Experiencing the Underworld on a Teotihuacán Tour
By Gillian Boyd Published 7 April 2026
Teotihuacan, ‘the place where men become Gods’, is a great ancient city with pyramids that was discovered and revered by the Aztecs.
The day tour was booked through Airbnb experiences and we were fortunate to have Jane as our guide, who was incredibly knowledgeable thanks to her PhD and her belief that we learn best through games.
We met at a central location in Mexico City near where we were staying for our ultimate 4 day itinerary of Mexico City. We were transported 45km in an air-conditioned mini-bus for about 1 hour northeast out of Mexico City.
Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacán, Mexico
Itinerary Order Switched
At the Teotihuacán site, unfortunately modern technology was failing our study of the ancient world. The computerised tills were not working so all the tickets had to be done by hand. It was going to take a while so our guide Jane, immaculate in crisp white shirt, red lipstick and leather fedora hat switched the itinerary around and we headed off to the caves instead.
Let the Games Commence!
Our guide had devised games to intrigue and entice us while the story of Teotihuacán unfolded. We were given a list of tasks to take part in a quest and there was a prize for the highest scoring couple. Immediately like a dog on alert, Graham stopped slouching, looked straight at Jane and focused on her every word. His competitive streak was wide awake and rearing to go. On the other side of the group, Daniel did the same. Now there was a competition, a rival. Let the games commence!
Cave to experience an Archeological Dig at Teotihuacán, Mexico
Dig like an Archaeologist
Our first challenge in the quest, was to dig in the cave like an archaeologist and points would be awarded for what we uncovered. Our tools were pieces of broken pottery taken from the pile. Luckily, we wore hard hats as I hit my head many times on the jagged ceiling of the cave.
Together we managed to uncover a piece of bone, a clump of roots and five pieces of pottery (three of were painted).
We also found a piece of obsidian which is a naturally occurring volcanic black glass. Bingo! We were top of the leader board on our Teotihuacán Tour.
Experience the Underworld
From this point of jubilant excitement, Jane led us to a different cave where she explained Teotihuacán philosophy. They believed that life began and ended in the underworld. It was not feared, as it was considered a natural cycle of life and death and rebirth, completing a full circle. Everything is cyclical and caves are portals to the underworld.
The Teotihuacán believed you had only two choices to a problem – to solve it or adapt. They visited the underworld by entering a cave, when they wanted to contemplate the problem to solve it or consider how they would adapt to it. The idea of descending into the earth to seek wisdom, commune with ancestors or deities and find answers to important questions was widespread across Mesoamerica.
How it Felt in the Underworld
Now we had the opportunity to experience the Teotihuacán philosophy for ourselves by moving from the bright warm sunshine into the dark, cool cave. A couple of people in the group chose to skip this part.
Jane led us down through a narrow passage into the small cave where we sat down on rough rocks and waited. She asked us to take time to feel the sensations, notice our thoughts and to imagine contemplating a problem here. Then she switched the lights out.
There was total darkness … and silence. Silence like you have never experienced it before. The air was cool, still and scentless. There was nothing to hear, nothing to see, nothing to smell, there was only my thoughts. I sat still and listened to my own breathing.
With absolutely no distractions, this would be a good place to focus on a problem. Experiencing sensory deprivation in the cave was one of the most calming and peaceful things I have ever done. It was so powerful that I felt at one with the world.
Quetzalcoatl Temple in Teotihuacan, Mexico
Where Men Become Gods
At the main archaeological site, Jane led us to the top of the Quetzalcoatl Temple (Feathered Serpent) built in 150-200 CE and looking over the colossal site, she explained the history of this pre-Hispanic city.
The city was built and flourished around 100-500 CE with a population of 100,000 -200,000 by a civilization whose identity is uncertain. We don’t know what they called themselves or why the place was abandoned.
It was found by the Aztecs (Mexica) about 1000 years later. They were so amazed, they named it Teotihuacán which means ‘the place where the gods were created’ in Nahuatl (Aztec language).
Detail on Quetzalcoatl Temple in Teotihuacan, Mexico
Quetzalcoatl Temple and The Citadel
Our guide drew a floor plan in the sand depicting the chambers Of the Quetzalcoatl Temple underneath our feet, how each chamber held treasures but concealed another chamber behind it. On and on, until the most sacred part where men became gods.
She described the rituals and ceremonies, how it was built, what it meant, and how parts were destroyed by modern day officials either not knowing or considering its historical significance.
Take care, when you descend the temple steps onto the Citadel – they’re steep and vertigo inducing! The Citadel is an enormous square, 400m on each side, in which public ceremonies were probably held.
Avenue of the Dead
Spend a couple of hours walking the 2km long, hot and dusty Avenue of the Dead to the Pyramid of the Sun and see how it had all been planned out. Teotihuacán is thought to be cosmologically aligned.
Pyramid of the Sun
The Pyramid of the Sun is Teotihuacan’s biggest structure measuring 225m on each side of the base and 65m high. Built in 1-150 CE, it sits at the centre of the Avenue of the Dead. You are unable to go inside as the construction is solid, with the centre filled with rubble.
Walking the Avenue of the Dead to the Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacán, Mexico
Pyramid of the Moon
At the northern end of the Avenue of the Dead sits the second largest structure, the Pyramid of the Moon built a little later at 100-400 CE with a height of 45m.
How Did They Build It?
Gobsmacked by the feat of engineering before us, we were told the Teotihuacáns did not use the technology of the wheel. We were shocked. For them, the circle was a religious symbol.
How on earth did they get the huge heavy stones to the top without the wheel? They had no draft animals, no horses, oxen or donkeys and so used what was available – human labour.
Carving on Quetzalpapalotl Temple in Teotihuacán, Mexico
Quetzalpapálotl Temple
The most lavishly decorated building in Teothuacán was the Palacio Quetzalpapálotl which is considered the residence of the elite. Its name means ‘beautiful butterfly’ and is so called because of the stone columns that are profusely carved with quetzals (the national bird of Guatemala) and owls. They were painted and had obsidian incrustations.
Happiness
Our guide told us the Teotihuacáns believed you had 365 chances of happiness in your lifetime. As life had a cycle of 52 years, they rebuilt their house on top of the last one every 52 years. Yes, I noticed those numbers are linked to our calendar too. There are no written records of that period, so knowledge is gleaned from murals, carvings, artefacts and probably some guesswork.
The Quest
As we progressed on our Teotihuacán tour, we listened carefully to our guide and completed the questions on the quest. The hardest task was to photograph a living animal. Why? Because the archaeological site was vast and swelteringly hot, consisting only of stone buildings and carvings. It was devoid of shade, gardens, trees or any living animals that we could see. Desperate to win (that competitive streak again) a point, we got creative and photographed some flies buzzing around a smelly rubbish bin – and earned a point.
It’s real! The sun through obsidian
How to Spot Fake Obsidian
Near the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon, vendors offered arts, crafts and souvenirs. The guide explained how obsidian was natural volcanic glass formed from lava cooling rapidly into a black smooth glass.
Obsidian looks like a piece of pure black jet and she explained how to spot real obsidian from a fake. In your hand, obsidian is completely opaque, but if you hold it up to the sun, you can actually see the sun through it. This looked so cool.
Graham managed to photograph this for the quest. Another point in the bag.
Lunch in cave at Teotihuacán, Mexico
Eat Lunch in a Cave
Remember how our itinerary had been switched around because the computerised tills were not working? That meant that lunch was much later than usual so I was relieved when we were taken to the restaurant, La Gruta.
Walking down some carved stone steps for a traditional Mexican lunch of tacos, into a cool dark cave decorated with coloured lights, we stumbled upon a tableau from the Day of the Dead. The contrast was surreal and only heightened when we saw a small spider monkey dressed in a nappy in the restaurant – he was the pet of another customer!
And the Winner Is
After lunch, the answers to the quest and the winners were announced. We came joint second with Daniel and won a prize – an obsidian necklace!
Final Thoughts
Teotihuacán is an important and fascinating archaeological site. It’s so big, you need a whole day to get round it. We were lucky to have such a good guide and storyteller to bring it all to life for us. The hands-on experience of the archaeological dig, the time in the Underworld cave and the quest kept us focussed and interested all day long. Winning the obsidian necklace gave me a wonderful memento of the day to treasure. Just don’t forget your suncream and hat as there is no shade.