This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase or booking through them, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I took a hot air ballon ride in Teotihuacán with my husband and his family during our Mexico City trip. It was part of a tour that also included breakfast in cave, artisan liquor tasting, and stop at the pyramids. Here’s my honest review of this bucket list worthy experience.
Early Start
We were picked up at 4:30 AM from our Airbnb and drove about an hour to the balloon port. It was freezing at that hour, but the waiting area had hot drinks and snacks. After about an hour, we watched a short safety video and were taken to the launch site at dawn, where we could photograph the balloons being inflated.
Sunrise
Once the balloon was ready, we climbed in and slowly lifted off. There were so many balloons rising at the same time that I can see balloons in all directions! About ten minutes into the flight, the sun began to rise. The orange ball got higher and higher until it gave off a bright white glow. It was a magical moment that was the highlight of the ride and worth getting up early for. We also saw the pyramids in the distance, but because there was almost no wind that morning, we mostly floated around the launch area instead of drifting toward them.
Landing
After about an hour of ride, we descended back to the landing zone. It was a bit scary to be surrounded by cactus farms, but we landed smoothly in the zone. We were then driven back to the waiting area to collect our bags, and took a five-minute drive to the cave for breakfast.
Cave Breakfast
The natural cave was surprisingly large and packed with tables. Our tour included a choice of chilaquiles, eggs, or omelette. I picked chilaquiles with chicken, while my husband and his family ordered beef. While we waited for the main course, we were served coffee, a cold drink, breads, and some fruits. The chilaquiles came quickly and was better than I expected for food in a cave. I finished everything on my plate, and I’m glad I went with chicken since the beef was tough to chew. The cave restaurant turned out to be quite popular since by the time we left, there were a line of people waiting to get in.
Store
After breakfast, we were taken to a store where someone gave us a presentation about maguey and obsidian, and tastings of artisanal liquors. The local drinks were interesting to try, and we were given some time to visit the store.
Pyramids
After the store, our group voted on how long to spend at the pyramids (45 min, 1 hour, 2 hours). We chose 1 hour, which ended up being a bit rushed to visit Pyramid of the Sun and climb Pyramid of the Moon on our own. It also would’ve been nice having a guide so we understood the history and significance of what we were seeing. After the pyramids, we were driven back to our Airbnb around 1PM.
Verdict
I was bummed that our balloon didn’t fly over the pyramids (my fault for not reading the fine print that it wasn’t guaranteed), but watching the sunrise from the air surrounded by dozens of other balloons was still a beautiful experience. Even though we didn’t cover much distance, I preferred this to the balloon ride we took in Napa — the sunrise was more dramatic, and the atmosphere with so many balloons was unforgettable.
Want to see the balloon flight in action? Check out my Instagram reel.
Looking for more things to do in Mexico City? Here are my top 5 favorites!
Leave a Reply