Teotihuacan is an ancient archelogical site that was the centre of an Mayan empire, at one point it was the largest city in the Americas (from 1CE – 500CE). You can fly over the sacred Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon and see these impressive monuments from the sky. It was my first time in an hot air balloon and as we were ascending higher and higher I thought – I don’t think balloons don’t go this high in Australia. I checked and lo and behold, in Australia they usually take you to 1500 ft but these balloons reach heights of 2500 – 3000 ft, so double the height!

My experience

First you witness the sunrise with literal rays of light beams peaking over the horizon, filtering through the fog with the shadows of trees being projected for miles, then when you’re above Teotihuacan, the site is illuminated, softly bathed in glorious honey morning light. As you ascend higher, you start to feel the temperature drop and then before you know it- you are in the clouds. It felt like being on a plane but being able to reach out and touch the clouds, it was something I never realised I wanted to do until I was there, the sky was filled with balloons peeking through clouds, back lit by the sun, I felt like I was in the stratosphere, in a dream where I could fly.

As a person who is scared of heights, I am glad to report it was so steady and smooth the whole way, you couldn’t even tell how far you were climbing until you were in the clouds, all in all, a very calming mesmerising experience. Around $150 USD depending on operator.

Details

Pick up 4.45 AM, can include round trip from CDMX and pick up from certain hostel/hotels. 5 hour round trip including transportation. 30-50 mins balloon ride. Includes buffet breakfast.