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    Pyramid B of Tula with the Atlantean warrior columns on top, Hidalgo

    Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The stone Atlantes of Tula standing on Pyramid B, Hidalgo

    Photo by User:Luidger, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Row of Toltec warrior columns against a blue sky at Tula, Hidalgo

    Photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Columned hall at the foot of the pyramids of Tula, seen from above, Hidalgo

    Photo by AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    The Atlantes of Tula under the full moon, Hidalgo

    Photo by Secretaría de Cultura Ciudad de México from México, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Archaeological site Tula de Allende, Hidalgo Municipality of Tula de Allende

    Tollan, capital of the Toltecs, where four 4-metre basalt warriors, the Atlantes, still stand on top of Pyramid B.

    From Pachuca: 1 h 10 min by car (85 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Where to stay near Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Hotel Real Catedral Hotel · ★★★ · 880 m from the center Prices Best Western Real Tula Express Hotel · ★★★ · 940 m from the center Prices
    Hotels in Jilotepec Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    A guide brings Zona Arqueológica de Tula to life: look for tours from Jilotepec that include the site and the ride there.

    Tours from Zacatlan Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) · From US$8
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide Tours from Jilotepec

    How to get to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    • From Pachuca: about 1 h 10 min by road (~85 km)
    • 24 km northeast of Jilotepec
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), 1 h 20 min by car to Jilotepec
    Rent a car at NLU Flights to NLU

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Zacatlan, near Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Zacatlán Guided Tour walking through the Center ★ 5.0 (2) 2 h 30 min From US$8

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    The archaeological zone of Tula preserves the ceremonial heart of Tollan-Xicocotitlan, the capital of the Toltecs, on a limestone ridge just north of the modern town of Tula de Allende, about 75 km north of Mexico City. The city rose after the fall of Teotihuacan and was at its height between about 900 and 1150, when it may have covered some 14 square kilometres and housed around 60,000 people, living from farming and from working obsidian. Long after it fell, the Aztecs looked back on the Toltecs as master artisans, and legends tied the city to the ruler Ce Ácatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl.

    The star of the site is Pyramid B, the temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, a five-tiered platform crowned by the Atlantes: four basalt columns over four metres tall carved as warriors with spear-throwers, butterfly-shaped breastplates and sun disks on their backs, which once held up the temple roof. Archaeologist Jorge R. Acosta found them in pieces in a looters' pit in 1941 and reassembled them. Around the pyramid are the Coatepantli, a wall carved with serpents devouring skeletons; the Palacio Quemado, a council hall of columned rooms named for the fire that destroyed the city's centre; a second large pyramid; two ball courts; and a huge plaza lined with colonnades and benches carved with processions of warriors.

    Compared with Teotihuacan or Chichén Itzá the site is small and stark, with little shade, but it holds a key place in the history of central Mexico, as the dominant city between Teotihuacan and the Aztecs. The visit starts at the Jorge R. Acosta site museum, and the ruins sit inside the small Tula National Park, among native mesquite scrub. Many of the finest pieces are in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.

    How to get to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Drive from Pachuca: 1 h 10 min, 85 km

    From Mexico City take federal highway 57 toward Querétaro and exit for Tula de Allende at km 77; the site is at km 2 of the Tula–Tlahuelilpan road. Buses leave Mexico City's Terminal del Norte for Tula's bus station: Ovnibus first class roughly hourly (about 1 hour 40 minutes, around 150 pesos in June 2026) or AVM second class every 15 minutes. From downtown Tula the site is about 10 minutes by local bus (get off on Boulevard Tula at the turnoff) or taxi; the southern pedestrian gate near the Tula River footbridge is often closed, so use the main entrance by the museum.

    24 km northeast of Jilotepec

    Directions from Jilotepec on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Best with a guide Tours to Zona Arqueológica de Tula on Viator With transport and a guide, leaving from nearby towns and cities. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Zona Arqueológica de Tula: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    Open daily, 9 am to 6 pm; last entry at 4:30 pm. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    210 pesos for foreign visitors and 105 pesos for Mexican nationals (INAH category I); Mexican students, teachers and seniors get discounts. Tickets are also sold online at INAH's ticket site. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Start early: the site is exposed with little shade. In summer 2026 INAH held weekly sunrise visits from 13 June to 18 July. INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    Guided tours are among the site's listed services; you can also visit on your own. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide INAH · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    No food, no pets, no smoking and no flash photography. Video or professional photo equipment costs extra. INAH; Wikivoyage · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Zona Arqueológica de Tula: what to see and do

    See the four Atlantes and the carved pillars on top of Pyramid B.
    Study the Coatepantli, the serpent wall with snakes devouring skeletons.
    Walk through the Palacio Quemado and its forest of broken columns and carved benches.
    See the two ball courts and the great central plaza.
    Visit the Jorge R. Acosta site museum at the entrance.
    Look for the warrior processions carved on the benches around the plaza.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Hotel Real Catedral Hotel · ★★★ · 880 m from the center Find on Expedia Best Western Real Tula Express Hotel · ★★★ · 940 m from the center Find on Expedia Casablanca Tula Hotel · ★★★ · 1.1 km from the center Find on Expedia Inn Express Hotel Tula Hotel · ★★ · 650 m from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Andrea Hotel · ★★ · 960 m from the center Find on Expedia Hotel Cuellar Hotel · ★★ · 1.0 km from the center Find on Expedia
    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    A guide brings Zona Arqueológica de Tula to life: look for tours from Jilotepec that include the site and the ride there.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at NLU (Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles)): about 1 h 20 min by road to Jilotepec, then 24 km more to Zona Arqueológica de Tula, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (Felipe Ángeles) (NLU), about 1 h 20 min by road from Jilotepec, the base for Zona Arqueológica de Tula.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Jilotepec: download a map of the way to Zona Arqueológica de Tula before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you. Hotel names from OpenStreetMap.

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    When to go to Zona Arqueológica de Tula cool

    Zona Arqueológica de Tula shares the climate of Jilotepec, 24 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Jilotepec

    Make Jilotepec your base

    Low colonial-style building with a tiled roof and a garden fountain in Jilotepec, Estado de México cool
    Estado de México Jilotepec

    Zona Arqueológica de Tula is an easy trip from Jilotepec, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    All 9 towns and sights around Jilotepec →

    Near Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Lists with Zona Arqueológica de Tula

    Ruins in Hidalgo · 4 Ruins near Jilotepec · 4 Ruins near Villa del Carbón · 11 Ruins near Tepotzotlán · 14 Ruins near Huichapan · 4 Ruins near Aculco · 3 Ruins near Tecozautla · 4

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    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.