Teotihuacan: Hot Air Balloon, Cave Breakfast & CDMX Pickup

4.93

(220 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You’re not going to drop your phone, right?” That’s what I kept telling myself as we drifted up in the hot air balloon, the sun just starting to warm the edge of Teotihuacan’s pyramids. The pilot—can’t remember his name, but he had this calm way of explaining how the wind works—pointed out the Avenue of the Dead below us. I could smell coffee from someone’s thermos mixing with that cold morning air. Honestly, my hands were shaking a little (not just from nerves—maybe excitement too). The view is something I still can’t describe properly; you just have to be there.

After landing (which was smoother than I expected), we got these funny little certificates and toasted with sparkling wine. Then came breakfast inside a cave—La Cueva, they call it. Walking in, it felt cooler and almost damp, but in a comforting way. The walls looked like melted candle wax. I tried chilaquiles for the first time—spicy, crunchy, and somehow perfect after flying. Our guide joked about how people used to hide out here centuries ago; he laughed when I asked if any bats were left (there weren’t).

The craft workshop after breakfast was actually more interesting than I thought it’d be—I watched a woman shape obsidian into something that looked ancient and modern at once. She let me hold one piece; it was heavier than it looked, smooth and cold in my palm. We tasted pulque and tequila (the pulque was… well, let’s say it’s an acquired taste). There was this alley painted with prehispanic murals—bright reds and yellows—and some kids running around pretending to be jaguars.

We finished with a couple hours wandering Teotihuacan itself. Our guide walked us past crowds straight into quieter corners near the Pyramid of the Sun, sharing stories about rituals and old gods. By then it was getting hot; I noticed how everyone started moving slower, taking shade wherever they could find it. On the drive back to CDMX, half our van fell asleep—including me for a bit—which probably says everything about how full the day felt.