Teotihuacan: Private Early Access Tour & Mezcal Tasting

4.96

(571 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

"You guys ready to see the city wake up?" That’s how our guide, Daniel, greeted us in the dark outside our hotel in Roma. I was barely awake myself, but there was something about his energy — or maybe it was just the cool air and empty streets of Mexico City at 6am. The drive out to Teotihuacan was quiet except for Daniel’s stories about his grandmother’s mole recipe and which pyramid used to be his favorite as a kid. I’d seen pictures of the Sun Pyramid a hundred times but seeing it rise out of the mist as we pulled in — honestly, it felt like stumbling into another century. There were only a handful of other people around, mostly workers setting up little stalls. It smelled like earth and dry grass.

We started down the Avenue of the Dead, and Daniel pointed out faded murals I would’ve missed on my own. He explained how obsidian knives were made — he even let me hold a piece at one point (it’s heavier than you’d think). Climbing up the Sun Pyramid took more effort than I’d admit; my legs were burning halfway up but Daniel just grinned and said “slow is sacred.” At the top, it was all wind and silence except for some birds that sounded almost mechanical — I still think about that view sometimes when I’m stuck on the subway back home. The Moon Pyramid looked smaller from up there but somehow more mysterious.

Afterwards we visited this family-run workshop where they showed us how agave turns into thread and then into these wild natural dyes — my hands still smelled faintly sweet from touching the fibers. The mezcal tasting was… let’s say memorable (I tried to say “salud” properly; Daniel laughed). Lunch wasn’t included but he gave us tips for a spot nearby with blue corn tortillas. By then it was getting hot and busier, so being there early really did make all the difference. I didn’t expect to feel so connected to a place that old.