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There are very few reasons I would willingly get out of bed at 4 AM, but a hot air balloon flight over the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan was definitely one of them. Leaving our Airbnb in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico while the streets were still dark and quiet, we made our way to the meeting point before continuing by bus toward the Valley of Mexico. By the time we arrived, the first light of dawn was beginning to appear, and the excitement was impossible to hide. The balloon was prepared as we waited for the weather to cooperate, because flying is always at the mercy of the wind. Thankfully, this morning everything was perfect. We climbed into the basket, the burners roared above us and, almost before I had time to think about it, we were rising gently into the sky.

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As the balloon climbed, Teotihuacan slowly revealed itself below us. Seeing the ancient city from the ground is extraordinary, but seeing it from above was something else entirely. The enormous Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon stood prominently along the ancient Avenue of the Dead, surrounded by the vast landscape of the Valley of Mexico. The rising sun painted the sky in soft shades of orange and pink, while the balloon drifted almost silently above the ruins. Now and then, the peaceful silence was broken by the sudden burst of the burner keeping us airborne, but otherwise it felt as though we were floating through a dream. Teotihuacan was already an extraordinary archaeological site, but from this perspective I could finally appreciate its immense scale and the remarkable planning behind the ancient city. Built centuries before the rise of the Aztec Empire and not by the Maya, Teotihuacan remains one of the great mysteries of ancient Mesoamerica, including the unanswered question of exactly why such a powerful city eventually declined and was abandoned.

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After roughly an hour in the air, we began our descent and landed smoothly, where the crew quickly packed away the balloon. A breakfast was waiting for us afterward, which tasted even better after such an early start, and then we continued by minibus for a closer look at the pyramids themselves. That part of the adventure deserves a story of its own, but the balloon flight remains one of my favourite memories of Mexico. There was something incredibly peaceful about drifting above a place built more than two thousand years ago while watching a new day begin over the mountains. It was more than sightseeing—it felt like a moment where the present and the distant past briefly occupied the same space. Teotihuacan is famous for its enormous pyramids, but from the air I also began to appreciate the city beyond those monumental structures: its plazas, residential areas, smaller temples and carefully planned avenues. Looking back, I’m particularly glad I made the effort to wake up before dawn. Some travel experiences demand an early start, and this was certainly one of them. Thanks for joining me on this unforgettable morning above Teotihuacan. As always, the photographs from my journey are my own, watermarked and copyrighted, so please respect the images. Until next adventure…

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