Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone

Teotihuacan spans a roughly 2-square-kilometer archaeological zone in Mexico State, anchored by the Avenue of the Dead, a nearly 2.4-kilometer processional axis connecting the Pyramid of the Moon at its northern end to the Ciudadela complex near the southern entrance. Visitors climb the roughly 65-meter Pyramid of the Sun, the third-largest pyramid in the world by base area, via a steep staircase of more than 240 steps, and can walk around the smaller but steeper Pyramid of the Moon at the avenue's far end. Along the way, the Palace of Quetzalpapálotl preserves carved stone pillars and mural fragments, while the Temple of Quetzalcóatl inside the Ciudadela displays rows of feathered-serpent and rain-god carvings largely intact since the city's peak between roughly 100 and 550 CE. A full visit covering both pyramids and the connecting avenue takes three to five hours on foot across largely shadeless, uneven terrain; many visitors enter at Gate 1 near the Ciudadela and exit near the Pyramid of the Moon, or use the site's shuttle service between gates. The best vantage points are the upper platform of the Pyramid of the Sun for a panorama of the whole valley and the Avenue of the Dead, and the plaza in front of the Pyramid of the Moon looking back toward the Pyramid of the Sun, a classic photo angle especially in the low light of early morning. Crowds build steadily through the morning as tour buses arrive from Mexico City after 9:30-10:00AM, and hot-air balloon operations over the site at sunrise add another wave of early visitors; the site is quietest in the first hour after the 8:00AM opening and again in the final hour before closing. The on-site museum near the Ciudadela houses artifacts recovered from the ruins, including obsidian tools and ceramics, and is included in the general admission ticket.