A sunrise Mexico City hot air balloon over Teotihuacán is one of the easiest ways to turn a day trip from CDMX into something unforgettable. I booked a GetYourGuide option that included return transport from Mexico City, the balloon flight, breakfast, Teotihuacán entry and a guided tour of the archaeological site, which meant the entire day was sorted in one booking.
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In this guide, I’ll show you which option to choose, what’s actually included, what the balloon ride is like and whether the full Teotihuacán hot air balloon experience is worth the money.
Want the easiest Mexico City hot air balloon option?
I booked this Teotihuacán hot air balloon experience through GetYourGuide and chose the fuller option so we didn’t have to piece the day together ourselves.
Our experience included:
- 🎈 Hot air balloon flight over Teotihuacán
- 🥂 Post-flight toast + flight certificate
- 🍽️ Breakfast
- 🚐 Roundtrip transport from Mexico City when selected
- 🎟️ Teotihuacán archaeological site entry when selected
- 🗿 Guided tour of Teotihuacán when selected
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Taking a sunrise Mexico City hot air balloon over Teotihuacán was one of those experiences I knew I wanted to do before we even arrived in CDMX.
What I didn’t particularly fancy was sorting a pre-sunrise journey out of Mexico City, finding the right balloon company, working out tickets for Teotihuacán and then trying to organise a decent tour of the archaeological site afterwards.
So we didn’t.
We booked the whole thing through GetYourGuide and chose the option that bundled everything together. We were picked up in Mexico City, taken out to Teotihuacán for the balloon flight, had breakfast afterwards and then got a personal guided tour through the archaeological zone.
It turned what could have been quite a fiddly day trip into one booking.
And yes, floating above the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon as dozens of balloons drift across Teotihuacán is every bit as ridiculous as it looks in the photos.
Mexico City hot air balloon: which option should you book?
If you’re booking a Teotihuacán hot air balloon from Mexico City, this is the bit you really need to pay attention to.
There are cheaper options where you’re essentially paying for the balloon flight, but that wasn’t what I wanted. Teotihuacán is a major part of the experience, so flying over it and then leaving without actually exploring the site seemed like a missed opportunity.
I wanted one booking that took care of the day, and ensured a smooth transition form the city to the ancient site.
The option I would look for includes:
- Roundtrip transportation from Mexico City
- Hot air balloon flight over Teotihuacán
- Entrance to the archaeological zone
- Breakfast
- Post-flight toast and flight certificate
- Guide service inside the archaeological zone
When you book, check the individual option rather than assuming everything is included in the headline price. GetYourGuide currently lists several versions of the experience and specifically warns that they have different inclusions and itineraries.
For me, paying for the fuller option was absolutely the right decision. The balloon was the reason I booked the tour, but having transport and a guide already sorted was probably what made the overall day so good.
Want to keep it simple? This is the Teotihuacán hot air balloon experience I booked through GetYourGuide, with the option to add Mexico City transport, archaeological site entry and a guided tour.
Check prices + availability → New to GetYourGuide? My 9-5 Travel Club members can get my 5% discount code too.Is the Teotihuacán hot air balloon worth doing?
Yes. And I don’t say that because every expensive travel activity automatically gets labelled a “must-do”.
There are plenty that I wouldn’t pay for twice.
I would do this again.
You arrive while it’s still early, see the balloons being prepared around you and then suddenly you’re lifting over the Teotihuacán Valley with balloons dotted in every direction.
The view gets better the higher you go.
You can see the scale of the ancient city in a way that is difficult to appreciate when you’re walking through it later. The Pyramid of the Sun sits beneath you, the Pyramid of the Moon comes into view and the whole archaeological site stretches out across the landscape.
It also doesn’t feel like you’re looking at Teotihuacán from some distant viewpoint. You’re right above it.
If you’ve been searching Mexico City hot air balloon and wondering whether the photos are overselling it, they aren’t.
What happens on the Teotihuacán hot air balloon tour?
Our day started with pickup at our apartment in Mexico City, which immediately removed the part of the experience I was least interested in organising myself.
Teotihuacán isn’t somewhere you want to be figuring out transport to half asleep before sunrise.
Once we reached the balloon site, there was time for the pre-flight briefing while the balloons were being prepared. We had coffee and pastries while everything got ready, then headed out to the basket for the flight itself.
Watching the balloons inflate is part of the experience. There are enormous flashes of flame, baskets being manoeuvred into position and balloons slowly appearing all across the field.
Then you climb in.
There’s no dramatic launch. One minute you’re on the ground and the next you realise the people below you are getting smaller.
That’s when Teotihuacán really starts to appear.
Flying over the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon
This is the moment you’re booking it for.
As the balloon gains height, you begin to see the geometry of Teotihuacán from above. Roads, ruins and pyramids that feel enormous on the ground suddenly fit into one huge view.
And you’re not alone up there.
One of my favourite parts was seeing all of the other balloons around us. Some were below us, others were much higher, and every few minutes another brightly coloured balloon seemed to drift into the shot.
It’s ridiculously photogenic.
The exact route of a hot air balloon isn’t fixed in the same way as a helicopter flight because the balloon moves with the conditions, so every flight will be slightly different. GetYourGuide also advises that flight duration can vary depending on the weather.
That’s worth knowing before you go. You’re booking the experience rather than a guaranteed flight path directly over one particular point.
Read Next: A Perfect Sunday Morning in CDMX: Your Mexico City Weekend Plans
What happens after the hot air balloon lands?
Landing is considerably less elegant than taking off.
Once you’re back on the ground, the crew meets the balloon and everyone climbs out before the traditional post-flight celebration.
Our experience included the toast and a flight certificate, which is a nice little extra considering your camera roll will already have approximately 700 reminders that you did it.
Then came breakfast.
This was another reason I liked booking the more complete tour. At that point you’ve already been awake for hours, travelled out from Mexico City and flown over Teotihuacán. Being taken for breakfast rather than immediately having to work out where to eat was very welcome.
One thing I would check carefully when booking is the exact breakfast inclusion attached to your selected option. GetYourGuide changes and separates tour variations, so rely on the inclusions shown for your date rather than assuming every balloon ticket includes the same extras.
Don’t skip the guided Teotihuacán tour after the hot air balloon ride
This was the part of the package I hadn’t appreciated enough before we went.
Seeing Teotihuacán from a balloon is spectacular. Walking through it afterwards with somebody who can actually explain what you’re looking at is what gives the day some substance.
We had a guide take us around the archaeological site after the flight and it changed the experience completely.
From the air you’re looking at this enormous ancient city.
On the ground you begin noticing the details.
Having somebody explain the history and context while we moved through the site meant we weren’t just taking photos of pyramids and nodding along pretending we knew what everything was.
If you’re already travelling all the way from Mexico City and getting up before sunrise, I would absolutely choose the option that includes entrance and the guided archaeological-site visit.
The current GetYourGuide tour offers archaeological-site entrance and a professional guide on selected versions of the trip.
For me, that’s the version that makes the most sense.
Should you book the sunrise Mexico City hot air balloon with transport?
Unless you specifically want to organise your own early-morning transport to Teotihuacán, yes.
This was probably the easiest decision of the lot.
The flight happens early enough that I had absolutely no desire to turn it into a transport challenge before I’d even had coffee.
With our tour, we were picked up in Mexico City and everything from that point onwards was taken care of.
GetYourGuide also sells versions where you make your own way to the balloon port, so check the wording carefully when comparing prices. The cheaper price isn’t necessarily comparing like with like.
For a short Mexico City trip, I’d rather spend a little more and protect the time.
That’s especially true if you’re doing CDMX around a full-time job and trying to fit as much as possible into four or five days. A 4am transport problem is not the travel hack we’re looking for.
Is GetYourGuide worth using for a Teotihuacán balloon tour?
This is exactly the sort of experience where I like GetYourGuide.
I don’t particularly need an app to help me walk around a neighbourhood or find a taco stand. But when an activity involves an early start, transport outside the city, several different inclusions, tickets and another tour afterwards, having one booking becomes genuinely useful.
Everything for our Teotihuacán day was organised in advance.
There was no separate archaeological ticket to buy, no negotiating transport in the morning and no trying to find a guide once we arrived.
GetYourGuide also currently offers free cancellation up to 24 hours beforehand on the tour we checked, although you should always confirm the conditions shown on your particular booking before paying.
That’s the real reason I’d use it here.
Not because booking every travel experience through one platform is automatically better. This particular day just has enough moving parts that bundling them together makes sense.
For this particular trip, yes. I don’t use GetYourGuide for absolutely everything, but a Teotihuacán balloon day has a lot of moving parts: an early start, transport out of Mexico City, the balloon flight, breakfast, archaeological site tickets and a guide.
Having it all under one booking made the day ridiculously easy. We were picked up in Mexico City, taken straight to the balloon site and then continued on to Teotihuacán afterwards without having to organise anything separately.
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What should you wear for a Teotihuacán hot air balloon?
Dress for the early morning rather than the temperature you’re expecting later in Mexico City.
You’ll be outside before and around sunrise, so layers make life much easier. Once the sun comes up and you’re walking around the archaeological zone later, it can feel very different. I brought my hoody and it was perfect for quickly peeling off when the morning sun got strong.
I’d also wear proper comfortable shoes.
You’re climbing into a balloon basket and potentially spending a few hours walking around Teotihuacán afterwards. This isn’t the day for sandals you’ve already discovered give you blisters after 4,000 steps.
The current tour information also asks guests to bring identification and lists high heels, sandals or flip-flops and large bags among the items that aren’t permitted.
And obviously, charge your phone.
You will use it.
A lot.
How much time should you allow for the Mexico City hot air balloon?
Don’t treat this as a quick balloon ride that you can squeeze into the start of another sightseeing day.
The balloon itself is only one part of the experience.
Once you include travelling from Mexico City, getting ready for the flight, the balloon ride, landing, breakfast and visiting Teotihuacán afterwards, this becomes a substantial day out.
That’s another reason I would book the archaeological-site tour at the same time. You’re already there.
Rather than flying over Teotihuacán, travelling back to CDMX and then realising you need to make a second trip if you actually want to explore it, do both in one go.
The current GetYourGuide listing shows overall durations ranging considerably depending on which option you choose, so check the itinerary attached to your particular ticket.
Mexico City hot air balloon FAQs
Where do the hot air balloons fly near Mexico City?
The famous Mexico City hot air balloon experience takes place at Teotihuacán outside the centre of CDMX. The balloons fly over the Teotihuacán Valley and, depending on conditions, can give you incredible views across the archaeological site and its pyramids.
Can you see the Pyramid of the Sun from the hot air balloon?
Yes. We had brilliant aerial views across Teotihuacán during our flight, including the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon.
The exact path varies because balloon flights depend on weather and wind conditions.
Does the Teotihuacán hot air balloon include transport from Mexico City?
Some tours do and some don’t.
This is one of the most important details to check before booking. We chose an option with roundtrip transportation from Mexico City, which made the early start considerably easier.
Does the hot air balloon ticket include entrance to Teotihuacán?
Not automatically.
GetYourGuide currently offers different versions of the experience, and entrance to the archaeological zone is attached to selected options.
If you want to explore Teotihuacán after your flight, choose an option that explicitly includes the entrance ticket and guide.
Is breakfast included with the Teotihuacán balloon flight?
It depends on the package. Breakfast was part of our experience, but inclusions vary between booking options. Check the individual package before paying rather than assuming the cheapest balloon fare includes it.
How long is the Teotihuacán hot air balloon flight?
Flight length can vary according to conditions. The tour information itself warns that duration can change slightly depending on the weather.
Is the Teotihuacán hot air balloon suitable for everyone?
No. The current GetYourGuide listing has restrictions for several groups, including pregnant travellers, young children and people with certain mobility or health conditions. Check the latest suitability information on the booking page before reserving your place.
Would I book the Teotihuacán hot air balloon again?
Immediately. But I’d book it the same way.
For me, the best Mexico City hot air balloon experience isn’t just the flight. It’s getting collected in CDMX, arriving at Teotihuacán as the balloons are going up, flying over the pyramids, having breakfast and then walking through the ancient city with someone who can explain what you’ve just seen from the sky.
That combination is what made the day.
If you’re comparing options on GetYourGuide, don’t automatically click the cheapest one.
Check for transport from Mexico City, the balloon flight, breakfast, archaeological-site entrance and the guided visit.
That’s the package I’d choose again.
If you’re new to GetYourGuide, join my free 9-5 Travel Club and I’ll send my 5% discount code straight to your inbox.
Send me the 5% discount code →Then use it when booking your Teotihuacán hot air balloon experience through GetYourGuide.
Updated: 18 October 2026
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