About two hours north of Mexico City is the archaeological site of Tula, once the capital city of the Toltec Empire. Four basalt statues of Toltec warriors set on the top of a pyramid are the most striking feature for visitors. There is, however, quite a bit to see here, making Tula an enjoyable and highly rated day trip from Mexico City. Easy to achieve yourself, there are also a few options for taking an organised tour, with a group or privately.
- Thomas Dowson
- Last Checked and/or Updated 25 January 2024
- No Comments
- Mexico
Tula Entry Tickets & Guided Tours
Entrance Ticket
- Entry ticket only
- Smartphone tickets accepted
- No audio/live guide
More information and/or book online, or select your visit date and other travel options on the calendar below.
Tula + Tepotzotlán Private Tour
- Entry tickets included
- Pickup/drop off in Mexico City
- Live guide – English/Spanish
More information and/or book online, or select your visit date and other travel options on the calendar below.
Tula + Teotihuacan Day Tour
- Entry tickets + lunch included
- Pickup/drop off in Mexico City
- Live guide – English/Spanish
More information and/or book online, or select your visit date and other travel options on the calendar below.
What Tula lacks in size and grandeur, as at nearby Teotihuacán, it makes up for in charm and atmosphere. Although a relatively small archaeological site, it is situated on a hill overlooking the Tula Valley and the historic town of Tula de Allende (in the Central Mexican state of Hidalgo). The views of the archaeological sites and the surrounding area from the top of one of the pyramids, what was the Temple of Quetzalcóatl, are quite something.
But it is standing amongst the huge, dark basalt statues of Toltec warriors, the so-called Atlanteans, that is truly sensational. Making this one of the must visit sites from Mexico City. Many visitors rave about their visit. If there is one negative comment that is repeated, it is that the site is too small to warrant an entire day. And so not the best use of limited time.
There are other attractions in Tula de Allende, these are detailed below. But perhaps the best tip for visiting Tula is to combine it with another site. Either another pre-Hispanic site such as Teotihuacán, or some of the fascinating colonial towns between Mexico City and Tula de Allende. Tepotzotlán and Querétaro are two very obvious choices, with both towns listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
A Brief History of the Toltec Capital Tula
Chronologically, Tula sits between the fall of Teotihuacán and the rise of Tenochtitlan. As Teotihuacán was starting to decline around 650 AD Tula was only just getting going. People had been living here since about 400 BC, but it was not until 650 AD that we see evidence for a small settlement, 5 km², with modest public buildings. This is what archaeologists have called Tula Chico, or Small Tula.
Visitors can see some remains of Tula Chico. Not much, however, as the remains of this earlier settlement are overlain by Tula Grande. This later settlement, remains of which are seen in the monumental public architecture, started to develop around 900 AD in the power vacuum left by the collapse of Teotihuacán.
Tula reached its peak around 1000 AD, becoming the capital of the Toltec Empire. The city supported a population of an estimated 60,000 people with a further 25,000 in the surrounding area. Tula was the dominant ceremonial centre for an area of at least 1000 km². It was in fact the biggest centre of its time, the city itself measuring some 14 km², but it never reached the size and scale of Teotihuacán.
The history of the site is not well understood, interest in Tula having been overshadowed by other more important and impressive settlements. Early 16th century missionaries found people living here, in a settlement that had already been heavily looted. From what little we do know it seems that Tula was all but abandoned by the mid 12th century. Archaeological evidence suggests the ceremonial centre was destroyed by fire in 1179 AD.
What is There to See at the Archaeological Site of Tula?
Visitors are free to walk around the site by themselves. And even climb the steps to the platform of Pyramid B that has the Toltec warriors.Â
Today, visitors to the archaeological site get to see what was the ceremonial centre of Tula Grande, a smaller area of remains relating to the earlier settlement known as Tula Chico, a site museum and the Guadalupe Mastache Orientation Centre.
At the entrance to the site is the Jorge R. Acosta Museum, named after the archaeologist who first excavated here. The exhibits focus specifically on Tula and its history, with a variety of artefacts and objects recovered from the site, such as pottery, metalwork, jewellery, sculpted stone and human remains. The orientation centre also has a few archaeological artefacts, but the focus here is on explaining the site’s importance within the broader history of Mesoamerica.
The surviving architectural features of Tula Grande include two pyramids, two ballcourts and several large buildings (one with a series of columns and known as the ‘Burned Palace’), a large, central ceremonial plaza that held an estimated 100,000 people. On three sides of the plaza are the remains of meeting halls with over 1000 meters of benches. It is here you can see beautiful carved stone reliefs depicting warriors and others in procession.
The surviving architectural features of Tula Grande include two pyramids, two ballcourts and several large buildings (one with a series of columns and known as the ‘Burned Palace’), a large, central ceremonial plaza that held an estimated 100,000 people. On three sides of the plaza are the remains of meeting halls with over 1000 meters of benches. It is here you can see beautiful carved stone reliefs depicting warriors and others in procession.
Where is Tula in Mexico?
Tula Archaeological Zone is in the town of Tula de Allende, in Hidalgo State of Central Mexico. More specifically, the town is about 75km or 45 miles north of Mexico City. You can see the exact location marked on our interactive map of Mexico that shows the country’s archaeology and history sites and museums.
Of course you will not confuse Mexico’s Tula with the town of the same name in Russia. But Tula is often confused with Tulum in Mexico, a town on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsular with a Mayan archaeological site situated just above the beach.
How to Get to Tula de Allende?
For those who have a rental car, getting to Tula from Mexico City is an easy journey under two hours (of course depending on where you start in the capital): head north on Highway 57 until you reach the exit for Tula de Allende at the 77 km mark. From the highway the archaeological site is well signposted.
Public Transport to Tula de Allende
Taking public transport from Mexico City to Tula is straight forward. There are two regular bus services to Tula from Mexico Terminal Norte bus station. This major bus terminal is at the Autobuses del Norte metro stop on Metro Line 5, the yellow line on maps.
A direct, non-stop service runs every hour. The journey takes an hour and a half and costs about 165 Mexican pesos per person, one way.
For around 20 Mexican pesos less, you have the option of a bus ride that makes a number of stops and takes about 2 hours. This service is much more frequent, every 15 minutes or so.
For the direct service you are able to book a specific date and time of travel. For the cheaper service you can only book a ticket for a specific day/date. Getting on a bus is then subject to availability on that date. As the service runs every 15 minutes, you will not have long to wait. So arrive early at the terminus.
Tickets for both services can be booked online at Ovnibus.
From the bus station in Tula de Allende you can either walk, take a taxi or a bus to the archaeological site. A taxi will cost you about 50 pesos, a bus a lot cheaper – take a bus that goes in the direction of Actopan, Iturbe or Santa Ana. Walking to the site will only take about 25 minutes. Turn right out of the bus station on Avenida 16 de Septiembre, turn right at Avenida 5 de Mayo and walk north to the bridge crossing the Tula River. Cross the bridge, turn right (the site is signposted ‘Zone Arqueologica’) onto Avenida Xochiquetzal and continue uphill to the ticket office (also signposted – Acceso Peatonal, pedestrian access).
For those who wish to combine a trip to Tula with Tepotzotlán, this is easily done with public transport. Tepotzotlán is only a 25 minute bus ride from México Central Norte bus station.
Day Trips to Tula
For those who would prefer a private, guided tour to Tula, that includes travel to Tula with hotel pick up, there are a few options. As Tula is worth seeing but does not take long to visit, day trip itineraries include other major archaeological and historical sites that are between Mexico City and Tula.
The more popular options include:
Tula combined with a trip to Teotihuacán – these include hotel pick up and drop off in Mexico City. Check the following suppliers: GetYourGuide, Viator – Viator also have a tour, a longer day tour, that includes the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City with Tula and Teotihuacán
Tula combined with a trip to Tepotzotlán, where you visit the former Jesuit College of San Francisco Javier, which now houses the National Museum of the Viceroyalty. Check the following suppliers: GetYourGuide, Civitatis, Viator
What Else is There to See in Tula De Allende?
Tula de Allende has its origins in a Spanish monastery, established in the 16th century next to the ancient city. Although the modern day town has relied on the archaeological site for tourism, the area has developed significant industrial activities that make it one of Mexico’s fastest growing cities. Because of the pre-Hispanic and colonial history, visitors often choose to stay a night or two and there are a number of highly rated hotels to suit all budgets. Find a hotel in Tula on Booking.com >>
Most visitors start at the archaeological site of Tula. Once you are finished here, you can visit the ruins of Tula’s first church. At the ticket office you turned left up the hill to the Toltec site. Turning right along a dusty path leads you to ruins of the church. Back in town, the Old Railway Station is used to house a history museum. And in the rock shelters of a nearby hill there is a rock art site you can visit.Â
Catedral De San José De Tula
Originally a convent set up by Franciscans during the Spanish conquest, making this one of the earliest in Mexico. It was elevated from a parish church to a cathedral in 1961. Architecturally with its austere fortress-like appearance, the church is representative of 16th century monasteries in Mexico.
Quetzalcóatl Historical Museum
Across the road from the cathedral and opposite the town’s garden, a building with immense historical significance for locals was turned into a museum in 1998. The museum has both temporary and permanent displays of contemporary art, the archaeology of the Toltecs and local history.
Add Tula to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Mexico you can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your trip. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the Using the Itinerary page.
For more sites and museums in Mexico, see our Mexico Travel Guide.
Tula
At one point the most important city in the Toltec Empire, thanks in part to its strategic location, Tula remains an impressive site which peaked in the 10th century AD, during the Early Postclassic Period. By the 12th century much of Tula was all but abandoned. A few features survive, including the Burned Palace, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Ball Court, although its best known feature are the ‘Atlanteans’, large basalt statues overlooking the city. Tula’s name comes from a Nahuatl term which can mean either ‘city’ or ‘place of reeds’.
Archaeology Travel Writer
