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11 things to know before going to Mexico City

Oct 20, 2023 • 8 min read

From dealing with altitude to tipping well, we share local tips on what you should know before traveling to Mexico City © Tais Policanti / Getty Images

With a population of over 21 million people, Mexico City  is a densely packed metropolis with Indigenous origins dating back to the 1300s, when it was called Tenochtitlan.

This beautiful yet chaotic city is my hometown. After a lifetime spent here, CDMX (as it's often referred to) still surprises me with its sense of community and how locals – known as chilangos –  own and enjoy public spaces such as parks and plazas. People-watching is a thing here, and just going out for the sake of walking around and having a late-night snack is a form of social entertainment.

In recent years, Mexico City has become a sought-after destination for travelers seeking to indulge in Mexico's rich culinary heritage, admire the city's stunning architecture, or stroll around the central and most picturesque neighborhoods such as Roma, Polanco, Juárez and Condesa.

Yet, throughout my years as a travel writer and fixer in Mexico , I still hear questions that reflect particular misconceptions about the city. So, here are some answers to help you plan your trip to Mexico City and feel more confident and at ease before boarding the plane.

1. What should I pack for Mexico City?

Mexico City is privileged in the weather department since it enjoys a consistent temperature averaging the low 20°Cs  most of the year . Summer is considered the rainy season. It will likely rain during the evening from late June until mid-October, either a massive 20-minute downpour or just a sprinkle here and there, but rest assured: it will rain. 

Pack a light, waterproof jacket, but skip the umbrella. If you get caught in the rain, street vendors sell umbrellas for 60 pesos on average. Pack comfortable shoes since you might do lots of walking as you explore the city . Bring a button-down shirt or a summery or casual dress if visiting high-end restaurants. Chilangos tend to be dressier and chic when going out.

2. Some restaurants and museums should be booked months in advance

The Mexico City dining  and bar scene is lively and includes some of the best restaurants in North America, and the world. You should book lunch or dinner reservations in advance if you have Pujol or Quintonil on your list of places to eat. 

If traveling to Mexico City with friends or family, it's also worth booking lunch and dinner reservations in advance because it will be harder for sought-after restaurants and bars to accommodate walk-ins of large parties.

Buy tickets to the Frida Kahlo Museum or the Luis Barragan House with plenty of time, and plan the itinerary of your trip around the reservations that are harder to get.

February to early May and September to December are usually the busiest months to visit Mexico City, so plan around that if you prefer to avoid crowds.

3. How long should I stay?

Plan a four- to five-day trip to have enough time to explore the city's most popular neighborhoods and attractions. If you wish to visit Teotihuacan  – an archaeological site located 39km  northeast of Mexico City  – or Xochimilco's Cuemanco ecological area in the southern part of the city, set aside an entire morning for each activity since it can take around 1.5 hours to reach each destination coming from the central areas of the city.

The National Museum of Archaeology and the Chapultepec Castle deserve at least four or five hours of your time. Allow a full day to walk around  Centro Histórico (Mexico City's downtown area), visiting sites such as  Bellas Artes , the Diego Rivera murals , Catedral Metropolitana  and Templo Mayor .

Give yourself some time to experience Mexico City's pace of life. It can be hectic but quiet enough to enjoy a coffee or a cocktail and unwind.

4. How much should I tip and when?

Mexico City is a predominantly working-class city, and there is a lot of economic disparity in the service and hospitality industry. Consider a 15% tip as the standard and even 20% based on the full tab at restaurants, bars and coffee shops or the amount paid for booking experiences and services. 

Service staff at restaurants and bars will ask if you wish to add a tip before swiping your card. On the other hand, if you decide to take a tour or hire a city guide, tip with cash, preferably in pesos. 

Tipping an Uber driver is not common, but if you hire a personal chauffeur throughout your trip, tipping will be expected. If you visit a supermarket and someone assists you in packing your groceries, tip 10 to 15 pesos.

5. Mexico City is not cheap

Several international travelers and remote workers have been called out on social media for posting: "Mexico City is so cheap!". If you earn USD, Euros or GBP, you will find that your income or travel budget goes further in Mexico City than, for example, New York, San Francisco, or London. 

However, Mexico City is not cheap for Mexicans, and the cost of living has risen considerably for locals in the last five years, especially in housing costs due to short-term rentals and Airbnb. Chilangos are generally welcoming and hospitable, but comments from tourists about the lower relative costs in the city are unlikely to be appreciated.

6. Mexican street food is delicious, but not very accommodating

Unfortunately, strict veganism or vegetarianism, gluten intolerance, severe allergies or other religious or cultural-related food restrictions will be hard to accommodate in most places, especially when visiting street food stands. 

Taco stands or quesadilla vendors might cook vegetarian dishes with lard or near animal proteins; some mole and salsas could have peanuts or other nuts. Most local markets have sections where traditional butchery is on full display. If you're a meat-eater, be open to the idea and exercise a degree of flexibility. You might end up trying delicious Mexican food.

When visiting a taco stand, locals might warn you about the spiciness of the salsas, and it might be a bit more spicy than what you are used to. In Spanish, picante means spicy. 

Mexican eateries –  fondas  – cook mostly from scratch and always have a vegetarian dish on the daily menu. Corn tortillas are everywhere in Mexico City, so you will be good to go if your restriction is gluten.

Nowadays, most restaurants are mindful of food restrictions and allergies and might make suggestions based on their current menu. But expect them to keep a dish the same, accommodating your request in the best way possible.

7. How safe is the water?

A good rule of thumb is that you can brush your teeth, but do not swallow any water. Depending on the city borough, the quality and sanitation of the tap water might change. 

Consequently, Mexico City residents drink only filtered or bottled water. Since 2014, Mexico City restaurants have been required by local authorities to serve filtered water to consumers at no extra cost.

Any ice used to prepare drinks, aguas frescas (fruity beverages) and cocktails is made with filtered water. Coffee shops and juice stands prepare beverages with filtered water as well. 

8. What about crime? Is Mexico City safe?

The answer to this question really depends on where you are coming from. Strolling around central neighborhoods like Roma, Polanco, Coyoacán or Condesa is way safer than walking, for example, in certain areas of cities such as San Francisco, Philadelphia, Phoenix, LA, Washington DC or Chicago. In recent years, Mexico City's government has increased security patrols in most areas, and overall, the city is safe. 

As in any major city, be aware of your surroundings and always be mindful of your belongings. Watch out for petty crime and pickpocketing in tourist areas. If you end up in a crowded place like a soccer stadium, a concert or a music festival, keep your valuables close to you. Leave any flashy jewelry or watches at the hotel.

If taking public transportation like the Metro (as the subway system is called) or buses, be aware of pickpockets. Stay away from regular taxis and opt for Uber instead.

There are, for sure, neighborhoods in Mexico City where even residents advise caution, so always refer to local intel if you are planning to explore the outer areas of the city. If an area feels edgy and unsafe, staying away is best.

9. Don't drink alcohol in the streets and avoid weed

Drinking in the streets of Mexico City is illegal. Mexico City is not Tulum , Cancún or Los Cabos. If you get caught by the police drinking alcohol in the streets, you may face a fine or jail time. 

In 2009, the Mexican government adopted legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs  for personal and immediate use. However, it's best to avoid consuming any type of drugs in Mexico to avoid the legal gray matter. 

10. Stay hydrated to help with the altitude

Mexico City sits in a valley in the high Mexican central plateau with an elevation of 2240m. You might notice you are more tired than usual after a day or two of arrival. Drink enough water and stay hydrated at all times. You might also experience that alcohol hits you faster here, and it is all because of the high elevation. 

Luckily, you can find bottles of electrolytes in every OXXO or 7-11 store. Locals call them electrolitos , and once you recognize the bottles, you will catch them everywhere. Electrolitos come in different flavors: coco, lime, strawberry etc, and are great for curing a hangover. 

11. There’s a chance of earthquakes 

Mexico City experiences earthquakes occasionally, and the city and its residents are prepared to handle the situation. Mexico has a sophisticated seismic alarm system that gives up to a 60-second warning before an earthquake hits the city. 

If you hear the alarm, stay calm, don't run, and follow the locals' lead to a safe place to see the earthquake through. Hotels, restaurants, government buildings, apartment buildings, offices and schools follow a safety protocol. 

Mexico City schedules earthquake drills once a year to reinforce first responders' safety measures and allow residents to practice earthquake safety protocols. If you happen to be in Mexico City during an earthquake, staying calm is the most crucial step to staying safe.

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The 27 Best Things to Do in Mexico City

By Scarlett Lindeman

Mexico City is changing rapidly from the influx of foreigners who have recently discovered the city’s infinite charms. There are dozens of new restaurants, parties, and projects that keep the vibrancy of this capital city (with a population of over 22 million) surging while the storied museums, ancient bars, and cultural sites maintain their standing. An intoxicating mix of ancient and new, you could spend a lifetime here and barely scratch the surface. While there's no way you’ll manage to cover all of the must see and dos in one trip, sticking to one neighborhood a day keeps things manageable. No matter how you end up spending your time in Mexico's capital, one thing is for sure—you’ll be scheduling your second trip before your first is even finished.

Read our complete Mexico City travel guide here .

This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Colonia Juárez Arrow

The Juarez neighborhood has evolved in recent years. Once gritty, the area is now teeming with great boutiques, bars, parks, and restaurants like Masala y Maiz, which blends Mexican and Indian cuisines, and Niddo, a sunny corner spot that serves a divine brunch. There are loads of hotspots around the leafy central Plaza Washington: La Rifa for artisanal chocolates, Loose Blues for vinyls and vintage denim, and Elly's for natural wines and handmade pastas.

Luis Barragán House and Studio Arrow

The former home and studio of Pritzker-Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán has been transformed into a museum in Mexico City's Hidalgo District. Architecture and design lovers frequent the estate to study the artist's ingenious use of color, light, shadow, form, and texture. From the street, you'd never guess the personality that lies inside: The stark-gray façade humbly blends in with neighboring homes, but walk to the interior of the estate and you'll find striking walls in a kaleidoscope of bright colors, fountains, and pools.

Gran Hotel Ciudad de México Arrow

Even if you're not staying at this hotel on the Zócalo, it's worth stopping just to see the jaw-dropping interior. The building originally opened as a department store in 1899. Since then, its art nouveau bones have been carefully maintained: The curving staircase is a replica of the one at Paris's Le Bon Marché , and the antique elevator, made of iron and concrete, was the first of its kind in Mexico City. But the pièce de résistance is the incredible Tiffany stained-glass ceiling, imported from France in 1908.

El Moro Churerría Arrow

Early evening is churro time in Mexico City—families, couples, and friends all go out for a taste of sweet fried dough and chocolate. You'll often find lines snaking around the block outside this beloved churrería (churro shop). There are shops in Roma, Centro Historico, Condesa, Polanco, and Cuauhtémoc.   Most have spiffy interiors with blue and white tile, bright lighting, and long communal tables. Watch the cooks dip, fry, and sugar-coat your long, spindly churro, which is paired with hot chocolate in a flavor of your choosing.

Harrison Pierce

María Casbas

CNT Editors

Floating Gardens of Xochimilco Arrow

Drive 40 minutes south of the city and you'll witness the closest approximation to the Valley of Mexico (in which Mexico City lies) before the arrival of the Spanish. The World Heritage Site of Xochimilco, the extensive lake and canal system that once connected most of the settlements in the valley, is an incredible vestige of the area's pre-Hispanic past. Start at the Embarcadero Belem dock to board a colorful gondola -like boat, called a trajinera , and explore the waterways and artificial islands or chinampas .

Palacio Nacional Arrow

Diego Rivera's famous mural The History of Mexico, showcases the Aztec era to the conquest to the Revolution to the development of industry. It's grandiose and captivating, a unique opportunity to learn about Mexico's past. Not to mention it's free: The mural is housed in a distinguished building east of the Zócalo that operates as a government office. Among the office workers milling about, you'll see a mix of local, national, and international tourists who come to be awe-stricken by Rivera’s masterpiece.

Templo Mayor Arrow

Templo Mayor (translation: main temple) was the centerpiece of Tenochtitlán, the ancient Aztec capital, constructed in 1325 in the marshes of Lake Texcoco. The temple was mowed over and replaced by a cathedral during the Spanish conquest in 1521. Today, the hulking stone ruins lie at the heart of Centro Histórico, embedded in the blueprint of downtown. Surrounded by streets and buildings, it is hard to imagine the temples in their original Aztecan glory, but the nicely organized museum helps paint the full picture.

Museo Frida Kahlo Arrow

The museum, also known as "Casa Azul" for its shocking cobalt blue exterior, is where Frida Kahlo was born, raised, lived, and died. Visitors can take in a few paintings by Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera, in addition to other contemporary artists of their era. But perhaps more interesting is the voyeuristic window into their creative world. The home is carefully preserved and maintained; it's easy to image the spaces as they were during Kahlo's time. In addition to their personal effects and domestic materials, the collection of clothes and corsets Frida needed to support her body after her traumatic accident give an intimate look at the artist's daily struggles.

Sculpture Garden at the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo Arrow

Located on the outskirts of Mexico City proper, at the National Autonomous University of Mexico campus, the Sculpture Park is totally off the tourist track. Featuring a range of grand outdoor sculptures, the park is best explored by foot. The sculpture space, which looks like a giant crater, is one the top things to spot. It's built around lava (which can be seen in the center) and has wonderful views from the ledge.

Mercado Jamaica Arrow

The city’s principal flower market offers visitors a fragrant, colorful walk through much of the region’s native flora and fauna, available to be bundled into a bouquet and taken back to your home. Available for your admiration are roses, lilies, daisies, ferns, and violets galore, among other rare and special species. Visit during Dia de Muertos to see trucks carting in pink and orange cempasuchil , or Mexican marigolds, for family members to buy to decorate their ofrendas at home or their loved ones’ graves. Build a bundle to decorate your hotel room with—or better yet, to dry and frame as a memory for when you return home.

Monumento a la Revolución Arrow

This landmark, located in the heart of Mexico City, commemorates the Mexican Revolution and is the largest triumphal arch in the world. The main structure evolved over twenty-five years of stops and starts and a major redesign. It was finished in 1938, to comprise an eclectic blend of art-deco and Mexican socialist realism styles. A visit to the top observation deck only costs 110 pesos ($5) and there's a museum underground. You don't need much time to witness the glory of the monument. Saunter around, gawk at the creative architectural stylings of the structure, and walk under the arches. History nerds may be more interested in the small museum below, but more than anything it's an architecturally significant piece, and the observation deck has great views. If you keep your eyes peeled while exploring around town, you'll most likely catch a glimpse of the monument down a main street—but a quick glimpse isn't enough, and it's worth the quick 15-minute trip to walk underneath it.

Omusubi House Arrow

In a small storefront in Roma Norte, the husband and wife team, Ichiro Kitazawa and Varia Gonzáles Manuel work side-by-side in the miniscule kitchen, cupping steamed rice into palm-sized balls. They will sink sauteed sweet potato into the omusubi which are speckled like confetti with purple and wild rice, a marriage of Mexican ingredients and Japanese technique. They met while working at a Japanese restaurant years back when Mexico City was still called DF, the federal district. He had arrived ten years earlier by way of Osaka, as a hippy backpacker intent on photographing Latin America but fell into cooking; and she, from Puebla. “Omusubi translates to tying up or to bring together” Kitazawa explains, “which is how we wrap the rice”—and a sound metaphor for the forging of connections between their two countries.

Cárcamo de Dolores Arrow

Second or third-time visitors to Mexico City who think they've seen everything will find something new here. This historic but infrequently-visited site was constructed in 1951 as a hydraulic water system connected to the city's main water lines. And while it no longer acts as a municipal water work but rather a museum and cultural landmark, it underscores the city's complicated relationship with water. In the lesser-traveled section of Chapultepec, it is currently under renovation and closed to the public, though the massive Rivera sculpture of the Azteca water god Tlaloc out front can still be admired.

Eat Like a Local Arrow

Eat Like a Local, a Mexico City–based company, runs culinary tours that immerse visitors in the city's vast food scene. Rocio, the guide, has long been a food blogger , and her knowledge about the Mexico City's food scene is totally on point. She's also passionate about connecting tourists with locals, and impacting Mexico City in a positive, sustainable way. There's a set itinerary, but she's flexible—so go on, order another mezcal or pork carnitas, if you like.

Museo Jumex Arrow

Museo Jumex houses one of Latin America's largest private contemporary art collections, which includes works by Andy Warhol, Martin Kippenberger, Cy Twombly, and Damien Hirst. Mediums range from paintings and drawings to light and video installations. The building is as distinctive as the art: British architect David Chipperfield designed the 15,000 square-foot white-concrete cube with a sawtooth top. (Plus the Soumaya Museum is just across the square, so you can feed two birds with one scone.) 

Self-Guided Centro Historico Cantina Crawl Arrow

It's easy to pop around in Centro, hitting up a few cantinas to have a drink or two and to soak up the style of these classic, dive-y spots. The more friends you bring and make, the better. Locals and regulars alike hit the cantinas, which maintain a storied baseline for the drinking culture of Mexico City. Musicians pass through, sorrows are drowned, and gains celebrated. Many cantinas serve food, some better than others, and will often gift snacks and small plates if you consume around three drinks, though each spot has its own rules. Beer and tequila prevail. Simple cocktails, built-in-the-glass rum and cokes, margaritas, sangria, rum, brandy, and mezcal. Some cantinas are known for certain drinks, but craft cocktails this is not.

Lucha Libre at the Arena Coliseo Arrow

A giant venue that hosts sporting and entertainment events, the Arena seats as many as 23,300 spectators. It's best known for hosting Lucha Libre wrestling matches. The stadium is sprawling, and some seats are certainly better than others, depending on how much money you're willing to fork out. If you're here because you're a true Lucha Libre fan, make sure to sit in the front row; if you're here to have a fun night out with friends, the cheap seats will do just fine.

Teotihuacán Arrow

The ancient Mesoamerican pyramids of Teotihuacán, in the Valley of Mexico, once served as the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas. It is thought that during the first millennium A.D. the city had around 125,000 people, including multi-ethnic groups such as the Otomi, Zapotec, Mixtec, Maya, and Nahua. If you have a few days in Mexico City, it's worth the day trip . (Teotihuacán is about an hour outside the city by car.) Leave early in the morning so you can be back in the city by mid-day—and bring sunscreen!

The Centro Zocalo Historico Bodealores   Arrow

The boleadores are dotted around the perimeter of downtown's main square (and almost every other park and plaza in the city) but you'll have a great view of the cathedrals, flagpole, and Palacio Nacional if you get your shoes shined here. Climb up on the elevated perch of the boleador's chair and they will make your boots shine anew. At 50 to 100 pesos ($3 to $6), it's one of the cheapest shoe-shine experiences around. Boleadores are an important part of Mexican street culture and a fixture of pedestrian avenues, a living-breathing mid-century heritage that is not in danger of dying out. But with the proliferation of cheap plastic shoes and mass-market tennis sneakers, "limpiabotes" are a hand-crafted service for giving leather shoes a new life.

Museo Anahuacalli Arrow

Awesome, grand, and out-of-the-way, Anahuacalli is part studio, part museum, and part shrine for Mexican art that Diego Rivera built as an architectural piece uniting past, present, and future to the natural environment. Rivera's personal and expansive collection of pre-Hispanic figurines, carvings, and totems accumulated over a lifetime. The museum itself was constructed around a swath of rocky terrain Rivera and Khalo had purchased for a farm. The main collection features nearly two thousand figurines representing Olmecs, Toltecs, Nahuas, Zapotecs, the people of Teotihuacan, and those of northeastern Mexico as well as Rivera's sketches for murals. There are also temporary exhibits of more modern Mexican artists, with a recent rotation of 30 textural works by Robert Janitz—paintings, large-format sculptures, and an NFT.

Patrick Miller Arrow

From the outside, this dance club looks like dumpy warehouse hidden behind a black gate in Roma Norte. But come on a Friday (the only day it's open), and you'll find a raging party that offers a glimpse of the city's extant disco subculture. An eclectic mix of party-goers show off their moves in dance circles to all kinds of music, from '80s and '90s classics to sub-genres of disco, such as Hi-NRG, Italo, and electro.

Museo Nacional de Antropología Arrow

This massive building in Chapultepec Park is among the city's most famed museums, second only to perhaps the Museo Frida Kahlo . Though the late Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez designed it in 1964, the mammoth building still looks as avant-garde today as it did then. (How exactly does that giant concrete slab float above a pond?) The museum holds the world's largest collection of ancient Mexican artifacts. Some of the most iconic Mesoamerican artifacts discovered to date can be found across 23 rooms. If you want to understand Mexico's history, then a visit here is a must.

Plaza Garibaldi Arrow

Mexico's roving mariachi bands have been found in this plaza, a few blocks north of the Palacio de Bellas Artes , since the mid-1900s. Though the plaza has deteriorated over the years, it's seen a resurgence thanks to a city-driven effort to clean up the neighborhood by installing new sidewalks and street lamps. It's a cultural meeting point of sorts, where travelers can come day or night (though the best time to go is after 11 p.m.), to watch bands solicit bar patrons, cars, and passersby to buy a song .

Torre Latinoamericana Arrow

This 44-story skyscraper, built in 1965, is the tallest building in Centro Histórico . The tower miraculously withstood both the 8.1-magnitude earthquake of 1985 and the 7.1-magnitude quake of September 2017, making it a rare feat of engineering. The Torre defines Mexico City's skyline (much like the Empire State building in New York) and is a useful tool for orienting oneself in downtown. Head to the top-floor observation deck for jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the city, or to the newly renovated bar/restaurant (one floor below), which has equally impressive views and is almost always empty.

Salón San Luis Arrow

The dance floor at this old-school salon, cloaked in red light, comes alive as locals, tourists, and old timers twirl and shuffle to a live band . Try your hand at salsa, merengue, cumbia, and norteña numbers as waiters in crisp whites with black bow ties circle the room serving liquid courage. There's no shame in bad dancing, so try and learn the steps. (The pros might even show you a thing or two.)

Iglesia San Ignacio de Loyola Arrow

A surprisingly tranquil stop in a high-energy city, this infrequently-visited modernist church is tucked away in plain sight in residential Polanco. Designed by famed architect Juan Sordo, it was completed in 1961 and features a sharp triangular structure covered in handmade yellow ceramic tiles. Show up during visiting hours and you can tour the grounds inside and out. Indoors, the Jesuit temple is encased by multi-colored stained glass windows that catch vibrant fractals on sunny days, with an effect almost like being trapped in a kaleidoscope. It's a place of worship and quiet contemplation, yes, but also a haven for architecture nerds.

La Rifa Chocolateria Arrow

Indigenous to Mexico, cacao has been consumed in the country and played an important role in Mesoamerican societies since 19th BCE; La Rifa continues the tradition with a small roaster on-site. There are a handful of tables sprinkled in the tree-shaded plaza out front, optimal perches for spending an hour or two. Ask to see their production in the back and they will most likely give a tour. The main event is sipping chocolates—water-based and closest to how cacao was consumed, pre-Columbian, before the introduction of the Spanish (and thus cows and milk). The front-of-house folks are happy to explain the finer nuances of their roasting process, flavor-profiles, and history of Mexican chocolate.

Ahuehuete Arrow

This six-seat collection room is a distillate library, a stunning space housed in a centuries-old building in one of Mexico City’s oldest neighborhood. The Porfirio Díaz-era bar and backbar were found in a Puebla antique store and are over 100 years old (once you book here , you'll be notified of the exact location) It'll cost you $75 per-person for a six-spirit sampling, light snacks, and water. Inside, there are only six seats and a knowledgable barkeep/tour guide crafting a rich journey for you and your fellow spirit geeks. While tequila and mezcal are some of Mexico's greatest exports, there are dozens of other plant-based spirits like bacanora, sotol, raicilla, and charanda, distilled in micro-batch quantities in rural communities that never make it into commerical circulation—nor are they intended to. The team behind Ahuehuete has been collecting bottles throughout the years, traveling to rural villages to find interesting batches for their private collection.

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36 Hours in Mexico City

By Elisabeth Malkin Updated Nov. 17, 2022

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Few places conjure Mexico City’s mix of vibrant style, outstanding gastronomy, rich history and bustling street life. Post-pandemic, that blend has gone into overdrive, with new museums featuring the sweep of Mexican art, a panoply of restaurants and bars, and an expanding fashion scene that embraces traditional craft. You can shop for leather bags and ponchos, sample local craft beers and join jazz fans for a concert in a cozy club. Amid the buzz, it’s also worth seeking out the secrets of the Historic Center, where travelers can discover hidden murals, explore an ancient market’s warrens and immerse themselves in the city’s layers and incongruities.

Recommendations

• La Merced market is the city’s oldest and an introduction to traditional foods, including toasted insects.
• Mama Rumba is a salsa club for experts and novices alike to dance late into the night.
• Museo Foro Valparaíso is in a magnificent 18th-century palace with a sweeping collection of Mexican art.
• Tetetlán , a cultural center that includes a restaurant, exhibition space, art library and shop, is a place where you could spend hours.
• Almacén Monstruo de Agua is a taproom for a Mexico City craft brewery that makes creative use of local ingredients.
• Meroma is a small restaurant in Roma that offers fresh Mexican ingredients with a twist.
• Vigneron offers a curated wine selection from vineyards in France, Spain, Mexico and Italy.
• Pulquería Las Duelistas is a tiny, raucous bar for sampling pulque, if you dare.
• Tío Pepe is a 150-year-old cantina where the pace slows to a crawl.
• Bósforo is a tiny bar for a crowd that savors mezcal and music.
• Amaya serves Baja-Med cuisine and natural wines.
• Parker & Lenox is a relaxed jazz club and cocktail lounge.
• Jazzatlán Capital is for devoted jazz fans who want to hear music in an intimate setting.
• Francisco Cancino designs women’s clothing in bold shapes and deep colors.
• Cynthia Buttenklepper includes leather ponchos in her full line of women’s clothing.
• Mr Fox sells leather bags and accessories made in Mexico by local craftspeople.
• JPEG ’ s unisex tops offer an irreverent take on Mexican imagery.
• Vera works with artisans to adapt local textile designs.
• Casa Guillermo Tovar de Teresa is a restored early 20th-century mansion filled with Mexican art and antiques.
• The Abelardo L. Rodríguez market is home to some of the city’s best murals, but few people know about them.
• The Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso is a Baroque landmark with murals by José Clemente Orozco and other masters.
• Museo Kaluz offers a private collection of mostly 19th- and 20th-century Mexican paintings.
• Casa Pedregal is one of the private homes designed by the great architect Luis Barragán.
• University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC) is a path-breaking contemporary art museum in a stunning modern building.
• Casa Goliana is an eight-room boutique bed and breakfast in an elegantly restored mansion in Roma Norte. Each room is furnished with local designs. Weekend rates for a double room start at 6,495 pesos, or $333.50.
• Casa de la Luz Hotel Boutique is in a restored colonial palace on a square in the heart of the Historic Center. The 18 rooms feature tiled floors and remnants of the structure’s ancient walls. Doubles from 2,590 pesos.
• Hotel Casa González , in a former grand house opposite the British Embassy in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, has rooms centered around leafy patios. Doubles from about 1,300 pesos.
• Search for a short-term rental in Colonia Roma. Although it’s the city’s trendiest neighborhood, its back streets still evoke the 1970s world captured by the Oscar-winning movie “ Roma ,” particularly in Roma Sur.

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Montreal : Climb a mountain, wander the waterfront and enjoy a smoked-meat sandwich  in a city with a surprise around every corner.

Cartagena: With a limonada de coco in hand, explore two walkable neighborhoods over a weekend  in this coastal Colombian city.

Glasgow:  Take in Gothic architecture, green riverside walks and a global banquet  in Scotland’s largest city.

Chicago:   ​​ Cycle miles of urban trails, tour a restored Frank Lloyd Wright masterwork and catch golden hour  along Lake Michigan.

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Mexico City Travel Guide

Your ultimate guide to mexico city, mexico, mexico city travel guide contents.

Location | Getting There | Where to Stay  |  Things to Do  |  Mexico City Tours  |  Travel Safety  | Mexico City Blogs |  FAQ

mexico city travel guide

Mexico city travel: at a glance.

Mexico City (aka CDMX or DF) is the fifth largest city on Earth, and North America’s biggest (and coolest ) city!

From hip neighborhoods  and Aztec history, to Xochimilco ‘s colorful boats, the amazing Teotihuacan UNESCO World Heritage Site, and of course, delicious tacos , there’s nowhere on Earth quite like Mexico City DF.

🤔 What is CDMX and DF?

You’ll often see Mexico City abbreviated as CDMX. This stands for Ciudad de Mexico en español, which means “Mexico City.”

You may also hear it called “DF,” which is short for  distrito federal , or federal district. 🗣 Note: DF is pronounced day-effay , not dee-eff.

Mexico City DF is about the equivalent of the “DC” in Washington DC. However, Mexico City is both a state and a district in Mexico, unlike Washington DC, which is only a U.S. district.

Mexico City Travel: Know before you go

• ✈️ Airport: Benito Juarez International Airport AKA Mexico City International (code: MEX)

⏰ Time Zone: Central Daylight Time (GMT-5)

• 💰 Currency: Mexican Peso
• 🗣 Language: Spanish, though English is common, and you may even hear some indigenous languages
• 🎫 Mexico Visa: The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa for Mexico — this includes Americans, Canadians, Japanese and most Europeans. Head here to see if you need a Mexico travel visa.
• 🔌 Electricity Socket : You’ll mostly find Type A (two-prong) and Type B (three-prong) — the same as used in the United States. For visitors from other countries, you’ll need this  universal travel adaptor .
• 📲 Mexico SIM Card : Wondering, Do I need a SIM card for Mexico? The answer is yes, every traveler will want a one for the reasons explained in this article all about the best Mexico SIM cards .
• 🚙 Car Rentals : The Mexico rental car process can be a bit daunting, and many people are apprehensive to drive in a foreign country. I get it! Check out this guide to Renting a Car in Mexico for info on the process.

What’s the best time to visit Mexico City?

With its temperate weather, Mexico City is a year-round destination. However, October to April are the ideal months for Mexico City travel because this is the dry season.

It can be cold during the winter nights (think 45°F or 7°C at night from December to February), so some prefer the rainy season of May to September because it’s much warmer.

Where is Mexico City located?

Mexico City is located in Central Mexico — in ( about ) the dead center of the country! It borders seven other states, and makes for a great home base to explore Central Mexico on all these great Mexico City day trips .

Mexico City Map

What state is Mexico City in?

Mexico City is actually its own state — one of the 32 states in Mexico . However, this was a somewhat recent change, and before it became its own state, it was a part of Estado de Mexico (Mexico State).

What’s the best way to get to Mexico City?

The Mexico City Airport is the largest airport in Mexico, and you can find direct flights to Mexico City from many places all over the world.

The easiest, safest and best way to get from Mexico City Airport to your hotel is via private shuttle service , but you can also catch a taxi or Uber, or take the Metro, bus or other public transportation.

🚕💨 Note: If you’re planning to take Uber, make sure you have a Mexico SIM Card so you can call one. Trust me on this, the free Mexico City Airport WiFi is always spotty, so you’ll need data to call your Uber.

Best neighborhoods in Mexico City

Wondering where to stay in Mexico City? The majority of visitors stick to the Roma and Condesa area, or Polanco and Reforma area. These are safe and central neighborhoods, close to many things to do in Mexico City !

The four areas highlighted below are where I recommend all travelers stay, but Coyoacan and Centro Historico (Downtown) are also good options.

Roma & Condesa

From beautiful architecture, pretty parks, walkability, cute cafes, street art, street tacos, and a chill vibe, Roma and Condesa are two of the best Mexico City neighborhoods. These sister neighborhoods are located next to one another. 

Colonia Roma (Rome Colony) consists of Roma Norte  (North Rome) and Roma Sur (South Rome); many prefer Roma Norte, though both are nice. You’ll sometimes see Condesa referred to by its official name,  La Condesa (The Countess).

Polanco & Reforma

While Roma and Condesa have a hip feel, Polanco and Reforma are all about luxury. In fact, Polanco is known as the most posh area in Mexico City, and its main street, Avenida Presidente Masaryk, is called the Rodeo Drive of Mexico City .

Reforma is the name of one of Mexico’s main streets, Avenida Reforma , but also the neighborhood’s name. In Reforma, you’re right next to Chapultepec Park , and surrounded by skyscrapers, upscale hotels, cool street art and more.

Best things to do in Mexico City

Besides all the mouth-watering  Mexico City tacos 🌮 you’re going to want to devour, there are also a good amount of Mexico City day trips just outside of the city to see the beautiful nature, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, colorful colonial cities, pueblos magicos (magic towns), and much more.

Discover some of the Mexico City highlights below ⤵

Xochimilco Boat Cruise

Teotihuacan Pyramids

Chapultepec Park & Castle

Mexico City Museums

Mexico City Day Trips

Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling

Stroll Centro Historico

Eat ( way too many ) Tacos

Grutas de Tolantongo

Best mexico city tours.

Tours in Mexico City are a great way to see the sites and all the surrounding areas — and unless you’re planning to rent a car in Mexico City (I don’t recommend this!) , tours are the best way to get around because transportation costs can add up quickly.

Is Mexico City safe for tourists?

According to experts, you are statistically quite safe while visiting Mexico, including Mexico City. That’s not to say bad things don’t happen in Cancun Mexico City; they do.

As with all big cities, it has good and bad areas. If you stick to these  best neighborhoods in Mexico City , and avoid ones like Tepito and Doctores, you’ll likely be be safe in Mexico City.

Millions of Americans go to Mexico on vacation every year, so if we play the numbers game, the number of incidents is very small… When I’m asked if Mexico is a safe place to go travel on vacation, my response is  yes . —Carlos Barron, FBI Veteran (source:  Forbes )

As with traveling anywhere, you’ll also need to follow general travel safety measures, like not walking home alone at night and staying aware of yourself and surroundings. For an added safety measure, pack these  travel safety items , dress in a way so your Mexico City outfits blend in with the locals, and buy a Mexico SIM card .

Is Mexico City safe for solo travelers?

On a personal note, I lived in Mexico City by myself for one year, and felt quite safe. Now, this wasn’t magic; I made it a priority to stay safe by not walking home alone at night, never drinking too much, etc. Check out my Mexico City Solo Travel Guide for more info on Mexico travel safety for solo female travelers.

What’s the best travel insurance for Mexico?

This is a question I get a lot as a Mexico travel writer and Mexico expat. To determine which Mexico travel insurance is best for you , consider factors like the policy’s total cost, your deductible, the coverage you need, your medical benefits, etc.

🏆 In general, I only ever recommend three companies to purchase Mexico travel insurance from:

• World Nomads — For general travelers and adventure travelers.
• SafetyWing — For general travelers and digital nomads in Mexico.
• Travel Insurance Master — Mexico travel insurance search tool, for those who want to compare policies.
• 👉 Click on any of the links above to get a FREE quote on your policy!

Mexico City Blogs: Learn more about Mexico City travel 🇲🇽

Mexico City Day of the Dead Parade 2024: Ultimate Guide

Mexico City Day of the Dead 2024: Best Things to Do & More

Mexico City to Teotihuacan: 5 Best Ways to Get There in 2024

Mexico city travel: frequently asked questions, can you drink the water in mexico city.

No — Unfiltered Mexico tap water is not safe for human consumption. However, you will need to keep drinking water and to stay extra hydrated, as Mexico is quite close to the Equator. In fact, dehydration is one of the most common ways people get sick in Mexico. So what can you do?

• If you’re renting a Mexico City Airbnb or VRBO with a kitchen, you can boil the water before drinking it.
• You can keep buying bottled water — Though this gets expensive, and is horrible for the planet!
• Use the Water-To-Go Filterable Bottle . This refillable bottle not only keeps you hydrated, but also filters your water so you don’t get sick in Mexico, and is good for the planet ♻️ Get 15% OFF with code SOLO15!

The Water-To-Go Bottle has a built-in, three-stage filtration system that removes 99.9999% of all water-borne contaminants. These include bacteria, microplastics, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals and more. I personally own one, as you can drink Mexico water from any source (even the tap), and be completely safe.

Will I get altitude sickness in Mexico City?

Maybe — Altitude sickness is very random, and can happen to anyone who’s at a high elevation. In case you didn’t know, Mexico City is about 1.5 miles above sea level, a half-mile higher than Denver, Colorado, “The Mile High City.”

For this reason,  everyone  who’s traveling to Mexico City should come prepared. Check out this guide — Mexico City Altitude Sickness: How to Prevent & Treat It .

🧳 Mexico Packing list

Wondering what else you need on your packing list for Mexico? Check out this guide — Ultimate Packing List for Mexico + FREE Checklist Download !

What’s the Mexico City weather like?

Weather-wise, Mexico City has what is known as the Eternal Spring climate, meaning it’s never super hot or super cold — so you really can visit year-round. However, during the Mexico City rainy season from about April to September, it can rain quite a bit.

The best time for Mexico City travel is during the dry season, from about October to April . The summers are nice as well, just with a much higher chance of rain.

• The prettiest time of year in CDMX is from (approx.) February to early-April, when the bright purple jacaranda trees are in bloom!
• This also coincides with the Mexico butterfly migration at the Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary , located in the nearby town of Valle de Bravo . From about November to March, millions (maybe even billions ) of monarchs travel to Mexico from Canada.
• The city hosts the annual Parade of Alebrijes , the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade, and other festivities during the last week in October.

Is Mexico City worth visiting?

Yes — Mexico City CDMX is a unique Mexico destination that so many types of travelers will want to check out.

If you love big cities, you must visit Mexico City — the 5th largest city on Earth! For travelers who love culture, there are three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mexico City, and abut 150 Mexico City museums .

Foodies will also fall in love with Mexico City, famed for both its street food tacos and Michelin Star Mexico City restaurants alike.

How many days do I need in Mexico City?

Mexico City is one of the biggest cities in the world — and the largest city in both Mexico, and all of North America. Realistically, you could spend a whole year there, and never run out of incredible things to do in Mexico City ! For a first time trip, four full days seems to be a sweet spot.

As with all big cities, you’ll want to have a great itinerary in place to make the most of your trip. This 4 Day Mexico City Itinerary takes you neighborhood by neighborhood, so you don’t miss any of the best things to see in Mexico City.

🗣 Mexico Language

Mexico Fun Fact : There’s actually no official language of Mexico!

Spanish is the most widely-spoken, so some mistakenly say Spanish is the official language of Mexico. However, the government actually recognizes 68 national languages, including the Nahuatl Aztec language, and the Maya language.

💰 Mexico Currency

Mexican Peso — Exchange rates vary, but have hovered around $18-21 pesos to $1 USD for about the last decade. You will find some places that take U.S. dollars, but usually at an unfavorable rate, so stick to using pesos in Mexico .

☀️ Mexico Weather

Mexico is a big country — the 7th largest on Earth, in fact! It’s hard to generalize the weather in Mexico, because it will vary greatly by where you’re traveling.

In general, temperatures are mostly mild everywhere all year long, though summers on the coast are hot and humid, and winters in Central and Northern Mexico are on the colder side. Throughout the whole country, the rainy season runs from (about) April through September.

✈️ Mexico Busy Season & Slow Season

• Mexico Busy Season: The busy season in Mexico runs October to March, as this is the dry season and you’ll get the best weather. December is the busiest month for tourism in Mexico.

• Mexico Slow Season : If you don’t mind some rain, you’ll often find the best travel deal during the Mexico slow season of April to September. Do keep in mind that June 1-November 1 is Hurricane Season, and Mexico beaches are all susceptible.

• Mexico Shoulder Season : The shoulder season is that magical time when prices are still low and the weather is good. The Mexico shoulder season is from about mid-October to November and January to early-April.

🧳 Download your FREE Mexico Packing Checklist here!

Check out this Ultimate Packing List for Mexico — so you know what to pack and what NOT to pack for Mexico! This article offers advice on packing for Mexico cities, and packing for a Mexico beach vacation.

Beyond what Mexico outfits and clothing you’ll want to bring, here are a few extra things to consider:

• Filterable Water Bottle: Mexico is close to the Equator, so you’ll need to stay extra hydrated. In fact, dehydration is one of the most common ways people get sick in Mexico.

A filterable, refillable water bottle not only keeps you hydrated, but also filters your water so you don’t get sick in Mexico.

The Water-To-Go Bottle has a built-in, three-stage filtration system that removes 99.9999% of all water-borne contaminants. These include bacteria, microplastics, viruses, heavy metals and chemicals.

• Mexico SIM Card: Want to be able to use your phone in Mexico?! Of course you do! Pick up a TELCEL Mexico SIM card before your trip, and swap it out on the plane while you’re waiting to exit, so you have phone and data service the second you arrive in Mexico.

•  Anti-Hangover Meds: Planning to party hardy?! Make sure you’re not wasting any of your precious travel time with a hangover. Liquid I.V. has about 70,000 reviews on Amazon, and is considered the best defense against a hangover.

•  Sun Hat: No matter if you’re headed to the beach or a city, you’ll want to wear a hat to shield yourself from the strong Mexican sun. This cute sun hat is the perfect stylish and practical accessory for your Mexico vacation.

•   Sunscreen: As you’ll want to reapply a few times throughout the day, a light, Mineral-Based Sunscreen is ideal.

Headed to the beach? Do your part to practice responsible tourism in Mexico by only using an eco-friendly reef safe sunscreen while swimming. You can even ditch the sunscreen altogether and opt for a long sleeve swimsuit (AKA rash guard) instead.

•   Bug Repellent: Mosquitoes are common throughout Mexico — especially on the beaches! REPEL Insect Repellent is an eco-friendly brand that’s DEET-free and plant based, with a pleasant lemon and eucalyptus scent. Don’t want to use a spray? Pick up some Mosquito Repellent Bracelets .

The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa for Mexico — this includes Americans, Canadians, and most Europeans. Head here to see if you need a Mexico travel visa.

🤔 What is the mexico FMM ?

When you go through Customs & Immigration to enter the country, you’ll receive your Forma Migratoria Multiple , or FMM Tourist Card (sometimes listed as FMT). If you’re coming by plane or cruise ship, there is no charge; for those driving across the border, the FMM costs about $30USD.

In most circumstances, all visitors get a 180-day (six month) visa — so you can legally stay up to six months!

🚨 Have your FMM on you at all times

Keep in mind that though it’s called an FMM card , it’s actually just a small piece of paper. Keep your FMM on you at all times in your wallet, as this proves your legal status in Mexico. It’s rare, but if an officer stops you, they can ask to see your FMM.

🎫 Don’t lose your FMM!

You need to have your FMM on you at all times, as proof of your legal status in the country.

Be sure to keep track of your FMM, as you’ll have to give it back to an Immigration officer at the airport, cruise port, or land crossing when you’re leaving the country.

If you lose your FMM, there is a $600 peso ($30 USD) cost to replace it, and some paperwork you’ll need to fill out before you can leave the country.

If you’re flying home, plan to arrive at the airport about one hour earlier than you normally would to do the paperwork and pay the fine.

As this question doesn’t have a yes/no answer ( I wish it did! ), I do my best to answer it in depth in this article, Is Mexico Safe for Travelers Right Now ? However, for the most part, Mexico is actually statistically quite safe for all travelers — including solo travelers.

Check my Solo Female Mexico Travel page for more info.

💃 Mexico solo travel guides

Mexico is a big country, and it has plenty of amazing solo female travel destinations — like the ones featured in this article, Mexico Solo Travel: 20 Safe Destinations for Female Travelers .

In it, you’ll get recommendations of places to visit in Mexico, from solo travelers who have actually been to them.

🎧 solo travel podcasts

• Ep. 34 |  Planning your first Mexico solo trip • Ep. 40 | Tips for safe solo travel in Mexico • Ep. 53 | 30 Solo female travel tips, Pt. 1

To answer the question, Is it safe to drive in Mexico? — YES , it’s considered safe to rent a car and drive in Mexico.

As the country is quite large, road trips are a great way to see a lot in a little time, and especially popular in the Yucatan Peninsula and Baja California Peninsula.

The one caveat to Mexico driving safety is that you’ll be in a foreign country, unfamiliar with their laws and customs. Head here for a complete guide to Renting A Car in Mexico: Everything You Need to Know , where you’ll also get 10 useful Mexico driving tips!

🚙💨 Looking for the best Mexico car rental company? Discover Cars works with both local Mexican companies and international companies to get you the best rates. Not only do I recommend them — I also use them!

As a general rule, you’ll want to know at least a few words of Spanish when visiting anywhere in Mexico. This is both a sign of respect, and will also help you have a better, smoother trip.

If you stick to the more touristic places in Mexico, you should be fine with basic Spanish. For those planning to venture off the beaten path, be advised most people in pueblos  (small towns) speak little to no English.

🗣 Here are some options:

• Brush up on your Spanish: Use a language-learning program like Rocket Spanish , so you’re confident, and conversational, before your trip.
• Download the Google Translate App: For this to work at all times, you’ll need a Mexico SIM card with data — as the app won’t work when you’re off-WiFi.
• Travel with a Mexico phrasebook: This Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook is an Amazon best seller, and a great non-digital language assistant!
• Save this infographic an image on your phone. This way, you have access to these common words, phrases and questions, even when you’re off-WiFi.

25 Mexico City Travel Tips for a First-Time Visitor: Local’s Guide

If you are planning to visit Mexico City for the first time, the Mexico City travel tips contained in this post will help you stay safe and make the most of your vacation.  

You are in good hands here because I have been living in Mexico for the last two years, have travelled the country extensively, and have spent a significant amount of time exploring all the different districts of Mexico City (CDMX).

I understand that Mexico is a place that a lot of people are nervous about travelling to for the first time (I definitely was when I first arrived here). So I have compiled a comprehensive list of Mexico City travel tips that I wish I had had when I first visited. 

Table of Contents

25 Mexico City Travel Tips for a First-Time Visitor 

Spend time exploring the city’s different neighbourhoods .

Mexico City’s various neighbourhoods (“barrios”) are one of the major draws of travelling here. Each one is like a different village in itself, and each one has its own distinctive personality and charm. 

Roma Norte, Roma Sur and Condesa are popular choices among the Digital Nomad and expat crowds and are known for their eclectic boutique stores, quirky coffee shops, craft breweries and colourful street art. Nearby Polanco is an upscale district that could be likened to being Mexico City’s answer to Beverly Hills or New York’s 5th avenue. 

Yet while being home to many luxurious malls and designer stores, Polanco manages to be elegant without being pretentious. There are also lots of great coffee and lunch spots here, with leafy views of Chapultepec Park. 

Coyoacan, while a little out of the way, is another great district that is too frequently overlooked. Coyoacan is to Mexico City what Greenwich Village is to New York. 

Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul is by far the most famous attraction in this area. However, once you arrive and start meandering around Coyoacan’s leafy streets, you will quickly find that the artist’s former home is the tip of the iceberg of what Coyoacan, with its European-style outdoor cafes and independent art galleries, has to offer. 

Know which areas to avoid

One key distinctive difference in exploring Mexico City and other Mexican/Latin American cities is that you have to be mindful of where you are walking and which districts you are venturing into. You cannot mindlessly follow Google Maps as you might on say, a sleepy Greek island. 

The Mexico City districts outlined above are generally very safe. The city centre and the area around Palacio de Bellas Artes are mostly safe, but as you may expect in a very crowded area that is popular with tourists, it is definitely somewhere where you need to watch your bags, as pickpockets do operate in this area.

Mexico City is a place where you can be in one area which is completely safe, and then walk a couple of blocks further down the road and find yourself in a sketchy district where you don’t want to be. 

The Plaza Garibaldi district in the centre is known for its live mariachi performances but it is certainly a little rough around the edges. Absent-mindedly walk a couple of blocks further and you can end up in Tepito, a dangerous market area that is known as a place where criminal groups go to purchase basically anything they need, and fake/stolen goods are sold. 

Iztapalapa, Ciudad Neza, Doctores and La Merced Market are other areas that are best avoided. However, these regions are a little further out of town so it is not the case that you could accidentally wander into them. 

Think carefully about where you want to stay 

Choosing where to stay in Mexico City is an important decision as the location where you base yourself can really impact your trip. You might think that staying as central as possible is the best choice, but the area around the Zocalo and the Palacio de Bellas Artes can be sketchy at night and you likely won’t feel comfortable walking back after going out for dinner. 

Roma Norte and Sur, Condesa, Anzures and Polanco are great areas for first-time travellers. Coyoacan is great if you want something a little quieter and you want to hang out in a creative district loved by artists and writers. 

However, Coyoacan is a bit of a trek from the centre of town and Mexico City traffic is often horrendous, especially at peak times, so you might find it annoying to be spending so much of your trip in transit and stuck in lines of traffic. 

Check which airport you are flying into 

There are now two airports in Mexico City after the Mexican capital’s second airport “Felipe Ángeles International” (NLU) opened in March 2022 to handle the significant overcrowding experienced by the principal airport. Most international and domestic flights generally still fly to the main Mexico City airport (MEX). 

However, it is important to check the airport code when you book your flights so that you can see exactly where you will be arriving. NLU is almost 40km north of Mexico City, while MEX is 16km east. 

If you have a couple of flight options available, scour through them and try and fly into MEX where possible. It will significantly cut down your travel time and overland expenses getting into the city centre. 

Dress appropriately for a Mexican city 

Do check the weather before planning your trip to Mexico City so that you can plan your Mexican packing list accordingly. A lot of people assume that Mexico = constant heat, humidity and sunshine but that is not true of all of Mexico. 

There are so many different climates and geographies encompassed in this vast country and Mexico City is at a much higher altitude than coastal destinations like Cancun, Tulum and Puerto Vallarta so it is generally much cooler. 

During the spring and summer months, it seldom gets hotter than around 77°F-82.4°F (25°C-28°C) here. Temperatures drop in the Fall and in the winter, you are looking at daily averages of around 15°C/59°F so you absolutely need to layer up like an onion and wear a coat at this time. 

I often see online travel guides state that women should wear jeans, not wear skirts, or dress a certain way in Mexican cities and honestly, you should dress however you please and feel comfortable. (Within reason). 

Mexico City is a wonderfully diverse city made up of residents from every race and background from all over the globe. You should feel free to embrace your individual style and sense of expression here. 

That said, I would say that people don’t generally wear flip-flops or beach-style sandals here, even when it is super hot. (Partly due to hygiene concerns in the city, etc). So if you do so, you might find you draw attention to yourself as a tourist. 

Make the most of Mexico City’s museums 

There are tons of great museums in Mexico City and in fact, Mexico City is actually believed to be the city with the most museums in the world. (It is a close competition between Mexico City and London, UK and nobody is 100% certain which snags the title). 

It is believed that there are around 170 museums and over 40 galleries in Mexico. That’s enough to keep you occupied for almost a year! 

It can be overwhelming to know which ones to prioritise and choose but there are a few places that stand out. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “museum person”, you should stop by the National Museum of Anthropology.

This is the most visited museum in Mexico (for good reason) and contains extensive exhibition halls that showcase artefacts belonging to various ancient civilisations that have been excavated from across Mexico. If you enjoy art (or you just want to learn more about Mexican artists and culture), check out the MUAC (University Museum of Contemporary Art) , Museo Tamayo and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. 

Check which days Mexico City’s museums are free

Many Mexico City museums are constantly free to enter (such as the Soumaya Museum and Museo Jumex). 

Others are free on certain days of the week. It is worth checking when and where you can get free admission so that you can plan your itinerary accordingly – especially if you are hoping to stick to a budget. 

This article shares several Mexico City museums which are permanently free. Check the websites of the specific museums that interest you to see which days of the week they are free. 

Many museums offer free entry for children under a certain age and are often free for Mexican nationals on Sundays. 

You cannot drink the tap water

You cannot drink the tap water in Mexico City or anywhere else in Mexico for that matter. Although it is purified at the source, it gets contaminated with bacteria, dirt and other bugs en route to your tap so it isn’t safe to drink.

(Even Mexicans don’t drink it). Drinks and ice in bars and restaurants are always perfectly safe to consume because they are prepared with mineral water and businesses get ice delivered. 

Most hotels will give you 2 complimentary bottles of water for each day of your stay. You can also purchase mineral water from any convenience store or kiosk. 

Book your visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum in advance 

Some Mexico City tourist attractions are so popular that you absolutely need to reserve your place to visit in advance and Frida Kahlo’s house is one of them. Tickets to Casa Azul, the home of the late Mexican icon, often sell out a day in advance and there is always a snaked queue down the street to get inside. 

Book your ticket and timeslot online in advance and then show up 15-20 minutes before your time. If you just rock up at the museum without a ticket reservation, you will be turned away. 

It is honestly a good idea to reserve most tours, museums and attractions in advance here, especially if you are travelling in spring and summer. 

Read up on the earthquake risk 

A scary reality of travelling to Mexico City is acknowledging that the city is in an area with a lot of seismic activity. CDMX was built on an ancient lake bed so the ground here is not the most stable. 

Not to mention, Mexico as a whole is located in a subduction zone where the Cocos oceanic plate and the North American continental plate meet. Don’t terrify yourself worrying about earthquakes but it pays to read up on what to do in the event of one. 

An earthquake could essentially rock Mexico City at any time. On April 3rd 2023, a mild 5.3 magnitude quake rocked the city , and a major earthquake caused many fatalities and injuries in 2017. 

Make time to take day trips out from Mexico City 

Mexico City is such a wonderful, culturally rich city with so much to do and see that you could easily spend weeks here and still feel like you haven’t gotten enough time. And with so much to offer, it can be hard to tear yourself away and see other parts of Mexico if you only have a limited amount of time in the country. 

However, since there are literally dozens of wonderful day trips that you can take from Mexico City to archaeological sites, pueblo magicos , hiking trails and cute towns and villages that you can reach in an hour or two, it would be a shame to confine yourself to just one place. 

Some great suggestions are as per the below. 

• Teotihuacan – An impressive Aztec city known for its grand pyramids
• Xochimilco canals – Take a gondola ride through the canal network while drinking beers and listening to music
• Puebla de Zaragoza – Cultured capital of the state of Puebla
• Cholula – Puebla state pueblo magico home to the world’s largest pyramid
• La Isla de la Muñecas – Creepy island within the Xochimilco canals where a local man decorated the trees with hundreds of dolls to supposedly appease a child ghost
• Tepotzotlán – Pueblo magico known for its handicraft markets and baroque churches 

Carefully plan out your itinerary 

There is so much to see and do in Mexico’s capital that even if you plan a 4-5 day Mexico City itinerary , you won’t be able to fit it all in. Nobody likes to over-plan to the extent that they have a rigid schedule that doesn’t allow them any flexibility or time to relax.

However, it is a good idea to roughly draft out what you want to see and do each day so that you make the most of your time and don’t spend too much time stuck in traffic, going back and forth across town, etc.

Suggested first-time Mexico City itinerary

A suggested (super condensed) four-day itinerary for CMDX is as follows:

• Day one: Have breakfast in Polanco, explore Chapultepec, visit the Anthropology Museum, dinner in an acclaimed CDMX restaurant  
• Day two: Spend the morning visiting Teotihuacan, explore central CDMX, visit Palacio de Belles Artes, stop by Museo Mural Diego Riviera, walk down Av. 5 de Mayo and see the Casa de Los Azulejos. Experience Mexico City by night
• Day three: Spend a day in Coyoacan and visit Frida Kahlo’s house
• Day four: Take a gondola ride at the Xochomlico canals and spend your afternoon admiring the street art and the quirky cafes of Roma and Condesa

Don’t hesitate to use the metro 

A lot of people seem to be afraid of using the metro in Mexico City and assume that it is dangerous. While you definitely need to watch your belongings and be aware of pickpockets, the same could be said of riding the metro in London, Paris, or anywhere else in the world. 

Taking the metro can save you a fair amount of money too. (Ubers are affordable here but if you are taking Ubers multiple times a day, it quickly adds up). 

Pick up a Mexico City Metro card 

Pick up a metro card from a kiosk at any station and top it up with 50-100 pesos or so initially. With a CDMX metro card, you will be able to ride across town for just 5 pesos a journey. 

Avoid the metro at rush hour

The Mexico City metro is the second largest metro network in the Americas (second only to New York) and is used by millions of people every day. While you may not always be able to get a seat, it is usually not overly crowded except at rush hour.

Rush hour is anywhere from around 8 am until 9.30 am, and from around 4 pm until 7 pm. When people are on their daily commute (like in any city), people are often crammed in carriages like sardines at this time. 

Use Uber to get around safely 

Uber and other domestic Mexican ridesharing apps like Didi and Indrive are the most popular ways for Mexicans to get around. In Mexico City, Uber is considered safer than using street cabs which might come as a surprise. 

However, with the app, you can see a driver’s past references, rating and driver and vehicle information which you simply cannot see if you hail random taxis. Since scams and even “express kidnappings” (where a tourist is held at knifepoint and forced to hold over valuables) are problems in Mexico, you should always use Uber here and never jump into a random taxi. 

Spend an afternoon in Chapultepec Park 

Chapultepec Park is a gorgeous leafy green space in the heart of Mexico City that offers a welcome respite from the concrete jungle. Chapultepec is actually twice the size of New York Central Park and it is so full of attractions and activities, that you really could dedicate an entire day to exploring it. 

The Museum of Anthropology should be your first stop. Sometimes, you will catch “Danza de los Voladores” performers in the little plaza just outside it. 

Browse through the street stalls selling all manner of snacks, artisanal goods and bric-a-brac, walk along the length of Chapultepec Lake, and stop by the 18th-century Chapultepec castle. This is the only castle in North America to have housed royalty.

Mexican Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota lived here from 1864 until Maximilian’s death three years later. You should buy tickets to the palace online in advance to save waiting if you can. 

Try to spend at least five days in town if you can 

4 or 5 days is a good amount of time for a first visit to Mexico City. You will still have an ultra-jam-packed schedule, but it is enough time to experience the different neighbourhoods, the key museums, and a couple of the highly-rated restaurants that the city has to offer. 

If you dedicate only 2-3 days to Mexico City, you will be rushing around too much and you will find that you have to chop things out of your schedule. If you can spend a week in Mexico City, you can also do a couple of day trips to the villages and archaeological sites nearby. 

Use your common sense safety-wise 

When I visited Mexico City for the first time, even my Mexican friends in the Yucatan were a little concerned about it because historically, the city hasn’t been considered the safest place in the world. Mexico City can be safe , even for solo female travellers, provided you use your common sense. 

Choose to stay in one of the areas recommended above, never walk alone at night (take an Uber instead), be mindful of which areas you are walking into, purchase a theft-proof backpack/money belt, and be aware of your surroundings. 

A lot of this is common sense wherever you go. When you arrive in Mexico City, you might be surprised by just how comfortable you feel here. 

Be mindful of your budget 

Mexico is not necessarily as cheap as people seem to assume. This is particularly true of Mexico City and in tourist destinations like Cancun, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. 

You should expect to pay between 100 and 250 pesos for a meal out in neighbourhoods like Coyoacan, Roma and Condesa.

In chic cocktail bars and rooftop bars, a cocktail can cost well over 100 pesos too. For a mid-range budget, you can easily find an Airbnb in Condesa or Coyoacan for less than $50 USD a night, while more upscale hotel rooms and suites close to Chapultepec and Polanco tend to start from around $100 USD. 

You can definitely find dorm beds in centrally-located hostels for as little as $10-$15 a night, and you can save a lot of money if you choose to cook for yourself, eat street food, or seek out cocina economicas. Just don’t assume Mexico is Southeast Asia-level dirt cheap because you will be in for a surprise. 

The admission prices for most museums tend to be between $5 and $15 but of course, many are also free. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment with street food 

People often associate street food with getting sick and being a victim of Montezuma’s revenge but that isnt always the case. (I have been living in Mexico for 2 years and have only been sick twice, and I already have IBS and stomach problems). 

Frankly, if you don’t experiment with the street food in Mexico, you are missing out on a huge part of the experience. Just use your common sense when choosing a tiangui or market to eat from. 

Choose places where there are lots of locals dining or waiting to be served and never eat anywhere where the food looks like it has been left out a while. Some of the best places to sample street food eats in Mexico City are: 

• Mercado La Merced – Mexico City’s largest market, which dates back to 1936 
• Mercado de San Juan – Great for exotic types of meat, burgers and steaks
• Medellin Market – Flavors from Colombia and wider Latin America
• Sullivan market – great for tacos, pambazo bread and antojitos

Consider taking an organised tour to get your bearings 

Taking an organised tour is a great way to get your bearings in any new city and the same rings true of Mexico City – especially if you are nervous about exploring Mexico. Better still, exploring with a local means that you have a Mexico City “expert” on hand to help you find places you never would have discovered independently. 

A number of local companies offer free (tip-based) walking tours. This free tour runs every day of the week and leads tourists to non-touristy parts of the city. 

You can also find a lot of great tour options via Viator and Get Your Guide. 

Enjoy Mexico City’s social scene 

If you are travelling to Mexico City solo like I did (or even if you aren’t and you just want to meet new people), you will be pleased to hear that it is very easy to meet fellow travellers, expats and locals. 

There are a lot of Facebook groups which are very active and where you can simply create a post introducing yourself, and see who wants to hang out/grab coffee, etc. 

Many often organise events and a lot of these groups also have their own Whatsapp chats where you can make plans with other people with similar interests. 

Some good ones to add to your radar are summarised below:

• Foreigners in Mexico City
• Foreigners & Expats in Mexico City (CDMX)
• Foodies in Mexico City (CMDX)
• Women in CDMX (Mexico City)
• Hiking in Mexico City 

Managing your money in Mexico 

It is always a good idea to exchange a small amount of money for Mexican pesos before your trip. 

However, rather than carrying wads of cash, just take a couple of hundred dollars worth or so and then withdraw more at an ATM when you arrive. 

It is a good idea to open a borderless bank account with Revolut, Charles Schwab or Wise. That way, you will not be charged foreign conversion fees.

You may need to pick up a Mexican SIM card 

If you have a US or Canadian phone plan, it may include calls and data coverage for Mexico so do check before you travel. However, if you are travelling to Mexico from further afield (UK, Europe, etc), it pays to pick up a Mexican sim card so that you can stay connected. 

Not all bars, restaurants, etc have free wifi here. While it is nice to disconnect when you travel, don’t underestimate how useful it is to be able to check directions on a map, search recommendations, etc. 

There are a couple of different network providers in Mexico but I would recommend Telcel. You can pick up a sim card from any Oxxo convenience store and you are looking at around 200 pesos for a 30-day “paquetes amigos” plan with unlimited social media use, texts and calls, and a generous amount of data

Final thoughts on these Mexico City travel tips

I hope that you find these Mexico City travel tips useful! I have been living in Merida in the Yucatan for the last couple of years and after travelling to 13 Mexican states and dozens of cities, Mexico City is one of my favourite places in the country by a mile. 

After your trip, I am sure that it will be one of yours too. Stay safe and have a wonderful time in Mexico!

If you need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! Buen Viaje! Melissa xo 

Melissa Douglas

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Explore Mexico City

Plan your trip to mexico city: best of mexico city tourism.

Travel Advice

Discover the best of mexico with meliá.

Essential Mexico City

Where to stay

Where to eat

How to spend 3 days in Mexico City

Exploring Mexico City’s design scene

Browse collections

Mexico city on a dime.

If you’re feeling fancy-ish

Street-art spotting

Nighttime adventures

Flavor-packed food tours

For the love of Frida

Design-lover’s dream

The sounds of the city

Gardens and greenery

At the mercado

More Latin American cultural capitals

Mexico City Travel Guide

Travelers' pro tips or experiencing mexico city.

Avoid rush hours. Leave your hotel after 9:15 am and remember that after 5 - 5:30, until around 8:00 pm, traffic gets quite complicated. Especially on Fridays.

Our kids loved Mexico! Every restaurant is child-friendly. Just avoid taking the kids out for a late dinner.

The variety and quantity of available street-eats can be overwhelming. Most food stands will have a big menu to choose from and a short wait to get your food. Small eateries are usually family-owned and run a 'menu corrido,' an inexpensive fixed menu that usually includes a juice of the day, two or three courses, and dessert.

Lucero Lizbeth I

In Mexico City, a place of beautiful castles, great houses, stately palaces, and spiritual sites, you can find incredible stories about Mexican history and how it has informed modern times. The Mexico of today is a compilation of the cultural influences of the pre-Hispanic period, the Spanish conquest, independence, and the revolution. These influences can be seen in the architecture, design, art, music, and food.

Mexico City offers a host of diverse and exciting possibilities for shopping, from artisanal artifacts at 'La Ciudadela,' to modern local fashion finds in the cool neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma, all the way to upscale and exclusive designer items on Masaryk. Not to mention the local foods you can sample while you're out and about!

My primary reason for visiting was the historical sites and food. I had a few life-changing experiences while in Mexico City. It will always have a special place in my heart! Viva Mexico!

What is the best way to get there?

Mexico City is served by Benito Juarez International Airport, best known as Mexico City International airport.

Mexico City has four long-distance bus terminals that serve the north, east, south, and west parts of the capital. ADO, Autovias, and Primera Plus service destinations throughout Mexico.

Do I need a visa?

If you’re visiting Mexico City from overseas, see if you need a visa using  this website .

When is the best time to visit?

Summer: Summer is one of the nicest times to visit. December is very bad for traffic till the holidays when the city is empty but many places close. Mexico City is a good year-round destination. Other than late April / early May, it never gets really hot and things always cool down later. Weather is never too cold - a sweater will suffice even on the worst morning in January as it will warm later. There is always something going on — just avoid Easter week and Christmas week as too many places close down.

For more information on Mexico City’s weather and when to go, check out some tips  here .

Mexico City’s comprehensive metro system has 195 stations spread across 14 lines; its a cost-effective and convenient way to avoid traffic above ground. For more information on routes, see here .

There are three main types of buses in Mexico City: Pesero, Metrobus, and Trolebus. Buses run from early morning until late night, after which you’ll need to take a taxi.

Though Mexico City doesn’t have a dedicated cycle route, bikes are available to hire for free from a kiosk on the west side of Catedral Metropolitana.

taxis and rideshare

Taxis in Mexico City are generally inexpensive and easy to flag down on the street—ensure that you only use registered cabs that display a sticker in the front window. Rideshare apps such as Uber are available.

On the ground

What is the timezone.

Central Standard Time (GMT-6).

What are the voltage/plug types?

The standard voltage in Mexico City is 127V and the standard frequency is 60Hz. There are two associated plug types: type A with two flat parallel pins and type B with two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin.

What is the currency?

Mexico peso (MXN).

Are ATMs readily accessible?

Are credit cards widely accepted, is it easy to find a bank, how much do i tip.

10-20 pesos per drink

10-20 pesos per bag

Taxis/rideshare

Not expected unless extra service is provided

Are there local customs I should know?

The federal legal age for buying and drinking alcohol is 18 years old.

Walk to the right of the sidewalk and step off to the side of the sidewalk if you want to stop to check your phone, look up directions, or want to take in a view.

Always greet people

An informal greeting in Spanish—“hola”—is always appreciated — this includes shop attendants, wait staff, hotel staff, drivers.

• Gran Hotel Ciudad De Mexico
• Sofitel Mexico City Reforma
• Hotel Historico Central
• Zócalo Central
• Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City
• Balcón del Zocalo
• Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
• Museo Nacional de Antropologia
• Chapultepec Castle
• Palacio de Bellas Artes
• Full-Day Tour Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo
• Xochimilco, Coyoacán & Frida Kahlo Museum
• Teotihuacan, Guadalupe Shrine, Tlatelolco & Tequila Tasting Tour
• Tickets to the Frida Kahlo Museum
• Teotihuacan Early Access tour with Tequila Tasting

• Work With Us

The Ultimate Mexico City Travel Guide (51 Best Things to Do and See)

Written by Becca

Updated on April 26th, 2024

Dreaming of how to explore Mexico City during your trip or long weekend? The best way to see Mexico City is through the famous sights and off the beaten path alternative experiences.

This article may contain affiliate links. We earn a small commissions when you purchase via those links — and it's free for you. It's only us (Becca & Dan) working on this website, so we value your support! Read our privacy policy and learn more about us .

Posted in Mexico

Things to Do in Mexico City

• Sinagoga Justo Sierra
• Mercado San Juan
• Mercado De Artesanías La Ciudadela
• Barrio Chino
• Cantina El Tio Pepe
• Alameda Central
• Palacio Bellas Artes
• SEARS (Finca Don Porfirio Cafe, to be specific)
• Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)

Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana)

• Museo del Estanquillo
• Casa de los Azulejos
• Museo de Arte Popular
• Terraza Catedral
• Templo Mayor
• Calle Regina
• Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)
• Mercado de Coyoacán
• Cafe Avellaneda
• Mercado de Comida, Coyoacán
• Parroquia San Juan Bautista
• Parque Centenario & Jardín Centenario
• Cineteca Nacional
• Create Your Own Coffee shop Tour
• Mercado Roma
• Parque México
• Parque España
• Avenida Alvaro Obregón
• Avenida Ámsterdam
• Nevería Roxy
• Cafe Péndulo
• Bosque de Chapultepec
• Museo de Arte Moderno
• Museo Nacional de Antropologia
• Castillo de Chapultepec
• Jardín Botánico del Bosque de Chapultepec
• Museo Soumaya
• Avenida Horacio
• Antara Fashion Hall & Cinepolis VIP

Biblioteca Vasconcelos

• Mercado de Lagunilla
• Our favorite Mexico City Food Tour
• Lucha Libre
• Xochimilco Canal Boating
• Teotihuacán Ancient Pyramids
• Selina Hostel & Selina CoWork
• The Red Tree House
• Four Seasons Mexico City
• Hotel Condesa DF
• The Mexico City Metro

Introduction to what to do in Mexico City

Mexico City is undoubtedly overwhelming. You can choose to explore Mexico City with a food tour , by its bar scene and through its food and amazing tacos .

Luckily for travelers, the sights can be broken down into several main areas that can be explored on foot. Exploring Mexico City should include cultural and historic sites, present-day trendy (and safe) neighborhoods , museums and of course, FOOD!

Scattered throughout the neighborhoods are some very nice parks and plazas as well. We’ve noted which ones should not be missed and which have sights of their own inside of their boundaries.

For a long weekend or three-day trip, we recommend spending a full day walking in Condesa and Roma, followed by an afternoon in Coyoacán.

A second full day should be spent in Mexico City’s historic downtown area, getting your fill of the hustle and bustle, the history, cultural places of interest and seeing markets.

If you have a third full day, we recommend taking a day trip to Teotihuacán and/or doing a hot air balloon experience to see the pyramids from above.

So, how do I get up in a hot air balloon at Teotihuacan?

If you're not afraid of heights, grab a spot in a hot air balloon tour for an unforgettable sunrise.

If you have additional days or a week, you can take short trips to the surrounding pueblos like Tepoztlán, Puebla or Cholula. If you don’t want to leave the city, that’s no problem!

We’ve listed heaps of attractions in the main neighborhoods , and you can always opt for a food tour, walking tour or relaxing day to enjoy the cafe scene . Don’t forget to throw in a rooftop bar from our list when the weather is nice!

Get your walking shoes on and brush up on your Spanish , as Mexico City is a great city for any type of traveler!

Looking for new proven ways to save money on flights and airfare to Mexico? The easy solution is to sign up for Going , the leading way to find flight deals and mistake fares, directly to your inbox. Use HALFHALF20 to get 20% off!

Things to do in Mexico City’s Historic Center & Downtown

Sinagoga justo sierra.

Possibly one of the more surprise sights that we saw in our final days in Mexico City, the Sinagoga Justo Sierra is a beautifully-restored historic synagogue that was originally built in 1941. This was the original center of community for Mexico City’s Ashkenaz (Eastern European) Jewish immigrant population, and it was here that they celebrated Bar Mitzvot, weddings and other joyous occasions.

The synagogue was restored to its current splendor between 2008 and 2009. What’s interesting is that from the outside of the street, you’d never know there was a white building reminiscent of Israel behind the large wooden doors from the street. This was a great place to visit for an afternoon. Visiting hours close daily at 5 pm. Admission is free and donations are accepted.

Mercado San Juan

There are lots of “Mercados San Juan” in Mexico City, but the biggest one of all is in the heart of downtown Centro near Chinatown. Go here for everything produce-related and also for its gastronomic section, where you can order a ceviche from seafood vendors and have some sit-down service, or try some wines and cheeses in the Italian-themed vendors.

Mercado De Artesanías La Ciudadela

This market is where you go to pick up your huaraches, Day of the Dead-themed trinkets, beaded jewelry, woven clothing items, dolls, candles and anything that qualifies as a craft. Bargaining is welcome.

Barrio Chino

Mexico City’s Barrio Chino (Chinatown) has been minimized down to really only two or three city blocks. Don’t worry, though - you can get fortune ‘galletas’ (cookies), Chinese food at some of the eateries like Hong King and get ‘pan chino’ (bao) on the street for a few Pesos.

Cantina El Tio Pepe

Cantina El Tío Pepe is one of the bars we feature in our CDMX bar guide , but it’s more than a bar. It ironically nearly became like our neighborhood bar, even though we didn’t live in the ‘neighborhood’ (the neighborhood being Centro) until having been in CDMX for an entire month.

This historic cantina is no-frills and the waitstaff are friendly. They’ll tell you a bit of history about the place if you ask (in Spanish). Drinks are no-nonsense, and the menu comes in a dual-column spreadsheet type of format. Where else can you throw back a shot or a beer at a place that’s been in business since the 1870s?

Alameda Central

Alameda Central is a big city park with lots of criss-crossing walkways. There are street vendors everywhere, so if you want potato chips or a ‘sangria’ (sweet soda in a plastic cup with chili around the rim, garnished with a Mexican lemon slice), this is your place.

Go on weekends for some serious people-watching. It’s also rather safe in the early evenings past dark, but use caution.

Palacio Bellas Artes

We’ve seen the outside of Palacio Bellas Artes for sure (see below, “SEARS”), but we have a confession: we have not been inside Palacio Bellas Artes . We’ve heard great things, nonetheless. This is Mexico City’s gem of an art institution, and hosts cultural events like dance and opera. It is best known for its murals by Diego Rivera inside. Worth a visit!

SEARS (Finca Don Porfirio Cafe, to be specific)

If you want to get straight to the ninth-story view of Palacio Bellas Artes (it has a beautiful multi-colored roof) and you’re also craving a coffee, you’re in luck because you can enter SEARS and go to the cafe on the top floor. We featured this cafe in our cafes guide because we liked the view so much. Note: you can only enter if you get seated by a hostess, and then you do have to order something, even if it’s only a can of seltzer.

Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)

The Zócalo is one of the largest public squares on Earth. It’s surrounded on all sides by government buildings, the National Palace and the giant cathedral. You can reach the Zócalo by metro, to Zócalo station! Surrounding this area are lots of pedestrian-only streets lined with shopping and food vendors.

This cathedral is massive, and sits on the Zocalo square. Get this: the full name of it is “Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Santísima Virgen María a los cielos.” It’s pretty big, and pretty old, too. You can admire the architecture of the outside and the inside as well. Apparently you can climb to the roof, but we haven’t done this. If you get to do it, let us know!

Museo del Estanquillo

Museo del Estanquillo was a late addition to our CMDX repertoire, but guess what - the entrance is free and they have a rooftop with a bookshop and small cafe. Take the elevator up as high as you can and then turn right to walk up a flight of steps.

The result is a cool rooftop with the tops of old stone buildings in view. The museum itself deals a lot with the film history of Mexico, so that’s cool as well!

Casa de los Azulejos

This beautiful and historic building looks more like it would be in Lisbon than in Mexico City! Decorated in blue and white tiles, it’s one of our favorite places to take photos in CDMX . You can find it at Av Francisco I. Madero 4, in Centro.

Museo de Arte Popular

This art museum has a collection of exceedingly interesting Mexican heritage in the form of art from different regions. You can see Day of the Dead figurines and sculptures, unique alebrijes (Mexican folk sculptures) in a variety of sizes and media, cultural masks from different regions and eras and the excellent gift shop, which is an attraction of its own.

The building itself is an art deco relic from the earlier half of the twentieth century and was originally a firehouse. Inside, there is tons of natural light and an open center where you can look up at all the floors. We highly recommend that art enthusiasts not miss this one.

Terraza Catedral

Terraza Catedral is more a portion of our Mexico City Bar Guide than not, but we’re including it on sights to see. That’s because the view from this rooftop bar (which we brand as “non-pretentious,” by the way, as it’s on top of a hostel) is quite a sight to see, especially at sunset!

Templo Mayor

The Templo Mayor historical site is another place we didn’t actually go to, but we’ve walked by it, having been frequent visitors to the Zocalo area. The Templo Mayor archaeological site is a place you can visit to see what lies below Mexico City in terms of ancient ruins and structures. Sounds fascinating!

Calle Regina

Also a late addition to our go-to list, Calle Regina starts near Bolivar and ends a few blocks later to the east. It’s a pedestrian street, where first you’ll hit the Regina church and its cafe, and then you’ll see Cafe Regina on your left.

Sit down here for an americano - they’re GOOD! Continue on Calle Regina as long as you like, and you’ll see street art (some of it political, but some of it sappy and colorful) and sit-down restaurants and bars with sidewalk seating.

Sights to see in Coyoacán

Coyoacan is a cool neighborhood to Mexico City’s southwest. While you may choose to get there by Uber or by metro, consider that it’s not exactly a stone’s throw from Centro or Condesa. You’ll need a dab bit of time to get there.

Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)

The Frida Kahlo Museum , also known as Casa Azul (Blue House), is where Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived and worked. In this museum, you can learn all about Frida’s life, as the main focus is on her. You can see her early works, learn about her family history, see her clothes and her medical apparatuses.

The house itself is nice to visit because the exhibits revolve around a leafy courtyard. This museum can be a bit controversial for Mexicans, who note that the hefty entrance fee (more than $12 USD) makes it so that most Mexicans cannot afford to visit. The museum is privately-run, and you’ll notice some corporate sponsors like Bank of America, Samsung and Vogue on some signage. We strongly suggest getting tickets in advance (you have to pick a time and date to visit).

Mercado de Coyoacán

The Mercado de Coyoacán is pretty big, but not big enough to get lost in. The main food here is the tostada, a dry toasted corn tortilla that you eat flat with toppings on top.

You can choose from any of the types of toppings that you see in big pots - chicken, mushrooms, beef, seafood and more. They don’t break the bank, either, but watch out - they are filling!

Cafe Avellaneda

Cafe Avellaneda was one of Mexico City’s first third-wave cafes, and it’s always busy. There aren’t all too many seats inside, but if you wait, you can get a seat at the coffee bar and watch the masters do their craft.

The menu is fun, too - you can get coffee cocktails (non-alcoholic) like the one Becca tried, which had espresso, tonic water, juniper and tamarind!

Mercado de Comida, Coyoacán

The choices at this food market (think: food in terms of lunch, not grocery shopping) are overwhelming, but thankfully, the place isn’t too big overall. We had quesadillas (did you know that in Mexico City, a quesadilla does not necessarily need to have cheese? Mind blown!) and tamales.

You can also order fresh juices. Prices are set, so you won’t get ripped off if you don’t speak Spanish! You can also have pozole at the stands in the center of the market. Cash only!

Parroquia San Juan Bautista

You can’t really figure out how big this Catholic church is until you walk inside (it’s free to enter). Located in the heart of the Coyoacán neighborhood, the church and its ex-convent are worth a peek.

Parque Centenario & Jardín Centenario

This park and garden in Coyoacán’s commercial center are great for people-watching and passing through. You’ll see that the fountain has coyotes in the center, and that’s because Coyoacán means “place of the coyotes.”

Cineteca Nacional

A local friend took us to Cineteca Nacional , not to see a movie, but instead to marvel at this architecturally-worthy cinema. What we also liked about the complex was that in addition to a movie theater, it has a bookstore, a cafe and a lawn where people hang out in the sun.

What to see and do in Condesa & Roma

Condesa and Roma are great neighborhoods in the heart of Mexico City where most travelers tend to stay.

Create Your Own Coffee shop Tour

You’re in Condesa and Roma, so you obviously have to see all the cafe culture in these two neighborhoods of Mexico City! Start with our coffee shop guide to CDMX and star these cafes in your maps so that when you pass by, you can say that Becca and Dan from Half Half Travel sent you!

Mercado Roma

Mercado Roma is something to see as well as something to do (the doing is the eating), and at Mercado Roma, which is also featured in our Mexico City Nightlife Guide , you can try cuisine from many parts of Mexico, and pizza as well. Mercado Roma is a place to be during the day, and also at night on weekends when the kiosks are open late.

Parque México

Parque México is the larger of the two main Condesa parks, and it’s several blocks long. We love it for its variety - there’s a children’s playground, some quiet paths, a lot of great greenery and lots of people with cute dogs.

Parque España

Parque España is the smaller of the two Condesa parks, and here, you’ll find nice trees and paths, some man-made ponds and lots of kids and dog-walkers. We usually cross through Parque España when walking toward other parts of the neighborhood.

Avenida Alvaro Obregón

Avenida Alvaro Obregón is a commercial strip that we didn’t truly discover until it was nearly time to leave our stint in Roma Norte. What a shame! It took a distant cousin of Becca’s who was visiting to get us out on Alvaro Obregón. This is where you’ll find bars, restaurants and cafes all lined up next to each other, and the side streets are nice as well. One of our favorite spots in this area is Quentin Cafe .

Avenida Ámsterdam

It’s easy to obsess over Avenida Ámsterdam. Home to classic art deco architecture, old buildings next to new ones, some historic mansions, and a leafy middle path (great for running and dog-walking!), Avenida Ámsterdam runs in a circle around Parque Mexico and believe it or not, used to be a horse-racing track back in the day.

Nevería Roxy

More of a place to experience Mexican old-school culture and less of a sight, Nevería Roxy is an absolute classic for ice cream treats. This feels like a time warp! They have a great selection of sorbets that come in the flavors of Mexican fruits. The place is cash-only.

Cafe Péndulo

We listed Cafe Péndulo in our list of Mexico City cafes , but it’s a thing to do in its own right. Cafe Péndulo is a beautiful bookstore (and has more locations than this Condesa one). You can browse literature in Spanish, and some in English, and look at their cool section of funny knick-knacks to buy as gifts (much like the “stuff” section in Urban Outfitters).

Bosque de Chapultepec

Bosque de Chapultepec is a giant park in the center of Mexico City. It separates Roma and Condesa from Polanco, which is located on its north side.

Bosque de Chapultepec is a city park that is massive, and has it all - the city’s museums, botanical gardens, amusement parks, lakes with boats for rent, quiet groves where couples set out picnics, statues with poetry, running paths and even a “quiet section” where people go for some peace and there’s no talking allowed. You can find history, wildlife and some fresh air (it seems), and you can spend hours in the whole place, especially in some of our favorite parts, the pedestrian avenues lined with vendors selling stuffed animals, face-painting, snacks, fried food and other Mexican goodies.

Museo de Arte Moderno

We went to the Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art) on a Sunday, when it was free. The museum has four major wings, all themed a bit differently. This is where you can see the original (we asked) of Frida Kahlo’s ‘Las Dos Fridas,’ one of her most famous works.

It’s also where we saw the most about Diego Rivera we had seen so far in all of Mexico City (note: you can go many other places to learn about Diego Rivera, but we didn’t get to them).

Museo Nacional de Antropologia

This is a museum we never actually got to go to, but we’ve heard it is pretty interesting. It’s not free, but the entrance fee isn’t too hefty, either. Located inside Bosque de Chapultepec, this is somewhere good to stop if you have a rainy day, or if you’re passing by. You can learn all about the history of the Mexican people through anthropology.

Castillo de Chapultepec

Would you believe that we never made it to Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle)?

Mexicans call this their version of a castle, with the disclaimer that, “It’s not like castles in Germany, but it’s our version of a castle.” If you go, let us know! It’s located in Bosque de Chapultepec with a lot of signage leading to it.

Jardín Botánico del Bosque de Chapultepec

This is probably our favorite aspect of the entire Bosque (“forest,” in Spanish). The Jardín Botánico is free to enter, and serene once you’re in there. We entered from the more populated parts of the park, and our first stop was the succulents garden.

We also liked the vegetable garden, the cactus garden, the banana tree grove and the “Garden of the Future,” which was created by local artists entirely of recycled plastic items.

What to do in Polanco, Mexico City

Museo soumaya.

Museo Soumaya was our major destination the day we went (in truth, we walked three miles from Roma Norte) to the upscale Polanco neighborhood.

Museo Soumaya is unique because on the outside, its exterior is composed of thousands of hexagonal aluminum pieces, and it’s quite a sight to see. Inside, it’s likely not what you’d expect (we were surprised), as you’ll find ancient Chinese and Japanese ivory sculpture, turn-of-the-century French art and an entire floor of sculptures from centuries past in an open floor plan with natural light.

On the first floor are some noteworthy Diego Rivera murals and mosaics. There’s also a Botero sculpture housed in the Museo Soumaya - can you find it?

Avenida Horacio

Avenida Horacio is one of the main thoroughfares of Polanco, and what’s so nice about it is that it’s like a boulevard with a leafy walkway in the middle. You can walk through Polanco nearly uninterrupted by traffic and admire all the plant life and sporadic vendors throughout your walk.

Antara Fashion Hall & Cinepolis VIP

Want to transport yourself into the modern and new-wave shopping malls of Mexico City? Antara Fashion Hall is an upscale mall, where you’ll find Western brands, a large grocery store, several bars and restaurants that cater to the Western style and probably our favorite aspect of this mall, Cinepolis VIP, where we saw Spiderman on Christmas Day. If you’re in Mexico City and you want to see a movie, this was a very comfortable experience!

Sights North of Zócalo and Centro Histórico

This biblioteca , or library, is one of the most beautiful in Mexico City. Entrance is free, and it’s usually open til 7:30 pm on most days. Go for its photographic qualities - its six floors of boxy metal cubic design will have you looking up and up. Take the steps (or elevator) to the top floor, and then get the dizzying view down!

This library is one of our top ideas for the best places to take photos in Mexico City , among some other great spots in the region.

Mercado de Lagunilla

We’re not sure where we heard about Mercado de Lagunilla , but we are sure glad we went.

We walked toward Lagunilla, a very local neighborhood where we saw no other foreigners nor tourists, and made it all the way to the Mercado de Tela, where we entered right before closing hours to see rows of quinceañera dresses, custom suit shops, decorations for parties and wedding dresses. Outside the fabric market, in the market itself, we found street food, toys, dolls, shoes, clothes and you name it.

Given that this is not a typical tourist attraction of any sort, we recommend taking a responsible level of safety precaution in order to keep your bag and pockets safe. Check out our Mexico City safety guide to see exactly what we mean.

Entertainment and tours in Mexico City

Our favorite mexico city food tour.

If you’re a foodie, we suggest taking a Mexico City food tour with Eat Like a Local. After our month and a half in Mexico City, we still learned some new things by going to the markets with our awesome local guide, Rocio. We visited markets we had never stepped foot in, and ate foods we had never tasted. Above all, our guide made us feel safe and informed. We also had so much fun!

Lucha Libre

Lucha Libre is a dramatic and exciting version of wrestling-meets-entertainment and it is a true Mexican tradition. Lucha Libre (meaning ‘free fight’ in Spanish) takes place in an arena with the fighters in a ring, in a series of rounds, starting with female fighters, then some one-on-one fighting and finally lots of teams-taking-on-each-other fighting.

The performance is theatrical and the aim is to rev up the audience, but the fighting is also very physical and in fact, very dangerous. You have to give these guys credit for doing what they do! Lucha Libre takes place most nights of the week and tickets are not expensive and are in the range of 200 pesos each ($10 USD). You can buy tickets on Ticketmaster.

Attractions outside Mexico City and beyond

Xochimilco canal boating.

If you want to have a day with a group floating on a multi-colored boat down the canals of Xochimilco , take an Uber out to this region of Mexico City and hop on a boat for a morning or afternoon.

You will float through the canals and you can buy your own food and drink to bring, or buy things from vendors who pass in boats. You can buy micheladas, pulque, tamales and more, and you can pay mariachi bands to play a song for your group! Many people consider this one of the best day trips from Mexico City , even though it’s technically in the Federal District.

How's everyone getting to Xochimilco?

Xochimilco is like a day trip within CDMX, so going with a group is great! Plus, see Frida Kahlo's house in Coyoacan.

Teotihuacán Ancient Pyramids

These ancient Mexican pyramids were built by civilizations way before the Aztecs had control of the region, and you can visit them for a day trip. Beware that LOTS of tourists come here, and weekdays will be less crowded than Saturday and Sundays. Want to see them from above? We went with Sky Balloons Mexico for a very early morning hot air ballooning experience and it was awesome.

What's the best way to see Teotihuacan?

As Teotihuacan is a bit far, going with a guide in the early morning is a great choice!

Our Mexico City Yoga Recommendations

OV Yoga is a boutique yoga studio located on Avenida Amsterdam in Condesa. Classes run several times a day and with several different teachers.

You can drop in, or reserve in advance. Note: prices differ for payments on cash and credit, and classes with the studio’s founder cost slightly more than with other teachers.

Greenyoga operates in several different locations in Mexico City and the teachers are great.

Becca tried the Roma-Juarez location! Note: the studio itself is up two flights of dizzying spiral staircase steps, so if you have a fear of open staircases, choose a different studio. Downstairs near reception, there is a tiny cafe with healthy and gluten-free snacks. You can rent mats.

Walk-ins are fine, but be sure to check the schedule because the classes are specified by level, so it’s best to choose which suits your skill level.

Where to Stay in Mexico City

Selina hostel & selina cowork.

Selina Mexico City Downtown is a new hostel-hotel in a vintage and iconic Mexico City hotel, formerly Hotel Virreyes. This massive property was converted into the backpacker and digital nomad accommodation in early 2018. There’s WiFi throughout the property, two different communal kitchens (one is specifically for apartment guests), and rooms come in a variety of dorm bed options, privates and studio apartments.

In addition, Selina Mexico City has a coworking space. You can book a hot desk for a day, week or month, and there’s even a private outdoor patio for CoWork members to use!

The Red Tree House

The Red Tree House is a beautiful boutique hotel full of character in Condesa, right off Avenida Amsterdam. Rooms are all built off of a central courtyard that makes you feel like you left the city. You’ll be surrounded by greenery, tables with umbrellas and angular staircases painted yellow, red and orange.

The lobby and common areas for guests are like being home in a mansion, with a fireplace (great for winter chilly nights), dining area for the morning breakfast hours and lots of books to read.

Casa Decu is a boutique hotel located several steps away from The Red Tree House, but with a very different vibe. Casa Decu is an art deco building transformed into an Instagrammable art-deco-meets-modern haven for the trendy traveler.

If you’re into roof decks, you’ll love hanging out on the sunny rooftop, which has places to sit and have a coffee.

Four Seasons Mexico City

The Four Seasons Mexico City is top-notch, with an interesting location right near Bosque Chapultepec and Avenida Paseo de la Reforma, a major road. It is sandwiched between Cuauhtémoc and Roma, making everything pretty accessible.

The Four Seasons is unique because it has a leafy courtyard where the restaurant is located, and at night it feels a bit like an urban jungle. If you look up, you can see lit-up neon skyscrapers nearby. Even if you don’t stay at the Four Seasons, we recommend having a drink at Fifty Mils , the hotel bar.

Hotel Condesa DF

We love the location of Hotel Condesa DF , and based on their fabulous rooftop bar, we can only expect that the rest of the hotel is just as wonderful.

Hotel Condesa DF is located across from Parque España in the neighborhood of Condesa, with loads of cafes, restaurants and bars nearby. Hotel Condesa is chic yet defined, and classy yet not pretentious. It seems like a good bet for a trendy traveler who wants good access to lots in the neighborhood.

How to get around Mexico City

There are so many ways to get around a massive metropolis like CDMX. Let’s look at a few of the easiest ways to get around with transport.

We heard from some Mexicans that Uber changed Mexico City. With the start of Uber in CDMX, locals started going out at night more, because getting a cab home would be safe and affordable.

We took Uber during our first month in Mexico City (that is, when we didn’t feel like walking!) and Uber Pool as well (gotta stay green!). All the drivers were really nice and most were very friendly, too.

The Mexico City Metro

If a metro system can’t scare you, then try out the Mexico City metro .

There are lots of fun facts about it. For example, did you know that each station has a pictograph symbol? You’ll see a guitar and scarf to symbolize mariachi bands for the Garibaldi stop, a cricket for Chapultepec (the Spanish word “chapulín” came from the Nahuatl word chapultepec, meaning cricket) and two doctors for the neighborhood stop in Doctores.

Each ride costs 5 Pesos, which is approximately $0.25. For each ticket, you can go an unlimited amount of stops as long as you stay within the system by transferring and not leaving the paid area. To get a ticket, you can enter at any entrance of any stop and head to the Taquilla (ticket booth), where you slide your bill or change through a window and receive your change and a paper ticket. Paper tickets get fed right-side up into the turnstiles, and then you’ll be in!

Read signs carefully to ensure that you’re going in the correct direction for your destinations, and watch your pockets!

While we did not experience any crime in the Mexico City metro, it’s true that at rush hour, it’s more difficult to see who has access to your pockets and your bag when you’re crammed in a crowded train car.

The metro runs until midnight most days of the week, but we don’t suggest taking it much after 10 pm for safety reasons. During daytime, there’s no problem.

The Mexican Peso: What to know and expect

The currency in Mexico is the Mexican Peso. In any given year, the exchange rate might be between 17 and 22 Pesos to a US Dollar. For something that costs 20 Pesos, it’ll be about $1.15 USD.

You’ll find that most street tacos cost between 10 and 15 Pesos, while tacos in restaurants (depending how nice the place is and which type of meat you are ordering) will be priced at 20-70 Pesos.

A bottle of water usually costs 10 Pesos. A beer at a dive bar will be around 35 to 55 Pesos, and at a fancier bar, upwards of 80-90 Pesos.

Can you bargain in Mexico City? You can bargain sometimes on items that do not have a set price. We’ve tried bargaining for some things, and haven’t won. Other times, buying a second of something and asking for 10 Pesos off as a discount works (mostly with artisan vendors who have their goods laid down on a tarp on the street).

Denominations of bills come starting at 500 Pesos, and this is what you’ll get when you withdraw from an ATM. From there, there are 200-Peso bills, 100-Peso bills, 50-Peso bills and 20-Peso bills.

For amounts less than 20 (approximately 1 USD), there are 10-Peso coins, 5-Peso coins, 2-Peso coins, 1-Peso coins and 50-cent-Peso coins. We didn’t see any that were smaller than a 50-cent coin, and we mostly only received them as change in markets.

Safety in Mexico City

In the 45 days we spent in Mexico City, we did not experience any crime. Given, we carry backpacks and purses with zippers, we don’t travel with too many flashy electronics unless we’re taking photos with our cameras and we don’t hang out in dangerous areas!

Still, we’ve developed some helpful habits from spending more than four months in Latin America, for both our second times. We detail all of that in our guide that answers the question, “ Is Mexico City Safe for Travel ?”

Here are a few basic tips

• Never leave your phone on the table when sitting at an outside cafe.
• Never let your bag out of your sight at a restaurant.
• Avoid drinking tap water in Mexico City (order bottled water when dining out).
• Don’t forget about altitude sickness, and take altitude medication from home if you’ve experienced altitude sickness when traveling in the past.

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Mexico City   Travel Guide

Courtesy of Torresigner | Getty Images

Why Go To Mexico City

Mexico's capital is one of the liveliest and largest cities in the world, with a renowned arts and culture scene (an entire district was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and some of the best cuisine in the Western Hemisphere. Even better, Mexico City is affordable – and safer than you might expect of a city its size. It promises visitors an unforgettable stay, perfect for the frugal, culture-loving traveler who feels at home in a large, crowded place. If you want the full experience, some say you should spend at least a week in the city so that you'll see most of the historic and popular sights. Even after a week, you'll find plenty more to explore. In short, it's best to plan extensively before diving in.

Founded in 1325 as Tenochtitlan, the city was colonized by the Spanish in 1521 and later dubbed "Mexico." Today, at nearly 500 years old, its pre-colonial history is alive throughout much of the modern-day capital. The city is overflowing with opportunities to study the country's rich and conflicted past. But it's also one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and although it does grapple with common urban problems like crime and pollution, many neighborhoods – including Condesa and Polanco – are as safe as any city in the United States or Europe. To experience this bustling metropolis with the help of a local, consider signing up for one of the best Mexico City tours .

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• # 2 in Best Cheap Mexico Vacations
• # 12 in Best Places to Visit in Mexico for 2023

Best of Mexico City

Best hotels in mexico city.

• # 1 in Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City
• # 2 in The St. Regis Mexico City
• # 4 in Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Mexico City

Best Things to Do in Mexico City

• # 1 in Museo Nacional de Antropología
• # 2 in Bosque de Chapultepec
• # 3 in Palacio de Bellas Artes

Popular Tours

Hot Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacan, from Mexico City

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Balloon flight with pick up in CDMX + Breakfast in a natural cave

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Xochimilco, Coyoacán & Frida Kahlo Museum

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Mexico City Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Mexico City is between March and May, even though the streets are pretty crowded this time of year. Your trade-off is beautiful weather, especially considering the city's winters can be chilly and the summers can be rainy. You'll want to prepare yourself for the high elevation – Mexico City sits about 7,382 feet above sea level – by drinking plenty of water, slathering on sunscreen and taking it easy (and limiting alcohol intake) your first few days. Another thing to keep in mind: Mexico City's air pollution is notoriously poor, so on days when the pollution is the worst you'll likely want to travel with a mask and relegate yourself to indoor activities.

Weather in Mexico City

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

You're high in the sky The city is more than 7,000 feet above sea level, so you can expect a tougher time breathing, and maybe sleeping, for the first few days. Try not to exert yourself in the thin air and limit the amount of alcohol you consume. Also drink plenty of water.

And speaking of water You've probably heard it before, but let us reiterate, you should never drink from the tap in Mexico. Most hotels have lots of bottled water on hand.

You're not at the beach Many people associate Mexico with the balmy temperatures of the coast – but Mexico City has a temperate climate. Pack some long sleeves and anticipate chilly evenings, even in summer.

Enlist the help of a local Whether you want help navigating the local food scene or are hoping to plan a day trip to  Teotihuacán , a guided tour can help you make the most of your time in Mexico City.

How to Save Money in Mexico City

Take public transportation  We really can't stress enough that driving would be a mistake. Plus, riding the bus or the metro costs less than $1.

Stay in the city center  Also known as the Centro Histórico, this part of town is close to the key sights (so you'll spend even less on transportation), and it has the lowest hotel rates.

Try  comida corrida  Or the three- or four-course lunches that many restaurants serve at a fixed price.

Culture & Customs

Mexico has a vast and varied history that still impacts its culture today. The culture blends native traditions and beliefs of the Mesoamerican natives (largely Aztec in the capital) with customs brought by the Spaniards, plus a great sense of pride brought by Mexican independence in 1810 and the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. 

Spanish is the official language of Mexico and is universally spoken in Mexico City and throughout the country. But Mexico has a still-vibrant indigenous tradition, and more than 100 Native American languages remain alive in the country. One of the most popular indigenous languages in Mexico is Nahuatl, which is spoken by about 1.5 million people in Mexico. Because the city is a business and tourist hub, it caters to travelers who speak a variety of languages – including English – meaning you should have little trouble communicating.  

Typically in Mexico, women greet each other with a pat on the arm or shoulder, while men shake hands. Late arrivals are customary – and even considered polite – at most gatherings. Keep in mind that it's not advised to drink the tap water, but most establishments have a large supply of bottled water. Also, if you encounter the word "gringo" (defined by a person, especially an American, who is not Hispanic or Latino), don't be offended. It's simply the only word in Spanish that describes a white person. 

What to Eat

One thing you'll find an abundance of in Mexico City is  comida  (food). After all, there are almost 9 million people to feed in the city. Chances are you're familiar with some Mexican staples, such as tacos, quesadillas and tamales. But there's more to Mexico City's culinary culture. 

You'll find that lunch (or  almuerzo ) is typically the largest meal of the day, and yours may include  cerveza  (beer) or tequila. Dinner doesn't usually take place until later at night and consists of lighter dishes. Street food is ingrained in the culture here, dating back to pre-Hispanic times. You'll likely find anything you could want at these street stalls, and even some specialties like  chapulines  (roasted grasshoppers). Several of the best tours in Mexico City are specificially designed for discerning foodies in need of a little guidance navigating the city's colorful markets.

Some foods that are unique to the Mexico City area are tacos al pastor – which includes marinated pork that's been cooked on a rotisserie (called a trompo) and thinly sliced off before being served in tortillas with onion and pineapple. Another Mexico City original is  huarache  (fried corn tortillas topped with meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, cream and salsa). Is your mouth watering yet? 

Establishments range from hole-in-the-wall mezcal bars to fine dining restaurants and everything in between. One of the best foodie neighborhoods is  Condesa , which offers popular restaurants and booming nightlife. But you could stumble upon amazing flavors all over the city. 

While some travelers fear that Mexico City is too dangerous; the city has managed to keep its distance from the drug war that has affected many other parts of the country. Still, common sense and wise precautions should be used to ensure a safe vacation. To avoid robberies in cabs, call for a " sitio " or " turismo " car from your  hotel  or hostel. These cars are registered with the government and remain very safe and affordable options for travel around the city. Some do suggest you steer clear of the yellow or green libre cabs.

Avoid carrying large amounts of money or valuables while in the city, due to high incidences of pickpocketing. Although the  U.S. State Department  warns citizens to exercise caution when traveling to certain parts of Mexico, it does not caution visitors against traveling to Mexico City. However, it is advisable to avoid any political demonstrations that are frequent in the capital city. 

Getting Around Mexico City

The best way to get around Mexico City is via Uber or a taxi. The metro is another option. Not only is it fairly clean and quick, but you can ride for approximately $0.25. Plus, most popular tourist attractions are easily accessible by train. Several different types of buses motor through the main square ( el Zócalo ) and its busiest streets – they are also an affordable option.

Taxis are slightly more expensive, but they are a hassle-free means of getting to the city center from the Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX), which is about 6 miles east of the Centro Histórico. Uber is a safe and more affordable way to navigate the city. Driving yourself is not a great idea – either to and from the airport or around town.

Entry & Exit Requirements

To travel to Mexico, U.S. residents require a valid United States passport. You must also fill out a tourist card before arrival. Tourist cards – and the accompanying fee – are usually provided by your airline. For more information entry and exit requirements, visit the U.S. State Department's  site .

Beautiful gardens surround  Chalpultepec Castle .

Explore More of Mexico City

Things To Do

Best hotels.

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Home > Mexico > Mexico City Travel Tips

Mexico City Travel Tips: 20 Dos and Don'ts No One Tells You

Make Mexico City Your Even Favorite-er City

These travel tips are part of our local, loco, (not) low-cal Mexico City blog , which includes our city guide , favorite local food , why bike , and report on pulque .

Mexico City is our favorite city to visit over and over again. And even though we think we know the city pretty well by now, every time we go we learn a few things that make it our even favorite-er city. These things we've learned are the Mexico City travel tips we're sharing below.

If you haven’t been before, these tips will probably make Mexico City your favorite city too. And if this ain’t your first rodeo a) You obviously have great taste in travel destinations, and b) Prepare to make your tastes even tastier.

Either way, these Mexico City travel tips will upgrade your perception of the DF CDMX.

Tips for your Trip

These Mexico City travel tips are split into four sections. Jump to directly to any one by clicking these shortcut links:

• Upon Arrival
• While in Mexico City
• Things Not to Do
• Before Leaving

As Soon As You Arrive in Mexico City

✓  get a cell phone sim.

You're going to need data in Mexico City to use Uber and the EcoBici shared bikes ( see below ), so get a SIM card immediately upon arriving. Dealing with a cell phone company is far from the most pleasant way to start your trip, but it'll make your trip more pleasant.

You can get a local SIM in the airport at the Telcel office in Terminal 1 or at an Oxxo or 7-11. They'll help you set it up. Here's what you need to get started:

• A SIM card. This shouldn't cost more than 150 pesos. It should come with  and it should come with some "welcome credit."
• A basic Amigo Sin Limite plan. Get the 50 peso one, which entitles you to 7 days of unlimited calling and messages to Mexico, USA, and Canada and 300 MB of data. This likely will be included with the cost of your SIM card.
• An Internet Amigos plan for extra data. It costs 150 pesos for 1 GB.

Tip:   By default, Telcel sets up your account so that if you add credit ( una recarga in Spanish) it will automatically be used to buy the most expensive Amigos Sin Limite plan possible. To have more control over what you buy when you do a recarga, ask that they change your account accordingly.

More Tips: Read this more detailed guide to SIM cards in Mexico  if you're still in doubt.

T-Mobile User?: Eric comments below that your phone will work just the same as in the US (and France, Germany, Japan, and other countries), for no extra charge.

✓  Withdraw as many pesos as possible

In the interest of reducing the number of ATM trips you need to make and foreign withdrawal fees, take out as much cash as you can all at once. You're going to need it. Cash is still king in Mexico City and it will remain that way until business owners can no longer dodge taxes by taking it as payment.

Don't worry about withdrawing more than you need. As you'll soon discover in our final Mexico City travel tip below, you can actually make money off any pesos you haven't spent by the end of your trip!

Bank of America client?: Eric comments that you can make withdrawals from Scotiabank ATMs free of charge and with the prime rate so long as you refuse the insurance and say No to the proposed exchange rate at the last step of your withdrawal.

✓  Buy a plug-in mosquito repelling device

One of the few things that suck about Mexico City is the mosquitos. There aren't swarms like in the Amazon or Northern Canada, but they still have a remarkable ability to ruin your sleep.

Nothing 60 pesos ($3 USD) can't fix, though.

At the nearest convenience store or supermarket, pick up a little white plug-in device that uses blue tabs, put in a socket near your bed every night, and enjoy a blissful sleep.

We swear by the things. Our last two times in Mexico City, we "donated blood" for a couple nights, got fed up, got a mosquito repelling thing, and slept blissfully from then on.

Note: The things don't seem to exist on Amazon. We looked. Just get one when you arrive.

✓  Sign up for EcoBici

Despite the popular belief that Mexican traffic is as loco as swallowing a habanero whole, Mexico City is actually a surprisingly bike-friendly city. Side roads are mostly empty, the roads are flat, and drivers are more likely to honk one of those custom Mexican sexy whistle horns at you than an angry one.

If you're comfortable biking, sign up for EcoBici, Mexico City's bike share program, as soon as possible.

To give you an idea of how handy it is, in our most recent week in town we did over 40 rides covering 150 km.

For everything you need to know to spice up your Mexico City trip with EcoBici, including its pros and cons, how to use it, where to use it, and whether it's safe for you or not, don't miss our guide .

Warning: As Marcia learned the hard way and warns in the comments, don't sign up for EcoBici until you are ready to use it, because your account automatically initiates upon payment.

Related: How to Experience More of CDMX, Faster, by Using EcoBici

Travel Tips for a Better Time in Mexico City

✓  ask for samples at restaurants.

If you're unsure of which sauce, mole, or pulque flavor to order at a restaurant, ask for samples. Just about every restaurant and bar will be happy to oblige. That way you'll make the right choice every time and experience more flavors. Plus it's free.

✓  Get on the rooftops

The Google search results for "Best rooftop bar in Mexico City" suck. The places that show up in the results are higher-end than they are high up, often covered, and have no views.

We know because we went up to each of them and generally came back down quickly and unimpressed.

But we found a few worth climbing the stairs up to (…or pushing the button in the elevator).

Mexico City Rooftop Bars:

• Terraza Catedral , has 35 peso draft beers and views of the Zocalo. It's better than El Mayor's rooftop bar and restaurant three blocks down the way. On weekdays it's "open at 1 p.m." (not really; see tip below) to the public. On weekends it opens at 6 p.m. and there's a cover fee.
• El Balcon del Zocalo's name is self-explanatory. It's ideal for a fancier welcome or goodbye dinner.
• Pulqueria Insurgentes doesn't have a view, but its got a refreshingly airy and unpretentious rooftop. On Sundays, their pulque is buy-one-get-one-free, and on Mondays all alcoholic drinks are half-priced.

Save these bars' locations and those of 19 more of our favorite restaurants, cafés, and street food right to your phone's Google Maps by getting our free Mexico City treasures map, below .

✓  Burn off those buns (and tortillas)

Without a doubt, the best part about Mexico City is the food. The more food you eat, the better your trip will be. So how do you eat as much as humanly possible?

Working up an appetite with exercise.

Here are some fun (and mostly free) places to get your non-habanero-induced sweat on:

• Hapi Fitness (first class 100 pesos): You'll be thinking "help-me" not "hapi" while doing a Hapi Fitness class, but we guarantee you'll be happy afterward. What's more, you'll emerge from the studio and find yourself right inside Dosis Cafe, where you can immediately reward yourself with a tasty pastry.
• Park 54   (1st class free): Quick, dirty, and sweaty, Park 54's group circuit workouts will get you pumped and pump you up for a big day.
• Gandhi Circuit in Chapultapec Park  (Public, see Google Maps ): This 1-km loop through the trees with a small workout area in the middle is a good spot for a breath huff-and-puff of fresh air.
• Outdoor calisthenic parks  (Public): You can find chin-up bars and other apparatus for doing bodyweight workouts right beside Insurgentes metro station, in Parque Espana, in front of Qi Fitness in Condesa, and in the Centro.

Related: 9 Fun & Fast Tricks We Use to Stay Fit While Traveling

✓  Venture into a pulqueria

Pulque is kombucha with attitude. It's a gut-friendly fermented drink with 3-to-8-percent alcohol that you can only find within a day's drive Mexico's high plains.

It's not necessarily taste-bud friendly, though. Raw pulque is an acquired taste whose appeal is hurt by the fact that people too often compare its texture to that of semen. But if you give it a chance, get a curado that's blended with fruits, and compare it to yogurt-mixed-with-beer instead of sperm, there's a good chance you'll enjoy it.

Even if you can't swallow the stuff, pulquerias are worth venturing into for their dive-y, old school atmosphere and for the chance to meet the curious characters who you'll be drinking beside.

As for which pulqueria to go to, as a general rule of thumb the farther the pulqueria is from tourist attractions, the better.

If you're interested in trying this "kombucha on steroids," make sure to check our guide to its up-and-down-and-up-again history, amazing nutritional benefits, and where to get it in Mexico City.

✓  At least stay in the Condesa / Roma Norte area

As we explain in the neighborhood overview of our Mexico City first-timers' guide , it's the ideal area to base your stay. It's central, safe, cosmopolitan, and has tons of places for eating, shopping, exercising, and eating some more.

Condesa / Roma Norte has plenty of boutique hotels and hostels. If we were rich or it were our honeymoon, we'd stay at the Nima Local House or La Valise .

Related: Quick and Dirty Mexico City First-Timers' Guide

✓  Read these other blogs' Mexico City travel tips

Here are a couple other posts with not-obvious, original, and actually helpful Mexico City travel tips:

• What not to Do in Mexico City: Advice from a Local , by Northern Lauren
• 17 Things to Know Before You Go to Mexico City , by Explore Parts Unknown

✓  Try these tips and tricks to change the way you travel

You're sure to find at least one idea that will change the way you travel in our list of our best travel tips and tricks . It has everything from advanced, experimental travel tips and tricks to practical but oft-overlooked ones to dumb advice we hear others give too often (and what to do instead).

What NOT to Do in Mexico City

✗  Don't be a wuss

Worried that your ice cubes might be made from tap water?

Suck it up and suck down your drink anyways.

Wondering where that food's been and how long it's been sitting out?

Tell your selfish yuppy gut bacteria they need to make some Mexican friends. It's good for all of you.

Concerned that you'll stick out like a sore thumb in a poorer neighborhood?

Hate to break it to you, but the people in those neighborhoods are too preoccupied with more important things to care about your presence.

Get over yourself and don't be a wuss.

✗  Don't look like a tourist

Even if you're a big, light-haired, fair-skinned guy like Chris you  should at least try to look like a local resident instead of a tourist.

That means no flip-flops under any circumstances, and no shorts unless it's blisteringly hot outside.

Otherwise, it's so obvious you're a tourist that you may as well wear your national flag as a cape, paint your face in the same colors, and fan yourself with 500 peso bills.

✗  Don't pay for water

You know how full-serve gas station attendants try to upsell you on premium gas and you have to say, "No, just regular, please"? Well that's how it is with water at restaurants in Mexico City.

When you ask for water your waiter will default to bringing you an expensive bottle. But if you ask the right way, they'll begrudgingly give you a glass of filtered water for free.

Ask for " agua del filtro ." Most likely, the server will pretend not to understand at first, so insist. Say, " Un vaso de agua del garrafon " (a glass from the jug). Repeat if necessary.

The waiter will eventually relent and bring you your water, saving you some pesos and saving the environment from another empty bottle.

✗  Don't wait in super long in lines

Here's a hot travel take: Anything you need to wait around in line with other tourists for is not worth doing.

For example, unless you're such a Frida fan that you've grown a unibrow in her honor, it's not worth it (unless you buy in advance, as per the tip below). Also, instead of waiting to blow your pesos with other hip gringos at Hotel Condesa's bar, get some pulque at Pulqueria Insurgentes. And rather than wait forever for a pastry from Rosetta go up the street to the much more spacious Cafe NIN, which has the exact same treats minus the line.

But when it comes to less-touristy attractions, don't be scared off by rumors of lineups. Three of our favorite food spots —Fonda Margarita, Esquina Chilaquil, and Tacos Don Juan—were said to have hour-plus long lines, but in all three cases we waited no more than twenty minutes. We suspect the locals exaggerate to keep annoying tourists away.

Tip: Save yourself a couple of hours waiting to get into the Frida museum by buying tickets in advance on this site or doing a tour, like this this highly-rated Airbnb experience , that includes VIP skip-the-line entry. (Thanks to Nina for this tip. She also recommends paying extra for a guide or audio tour, which she regrets not doing.)

✗  Don't go anywhere when it's close to its opening or closing hours

Based on our experience, opening and closing hours are suggestions in Mexico City, not reality.

Inevitably, the person running the shop, restaurant, or bar will have an excuse to open later than advertised and close earlier.

Being naive to this reality (perhaps due to Chris' always-on-time Swiss ancestry) and slow learners, we went but had to come back another time to four different places during our trip: Helado Obscuro, Terraza Catedral, Minichelista, and Pulqueria La Nuclear.

✗  Don't trust strangers who approach you in perfect English

We were minding our own business eating some Dorilokos near the Anthropology Museum when a frazzled-looking white guy approached. In perfect English, he rambled on about how he was robbed in a taxi and was desperate to catch his flight. He asked for twenty to thirty dollars for a taxi, saying he would repay us later via PayPal.

We asked him to screw off. There was a fluent-English speaking tourist booth beside us whose job it is to help out people like him, so he was clearly a scammer.

A similar situation happened near Bellas Artes with a guy at one of those three-cups-one-ball sleight-of-hand games who asked us to "help him out for a sec."

Long story short, if you have the face of a sucker like we apparently do, there's a decent chance you'll be approached by indecent people trying to scam you. If they have suspiciously good English, be suspicious.

If you feel bad, do something nice for a stranger when you get home to make up for it.

✗  Don't take taxis

We don't know about you, but we prefer not to pay more money to expose ourselves to a higher risk of getting ripped off and getting lost. That's why we use Uber in Mexico City.

As an example, an official taxi from the airport to Roma Norte costs 220 pesos. Uber costs 130. Use those 90 pesos you save towards getting yourself a Mexican SIM card ( see above ) so you can use Uber.

Don't overlook other forms of transit, too. Biking, the bus, and the metro can be faster and are certainly cheaper. See our Mexico City Guide for more on getting around.

Before You Leave Mexico City

✓  buy your souvenir mezcal or tequila in the city, not at the airport duty-free.

The selection of booze in Mexico City's airport duty-free is expensive and only has brands you can buy in liquor stores back home.

Get a cheaper, better, more unique bottle in town. Bundle it up before packing it in your check-in luggage, pray it doesn't get smashed en route, then share it with your friends while exaggerating about how sought-after the particular brand it is.

✓  Make some money on the exchange rate

Mexico City airport currency exchange booths will pay you to take US dollars off their hands.

For example, Chris exchanged 720 pesos to dollars at the end of our trip. According to the official exchange rate that day, those pesos should have been worth $36 USD. But they gave him $37. He made $1 profit, which is more than this blog earns him most days.

If you happen to have have $10K cash in your bank account, you can exploit this loophole to make hundreds of dollars.

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Read This Next:

These Mexico City travel tips are part of our Local, Loco, and (Not) Low-Cal Mexico City blog.

Discover a whole lot more tasty tips by completing the series:

Mexico City Guide: 12 F.A.Qs for 1st Timers

How to Eat Like a Local in Mexico City: 15 Surefire Favorites

How to Explore Mexico City by Bike

Pulque: A Guide to Mexico's Kombucha on Steroids

50+ Travel Tips and Tricks That Will Change the Way You Travel

Disclosure: Whenever possible, we use links that earn us a cut if you pay for stuff we recommend. It costs you nothing, so we'd be crazy not to. Read our affiliate policy .

26 thoughts on “Mexico City Travel Tips: 20 Dos and Don'ts No One Tells You”

Great tips for visiting Mexico city. I like how you promote visiting local places. You have a to be a bit extra cautious when visiting Mexico.

Thanks for the perspective Henry. I agree you have to be cautious when visiting Mexico, but honestly you have to be cautious in any foreign country. Even in Vancouver, where we are now, you can find yourself in trouble if you're naive and careless. As for CDMX specifically, based on our experience and that of our friends who've been there and lived there, I'd definitely say it's way, WAY safer than most people think. As safe as many American cities. But just like in those cities, you're right that you gotta be careful.

Thanks for the tips! I'm planning a trip to Mexico City for the first time in February and I'm curious to hear why you think the Frida Khalo museum isn't worth it. I was planning to get tickets in advance to try to avoid the lines, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hey Olivia. That's a really fair question. The reason I'd say it's overrated is because of the huge line that wastes so much precious CDMX time and because people go because other people go, even if they don't give a crap about art or Kahlo. They may as well go to one of the many other, but less popular, museum. But if you can avoid the line by getting a ticket and if you go in already with a true appreciation of Kahlo and desire to learn more, then by all means it's a good idea. Most people don't fit those criteria, though.

"The Blue House" is a marvelous 'don't miss' home that reflects so much of who Frieda Kahlo was. Colorful, decorated in this artist's very particular taste. One of the few city spots to which I often return..I am an artist. Much of my work – water color and photography, is of Mejico…

"Fair skinned, blonde haired" I see you poking fun at yourself. Really appreciate the post, been trying to collect as much information as possible. We're headed to CDMX mid February. I didn't see any mention of Xochilmilco canals or the ruins of Teotithuacan. Any recommendations? Priced a potential tour but more expensive than expecting. We are thinking maybe uber and tour ourselves. Vale la pena?

Also, lucha libre, yes or no?

Thanks – Mary

Hi Mary, Thanks for the questions!

We share our brief takes on Xochimilco, Teotihuacan, and lucha libre in our "Quick and Dirty Mexico City Guide" . Of the three, we'd recommend lucha libre the highest… even though we haven't done it. All our friends who have, even those who we wouldn't suspect would like it, gave us rave reviews.

On the other two, in addition to what we write in the Quick and Dirty guide I'd say the biggest determinant of whether to go or not is how much time you have. We consider neither to be absolute "must dos" for trip of less than a week, especially since the time you lose going there and back is precious. And if you want to get out of town, it's possibly even worth considering a pueblo like Tepotzlan instead.

Whatever you decide, have a fantastic trip. And if you discover tips of your own, or ones of ours you disagree with (politely of course), please come back to share it!

"For example, unless you’re such a Frida fan that you’ve grown a unibrow in her honor, it’s not worth it."

Are you seriously suggesting that Casa Azul isn't worth the wait? Instead of skipping the museum, I'd suggest planning your day better. There's tours that help you skip the line.

Fair enough, Julia. Sorry maybe for making you frown so much you almost have a unibrow yourself.

I would bet that a good percentage of people waiting in line are waiting simple because everyone else said to go. They could either plan better like you say, or prioritize based on their own interests.

Yeah, don't take a taxi! Much better to support this Uber exploiter company. by the way: a bus or metro would be even cheaper. But that is too local perhaps.

From taxi scammers to uber exploiters. What's next in the evolution? You're right, Momo, that we should mention buses and metro here. I'll update the post. Thanks!

OMG This post had me absolutely cracking up! "Tell your yuppie gut to make some Mexican friends." LOL what an incredible line! I am heading to Mexico (but CDMX for only 2 days) and am so thankful I found this post! Great tips. We are going to the Frida Khalo house, but got skip the line tickets in advance, and though I'm not a huge fan of art and museums, do love her for all that she accomplished as a female Mexican artist. As a traveler watching the budget I definitely appreciate all the local and more affordable tips!

Hey Nina, Thanks. It's nice to hear at least some people appreciate my attempts at humor.

Now that you mention it, I should mention the skip-the-line option for Frida. Thanks!

If you come up with any other tips to add from your experience, let me know. If I like it, I'll add it and link to your site as a shout-out.

Buen viaje!

Any comments on airlines between cities in Mexico. I don't want to waste time taking 6 hour bus trips, but the airlines have lots of negative reviews. Thanks!

Sorry, Jaimee, but I've mostly bussed around Mexico so I don't have enough experience on the airlines to help out. Any other reader with tips, please chime in!

Hi Jaimee, I highly recommend flying with a Mexican airline. Just be aware of the extra costs for luggage (that's why I always travel only with hand luggage), especially with the cheaper airlines. I have tried many airlines like Volaris, Air Mexico, Aeromar, VivaAerobús and even small airplanes with only 12 passengers and they were all very reliable. Let me know if you have more questions. And enjoy Mexico!

Great tips, guys (and gals). Thank!!

Two more we can add from recent experience.

1) Bank of America partners with ScotiaBank for ATM service in MX (and much of Latin America?) There are no fees for using a BoA ATM card at a Scotiabank AND you get prime exchange rate BUT a) you have to refuse the insurance and b) you have to say NO to their proposed excange rate (which is the last question the ATM asks you). Also there is seldom a Scotiabank location where you need it.

Regarding Cell Phones, T-mobile is a German company, and therefore they are aware that there are other countries in the world besides the US. They have partners in MX, Japan, France and – not surprisingly – Germany (these we have used ourselves) plus MANY more countries. When you arrive in a country with a T-mobile partner, you receive a text from them welcoming you, and then magically, your phone works, calls, texts, data, the whole enchilada. It's almost like living in the 21st Century !!

Thanks, Eric! I've updated the post with these tips of yours. Hope you enjoyed/are enjoying CDMX!

It’s a little concerning that you’re downplaying water safety precautions. “Don’t be a wuss. Suck it up and suck up the water?” I work in travel medicine and traveler’s diarrhea is the #1 sickness people get while visiting other countries. Not to mention other food and water borne illnesses like typhoid fever and Hepatitis A that can be difficult to treat in other countries. Most travelers who are new to the area should indeed be taking these precautions seriously. Contracting one of these illnesses can completely ruin one’s trip. Also, your verbiage and choice of words like “suck” and poking fun at unibrows is distasteful.

Thanks for sharing your tastes, Rae. Truly. It helps other readers to have varying opinions.

I love your blogpost and loved Mexico City so much! It was actually nicer than I expected. I thought it would be hectic, dirty and loud, but it was such an amazing city. We stayed in Roma Norte, but this would not be my first choice for my next time, because it has a lively (gay) party scene. I would go to Condesa or Reforma next time. I also recommend getting a creditcard with pesos on it, because they do accept a card in many places. And my final advice: just go!

Amazing blog! Thank you for making me want to visit Mexico right now. I just wanna share I use this website https://www.holidayhare.com/city/mexico-city/4075 to check country/city info like weather, visa requirements etc. before I travel. 🙂

We are planning a trip to Mexico next year, I wanted to check out your airbnb links but they don't seem to be working. Can you provide that info again??

Hi Amanda. Sorry but it seems they're not available anymore, so I've removed them from this post. Thanks for the heads up. Enjoy your stay!

Love this but frustrating that i signed up for a 3 day ecobicci prior to my trip It starts today and expires before i even arrive! I thought it would start on my initiation Maybe you should warm people not to sign up till you are ready to use it

How annoying! Thanks for the warning, Marcia. I've added the heads up to the post.

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Mexico City Travel Guide

Last Updated: September 2, 2023

Founded in the early 14th century by the Aztecs, Mexico City is one of the oldest capital cities in the Americas. Today, it is one of the most fascinating cultural destinations in the world, with eclectic art galleries, animated food markets, bustling nightlife, and grandiose historic buildings on tree-lined streets.

I was late to visit Mexico City, but once I spent time here I fell in love. The museum, parks, and food scene make this a world-class city in my view. It’s also super affordable and has a growing expat/digital nomad scene so it’s easy to visit long-term and make connections.

This travel guide to Mexico City can help you make the most out of your trip, save money, help you stay safe, and ensure you have an amazing visit!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Mexico City

Top 5 Things to See and Do in Mexico City

1. Walk through the Zócalo

Encompassing the Templo Mayor, Palacio Nacional, and Plaza de la Constitución, the Zócalo is the heart of Mexico City’s Historic Center. Originally the site of an Aztec Temple, the Templo Mayor was destroyed to make room for a new Spanish cathedral in 1521. Rediscovered in the 1970s, you can now view ancient artifacts uncovered from the site alongside the stunning Spanish colonial architecture of La Catedral Metropolitana. Exploring the Zócalo area is the perfect introduction to Mexico City’s rich culture and history. Start your visit here.

2. Relax in Chapultepec Park

Spanning 1,695 acres in the heart of Mexico City, here you’ll find a zoo, La Feria amusement park, and nine unique museums. Chapultepec Park is one of the world’s most visited urban parks, and you can spend days strolling around forest paths and relaxing by the water. Here you’ll find the Museum of Anthropology, which houses a vast collection of sculptures, jewels, and artifacts from ancient Mexican civilizations (admission is 70 MXN). You can also rent a rowboat or paddle boat and go out on Chapultepec Lake for 60 MXN. And history buffs will love a visit to Chapultepec Castle, the former home of Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota. It was built on a sacred Aztec site. Admission costs 80 MXN and is free on Sundays.

3. Participate in Day of the Dead

Every November, on the 1st and 2nd of the month, the entire country joins in a mass celebration of the dead. Everywhere you go, there are decorated sugar skulls, candy treats, and baked goods known as Pan de Muerto . The festival is a vibrant and lively affair with celebrations for those who are gone but not forgotten, including parades of elaborate and colorful costumes. It’s a must-do and an incredibly vibrant cultural experience you will never forget. All you have to do is show up!

Frida Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera are two of the biggest names in Mexican art. Frida was particularly famous for her portraits and self-portraits. A tour of their old home (the “Casa Azul”) is a worthwhile experience to see where and how she lived, as well as some of her original artwork. Caza Azul also hosts a variety of artistic workshops monthly, so check out the schedule if you’re interested in learning a new skill during your Mexico City trip. Tickets are 250 MXN. Buy tickets in advance because tickets are high in demand.

5. Check out the art and history museums

There are tons of museums and galleries in Mexico City, perfect for art enthusiasts and history buffs alike. Worthwhile museums include the Museum of Anthropology, the National History Museum, the Modern Art Museum, the National Art Museum, and the Museo do Arte Populare (folk art museum). Mexico City can compete with any other culturally rich city so be sure to spend some time admiring these massive collections. Tickets start at 70 MXN.

Other Things to See and Do in Mexico City

1. visit castillo de chapultepec.

The only castle in North America to house sovereigns, Chapultepec Castle was built in 1725 as a large manor house for the Viceroy (the colonial administrator from Spain). Abandoned during the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, Chapultepec later became the residence of Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota in 1864 during the Second Mexican Empire (1864–1867). Today, Chapultepec Castle is home to Museo Nacional de Historia, which tells the story of Mexico from the time of Tenochtitlan to the Mexican Revolution. It costs 85 MXN.

2. Explore Templo Mayor

Mexico City is a hotbed of historical landmarks, particularly those dating back to the Aztec period, and there is no finer example than the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. Located in the heart of the Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, Templo Mayor is an example of life in Mesoamerica before the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The Aztecs believed the area to be the literal center of the universe, and it was here where they sighted the eagle perched on a cactus with a snake in its beak — the symbol of Mexico today. Admission is 85 MXN and includes entrance to the museum and the archeological site.

3. Feast in the Zona Rosa

One of the most popular neighborhoods in Mexico City, Zona Rosa is historically known for being the heart of the city’s gay community and boasts an array of bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. This is the best nightlife area in the city. Make sure to dress well here too. Try places like Cafeteríra El Péndulo, Xaman Bar, and Cabaretito Fusión. If you have a taste for Korean barbeque (Zona Rosa has a huge Korean community!), head to BiWon.

4. Visit the Museo Nacional de Antropología

Found within Chapultepec Park, this world-class anthropology museum is the largest museum in Mexico, at 45,000 square meters (it’s also the most-visited museum in the country). Open since 1964, the museum houses a vast collection of sculptures, jewels, and artifacts from ancient Mexican civilizations. There’s an exhibition on the culture of Native Americans in Mexico as well as numerous rotating temporary exhibitions (often on other great cultures from around the world, such as Iran, China, and Greece). Admission is 85 MXN.

5. Tour a megalibrary

Situated among gardens, the Biblioteca Vasconcelos is a temple to books, often referred to as a “megalibrary”. Opening its doors in 2006, the library features transparent walls and intentionally mismatched floors, six floors, and houses over 600,000 books! The library also offers cultural activities like concerts, plays, and dance performances, and there’s also a 26,000-square-meter garden filled with trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Admission is free. Check the website to see what events are happening during your visit.

6. Check out the Basilica de Guadalupe

The Basilica de Guadalupe is a Catholic church, basilica, and world-famous shrine, drawing thousands of pilgrims every year from all over Mexico. The yearly celebration of the shrine is on December 12th, which makes this a crazy, festival-like place to be during that time. Take time to explore the grounds, as well as the basilica and shrine. The old basilica was constructed from 1695-1709, built on the spot where the Virgin of Guadalupe had first appeared to the peasant-turned-saint Juan Diego in 1531. The old basilica began to sink in its foundation, and a new basilica was constructed from 1974-1976. Just make sure to dress respectfully during your visit as it is a place of worship.

7. Marvel at the Soumaya Museum

Housing 66,000 pieces of Central American and European art, the Soumaya Museum displays works not only by Mexican artists like Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo, but also by famous masters like Botticelli, Dalí, and Rodin, to name a few. The museum was donated and constructed by one of the world’s richest men, Carlos Slim Helú (a Mexican business magnate). In Northern Mexico City, the Soumaya Museum is a stunning building covered with 16,000 aluminum hexagonal tiles, which sparkle in the sunlight. It’s considered to be the most beautiful modern building in Mexico City. Admission is free.

8. Attend a lucha libre

Mexican free wrestling is a favorite pastime among locals. Extremely entertaining and affordable, Lucha libre takes wrestling to a whole new level, and the cheers and heckles from the crowd add to the fun. Grab a beer or a shot of tequila, and get ready to holler some Spanish jeers – and whatever you do, do not look away during a match as anything can, and will, happen. General seating tickets can be as little as 56 MXN each. Don’t go with a tour or book ahead of time as you’ll pay a lot more. Do not buy from scalpers either, because the police are always around and you’ll get in trouble. Look for a tequila (ticket booth) sign to be sure that you are paying the right price. Do not bring your camera, as you will be forced to check it at the door.

9. Visit the UNAM Botanical Garden

If you need to escape the hustle and bustle of Mexico City for a little while, The Botanical Garden at the National Autonomous University of Mexico is the perfect place. Keeping with the Aztec traditions of having gardens for both medicinal and ornamental purposes, there is also an added focus on conservation and environmental education. Built on top of and around lava formations from the eruption of the volcano Xitle, visitors can explore the naturally formed grottoes, ponds and waterfalls. This garden has the most diverse cactus collection in the world (800 different kinds!), ponds full of koi and turtles, an orchidarium, and a medicinal garden.

This green space is not only a haven for people but the local wildlife as well. Keep an eye out for woodpeckers, owls, hummingbirds, rattlesnakes, lizards, and the Pedregal tarantula, which is a species only found in this small area of Mexico City. Admission is free.

10. Have some tacos at Taqueria los Cocuyos

There are tons of taquerias (taco stands) around Mexico City, but this 50-year-old establishment in the Historic Center has a vast array of meats to choose from. They have standard fillings like carnitas or chorizo, but why not try a tripe, brains (they have a creamy consistency), or tongue (this melts in your mouth like pot roast) taco? Anthony Bourdain absolutely loved this taqueria so need I say more?

  For information on other cities in Mexico, check out these guides:

• Cancun Travel Guide
• Oaxaca Travel Guide

Mexico City Travel Costs

Hostel prices – During peak season, the price per bed in a 4-6-bed dorm starts at 300 MXN per night, whereas a private room for two ranges from 600-1,900 MXN per night. In the shoulder season, those prices drop to 225 MXN and 850 MXN respectively. Free Wi-Fi is standard and many hostels also include free breakfast.

Budget hotel prices – Budget two-star rooms in Mexico City start around 300 MXN, while a three-star hotel ranges from 500-900 MXN. Expect basic amenities like free Wi-Fi, TV, AC, and occasionally free breakfast.

Airbnb is also an option in Mexico City, with private rooms starting at 220 MXN per night (though most are around 600 MXN). Entire homes and apartments start at 700 MXN and go up from there. Book early to find the best deals.

Food – Typical Mexican dishes include tacos, mole (a sauce with lots of ingredients, often including chocolate), salsa, enchiladas, tamales (stuffed corn pockets), pozole (hominy stew topped with onion, avocado, and chili) guacamole.

Street stalls and markets are the best way to go for authentic and inexpensive food. Tacos, quesadilla, sopas, tortas, and other street foods are generally 15-45 MXN. Sometimes, you’ll find tacos for as cheap as 10 MXN.

A cheap meal at a restaurant costs around 150 MXN. Look for the ones filled with locals as that is generally a sign that the food is really good. If you want to splash out, a three-course meal costs around 325 MXN.

Fast food (think McDonald’s) costs around 130 MXN for a combo meal. Pizza starts at 400 MXN while Chinese food costs around 200 MXN for a main dish.

Beer is 50-80 MXN while a latte/cappuccino is 55 MXN.

Tap water is not safe to drink in Mexico. Bring a portable water purifier or use bottled water ( LifeStraw makes a good one.)

If you plan to cook your meals, expect to pay between 500-585 MXN per week for groceries that will include rice, vegetables, chicken, tortillas, and beans. However, with street food so cheap and most hostels and hotels without kitchens, it’s best to simply eat local rather than cook.

Backpacking Mexico City Suggested Budgets

If you’re backpacking Mexico City, expect to spend 1,050 MXN per day. This budget gets you a hostel dorm, street food and self-cooked meals, public transportation, and a few attractions (such as museums and galleries) each day. If you plan on eating out more or drinking, you’ll need to add another 100 MXN per day.

On a mid-range budget of about 1,900 MXN per day, you can stay in a private hostel room or Airbnb, eat out at restaurants serving cheap traditional cuisine for every meal, visit more attractions, enjoy a few drinks, and take the occasional taxi to get around.

On a “luxury” budget of 3,800 MXN or more per day, you can stay at a hotel, eat out for all your meals, have plenty of drinks, take taxis everywhere, and do some guided trips and tours. This is just the ground floor for luxury though. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in MXN.

Mexico City Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

Mexico City is a really affordable city to visit. While prices have risen in the last couple of years, there’s tons of affordable street food and accommodation. Plus, lots of free activities to help keep your costs down. To help keep your budget intact, here are some ways to save in Mexico City:

• Eat street food – Save money on food by eating at the big markets or from the vendors on the street. You’ll get big, flavorful, and filling meals for only a few dollars. If you’re wary, just eat wherever you see children eating. If kids can eat that food, you’ll be fine!
• Stay with a local – Use Couchsurfing to stay with locals who have extra beds and couches for free. Not only will this lower your accommodation costs but you’ll get to connect with a local insider who can share their tips and advice.
• Go on a free walking tour – Learn the history behind the places you are seeing and to avoid missing any must-see stops in Mexico City. Estacion Mexico Free Tours has a historic downtown tour that can show you what the city has to offer. Just remember to tip your guide at the end!
• Save money on rideshares – Uber is cheaper than taxis and is the best way to get around a city if you don’t want to wait for a bus or pay for a taxi.
• Drink less – Alcohol is cheap in Mexico City, but it’s definitely more expensive at bars and clubs. Try to buy your alcohol from a local store instead of drinking at the bar if you’re on a budget.
• Take public transit – Public transportation is the most affordable way to get around. You can purchase a rechargeable Smartcard at any of the metro stations and you can use the card for the metro and metro buses.
• Being a water filter – Since the tap water here isn’t safe to drink and single-use plastic is bad for the environment, bring a water bottle with a built-in filter. LifeStraw is my go-to choice as it ensures your water is always clean and safe.

Where to Stay in Mexico City

Mexico City has a bunch of affordable hostels that are fun and safe. Here are some of recommended places to stay:

• Suites DF Hostel
• Mexico City Hostel
• Massiosare El Hostel
• Hostel Home

How to Get Around Mexico City

Public transportation – Mexico City is very large and the best way to get around is the subway (metro) system. It’s usually busy and crowded but it’s efficient. You can buy a rechargeable smart card at any of the Metro stations for 16 MXN (this includes the first 5 MXN ticket), and you can use the card for the metro and metro buses. A public city bus costs 6 MXN. You also can ride a Microbus (or a pesero as it’s commonly known), which are privately-run. A ticket for these costs 2.50-4 MXN.

Alternatively, Turibus is a touristy hop-on hop-off bus with four routes in Mexico City. These buses can be a good way to get your bearings and discover areas of the city you may want to explore further. A 1-day ticket is 160 MXN on weekdays and 180 MXN on the weekends.

Bicycle – For bike rentals, check out EcoBici, a bike-sharing program. It offers the first 45 minutes free. After that, your first hour is 25 MXN and each hour after is an additional 50 MXN. A full day is 118 MXN. After you’re done riding, you can return the bike to any kiosk with an open dock (indicated by a green light).

Taxis – Taxi fares start from around 25 MXN and then each kilometer is an additional 16 MXN. Don’t hail a taxi which is passing on the street. Instead, take one from outside a hotel or restaurant as these are authorized taxis and safer to use.

Ride-sharing – Uber, an alternative to taxis, operates in Mexico City and is generally cheaper than taxis.

When to Go to Mexico City

Summer (June to October) is the rainy season in Mexico, but mostly in the center of the country. You can expect it to rain each day heavily, but the downpour is usually short. It hardly ever rains in the northern part of the country, and humidity is thick in the south and along the coastal areas. Temperatures during this time are somewhere between 26-32°C (79-90°F).

April to June are typically the hottest months with temperatures averaging a high of 27°C (80°F). This is also one of the busiest times of year so be sure to book early.

Semana Santa is one of the biggest holidays in Mexico, next to Christmas and Day of the Dead. It takes place the week before Easter, when a re-enactment of the crucifixion takes place. Día de la Independencia takes place September 16th, but the celebrations begin the night before in Mexico City’s Zócalo, complete with fireworks. This is Mexico’s independence day, not Cinco de Mayo which is a celebration of the battle of Puebla which takes place in the state of Puebla, to the south of Mexico City.

In November, the streets and cemeteries of Mexico come alive as locals celebrate Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), a time when locals hold all-night vigils and commune with loved ones who have died. It’s also a time of parties and parades and sugar skulls. An unforgettable experience, especially in Mexico City. If you want to visit for the festival, book well in advance. The city books up fast and accommodation prices rise.

How to Stay Safe in Mexico City

The media (especially the American media) likes to paint Mexico City as a dangerous place to visit, but the reality is that a lot of Mexico City is completely safe. While petty theft (including bag snatching) is common here, most of the serious conflict is between the authorities and Mexican drug cartels, which will have little impact on your trip.

Stay away from neighborhoods like Tepito and Iztapalapa, and be aware of your surroundings in large crowded markets where it is easy to be targeted by pickpockets. Do your best to blend in and always keep your valuables secure and out of reach.

The people who tend to get in trouble are often involved in doing drugs or taking part in sex tourism. Stay away from that stuff for many reasons.

Locals are friendly and helpful. If you’re not sure about a neighborhood, ask a local. They can tell you whether or not it is a good idea to go there.

A local once described the city as a night city, which meant that, since there are lots of people out at night, there are eyes everywhere which helps reduce the likelihood of crime. I’ve never felt unsafe walking alone, especially when I’m in areas like Condesa, Roma Norte, or Jaurez, which are the areas you are likely to be in as a tourist.

Solo female travelers should generally feel safe here, though I would take extra caution at night. The standard safety precautions apply (never walk home alone intoxicated, never leave your drink unattended at the bar, etc.). Be sure to read one of the many solo female travel blogs for specific tips.

Keep an eye out for common scams against tourists , such as fake ATMs, taxis that don’t use a meter, and questionable tour operators.

If you need emergency services, dial 911.

While Mexico’s water purification and treatment systems have improved, it’s still not safe to drink tap water when visiting. Use a LifeStraw to avoid single-use plastic and ensure your water is safe. It has a built-in filter to purify your water.

Always trust your gut instinct. Avoid isolated areas at night, and be aware of your surroundings at all times. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past.

Mexico City Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.
• Top Travel Credit Cards – Points are the best way to cut down travel expenses. Here’s my favorite point earning credit cards so you can get free travel!

Mexico City Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on backpacking/traveling Mexico City and continue planning your trip:

The 20 Best Things to Do in Mexico City

The 5 Best Hotels in Oaxaca

Where to Stay in Oaxaca: The Best Neighborhoods for Your Visit

How to Spend 5 Days in Oaxaca

The 15 Best Things to Do in Oaxaca

Is Tulum Safe?

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5 Days in Mexico City Itinerary [2024]

• by Nellie Huang

Delve deep into the culture and history of CDMX with this power-packed 5-day Mexico City itinerary.

It’s massive, energetic, and frankly, misunderstood. As the 6th most populated city in the world (home to 22 million people), the high-octane megalopolis can seem overwhelming. But go a little deeper and you’ll discover a dynamic, multi-faceted city brimming with culture, history and character.

There are more museums in Mexico City than anywhere in the world , and the city is studded with charming neighborhoods, old-school cantinas, and awesome street food . Mexico City is now one of my favorite cities in the world — and I’m here to share a detailed Mexico City itinerary, that’ll help you go beneath the surface of this metropolis.

Table of Contents

Start at Zocalo Square

Admire the cathedral, watch the spiritual cleansing rituals, visit museo templo mayor, museums in mexico city are closed on mondays, have lunch at the balcon de zocalo, join a night street food tour, wander around the palacio bellas artes, head up to the rooftop of sears, stroll through alameda central, visit the museo de arte popular, amble along the pedestrianized madero street, eat at casa de los azulejos, head up to the top of torre latinoamericana, dine at a traditional mexican restaurant, best rooftop restaurants/bars in mexico city, bike ride chapultepec park, visit museo nacional de antropología, visit chapultepec castle, try tlayuda at the food stands, enjoy an afternoon at libreria porrua, watch a lucha libre show, visit museo frida kahlo, wander through mercado coyoacan, browse through the mercado artesanal de coyoacan, stroll through the san angel, weave through the canals of xochimilco, visit the ancient ruins of teotihuacan, visiting teotihuacan , have a gourmet meal in a cave restaurant, experience the nightlife in mexico city, extending your trip in mexico city, how to get to mexico city, best time to visit mexico city, how many days in mexico city, how safe is mexico city.

• Budget: La Querencia DF

Midrange: Hampton Inn & Suites

• Luxury: Hotel Zocalo Central

Luxury: The St Regis Mexico City

How to get around mexico city, how’s traveling mexico city with kids, casa de los azulejos, taqueria los cocuyos, azul historico, san angel inn, el hidalguense, how to stay connected in mexico city, cost of travel in mexico city, planning a trip around mexico, my 5-day mexico city itinerary.

This is part of our recommended 2-week Mexico itinerary . I recommend spending at least 5 days in Mexico City, if you want to get beneath the surface and experience as much as possible. It’ll give you enough time to see the best of the city and do a few Mexico tours.

Before you begin your Mexico City trip, be sure to check the Mexico Visa requirements ; most nationalities don’t need a visa to enter Mexico. In this Mexico City itinerary, I’ve included a day-to-day breakdown of things to do, where to eat, and the best places to stay in Mexico City .

Mexico City Itinerary Day 1: Centro Historico

Don’t be overwhelmed by the size of Mexico City – just focus on different sections of the city each day and you’ll do just fine. On the first day of this Mexico City itinerary, we will start in the Centro Historico or Historic Center, packed with gorgeous colonial buildings and museums galore.

The Zocalo sits at the very heart of the historic center of Mexico City. The grand square has witnessed thousands of years of history, from the rise of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan to the flourishing of modern-day Mexico City. It is flanked by the Palacio Nacional  on one side and the impressive Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral on the other. The square is always buzzing with life, from indigenous Mayan performers to street vendors and tourists.

The most prominent landmark on the Zocalo is Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral. It’s not only one of Mexico’s most treasured architectural masterpieces, it is also Latin America’s largest and oldest cathedral.

While the Cathedral looks impressive from the outside, you need to head in to see the biggest draw of the Cathedral: Numerous works of art, religious relics and crypts adorn every orifice, including in the sixteen chapels.  Sadly, the cathedral – much like the rest of Mexico City – gradually sinks year after year into the shifting lake upon which it was built.

Outside the Cathedral, you’ll usually find indigenous people perform traditional dance routines. The traditional healers offer a spiritual cleansing ritual called limpia . First, the healers rub the herbs around your entire body, while blowing smoke and incense. It’s said that the herbs expel evil spirits from your body and the incense provides your body with strength. You’ll then be asked to stamp on the herbs, signifying crushing the evil forces that have been eliminated from your body.

Just behind the Cathedral lies one of the city’s most impressive sights – the Templo Mayor . These are the ruins left behind from the great Aztec temple and the ancient city of Tenochtitlán, which was destroyed when the Spaniards conquered Mexico City.

It wasn’t until the 1970s, that some electricity workers discovered this amazing site, buried beneath the ground. It’s free to see the temple ruins from the viewing platforms, but I highly recommend visiting the Museo del Templo Mayor (entry is 80 Pesos). It’s one of the best museums in Mexico City in my opinion, with extensive explanations and displays of artefacts from the Mexica civilization. The stone carvings and sacrificial offerings found in the Templo Mayor ruins are exhibited here, and they’re seriously impressive.

It’s important to note that many museums in Mexico City are closed on Mondays. This includes major ones such as the Templo Mayor Museum and National Palace. Make sure to plan your Mexico City itinerary accordingly and leave museums for other days of the week.

During high season, some of the museums can have long lines of visitors, especially National Anthropology Museum and Frida Kahlo Museum . Be sure to book tickets in advance.

Take a break and head up to the Balcon de Zocalo , a rooftop restaurant in the Hotel Zocalo Central. The upscale, stylish hotel is housed in a 1890s building and its rooftop restaurant is my favorite place to eat in Mexico City.

Besides the phenomenal views of the Zocalo, the restaurant serves up contemporary Mexican cuisine made with high quality ingredients. If you’re on a budget, I suggest coming here before 12pm when they’re still serving the breakfast menu. You’ll get to fill up with contemporary versions of chilaquiles or enchilada, without breaking the bank!

Mexico City is undoubtedly the best place to try authentic Mexican food . Street food vendors ply the streets of Centro Historico with delicious and authentic Mexican antojitos (street food) like tacos, tortas, quesabirria and more. To get under the surface of the street food scene here, we joined a night street food tour and had an amazing time learning about Mexican street food.

This after-dark taco tour consists of an epic, six-course menu covering the city’s essential styles like brisket, canasta, and al pastor, plus beverage pairings like pulque and beer. Do ask about the post-taco private tasting of Mexican spirits, a one-of-a-kind chance to sip mezcals from lesser-known regions like Durango and San Luis Potosí.

Mexico City Itinerary Day 2: Centro Historico

On day 2 of this Mexico City Itinerary, take an Uber or metro to Bellas Artes metro station. The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most famous landmarks of Centro Historico and it houses the country’s most important art collections. Rooms and exhibits follow a chronological order, first looking at works from the ancient pre-Hispanic period, then the colonial era, and finally art from an independent Mexico.

For a view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (and take a picture like below), head to the rooftop cafe at the Sears department store across the road. The Sears Rooftop Cafe has gorgeous views, but they don’t take reservations and you have to wait in line at the entrance of Sears to register before heading up. It took us 15 minutes to get up there. I recommend getting here at 11am, when they open.

Next, stroll over to the lush green Alameda Central Park and take in some fresh air. The beautiful park is criss-crossed by pathways, which culminate in French-style, ornate fountains. What was once an Aztec marketplace is now one of Mexico City’s primary green spaces . If you are spending Day of the Dead in Mexico City (like we did), this park is a great spot to soak up the atmosphere and join in the festivities.

At the end of the park, you’ll also find an outdoor market and plenty of street food. Don’t forget to try my favorite esquite  (spicy corn with lime) and  elote   (corn on the cob smothered with mayonnaise and cheese).

Just a few minutes’ walk away is the Museo de Arte Popular , our favorite museum in Mexico City .  The beautiful art deco space is dedicated to the wonderful folk art traditions of Mexico. On display here are some of the weirdest and most wonderful religious monsters, skeletons, piñatas, and pottery you are likely to see anywhere.

The brightly lit main atrium of the museum also features several alebrijes,  gigantic and fantastical animal figures like flies with dragon tails and multi-headed lions, all painted with neon colors.

Then, walk a few blocks to Madero Street, one of the most popular and busiest roads since colonial times. This was one of the first streets to be drawn of the new Spanish city on the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. It was named in honor of Francisco I. Madero, who was briefly President of Mexico before his assassination in 1913. Today, the pedestrianized street is flanked by renown landmarks, museums and renown shops.

One of the most famous restaurants in Mexico City is located along Madero Street. Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles) is housed in a gorgeous historical building covered in blue, white, and yellow tile. Its interior features a mural by famed Mexican painter José Clemente Orozco; and its glass-ceilinged atrium contains stone pillars, murals, and a fountain.

These lushly decorated walls have witnessed centuries of Mexican history, housing Spanish noblemen before evolving into the most beautiful branch of a chain restaurant. Besides soaking up the history here, you can feast on traditional dishes like pozoles (Mexican stew) and molletes (bean and cheese toast). It’s also a great spot for a traditional Mexican breakfast .

After lunch, cross the road to Torre Latinoamericana, one of Mexico City’s most important landmarks. It was the world’s first major skyscraper successfully built on highly active seismic zone, and the skyscraper notably withstood the 8.1 magnitude 1985 Mexico City earthquake without any damage!

The observation deck on its 37th floor gives a bird’s eye view of the sprawling metropolis. The ticket also gives you entry to the museum on the 36th floor, where you can learn about the building’s construction. The Miralto bar and restaurant on the 41st floor serves up gourmet meals with the glittering lights of the city as the backdrop. Book your table here.

It’s been a long day, so kick back and treat yourself to a nice dinner at Azul Historico  or  Restaurant El Cardenal , two of the best traditional Mexican restaurants in the area. Azul Historico offers excellent multi-course lunches and has a beautiful, open courtyard lit up with tea lights. Restaurant El Cardenal is more of an institution well-loved by both locals and visitors. We loved both, but Azul Historico definitely won me over with its stunning courtyard.

There’s a whole range of rooftop bars and restaurants with gorgeous views of Mexico City, be sure to make reservations in advance as they do get booked up during high season. Check out my full list of the best rooftop bars in Mexico City .

• Balcon de Zocalo — A stylish rooftop restaurant overlooking the Zocalo with spectacular views over the main square.
• Puro Corazon  — One of the best traditional restaurants in the historic center, also overlooking the Zocalo.
• La Casa de las Sirenas  Facing the Zocalo and Templo Mayor, this gorgeous rooftop restaurant is located in a a 16th-century building with an old-world ambiance.
• Terraza Cha Cha Cha  —  Overlooking the Revolution Monument, this chic rooftop bar dishes up contemporary Mexican dishes and well crafted cocktails.
• Cityzen Rooftop Kitchen  — An upscale rooftop restaurant boasting unparalleled views of the Paseo de la Reforma, serving French and Mexican cuisine.
• Sears Rooftop Cafe — Best view over the Palacio de Bellas Artes. They don’t take reservations and you have to wait in line at the entrance of Sears to register before heading up.

Mexico City Itinerary Day 3: Bosque de Chapultepec

The next day, take an Uber or metro to the green lungs of Mexico City, Bosque de Chapultepec . This huge park covers a whopping 686 hectares, making it one of the largest city parks in the western hemisphere.

Filled with green meadows, forested areas and lakes, the Chapultepec Park itself is home to a zoo, multiple museums, a botanical garden, a recreational lake, archaeological sites, and monuments to Mexican patriot. There are snack vendors, street performers, and plenty of food stalls. It’s impossible to take it all in, but spending a day in the park gives you a taste of what it has to offer.

One of the most fun ways to see the park is by bicycle. Mexico City has the great  EcoBici bike share program available. You just need to download the app, and  buy a 1-day pass for 112 Pesos (US$5) or 3-day pass for 372 Pesos (US$18). With your EcoBici membership, you can explore Chapultepec Park and other areas of Mexico City.

Of the 150 museums in Mexico City, National Anthropology Museum is lauded as the best and it’s extremely popular. So get here at 10am when it opens (it’s closed on Sundays and Mondays) and plan to spend at least 3 hours here. The museum has exhibits on everything you’d ever wanted to know about Mexico’s ancient cultures, from the Mayans and the Aztecs to the Toltecs. Book your tickets here!

One of the monuments worth visiting in the park is the Chapultepec Castle. It is located on top of a hill, offering unparalleled views of Mexico City. The site of the hill was a sacred place for Aztecs, and the buildings atop it have served several purposes during its history, including that of Military Academy and Presidential residence, and since the 1940s, the National Museum of History. Get your tickets here.

You won’t go hungry in the park, as there’s no shortage of street food offering traditional Mexican antojitos here. A very popular dish to have here is the tlayuda , a traditionally Oaxacan staple and popular Mexican breakfast . It’s made up of a crunchy, partially fried or toasted tortilla covered with a spread of refried beans, nopales (cactus), avocado, meat, Oaxaca cheese, and salsa. You can easily get one for 20 Pesos (US$1). I got mine from the food stands at the castle’s front gate.

Another cool spot in the park worth checking out is the gorgeous bookstore, Libreria Porrúa (yes I’m a geek!). This must be the most beautiful branch of the large bookstore chain, thanks to its spectacular lakeside location, open-concept design, and inviting lounging space. Set amongst the trees of Bosque de Chapultepec, the bookstore has floor-to-ceiling shelves covered in books, a lovely open air café, and lots of hanging chairs.

If you’re a fan of Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling), Mexico City is the best place to see it live in action. Lucha Libre is dramatic, acrobatic, and a little bit wild. We’re not wrestling fans, but even my daughter enjoyed the drama and acrobatic skills of the luchadores .

There are three arenas in Mexico City where you can see Lucha Libre. Arena Mexico in Colonia Doctores is the largest of the three and hosts luchas every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday night. Sunday shows at 5.30pm are designed to be family-friendly. Check out the lineup on the website of the CMLL . We got the tickets (for 125 Pesos or $5) just 10 minutes before the show started, so you don’t even need to plan in advance.

Mexico City Itinerary Day 4: Coyoacan & Xochimilco

On the 4th day of this Mexico City itinerary, I recommend venturing further to explore the district of Coyoacan. It’s a 20-minute Uber ride (that cost around $10 each way) from the historical center. The beautiful neighborhood is lined with colorful colonial style homes, cute cafes and boutiques. It is a slightly upscale residential area with lots of Airbnbs for those who prefer to stay in a quiet area.

Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous Mexican artists of all time, and her paintings are loved throughout the world. Her house, known as the Casa Azul , has been converted into a museum. She grew up in this home and later shared it with her famous husband, painter Diego Rivera. You’ll see both various pieces of her artwork as well as her personal belongings.

Walk through her art studio, glimpse her beautiful kitchen, and see the bed where she slept and the garden in which she spent her afternoons dreaming or entertaining guests. Tickets must be booked online, you’ll not be allowed in without a prepaid ticket! They can be sold out for weeks, so book your tickets at least a month in advance!

Next, head to the Coyoacan Market, around a 15-minute walk from the Frida’s Casa Azul. It’s a great place to pick up some great souvenirs and to stop for a bit of lunch. The market is filled with small stalls serving up some of Mexico’s most authentic dishes, from stuffed chile poblanos to tacos and quesadillas. But the most famous dish to eat here is the tostada (toasted tortilla filled with all kinds of topping).

Famed throughout the country, this market is a great place to shop for souvenirs at prices lower than those found in the shops of Mexico City. The artisan market boasts a huge variety of handcrafted textiles, artwork and quirky souvenirs. Keep an eye out for traditional indigenous items such as rebozos  (shawls) and  huipiles (tunics) from the regions of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

This picturesque neighborhood of San Angel, just southwest of Coyoacan, is a pleasant and leafy neighborhood worth visiting. If you happen to be in Mexico City on a Saturday, consider checking out the weekly Saturday bazaar that takes place here.

You’ll find streets and parks lined with artists and local vendors. Eventually, make your way to a building known as the bazaar (northwest of the Plaza San Jacinto).

In the evening, venture even further south to the canals of Xochimilco. The best way to get there is taking an Uber to the Embarcadero Cuemanco Xochimilco (which will cost another $10 from Coyoacan).

The canals and artificially created islands (called  chinampas ) of Xochimilco date to pre-Hispanic Aztec period, and were once part of a large lake and canal system. These remaining canals and their ecosystem were declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. These days, it’s extremely popular to glide down the canals on colorful, dreamily decorated trajinera boats. A boat trip usually costs around $500 Mexican pesos ($20 USD) per hour for the entire boat, not per person!

Mexico City Itinerary Day 5: Day Trip

For your last day in Mexico City, take a day trip to the ancient pyramids located 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Mexico City. Visiting Teotihuacan is a rite of passage for any visitor to Mexico, as it’s the most impressive archaeological site in Mexico (in our opinion). It’s THE most popular of all the Mexico City day trips , for good reason. Read our complete guide to the Teotihuacan Pyramids.

The  UNESCO World Heritage Site was settled as early as 400 B.C. and became the most powerful and influential city in the region by 400 A.D. The Aztecs found the city in the 1400s and named it Teotihuacan (meaning “the place where the gods were created”). It was the largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere at one point, and had thousands of residential compounds and scores of pyramid-temples.

We’ve been to several Aztec and Mayan sites in Mexico, but this was the most impressive of them all. Walking along the Avenue of the Dead, I was floored by the sheer scale and grandeur of the ancient city. The Pyramid of the Sun is the largest building in Teotihuacan, and one of the largest in Mesoamerica. It is believed to have been constructed about 200 AD.

Teotihuacan can get crowded especially if you’re visiting Mexico City during the peak season. Make sure to get there early or book a tour in advance for early access. These tours tend to include tequila tasting or visits to the nearby Shrine of Guadalupe.

To get to Teotihuacan, we took an Uber which cost US$30 each way (1hour). That’s the best way to get to Teotihuacan early, before the tour groups arrive at 10am. We were worried about finding an Uber home, but it was relatively easy to get reception at one of the gates. If you prefer to have a guide, then check out this day tour to Teotihuacan .

End your visit of the Teotihuacan Pyramids at Gate 5, and head to La Gruta Cave Restaurant which is just a 3-minute walk away. This was easily the best meal we had in Mexico City! They also had one of the coolest Day of the Dead ofrendas (altar) we’d seen.

The underground restaurant serves contemporary Mexican cuisine in at atmospheric volcanic cave illuminated by candles. The menu is made of traditional Mexican dishes with a modern twist. My panceta (pork belly) with mole sauce was out of this world, and Alberto’s barbacoa lamb meat was divine. Their mezcal cocktails hit the spot and the chicharrone (crispy pork crackling) with guacamole was sinful yet incredible. Reservations, especially when visiting on a weekend, are highly recommended.

To end your 5 days in Mexico with your bang, we recommend checking out the traditional cantinas or mezcal bars, also known as cantina. Cantina Tío Pepe dates back to the 19th century, making it one of the oldest cantinas in downtown Mexico City. With its beautiful carved-wood bar and stained glass work, this traditional spot is great spot for people watching.

Another place we love is Bósforo , a hip mezcal bar hidden away on a dark sidestreet in Centro Historico. It plays trippy music, has a mezzanine with cushions on the ground instead of seats, and serves a wild list of great mezcals.

As one of the largest city in the world, Mexico City has so much to offer that you’ll need a lifetime to see and experience it all. 5 days will barely be enough for you to scrape the surface, so I suggest staying longer if you can and explore the areas surrounding it.

Mexico City’s location in the heart of Mexico also means you can head off in any direction and see ancient Mayan pyramids, colonial towns, and even wildlife reserves,  in less than two hour’s drive.

If you’re here between November and March, make sure to do a day trip to the   Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve , a UNESCO World Heritage Site sprawling across an area of over 56,000 hectares. Migrating monarch butterflies travel in colonies of about 20 million insects to here every winter; it’s a sight to behold and truly one of the most spectacular  natural wonders of Mexico .

Another spot I recommend visiting from Mexico City are the Grutas Tolantongo Hot Springs . With warm water tumbling over calcified travertine pools and cascading down waterfalls, Grutas Tolantongo is home to some of the most beautiful  hot springs in Mexico .  Read our  detailed guide to Grutas Tolantongo .

Mexico City Travel Guide

I always recommend travelers to buy travel insurance, whether you’re traveling Mexico City for a year or a week. It is particularly important to have travel insurance that covers COVID-19.

Safety Wing  is the most popular travel insurance company for COVID19-coverage. I use their  Nomad Insurance plan , which covers COVID-19 as any other illness as long as it was not contracted before your coverage start date. Refer to my  travel insurance guide  for more details.

The main gateway to Mexico City is the Mexico City Airport (also known as Benito Juarez International Airport). The national airline, AeroMexico, flies daily from many major cities in the US.

Flying into Mexico City from the US is quite affordable. You can  fly from Los Angeles to Mexico City  for as little as $300 return (4-hour flight).  Flying from Europe to Mexico is also cheap, especially from London and Madrid. We took direct  return flights from Madrid to Mexico City once for $400.

There is a very convenient and fast bus service that runs from Mexico City Airport to the city centre , the Metrobus line 4. These buses operate from 4:30 to 00:00 daily and take only 30 minutes to reach the centre of Mexico City. Tickets cost just 30 Pesos ($1.30) one-way.

The best time to visit Mexico City is during the dry season between December and April , when there is virtually no rain.

The coolest months are between December and February, although temperatures can reach averages of 82 ° F (28℃) during the dry season. The wet season begins in the south in May and lasts until October.

Mexico City celebrates many cultural festivals throughout the year. We celebrated Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead in Mexico City , and had a blast at some of the biggest celebrations in the country. The festivities usually span across one week (26 October to 2 November). Read my guide on when to visit Mexico City .

Mexico City is HUGE, and if you want to see it all, I’d say you need 1 week in Mexico City. We spent 5 days in Mexico City, and definitely wished we had more time!

This Mexico City itinerary is pretty intense and packed with lots of things to do. Be prepared to be on the go from morning to night. For those who rather explore at a slower pace, I recommend removing the day trip to Teotihuacan . That way you will have more time in Mexico City to explore other neighborhoods.

If you have more time, I recommend doing a day trip to Taxco and Cuernavaca or the Monarch Butterflies Sanctuary. Check out our guide to the best day trips from Mexico City.

Read my full article: Is Mexico City Safe to Visit ?  In short, my husband, daughter and I all felt super safe in Mexico City and had no security issues at all.  

As we visited Mexico City during Day of the Dead , it was crowded everywhere. But we kept our belongings close to us, brought minimal cash with us, and had no problems. Of course, we avoided seedy areas, and we weren’t hanging out late at night, or getting drunk on the streets.

All in all, stick to the tourist areas and you’ll be fine (that means centro historico, Roma, Condesa, Coyoacan and Xochimilco). The areas covered in this Mexico City itinerary are all safe to visit. Avoid areas like Iztapalapa, Tepito, La Lagunia, Mercado Merced, Doctores and Ciudad Neza.

• Where to Stay in Mexico City

The Centro Histórico (historic center) is a convenient location to stay, as most attractions, events and the parade take place here. We loved the location of our hotel, just a few blocks from the Zocalo. Many travelers also choose to stay in the green, leafy neighborhoods of La Condesa and Polanco.

Here is a summary of my hotel recommendations. For a full guide, check out my post on the best places to stay in Mexico City .

Budget:  La Querencia DF

This budget-friendly bed & breakfast is housed in a colonial-style home in Roma Norte, one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods. You’ll notice it straight away because of its bright orange color and cute little balconies. Rooms are brightly colored, clean and cozy.  Check the rates here.

We stayed at this hotel in the historic center and loved the location, just two blocks from the main square (Zocalo). Highly recommend it for families who need extra space. Check the rates here.

Luxury:  Hotel Zocalo Central

Right next to the Cathedral overlooking the Zocalo (main square), this centrally located hotel is housed in a 1890s building and features a gorgeous design. Their rooftop restaurant is my favorite place to eat in Mexico City. Check the rates here.

Located along the famous Paseo de la Reforma, this luxurious hotel has a nice location in the centro historico but away from the crowded area. Check the rates here.

One of the best ways to get around Mexico City is  the metro system , which is cheap and easy to use. Just buy a ticket (“bolleto” in Spanish) from the booth. A metro ticket costs only 5 Pesos ($0.23). You can change as many times as you need to without having to purchase the ticket.

We mostly took Uber as it was just so convenient and affordable. There are a lot of Uber drivers in the city, so you’ll never have to wait long for a car. It usually costs around US$2-6 to take an Uber in the historical center. To get to Coyoacan or Xochimilco, it ranges from US$15 to 30 depending on the time of travel.

Prior to the trip, I wasn’t sure if my daughter would enjoy such a massive sprawling metropolis like Mexico City; but I couldn’t be more wrong. She absolutely loved the museums, green parks and cultural spots — so much so that she was willing to wait in line and walk all day!

Most of the top museums in Mexico City are superb for kids, especially the Museo de Arte Popular (thanks to its colorful alebrije collection). Most of them are free for kids under 5. Bosque de Chapultepec is also an excellent area for young kids, as there are playgrounds, boat rides on the lakes, and plenty of space for them to run freely.

Mexican food is always a hit with kids — who doesn’t love tacos and quesadillas? There are always street food and snack stalls everywhere, which makes it easy to feed constantly-hungry kids. Street food is not the healthiest, but they’re usually hygienic (we’ve eaten at many stands and had no issues).

Best Places to Eat in Mexico City

Housed in a gorgeous historical building famed for their azulejos (tiles), this heritage building (pictured below) has been converted into a restaurant. Besides soaking up the history here, you can feast on traditional dishes like pozoles and molletes. Read TripAdvisor reviews.

Located in the Centro Historico, Taqueria Los Cocuyos (pictured below) is probably the most famous taco stand in the city. This tiny stall produces authentic, handmade longaniza tacos 24 hours a day. We first came here around 7pm and the line was crazy long. I recommend coming in the morning as it’s empty and tacos are at their freshest. Read TripAdvisor reviews.

One of the most famous traditional restaurants in Centro Historico is Azul Historico. This was also our favorite restaurant in Mexico City. They offer excellent multi-course lunches  made up of traditional Mexican fare. They’ve also got a beautiful, open courtyard lit up with tea lights by night. Read Tripadvisor reviews.

After you visit the Frida Kahlo house, walk next door to Restaurante Antiguo San Angel Inn . If the wedding scene in The Godfather actually took place in Mexico City, it would have been filmed here. Located inside a former monastery with a beautiful courtyard, this is the kind of legendary place that’s a destination on its own. Read TripAdvisor reviews.

El Hidalguense is only open on weekends (Friday-Sunday, 7am-6pm), but come to this massive Roma Sur restaurant any time during those hours and expect to walk into the biggest party in the neighborhood. Large families eating giant plates of barbacoa (it’s their specialty), and friends sipping mezcal shots and housing tacos. Read TripAdvisor reviews.

Mexico City is generally very affordable, especially if you eat local and stay in guesthouses. With 5 days in Mexico City, we spent around $500 per person, including accommodation, transport and entry tickets. If you follow this Mexico City itinerary, you won’t be spending way more than that.

Accommodation usually ranges from $30 for a simple guesthouse room to $150 for a 4-star hotel. Mexican food is incredibly good and cheap everywhere. You can get  $2 a meal  if you’re on a tight budget, or  $10-15 per meal in a restaurant.

Day tours are usually around $100 per person. An Uber ride within the city center is usually no more than $3-5.

This Mexico City itinerary will give you a taste of just how incredible the capital city is. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments field below. I’d be more than happy to help you plan your Mexico City trip!

Read my articles on Mexico below:

• 30 Best Museums in Mexico City
• Visiting Teotihuacan, Mexico City Pyramids
• Best Day Trips from Mexico City
• Yucatan Road Trip: My 10-Day Yucatan Itinerary
• 20 Fun Things to Do in Valladolid, Mexico
• 13 Cool Things to Do in Cozumel, Mexico

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9 thoughts on “5 Days in Mexico City Itinerary [2024]”

Hello My Name is Alex Trebek, We are planning a trip to Mexico very soon and your blog has been a huge help to answer some of my questions and concerns.

Quick question, what is the restaurant ( patio with wood, hanging chandeliers and greenery) that appears in the first picture of this post? I couldn’t find the name.

hi Alex, thanks for the reaching out! It’s Casa de los Azulejos, right in the heart of CDMX. Here’s the location.

Hi, lovely to read that you have good experiences with traveling during COVID. Is there anything you can recommend to arrange beforehand aside from tickets for museums? How was your general travel experience during COVID? And do you have the website/link for DF Querencia? I could not find their hotel online. Thanks for your reply!

hi Ruwani, thanks for the comment! I’d recommend booking day tours in advance too as they can fully booked. I included the link to DF Querencia in the article, you can find it here .

Thanks for this wonderful website, it’s really comprehensive and easy to follow, and I’m making many notes for our trip to Mexico City! May I make a suggestion that you include picture captions? Many of your photos I’d love to know where they are. Thank you and keep up the awesome work!

hi Tiffany, thanks for the feedback! I’ll add in photo captions when I get a minute. Cheers!

I’ve spent a week in Mexico City, and I must say I loved this city! There was so much to do, and the people were lovely. Tons of museums, and they all costed under $5 to get in. And the food!

Hi. Realistically, how safe is Mexico City? I’ve done a search about this, and no matter what I read online, it says for all Americans to be extremely cautious. That is scary. Is this just media fear mongering?

hi Jillian, yes it’s the media fearmongering. I’m not American, but have lived in the US before, and I have to say the US media is brilliant at fearmongering, more so than in other countries. I have so many friends who live in Mexico City or who have visited countless of times and none of them had any issue. At the end of the day, avoid the dodgy areas and stay on the well-trodden path and you’ll be fine.

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6 alternative and arty ways to discover Mexico City culture

Amid art deco architecture and Frida Kahlo’s creations, find Mexico City’s pre-Hispanic traditions and an Indigenous crafts scene.

Mexico’s sprawling capital is a gateway to the country’s Maya ruins, miles of beaches, rocky canyons and traditional Indigenous villages. But many travellers find the metropolis has an allure all of its own, and a handful of days can be well spent touring its neighbourhoods and historic centre. Mexico’s best museums are here, and its many galleries and markets help facilitate one of the strongest creative scenes in Latin America. Dig a little deeper to find the city’s pre-Hispanic roots, and discover how many customs are linked to the ancient Aztec and Maya civilisations.

1. Kayak the ancient canals of Xochimilco

Before the Spanish conquest in 1521, Mexico City, then called Tenochtitlán, was built on two small islands inside Lake Texcoco. The Aztecs built canals and floating farms called chinampas to feed its growing population. Today, all that remains of these ancient waterways are in Tláhuac and Xochimilco, a neighbourhood 15 miles south of Mexico City’s Centro Histórico. Flat-bottomed party boats called trajineras cruise Xochimilco’s canals daily, but a guided kayaking trip provides a more tranquil — and environmentally friendly — visit. Tours offer the chance to spot Xochimilco’s wildlife, including the critically endangered axolotl salamander and more than 200 bird species, while learning about the history and science behind chinampas, which still provide food for Mexico City residents.

2. Browse the Museo de Arte Popular

In the historic centre of Mexico City is the Museo de Arte Popular , a beautifully designed handicraft museum housed inside a 1920s art deco building. The museum, which once served as Mexico City’s fire department headquarters, celebrates traditional Mexican craft in all its forms, from textiles and pottery to children’s toys, furniture and giant alebrijes — mythical creatures made from wood or papier-mache. High-quality crafts from almost every Mexican state are displayed thematically over several floors, including ceramics from Jalisco, piñatas from Puebla and ceremonial masks from Chiapas. Particularly striking are the small but impressive Day of the Dead craft collection and the á rbol de la vida (tree of life) pieces – colourful, intricate clay sculptures depicting the creation of life.

3. Sip on pulque, the drink of the Aztec gods

Pulque is a drink made from the fermented sap of agave, the same plant used to make tequila and mezcal. It has been drunk for more than 2,000 years, making it Mexico’s oldest alcoholic beverage. During the Aztec empire, pulque was considered a sacred drink, reserved for gods, emperors and ceremonial events. The introduction of beer and distilled spirits by the Spanish in the 16th century marked the beginning of the end for pulque, with many of Mexico City’s pulquerias — taverns specialising in the drink — closing between the early 20th and 21st centuries. But a recent resurgence has seen several reopen across the city, making it one of the best places in Mexico to try the tipple. La Canica — a pulqueria in the Tabacalera neighbourhood run by a family that has been in the pulque business for five generations — takes a modern approach to the ancient drink, infusing freshly made pulque with dozens of seasonal flavours, from guava and mandarin to marzipan and toasted oats.

4. Try Mexico City’s ancient caviar

Ahuautle — which loosely translates to ‘seeds of joy’ in the ancient Nahuatl language and are also known as ‘water fly eggs’ — were sacred to the Aztecs. During the rainy season, a type of water fly called axayácatl would lay its eggs in Lake Texcoco. These were harvested for Aztec emperors and used as offerings to the gods. Montezuma, one of the last emperors of the Aztec empire, is said to have eaten them every morning to improve his strength. Hard to get hold of and up to four times more expensive a kilogram than beef, the eggs have been dubbed ahuautle , the ‘caviar’ of Mexico, by the capital’s chefs. Only a handful of restaurants in the capital still serve ahuautle, one of which is Ayluardo’s — in the Iztapalapa neighbourhood, in the east of Mexico City. It serves the water fly eggs — which taste intensely fishy, similar to dried shrimp — in pancakes with tomatillo (a bright green, acidic fruit native to Mexico) and serrano chilli sauce.

5. Support indigenous crafts at Mercado de Artesanías de la Ciudadela

Just a few minutes’ walk from Museo de Arte Popular is this hub for artisans, Mexico City’s largest and best arts and crafts market. It is home to 350 stands selling a huge variety of crafts, or artesanias in Spanish, from all over Mexico, including handblown glass from Jalisco, silver jewellery from Guerrero and patterned chaquira beadwork from Jalisco, crafted by the indigenous Huichol people. For beautiful ceremonial Mayan masks made of wood and obsidian, head to stand 104, where you’ll often see the craftspeople at work. Also seek out the artisans selling amate — colourful works painted on to paper made from the pulp of fig and mulberry trees; the same type of paper was once used by the ancient Aztecs and Mayas to produce manuscripts.

6. Experience Mexican folk dance at El Ballet Folklórico de México

Founded in 1952 by choreographer and dancer Amalia Hernández, Ballet Folklórico celebrates Mexico’s diverse folklore traditions through dance, music and traditional dress. The performances take audiences from Mexico’s ancient past up to the revolution in 1910, travelling through the states of Oaxaca, Jalisco, Sonora, Zacatecas, Guerrero and more. Many of the dances take inspiration from Mexico’s Indigenous cultures, such as the Deer Dance (a contemporary piece that depicts a pre-hunting ritual practised by the Indigenous people of Sonora and Sinaloa) and the Guelaguetza, a folkloric ballet inspired by the ceremonial dances of the Mixtec and Zapotec people of Oaxaca. Performances are held at the Palacio de Bellas Artes — a white-marbled, art nouveau palace commissioned by President Porfirio Díaz in 1905 — on Wednesdays at 8.30pm and Sundays at 9.30am and 8.30pm.

Related Topics

• CULTURAL CONSERVATION
• ART HISTORY
• MODERN HISTORY

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The Best Hotels in Mexico City

Choose from these editor-loved and award-winning Mexico City hotels.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

KARYN MILLET / Casa Polanco

Mexico City lures travelers from around the world with its dynamic culinary scene, architectural marvels, avant-garde art galleries, and exceptionally curated museums. It’s a sprawling metropolis made up of dozens of distinct neighborhoods, or colonias, each of which will impart a distinct flavor on your experience of the city — so it’s important to consider location when booking a stay.

In hip cultural hubs, like Roma Norte and La Condesa, you’ll find tree-lined streets lined with cafes, natural wine bars, and mansions converted into intimate guest houses with leafy terraces, rooftop sushi bars, and even rolling beds. In upscale Polanco, posh and ultra-private hideaways offer respite after an afternoon of strolling through the Bosque de Chapultepec, or shopping along Avenida Presidente Masaryk. For a truly elevated stay, the Paseo de la Reforma is studded with luxury skyscrapers from trusted names like the Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis — and the views continue in the city’s Centro Historico, where you can glimpse iconic landmarks from the rooftop pool of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whether you’re looking for old-world charm or modern luxury, you’ll find it in the exceptional hotels that made this list, which features properties I’ve researched extensively and in some cases personally enjoyed, plus others that came highly recommended from T+L editors and made our It List , or that T+L readers have voted as their favorites in our annual World’s Best Awards.

The St. Regis Mexico City

St Regis Mexico City

Spacious garden terrace suites and dedicated butler service promise a luxurious getaway at this towering property, located on the edge of leafy Chapultepec Park.

It’s located on Paseo de la Reforma, which is bustling day and night.

Mexico City is a place you tend to experience at street level, which makes the panoramic views from the towering St. Regis uniquely enchanting. All of the 189 rooms and suites in this sleek 31-story property offer floor-to-ceiling vistas over the sprawling city below, hemmed in by the majestic Sierra Madre mountains. Inside, soothing shades of purple and gray conjure quiet luxury in Yabu Pushelberg-designed rooms that boast plush queen- or king-size beds, marble bathrooms, seating areas and dedicated workspaces for business travelers. For a truly memorable stay, book one of the eight suites that opened in 2024, which open out onto dreamy terraces equipped with a plunge pool, hot tub, or fireplace to make the most of the city’s fantastic year-round climate.

This family- and pet-friendly hotel also features an upscale spa with a lap pool, plus on-site dining options ranging from Mexican to Greek to Japanese. But above all, it’s the warm and highly-attentive service that keeps guests coming back, which has repeatedly earned it a spot on our World’s Best Awards list in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

The Details:

• Neighborhood: Reforma
• Distance From Airport: 9 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Glorieta de Insurgentes, Museo de Arte Popular, Monumento a la Independencia
• Accessibility: Deluxe and Grand Deluxe rooms with roll-in shower available
• Rates: Start at $376

Booking Tip

Request a room on a higher floor to avoid street noise.

“It’s hard to argue with the location right on Av. Chapultepec and the airy feeling of the skyscraper rooms above the cacophony.”

– Paul Brady, News Director

JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City Polanco

Marriott Hotels

Business travelers will appreciate the newly revamped executive lounge and private meeting rooms, while art lovers are only a short walk away from the city’s best museums.

Room service, particularly late night, leaves something to be desired — if you’re staying in, opt to dine at one of the four new fantastic on-site restaurants instead.

Overlooking Chapultepec Park, this freshly renovated property earned a spot on our World’s Best Awards list in 2022 thanks in part to its prime location in posh Polanco, which puts you mere blocks away from some of the city’s finest museums, shops, and restaurants. I found it to be an ideal home base while working remotely, as each of the 314 rooms and suites have a desk, plus WiFi is available throughout the hotel — yes, including beside the large outdoor pool.

Waking up here is a cozy affair, with bright and airy rooms offering floor-to-ceiling views over the city, park, or interior courtyard. I loved that I could walk out the door and essentially already be in the park, where daily walks led me to cultural delights like the Museum of Modern Art . Afterwards, I could retreat to the hotels’ intimate Tahona Mezcal Room for a tasting flight. 

• Neighborhood: Polanco
• Distance From Airport: 11 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Jardín Winston Churchill, Parque Lincoln, Plaza Uruguay
• Accessibility: Multiple room categories
• Rates: Start at $391

Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel

The well-connected concierge team can curate exceptional experiences in and around the city, from hard-to-nab restaurant reservations to private gallery visits.

There isn’t a pool — but each room is appointed with a roomy jacuzzi bathtub.

There’s only a two-hour time difference between New York City and Mexico City, but that didn’t stop me from luxuriating in the “Jet Lag” bath service upon arriving at Las Alcobas, which was voted as a winner in Travel + Leisure 's 2022 World’s Best Awards. Each of the boutique Polanco property’s 35 rooms include a jacuzzi tub equipped with mood lighting and multiple bubble settings, which a friendly team member will fill upon request and infuse with restorative herbal sachets. For further pampering, indulge in a massage at the Aurora Spa.

Beyond the hotel’s sophisticated design and drool-worthy Anatol restaurant (a contender for the best breakfast in the city), what truly sets it apart is its in-the-know concierge team. They were able to secure me a last-minute reservation at Pujol, and coordinated a fascinating private art tour dedicated to the work and life of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

• Nearby Attractions: Inbursa Aquarium, Museo Soumaya, Bosque de Chapultepec
• Rates: Start at $436

La Valise Mexico City

Jose Manuel Enero / La Valise

You can sleep under the stars on your own private terrace, thanks to rolling king size beds.

There’s no restaurant on site — but the hotel’s friendly hosts are able to recommend and coordinate reservations at any of the city’s culinary hot-spots.

La Valise Mexico City may be the most exquisitely curated hotel I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying in. Located on a colorful, tree-lined sidestreet in the heart of hip Roma Norte, this charming eight-suite townhouse is like a home away from home — that is, if your home featured a rolling king size bed that glides onto your own private terrace.

The palatial La Terraza, where I spent a few blissful nights, features hardwood floors, shimmering copper accents, and a stylish array of art and furnishings with a distinctly Mexican flair. My partner and I giddily pushed the cloud-like king-size bed out onto our enormous terrace, where a projector meant we could curl up and watch movies al fresco in bed.

Each of the seven other uniquely designed suites boast their own private terraces or balconies, some with outdoor bathing areas and others with hammocks. To combat the inevitable comedown of leaving such a special place, extend your stay at La Valise’s equally-enchanting property in San Miguel de Allende (a winner of T+L’s 2023 It List) or their bohemian beachside getaway in Tulum for a few days.

• Neighborhood: Roma Norte
• Distance From Airport: 7 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Plaza Río de Janeiro, MODO Museo del Objeto del Objeto, Parque México
• Accessibility: No — rooms are accessible by stairs only
• Rates: Start at $471

Ignacia Guest House

Jaime Navarro / Ignacia Guest House

Nine superbly decorated suites surround a lush courtyard in this historic mansion, where you can indulge in one of the best breakfasts the city has to offer.

Several of the suites are modestly sized, but their exceptional design inspires such reverie as to ensure you never feel cramped.

Named after the housekeeper who looked after this 1913 mansion for 70 years, this seductive oasis is one of Roma’s best-kept secrets. It’s home to nine jaw-dropping suites, each with its own distinct personality: four are focused on a central color scheme, such as the romantic Rosa Suite, a jewel-toned pink paradise with a luxurious marble bathroom and private terrace overlooking the lush garden below. More spacious accommodations await on the second level of the townhouse, where suites lead out onto a spectacular patio with a Maya-inspired hot tub.

The mastermind behind this sanctuary is interior designer Andrés Gutiérrez, who helms nearby design mecca Originario , a kaleidoscopic concept store featuring rotating collections of furniture, art, and objects crafted by a new wave of Mexican designers — many of which are featured throughout the hotel.

• Nearby Attractions: Panadería Rosetta, Plaza Río de Janeiro, Parque México
• Accessibility: No — rooms are accessible by stairs only.
• Rates: Start at $335

Casa Polanco

The marble lobby of this meticulously restored 19-room mansion provides one of the most visually striking welcomes a weary traveler could ask for – and it’s only a snapshot of what this sublimely chic property has in store.

It’s one of the most expensive properties on this list — but if you’re looking to splurge, you’d be hard pressed to find more elegant accommodations.

Soon after the iron door of this neoclassical 1940s estate opened to reveal a striking jade marble lobby, Casa Polanco assumed its rightful position on T+L’s 2023 It List. The lobby is a visual extension of neighboring Parque Lincoln, encapsulating the hotel’s alluring ability to celebrate and draw from its surroundings, while offering an ultra-luxe and elegant urban respite.

This is thanks to the vision of owner Octavio Aguilar, who has lived in upscale Polanco for nearly three decades and pays homage to his neighborhood in big and small ways, with rooms featuring linens by Mexican designer Paulina Morán, custom toiletries by local boutique perfumer Xinú , and pastries from the famed DaSilva bakery down the street. Throughout the property, Aguilar’s extensive art collection highlights contemporary Mexican artists, with photographs by Graciela Iturbide and paintings by Ricardo Mazal adorning the walls.

The 19 guest suites are incredibly chic, with glass and wood detailing, herringbone upholstered bed frames, personal libraries, and in some cases, spacious terraces. For such a private space, there’s a prevailing sense of community — it’s like visiting your most Cosmopolitan friend, who provides all the fabulous recommendations and connections you could need, and then draws back to allow you to enjoy it all on your own.

• Nearby Attractions: Chapultepec Castle, Parque de los Espejos, National Museum of Anthropology
• Rates: Start at $550

“The team at Casa Polanco likes to say that staying at the 19-room property is like visiting a friend in Mexico City. That friend turns out to be owner Octavio Aguilar, who spent more than three years expanding and transforming a 1940s Spanish colonial revival mansion into an elegant urban refuge. Aguilar has lived in Polanco — a lush, centrally located neighborhood — for more than 25 years, and Casa Polanco celebrates its environs in ways both big and small. At breakfast, you’ll find perfect pastries from DaSilva, an acclaimed bakery a few blocks away, and a menu created by award-winning local chef Martha Brockman. In every room, there are bottles from Casa del Agua, a local artisanal water boutique; on every bed, linens by the Mexican designer Paulina Morán, and by every sink, toiletries custom-crafted by the high-end perfumer Xinú, whose studio is nearby.”

– Jeff Chu, Editor

Círculo Mexicano

Ricardo Ramos / Grupo Habita

The rooftop offers panoramic views over some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, plus a plunge pool and French-Mexican restaurant.

If proximity to trendy restaurants and bars is what you’re looking for, you’ll be better off basing yourself in Roma or La Condesa — although Centro Histórico is an incredibly convenient location for visiting many of the city’s top sights.

Helmed by Grupo Habita, the hotel group behind many of Mexico’s most sought-after properties, this 2021 It List winner is a standout boutique hotel in the city’s Centro Histórico, surrounded by architectural wonders. From the rooftop, you can slip into the plunge pool with a cocktail in hand, taking in superlative sunset views over nearby landmarks such as the excavated remnants of the Aztec Templo Mayor. The building itself has a storied history of its own: formerly the home of Mexican photographer Manuel Álvarez Bravo, it displays his work throughout the convivial public spaces.

You’ll find refuge from the city’s bustle in the 25 whitewashed, oak-accented guest rooms, 18 of which open onto a sunny patio. Others boast private balconies overlooking the famed Metropolitan Cathedral. The bright, airy rooms are minimalist havens, lit up by skylights and grounded by dreamy beds on raised platforms, sheathed in luxurious linens made by Mexican artisans. 

• Neighborhood: Centro Histórico
• Distance From Airport: 4 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Metropolitan Cathedral, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo de la Ciudad de México, Alameda Central, Diego Rivera Museum
• Rates: Start at $206

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Christopher Amat / Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

Home to one of the city’s most alluring rooftop bars and an indulgent spa, this skyscraper is like a universe of its own.

While the skyline views are hard to beat and the renowned Sofitel service is exceptional, the sheer size of this 275-room skyscraper offers an inherently less intimate experience than the boutique properties on this list.

History meets modern luxury in this spectacular skyscraper on Paseo de la Reforma, where the sleek 40-story tower rises out of a carefully restored 1983 building. Sofitel’s legendary service and attention to detail earned it a spot on our 2020 It List, and both continue to be on display at this 275-room property, which features 56 suites — all of which provide mesmerizing views over the city. For an even more jaw-dropping vista, head to Citizyn, the rooftop restaurant and bar that attracts a well-heeled clientele.

For those looking to relax after a long day of sightseeing, the spa is an unparalleled wellness retreat. A steam bath, hot and cold tubs, as well as a sauna and a heated saltwater pool promise to help you unwind, as do the indulgent massage treatments. For fitness enthusiasts, there’s a studio on the 38th floor with everything you could need — plus, a spectacular view over the city. 

• Nearby Attractions: Museo Casa de Carranza, Museo de Memoria y Tolerancia, Palacio de Correos
• Accessibility: Multiple room categories, notably their “Smart Rooms”
• Rates: Start at $267

A treetop sushi bar and trendy patio restaurant offer delightfully different places to drink in (and devour) some of the city’s best bites.

The entry-level rooms are on the smaller side.

Bordering two of the city’s most popular neighborhoods, Condesa DF sits at the intersection of Roma and Condesa. It’s a fusion of the former’s youthful, trendy appeal, and the latter’s relaxed, bohemian energy — all the more impressive when you consider it opened in 2005, long before the bloom of design hotels that later spread across the neighborhoods. Each of the tranquil, monastic-inspired 40 rooms and suites are filled with natural light and softened by cream-colored drapes, with warm wood accents throughout. Some offer leafy terrace views over neighboring Parque España, while all feature relaxing rain showers.

The hotel draws a young and local crowd to its French-inspired Mexican restaurant, set in the central tree-lined patio. Further up, surrounded by purple Jacaranda trees, Japanese chef Keisuke Harada serves excellent sushi on the bustling rooftop terrace. 

• Neighborhood: Condesa
• Distance From Airport: 8.5 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Chapultepec Castle, Parque Espana, Parque Mexico
• Accessibility: Multiple rooms, call for further information
• Rates: Start at $283

Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City

Four Seasons Resorts

Spectacularly comfortable beds promise a restorative night’s sleep, while private terraces overlooking the leafy courtyard beckon for your morning coffee.

The classic property tends to draw business travelers and families — younger couples and singles may prefer some of the more intimate boutique properties on this list.

A hacienda-style haven built around a verdant central courtyard, the Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City clinched a spot on our World’s Best list 2023 largely thanks to its fantastic location, dedicated concierge staff, and peaceful inner garden. 240 rooms, including 40 spacious suites, welcome business travelers, celebrities, and families from around the world who know they can rely on the Four Seasons to deliver its legendary luxury service. The rooms are stylishly appointed with ornate tapestries, rope accents, and abstract carpets, with marble bathrooms boasting luxuriously deep tubs. Several rooms feature French doors that lead out to private terraces.

The hotel’s ivy-covered, tree-lined courtyard is centered around a fountain and a firepit, where you can enjoy a drink from the renowned Fifty Mills gastrobar. Several other eateries promise something to sate every craving, from Italian to Mexican food and a French pastry shop. To unwind, visit the spa for an ancestral-inspired massage — or opt to get one poolside on the roof. 

• Distance From Airport: 8 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Estela de Luz, Museo de Arte Moderno, Chapultepec Castle
• Accessibility: Multiple rooms categories
• Rates: Start at $530

“[Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City] has everything you expect from a Four Seasons – a stately lobby, good restaurants, thoughtful service, a decent gym, plush rooms, thick robes, and more.”

– Denny Lee, Articles Editor

Nima Local House Hotel & Spa

Nima Local House

Located on a delightful tree-lined street in Roma, this exclusive, sunlit guest house is a perfect home base for couples.

Given the property’s small size and convivial public spaces, it may not be ideal for those looking for an ultra-private hideaway.

Equal parts cozy and charming, this mansion-turned-guest house enchants from the first glance. The white facade catches your eye from one of Roma’s leafy side streets with its wrought-iron balcony and French doors, drawing you into a small, sun-drenched courtyard. Up the wooden stairs, you’ll find four guest rooms thoughtfully appointed in sophisticated, neutral tones, with balconies leading onto the street or overlooking the interior garden.

The service here is exceptional and warm, yet never intrusive: with so few rooms, there’s a level of dedication that’s impossible to come by in larger accommodations, and the staff will gladly help coordinate bespoke tours or tastings around the city. Up on the roof, a red-brick courtyard offers a jungle-like oasis, where you can sneak away for live jazz sessions on Thursday nights. While the spa is small, it offers couples massages, reiki sessions, and private yoga classes.

• Distance From Airport: 6 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Plaza Rio de Janeiro, Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia, Licorería Limantour
• Accessibility: No — rooms are only accessible by stairs
• Rates: Start at $500

Downtown Mexico Hotel

A designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, this historic (and stunningly beautiful) building is a design-lover’s paradise — plus, it boasts a sexy rooftop pool and 24-hour room service.

The open-concept style bathrooms may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

History buffs need look no further for their ideal accommodations than this 17th-century colonial mansion, which touts UNESCO World Heritage status as one of the oldest buildings in Mexico’s historic center. Industrial touches, traditional tiled floors, terracotta brickwork, and vaulted ceilings marry the old and the new throughout the 17-room palace, where minimalist wood furnishings allow the building itself to take center stage.

Their much-lauded breakfast is served on the open-air patio, where you can admire the arresting fresco painted in 1944 by muralist Manuel Rodríguez Lozano, a contemporary of Diego Rivera. While you’re perfectly located for exploring nearby monuments and museums, be sure to leave time to kick back on the trendy rooftop, where a serene pool, hot tub, and cocktail bar await.

• Neighborhood: Centro Historico
• Distance From Airport: 4.5 miles
• Nearby Attractions: The Templo Mayor, the National Museum of Art, the Palace of Fine Arts
• Accessibility: Elevator, but no adapted rooms
• Rates: Start at $185

Ritz-Carlton CDMX

The Ritz-Carlton practically invented luxury, and this exclusive address is a haven for jetsetters looking for modern accommodations and maximal attention to detail.

If you’re looking for next-level luxury with a more local touch than what an international chain can provide, consider an upscale boutique property like Casa Polanco instead.

The Ritz-Carlton is synonymous with luxury living, so it’s no surprise this lavish hotel has a helipad with private access to guest room floors. If it’s opulent accommodations you’re after, book a splurge-worthy night at the Ritz-Carlton Suite, a glass enclave in the sky with never-ending views over the city.

For those of us coming in from the ground up, the deluxe rooms are still superbly spacious, with ample natural light, marble bathrooms, city views, and stylish furnishings — it’s no wonder the hotel earned a coveted spot on our World’s Best list in 2023. A sky bar offers dizzying views, while the dazzling indoor swimming pool offers the perfect place to unwind. A state-of-the-art fitness center and refined spa round out the hotel’s superlative amenities. 

• Neighborhood: Cuauhtémoc
• Distance From Airport: 10 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Angel de la Independencia, Jardín Botánico de Chapultepec,  Monument to Cuauhtémoc
• Accessibility: All room categories offer mobility-accessible rooms, only some offer roll-in showers
• Rates: Start at $499

Also available to book at AirBnB

This culinary-focused bed-and-breakfast is a passion project from Enrique Olvera, the legendary head chef and owner of Pujol.

While you’ll have access to a highly dedicated concierge, this is a private apartment; also note that there’s a lively mezcal bar downstairs, so it’s not a great fit for light sleepers or those with children.

Culinary pioneer Enrique Olvera’s restaurant, Pujol, has continually earned the distinction of being one of the highest-ranked restaurants in the world; when it relocated in 2017, Olvera reinvented the former space as Ticuchi, a mezcal bar. Both spaces are notoriously difficult to secure reservations for — that is, except for guests of Casa TEO, who get priority access to both.

Above Ticuchi, Olvera transformed a two-bedroom apartment into an artist's residency of sorts, welcoming chef friends from around the world to cook dinners around an open kitchen and 10-person communal table. Now, the unique space is available to book for the public in between residencies. You’ll have the apartment to yourself, with its two airy bedrooms decorated with Scandinavian-style wardrobes and plush white beds. The dedicated concierge team is a true highlight, offering unparalleled service when it comes to coordinating dinner reservations, private cooking classes, or general recommendations. Downstairs, you can mingle with Pujol alumni in the in-house library or light-filled kitchen, where a chef-cooked breakfast is included.

• Nearby Attractions: Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, Bosque de Chapultepec
• Rates: Start at $395

Campos Polanco

Vibrant, apartment-style residences offer an artistic and sumptuous place to hide away, while delightfully designed common areas make for social gathering hubs.

The common areas can be reserved for private events, which is wonderful if you’re hosting, but a slight inconvenience if you’re looking to take advantage of them when they’re booked up.

Named as one of the most distinguished new additions to Polanco’s elevated hotel scene, Campos Polanco is a destination in its own right. Housed in a fabulously refurbished Art Deco building on the exclusive Campos Eliseos, it’s an apartment-style space designed to ignite your creativity. Each of the 12 rooms and suites is a whimsical hideaway, from “smaller” rooms, like the 318 square-foot Park Terrace — which features a generous outdoor space that rivals the room in size — to the deliriously massive, 1,500 square-foot Campos Residence, a wonderland of colors and textures with a chef’s kitchen, free-standing bathtub, floating fireplace, and wraparound terrace.

While the rooms offer exceptional privacy, the common areas — including a rooftop terrace, library, salon, and co-working space — are warm and inviting social hubs that can be reserved for meetings, cocktail parties, and private dinners. Given its thoughtful design, spacious accommodations, and tony location, the rooms are surprisingly well priced. 

• Distance From Airport: 10.5 miles
• Nearby Attractions: Bosque de Chapultepec, Museo Soumaya, Museo Jumex
• Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
• Rates: Start at $277

Know Before You Go

Stick to bottled water.

Generally speaking, tap water is not considered safe to drink in Mexico, so stick to bottled water. Most hotels will provide bottled water in your room, and provide refills free of charge. For a more environmentally-considerate approach, you can always buy a large jug of water to keep in your accommodation, which you can use to refill a reusable water bottle throughout your trip.

Learn some basic Spanish

It’s always a polite and respectful gesture to learn a few essential words or phrases in the local language before heading to a new destination. This is especially true in Mexico City, which is an economic and cultural capital of Latin America —  unlike tourist-driven resort destinations like Cancún or Puerto Vallarta, not everyone here will speak English.

Being able to greet and thank people in Spanish, plus ask for common necessities (like the bathroom or the check), will go a long way.

Don’t forget to leave a tip

Mexico City’s tipping culture is quite similar to the U.S. Be sure to leave at least a 10 percent tip at restaurants, for tour guides, taxi drivers, and hotel staff. 15 percent is considered standard, particularly around tourist attractions, while 20 percent is a sign of excellent service.

Make reservations in advance

To avoid disappointment, be sure to make restaurant reservations well in advance — particularly for world-famous restaurants like Pujol , Contramar , Quintonil , and Máximo Bistrot , which can book up months in advance. If you find you’re out of luck, consider a lunchtime reservation, or see if your hotel concierge can pull some strings.

While it’s a good idea to book any museum tickets in advance, certain popular destinations, like the Museo Frida Kahlo or the Casa Luis Barragan , sell out faster than others.

Opt for Uber over regular taxis

While pink-and-white taxis are abundant in Mexico City, you can sometimes end up in an unauthorized or unmetered cab. To avoid any issues, stick to ride-share apps like Uber for reliably safe and affordable rides. In addition to cheaper fares, there’s peace of mind in knowing the price upfront, and in being able to track any belongings accidentally left behind.

How We Chose These Hotels

Mexico City’s thriving hotel scene has bloomed in recent years, and it’s no easy task to pare down the dozens of luxurious, well-appointed properties. Many of the hotels made this list because they’ve earned rave reviews from thousands of T+L readers, who voted them as their favorite properties around the globe in our annual World’s Best Awards (see the 2023 winners here ) and/or made our exclusive It List.

In addition to those award-winning properties, the author of this article, Sophie Dodd , contributed her expertise as a travel writer specializing in luxury and boutique hotels. While working remotely from Mexico City for several weeks, she had exceptional experiences at several of the properties included here, such as La Valise Mexico City, JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City, and Las Alcobas, a Luxury Collection Hotel, which she previously reviewed for T+L. She also consulted other editor-favorite hotels in the city, and read through hundreds of reviews. She prioritized the quality of the guest experience, aesthetic appeal, comfort, concierge services, and amenities such as spas and on-site restaurants. She also considered location, level of service, and overall value.

And finally, as with all our hotel roundups, editors ensure all hotel recommendations we make align with our core T+L Hotel Values .

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A Solo Traveler’s Guide to Mexico City

Northern England Writer

The Mexican capital, in all its sprawling enormity, can be overwhelming for any visitor – whether it’s your first time here or your 30th. But with a little insider knowledge, you’ll soon fall in love with this engaging, energetic city. Here are the top tips for traveling solo in Mexico City , from impressing with some local lingo to knowing the right places to stay.

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Unsure about traveling alone in Mexico? Book your place on Culture Trip’s exclusive five-day Mexico City tour where our Local Insider will help you navigate this exciting city.

Learn some basic Spanish

While many people in the capital know some English, particularly those working in the tourism industry, a good chunk won’t have a clue what you’re saying. So brush up on a few basic phrases before you land at Mexico City International Airport. A gracias or por favor goes a long way, but if you can master some key phrases – disculpe, ¿dónde está el baño? (excuse me, where is the bathroom?) – you’ll soon start to mix with the locals.

Hit up the top tourist attractions

If you’re a solo traveler in Mexico City, don’t swerve the big-name attractions. Yes, the most popular landmarks have a heavy footfall, but they’re popular for a reason. Among the must-visits are the Zócalo, around which you’ll find the grand Catedral Metropolitana and the Aztec ruins of the Templo Mayor; Chapultepec Park, the biggest green space in the city; and La Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s home and now a museum dedicated to her life and works. It’s the mix of essential landmarks and little-known hip hangouts that makes this city one of the best places in Mexico for solo travel.

Stay in areas with tons of foot traffic

If you’re going it alone in the capital, stay in a busy area. There’ll be plenty of opportunities to meet fellow travelers and you’ll probably feel more comfortable with others around. If you want easy access to the big-name landmarks, book a room near the Zocalo. But to mix with the cool kids, base yourself in the trendy neighborhoods of Roma or Condesa.

Take care with your prized possessions

When you’re traveling alone in Mexico City, always watch out for your valuables – as you would in any major city. Basic precautions should protect your essential items: never carry your passport or large amounts of cash; keep your bag zipped up and near you at all times; and don’t keep your cell phone and wallet where they can be easily grabbed.

Stay in one of the top hostels in the city

It’s one of the top traveler destinations in the world, and one of the largest capital cities in the Americas, so unsurprisingly there are several excellent hostels in Mexico City . The benefits? You’ll be surrounded by like-minded people looking to have similar experiences to yourself. You might even have your mind opened to things you hadn’t considered.

Try out the Turibus

If you’re not confident to traipse the streets of Mexico City alone, then why not hop on the super-convenient Turibus? This open-top doubledecker will transport you around the city highlights for a reasonable price, so you can be sure you’ve got your fill of attractions and culture.

Taste the street food

Mexico City is renowned for having exquisite street food – you’ll find delicious corn, cheese and meat combos on practically every corner. But if you’re traveling alone, how do you make sure you pick the right street-food stall? If there’s no-one to ask, your safest bet is heading to the busiest vendor. Their quick turnover means your food will be freshly cooked, while the large crowds are a sure sign your meal will be good.

Steer clear of certain areas

Is Mexico City safe for solo travelers? Absolutely. But don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger. As with any city, there are some areas to avoid. The most notable example is Tepito – a neighborhood with a dicey rep.

Don’t use the metro late at night

While the metro runs until at least midnight every day, you shouldn’t use it alone late at night. The rush hour often lasts until 9pm in heavily populated areas, after which the carriages become eerily empty. Plus, many stations have several exits – come out the wrong one and you might be disoriented in the dark.

Download Uber

The most practical thing the solo traveler in Mexico City could do is download the Uber app. It’s a simple solution to getting around the city without diving into taxis or taking the metro.

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Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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Traveling to Mexico City? What to tip, how to behave, and when to avoid the Metro

This is the real-talk portion of your guide to Mexico City.

First, a note about the city’s name. In 2015, city think-ocrats initiated a global rebranding for Mexico’s capital. It lost its designation as a Federal District (akin to District of Columbia), and became simply Ciudad de México, but crucially, the government began pushing a fresh text shorthand: “CDMX.”

Though "CDMX" has fully entered mainstream discourse, I remain part of the dwindling minority that avoids its use. I find the moniker so grating because it rolls off the tongue easily in English and a bit awkwardly in Spanish — a cutting clue for whom the rebrand was really targeting all along. In everyday conversation, you may still hear hard-core “chilangos” (slang term for Mexico City residents) stubbornly use "D.F." (" deh efeh ") to refer to their city.

Now, to the tips.

1. The monster that hugs you

I must be blunt here. You see TikToks and listicles about Mexico City and it is always remarkable to me that none of its less attractive characteristics are acknowledged. And when you’re aware of even a fraction of the challenges and failures that still grip locals or cause them to flee the city altogether — in the environment, traffic, corruption, justice and accountability — it’s almost offensive.

Once you get out of the core between Centro and Polanco, the difficulties of life in Mexico will become stark. A lot has improved in the past few decades, yet class and social bubbles can deceptively make it seem like life here is a pageant of leafy plazas and guava pastries. The capital of Mexico is still fundamentally a dog-eat-dog sort of place, beset with persistent overlapping challenges. Most of its vast sprawl is as gritty as the outskirts of Buenos Aires and Bogotá, and as frequently unforgiving. However, this is a " monster " that hugs you, dances with you and is a terrific drinking partner. Just keep your positionality in constant perspective.

2. Is the altitude hitting you?

The tap water won’t kill you while tooth brushing or showering, but sure, drink only filtered water when in Mexico City. It’s also a good idea to carry water with you everywhere; altitude sickness as you acclimate is common, as is fatigue from a bad day of pollution. If you are feeling a bit wheezy or dehydrated, pull up to any bar or eatery and request a "Tehuacan" or " agua mineral preparada. ” That is mineral water on ice with lime and rock salt. Replenish those electrolytes.

3. When to take the Metro ... and when to avoid it

The Metro, one of the busiest in the world, is fun to try if you’re in town for a short time and looking for an almost obstacle-course-level adventure between destinations. Just avoid it during the morning commute and between 3 and 7 p.m., sometimes later. The system is heavily subsidized and still costs just five pesos to ride, which means most of the 5 million people who use it daily do so primarily out of necessity — wealthy Mexicans may even boast they’ve never used the train in their lives. The network of stations is an entire sub-society with its own customs, codes and frequently a sense of collective chaos. The first car of every train is reserved for women only. Keep in mind, the overall transit grid is multifaceted and always expanding. Use the Metrobus system, with dedicated bus lanes on surface streets, or the Ecobici bike-share system with any credit card. For taxis, it’s best to use “sitios” or registered stands, or any ride-share service. Hail taxis on the street only if you really know your way around and could identify any driver’s deviation from an accepted route.

4. Tipping and other social flourishes

Be confident and speak clearly to cabbies, hotel staff and servers. Upon receiving your check at the table, review each item and make sure it's correct. For tipping, 15% is standard, and 20% is very good. At payment, it is customary to add the tip before your card is run, not after at signing. Say, "Add 15%, please." (Or "Con el 15 ” or " Agregue el 15. ") They will be quite grateful.

The culture is sprinkled with formalities and social flourishes that everyone still uses, across class lines. You must say good morning, good evening, please, thank you, you’re welcome and “hasta luego” — until next time — to everyone, strangers and friends alike, even if you are certain there will be no next time.

In dining rooms, it is customary to acknowledge the table next to you as you get up to leave. Mexico City residents say " Buen provecho " or " Provecho " to someone nearby who is still eating; it is the local "Bon appetit" or “Enjoy your meal,” and one of the delights of dining out here. The drinking age is 18 in Mexico. There is no carding culture, except maybe at beer dens in direct proximity to a major university or high school.

5. Open up, but don't let your guard down

This is not official safety information, the kind you get from the U.S. Embassy on crime or security in any country (this is the current official travel advisory for Mexico from the State Department). But like anywhere big in the world, people here should stay on alert. In Mexico City, the saying goes, if someone spots an opening to swindle you, even for a few pesos, they'll take it — with a smile. So open up to Mexico, but don't let your guard down. Use your good judgment when meeting new people. Muggings and theft are unfortunately still common for locals. Visitors usually are fine. Just move with an alert and curious demeanor, find trusted locals to orient and guide you, when appropriate, and the city will respond in kind.

6. Know the national identity

For better or for worse, and in direct opposition to what we know in the United States, social divisions in Mexico are organized primarily around class rather than color or race. Mexicans are at their root an Indigenous people — dozens of distinct, stunningly diverse groups have flourished here for millenniums, though most Americans can generally only name two or three. In the 500 years since colonialism, a rigid racial caste system that existed under Spanish rule melted away, and Mexican national identity evolved into a big tent: Most are now mestizo, or Indigenous and European. Mexicans can be white or Black, Asian or Arab, or, in large part, a mix of any such combination. Colorism is still an issue , but most people here embrace a national culture that largely supersedes factional divisions, which can be refreshing in many respects for Americans exhausted with how divided we are up here. Thus, it can be puzzling for many native Mexicans to hear U.S. people fret and agonize so much over their color and race. This is not to say that class-based societal tension is somehow "better" or more tolerable. However, this clear distinction between the two general cultures can sometimes cause friction for first-time visitors.

7. Mexico City is not Cancún, so don't act like it

Mexico City is not Cancún or Los Cabos. It wasn't developed or urbanized for the sole purpose of pleasing you. Not everyone here speaks English! Or even cares to try! Or even finds it endearing to hear it from a stranger! At the same time, Mexico City residents are so polite and welcoming, they will willingly endure your mangled Spanish or Spanglish to help you if you need it.

Don’t land here and start complaining about things you can’t control. In the United States, maybe we’ve become a bit too accustomed to having temperatures set to precisely our liking at all times. Homes are not by default equipped with heaters or air conditioning in the Valley of Mexico. People just add layers, or cover their windows when temperatures go extreme in either direction. The boundary between outside and inside is always fuzzy and negotiable in Mexico, even in the big city. So if you’re hot, find a way to cool down. If you’re cold, go throw on a scarf. The weather changes about four times a day anyway.

Don’t like it when a random stranger bumps into you? Hate it when someone takes a seat directly next to you even if a few over are empty? If so, maybe you won’t mesh so easily with Mexico City, where life is a contact sport.

8. Eating at home is always better

In Mexico City, lunch is church, and home cooking with a family will always be better than anything in a restaurant — a locked-in rule. When I first stayed here, with a working-class clan in a three-level cinderblock house in Iztacalco borough, there were approximately six full family meals in a day, including three distinct breakfasts adhering to three distinct points of a morning. I'm not kidding.

If someone invites you to their house to eat, consider the possibility that whatever you are served might end up being the culinary highlight of your trip. You can get a small taste of this when you try comida corrida at a fonda; this is the Mexico City prix fixe custom of affordable, home-style, lunchtime-only restaurants, which appear on almost every other corner in this city, from the wealthiest to the poorest neighborhoods. The meals range from 60 to 150 pesos (about $3.50 to $9) usually. It would be impossible to say, "Go to this one or that," as convenience — to the office, or just downstairs from your apartment — is the defining factor in one’s allegiance.

Use the markets whenever possible. Every major colonia has one, and some are better than others. Yet each sustains a custom of exchange that goes back centuries, and I wish we had public markets with open stalls and vendors in every city here in the States. In my final few years living in Mexico City full-time, my door for a while was 10 paces away from the entrance to a market, where I could roll out of bed in the morning, walk over in my chanclas and get fresh herbs, cheeses, eggs, legumes, vegetables, dairy and avocados “for today” from independent vendors, small farmers and lifetime butchers and fishmongers. Ten paces! I remember thinking, everyone in the world should live like this.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

Update April 12, 2024

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Mexico Travel Advisory

Travel advisory august 22, 2023, mexico - see state summaries.

Reissued after periodic review with general security updates, and the removal of obsolete COVID-19 page links.

Country Summary: Violent crime – such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery – is widespread and common in Mexico. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in many areas of Mexico, as travel by U.S. government employees to certain areas is prohibited or restricted. In many states, local emergency services are limited outside the state capital or major cities.

U.S. citizens are advised to adhere to restrictions on U.S. government employee travel. State-specific restrictions are included in the individual state advisories below. U.S. government employees may not travel between cities after dark, may not hail taxis on the street, and must rely on dispatched vehicles, including app-based services like Uber, and regulated taxi stands. U.S. government employees should avoid traveling alone, especially in remote areas. U.S. government employees may not drive from the U.S.-Mexico border to or from the interior parts of Mexico, except daytime travel within Baja California and between Nogales and Hermosillo on Mexican Federal Highway 15D, and between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey on Highway 85D.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Mexico.

Do Not Travel To:

• Colima state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Guerrero state  due to  crime .
• Michoacan state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Sinaloa state due to  crime  and  kidnapping
• Tamaulipas state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping.
• Zacatecas  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .

Reconsider Travel To:

• Baja California  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Chihuahua state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Durango state  due to  crime .
• Guanajuato state  due to  crime and kidnapping .
• Jalisco state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Morelos state  due to  crime .
• Sonora state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .

Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To:

• Aguascalientes  state due to  crime .
• Baja California Sur state  due to  crime .
• Chiapas state  due to  crime .
• Coahuila state  due to  crime .
• Hidalgo state  due to  crime .
• Mexico City  due to  crime .
• Mexico State  due to  crime .
• Nayarit state  due to  crime.
• Nuevo Leon  state due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Oaxaca state  due to  crime .
• Puebla state  due to  crime  and  kidnapping .
• Queretaro state  due to  crime .
• Quintana Roo state  due to  crime .
• San Luis Potosi state  due to  crime and kidnapping .
• Tabasco state  due to  crime .
• Tlaxcala state due to  crime .
• Veracruz state  due to  crime .

Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To:

• Campeche state
• Yucatan state

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

If you decide to travel to Mexico:

• Keep traveling companions and family back home informed of your travel plans. If separating from your travel group, send a friend your GPS location. If taking a taxi alone, take a photo of the taxi number and/or license plate and text it to a friend.
• Use toll roads when possible and avoid driving alone or at night. In many states, police presence and emergency services are extremely limited outside the state capital or major cities.
• Exercise increased caution when visiting local bars, nightclubs, and casinos.
• Do not display signs of wealth, such as wearing expensive watches or jewelry.
• Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs.
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Follow the U.S. Embassy on Facebook and Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Mexico.
• Mariners planning travel to Mexico should check for U.S. maritime  advisories  and  alerts , which include instructions on reporting suspicious activities and attacks to Mexican naval authorities.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .
• Visit the CDC page for the latest travel health information related to your travel. 

Aguascalientes state – Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime.

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Aguascalientes state.

Baja California state – Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Transnational criminal organizations compete in the border area to establish narco-trafficking and human smuggling routes. Violent crime and gang activity are common. Travelers should remain on main highways and avoid remote locations. Of particular concern is the high number of homicides in the non-tourist areas of Tijuana. Most homicides appeared to be targeted; however, criminal organization assassinations and territorial disputes can result in bystanders being injured or killed. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

U.S. government employees must adhere to the noted restrictions:

• Mexicali Valley:  U.S. government employees should avoid the Mexicali Valley due to the heightened possibility of violence between rival cartel factions.  The boundaries of the restricted area are: to the east, the Baja California/Arizona and Baja California/Sonora borders; to the south, from La Ventana (on Highway 5) due east to the Colorado River; to the west, Highway 5; and to the north, Boulevard Lazaro Cardenas/Highway 92/Highway 1 to Carretera Aeropuerto, from the intersection of Highway 1 and Carretera Aeropuerto due north to the Baja California/California border, and from that point eastward along the Baja California/California border.
• Travelers may use Highways 2 and 2D to transit between Mexicali, Los Algodones, and San Luis Rio Colorado during daylight hours. Travelers may also use Highways 1 and 8 to transit to and from the Mexicali Airport during daylight hours.  Travel on Highway 5 is permissible during daylight hours.

There are no other travel restrictions for U.S. government employees in Baja California state. These include high-traffic tourism areas of border and coastal communities, such as  Tijuana ,  Ensenada , and  Rosarito .

Baja California Sur state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Baja California Sur state.

Campeche state – Exercise Normal Precautions

Exercise normal precautions.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Campeche state.

Chiapas state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Chiapas state.

Chihuahua state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Battles for territory between criminal groups have resulted in violent crime in areas frequented by U.S. citizens and U.S. government employees, including restaurants and malls during daylight hours. Bystanders have been injured or killed in shooting incidents. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

U.S. government employee travel is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:

• Ciudad Juarez:  U.S. government employees may travel to the area of Ciudad Juarez bounded to the east by Bulevar Independencia; to the south by De los Montes Urales/Avenida Manuel J Clouthier/Carretera de Juárez; to the west by Via Juan Gabriel/Avenida de los Insurgentes/Calle Miguel Ahumada/Francisco Javier Mina/Melchor Ocampo; and to the north by the U.S.-Mexico border.  Direct travel to the Ciudad Juarez airport (officially called the Abraham González International Airport) and the factories located along Bulevar Independencia and Las Torres is permitted.  Travel to San Jerónimo is permitted only through the United States via the Santa Teresa U.S. Port of Entry; travel via Anapra is prohibited.

U.S. government employees may only travel from Ciudad Juarez to the city of Chihuahua during daylight hours via Federal Highway 45, with stops permitted only at the Guardia Nacional División Caminos station, the Umbral del Milenio overlook area, the border inspection station at KM 35, and the shops and restaurants on Federal Highway 45 in the city of Ahumada.

• U.S. government employees may travel between Ciudad Juarez and Ascension via Highway 2.
• Nuevo Casas Grandes Area (including Nuevo Casas Grandes, Casas Grandes, Mata Ortiz, Colonia Juárez, Colonia LeBaron, Paquimé and San Buenaventura):  U.S. government employees may travel to the Nuevo Casas Grandes area during daylight hours via Mexico Federal Highway 2, and subsequently Federal Highway 10, to Nuevo Casas Grandes.  Employees are permitted to stay overnight in the cities of Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes only.
• City of Chihuahua:  U.S. government employees may travel at any time to the area of the city of Chihuahua bounded to the north by Avenida Transformación; to the east by Avenida Tecnológico/Manuel Gómez Morín/Highway 16/Blvd.José Fuentes Mares; to the west by the city boundary; and to the south by Periférico Francisco R. Almada.
• U.S. government employees may travel on Highways 45, 16, and 45D through the city of Chihuahua and to the Chihuahua airport (officially called the General Roberto Fierro Villalobos International Airport). 
• U.S. government employees may travel to Santa Eulalia to the east of the city of Chihuahua, as well as to Juan Aldama via Highway 16 to the northeast.
• U.S. government employees may travel south of the city of Chihuahua on Highway 45 to the southern boundary of Parral, including each town directly connected to Highway 45, including Lázaro Cárdenas, Pedro Meoqui, Santa Cruz de Rosales, Delicias, Camargo, Ciudad Jiménez, and Parral itself.
• U.S. government employees may only travel on official business from the city of Chihuahua on Highway 16 to Ciudad Cuauhtémoc bounded by Highway 21 to the north and east, Highway 5 to the west, and Bulevar Jorge Castillo Cabrera to the south. 
• Ojinaga:  U.S. government employees must travel to Ojinaga via U.S. Highway 67 and enter through the U.S. Port of Entry in Presidio, Texas.
• Palomas:  U.S. government employees may travel to Palomas via U.S. highways through the U.S. Port of Entry in Columbus, New Mexico, or via Highway 2 in Mexico.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Chihuahua, including  Copper Canyon .

Coahuila state – Exercise Increased Caution

Violent crime and gang activity occur in parts of Coahuila state. 

U.S. government employees must adhere to the following travel restrictions:

• Zaragoza, Morelos, Allende, Nava, Jimenez, Villa Union, Guerrero, and Hidalgo municipalities : U.S. government employees may not travel to these municipalities.
• Piedras Negras and Ciudad Acuña:  U.S. government employees must travel directly from the United States and observe a curfew from midnight to 6:00 a.m. in both cities.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Coahuila state.

Colima state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.  

Violent crime and gang activity are widespread. Most homicides are targeted assassinations against members of criminal organizations. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed bystanders. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.  

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with noted restrictions: 

• Manzanillo:   U.S. government employee travel is limited to the tourist and port areas of Manzanillo.  
• Employees traveling to Manzanillo from Guadalajara must use Federal Toll Road 54D during daylight hours.  

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Colima state. 

Durango state – Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel due to crime.

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Durango state.

• West and south of Federal Highway 45:  U.S. government employees may not travel to this region of Durango state.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Durango state.

Guanajuato state – Reconsider Travel

Gang violence, often associated with the theft of petroleum and natural gas from the state oil company and other suppliers, occurs in Guanajuato, primarily in the south and central areas of the state.  Of particular concern is the high number of murders in the southern region of the state associated with cartel-related violence. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Areas south of Federal Highway 45D:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area south of and including Federal Highway 45D, Celaya, Salamanca, and Irapuato.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Guanajuato state, which includes tourist areas in:  San Miguel de Allende ,  Guanajuato City , and  surrounding areas.

Guerrero state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime.

Crime and violence are widespread. Armed groups operate independently of the government in many areas of Guerrero. Members of these groups frequently maintain roadblocks and may use violence towards travelers. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping in previous years.

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following area with the noted restrictions:

• Taxco:  U.S. government employees must use Federal Highway 95D, which passes through Cuernavaca, Morelos, and stay within downtown tourist areas of Taxco. Employees may visit Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park during the day with a licensed tour operator.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Guerrero, including to tourist areas in  Acapulco ,  Zihuatanejo , and  Ixtapa .

Hidalgo state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Hidalgo state.

Jalisco state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Jalisco state. In Guadalajara, territorial battles between criminal groups take place in tourist areas. Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed innocent bystanders. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Jalisco-Michoacan border and Federal Highway 110:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area between Federal Highway 110 and the Jalisco-Michoacan border, nor travel on Federal Highway 110 between Tuxpan, Jalisco, and the Michoacan border.
• Federal Highway 80:  U.S. government employees may not travel on Federal Highway 80 south of Cocula.

There are no other restrictions on travel for U.S government employees in Jalisco state which includes tourist areas in:  Guadalajara Metropolitan Area ,  Puerto Vallarta (including neighboring Riviera Nayarit) ,  Chapala , and  Ajijic .

Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico) – Exercise Increased Caution

Both violent and non-violent crime occur throughout Mexico City. Use additional caution, particularly at night, outside of the frequented tourist areas where police and security patrol more routinely. Petty crime occurs frequently in both tourist and non-tourist areas.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Mexico City.

Mexico State (Estado de Mexico) – Exercise Increased Caution

Both violent and non-violent crime occur throughout Mexico State. Use additional caution in areas outside of the frequented tourist areas, although petty crime occurs frequently in tourist areas as well.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Mexico State.

Michoacan state – Do Not Travel

Do not travel due to crime and kidnapping.

Crime and violence are widespread in Michoacan state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

Travel for U.S. government employees is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions:

• Federal Highway 15D:   U.S. government employees may travel on Federal Highway 15D to transit the state between Mexico City and Guadalajara.
• Morelia:  U.S. government employees may travel by air and by land using Federal Highways 43 or 48D from Federal Highway 15D.
• Lazaro Cardenas:  U.S. government employees must travel by air only and limit activities to the city center or port areas.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of the state of Michoacan, including the portions of the  Monarch Butterfly Reserve  located in Michoacan.

Morelos state – Reconsider Travel

Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Morelos state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Morelos state.

Nayarit state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout Nayarit state.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S government employees in Nayarit state.

Nuevo Leon state – Exercise Increased Caution

Exercise increased caution due to crime and kidnapping.

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Nuevo Leon state.

Oaxaca state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence occur throughout the state.

U.S. travelers are reminded that U.S. government employees must adhere to the following travel restrictions:

• Isthmus region:  U.S. government employees may not travel to the area of Oaxaca bounded by Federal Highway 185D to the west, Federal Highway 190 to the north, and the Oaxaca-Chiapas border to the east.  This includes the cities of Juchitan de Zaragoza, Salina Cruz, and San Blas Atempa.  
• Federal Highway 200 northwest of Pinotepa:  U.S. government employees may not use Federal Highway 200 between Pinotepa and the Oaxaca-Guerrero border.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees to other parts of Oaxaca state, which include tourist areas in:  Oaxaca City ,  Monte Alban ,  Puerto Escondido,  and  Huatulco .

Puebla state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Puebla state.

Queretaro state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Queretaro state.

Quintana Roo state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur in any location, at any time, including in popular tourist destinations.  Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations. 

While not directed at tourists, shootings between rival gangs have injured innocent bystanders.  Additionally, U.S. citizens have been the victims of both non-violent and violent crimes in tourist and non-tourist areas.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Quintana Roo state. However, personnel are advised to exercise increased situational awareness after dark in downtown areas of Cancun, Tulum, and Playa del Carmen, and to remain in well-lit pedestrian streets and tourist zones.

San Luis Potosi state – Exercise Increased Caution

Criminal activity and violence may occur throughout the state.  U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in San Luis Potosi state.

Sinaloa state – Do Not Travel

Violent crime is widespread. Criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Mazatlan:  U.S. government employees may travel to Mazatlan by air or sea only, are limited to the Zona Dorada and historic town center, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport and sea terminal.
• Los Mochis and Topolobampo:  U.S. government employees may travel to Los Mochis and Topolobampo by air or sea only, are restricted to the city and the port, and must travel via direct routes between these destinations and the airport.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Sinaloa state.

Sonora state – Reconsider Travel

Sonora is a key location used by the international drug trade and human trafficking networks. Violent crime is widespread. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. Travelers should maintain a heightened level of awareness of their surroundings in all their travels in Sonora.  Security incidents may occur in any area of Sonora.

• Travel between Hermosillo and Nogales:  U.S. government employees may travel between the U.S. Ports of Entry in Nogales and Hermosillo during daylight hours via Federal Highway 15 only. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures. Travelers should exercise caution and avoid unnecessary stops as security incidents, including sporadic, armed carjackings, and shootings have been reported along this highway during daylight hours. Travelers should have a full tank of gas and inform friends or family members of their planned travel.
• Nogales:  U.S. government employees may not travel in the triangular area north of Avenida Tecnologico, west of Bulevar Luis Donaldo Colosio (Periferico), nor east of Federal Highway 15D (Corredor Fiscal). U.S. government employees also may not travel in the residential and business areas to east of the railroad tracks along Plutarco Elias Calle (HWY 15) and Calle Ruiz Cortino, including the business area around the Morley pedestrian gate port-of-entry. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in Nogales due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.  
• Puerto Peñasco:  U.S. government employees may travel between Puerto Peñasco and the Lukeville-Sonoyta U.S. Port of Entry during daylight hours via Federal Highway 8 only. They may not travel on any other route to Puerto Peñasco. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in Puerto Peñasco. due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
• Triangular region near Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry:  U.S. government employees may not travel into or through the triangular region west of the Mariposa U.S. Port of Entry, east of Sonoyta, and north of Altar municipality.
• San Luis Rio Colorado, Cananea, and Agua Prieta : U.S. government employees may travel directly from the nearest U.S. Port of Entry to San Luis Rio Colorado, Cananea (via Douglas Port of Entry), and Agua Prieta, but may not go beyond the city limits. Travel is limited to daylight hours only. Travel between Nogales and Cananea via Imuris is not permitted. U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in these cities due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.
• Eastern and southern Sonora (including San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas and Alamos):  U.S. government employees may not travel to areas of Sonora east of Federal Highway 17, the road between Moctezuma and Sahuaripa, and State Highway 20 between Sahuaripa and the intersection with Federal Highway 16. U.S. government employees may travel to San Carlos Nuevo Guaymas and Alamos; travel to Alamos is only permitted by air and within city limits.  U.S. government employees may not travel to areas of Sonora south of Federal Highway 16 and east of Federal Highway 15 (south of Hermosillo), as well as all points south of Guaymas, including Empalme, Guaymas, Obregon, and Navojoa.  U.S. government employees may not use ANY taxi services, public buses, nor ride-share applications in these areas due to a lack of secure vetting and/or dispatching procedures and the danger of kidnapping and other violent crimes.

U.S. government employees may travel to other parts of Sonora state in compliance with the above restrictions, including tourist areas in: Hermosillo , Bahia de Kino , and Puerto Penasco .

Tabasco state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Tabasco state.

Tamaulipas state – Do Not Travel

Organized crime activity – including gun battles, murder, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, forced disappearances, extortion, and sexual assault – is common along the northern border and in Ciudad Victoria. Criminal groups target public and private passenger buses, as well as private automobiles traveling through Tamaulipas, often taking passengers and demanding ransom payments.

Heavily armed members of criminal groups often patrol areas of the state and operate with impunity particularly along the border region from Reynosa to Nuevo Laredo.  In these areas, local law enforcement has limited capacity to respond to incidents of crime. Law enforcement capacity is greater in the tri-city area of Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state.

U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Matamoros and Nuevo Laredo:  U.S. government employees may only travel within a limited radius around and between the U.S. Consulates in Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros, their homes, the respective U.S. Ports of Entry, and limited downtown sites, subject to an overnight curfew.
• Overland travel in Tamaulipas:  U.S. government employees may not travel between cities in Tamaulipas using interior Mexican highways. Travel between Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey is limited to Federal Highway 85D during daylight hours with prior authorization.

U.S. government employees may not travel to other parts of Tamaulipas state.

Tlaxcala state – Exercise Increased Caution

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Tlaxcala state.

Veracruz state – Exercise Increased Caution

Violent crime and gang activity occur with increasing frequency in Veracruz, particularly in the center and south near Cordoba and Coatzacoalcos. While most gang-related violence is targeted, violence perpetrated by criminal organizations can affect bystanders. Impromptu roadblocks requiring payment to pass are common.

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Veracruz state.

Yucatan state – Exercise Normal Precautions

There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Yucatan state, which include tourist areas in:  Chichen Itza ,  Merida ,  Uxmal , and  Valladolid .

Zacatecas state – Do Not Travel

Violent crime, extortion, and gang activity are widespread in Zacatecas state. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping.

• Zacatecas City : U.S. government employee travel is limited to Zacatecas City proper, and employees may not travel overland to Zacatecas City.
• U.S. government employees may not travel to other areas of Zacatecas state.

Travel Advisory Levels

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Hilton Mexico City Reforma

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

Arrival Time

Enjoy sky-high city views from our rooftop pool

Find our high-rise hotel in the heart of Mexico City, opposite Alameda Central park and just 650 meters from the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The historic center of Mexico City, which is centered around Zócalo plaza, is less than two kilometers away. We’re home to a rooftop pool, a spa, and a two-story convention center.

Our amenities

Connecting Rooms

Non-smoking rooms

Digital Key

Executive lounge

On-site restaurant

Indoor pool

Outdoor pool

Fitness center

Pet-friendly rooms

Room service

Business center

Meeting rooms

Rooms and suites

Hilton Honors member benefits

Hilton Honors Discount rate

Points toward free nights and more

Choose Your Room

Digital Check-In

Hilton Honors Experiences

Hotel policies

Not available

Smoking only in Terrace 6th floor.

Standard in-room and lobby WiFi: $15.00

Dining and drinks

We have a choice of three restaurants and a lobby bar. Los Dones offers buffet and à la carte meals, while El Cardenal serves up traditional, farm-to-plate Mexican and Colonial dishes.

Using the finest products, we offer detoxing facials, holistic therapies, massages, and body wraps. We also look after hair, nails, and waxing. Our spa packages include a relaxing massage . We have separate steam rooms, whirlpools, and relaxation rooms for both men and women.

Group travel and events

Location and transportation.

Airport shuttle