid of the Sun. The view is certainly special and the climb makes you appreciate the size and labor involved in its construction. If its very busy, consider other views and places to explore, but if you have …

I did not know why I suddenly woke up at 3AM in the morning, maybe because of tequila I drank last night or the sound of mariachi band that still lingered on my head. Since I could not sleep, at 5AM I used the first metro train of that day to Norte bus terminal, and at 6 AM I was the only passenger on the first bus to Teotihuacan, then at 7.15 I was the only one at the third gate of the historic complex and the guard had to ask me to use second gate instead as no one here to sell the ticket! At 7.30 I was the first tourist of that day to be at the second gate, the gate that directly in front of the famous Pyramid of the Sun. The sun was sparklingly shining behind the pyramid and balloons appeared beside the silhouette giant ancient manmade engineering masterpiece. The first image of Teotihuacan really made me happy and full of wonder of its mystery.

I directly walked to the pyramid, crossed the impressive Avenue of the Dead and climbed to the top. It was a great experience to be with this great structure alone, and when I was on the top of the pyramid, the cool breeze of late autumn and the sea of mist making the whole valley of Teotihuacan more unworldly to my eyes. I was on the top of pyramid bathing the ray of light from the sun, until I …

As a Mexican, being at Teotihuacan is a very deep sentiment.

People in charge of the site are doing a good job (yet there is always room for improvement)and we the people need to help too.

I was disappointed to see people on the top of the Sun's pyramid which contributes to its deterioration. I wonder if we even should step on the stairs of the pyramids.

As comparing Teotihucan with Egypt's pyramids, they are different yet they are great gifts of cultures that are remaining us the greatness of the human mind.