I’ve been looking all over the internet for directions on how to get from Mexico City or Mexico City Airport (MEX) to Teotihuacan and there are no clear directions. So I’ve decided to make a clear and concise guide with plenty of pictures if you want to take the cheapest method to the pyramids of Teotihuacan from Mexico City using the bus and subway.
Introduction to Mexico City and Santiago Chile
LAX Airport Air Canada Maple Leaf T2 Star Alliance Lounge
LAX Airport Air France KLM T2 Skyteam Lounge
Aeromexico GDL-MEX 737-800 Business Class
Templo Mayor Mexico City Hotel Review
How to Get to Teotihuacan From Mexico City
The Sights and Sounds of Teotihuacan in Mexico City
The Sights and Sounds of Centro Historico in Mexico City
The Various Eats in Mexico City Part 2
MEX Airport Aeromexico Salon Premier T2 International Lounge
MEX Airport American Express Centurion Club T2 Lounge
Residencial Londres Santiago Hotel Review
The Sights and Sounds of Santiago Chile
The Various Eats in Santiago Chile Part 2
Santiago Airport Delta SkyClub Skyteam Lounge
MEX Airport American Express Centurion Club T1 Landside Lounge
MEX Airport American Airlines Admirals Club T1 Lounge
Alaska Airlines MEX-LAX 737-800 First Class
I took the Mexico City subway for 3 pesos (now 5 pesos) to Terminal Central del Norte also known as the Autobuses del Norte metro station.
Across the street from the metro station is the North Central Bus Terminal where you will need to walk inside the building.
Make a left and walk towards Gate 8 at the end of the hallway and find the bus company called Autobuses Teotihuacan.
The bus fare to the Pyramids (Los Piramides) of Teotihuacan is 80 pesos ($6.16 USD) round-trip or 40 pesos one-way ($3.08 USD) which is pretty cheap. I bought a round-trip bus ticket. Bear in mind that the seating is assigned as noted on your ticket.
The ticket sellers speak English and will direct you to the departure area where the bus leaves for Teotihuacan. You will be subject to a metal detector before boarding the bus.
The journey from Autobuses del Norte bus station to Teotihuacan is about an hour with various roadside pickups along the way. The bus driver picks up vendors who sell food and drink and random people who will play Spanish music on their guitar. It’s all a ploy to make money off tourists sitting in the bus.
The bus stops at the front entrance of Teotihuacan where everyone will need to get off and pay the entrance fee.
The entrance fee is 57 pesos ($4.39 USD) per person.
Hello,
Is it possible, in your opinion, to visit the pyramids while on a 15 hour flight layover?
getting back to the airport the buses run every hour or so as well, right? so total transportation time would be about 3 hours? thanks!
It’s definitely possible on 15 hour flight! The buses run every half hour I believe. Have fun!
Hi Jamison, Thank you for your well detailed info and directions on “How to Get to Teotihuacan From Mexico City”. I’ve been planning my Oaxaca City trip for some time and agonizing if I would have enough time to take a side trip to the Teotthuacan pyramids during my 9 hour lay over. My flight arrives in Mexico City at 12:17pm and departs at 9:08pm. Is this adequate time for a quick visit to the pyramids and do you feel the subway/bus option you detailed will take too much travel time . . . and do they possibly have taxi service there and back and about how much will it cost? Lastly, when does the pyramid close its gates for the day? Thank you in advance for your reply. Michael
No, 9 hours is not enough. If your flight arrives at 12:17pm, figure that you’ll get out of customs by 1:17pm (it can be quite lengthy). You will reach the metro station by 2:17p… bus will take 1 hour, so arrives at 3:30pm … You will need to be at the airport 3 hours before departure, so you’ll need to get to the airport by 6:00pm which means taking a bus that leaves at 5:00pm. That only leaves you with 1 1/2 hours in Teotiuhacan if you follow my method. You can spend more time in Teoithucan if you DON’T check bags, take a taxi to the pyramids and take the bus back which will leave you with at least 4 hours. Best of luck to you.
Thanks for the information.
I could find my way around quite easily and had time to visit the site as I wanted and not go over my very tight budget.
As complement, for thos who want to go to the station in subway I used this:
http://www.metro.df.gob.mx/imagenes/red/redinternet.pdf
Lilou
Hi Jamison! We leave for Mexico City this Tuesday morning. Our flight gets in at 12:00 pm and we have a layover until 11:50 pm (almost 12 hours). Do you think that’s enough time? Also, when checking back into the airport, are there any customs fees that need to be paid?
Thanks again!
Yes, you will have PLENTY of time! There aren’t any departure taxes to be paid at MEX airport. Have a good trip!
Hello…I´m planning a trip to Mexico in October. I´ll be arriving in Mexico City by 1:15 pm and intend to go to Teotihuacan next morning, so I would like to go to the bus staion the same day I arrive to buy the round trip ticket to avoid lines and save time next morning…Is that possible?
Thanks
Yes, you can buy roundtrip tickets in advanced for any date
You mentioned that you took the subway to the autobuses del norte do you know what metrobus line I can take to get there??
Actually you can scratch that question, I figured it out. My new question is where can we stand when we want to head back to the bus station terminal?
Awesome instructions mate, I did this yesterday and everything was pretty much exactly as you described. Ticket prices have gone up slightly (2 pesos) but aside from that, everything was spot on – even the music playing guy and food vendors who got on the bus trying to sell us stuff.
Much appreciated – I speak hardly any Spanish so this was a great help.
Muchas gracias!
James
Thank you James for reading my blog and I’m glad it helped you along the way! You definitely don’t need to speak Spanish in order to experience amazing Mexico City 🙂
I have a 14 hour layover tomorrow and will definitely give this a shot. Thanks for the information!
You’re welcome Stephen! Have fun 🙂
Just got back from Teotihuacan to the airport. Was quite easy once I figured out how to get out of the airport. For any future travelers, I had to take the air train to Terminal 1 to get to the “Metro” from terminal 2. From terminal 1, you have to go outside and walk towards the end all the way to the left to the very end until you see the Metro sign. There aren’t many signs I found that directed me to the metro. Had to ask a couple of folks. Once you find the metro, follow Jamison’s instructions and you’ll be all set. I made it there and back within 6 hours from the airport (spent 3 hours at Teotihuacan and walked it all).
Thanks again Jamison.
Thanks for the airport tips! Yes, if you’re arriving from Terminal 2, take the air train to Terminal 1 to catch the Metro. Once in Terminal 1, go all the way down to the end of Gate 1 and head outside walking towards the metro station. Glad you had a great time at Teotihuacan Stephen!
Man, this is PERFECT!!!
Me, my bro and my nephew HIGHLY appreciate this!
Really, you saved our lives!
– So easy to follow
– Photos helped loads
– Well written
We will never forget this! Thanks!
I’m glad it was helpful for you! I am a very picture oriented person and there was really no other guide, so I had to make one 🙂 Thanks for reading.
Hi Jamison,
Do you know how late the buses run? Or how late the pyramids are open to visit? Our flight arrives in Mexico at 2:30PM and is a 17 hour layover. We were curious if it will be too late to see the pyramids. Thanks!
Regards,
John
I’m not sure how late the buses run, but the pyramids are open until 6pm. I think it will be too late to see the pyramids if you were to take public transportation at 3:00pm. You’ll want to spend at least 3 hours there…
Thanks for the guide! We made the journey today from huipulco and it went smoothly aside from one small hiccup.
you’re welcome – what was the small hiccup you encountered?
This looks very helpful. We are planning a trip to Mexico City in October 2015 and this was on my list of places to visit. This tutorial makes this trip that much easier to take. THANK YOU.
you’re welcome Chris! Have a great time in Mexico City.
hi jamison, we are going next week. i’m staying at the double tree hotel. looks like i can get there on the metrobus – couple qustions… i understand that you have to buy a bus pass for the metrobus do you know if you can get that at any stop or just specific ones. and do you know where to find out which metrobus stop is the autobus del norte. i’ve more or less dialed it down but was hopeing to find out for sure. thanks for your blog
Thanks so much! I am here in Mexico and was wondering how to get there with no tour. :))
Wonderful advice, thank you! I made the trip today and had an amazing time and was able to save a bunch of cash thanks to your post. Much appreciated! 😉
You’re welcome Monique! I’m glad you were able to avoid the expensive tour packages (which I loathe!).
Hi I used your guide today it was very useful and saved me doing a tour! Just thought you might like to update the prices, the buses are now 44 pesos (88 round trip) and the entrance to the site is now 64 pesos (3/6/15)
Thanks, I will update it! Glad you found my guide useful.
Thank you very much for the directions. Very well explained and very useful explanatory pictures. I am heading towards Teotihuacán now!
This is awesome. Thanks, man.
Also, might want to recommend that people bring sunscreen, water and an umbrella (during summer). We needed all three and brought none.
I am arriving at the airport at 3:00 pm and departing again at 12 am. I would like to go to Teotihuacan, but unsure if there will be enough time. Do you suggest taking a taxi there, if it closes at 6pm, and then bus back to airport?
Thank you!
Hey, thx for the info!! It was really useful I get there with no trouble ?
Great & accurate guide. Two things to note:
1. Allocated seat numbers are irrelevant. They’re mostly missing on the bus and nobody takes any notice of them anyway.
2. At Teoltihuacan the bus stops at Puertas 1, 2 & 3. Most people (including us) get off at 1, but 2 is closest to the pyramid of the sun and 3 to the pyramid of the moon. If we were doing the trip again we’d stay on the bus until 3, walk through the site and leave from 1. The earlier in the morning you can do the pyramids the better!
Great,helpful article. I am on the bus to Teotecolan right now and followed your directions to get here!
thanks Thomas! Hope you had fun.
Hi Jamison thank you for the detailed directions on Teotihuacan. I am about to go there the day after tomorrow. One quick question: would you happen to know when the first bus departs from the city? I looked and looked and found conflicting info. Thanks.
thank you so much Jaimeson
Awesome guide. My girlfriend and I used it today, and I’m guessing many others use it all the time. I wanted to let you know that the prices have changed a bit– 44 pesos each way for the bus, and 64 for admission. Also worth noting that neither take credit/debit cards.
Thanks!
Alex
Hi there,
Love the detailed description. We have a 9 hour layover in Mexico City and was thinking of going straight from the airport taking and UberX there to save on time and then take the bus back to downtown. How much time would you spend there?
Flight Arrives: 1:30pm
Depart Airport in UberX: 2:30pm
Arrive Teotihuacan: 3:30pm
Depart Teotihuacan: 5:30pm
Arrive Mexico City: 6:30pm
Metro to Airport: 7pm
Arrive Airport: 8pm
Flight Departs: 10:30pm
Jocelyn
Hi Jocelyn. Did you end up doing the plan you scheduled to teotihuacan? My layover in Mexico city is roughly the same as yours. If so, how much was the UberX?
Thank you very much.
Yes we did and made it there and back no problem. We ended up using Royal Cars and Tours Mexico City and they were fantastic. The driver met us at the airport and drove us straight there and waited for us. It was definitely worth the drive. The total car was only $160 total so there was 4 of us and we split it being $40 usd each which we thought was more than reasonable.
Thanks!! Followed your directions and everything went the same as you described.
January 17th, 2016.
Note: the mens restrooms at the bus station had toilet paper at entrance, and NO toilet seats!! lol Only place that was like that while we were there. Cost 5 Pesos.
The bus ticket now costs 44 pesos and they said we could only buy 1-way. Just bought the other way on the bus.
Entrance Tickets were now 65 pesos.
There are street vendors every 20-50ft in the entire park area. So you don’t have to buy your stuff from the first person. I think there were nicer things in the buildings at, I assume that was Gate 1 where we got off, and could use credit cards there. I’d guess we generally bought items 1/4 of the initial offer. It’s fun battering. They really did follow longer then I thought they would, and they would go really low in price if you kept walking away. Just look at what each has to offer. If you see something you like, ask the cost. then just plan to buy it later so you don’t have to carry it as long. Chances are VERY good you will find it again.
We waited in line that wrapped around the side of the Sun about 2/3 the way which took 30min till it was our groups turn to climb up. This was on a supposed busy Sunday. There were a lot of people, but it wasn’t too bad at all. Don’t forget suntan lotion.
We had an AMAZING time there!!
And the bus worked out great.
Many thanks for such a all inclusive guide. Hope to see more from you.
Thank you for this guide, we probably wouldn’t have tried the bus without your help and we did fine. I’d like to add that the metro stop for the Guadalupe Basilica (la villa-basilica) is near the north bus station stop, so you can easily add that visit. also, the pretty girl who sold me my bus ticket shorted me 100p in my change while smiling at me. she immediately gave it to me when I complained. be careful.
Just got back from Teotihuacan today, having found this guide whilst in Mexico City. Thanks so much for posting it, made things so much easier.
Bus ticket price was 46 each way, and as said above, seat numbers were completely ignored. One slight hiccup… Ticket desk told us to wait in line 7, but after about 10 minutes an attendant asked to check our tickets, and then hurriedly ushered us on to the bus at line 6 instead. This one was going to San Juan, and stopped on the way to let us off at Gate 3, close to the Sun pyramid, rather than being a bus specifically for the pyramids. Perhaps because it was off season (hardly anyone there, and no queues for anything), and they weren’t running any specific Teotihuacan buses? Worked out ok in the end though.
Pick up for this bus was back by gate 3 – this closed first so had to exit via gate 2,take a right and follow the road round. This may be totally different for the dedicated Pyramids buses though.
Hello! Could you tell me when the first bus leaves the city. I only have a short amount of time before my flight at 3pm and wondering if it’s possible to get out there early. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to post these very useful directions and especially helpful photos along the route. I made the trip successfully yesterday. Here are a few updates/comments as of April 18, 2016. The return bus fare is now 92 pesos and the site entrance fee is $65 (I guess we can assume the prices will just keep creeping up). The two women at the Autobuses Teotihuacan desk did not speak English. I was glad when the Brazilian couple behind me helped with interpretation. We were told that return buses can be caught from either Puerta (gate) 2 or 3. Everybody must disembark at Puerta 1 and enter there. The ticket itself says (in English and Spanish) that the return bus is caught at Puerta 2, but I caught it at the road beyond the parking lot outside Puerta 3. There is no signage indicating where to stand to wait, but I confirmed with an English-speaking person that we were in the right spot. The last return bus leaves at 9 pm, but that’s irrelevant, since the site closes at 5 pm.
Thanks again, Jamison.
Thank you for taking the time to post these very useful directions and helpful photos along the route. I made the trip successfully last week. Here are a few updates/comments as of April 18, 2016. The return bus fare is now 92 pesos and the site entrance fee is 65 pesos (I guess we can assume the prices will just keep creeping up). The two staff at the Autobuses Teotihuacan desk did not speak English. I was glad when the Brazilian couple behind me helped with interpretation. We were told that return buses can be caught from either Puerta (gate) 2 or 3. Everybody must disembark at Puerta 1 and enter there. The ticket itself says (in English and Spanish) that the return bus is caught at Puerta 2, but I caught it at the road beyond the parking lot outside Puerta 3. There is no signage indicating where to stand to wait, but I confirmed with an English-speaking person who happened to be there that we were in the right spot. The last return bus leaves at 9 pm, but that’s irrelevant, since the site closes at 5 pm.
Thanks again, Jamison.
I thoght the site closed at 6?