Teotihuacán

To tour Teotihuacán is to take a trip back in time, through one of the most mysterious and thought-provoking eras of Mesoamerican history; when stepped pyramids loomed large, carved serpent heads and chimerical creatures decorated the buildings, and cities of 150,000 souls sprung up sporadically between the volcanic ridges of the country’s highland plateaus.

It might be wise to start your day here with a jaunt through the fascinating exhibition rooms of the on-site Teotihuacán Museum, which explore the history of excavations at this totemic site since they first began in the 17th century. Then, join a Teotihuacán tour guide as you enter the iconic Avenue of the Dead, stroll past the elaborate serpent carvings that adorn the Quetzalcoatl Temple, and move north towards the colossal silhouettes of the pyramids of the Moon and Sun—the latter of which is the third-largest of its kind on the planet! Along the way, be prepared to uncover stories of hidden passageways and subterranean halls still being discovered by archaeologists, and unravel the secrets of the pre-Columbian peoples’ obsession with cosmic alignments and otherworldly architecture.