tips to travel to mexico city

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.

Did you like this post? Pin it!

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.

What do you think? (Leave a Comment.) Cancel reply

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

Similar posts.

Guadalajara Vs Mexico City: Where Should You Choose in 2024?

Guadalajara Vs Mexico City. Which one should you choose?  The two west-central Mexican cities are the largest in the country. Mexico City (aka CDMX) is…

A Charming 4-5 Day Mexico City Itinerary for 2024

A 4-5 day Mexico City itinerary is a perfect amount of time to spend in the Mexican capital during your first trip. This is North…

Where to Stay in Mexico City – Your Insider’s Guide for 2024

Curious where to stay in Mexico City? Look no further.  This comprehensive guide has been written by a local resident and contains detailed information on…

Best Time to Visit Mexico City in 2024: A Local’s Guide

When is the best time to visit Mexico City? In this article written by a local resident, we will look at the best time for…

Is Mexico City Safe to Visit in 2024? A Local’s Guide

Is Mexico City safe to travel to? You might be worried about safety if you are planning a trip to the Mexican capital this year…

22 Best Day Trips From Mexico City to Take in 2024: Local’s Guide

Mexico City is one of the world’s most exciting and beautiful cities. From sprawling parks, ancient ruins, stunning cathedrals, rich culture, and a globally praised…

• North America
• 20 Things To Know Before...

Mexico City Travel Tips: Dos and Don’ts To Know Before You Go

Northern England Writer

Mexico City is a large and densely populated cultural and financial hub worth exploring. But before you gulp tap water after a spicy meal, read Culture Trip’s guide to ensure you avoid rookie mistakes.

Did you know – Culture Trip now does bookable, small-group trips? Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips , compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips .

You probably know that Mexico City is Mexico ’s capital, that the currency is the Mexican peso and that the official language is Spanish (although there are hundreds of indigenous languages still in use). But it’s always good to get a lay of the land before you visit and find a place to stay – and not just because it’s the most populous city in North America. This list will help you discover the gaps in your knowledge so that you can spend more time enjoying your trip.

People from Mexico City are known as chilangos

Sometimes you’ll hear Mexico City referred to as chilangolandia , just as the US will be called gringolandia . Chilango is not an epithet, and the word gringo can either have a pejorative undertone or be used affectionately. So, it’s best not to assume and just brush off any time you hear the words.

Avoid the metro at the hora pico

The metro’s hora pico (rush hour) in Mexico City occurs from roughly 6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm each day. The crowds are overwhelming, and if you aren’t familiar with the local lines, you could end up stressed and frustrated. If it’s avoidable, skip the hora pico . You can plan your travel around it and be thankful you did.

Do try the food

Mexican cuisine is some of the world’s best, and it is heavily oriented towards street-food dishes, such as tortas, tacos and tamales, to name but a few. When visiting Mexico, you should absolutely make it a priority to try as much of the food on offer as possible, but stick to vendors that seem busy or have a line. Residents know which ones to pick to avoid playing a game of chance with food poisoning.

Tortillas, corn and chili are three crucial culinary components

If you don’t like these ingredients, you’ll have to grow to like them and quickly! Almost all Mexican food is made up of various combinations of tortillas, corn and chili, plus cheese, meat and beans. Tacos, gorditas, tlayudas – the list goes on. Although, in Mexico City, quesadillas don’t come with cheese as standard, so make sure you mention that you want them con queso . Also, they add chili to everything in Mexico – even fruit.

Become a Culture Tripper!

Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $1,395 on our unique trips..

See privacy policy .

Be discerning about spicy foods

On a related culinary note, Mexican spice standards might be graded on a different scale than what you’re used to. It’s best to ask for any spicy ingredients on the side ( en el lado ) so that you can add them in moderation without rendering your meal inedible. If you’re a fan of spice, by all means, test the waters and see if you can handle the heat.

Don’t drink the tap water – or have drinks with ice cubes

While you should try the food, you definitely should not drink the tap water. It will make you sick and could put a damper on your stay. You may know to stick to bottled water, but there are other ways you might ingest the water that won’t immediately come to mind. Keep an eye out for what your salad is washed in, and think twice before accepting ice cubes. Even if you do everything right, the chances are high that you will get an upset tummy at one point or another on your trip to Mexico . Don’t fret about it – just avoid spicy street food for a while and drink plenty of rehydrating electrolytes.

Corona is not the national beer of Mexico

While it might be one of the most readily available and popular Mexican beers outside the country (although it’s not exactly unpopular in Mexico either), it is by no means the national beer. Beer isn’t even the national drink – tequila is! Cerveza is popular, though, and there are plenty to choose from, including Modelo, Tecate, Victoria and Sol, among others.

As a rule, tip 10 percent in restaurants and bars

While tipping is more important in Mexico than, say, the UK, it’s far less important than in the US, for example. As a general rule, tip a minimum of 10 percent to servers and anyone else who has to bring the bill to your table. Street-food stalls generally don’t require tipping, nor do taxi drivers – that’s not to say that your tips won’t be welcomed, though.

Don’t take taxis from the street

On the subject of taxis, don’t hail them from the street. If you’re at all concerned about kidnapping (which has been an unfortunate reality in the past), stick to official cab stands like those at the airport, or take Ubers wherever you go.

Know about neighborhoods before you go

Every major city has safe areas and ones that are less so – though the touristy areas are usually fine. In Mexico City, visitors often find themselves in the pleasant neighborhoods of Roma, Condesa, Coyoacán and Polanco, among others. If you do prefer going off the beaten path, remember to do a quick internet search using reliable sources for the latest news and trends, and be conscious of your urban surroundings.

There’s more to the city than the historic center

Many tourists will hit up the big monuments, destinations and famous restaurants the second they arrive in the city. While the tourist attractions are popular for a reason, there’s so much more to this enormous city than the historic center and the Zócalo (the main square). Head south to check out San Ángel and the Xochimilco canals , or go to Santa María la Ribera in the north.

Mexico City is not Cancún

Many tourists associate Mexico with perpetually great weather, but that isn’t always the case in the capital – although it might be more so on the coast. Keep in mind that people in this area don’t often wear shorts, and it’s always a good call to check local weather reports before packing. Mexico City can get quite cold, and it rains a lot from June to September.

Don’t flush the toilet paper

This one is pretty straightforward, although it can seem weird to some foreigners. Most places in Mexico have plumbing that isn’t equipped to deal with toilet paper, so make sure to throw your used tissue in the bin that’s in the cubicle.

Mexico City is prone to earthquakes

Be aware that there may be an earthquake when you’re in Mexico City and that it’s not an uncommon occurrence. As a result, procedures are well drilled into residents, and there is a city-wide alarm that will sound approximately 20 seconds before an earthquake is predicted to hit. If you hear it, get outside and head to the closest available meeting point. They look like this and can be found everywhere .

Mexican Spanish is not Castellano

If you speak Spanish, and it was peninsular Spanish that you learned, arriving in Mexico might be a bit of a shock to the system. The accent is different – with far more ‘s’ sounds than its peninsular counterpart – and so is the vocabulary. Some keywords you need to know are mande (‘pardon?’), ahorita (literally ‘right now,’ but in practice anywhere from ‘now’ to ‘never’), camion (‘bus’), con permiso (‘excuse me,’ as in ‘can I get past you?’). Oh, and coger means something naughty in Mexico, so don’t try to coger the bus.

If you want to know one swear word, it should be chingar

Chingar is ubiquitous in Mexico . You’ll hear it bandied about between friends, shouted from car windows by angry drivers who are sick of being cut off for the umpteenth time that day and at football games . Basically meaning ‘to fuck,’ chingar is commonly used in expressions like chingue a su madre (go fuck yourself) and vete a la chingada (also, go fuck yourself). Other favorites include pendejo and hijo de su puta madre . Check out our guide for more Mexican slang words you should know .

Independence Day is September 16, not May 5

This one is self-explanatory.

Don’t take shots of tequila

It’s customary to sip, instead of tipping it back.

Alex Wexelman contributed additional reporting to this article.

Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.

Our immersive trips , led by Local Insiders, are once-in-a-lifetime experiences and an invitation to travel the world with like-minded explorers. Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you make perfect memories. All our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.

Guides & Tips

Guide to mexico's cobá ruins and the best cenotes found nearby.

Places to Stay

Discover the best vacation rental apartments in mexico city.

The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Mexico City

The Best Cheap Hotels to Book in Mexico City, Mexico

See & Do

Meet mexico’s big cat conservationists.

Restaurants

The best international restaurants in mexico city.

Where to Book Your Stay in Mexico City Like a Local

Food & Drink

The best cheap eats in mexico city.

The Best Spa Hotels in Mexico City

The Best Luxury Hotels to Book in Mexico City, Mexico

This is the Best Package Deal to Book in Mexico

City on a Plate: The Best Young Chef in Mexico City Takes Us Around the Mexican Capital

Culture Trip Summer Sale

Save up to $1,395 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

• Post ID: 885504
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload

• Work with me
• Privacy policy

• Years in review
• United Kingdom
• Bosnia & Herzegovina
• North Macedonia
• Philippines
• South Korea
• South Africa
• Africa Overlanding
• Central America
• New Zealand
• Solo Travel
• Budget travel
• Travel tips
• Travel itineraries
• Hidden gems
• Bucket list
• Travel resources
• Digital nomadism
• Blogging tips
• Start a travel blog

23 Mexico City Travel Tips By A Solo Traveller

Table of Contents

This post may contain affiliate links to things like tours, hotels, Amazon associates and products. These help me earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.

So, you’re planning a trip to Mexico City? Use my Mexico City travel tips to plan your time in this incredible, vibrant metropolis. Although it’s not a difficult place to travel, there are several things to know before going to Mexico City. Don’t worry, though: I’ve got you covered! I recently spent six months travelling solo in Mexico . During this time, Mexico City was my base. There’s so much I love about CDMX from the hipster neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa to the world-class (super cheap) street food, along with the many day trips you can take from the capital. Mexico City is one of the world’s most underrated capitals in my opinion. People seem to visualise a gritty, urban city of 22 million and, while they’re not technically wrong, there’s so much more to Mexico City. It’s also a city of museums, art, culture, top chefs, global cuisine and leafy parks. There’s even a castle!

Read next: complete guide to solo female travel in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY QUICK LINKS Accommodation: Booking.com / Hostelworld Copy of Lonely Planet Mexico / Mexican Spanish phrasebook Activities: GetYourGuide Food tours: Eatwith Getting there: Skyscanner / Airport transfer

Read next: the ultimate Mexico bucket list!

There are my top travel tips for Mexico City!

1. Pick a great neighbourhood

Mexico City, like many places, has its less desirable areas. Luckily, it’s unlikely you’ll wander into one as they’re not nearby the tourist neighbourhoods. Still, my first Mexico City travel tip is to suss out your base in advance. After all, who wouldn’t want to stay in the coolest part of town? I would suggest…

With its Art Deco buildings and tree-lined walkways, this stylish part of Mexico City may remind you of Europe. This isn’t surprising since Condesa was actually modelled on Paris by long-standing ex-president, Porfirio Diaz. Condesa is very safe with lots of lovely cafes and restaurants serving Mexican and international cuisine.

Interlinked to Condesa, the neighbourhood of Roma is made up of Roma Sur (South) and Roma Norte (North). While both are safe and friendly, Roma Norte is undeniably the coolest and most happening part of Mexico City with tons of street art, museums, markets and bars. I would highly recommend staying here if you like to socialise and be in the heart of the action. The food in both Roma and Condesa is excellent with lots of cafes, restaurants and street food.

Surrounding suburbs

While Roma and Condesa are the coolest areas, my next Mexico City tip is to extend your search radius. You can get better value accommodation in the nearby neighbourhoods. The only place you should avoid nearby is Doctores which doesn’t have the best safety reputation. I stayed for a few weeks in San Miguel Chapultepec (made up of section I and section II ), a quiet residential area between Condesa and Chapultepec, a huge green park with a castle and boating lake. You can also check out Juarez and Escandon (sections I and II).

The other place to stay for travellers is Coyoacan , a charming suburb a 30-minute drive south of Roma and Condesa. Known for its most famous ex-resident Frida Kahlo, it’s a quaint and charming part of the capital plus there’s some amazing food in Coyoacan . The only downside to staying in Coyoacan is you may run up an Uber bill or spend a lot of time on the Metro. But when you consider Coyoacan is halfway between the city and Xochimilco (a popular neighbourhood dubbed the ‘Venice of Mexico City’), the location doesn’t seem so bad.

2. Don’t overlook the Metro

Travellers to Mexico City always proclaim ‘Uber is so cheap!’. While I agree it’s cheaper than other countries, it’s not that cheap if you use it three times a day. To save a ton of taco money, my next Mexico City travel tip is to get acquainted with the Metro and the Metro Bus. The Metro gets a bad rep which I feel is unwarranted. Keep your belongings close and check you’re not going the wrong way (once I didn’t notice for ages and ended up miles away) and you’ll be perfectly fine. If you’re nervous, female travellers can use the women and children’s carriage.

3. Get a Metro card

To benefit from 5 peso rides anywhere in Mexico City, you first need to buy a Metro card and top it up. You can do this at any station counter. To buy a card, ask the cashier ‘Puedo comprar una tarjeta con xx pesos por favor?’. Since journeys are 5 pesos, maybe start with 50 pesos and top up again later. Staff don’t usually speak English so show them this text if you’re struggling with Spanish. You can use your Metro card on the Metro and the Metro Bus. Here are some more Mexico City tips about these modes of transport:

The second-longest metro in the Americas (after New York) carries over 4 million people every day. There are 12 lines and most trains depart every 2-3 minutes. Each line has a different colour and is named after its end destination for example Dirección Pantitlán . Once you have a Metro card with credit, simply tap-in once. You don’t need to tap to transfer lines or tap out when you exit. Since the journeys show on Google Maps, I find it pretty easy to use the Mexico City Metro .

The Metro Bus

The Metro Bus is a red bus that travels along electric tram lines above ground. Like the Metro, each line travels along one route in both directions. The journeys are listed on Google Maps so it’s nice and easy. Have the Google Maps app open to check you’re going in the right direction.

Regular buses

These are pretty confusing since they’re not listed on Google Maps and you can’t use your Metro card. Instead, you chuck pesos in the box by the driver and there’s no change. I’ve only used the regular buses with a local, Spanish-speaking friend. If you’re a newbie, my Mexico City travel tip is to give them a miss!

4. Don’t drink the tap water

An important Mexico City travel tip is to avoid tap water. You can obviously buy bottled water from supermarkets and corner stores (check it’s sealed) but for environmental reasons, I would suggest instead bringing a reusable water bottle and filling it with filtered water (your accommodation should have a large dispenser).

Alternatively, travel with a filtering water bottle that allows you to safely drink tap water.

5. Eat street food as much as possible

Don’t worry about getting sick in Mexico City. Sure, maybe it happens from time to time but from my experience, the street food is sanitary and out of this world delicious! Seriously, it’s the joy of living in Mexico City; undoubtedly one of the foodie capitals of the world. Look out for the following. Tacos al pastor: This kebab-style meat that came to Mexico with Lebanese immigrants has become one of the most popular dishes in the whole country. Pork is carved from a tromp straight onto your corn tacos and topped with onion and cilantro.

Read next: the 36 best Mexican foods and drinks

Tortas: Tortas are Mexican sandwiches, usually enormous and oozing various fillings like breaded pork or chicken, salami, avocado, cheese, pineapple, tomato, onion and lettuce. There are street food stalls all around Mexico City where you’ll pay 50 pesos for a torta so big you’ll be stuffed for hours. Quesadillas: Folded-over tortillas filled with cheese and other ingredients are typical Mexico City street food. Cheese ones are undeniably delicious but I also like blue corn tacos with nopales (cactus) or huitlacoche (an earthy corn fungus that tastes like truffles). Tortas de chilaquiles: My favourite breakfast dish in Mexico is chilaquiles: fried tortilla chips topped with red or green salsa, onion, cheese and a fried egg. Street food stand, La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles , serves chilaquiles tortas – giant sandwiches filled with chilaquiles and meat. Get there early as they’re sold out by 11am.

Take a Roma tour with local foodies on Viator .

Some safety tips for Mexico City street food include:

• Eat where it’s busy
• Sanitise your hands before eating
• Don’t eat anything that looks like it’s been sat around a while
• Avoid ice in your drinks.

6. Get a SIM card

Having a SIM card is very handy in Mexico. It’s such a big city that you’ll want to use online maps, call Uber as things are so spread out, and Google things to know about Mexico City. Telcel SIMs are really affordable; you get 4gigs of data and unlimited phone calls and social media for 150 pesos. There are different packages depending how much data you want but since they expire after 30 days, this is usually the one I get. I got so confused trying to buy a SIM card with my basic Spanish. I successfully bought one in the 7-Eleven but didn’t realise I had to top it up there and then. To counteract this, ask or show the vendor ‘Tarjeta SIM Telcel con paquete 150 pesos, por favor’. If you get stuck, I would suggest asking your Airbnb host to help you out. They’re usually happy to.

7. Plan your itinerary well

There are some cities where you can wander around on foot and end up seeing the main attractions in a day. Not Mexico City! As a huge city of 22 million people with sprawling areas spread out all over the place, you’ll want to be smart to fit everything in. My next Mexico City travel tip relates to staying organised.

Read next: My tried & tested Mexico City itinerary

Mini itinerary for 5 days: Day 1: Have a relaxed day exploring Roma and Condesa on foot, checking out Mercado Medellin   and Mercado de Roma . Finish the day with dinner and drinks in Roma Norte. Day 2: Spend the day in Centro Historico. Marvel at the Palace of the Arts, Templo Mayor and Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles) and explore crafts and produce markets, La Ciudadela and Mercado de San Juan .

Day 3: Spend a day wandering pretty Coyoacan and admiring Frida Kahlo paintings at the iconic Blue House. Eat tostadas at Tostadas Coyoacan in Coyoacan Market. If you’re visiting on a Saturday, begin your day at San Angel Sabado Market, one of my favourite weekly events in Mexico City. Day 4: Have a fun day cruising the waterways in Xochimilco. You can take a tour aboard a large shared boat called a trajinera. These boats are bright and colourful, carrying tourists and locals as they listen to live mariachi bands and eat tamales and quesadillas sold from passing boats. Since the boats can be expensive unless you have a large group together, browse trajinera tours here on GetYourGuide . Alternatively, do what I did and take an eco-friendly tour around Xochimilco’s chinampas (islands) that local farmers have cultivated for centuries. Book here .

Day 5: For your final day, visit Museo Nacional de Antropología Museum (the National Anthropology Museum) before wandering enormous Chapultepec Park and visiting Chapultepec Castle where Romeo & Juliet was filmed. In the afternoon, head over to millionaire district, Polanco, and visit the shiny Soumaya Gallery and Instagram spot, the Tane Store.

While I would suggest spending an extra day in Mexico City to visit Teotihuacan Pyramids , if time’s limited, swap out one of the days above. Keep reading for my recommended Mexico City day trips.

8. Adjust your budget

Mexico City isn’t as cheap as you’d expect. Whenever I leave the capital for other areas of the country, I’m always thrilled at the prices. When I come back to Mexico City, I’m reminded how pricey it can be especially in Roma and Condesa. If you eat at restaurants and go for cocktails and evenings out, your budget won’t stay low for long. In Roma and Condesa, you can expect to pay between 100 and 250 pesos for a meal in a restaurant and 100-150 pesos for a cocktail. You’ll pay more at a fancy restaurant and obviously, way less for street food. Expect to pay 30-50 pesos for a street food meal.

9. Get pesos from the ATM

No need to bring money with you; just withdraw cash at the ATM. I have one very useful Mexico City travel tip regarding ATMs which I wish I’d known earlier. When you withdraw from a Banorte ATM with a foreign bank card, it shows you a poor exchange rate and asks you on-screen ‘do you accept this exchange rate?’. Click ‘no’ and instead of cancelling the transaction, it gives you the cash for a way better rate. It’s bizarre but it works. Be careful about clicking ‘no’ on any ATM as I once walked away and left my cash behind as I thought I’d cancelled the transaction yet it spat it out anyway.

10. Don’t overlook day trips

While you could spend days if not weeks or months in Mexico City and not see everything, it would be a shame not to explore further afield. My best Mexico City travel tip is to add a few extra days to your itinerary. Use them to visit…

Teotihuacan: These ancient pyramids built in 200 AD are nothing short of magical. To walk around the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, or fly above it during a Teotihuacan hot air balloon ride , take a public bus or day tour. Since it’s the most visited site in Mexico and it’s a 40km ride from CDMX, I would suggest leaving early.

Puebla : This gorgeous city two hours from Mexico City can be visited by day tour if you’re short of time though I personally think it’s better to spend a few days if possible. Things to do in Puebla include eating local candies along Calle de Dulce (Sweet Street), visiting local crafts markets and museums, taking a trip to Cholula Pyramid, and sampling regional dishes like mole poblano and chile en nogada . Book a bus on busbud or take a day tour .

Taxco: I’d recommend visiting Taxco from Mexico City as an overnight trip rather than a day trip unless you’re super speedy. Either way, it’s one of the best return trips from the capital. Known for silver mining, this charming city 2.5 hours from CDMX has plenty of shopping opportunities, fantastic food and a scenic cableway offering views for miles around. Take a bus or an organised tour .

Tepoztlán : This auspicious town a 1.5-hour drive from CDMX is known for being the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec serpent god. Things to do during a day trip include visiting the weekly crafts market, hiking through the forest to Aztec Tepozteco pyramid, and sampling regional Tepoztlan food at Mercado de Comida (Food Market). Note – don’t confuse Tepoztlán with Tepotzotlán which is a different town north of CDMX rather than south. To be honest, if you did make the mistake it wouldn’t be the end of the world as it’s also meant to be nice with a few museums, churches and handicraft markets. San Miguel de Allende – this is another place I’d recommend staying overnight if possible. San Miguel is a charming colonial town just north of Queretaro state in Guanajuato. Check out how guide covering how to get to San Miguel and what to do there .

11. Don’t dress for the beach

Here’s a Mexico City travel tip I should have known in advance! I arrived in Mexico City with shorts, dresses and a light sweater which was a huge mistake in October. I had to take myself straight to H&M for jeans, boots and a jacket. If you’re wondering what to pack for Mexico City , know that temperatures can drop below freezing.

Here’s a quick summary of the seasons:

• November-February (winter): The coldest time of year. Day time temperatures are around 60°F / 15°C but at night time it can drop to freezing.
• March-May (spring): The warmer season with temperates around 85°F / 25°C. You can wear dresses and shorts this time of year.
• June-August (summer): Temperatures drop as rainy season arrives and you can expect showers of up to two hours each day.
• September-November (autumn): Rains tail off and temperatures are mild (75°F / 20°C) so you’ll want at least a jacket.

12. Travel insurance

I find living in Mexico City safe but of course things can happen. Busy areas like city markets and Centro Historic can be known for pickpockets. Make sure you get insurance before travelling. I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) which offers gadget cover. Get a quote . For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing .

13. Choose your museums & galleries

There are so many museums in Mexico City that it would take months to work through them all. Do a bit of research first to suss out the ones best suited to you. Some of the best museums and galleries include: The National Anthropology Museum: On the edge of Chapultepec Park is the most visited museum in Mexico covering the Mayas, Aztecs and other ancient civilisations. It’s a fantastic place to learn about pre-Colombian Mexico. Entrance is 80 pesos. Frida Kahlo Museum: While this museum in Coyoacan can be crowded, it’s one you can’t miss. The Blue House is the ex-residence of Frida Kahlo, displaying many of her iconic paintings and telling the story of her life. Buy a ticket in advance otherwise you may wait hours in the queue and be denied entry.

Museo Anahuacalli: Also in Coyoacan is Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli, set up by none other than Diego Rivera. The museum contains 2,000 of his paintings and 50,000 pre-Hispanic pieces that he collected. Soumaya Museum: This modern and shiny museum in upmarket Polanco neighbourhood is owned by Carlos Slim, the richest man in Mexico. With six storeys and thousands of modern art installations, it’s free to go inside although there’s usually a long queue.

Palace of the Fine Arts: Last but not least is Palacio de Bellas Artes, the most iconic building in Mexico City. As well as a theatre and concert hall, the palace contains art by Diego Rivera and other Mexican artists.

14. Get your tickets ahead of time

Because Mexico City’s cultural attractions are often busy, my next travel tip for Mexico City is to buy your tickets ahead of time. A day or so will do. You can book many local attractions on GetYourGuide . Also, many museums are free to enter on Sundays. They’re usually very busy but it’s a great way to save on entrance fees.

15. Ride Grab bikes / Lime scooters

A fun way to get around in neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa is to unlock a Grab bike via the Uber app or a Lime scooter via the Lime app. Simply scan a code within the app to unlock the vehicle and explore the neighbourhood! Another transport tip for Mexico City is check out EcoBici . This is a bike sharing system used by many ex-pats and locals. You can make unlimited journeys of up to 45 minutes with a one day, three day, one week or one year pass. It’s far cheaper than Grab or Lime but you do need to register rather than just rocking up and tapping your bank card.

16. Walk a dog in Parque Mexico

I love weekends in Condesa because Parque Mexico suddenly becomes packed with beautiful stray pups who need walks and love. Simply hand in your ID to take a dog for a walk around the neighbourhood. Once you’re done, make a donation which goes to their care and upkeep until they find forever homes.

17. Be earthquake ready

I don’t mean to scare you with this Mexico City travel tip. It’s unlikely to happen but Mexico City is built within an ancient lake bed which makes it susceptible to earthquakes. Locate your safest exits and educate yourself on what to do in the event of an earthquake.

18. Know some Spanish

Mexico can be a tough place to travel without knowing some basic Spanish although you’ll be let off easy in touristic areas and ex-pat friendly neighbourhoods like Roma and Condesa. If you can brush up in advance, do. Otherwise, download the Google Translate app and do your best! Pack a Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary .

What not to do in Mexico City

Next, some Mexico City travel tips relating to things you shouldn’t do. These are…

19. Don’t walk at night

There’s no need to lock yourself away – some of the best things to do in Mexico City happen at night. I’ll happily walk around Roma and Condesa alone until 9pm or so but after this, I’ll get a taxi. In neighbourhoods I don’t know, I’d opt for Uber as soon as it gets dark. Uber is affordable so it’s easy to stay safe.

20. Don’t flash your valuables

It goes without saying that you should put your valuables away, especially in inner-city markets or busy, crowded areas.

21. Don’t take regular taxis

It’s not advisable to take the regular white or pink taxis you see in Mexico City; for starters they’re much more expensive. It’s best just to call Uber.

22. Don’t travel on the Metro during peak hours

It will be so crowded and cramped! Avoid travelling during rush hour which goes on quite a while from 7am to 10am and 6pm to 9pm. Many people will also tell you not to travel late at night on the Metro. I have (in the women’s carriage) between the main bus station and Condesa but I wouldn’t travel to out-of-town areas on the Metro at night.

23. Don’t expect tacos to crunch!

That’s Tex-Mex. Don’t expect to see nachos, fajitas or burritos, either. Mexico City street food isn’t like Western countries’ versions of Mexican food – it’s better!

To experience real Mexican food, take a market tour and cooking class in Condesa . I made and ate so much food with the friendly team!

Read more Mexico blogs:

• The perfect 2 day Puebla itinerary
• How to get to San Miguel de Allende and what to do there
• Guide to visiting Queretaro wine region
• How to celebrate Day of the Dead in Oaxaca
• How to visit Hierve El Agua, Mexico
• The perfect Guadalajara itinerary

Mexico City essentials

These are the items that came with me to Mexico and I would recommend using during your trip.

• Clothes: Jeans, sweater and a jacket – you’ll specially need these in winter and during the evenings
• Cooler clothes for day times: shorts, dresses and skirts are all appropriate for Mexico City
• ‘Nicer’ clothes for restaurants and bars (whatever you’d wear at home)
• Comfy sneakers – you’ll do a lot of walking
• Nicer sandals for evenings
• Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Microfibre quick-drying towel
• Security: A handy bum bag with secure zip
• Combination padlock (ideal for hostel lockers)
• Research: The latest copy of Lonely Planet Mexico
• A Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary
• Technology: a GoPro if you’re making videos – I use the HERO8 Black
• Solo photography pick: Manfrotto tripod and Joby Gorillapod
• A power bank to keep your devices alive
• Sustainability: stainless steel reusable water bottle with straw lid to reduce the use of plastic bottles
• Alternatively, a filtering water bottle that allows you to safely drink tap water
• Reusable coffee cup (collapsable) for hot takeaway drinks
• Metal straw kit with straw cleaner and cloth bag .

VISITING MEXICO? These are my trusted resources: Getting around by air – the quickest (and often cheapest) way to travel between Mexican cities is by flight. I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going. Getting around by bus (environmental option) – buses in Mexico are comfy with free snacks and an in-journey entertainment system. I use Busbud to find the best prices. Driving in Mexico – use Rentalcars.com to compare car rentals in Mexico (and all around the world). For hotels in Mexico, I use Booking.com – they also have self-catering apartments. You can filter by review score and price to find the best-rated budget places. For hostels, I use Hostelworld.com . To save money on accommodation, I use Trusted Housesitters , a website that connects homeowners going away and travellers who can sit their homes & pets. Browse Mexico tours and activities on GetYourGuide . I also check Viator too in case they have a better offer. For Mexico food tours with passionate local chefs and foodies, check out EatWith . Need to top up your Spanish? Pack a Lonely Planet Mexican Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary . Need travel insurance ? I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote . For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing .

Thanks for reading my Mexico City travel tips!

For more travel content, follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and YouTube .

See you next time,

Liked this? Pin it for later!

Rose is a solo traveller from the UK who has been on the road since 2015. She wants to show other women that solo travel isn't scary and doesn't have to be expensive! Rose has lived in Mexico, Canada and all over Asia, seeking out food, bubble tea and street art wherever she goes!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/

© Dowraik/Shutterstock

Mexico City

A high-octane megalopolis boasting old-school cantinas, intriguing museums, inspired dining and boating along ancient canals, Mexico City is the sun in the Mexican solar system.

Best Time to Visit

Best things to do, attractions, must-see attractions.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Alameda Central

Immense murals by world-famous Mexican artists dominate the top floors of this splendid white-marble palace – a concert hall and arts center commissioned…

Palacio Nacional

Centro Histórico

As the seat of the federal branch of the Mexican government, the Palacio Nacional (National Palace) is home to the offices of the president of Mexico and…

Torre Latinoamericana

The Torre Latinoamericana was Latin America’s tallest building when constructed in 1956, and remains the dominant focal point of Centro Histórico. It's an…

Museo Frida Kahlo

Coyoacán & San Ángel

Renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was born in, and lived and died in, Casa Azul (Blue House), now a museum. Almost every visitor to Mexico City makes a…

Templo Mayor

Before the Spaniards demolished it, the Aztec 'Great Temple' Teocalli of Tenochtitlán covered the site where the cathedral now stands, as well as the…

Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo

If you saw the movie Frida (2002), you’ll recognize this museum, designed by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's friend, architect and painter Juan O’Gorman…

Museo Casa de León Trotsky

The Trotsky home, now a museum, remains much as it was on the day when one of Stalin's agents, a Catalan named Ramón Mercader, caught up with the…

Museo Mural Diego Rivera

This museum is home to one of Diego Rivera’s most famous works, Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the…

Top picks from our travel experts

10 top things to do in mexico city.

Xochimilco Canals

Hundreds of colorful trajineras (gondolas) await passengers at the village’s 10 embarcaderos to paddle you through the waterways dotted with birdlife and…

Biblioteca de México

Mexico City's mega-library holds over 500,000 volumes and an extensive maps collection. Design and architecture fans should visit just to witness the…

11 of the best free things to do in Mexico City

Museo Soumaya

Polanco & Bosque de Chapultepec

Someone ought to tell Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim that bigger isn't always better. Named after his late wife, this six-story behemoth (plated with 16…

Museo Nacional de las Culturas del Mundo

Constructed in 1567 as the colonial mint, this renovated museum exhibits the art, dress and handicrafts of Mexico's and the world’s cultures. Mixed in for…

Palacio Postal

More than just Mexico City’s central post office, this golden palace built in 1907 is an Italianate confection designed by the Palacio de Bellas Artes’…

Ex Teresa Arte Actual

Mexico City was built atop a sloshy lake bed and it's sinking fast, as evidenced by this teetering former convent. The 17th-century building now serves as…

Plaza Garibaldi

Every night the city’s mariachi bands belt out heartfelt ballads in this festive square. Wearing silver-studded outfits, they toot their trumpets and tune…

Museo Jumex

Museo Jumex was built to house one of Latin America's leading contemporary art collections. Temporary exhibits draw on a collection of around 2600 pieces…

The heart of Mexico City is the Plaza de la Constitución. Residents began calling it the Zócalo, meaning ‘base,’ in the 19th century, when plans for a…

Created in the late 1500s by mandate of then-viceroy Luis de Velasco, the Alameda took its name from the álamos (poplars) planted over its rectangular…

Catedral Metropolitana

One of Mexico City’s most iconic structures, this cathedral is a monumental edifice: 109m long, 59m wide and 65m high. Started in 1573, it remained a work…

Castillo de Chapultepec

A visible reminder of Mexico’s bygone aristocracy, the ‘castle’ that stands atop Chapultepec Hill was begun in 1785 but not completed until after…

Zona Rosa & Reforma

The symbol of Mexico City, known as 'El Ángel' (The Angel), this gilded Winged Victory on a 45m-high pillar was sculpted for the independence centennial…

Tianguis Cultural del Chopo

A gathering place for the city’s various youth subcultures – especially goth, metal, indie and punk – with most of the outdoor vendor stalls selling new…

Basílica de Guadalupe

A cult developed around this site after a Christian convert named Juan Diego claimed in December 1531 that the Virgin Mary appeared before him on the…

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip.

Things to Know

Be a better traveler with this guide to health, safety and etiquette in Mexico City.

Best Neighborhoods

Location is everything in Mexico City, and we've put together a list of the best neighborhoods that are easily walkable and full of charm and character.

While there is plenty to keep you busy in Mexico City, the central region of Mexico is filled with pueblos mágicos that are well worth your time. 

Money and Costs

If you want to visit Mexico City but have a tight budget, these practical travel, accommodation, and going-out tips have got you covered.

Transportation

Whether it's cycling, tackling the sprawling subway, or crossing the city by cable car, here is how to navigate Mexico's mighty capital.

Free Things to Do

Stretch your pesos even further with our round up of the best free things to do in Mexico City.

Traveling with Kids

Heading to Mexico City with your kids? Check out these top family-friendly activities and tips for planning your trip.

Spending Diaries

A detailed diary of how to book accommodation, take in superb museums and eat very well in the Mexican capital for under $500.

Plan with a local

Experience the real Mexico

Let a local expert craft your dream trip.

Latest stories from Mexico City

Food and Drink

Mar 21, 2024 • 6 min read

The best bites that locals love in Mexico City.

Mar 16, 2024 • 5 min read

Feb 2, 2024 • 10 min read

Nov 4, 2023 • 5 min read

Nov 2, 2023 • 6 min read

Oct 21, 2023 • 7 min read

Oct 20, 2023 • 8 min read

Oct 8, 2023 • 7 min read

Oct 1, 2023 • 8 min read

Sep 23, 2023 • 5 min read

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Mexico City

Mexico city and beyond.

• Work With Us

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

Written by Becca

Updated on June 22nd, 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. 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. You can see more photos in our Condesa neighborhood photo gallery .

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

Despite the reputation of Polanco being residential and upscale, there are things to do and see if you’re visiting.

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.

For a full feeling of what it’s like, see our photos of the Polanco neighborhood .

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

There’s more to see outside Centro! Getting out of the tourist zone is a little more adventurous, and worth it.

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.

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.

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.

You may also like

How to Get the Most Out of Your Trip to Salento, Colombia

So you want to hike among the world’s tallest palm trees in Salento, Colombia? And you want to play a sport with explosives? You’ve come to the right place.

Gluten-Free Guide to Food in the Dominican Republic

Are you a celiac or gluten-free traveler? If you’re always wondering how to travel so that you can safely eat gluten-free food, let’s start here, talking about the Dominican Republic and how to eat gluten-free in the DR.

19 Best Spots for Taking Awesome Photos in Prague

Where are the best photography locations in Prague? This list includes landmarks, sunset spots, art, statues and more, for where to take photos in Prague.

Review of BUNA Cafe Rico, Mexico City

Buna Cafe Mexico City is one of Mexico City’s best specialty cafes for trying locally-sourced Mexican coffees in a sleek and trendy coffee shop.

2024 Guide to Renting an Apartment in New York City

How do you rent an apartment in NYC? Here, I'll discuss how to find the best NYC apartment for renting, with tips on what to ask when renting an apartment in NYC.

31 Ways How to Live in New York City on a Budget

What’s the cheapest way to live in New York City? To find out how to save money in NYC, and how to live frugally in NYC, use these best NYC lifestyle tips and hacks.

Goddag ! We’re Becca & Dan.

We created this blog to share some of the knowledge and experience that we have around travel , remote work , photography and beyond!

We're currently packing snacks for our next adventure.

Join the club

You’ll get emails with our latest articles, tips, advice and so much more! You won't find this content anywhere else!

This website 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 .

Among other programs, Half Half Travel is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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 .

Find Flight and Hotel Deals

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

• # 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

(1848 reviews)

from $ 153.38

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

(1062 reviews)

from $ 159.00

Full-Day Tour Exploring the Waters of Tolantongo

(627 reviews)

from $ 149.00

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.

You might also like

San Miguel de Allende

# 4 in  Best Cheap Couples Getaways for 2024

# 10 in  Best Cheap Mexico Vacations

Guadalajara

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Recommended

The 28 Best Water Parks in the U.S. for 2024

Holly Johnson|Timothy J. Forster May 8, 2024

The 18 Best Napa Valley Wineries to Visit in 2024

Lyn Mettler|Sharael Kolberg April 23, 2024

The 25 Best Beaches on the East Coast for 2024

Timothy J. Forster|Sharael Kolberg April 19, 2024

The 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2024

Christina Maggitas February 6, 2024

The 32 Most Famous Landmarks in the World

Gwen Pratesi|Timothy J. Forster February 1, 2024

9 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in Florida for 2024

Gwen Pratesi|Amanda Norcross January 5, 2024

24 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for 2024

Erin Evans January 4, 2024

26 Top Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts for 2024

Zach Watson December 28, 2023

Solo Vacations: The 36 Best Places to Travel Alone in 2024

Lyn Mettler|Erin Vasta December 22, 2023

26 Cheap Beach Vacations for Travelers on a Budget

Kyle McCarthy|Sharael Kolberg December 4, 2023

Best Time to Visit

Weather & Climate

Neighborhoods to Know

Benito Juarez International Airport Guide

Public Transportation

48 Hours in Mexico City

Day Trips From Mexico City

Mexico City's Top Attractions

Free Things to Do

Best Museums to Visit

Guide to Chapultepec Park

Shopping in Mexico City

Annual Events

How to See a Lucha Libre Match

Food to Try in Mexico City

Top Restaurants

Your Trip to Mexico City: The Complete Guide

Mexico City is a huge and vibrant megalopolis with a fascinating history dating back to the time of the Aztecs. As one of the world's largest cities by population,   Mexico City can be intimidating, but it’s a vibrant, engaging place with an abundance of attractions and services for travelers of all types. This Mexico City travel guide will give you an introduction to the multi-faceted destination and has the information you need to plan your stay.

Planning Your Trip

Best Time to Visit: If you can, plan your trip for the springtime, specifically late March or early April. At this time of year, the weather is warm during the day and cool at night, and the jacarandas are in bloom throughout the city. Language: Spanish is the main language spoken but there are several indigenous languages spoken in Mexico City (mainly Nahuatl, but also Mixteco, Otomí, Mazateco, and others). Many people who work in the tourism industry speak English, but the general population does not, so learn some Spanish phrases before you go! Currency: The Mexican peso (MXN) is the currency. The symbol is the same as a dollar sign ($), so be sure what currency prices are listed in (it will usually be pesos, but occasionally services offered to tourists are listed in US dollars ). Getting Around: A great way to explore Mexico City is by taking the Turibus , a hop-on-hop-off, double-decker, open-air sightseeing bus with stops at several of the city's main sights. However, the most economical way to get around is with public transportation. The Mexico City metro is large but fairly easy to navigate. When taking taxis, it's best to take authorized taxis or ask your hotel to call one for you. Alternatively, get an Uber. Travel Tip: On Mondays, most museums ( but not all! ) are closed, as is the first section of Chapultepec Park , so plan alternative activities if you’re in town on a Monday. Some ideas: go shopping, visit churches, go to Tlatelolco archaeological site (which doesn't have a museum), or visit the floating gardens in Xochimilco .

Things to Do

There is something for everyone in Mexico City. You can learn about the country's history, enjoy art in public spaces and museums, sample delicious food, shop until you drop, or enjoy a fun night out on the town. Art lovers, foodies, history buffs, and museum geeks will all be over the moon. As the site of the first Olympic games in Latin America and in a Spanish-speaking country,   sports history fans will be plenty entertained and even nature lovers will find something of interest (start by checking out the botanical garden on the UNAM campus )!

There is much more to do in Mexico City than you will have time for, so when planning your itinerary, do your research and prioritize. Be sure to leave plenty of time for getting from one place to the other—and for meals! Here are a few activities to get you started:

• Visit the Historic Center of Mexico City on foot, making stops at the Templo Mayor archaeological site which was the main temple of the Aztecs, the Metropolitan Cathedral which is Latin America’s largest and oldest cathedral, and the Palacio Nacional to see murals by Diego Rivera. The Historic Center is one of four UNESCO World Heritage sites in the city along with Xochimilco, the house of Luis Barragán, and the Central University City Campus.  
• Visit the National Anthropology Museum to learn about Mexico’s rich history and current ethnographic makeup.
• Go to the luchas ! Spend a fun evening watching a lucha libre wrestling show.

Explore more attractions with our full-length articles on the top Mexico City sights , the best free things to do and Mexico City day trips . 

What to Eat and Drink

Mexico City is the country's cultural and geographical hub, and you'll find a wide variety of specialties from all over the country, as well as international options. From street side taco stands to gourmet restaurants like Pujol and Quintonil (which are considered among the world's top 50 restaurants), and everything in between, you're bound to eat well here. If street food intrigues you but you find it intimidating, take a street food tour to get an introduction so you’ll know what to order when you venture out on your own.

As for drinks, you can try some of the traditional beverages made with agave , mezcal and pulque (not to mention tequila), or check out one of the city's stylish cocktail bars for the latest mixology creations. Some of the most iconic places to grab a drink include Bar La Opera (which has bullet holes in the ceiling from the time of the Mexican Revolution), and Miralto bar on the 40th floor of the Torre Latinoamericana overlooking the Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Explore our articles on the top dishes to try in Mexico City , the city’s best dining experiences , and the best bars .

Where to Stay

There are endless options for accommodations in Mexico City including Airbnbs, boutique stays, and luxury hotels. Decent economical options abound in the historical center and Colonia Tabacalera (near the Revolution Monument). Stay at Hotel Zocalo Central or Downtown Mexico for a home base in the center of town with nice views. If you’d rather be a bit further away from the hustle and bustle, check out boutique hotels in La Condesa and Roma neighborhoods such as Red Tree House or La Valise. If you’re looking for luxury, you can enjoy an upscale stay at the St. Regis or the Four Seasons on Paseo de la Reforma, or Las Alcobas in swanky Polanco district. Explore the different neighborhoods you can stay in, and our recommendations for the best boutique hotels.

Getting There

You will most likely fly in to the Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) or perhaps Toluca (TLC). If you’re arriving over land from a different destination in Mexico, your point of arrival will probably be one of Mexico City's four major bus stations which are situtated in four corners of the city. From your arrival point, take an authorized taxi or Uber to your accommodation ⁠— although hailing a cab on the street is not as risky as it used to be, it's better to play it safe. Driving in Mexico City is not recommended for first time visitors as it’s not an easy city to find your way around and traffic tends to be congested.

Culture and Customs

There are a few cultural differences and customs that you should be aware of in Mexico City. In general, Mexicans tend to be more formal than people from the United States and Canada. Even though you're on vacation, it's a good idea to dress somewhat conservatively—Mexicans rarely wear shorts or tank tops in the city, so if you don't want to stand out too much, try to dress like the locals. It’s important to greet people before asking a question with a buenos días (good morning), buenas tardes (good afternoon), or buenas noches (good evening), depending on the time of day. Also, keep in mind that por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) are words that you cannot over use.

Mexican mealtimes may be on a different schedule than what you're used to, with the main meal of the day taken in the afternoon between 2 and 4 p.m. In restaurants, the server will not bring you the bill until you request it. Ask for “ la cuenta, por favor, ” or make a sign of writing in the air. Check your bill to make sure, but usually the tip is not included, and you should add 10 to 20 percent tip depending on the level of service. Tipping is customary in bars and restaurants, but not so much in food stalls and markets (though always appreciated). It's also customary to tip bellhops and cleaning staff at your hotel.

Money-Saving Tips

Mexico City is a truly affordable city and offers outstanding value at all price points. It's an excellent vacation destination for anyone on a budget. Of course each traveler will have to decide for themselves what's worth a splurge and where they want to cut back, but there are a few simple ways to maximize savings during your stay:

• Follow the Mexican mealtime schedule: have a big breakfast, which is generally the least costly meal of the day, then hold out until 2 or 4 p.m. for another large meal—you can find restaurants serving a multi-course " comida corrida " fixed price meal, and then if you're hungry at night, grab some tacos.
• Get around using public transportation. The Mexico City metro only costs a few pesos and is fairly easy to figure out. Consider it part of the adventure!
• Don’t buy overpriced drinking water and snacks at your hotel or tourist sites. Hopefully your hotel offers purified drinking water so you can refill your own bottle, but if not, make sure you buy your water, drinks and snacks at a corner store to carry with you or to have at your hotel during the night.

Learn more about the cheapest ways to have fun by exploring these free things to do in Mexico City and consider some budget travel tips.

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. " World Urbanization Prospects 2018: Highlights." Page 17. 2019.

Visit Mexico. "Mexico City: Brief History."

The 17 Best Things to Do in Mexico City

Top Mexico Destinations

Your Trip to Puerto Vallarta: The Complete Guide

48 Hours in Mexico City: The Ultimate Itinerary

20 Top Things to Do in Mexico

Guadalajara Guide: Planning Your Trip

Your Trip to Tulum: The Complete Guide

Getting Around Mexico City: Guide to Public Transportation

Your Trip to Edinburgh: The Complete Guide

Mexico's Riviera Maya: Planning Your Trip

Los Cabos Guide: Planning Your Trip

Where to Go for Spring Break in Mexico

Oaxaca City Guide: Planning Your Trip

Your Trip to the Czech Republic: The Complete Guide

Cuba Guide: Planning Your Trip

Your Trip to Milan: The Complete Guide

Tips for All First-Timers Travelling to Mexico City in 2024 (From An Ex-Expat)

As an expat in Mexico City, I write about tips for all first timers travelling to Mexico City. Find everything you need to know in this CDMX Travel Guide

Written by: Soumya Nambiar

Last Updated on: May 5, 2024

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links we may make a commission from.

We didn’t know much about Mexico City before traveling to Mexico for the first time. I started writing this post from our temporary apartment in Mexico City but never found the time to finish writing it. Travelling to Mexico City was never in our plans at the beginning of the year . We were supposed to go back and live in Mexico for at least an a year.

As a clueless expat, it was fun to figure out all these aspects of living in Mexico City. I did not know what to expect first time travelling to Mexico City and in this post, I write about all the tips for First-Timers to Mexico City.

Planning your CDMX Itinerary at the last minute?

I know everyone is busy and don’t have time to plan their itinerary to Mexico City. That is why I have covered you with links to some places to stay in Mexico City, must do experiences and more details at one glance.

Where to stay in Mexico City?

• Luxury Hotel in the most fancy part of Mexico City – Hyatt Regency
• Cosy apartment in Roma – Sonder Coporo (The expat area)
• Stay in the heart of the city, Zocalo – Gran Hotel
• Cosy apartment in Reforma – Mx Suites (After Zocalo, Reforma has the most number of tourist attractions)

Must do tours in Mexico City

• Teotihuacan, Guadalupe Shrine & Tlatelolco Tour from Mexico City
• Xochimilco, Coyoacan, Frida Kahlo
• Tolantongo Caves Guided Tour
• Watch a Luche Libra Show

If you are up for a challenge, then maybe consider driving in Mexico City .

Table Of Contents

• 1.1 Find out my recommendations for my favorite day trips from Mexico City
• 1.2.1 Is it safe to travel to Mexico City? / Mexico City Safety Tips
• 1.2.2 How to get to Mexico City / How to reach Mexico City?
• 1.2.3 Mexico Visa tips for visiting Mexico City
• 1.2.4 Mexico Tourism Card / Forma Migratoria Multiple
• 1.2.5 Mexico City Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez)
• 1.2.6 Public Transportation in Mexico City for your vacation in Mexico City
• 1.2.7 My favorite mode of transportation in Mexico City / Traffic in Mexico City
• 1.2.8 How much to budget for your trip to Mexico City?
• 1.2.9 Currency in Mexico City
• 1.2.10 Which SIM card to buy during one of your Mexico City trips?
• 1.2.11 Do you need to know Spanish to live in Mexico City?
• 1.2.12.1 AirBnB for your first time in Mexico City
• 1.2.13 Best Time to Visit Mexico City/ Weather in Mexico City
• 1.2.14 What is the best month to visit Mexico City?
• 1.2.15 Can I drink tap water during my visit to Mexico City?
• 1.2.16 OXXO’s are going to be your go to convenience place in Mexico City
• 1.2.17 Public toilets in Mexico City
• 1.2.18 The problem of plumbing in Mexico City
• 1.2.19 Do you need a housekeeper in Mexico City?
• 1.2.20 Where to get your groceries in Mexico City?
• 1.2.21 Things to do in Mexico City
• 1.2.22 Some important avenues in Mexico City
• 1.2.23 Best Day Trips from Mexico City
• 1.2.24 Booking a flight or bus or train from Mexico City to other parts of Mexico
• 1.2.25 What to drink in Mexico City?
• 1.2.26.1 Food Delivery in Mexico City
• 1.2.27 Tipping Culture in Mexico City
• 1.2.28 People of Mexico City
• 1.2.29 Christmas Time in Mexico City and other festivals
• 1.2.30 What to buy from Mexico City?
• 2.1 How many days is enough for Mexico City?
• 2.2 Is it worth going to Mexico City?
• 2.3 What do Mexicans call Mexico City?
• 2.4 Is Mexico City a good place to live?
• 2.5 What should I know before traveling to Mexico City?
• 2.6 How safe is Mexico City?
• 2.7 How do people travel to Mexico city?
• 2.8 Conclusion

Tips for All First-Timers Travelling to Mexico City (From An Ex-Expat)

Before we go into detail into this Mexico City travel guide, let us discuss some things that I learnt very recently. When you are living in India, a trip to Mexico City is not something you would have thought in your wildest dreams. So here are some Mexico City facts:

• Did you know that Greater Mexico City is the largest city by population in North America and the second-largest city in America after São Paulo in Brazil? Yes, there are more people living in Greater Mexico City compared to New York. It is also one of the largest cities in the world by population and has more people living there than Bangalore.
• The official Spanish name for Mexico City is Ciudad de Mexico and is referred to as CDMX as well. Till 2016, it used to be the Federal District or Distrito Federal.
• Mexico City is divided into 16 Alcadias or councils or boroughs or delegaciones for administration purposes. These boroughs are further divided into Colonias or neighbourhoods.
• Mexico City has a colourful history and was founded around the 1300’s as Mexico Tenochtitlan and was part of the Aztecs history. During the Spanish conquest , the entire city was destroyed and later rebuilt as Mexico City.
• Residents of Mexico city are called as Chilangos and the city is called as Chillangolandia as well. But from what I understand, the term is used as a pejorative.
• Mexico City is built on what used to be Lake Texcoco and is known for its Seismic activity.

Find out my recommendations for my favorite day trips from Mexico City

Before we go any further, find out some of my recommendations for my favorite day trips from Mexico City in this Mexico City travel blog.

Cholula, Puebla

This historic town is a charming one day trip from Mexico city

The white city or the silver city as Taxco is famously known for.

San Miguel De Allende

One of my favorite day trips from Mexico City

Mexico City Travel Tips

These Mexico city tips will be handy for anyone who is moving to Mexico City or even for first time travelers during their Mexico City vacation.

Is it safe to travel to Mexico City? / Mexico City Safety Tips

Let us start with the question I was asked the most when I was moving to Mexico City. Is travelling to Mexico City safe? Is Mexico city the safest city in the world? Definitely not. But does that mean it is more dangerous than most cities in the world? No, it is not.

Like I said before, it is one of the biggest cities in the world and to generalise such a large city as not safe is ridiculous. Growing up, it was fed to us that Mexico is a country of drug peddlers and is generally unsafe. But only after getting there, I found out how the media was wrong again.

I am someone who has  lived in Tanzania  growing up and spent another chunk of her life living in India. Both are considered to be ‘unsafe’ by the media but the first and the only time I  was robbed  was in an  European country . So that is why I want you to keep an open mind when you are visiting Mexico city for the first time. And have some common sense to figure out how to stay safe in Mexico City.

Some general Mexico City safety tips are:

• Find a good neighbourhood to stay during your travel to Mexico City. There are many neighbourhoods that are deemed safe to stay in Mexico City. And avoid the bad neighbourhoods. Since we stayed in a safe neighbourhood, we didn’t face any difficulties but I knew a person who was mobbed thrice in the same month in a bad neighbourhood.
• Pickpockets are common in metros, buses and crowded areas. Keep your belongings close to you or use an  anti theft bag . Also don’t flash your belongings especially when you are in crowded areas.
• Avoid walking after dark even if it is for a short distance especially in the residential areas.
• Be aware of your surroundings and don’t act like a tourist when you are travelling in Mexico City.
• It is very common to see armed guards at the entrance of shopping centers, malls and even high end apartments. It was a bit of a culture shock seeing people with such large guns. But by the time I left Mexico, the guard at our apartment complex was quite friendly with us.
• Be aware of some of the scams that are common in Mexico City and don’t fall for them.
• I used the same precautions I normally use as a  solo woman traveler  when I was an expat in Mexico City.
• Don’t go looking for trouble or drugs. Most crimes in Mexico City revolve around drugs. So avoid it like the plague.

The above points were not meant to scare you. And I never felt unsafe in the city even though I spent most of my time exploring Mexico City on my own.

How to get to Mexico City / How to reach Mexico City?

This is a question I get frequently. How to go to Mexico City? Most international airlines fly to Mexico City. I ended up taking an Emirates flight from Bangalore to Mexico City via Barcelona and Dubai. Since the flying time is too long from  Dubai,  there is a fuelling stop at  Barcelona  for a couple of hours.

Tharun  ended up taking Air France which I would definitely not recommend. His flight from  Paris  got cancelled and he was rerouted through London and Frankfurt before he finally reached Mexico City.

If you have a valid USA visa , you can even take a direct flight from most  US cities .

Mexico Visa tips for visiting Mexico City

If you are an Indian like me, then you may need a visa to enter Mexico. Since I had a valid  US visa , I was able to get visa on arrival when I landed in Mexico City and this tourist visa was valid for 6 months.

Since Tharun came for meetings and he had a valid UK visa, he was also able to get a business  visa on arrival  which was also valid for 6 months.

Our plan was to go check out the place and then come back to India to get a more permanent resident visa/ work permit if we intended to stay there for more than a year. However, we couldn’t go back due to the current travel restrictions.

It is similar for citizens from other countries as well. If you are a US or Uk or Australia citizen, you don’t need a visa to enter Mexico and you can stay for 6 months.

However if you are planning to be an expat in Mexico and work in Mexico, it is advised that you take the  temporary residency visa .

Read this post

Ultimate Guide to Visas for Indians

Mexico Tourism Card / Forma Migratoria Multiple

This is a general Mexico travel tip and is applicable if you are planning to come for either 2 weeks in Mexico City or for 4 days in Mexico City. In case you are entering Mexico as a tourist for your travel in Mexico City, you will need a FMM card.

Previously, when you entered Mexico through air or road, you were given the FMM card to be filled. But now you can apply for it online .

At immigration, the entry part of the card is collected while you are given the stamped exit part of the tourist card.

This has to be kept safe till you depart Mexico. If you don’t have this card while departing, you are liable to pay 40$ (USD) as fine. This is applicable to most tourists and this card also has your entry date to track your 180 days in the country. This is an important thing to keep in mind if it is your first time traveling to Mexico city.

Find some recommendations for guidebooks on Mexico below.

Guidebooks for Mexico

Traveling to Mexico and need more guidance on which books to read? These are our recommendations for you to read before you go.

• Rough Guide to Mexico
• Lonely Planet’s Guide to Mexico
• DK Eyewitness Guide to Mexico

Mexico City Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez)

This Mexico City guide will not be complete without a mention of the airports in the city. Even though there are two airports in the city, the popular one is the Benito Juarez one. Most international and Domestic flights depart from here and there are basically two terminals.

Do a quick check of which terminal and which gate your flight is arriving at or departing from.

It is quite confusing sometimes and you may end up getting lost. Else you will have a very angry wife who flew 30+ hours to see her husband and the husband ends up being 30 mins late to pick up his wife. (Like I am ever going to forgive Tharun for this).

Even when I was leaving, I ended up at the wrong gate and had to walk a lot with two heavy suitcases inside the airport itself. 

Public Transportation in Mexico City for your vacation in Mexico City

Mexico City has a range of options when it comes to public transportation.

• The quickest and the cheapest is the metro obviously. But I ended up using the metro only once during my many months in Mexico City. It can get really overcrowded and pickpockets can be a problem too.
• Mexico City has a good network of buses too. But I found them to be extremely slow.
• Many parts of the main streets of Mexico City are slowly becoming bike friendly. If you love to cycle, then bikes are a great way to see the city. However I rarely saw bikes after dark in Mexico City.
• The mini buses are another great way to go around Mexico City. However, I used them mostly for my travels outside Mexico City.

My favorite mode of transportation in Mexico City / Traffic in Mexico City

My favorite mode of transportation in Mexico City was Didi or Uber. You must be wondering what Didi is. It is the car hire app that is famous in many countries in Latin America.

It is very similar to Uber but is at least 10-20% cheaper than Uber. I used Uber only couple of times in Mexico City when Didi was not available. You can use an international credit card for Didi.

Don’t hire a car in Mexico City if you are there for a Mexico City Vacation. It is pointless and you will spend most of your time in traffic.

Mexico City traffic can be chaotic at times but I still felt that Bangalore traffic is worse.

Avoid City taxis like the plague. They are known to overcharge gullible first time visitors to CDMX.

How much to budget for your trip to Mexico City?

Even though Mexico City is cheaper than many cities in the US and western world, it is definitely not as affordable as living in other parts of Mexico.

If you are on a budget and are a two member family like us, it can cost anywhere from 1200$ monthly and upwards to live comfortably.

In our case, rent was a major chunk of our expenses which was borne by Tharun ‘s company.

We paid approximately 2000$ (40,000 peso) per month for a 2 BHK in a fancy upscale area in Mexico City with all amenities.

Grocery items and eating out were quite comparable with Bangalore standards (Bangalore has one of the highest living expenses in India but still cheaper than other parts of the western world). For e.g if I paid Rs 50 (0.68$)  for an item here, I had to pay approximately Rs 55-Rs 60 (0.82$) in Mexico City.

This was applicable for Didi and Uber as well.

Currency in Mexico City

Mexican Pesos is the currency in Mexico and cash is still king in many parts of Mexico. Even though it is slowly changing, there are many street side vendors that only accept cash.

Even though some places accept US Dollars if you are a tourist, I would strongly advise against it. The conversion charges can be horrendous and you may get ripped off. (1 USD ~ 21 Mexican Pesos and 1 Mexican Peso ~ 3.5 Indian Rs).

Funnily the symbol for Pesos is $ as well. In many places, they do put a prefix of MXN$. But sometimes MXN goes missing and the $ symbol can be confusing.

Which SIM card to buy during one of your Mexico City trips?

If you are only going for a short Mexico City trip, then you don’t need a SIM card and can use your own SIM card. Most US providers have good rates for data plans in Mexico.

I just got a prepaid AT&T Mexico SIM card from the airport. It was valid for 30 days and gave me a 3GB data plan monthly. Calling within Mexico and to the US was almost free. However I didn’t buy an international calling card.

It cost me around 200 MXN pesos (less than 10$ to recharge on a monthly basis. The 3GB data plan was more than sufficient even for a high data user like me.

Please note that you need an  unlocked phone  if you are planning to use a new SIM in Mexico. Ensure that your SIM is unlocked before you leave from your respective country.

Do you need to know Spanish to live in Mexico City?

Yes, please learn Spanish if you are planning to move to Mexico or CDMX. I started  learning Spanish  on Duolingo after I started living in CDMX. If you are planning to spend less than 2 weeks in Mexico City, then it is not required to learn Spanish other than some basic words.

From what I saw, there are people who do speak English, especially among the tourism as well as the IT industry. But if you want to interact with your housekeeper, your Didi driver, the maintenance guy or your doorman, then you need to know how to converse fluently in Spanish.

Spain Travel Guide

Also since I look more hispanic and look nowhere like a Gringo (this is what people from United States, UK and Australia are usually called in Latin America), a lot of people were surprised that I didn’t speak Spanish.

Another thing I found was that younger adults could speak English better than their older counterparts (maybe because most schools are teaching English now).

By the time I left, I was able to understand and speak small sentences. But Google translate was a big help for me whenever I needed help or couldn’t understand.

Some Basic Spanish words : Hola – Hello, Adios – Goodbye, Por Favor – Please, Gracias – Thank you, Buenas Dias – Good morning, Buenas Tardes – Good afternoon, Buenas noches – Good evening, Como Estas – How are you?

Best Neighbourhoods to stay in Mexico city during your trip to CDMX

I am definitely going to write a more detailed post about this. But these are some of the favorites among expats working in Mexico City and some of the safest neighborhoods in Mexico City.

• Polanco – This is where we were staying. It is one of the fancier areas and can definitely cost more.
• Roma and Condessa – Very popular among the expat community in CDMX
• Centro Historico (Zocalo) – This is the center of the city and you can find many hotels and Airbnb’s around the area.
• Reforma – This is also popular among tourists coming to Mexico City.
• Santa Fe – If you are working in IT , chances are that your office will be located in Santa Fe. And if you want to be closer to the office, then Santa Fe is your best option (Can skip the horrendous traffic during your commute in Mexico City). However, please note that this area is at least 15 kms from the city center.

Some areas to avoid especially after dark are Tepito, Iztapalapa, Doctores and Tlapan.

AirBnB for your first time in Mexico City

We ended up staying in two apartments in Polanco while we were in Mexico City. Both were through Airbnb and were very comfortable, fully furnished and quite posh.

We had to move out of the first one since the landlord wanted to increase the prices when our lease period was over (We had taken a lease only for a little over 2 months initially since we didn’t know how long we were going to be in Mexico City).

We were paying approximately between 70$-80$ per day (40,000 MXN$ monthly or 2000$ monthly) for a 2 BHK in Polanco. All utility charges like electricity, water, gas, internet and cable tv were already included in our Airbnb cost and we didn’t have to pay extra.

If it is not included, then please keep approximately 100$ monthly for utility charges.

Please note that we were paying higher than most expats for a really good apartment in one of the fanciest areas in Mexico City. The rent was paid by my husband’s company.

We also had full access to amenities like a full equipped gym, indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis court, a basketball court, kids play area etc. We rarely used any of the amenities. It was approximately 1000$ in the same locality without all the amenities.

In the locality we were staying in, you could not get inside the apartment complex without a code. Usually through fingerprints.

So when you first move into the building, you need to go register yourself (including your fingerprints) and get access to the building. Most houses we saw came with specialised keypad locks .

Best Time to Visit Mexico City/ Weather in Mexico City

Mexico City is on a higher elevation and has a minimum altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. It is also located in the Valley of Mexico which is surrounded by mountains and Volcanos.

For these reasons, the weather is rather pleasant and is not unusually hot and humid like the rest of Mexico. Even though the temperature didn’t drop below 6 Degree centigrade during winter, it was quite windy in the night. So ensure that you carry a heavy jacket for the winter months. It was around 10-15 degree centigrade in the mornings during winter.

It started warming up in February but the weather was still pleasant by the time we left.

The summer months are the rainy months and even during this season, it is not hot and humid. 

So I guess Mexico city has almost perfect weather for people like me who hate humidity.

We didn’t need a heater during the winter months. Surprisingly none of our apartments came with either a fan or a heater.

Pollution is however a problem in Mexico City but is much better compared to other large cities around the world. The best time to go to Mexico City would be ideally between February and June before the rains start.

What is the best month to visit Mexico City?

Definitely the best months to visit Mexico City is between March and May. It would be spring and the weather would be beautiful at that time of the year. You can miss the rainy months of Summer. However, please note that these months tend to be more crowded compared to other months.

Can I drink tap water during my visit to Mexico City?

No,  tap water in Mexico  is completely unsafe to drink without some sort of  purification process .

I used to use boiled tap water for washing fruits and vegetables and for cooking stuff like rice and pasta.

If you have a weak stomach, then you may have to stick to bottled water.

We used to buy these 10 litre water cans from the nearest convenience stores for around 150 pesos and this used to last us a few days.

A lot of people are concerned if their ice cubes are made of tap water or not. You have no way of knowing and I would just suggest not to microanalyse so much and just enjoy your time in CDMX.

Never pay for your water in restaurants and ask your server for filtered water.

OXXO’s are going to be your go to convenience place in Mexico City

OXXO’s are these convenience stores that you find all over Mexico and Mexico city. Some of them are even open 24*7 and the ones next to a gas station usually had pay and use toilets as well.

It is there around every corner and we used to go every other day to buy water, groceries like milk or bread or eggs, snacks or a pack of cigarettes for Tharun.

I used to recharge my prepaid SIM here once a month.

Many people use OXXO within Mexico to send and receive money as well.

Public toilets in Mexico City

Most of the pay and use ones were extremely clean and well-maintained. One of the most amusing things I found in Mexico city/Mexico was how many public restrooms had women giving out  toilet paper  since there were never any inside the stalls.

I always carry my own. But if there are women giving out toilet paper in the restroom, it is customary to tip 2-5 pesos. If it is a pay and use one, then you need to have 5 peso coins to enter them.

The problem of plumbing in Mexico City

Never flush your toilet paper down the toilet in Mexico. Else you will have an experience like me who had to deal with poop overflow in our apartment in the middle of the night.

Do you need a housekeeper in Mexico City?

It depends on whether you want one and/or can afford one. I run multiple businesses and most days I don’t have the energy to do housework on top of that too. And I have always had a housekeeper in India. It is definitely a privilege to hire one and I am very well aware of my privilege.

It is a little more expensive to hire a housekeeper in Mexico City. In our first Airbnb apartment, cleaning was included in our rent and hence we had someone coming twice a week for around 5-6 hour days.

When we shifted to our 2nd apartment, we started calling someone to clean once a week. We used to pay them 400 pesos daily for a 5-6 hour work day. It used to come to approximately 1600-2000 pesos (95$) monthly for us. The charges will vary if you decide to call someone daily.

Rosa was extremely thorough, dedicated and hard working. Communication was a problem but she was very helpful and she used to get me Mexican food (mostly desserts since she knew I was a vegetarian) to eat from her home. And she did almost everything without even asking her to.

Where to get your groceries in Mexico City?

Most neighbourhoods will have a Saturday market and this is definitely your best bet to get some delicious fresh produce.

For everything else, we used to head to La Comer and there are many like Soriana or Superama or Costco to get almost anything you need. La Comer was very close to where we were living and if you tipped 20- 50 pesos, one of the attendants would come with you till your doorstep with the shopping cart. Since we didn’t have a car, this was very helpful.

Most stores will have Cerillitos who are people over 60 who help in bagging your groceries. It is customary to tip them around 5 pesos. Plastic bags are banned in Mexico City and it is wise to carry your own cloth bag.

For Indian spices and dals, we used to buy from Rashmi’s Indian grocery shop. It is a small shop but was just walking distance from our house in Polanco.

Things to do in Mexico City

This definitely deserves a post of its own and I will definitely write one soon. But one of my favorite things to do was walking around and admiring the many murals and colorful streets of Mexico City.

Don’t forget to take one of the many Mexico City tours especially the food and walking tours . Even if you are here only for a weekend in Mexico City, this is definitely one of the best things to do in Mexico City.

Check for availability for the walking tours:

Some important avenues in Mexico City

Paseo De La Reforma is a wide avenue that runs through the center of the city all the way from Chapultepec park on one side to Zocalo (the main square of Mexico City).

Avenida de los Insurgentes is the longest avenue in Mexico City and runs through at least 5 of the 16 boroughs of Mexico City.

Best Day Trips from Mexico City

Even though there are so many things to do in Mexico City, one of the things I loved was how central it was in Mexico and how it was possible to go anywhere either on a day trip or on a weekend trip or an extended trip for 2 weeks anywhere in Mexico from Mexico City.

I ended up doing many day trips and weekend trips when I was in Mexico City. These were my favorite day trips from Mexico City.

• Day Trip to Sa Miguel De Allende
• Day trip to Magical Hidalgo Towns
• Day Trip to Puebla/Cholula

Booking a flight or bus or train from Mexico City to other parts of Mexico

One of the most frustrating things was booking a trip on a bus or flight within Mexico . Sometimes an international credit card would not work when we would try online and then we had to head to the airport or the Buenavista station to book our tickets. And then they would charge 300 pesos as convenience fee if we go in person to book the ticket. This happened a few times with us.

What to drink in Mexico City?

Most people know about Tequila. But do you know that there are so many  Mexican speciality drinks . Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

My favorites were the Aguas Frescas literally meaning fresh waters. They are so refreshing and the most common ones found all over Mexico are Jamaica (Hibiscus), Tamarindo or Horchata (rice based).

If you want to try alcohol, then either Mezcal or Tequila along with the Mexican beers are extremely popular in Mexico City. We however did not like Pulque. Mango Margaritas were our favorites.

Vegetarian Food in Mexico City

It was my first time in Latin America and I was really worried about getting vegetarian food to eat in Mexico City.

I did face issues during my initial days in Mexico City and I was really finding it difficult to find vegetarian street food in Mexico City.

But the more I understood Spanish and started exploring on my own, I found a ton of vegetarian /vegan stuff to eat in Mexico City .

Mexico City has tons of vegan options and there are also vegan taco stands. Once I found them, I used to regularly eat Tacos at least once a week. And it was not the hard shell tacos that we are used to in other parts of the world.

One of the reasons that there are so many vegan places in Mexico City is that many Mexican families in Mexico City tend to eat only vegan food at least once or twice a week. Additionally there are many Indian restaurants in the city and Royal India was a favorite of Tharun’s.

Pastor/Cacti/Jackfruit were some of my favorite taco toppings.

Food Delivery in Mexico City

If you are planning to order food in Mexico City, then there are two very popular ones in addition to Uber Eats.

Learn how to ask for vegetarian food in Mexico City Soy vegetariano / vegano. Sin carne. Sin peces. Sin lácteos. – I am a vegetarian / vegan. No meat. No fish. No dairy.

Tipping Culture in Mexico City

It is customary to tip your server  at least 10 percent of your restaurant food bill. It is usually expected and you can tip upto 20% based on the service.

You can tip your Didi driver an additional 10 pesos. Always tip the women handing out toilet paper (around 5 pesos). Grocery shop baggage handlers (Cerilitos) are tipped approximately 2-5 pesos too.

People of Mexico City

When you see news reports, you are mostly shown a bad picture of the people of Mexico. But this is so far from the truth. Not only in the case of Mexico but in the case of so many other countries.

The people of Mexico City were warm, friendly and always accommodating. Once they figured out that I was from India, I had so many conversations in my broken Spanish with people from Mexico City. They always went out of their way to make us feel welcome in their city.

The culture of Mexico is so fascinating as well and I wish I had more time exploring the many aspects of it. There is a huge disparity when it comes to wealth among Mexicans and this is evident quite prominently just like India. Many of them travel 2 hours one way from the outskirts of Mexico City to come work in the city.

Christmas Time in Mexico City and other festivals

We were not there during the ‘Day of the Dead’ festivities but Christmas and New Year were such a magical time to be in Mexico City.

The whole city was decked up and it was such a pleasure to see such a unique twist to Christmas decorations everywhere we went in Mexico City.

We ended up spending New Year’s eve at Zona Rosa and Reforma. The energy there was just mind blowing with live performances.

What to buy from Mexico City?

Some common souvenirs to buy while leaving Mexico City are:

• Mezcal/Tequila
• Calavera (Those human decorative skulls)
• Silver jewellery
• Different Mole sauces

Some more FAQ about traveling to Mexico City

How many days is enough for mexico city.

There is actually a lot to do in Mexico City and this can be a tough question to answer since it varies from person to person. But if it is your first time visiting as a tourist in Mexico City , then I would ideally suggest 3-4 days in Mexico City.

Is it worth going to Mexico City?

Mexico city is a cultural hotspot and it is definitely one of the places you have to visit in North America. It is so unique despite being a large city and there are so many things to do here. It is definitely worth visiting at least once in your lifetime.

What do Mexicans call Mexico City?

Mexico City has many nicknames but it is commonly referred to as Ciudad de México or CDMX for short. This was the name that Spanish gave the city in 1585 when they took over the city.

Is Mexico City a good place to live?

I know this is a subjective question and cannot have the same answer for everyone. Different people have different experiences in the city just like other cities in the world. I would say it is a good place to live. Despite the negative image of the city in the media, I have had only positive experiences in the city .

What should I know before traveling to Mexico City?

Hope I have answered all your queries about your first trip to Mexico City. I know it is an exhaustive list but it is so important for Mexico city vacation.

How safe is Mexico City?

Every major city in the world comes with some issue or another. Even if it is not the safest city in the world just like other big cities, I never felt unsafe in Mexico. I took just the same precautions as I would in other parts of the world.

How do people travel to Mexico city?

Most people fly to Mexico City from other major cities in the world. I flew from Bangalore to Mexico City via Emirates. I had a layover for few hours in Dubai and a fuelling stop in Barcelona .

So hope you found this first timer’s guide to Mexico city useful and hope it makes travelling to Mexico City easier for you. Hope you have a wonderful trip to Mexico City.

Have any comments about this post? Please let me know in the comments and don’t forget to share the post as well.

BOOKING RESOURCES

Looking to book your trip now? Find some of my favorite resources I use while booking my trip. You can also find my travel gear here .

Book Your Flight

I am a  Skyscanner  fan when it comes to booking international flights. I use  Makemytrip  and  Yatra  for domestic flights.

Book Accommodation

Booking  , Agoda and Hotels are my go to resources for booking hotel accommodation and I use  Airbnb  for booking my homestays. I also compare prices on  Tripadvisor  always. Another one I always use is Expedia .

Travel Insurance

As an Indian, I prefer  ICICILombard  and I am always insured when I am traveling outside India. In addition, I have used  World Nomads  and SafetyWing for some of my trips.

I do go on a lot of day tours especially when I am traveling solo and love going on road trips with my husband.. Depending on convenience, my choices are  Viator  or  Getyourguide .

About Soumya Nambiar

Soumya Nambiar here. I am an avid traveler, travel blogger, vegetarian foodie and entrepreneur from Bangalore, India who grew up in Tanzania, Africa. I have been to more than 60 countries and in this blog, I write about my personal experiences as an Indian traveller around the world as well as my struggles as a vegetarian. I can be reached at [email protected] .

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Fine Dining Restaurants In Bangalore in 2024 (Luxury dining in Bengaluru)

What To Eat In Israel As A Vegetarian in 2024 (What to eat, Vegan Tips, Survival Guide)

Planning A EuroTrip From India in 2024 (Tips, Apps and websites to Use, Budget etc)

A walk down memory lane in kerala (human by nature), 35+ best places to visit in mexico in 2024 (travel blogger’s spill their favorite mexican destinations), 9 thoughts on “tips for all first-timers travelling to mexico city in 2024 (from an ex-expat)”.

Hi, I love to travel too. Whenever I go anywhere, I gather all the information about that place from this post. Now planing for Mexico and this post give me so much information, cheer….!

Hi Soumya, I just love your blog! All the pictures that u have taken are saying their own story in a unique way. I’m looking forward to your more fascinating travelling journey. Solo travelling is really very tough and not easy to handle but u did it… You are awesome!

Great Info In This Blog Thanks For Sharing This

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.

Great Blog post. Really exciting. Keep up the good work.

Amazing blog! Thank you for making me want to visit Mexico right now.

Absolutely love it. As a potential first-timer myself, your insights are invaluable. It’s like having a local friend guide us through the must-knows and hidden gems. Can’t wait to put these tips into action and make the most of our Mexico City adventure. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

These are really helpful tips and ideas. I appreciate you sharing this excellent post.

Thanks for sharing quality content, i really like to read your post.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

This website contains a few affiliate links. This translates to no extra cost to you but I get a referral bonus if you purchase via the link. I only recommend products we love.

Work with Us

Destinations

Itineraries

Amazon Services

This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

© 2015 - 2024 All Rights Reserved

Designed by Soumya Nambiar

Privacy Policy Terms of Service

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?

Get your  free travel starter kit.

Enter your email and get planning cheatsheets including a step by step checklist, packing list, tips cheat sheet, and more so you can plan like a pro!

• Where To Stay
• Transportation
• Booking Resources
• Related Blogs

The Ultimate Travel Guide To Mexico City: What To See & When

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

America's Deadliest Lake Is Also One Of Its Most Beautiful

7 spots only locals know about for nyc pride 2024, hundreds of scuba divers perish each year in the us: here's why, quick links, what to know when visiting mexico’s capital, best time to go, must-see mexico city attractions, where to stay in mexico city, must-eat spots in mexico city, mexico city’s historic locations, tips for staying safe in mexico city, tips for exchanging currency, how to spend the perfect day in mexico city.

Mexico City (CDMX) is the capital of Mexico and is a lively destination unlike anywhere else in the country. The city has a population of more than 8 million people and the surrounding metropolitan area is home to more than 21 million people. As travelers can imagine, this is a busy destination where there is never a dull moment.

Although Mexico City doesn’t boast the beautiful beaches that most people visit Mexico for, it is rich in culture and history. Find out where to go for the best food, when to visit, and how to stay safe while exploring this bustling metropolis.

Mexico City is the center of Mexico in a landlocked state. Many travelers may not realize that Mexico has 32 states, one of which is Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City).

The capital city became its own state in Mexico’s federation in 2016. The capital of Mexico typically receives more than 3 million tourists annually .

For most travelers, the best time to visit will be between March and May. While the winters in Mexico City are cooler and the summers are when the rainy season occurs, March to May brings dry skies, sunshine, and warm temperatures.

The average high temperature in March in Mexico City is 26ºC and in May it increases slightly to 27ºC.

Related: Why A Vacationer Traveling To Mexico Might Want To Stay In Mexico City (Over An All-Inclusive)

In November temperatures are colder, at an average high of 23ºC with a low of 7ºC. The coolest month of the year in Mexico City is January, with an average high temperature of 21ºC.

Mexico City is a bustling destination with plenty of attractions to see and activities to experience. It’s impossible to see and do it all in a few days, a week, or even a month. However, when travelers have a limited time in CDMX, these are a few of the top attractions they can check out.

The Frida Kahlo Museum is a quirky building with vibrant blue walls that earned it the nickname “The Blue House” in the city. This beautiful museum is dedicated to displaying the works of Mexican painter, Frida Kahlo.

• Hours : Tuesday 10 AM to 6 PM, Wednesday 11 AM to 6 PM, Thursday to Sunday 10 AM to 6 PM.
• Entrance Fee: ~$12 USD (~$230 MXN)

Book this tour

Related: 10 Unique Things To Experience In Mexico City

Museo Nacional de Antropología is the biggest museum in Mexico, and it’s also the most visited. The museum first opened its doors in 1964 under the rule of president Adolfo López Mateos.

• Hours : Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM
• Entrance Fee: ~$4.30 ($85 MXN)

Travelers seeking green space rather than artwork or historical information can head to Bosque de Chapultepec. This is a massive city park that is one of the largest in Mexico.

Travelers can relax here and enjoy something free when visiting on a budget.

• Hours : Open 24/7
• Entrance Fee: Free

When visiting Mexico City, there are a variety of neighborhoods to choose from for accommodation. The area of the city travelers choose to base themselves from will determine how costly their experience in CDMX becomes.

Some popular neighborhoods for digital nomads visiting the city on a budget are La Condesa, Roma Norte, and Roma Sur.

Tourists who want to see the major sites of Mexico City and pay premiums for a trendy neighborhood often prefer Coyoacán. Zona Rosa is a vibrant area for shopping and nightlife.

Luxury hotels:

• Address: 297 Avenue Paseo De La Reforma, Mexico City, Mexico City Federal District
• Amenities: Indoor Pool, Restaurant, Spa, and Wellness Center
• Address: Paseo de la Reforma 439, 06500 Mexico City, Mexico City Federal District
• Amenities: Indoor Pool, Spa, and Wellness Center, Bar/Lounge

Budget accommodation:

• Cost: $89 per night for 2 adults
• Address: 38 San Ildefonso Centro, 06000 Mexico City, Mexico City Federal District
• Amenities: Game Room, Restaurant, Bar/Lounge
• Cost: $70 per night for 2 adults
• Address: República de Guatemala No 4 Colonia Centro, 06020 Mexico City, Mexico City Federal District
• Amenities: Airport Shuttle, Laundry Facilities, Night Club

Mexico City is one of the best places in the country that travelers can visit for authentic Mexican cuisine. There is an abundance of restaurants for all budgets, street stalls selling tacos, and street food markets happening year-round.

Street food like tacos, tortas, and pambazo are popular in this part of Mexico, as are churros served with hot chocolate.

Related: 10 Best Food Tours You Can Take In Mexico City

The food markets in Mexico City are the heart of the city’s culture, with vibrant colors, a lively atmosphere, and delicious local cuisine at affordable prices.

One of the largest food markets in Mexico City is called Mercado La Merced. It was originally built in the 1860s and today, it occupies multiple buildings spanning several city blocks.

Travelers can spend hours here shopping, exploring, and sampling local street food.

• Date: Year-round
• Hours : Monday to Sunday, 5:30 AM to 6 PM

Another popular market to visit that is less traditional and more contemporary is Mercado Roma. This Mexican food market is more like a gourmet food court and first opened its doors to the public in May 2014.

It’s got local cuisine, coffee, beer bars, and more. Mercado Roma is the perfect place to spend an afternoon or evening trying street food and having a beer with new friends.

• Date: Open year-round
• Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 10 AM to 10:30 PM, Thursday 10 AM to 12:30 AM, Friday to Saturday, 10 AM to 1 AM, Sunday 10 AM to 7:30 PM

Besides the food markets, there are plenty of restaurants that travelers should add to their list of things to try in Mexico City.

• Best restaurants for breakfast: Café Nin, El Cardenal, Café de Tacuba, Lardo
• Top eateries for lunch and dinner: Contramar, Quintonil, Café de Tacuba, El Pescadito, Migrante, Limosneros
• Greatest bars: Hanky Panky Cocktail Bar, Licorería Limantour, Baltra Bar
• Best coffee shops: Café Passmar, Chiquitito Café, Blend Station, Finca Don Porfirio

Mexico City is one of the oldest mega cities in the Americas, so there is a rich history to explore here. Travelers must visit Plaza de La Constitución, locally referred to as El Zocalo, to see the historic heart of the city.

El Zocalo is the main city square and in addition to the impressive architecture, there is also plenty to do there in the way of entertainment and restaurants.

Related: Long Before The Aztecs, This Ancient City Was One Of Largest In The World (And It's A Day Trip From Mexico City)

Casa de Los Azulejos is another must-see historical attraction in Mexico City. Translated from Spanish, this is the House Of Tiles, an 18th Century building with unique architecture that is now home to a popular restaurant.

• Hours : Monday to Sunday, 7 AM to 1 AM
• Entrance Fee: Free (Order food at prices listed on the restaurant menu)

Related: Templo Mayor: The Aztec Temple In Mexico City That You Probably Haven't Heard Of Yet

History buffs and anthropology enthusiasts will appreciate a visit to the city’s archeological site called Templo Mayor. This site also has a museum with Aztec artifacts, so travelers can learn about Mexico City’s past.

Before it became the modern-day capital, Templo Mayor was an important structure in Tenochtitlan, the ancient city that Mexico City is built on. This area is now the historic center of Ciudad de Mexico.

• Hours : Tuesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM
• Entrance Fee: From $8 (Skip-the-line ticket)

Mexico City is often regarded as a dangerous place to travel. But the reality is that, like most major cities, crime exists but typically doesn’t impact tourists.

As long as travelers use their common sense and exercise caution, they can enjoy a safe and fun trip to Mexico City.

Related: 10 Must-Do Things When Visiting Mexico City

Some practical safety measures when visiting Mexico City include:

• Sticking to areas that are popular among travelers and locals
• Avoid walking alone at night
• Try not to look like a tourist (plan a route in advance to avoid looking lost/consulting maps)
• Watch out for pickpockets
• Limit the amount of cash and valuables travelers are carrying

As with any major city, it’s a good idea for travelers to know the local emergency contact numbers in case they, or someone around them, requires immediate assistance.

Overall, Mexico City is a safe place to travel when visitors are smart, alert, and stick to the popular areas.

Mexico uses MXN (Mexican Pesos) as its form of currency, so travelers will need to exchange their USD or CAD before paying with cash in Mexico City.

The current exchange rate is 1 USD to 19.62 MXN , however, the exchange rate travelers receive will depend on where they exchange their cash.

Doing so at a bank at home before departure is a good option. However, for travelers coming from another international destination who need to exchange their currency in Mexico, consider doing so at the bank ATMs in the city.

There are opportunities to exchange currency at the airport, but these typically result in less beneficial exchange rates for the traveler.

Mexico City is a common layover destination for travelers flying to other cities in Mexico or South America from Canada or the United States via Aeroméxico. Whether visitors are spending a month working remotely in Mexico City or only have 24 hours on a stopover, the perfect day is easy to replicate.

Start the morning with breakfast or brunch at a popular restaurant like El Cardenal. Then, visit Mercado la Merced for some shopping and sampling of local cuisine during the morning.

By lunchtime, travelers will have made their way to Mercado de Comidas within the market, which is a small food court area to have lunch.

During the afternoon, splurge on museum tickets and appreciate the rich history and culture of the city at the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Museo Nacional de Antropología.

Visit El Zocalo or the stunning Palacio de Bellas Artes before grabbing dinner at Migrante or Quintonil, for those feeling fancy. End the night with fun cocktails at Hanky Panky.

Q: How safe is Mexico City?

Mexico City is fairly safe, especially when travelers use common sense during their visit. However, Merida earns the title of the safest city in Mexico .

Crime rates and levels of safety in Mexico City are comparable to Chicago, Illinois , a popular travel destination within the United States.

Q: Is Mexico City worth visiting?

Absolutely, Mexico City is worth visiting. Many people skip over this vibrant city in favor of Mexico’s coastal destinations like Puerto Vallarta or Tulum. Mexico City offers travelers a chance to experience a different side of the country away from the resort towns.

• Things To Do & Travel Guides

We hope you like the items we recommend and discuss! TheTravel has affiliate and sponsored partnerships, so we receive a share of the revenue from some of your purchases. This won’t affect the price you pay and helps us offer the best product recommendations.

• Where We’ve Been
• Chefchaouen
• Mount Kilimanjaro
• Mahabalipuram
• Luang Prabang
• Jeju Island
• Nami Island
• Anuradhapura
• Yala National Park
• Dominican Republic
• St. Maarten
• US Virgin Islands
• Salzburgerland
• Veliko Tarnovo
• Carpathian Mountains
• Mexico City
• Los Angeles
• Sierra Nevada
• New Zealand
• Barranquilla
• Ciudad Perdida
• Providencia
• Santa Catalina
• Tayrona National Park
• Machu Picchu
• Airplane Travel
• Couples Travel
• Female Travel
• Packing Lists
• Travel Gear & Cameras

Travel Tips

• Traveling with a Drone
• Fall / Autumn
• Global Lifestyle
• Teaching Abroad

18 Essential Mexico City Travel Tips for Your 2024 Trip

Mexico City is one of the most popular travel destinations in Latin America. From its historical sights, rich culinary legacy, and fascinating culture to its wonderful tourism-friendly infrastructure, Mexico’s capital deserves all the attention it gets. This guide will delve into the essential Mexico City travel tips to ensure you experience the best the city has to offer.

The city has a population of almost 10 million and if you include its metro, you’re looking at over 20 million people. Because of its sheer size, there’s a lot visitors should know before arriving.

Is Mexico City worth visiting? Absolutely. Below are some travel tips to Mexico City to stay safe, get around, and make the most out of your time in this beautiful and historical global city.

Follow these 18 essential Mexico City travel tips to ensure you have a fun and seamless trip. We will explore safety measures, tipping culture, transportation and locations, dressing tips, and a ton more, all under the expert guidance of a local resident. Now, let’s get on with it!

This is a guest post by Melissa Douglas.  

Get a Metro Card and Use it

Visit teotihuacán and other day trips, avoid the tap water, budget accordingly, street food is good, very good, don’t go off the beaten path, buy a sim card, it’s easy, dress like a local, see as many museums as possible, don’t hail a taxi off the street, plan your days, prepare for earthquakes, book tours and shows ahead of time, no dar papaya, leave time to explore, study spanish, uber at night, like this post, you might also appreciate…, share this:.

Also known as the Integrated Mobility Card , the CDMX Metro Card is a must-have ticket for getting around the city. 

The CDMX Metro system, which includes subways, buses, and light rail, is easy and efficient. With this handy card, you can take the subway to any of the city’s major landmarks and sights. 

You can buy your card at any metro station. As of 2024, it only costs MX$15 , which is less than a dollar. Once you buy your card, just scan it in the sensors and enjoy one of the best metro systems in North America. 

For whatever reason, a lot of tourists are somewhat terrified of taking the Mexico City metro. While it is best not to use it at night, for the most part, it really isn’t any less safe than using the metro in other large global cities. 

An essential Mexico City travel tips is to keep your eyes on your personal belongings at all time and be aware of your surroundings. 

READ MORE | 6 Reasons Colombia should be on your Bucket List

Teotihuacán, a must-see day trip from Mexico City

Although there’s so much to do and see within Mexico City, there’s even more just outside its city limits. Make some plans to head outside the city, either by bus or through a tour. 

The first must-see location that’s perfect for a day trip is Teotihuacán. This ancient city is over 2000 years old and is one of the largest pyramid complexes in the world. 

Hundreds of thousands of people called this city home over a thousand years before the Aztecs. Here, you’ll walk amongst landmarks such as the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the massive Pyramid of the Sun. 

Other wonderful day trips from Mexico City include taking the bus out to the Puebla capital, Puebla de Zaragoza and Cholula. Puebla is a large city with a booming food scene and some of the best colonial architecture in Mexico. 

Just a half hour to the north of it is Cholula, a smaller city steeped in Indigenous Heritage and home to the largest pyramid on the planet by volume, the Great Pyramid of Cholula. 

This is one of the essential Mexico City travel tips to ensure you don’t spend your trip in a bathroom.

Right off the bat, you’ll hear many people tell you not to drink the city’s tap water. Mexico City is old, overpopulated, and sits on top of an ancient lake. Its pipes are notoriously leaky and, given its size, regulating what goes into its water supply is almost impossible. 

Do yourself a favor and always buy bottled water. Never use or make ice from the tap water. Even while washing your fruits and vegetables, make sure you use potable water instead of sink water. 

This way, you can avoid getting sick and enjoy all your time in Mexico’s capital. In Mexico, it is not just a case of your stomach not being accustomed to the tap water, as even locals do not drink it.

Mexico City may not be as expensive as other major North American cities, but you should still plan your spending. Although street food is cheap, going out to some of the city’s famous restaurants and bars can be costly and prices are increasing with each passing year as the city faces a gentrification problem in some areas. 

Expect to pay $20 USD or more for a meal at a nicer restaurant. Breakfast at a cafe will ‌cost around $5, or sometimes more, depending on the neighborhood. 

No matter where you eat, don’t forget to leave a tip. 10% is standard but if the service is great, you can happily tip 15% or more. 

Stay in the Right Place

Mexico City is massive and has a lot of neighborhoods with their own flare, culture, highlights, and drawbacks. If this is your first time, consider staying in one of the three neighborhoods below. They are safe for big-city standards, easy to get around, and full of must-see landmarks. 

In the last decade, the neighborhood of Roma has become a center for expats, digital nomads, and trendy restaurants and bars. It’s also centrally located, relatively safe, and easy to get around on foot. 

You’ll find plenty to do here, plus some of the best food in the city. It also has popular museums, parks, and historical places. 

Just west of Roma and next to the sprawling and beautiful green space of Bosque de Chapultepec is Condesa. Its circular streets, tree-lined avenues, and quiet residential vibe make it the perfect place for first-timers to stay. 

The neighborhood is full of restaurants, bars, museums, and parks. You’re also close to the city’s most famous park, Chapultepec, where you can spend the day in nature or museum hopping. 

Home to Frida Kahlo and some of the city’s most historical landmarks, this neighborhood feels like you’re far away in another Mexican state.

Coyoacan is about 30 minutes south of downtown. This leafy little neighborhood was once its own independent village but urban expansion has seen it slowly be engulfed by the Mexican capital. 

It’s quiet, safe, beautiful, and full of small-town charm, and there are tons of things to do in Coyoacan . Here, you can experience its historical streets, the famous Frida Kahlo Museum, or hop on a tour bus that takes you around the neighborhood. 

Because it’s far from the hectic city center, Coyoacan is perfect for those who want to rest in a quiet place after a day exploring the big city. 

‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’ is the old saying, and this applies to Mexico City too, especially with street food. Mexico City is a global street food capital and no trip here would be complete without sampling what’s on the street. 

Rule number #1 for getting great Mexico City food is to go where the locals go. If you see long lines and, better yet, people gently pushing and shoving their way to grab their order, you’re in luck. Make your order, grab a stool, chat with the person next to you, and sink into a foodie’s dream. 

Make sure to bring hand sanitizer and wash your hands when you can. When most people complain of getting sick from the tacos, it’s because their hands were dirty in the first place. 

Mercado La Merced is the largest market in the city and visiting it is almost a rite of passage for travelers in Mexico. You should also add Mercado Abelardo L. Rodriguez, Mercado de San Juan, and the Coyoacan market to your radar. 

READ MORE | Vietnamese Food You MUST Try in Vietnam

This goes for almost any big city. Mexico City has endless neighborhoods. (Over 300 of them to be precise). Many of them are fairly safe, others, not so much. 

Stick to the main tourist areas and places frequented by locals and don’t stray to places that are unfamiliar. This way, you’ll always be in familiar places where businesses are open and the chance of becoming a victim of crime is much less. 

Mexico City is not a place where you can just wander around aimlessly following Google Maps. You can be in a charming, super safe neighborhood and then walk 10 minutes down the road and find yourself somewhere where you really dont have any business being. 

For instance, Plaza Garibaldi is a lively square known for its live mariachi performers and tequila cantaritos, but walk a little further and find yourself in Tepito, one of the most dangerous marketplaces in Latin America. 

You’re going to want to use Uber and other services while in the city, so unless your phone plan from home works in Mexico, get a Mexican SIM card. They’re easy, cheap, and work from anywhere. 

First thing you’ll need is an unlocked phone. This means that you’ll be able to insert SIM cards yourself without relying on your local provider. If your phone doesn’t come unlocked just call your provider. You should be able to do it through your phone company. 

The best SIM cards in Mexico City include AT&T, Telcel, and Movistar. You can buy them from the airport, official phone stores or Oxxo convenience stores. 

Telcel is the most commonly used network in Mexico. For 200 pesos (circa $12 USD/£9), you can purchase a sim card and a package that offers unlimited calls, texts and social media use in North America, as well as 3GB of roaming data. 

When you purchase the sim, your receipt will display your new Mexican number. Then, when you want to recharge, head back into your nearest Oxxo, as for a “recargar por favor” and add another 100, 200 pesos or so to your plan. 

Mexico is famous for its beaches, but its capital city is not. In fact, the city is located on a mountain plateau over 7,000 feet high. Before the Spanish invaded, it was surrounded by a large lake, with canals and waterways, but today it’s a landlocked urban jungle. 

Because of this, you can be sure that wearing shorts and sandals will make you stick out like a newbie tourist. Plus, you’ll probably be pretty uncomfortable. 

Dress like you would in any major inland city. Jeans, long pants, long dresses, jackets, or even casual hoodies work great. Mexico City’s altitude means that the city stays relatively cool and sometimes chilly for most of the year. 

Women in many cosmopolitan Mexican cities, including CDMX, tend to dress pretty conservatively. (They wear jeans and t-shirts even when its hot). Solo female travelers in particular, may want to follow suit if they don’t want to draw attention to themselves.

READ MORE | The Time We (Almost) Had Machu Picchu to Ourselves

Museum hopping is one of the best activities you could do in Mexico City. After all, there are hundreds of museums, from world-renowned centers for archeology and history, to influential centers for the arts. 

If there were one “must see” museum here, it would be the National Anthropology Museum. This sprawling cultural space is the most visited museum in the country and visiting is an enjoyable experience, even if you don’t consider yourself a “museum person”. 

There are thousands and thousands of ancient artifacts on display here that have been recovered from all corners of the country, and notable archeological sites such as the Ruta Puuc , Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan. 

Inside, you can learn the chronological history of Mexico through the ages, and the various civilizations that have existed here – from the Olmecs, to the Mayans and the Aztecs. 

Of course, the Anthropology museum isnt the only great museum in town. Make a list of the top museums you want to see. 

If you love chocolate, why not visit the Museo del Chocolate in Juárez? Or, if you love art, don’t miss Museo Soumaya in Polanco. The choices are endless, and each visit will make your time in the city even more fun. 

If you need to get somewhere important and don’t have an Uber Account, taxis can be a suitable alternative. However, only grab a taxi from a certified taxi stand or at airport or bus station lines. This makes sure that the car you’re getting into is official and uses a meter. 

It also saves you from scams or the rare chances of falling victim to express kidnappings. This is when a thief posing as a taxi driver will demand money, often forcing you to withdraw as much as you can from an ATM. 

Although rare, it can happen anywhere in Mexico. To avoid this, never hail a taxi off the street and only take marked cars from official taxi stands. 

Mexico’s capital is huge and even a month won’t be enough time to do everything you want to. Do yourself a favor and plan your adventures through this inspiring city. 

Many of the city’s main attrations are scattered around different parts of the city so you want to create a logical CDMX itinerary that doesn’t require you to be constantly traveling backwards and forwards. 

If you can, don’t cram everything into one day. Many of Mexico City’s best museums will take time to explore. Plus, you’re going to want to set aside enough time to eat. This is Mexico City after all. 

Mexico City lies in the notorious Ring of Fire. This zone of earthquake prone land masses and volcanos circles the entire Pacific Ocean and Mexico is one of its hotspots. 

Don’t be alarmed if the ground moves. Small tremors do happen fairly frequently and although the concept of a larger quake is terrifying (though rare), most of Mexico City’s buildings are designed to withstand even the most powerful earthquakes. 

It is worth having a quick Google and having general knowledge of what you are supposed to do in the event of an earthquake. Many hotels will post earthquake instructions on the walls of their rooms. 

In the absolute worst case scenario, just follow the advice from locals and authorities and you’ll be ok. 

Mexicans love to have fun and enjoy their capital city and so do tourists. Because of this, you can expect long lines and plenty of sold-out events. 

To make sure you’re not out of luck, book everything ahead of time. This will save you a lot of time and headache waiting in lines or not being able to attend an event or see a landmark. 

This is important for things like Luche Libre fights and  the Frida Kahlo Musuem, where you absolutely wont be able to get inside unless you have prebooked a ticket online. (You should buy it a day or two before and then you will be given a 15 minute arrival timeslot. If you arrive without a ticket, you will be turned away). 

This useful Colombian phrase applies in most big cities in Latin America, even Mexico City. It ‌means, don’t give a papaya . Papayas are sweet, juicy, and tempting to grab if you’re hungry. So is your expensive iPhone or purse for some people who are struggling. 

While in public, don’t flash expensive electronics, jewelry, or anything that screams, “I’ve got money!” Watch your bags when you sit down too to avoid being pickpocketed. 

If you follow this simple rule of thumb, you’ll blend right in and avoid any trouble. If you need to check your phone, you can do it safely inside a store. And, if you want to dress to the nines on a night out, take an Uber there and back. 

You will see well-heeled locals and expats flashing fancy designer gear in Polanco, but doing so anywhere else is a big no-no. 

Even though having plans is good, you’ll want to leave aside some time to explore, meet locals, and let the city’s vibe guide you. Mexico City is full of surprises, so make sure you don’t cram all your activities into one day. 

After checking off a few must-see destinations, why not venture into neighborhoods like Coyoacan or even Narvarte to walk and take in the sights? One of the best places to do this is by far the giant green space, Bosque de Chapultepec. 

READ MORE | 15 Machu Picchu Pictures to Remind You How Badass It Is

Unfortunately, many people come to Mexico learning no Spanish. If you are going to be spending any amount of time here, try to pick up as much as you can before your visit. 

Learning at least a little of the language will not only help keep you safe and informed, but is also respectful. Sure, many people will happily speak English if you need, but it’s best to try to communicate in Spanish whenever possible. 

Mexico City has plenty of wonderful language schools. If you have time, consider attending a few hour lessons or even daily lessons to get your language level up. And most of all, don’t be afraid to make mistakes. 

If you’re going out at night, take an Uber. Mexico City’s metro system becomes less safe late at night and taxis can be risky because of scammers. 

Because of this, it’s best to call an Uber. They’re cheap, safe, and plentiful. And they run all night, so you can enjoy the city’s notoriously fun nightlife without wondering how you’re going to get home. 

Always check that the driver has a decent amount of past reviews and has been on the app for a while. (i.e. you are not their third journey!) When they arrive, make sure that the vehicle and license plate that you see corresponds to what you see in the app. 

A B O U T  T H E  A U T H O R

Melissa Douglas

Share it on  Pinterest  by hovering over one of the pictures below and clicking the red “Pin It” button!

More Latin America Posts

• 6 Reasons Colombia Should Be on Your Bucket List
• The Time We (Almost) Had Machu Picchu to Ourselves
• 15 Machu Picchu Pictures to Remind You How Badass It Is
• Survivor Filter Pro Review: How to Purify Water Anywhere in the World
• TSA Rules You Need to Know: A Guide to TSA Carry-On Restrictions
• Travel Hack: Do a Cheap Flight Search Like a Pro
• What I’ve Learned from Traveling to 25 Countries
• Essential Winter Travel Packing List (For Subfreezing Temperatures!)
• Best Budget Travel Cameras to Improve Your Travel Photography
• Travel Drone Tips: Flying a Drone in Cold Weather
• Traveling with a Drone: 8 ESSENTIAL Tips to Avoid Insanity
• Best Travel Drone Bag: Backpacking with a DJI Phantom
• An Essential Carry-On Packing List (+ the Things You CAN’T Take on a Plane)
• International Pet Travel Tips: Your Guide to Taking Pets Abroad

More Travel Posts

• Hill Tribes and Tropical Beauty at the Lisu Lodge: Where to Stay in Chiang Mai Thailand
• Sofitel Luang Prabang Laos: The Best in Luxury Luang Prabang Hotels
• Dubai City Guide: Things to Do in Dubai and Other UAE Travel Tips
• Coolest Things to Do in Harbin, China (Beyond the Harbin Ice Festival!)
• What to Do in Insadong, South Korea: A Seoul Travel Guide
• Everland Korea: A Day Trip to South Korea’s Largest Theme Park
• Best Things to Do in Iceland, According to Travel Bloggers
• Hidden Beach of Jeju Island: A Jeju Korea Travel Guide
• This China Ice City Will Blow Your Mind: The ULTIMATE Guide to Harbin Ice Festival
• A Russian Church in China?! || A Guide to Saint Sophia Cathedral in Harbin, China
• Sagye Beach, South Korea: Best Beach in Jeju Island for a Mt. Sanbangsan View
• Mind-Blowing New Year’s Eve Sri Lanka Party in Mirissa Beach
• The Zesty Truth of Jeju Tangerine Picking: Jeju Island, South Korea
• Daedunsan Mountain & the Cloud Bridge: A South Korea Fall Colors Guide

Where these travel in Mexico tips helpful?

Share in a comment below!

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

televisionofnomads

No comments, leave a reply cancel reply.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

COME ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox:

• New Here? Read Me First
• Must Read Articles
• Latest Articles
• This is My Story
• Countries I’ve Visited
• Media Appearances
• Follow the Adventures
• All Travel Destinations & Guides
• South America
• Budget Travel Tips
• Save Money for a Trip
• Best Resources to Book Your Trip
• What is Backpacker Travel Insurance?
• Travel Hacking
• Travel Gear
• Road Trip Planning
• Travel Inspiration
• Truck Camping
• How to Travel Forever
• Browse the Store
• My book: Big Travel, Small Budget
• Truck Camping Gear
• D2D Apparel
• Shop REI.com
• Shop Amazon.com
• Discount Outdoor Gear: Deals of the Day
• Write for D2D
• Work with Us – Media & Press

8 Things You Should Know When Visiting Mexico City

Sharing is caring!

When you are planning on visiting Mexico City for the first time (or even for the fifth time!), it can be an almost overwhelming experience trying to decide what to do, where to go, where to stay, how to stay safe and avoid problems, and so forth. Mexico City is a massive metropolis… The second-largest in the western hemisphere, second only to Sao Paolo, and even larger than New York City in terms of population.

Yet despite the sheer scale and sometimes chaos of a megalopolis like this, Mexico City was a place that instantly captured my heart. And I was one of those people who wondered is Mexico City worth visiting before going… Honestly, I had planned to skip it, but I’m so glad I didn’t!

For a long time it was my favorite city in all of Latin America until it was recently edged out by Buenos Aires , but still, visiting Mexico City is one of my top recommendations for anyone traveling to Mexico , so I’m glad to hear that you are planning a trip to Mexico City, Mexico and hope that this travel guide will help you out.

These are the sorts of things I wish I had known before visiting Mexico City for the first time and will certainly help you maximize your stay in one of the world’s most incredible cities.

Let’s get on with the travel tips for Mexico City…

If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to read these travel tips (or just want a copy for later), enter your email address to get this article in your inbox along with some other amazing resources to help you save money and plan a better trip to Mexico City:

Where to Stay When Visiting Mexico City

I’m assuming you’ve already booked your flights or made other travel plans, so we won’t discuss how to save money on that aspect. Your next major step before visiting Mexico City is determining where you will stay during that time.

As I said, Mexico City is massive, so determining what neighborhood you stay will also kind of guide almost every other aspect of your trip in terms of an easily traveled radius.

Some of the top neighborhoods for foreigners are La Condesa, Roma, Coyoacan, the Centro Historico , the Zona Rosa (part of Colonia Juarez), and Polanco. For a more detailed description of each neighborhood, please see my guide about where to stay in Mexico City for more details.

Every neighborhood has its pros and cons but my top recommendation would be to stay in either Condesa or Roma — these areas are some of the safest, most interesting, and coolest parts of the entire city. You will never be left wondering where to eat or explore, and it is a great location as a home base because you can easily head out from there to explore other zones of the city.

Of the two, Condesa still remains my absolute favorite, and the closer you can stay to the Hipodromo, the better. Here are my best recommendations for where to stay in La Condesa for every budget:

Best Hostel in Condesa: Hostal Be Condesa or Gael Condesa

Best Budget Hotel in Condesa: Hotel Roosevelt

Best Mid-Range Hotel in Condesa: Hotel Parque Mexico

Best Luxury Hotel in Condesa: Casa Malí by Dominion Boutique Hotel

You can also check out my guide to the best Mexico City hostels if you’re on a budget and interested in staying in one of the other vibrant neighborhoods in Mexico City.

If you are coming to Mexico City for a longer stay, then I would recommend looking to Airbnb for a better deal. New users can get a discount for their first stay!

Be sure to also read my guide to finding cheap accommodation for expert advice on getting a good price.

Getting Around Mexico City

As I said, Mexico is massive, this means that getting around in Mexico City can eat up huge chunks of your time if you are going by street level. The quickest way to get around Mexico City is definitely the subway or metro system. Not only is it fast but it also super cheap!

Mexico City Metro: You may have concerns about safety on the Metro, but the system is as safe as any other big city metro system around the world… That means you should be careful of pickpockets by keeping your phone and wallet in your front pocket. If it gets really crowded or you are exiting a platform, I usually stuff my hand in my pocket as well.

Snatch and grabs are uncommon but they can happen. If you have a purse or bag, be sure to always keep it in front of you rather than on your back or stashed to your side where it is out of sight.

Taxis in Mexico City: I don’t recommend taxis in general, as they are expensive and often suspect in terms of scams or outright working with thieves. Uber is a better option if you insist on going by street-level (it does offer better views compared to the subway, of course). You will find the prices to be as cheap or cheaper than a taxi. If you do rely on taxis, use an app like EasyTaxi .

Bike Share: Another option is EcoBici bike share in Mexico City… While Mexico City traffic can be horrendous, that does usually mean that traffic is moving slowly and I did notice that drivers here are at least more conscious and considerate of pedestrians and bicycles compared to most of Latin America.

Getting from the Airport: If you’re trying to get to your lodging from the Mexico City International Airport (Benito Juarez Airport), then I would personally recommend using a van shuttle service. It’s safe, it’s easy, even if it is a little slow sometimes. Your next best bet would be Uber in this case.

Reserve Your Mexico City Airport Shuttle Here.

Do You Need Spanish in Mexico City?

Outside of Mexico’s most popular tourist towns (like Cancun ) and some border areas, you’ll find that Mexico City has perhaps the best accessibility to non-Spanish speakers.

So, do you need Spanish in Mexico City? No, you could manage without. Usually, you will find somebody close by who speaks some English and can help you out. But almost every frequent traveler has found themselves in situations where they don’t speak the language and we still get around just fine through non-verbal communication or apps.

That being said, you should absolutely try to learn as much basic Spanish as possible before you arrive. Your trip will be much better and it will open a whole new world to you. Believe me, there are still lots of people in Mexico City that don’t speak a word of English.

The Michel Thomas Spanish audio course is my #1 recommendation for learning Spanish quickly and on your own. It is like the 80/20 guide to getting you functional in Spanish.

Check out my other favorite resources for learning Spanish .

Don’t Drink the Water?

Ah yes, Mexico and Montezuma’s Revenge. If there is one thing almost everyone has heard, it is “Don’t Drink the Water!” Unfortunately, this isn’t exactly a misguided stereotype. Water quality in Mexico City has supposedly improved but even the locals don’t drink the water here.

What I do when traveling through places with suspect water quality is to use a Steripen UV filter to kill all the bad stuff. It is a popular thing with backpackers and campers but works just as good for questionable tap water. As a result, I can reduce my plastic use, consumer local water, and save money.

Drinking Water at Restaurants: In terms of eating out in restaurants, you can save money by asking for agua de garrafon which is from big jugs of filtered water that virtually any decent sit-down restaurant should have. If you don’t ask specifically for this, they will more often bring you an individual plastic bottle of water (which also costs a lot more)!

Ice: Any reputable bar or restaurant will use ice that has been made with filtered water, so you shouldn’t be concerned about getting a cocktail or coke with ice cubes unless it is a totally sketchy place then you might ask for “sin hielo” without ice.

Fruits & Vegetables: Another common concern is eating fruits or vegetables that have been washed with tap water… Again, any decent or reputable restaurant in Mexico City will ONLY use treated water (either filtered or treated with drops) to wash produce that will be consumed raw like in salads or so forth. So you shouldn’t be too worried about eating that salad.

Buy the Steripen Before You Go.

Weather & Seasons (Don’t Forget the Jacket)

When people think of Mexico, they think sun, sand, and beaches. Either fortunately or unfortunately, that isn’t the case in Mexico City. It’s important to remember that Mexico City sits above 2,200 meters or 7,200 feet, making Denver look like chump change (it’s one of those interesting Mexico City facts that many people don’t realize).

While the altitude isn’t quite as extreme as many other capital cities of South America, it is still quite high for most sea-level dwellers.

At the least, you will probably feel the effects of altitude upon arrival and be breathing a little heavier. At worst, you might suffer from headaches if you are someone more susceptible to altitude sickness. If so, drink lots of water, take some over the counter meds, and plan a light schedule for a day or two.

Beyond that, the altitude affects how to dress when visiting Mexico City because the most noticeable aspect is the temperature changes here. The daytime temps in Mexico City are quite nice, in my opinion, with an average temperature of 71 F (22 Celsius) in January or an average of 80 F (27 Celsius) in May.

The temps can get somewhat chilly at night though, which is why you should definitely bring a jacket or light sweater. In January the average nighttime low is 41 F (5 c) and in June it is 55 F (13 C).

Basically, it is like perfect day time temps while being cool but not crazy cold at night. It has some of the best weather really. Keep in mind that the dry season is December to March and the rainy season is June to September.

Handling Your Pesos

Some people recommend taking out a lot of pesos at once in order to avoid bank transaction fees, which on the surface sounds like okay advice, but it isn’t so great. Taking out large wads of money anywhere in Latin America is definitely a bad idea as it is like an invitation for potential theft or robbery.

Better advice would be to get a travel-friendly bank account that doesn’t charge for ATM withdrawals and even reimburses you for transaction fees charged by other banks. That’s what I have with Charles Schwab and they save me hundreds of dollars, quite literally, and allows me to withdraw smaller chunks of cash as needed.

Read about how I manage the travel banking fundamentals including how I stay safe to avoid thefts and robberies, answering questions like do you need a money belt?

You will also find a growing acceptance of credit cards in most mid to large size business, so if you get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, like the Chase Sapphire , you will be better off still since you can earn points toward future travel… Travel hacking (especially for those of you from the United States) is my #1 big tip to save money on your travels as it has given me numerous free flights and free nights in hotels.

You may be asking yourself what is travel hacking if you haven’t heard of it before and be sure to check out the best travel credit cards !

Read my Travel Hacking 101 guide.

Coordinating Your Activities

The theme here is that the Mexican Capital is massive, right? This means that you need to place extra emphasis on properly coordinating your activities each day. It would be a terrible idea to try and squeeze in Polanco, the Centro Historico, and Coyoacan in a single day just because you’d lose more time going from place to place than you would in seeing each place.

Because of this you should try and group or cluster your activities into certain neighborhoods or zones within the city. Maybe Chapultepec with Polanco in one day, one day devoted to the Centro Historico and some of the amazing museums , like the National Museum of Anthropology Mexico , and another day in Coyoacan with the Frida Kahlo Museum and capped off in Xochimilco (the so-called Venice of Mexico).

There is an almost endless source of things to do in Mexico City , which I’m sure you’ve already gotten an idea of, but I’d also highly recommend organizing a few tours or guided activities to make your trip to Mexico City even more informative, memorable, and enjoyable.

The absolute #1 tour you should do is a visit to Teotihuacan which is where the ancient pyramids are located just outside of the city. A guided tour makes for the easiest way to do it, but you can also get there by public transportation, of course, if your budget is tighter.

Book the Teotihuacan, Shrine of Guadalupe & Tlatelolco Day Tour

Another top choice would be a full-day tour that will combine the tourist attractions of Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul (the museum) , Xochimilco and Coyoacan, which will bring you to a few areas that are located kind of far out along the southern stretch of the city, away from the main areas of interest or where I recommend you stay above.

Book the Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, Xochimilco & Coyoacan Full-Day Tour

Finally, while everybody knows about tacos and burritos, Mexican food is so much more than that… There is a long and storied gastronomic tradition throughout the country, dating back to pre-Hispanic times. What better way to make that come alive than a food tasting tour? 

Mexico City is not only one of the world’s greatest street food ( check out a street food tour too! ) destinations, but it is also a melting pot for the many different regional Mexican cuisines and a gastronomic foodie paradise. 

Doing a food tour is the best way to introduce you to a range of foods and tastes that go beyond the stereotypical… Highly recommended!

Book the Mexico City Historic Center Food Tasting Walking Tour

Without a doubt, there are some awesome activities and tours to keep you busy among the numerous Mexico City tourist attractions.

Check out some more of the best Mexico City tours here.

Is Visiting Mexico City Safe?

Finally, many people wonder whether or not Mexico City is safe… The short answer is yes, Mexico City is safe although you should exercise some street smarts here like any big city around the world.

The average tourist is not likely to find themselves in harm’s way. On the whole, Mexico City is quite safe, all things considered, and it does NOT suffer from the instability or travel warnings you hear about other regions in Mexico due to the drug trade.

But there is petty crime here, like any big city, so you should always be wary of showing valuables too openly, not being careful of your pocket/purse/backpack, or be very cautious of walking through unknown areas after dark.

After having traveled throughout basically all of Latin America now, I can honestly say that Mexico City stands out as feeling pretty safe, especially given the sheer size. Be careful with taxi drivers though, and be wary of anyone who approaches you on the street speaking English as that is often the sign of, at best, inflated prices, or at worst, some sort of scam.

But then again, I remember a guy eagerly approaching me in the Zocalo who wanted to practice his intermediate English… He walked with me for a few blocks and I kept waiting for his sales pitch, but it never came.

Regardless, I still recommend to everyone traveling overseas that they get some type of travel insurance to cover their butts in case of illness, injury, or theft. God forbid you take a tumble while descending from the top of the Teotihuacan Pyramids or get a nasty stomach bug from eating at a sketchy food stall, or get your luggage stolen out of your hotel or hostel.

That’s why I personally use and recommend World Nomads Travel Insurance , to protect against just that sort of thing. It offers the best combination between price and coverage… Get a custom quote for your trip here:

I’m 99% sure you will have an awesome and unforgettable visit to Mexico City, but it’s good to protect yourself against the 1% in case something goes wrong. Be sure to purchase travel insurance with World Nomads (you can even do so if you forgot and are already in Mexico).

I’ve written more extensively about whether or not you need travel insurance for Mexico (short answer, yes, but read it for more details).

Visiting Mexico City

So there you have it, a few of my top tips for visiting Mexico City and planning a better trip. I hope that proved helpful to you. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab a copy of this article in your email along with a series of other helpful quick tips that will ensure you get the most out of your trip to Mexico City, whether you are visiting for a few days, a few weeks, or even a few months.

Returning to Mexico City again remains high on my list, as I’m sure it will be for you too. If this was helpful, remember that booking your lodging or purchasing other services through my links will provide a small commission for me, at no extra cost to you — thanks!

Traveling to Mexico City soon? Reserve your room on Booking.com now to save, and don’t forget to purchase your travel insurance with World Nomads to protect against illness, injury, and theft.

Finally, don’t forget to grab a copy of this to your email along with lots more about how to get the most out of your trip:

Mexico Travel Tips

Important tips and resources for planning an amazing trip to Mexico, based on my extensive experience traveling across the entire country.

• Lonely Planet Mexico
• Momondo Flight Search
• World Nomads Travel Insurance
• Booking.com
• Get Your Guide Tours & Activities

Instructions

• Book a cheap flight to Mexico with Momondo , or better yet, start travel hacking so you can fly for free.
• Plan a rough itinerary and how long you will spend in each destination. Pick up Lonely Planet Mexico to help with this.
• Work every day to teach yourself Spanish , you want to know as much as possible before you arrive.
• Book your cheap accommodation in advance, at least for the first destinations -- For hostels use: Booking , for cheap hotels use: Hotels.com , for apartments use: Airbnb .
• Reserve your on the ground tours and activities through Get Your Guide .
• Purchase travel insurance for Mexico with World Nomads to protect yourself from illness, injury, and theft while in Mexico.
• Check out my comprehensive guide about traveling to Mexico with information on cities, things to do, places to see, and more.
• Learn more money saving tricks with my top budget travel tips if you want to get more bang for your buck.
• Put together your Mexico packing list.
• Enjoy this incredible country!

I hope this helped you plan your travels in Mexico! I know it can be a struggle to find accurate and on the ground information when traveling to a new place like Mexico, which is why I started writing so extensively about it!

If you have any questions about Mexico, budget travel, or anything else shoot me an email at [email protected].

(I love getting questions! That is how I get ideas for my blog posts and what to write about!)

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you find this helpful?

Please let me know with a comment on the blog below or reach out to me on Facebook or Instagram. Feel free to share a photo on Instagram with the #desktodirtbag hashtag once you put this into action!

Did you enjoy these tips for visiting Mexico City? Please take a second to share it on Pinterest, Facebook, or Twitter.

• Latest Posts

Latest posts by Ryan ( see all )

• Kazakhstan Food: Exploring Some of its Most Delicious Dishes - August 7, 2023
• A Self-Guided Tour of Kennedy Space Center: 1-Day Itinerary - August 2, 2022
• Fairfield by Marriott Medellin Sabaneta: Affordable and Upscale - July 25, 2022
• One of the Coolest Places to Stay in Clarksdale MS: Travelers Hotel - June 14, 2022
• Space 220 Restaurant: Out-of-This-World Dining at Disney’s EPCOT - May 31, 2022

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

or with email

15 Mexico City Travel Tips To Know Before Visiting

Updated September 11, 2023

To ensure that your trip to Mexico City is seamless and fun, follow these 15 Mexico City travel tips. We go over best practices for using money, getting around town, what to pack, and much more! Still have questions? Send us a message !

Want to explore Mexico differently?  Have a local   plan   your trip .

Tip #1: Buy Plenty of Bottled Water

This is Mexico City 101: Don’t Drink the Water. Seriously guys, it’s not safe to drink, and even the locals avoid it. If you don’t want your Mexico City travels marred by Montezuma’s Revenge , then be sure to buy bottles of water. They’re everywhere in Mexico City and big bottles are cheap—usually about a dollar. To be extra safe, use it to brush your teeth, too.

Tip #2: Set Up Your Phone for Use in Mexico

Having a phone that works in Mexico City is awesome. With roaming data you can easily share your adventures on Instagram and Facebook, call an Uber after a long night out, and confidently navigate the city streets.

The good news is you may already have a phone plan that’s set up for roaming in Mexico. Check with your carrier . If this isn’t already included in your plan, you can add it for a couple of dollars a day. Believe us—it’s worth it!

Tip #3: Don’t Rely on Your Credit Card

Although some places in Mexico City do take cards (mostly big tourist attractions and hotels) it’s much easier to carry cash. This is especially true given the exchange rate— prices in Mexico City are favorable to American travelers. You want to try Mexico City’s famous street food, right? (the correct answer is: YES!) Have pesos in your pocket.

So when you travel to Mexico City , be sure to withdraw cash. Do this from the ATM at the airport or inside banks. These are safer than kiosks you may find on the street.

Tip #4: Take Uber to Get Around

The easiest way to get around Mexico City is to use Uber. Mexico City is safe , but it’s like any big city—be aware, use caution, and call an Uber when the night is over.

The Mexico City metro is a good option too. However, it can get crowded and it’s a prime target for pickpockets. During the day it’s pretty safe. At night, however, it’s a better idea to take an Uber.

Whatever you do, avoid the taxis. Mexico City has struggled with taxi scams and other problems, so it’s best just to steer clear.

Tip #5: Try the Street Food

No matter where you want to eat in Mexico City , you’ll find great options. But at the top of our list is Mexico City’s incredible street food. Tacos al pastor were created in Mexico City ! With tamales, elotes, tlacoyos, and more constantly simmering on carts around the city, how can you resist?

Street food is generally safe. Just be sure to choose vendors with large crowds, as this ensures a high turnover rate and local loyalty.

Tip #6: Don’t Forget to Tip

No, you do need to tip in Mexico City . For good service at a restaurant, a 10% tip is standard. For excellent service, anything between 15–20% is acceptable.

Pro tip : It’s not required to tip when you get street food, but it is appreciated. You can give back the change to make things easy.

Tip #7: Learn Some Basic Spanish

You don’t need to be fluent in Spanish to get around Mexico City, but knowing some basic words and phrases will go a long way. Mexicans will appreciate it if you greet them with a simple hola (hello) and if you are gracious with gracias (thank you).

Tip #8: Dress in Layers

There’s no bad time to visit Mexico City . The temperature usually hovers between sixty and eighty degrees. But it can get chilly at night, which means that layers are the name of the game. Translation: you don’t need a visa to go to Mexico City —just a versatile jacket!

Tip #9: Explore the Neighborhoods (But Know Which Ones to Avoid)

Mexico City is full of incredible neighborhoods . One of the best parts of visiting this dynamic city is exploring what each one has to offer. No matter where you decide to stay in Mexico City , it’s still fun to explore elsewhere. Roma, Condesa, and Polanco are often top-choices for visitors, but Juarez, San Rafael, and Coyoacan have their own special appeal.

Just like in any city, there are a few neighborhoods that should be avoided. Steer clear of Doctores, Tepito, Iztapalapa, and Ciudad Neza (and talk to a Mexico City local for more insider safety tips).

Tip #10: Skip the Travel Agencies

It may be tempting to use a travel agency when going to Mexico City . But honestly, they can be expensive and inflexible. There are better ways to have a truly authentic stay in Mexico City. A Mexico City-based trip planner will know the city much better, and they can help design a custom itinerary that suits your travel style.

Tip #11: Check out the Main Tourist Attractions…

There are tons of truly amazing tourist attractions in Mexico City . Between ancient pyramids, active archeological sites, and tons of fantastic museums, there’s a lot to see. The big sites are a thrill, and definitely worth checking out.

Tip #12: ...But Leave Space for Off-the-Beaten-Path Sights

The big sites are great, but there are also tons of non-touristy things to do in Mexico City to spice up your itinerary. Don’t miss out on the more unusual things to see in Mexico City : weird museums, obscure landmarks, and secret spots for delicious tacos.

Tip #13: Keep Under Budget (Know the Free Stuff to Do!)

So many of Mexico City’s must-see sights are free, which makes budgeting a breeze. Between free museums, cheap street food, and an advantageous exchange rate, traveling to Mexico City doesn’t have to break the bank.

Tip #14: Take a Day Trip!

We definitely encourage getting out of the city and exploring some of the awesome sights nearby. Check out Mexico City’s most distant neighborhoods (gems like San Angel and Xochimilco) and take a few hours to explore sights further away, like the incredible Pyramids of Teotihuacan and the colorful town of Puebla .

Tip #15: Get Help From a Local for a Truly Authentic Experience

Mexico City is an incredible destination. But it’s easy to skate on the surface without really discovering the heart of this tremendous city. For a truly authentic experience, enlist a Mexico City trip planner to help. They’ll make sure you hit up the best bars, restaurants, and sights—and they’ll definitely have suggestions for spots that only the locals know.

Hopefully these 15 Mexico City travel tips will help make your trip to Mexico City an absolute blast! To get past the tourist layer of Mexico City, get in touch with a Mexico City local for help building your dream itinerary—they’ll also be available to answer questions during your trip, which is super helpful if you run into any problems. If you have any questions, send us a message ! And be sure to check out:

• Connect With a Local to Plan Your Trip
• Mexico City Travel: The Ultimate 2024 Guide
• The Mexico City Landmarks You Can’t Miss
• 25 Places You Need to Visit in Mexico City
• Solo Travel in Mexico City: Everything You Need to Know
• Mexico City Travel FAQ 2024
• The Best Neighborhoods to Stay in Mexico City

Leave a comment:

Select Account Type

Sign-up with

Almost there!

Find booking.

How should we contact you?

Thank you! We'll get back to you as soon as possible!

Click here to register and track your question!

If you would like to follow up with us:

+1 (855) 782-3006

Forgot your password?

Enter your email address below and we'll send you a reset link:

Brilliant Maps

Making Sense Of The World, One Map At A Time

Mexico Safety Travel Advisories From The US Department of State (2024)

Map created by reddit user 33Sharpies The map displays the US Department of State’s travel advisories for Mexico , indicating safety levels for different regions.

The colors represent different levels of caution:

• Green: Normal Caution
• Yellow: Increased Caution
• Orange: Reconsider Travel
• Red: Do Not Travel

It was accurate at the time of publication (June 2024), but advisories may have since changed. For the latest visit the official Mexico Travel Advisory page here .

Here’s what the Department of State has to say about their reasons:

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

And here are their tips if you do decide to travel to Mexico:

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.

And finally here are the full reasoning and restrictions for states listed as Do Not Travel To.

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.

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 .

Michoacan state – Do Not Travel

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.

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.

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.

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.

Have you traveled to Mexico? Did you feel safe? Leave a comment in the comment section below:

Get Our Latest Brilliant Maps For Free By Email

Other popular maps.

The Truth About Immigration & Foreigners In Europe

Where’s Waldo Vs Where’s Wally: Maps Showing Which Is Used Where

What Each State Has The Largest Of In The World

The World Divided Into 8 Equal Regions With 1 Billion People Each

Least Useful (And Vaguely Racist) Ethnic Map Ever

The Shade of Red Each Country Has On Its Flag

15 Great Map, Geography, City & Travel Adult Coloring Books

Watch 118 bird species migrate across the americas, leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Passing Thru Travel

Ultimate Cancún Adventure: Your 15-Step Guide to Mexico’s Coastal Gem

Posted: February 29, 2024 | Last updated: February 29, 2024

Cancún, Mexico’s vibrant coastal city, is a destination where ancient history meets modern luxury and natural beauty. Known for its stunning Caribbean beaches, rich Mayan heritage, and dynamic nightlife, Cancún caters to all kinds of travelers. From the adventurous soul seeking to explore underwater wonders to the history enthusiast intrigued by ancient civilizations, this city has something for everyone. This guide will take you through the best of Cancún, offering tips to make your visit truly unforgettable.

1. Stunning Beaches of Cancún

The beaches in Cancún are the city’s crowning glory, boasting powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. Playa Delfines is known for its serene beauty and is a great spot for surfing. Playa Tortugas offers calm waters and plenty of amenities for a more family-friendly beach day. Each beach has its unique charm and offers various activities, from jet-skiing to simply lounging under the sun.

Insider’s Tip: Visit the beaches early in the morning to avoid the crowds and experience a tranquil sunrise.

How To Get There: Most beaches in Cancún are easily accessible by bus or taxi from the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: The best time to visit the beaches is from December to April, when the weather is sunny and less humid.

2. Underwater Museum (MUSA)

The Cancún Underwater Museum (MUSA) offers a unique blend of art and marine life. This underwater spectacle features over 500 sculptures by Jason deCaires Taylor and other artists, all designed to promote coral life. Diving or snorkeling around these life-size statues is a surreal experience, giving you a glimpse into a fascinating underwater world.

Insider’s Tip: Opt for a glass-bottom boat tour if you’re not keen on diving or snorkeling.

How To Get There: MUSA can be accessed by boat from Cancún’s hotel zone. Most tours to the museum include transportation.

Best Time To Travel: Visit between May and September for the best underwater visibility.

3. Exploring Mayan Ruins: Chichen Itza and Tulum

No trip to Cancún is complete without exploring the nearby Mayan ruins. Chichen Itza, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the World’s New Seven Wonders, is just a couple of hours away. Here, the iconic El Castillo pyramid takes center stage. Closer to Cancún, the Tulum ruins offer a breathtaking mix of history and natural beauty, with structures perched atop cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Insider’s Tip: Hire a certified guide at the sites to gain deeper insight into Mayan history and culture.

How To Get There: Organized tours are available from Cancún, or you can drive or take a bus to both sites.

Best Time To Travel: Visit during the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat and crowds.

4. Cenote Diving and Swimming

Cenotes, natural freshwater sinkholes, are quintessential to the Yucatan Peninsula. These geological formations offer a unique swimming, snorkeling, or diving experience. Some of the most famous cenotes near Cancún include Cenote Dos Ojos, known for its crystal-clear waters and stunning rock formations, and Gran Cenote, perfect for families and snorkeling enthusiasts.

Insider’s Tip: Bring biodegradable sunscreen to protect the delicate ecosystem of the cenotes.

How To Get There: Cenotes are accessible by car or organized tours from Cancún.

Best Time To Travel: Visit cenotes year-round, but they’re particularly refreshing during the hot summer months.

5. Isla Mujeres Day Trip

Just a short ferry ride from Cancún, Isla Mujeres is a must-visit for a tranquil escape. This small island offers beautiful beaches, such as Playa Norte, and the chance to explore the island on a golf cart. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Turtle Farm or snorkel in the vibrant waters of the MUSA.

Insider’s Tip: Rent a golf cart early in the day for more time to explore the island at your own pace.

How To Get There: Ferries to Isla Mujeres depart regularly from Cancún’s hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: The island is beautiful year-round, but the peak season is from December to April for ideal weather conditions.

6. Discovering the Local Cuisine

Cancún’s culinary scene is a delightful mix of traditional Mexican flavors and international cuisine. Be sure to try local specialties like cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork) and fresh seafood dishes. Visit Mercado 28 for an authentic market experience or dine in one of the many restaurants in the hotel zone for a more upscale experience.

Insider’s Tip: Explore downtown Cancún for more authentic and budget-friendly dining options.

How To Get There: Mercado 28 and other local eateries are accessible by bus or taxi from the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: Year-round, but the less crowded months outside peak tourist season offer a more authentic dining experience.

7. Luxury Shopping and Vibrant Nightlife

Cancún is not just about natural beauty; it’s also a hub for luxury shopping and vibrant nightlife. La Isla Shopping Village offers a range of international and local brands, while Kukulcan Plaza is home to luxury boutiques. As the sun sets, Cancún’s famous nightlife comes alive, with clubs like Coco Bongo and Mandala offering unforgettable experiences.

Insider’s Tip: Look for nightlife packages or club tours to enjoy multiple venues in one night.

How To Get There: The shopping malls and clubs are mainly located in the hotel zone, easily accessible by bus or taxi.

Best Time To Travel: Visit during the spring break season for the most vibrant nightlife, though Cancún is lively year-round.

8. Nature Reserves and Eco-Parks

For nature enthusiasts, Cancún offers access to stunning eco-parks and reserves. Xcaret and Xel-Há are popular eco-parks where you can snorkel, swim in underground rivers, and observe a variety of wildlife. For a quieter experience, visit the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site offering untouched landscapes and abundant biodiversity.

Insider’s Tip: Book eco-park tickets in advance online for potential discounts and to avoid long queues.

How To Get There: Organized tours to these parks often include transportation from Cancún.

Best Time To Travel: Avoid peak holiday seasons to enjoy a more serene experience in these natural settings.

9. Cancún’s Interactive Aquarium

The Interactive Aquarium in Cancún offers an up-close experience with marine life, including opportunities to swim with dolphins and feed sharks. It’s an educational and fun experience for all ages, showcasing a variety of aquatic species and conservation efforts.

Insider’s Tip : Consider the dolphin swim experience for a memorable interaction with these intelligent creatures.

How To Get There: The aquarium is located in La Isla Shopping Village in the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: Visit on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowds.

10. Golfing in Paradise

Cancún and its surrounding area offer some of the most scenic golf courses in the Caribbean. With courses designed by renowned architects like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman, golfers of all levels can enjoy a round in spectacular settings.

Insider’s Tip: Check for twilight rates for a more budget-friendly golfing experience.

How To Get There: Most golf courses are located within a short drive from the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: Golfing is excellent year-round, but the cooler months from November to April offer the most comfortable conditions.

11. Day Trips to Holbox Island

Holbox Island, a serene paradise located north of Cancún, is a must-visit for those seeking tranquility and natural beauty. Known for its sandy streets and colorful murals, the island offers a laid-back atmosphere, beautiful beaches, and the chance to see flamingos and whale sharks (seasonally).

Insider’s Tip: Rent a bicycle to explore the small island and discover its hidden gems.

How To Get There: Take a bus or drive to Chiquila, followed by a ferry to Holbox Island.

Best Time To Travel: Visit from June to September for the chance to swim with whale sharks.

12. Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

The waters around Cancún are a paradise for scuba divers and snorkelers. Explore the Great Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world, home to a dazzling array of marine life. From shallow reefs to deeper shipwrecks, beginners and experienced divers can find suitable dive sites . Snorkeling is also popular, with many accessible spots right off the beach or a short boat ride away. The clear Caribbean waters offer excellent visibility, making it a memorable experience for all underwater enthusiasts.

Insider’s Tip: For an extraordinary diving experience, explore the underwater caves (cenotes) just a short drive from Cancún.

How To Get There: Dive shops and tour operators offering scuba diving and snorkeling trips are located throughout Cancún, especially in the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: The best diving conditions are from May to September, but snorkeling can be enjoyed year-round.

13. Spa and Wellness Retreats

Cancún is not just about adventure and nightlife; it’s also a haven for relaxation and wellness. The city and its surroundings boast numerous spa resorts offering a wide range of treatments inspired by ancient Mayan practices and modern wellness techniques. From beachfront massages to hydrotherapy and holistic treatments, there’s no shortage of options for those seeking relaxation and rejuvenation.

Insider’s Tip: Look for spa packages that include additional amenities like access to private beach areas or hydrotherapy pools for a more indulgent experience.

How To Get There: Most luxury hotels and resorts in Cancún offer spa services; many are in the hotel zone.

Best Time To Travel: Spa retreats can be enjoyed year-round, but the shoulder seasons offer a more tranquil experience.

14. Adventure Sports and Activities

For adrenaline junkies, Cancún offers a plethora of adventure sports and activities. Try zip-lining through the jungle, parasailing over the Caribbean Sea, or taking an ATV tour through the Mayan wilderness. These activities provide a thrilling way to experience Cancún’s natural landscapes and are suitable for all levels of adventure seekers.

Insider’s Tip: To ensure availability, book adventure tours in advance, especially during peak season .

How To Get There: Adventure tours usually include pick-up and drop-off from major hotels in Cancún.

Best Time To Travel: The dry season from December to April offers the best conditions for most outdoor adventure activities.

15. Cultural Experiences and Workshops

Beyond its beaches and nightlife, Cancún offers a range of cultural experiences and workshops. Participate in cooking classes to learn how to make authentic Mexican cuisine, or join a local artisan workshop to understand traditional crafts. These experiences provide a deeper insight into the rich cultural heritage of the region and are a great way to connect with locals.

Insider’s Tip: Visit local markets with a guide to learn about indigenous ingredients and culinary traditions.

How To Get There: Cultural experiences and workshops can be found throughout Cancún, particularly in downtown areas.

Best Time To Travel: Cultural experiences can be enjoyed year-round, but the off-peak season offers a more authentic and less crowded experience.

The Bottom Line

Cancún is a destination where every traveler can find something to love. Whether you’re drawn to its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage, vibrant nightlife, or adventure-filled activities, Cancún promises an unforgettable experience. Plan your trip with these tips to fully embrace all this coastal paradise has to offer.

Remember, Cancún is more than a tourist destination; it’s a gateway to experiences that can enrich your understanding of Mexico’s culture and natural beauty. So pack your bags, bring your sense of adventure, and prepare to discover the many facets of Cancún.

More Articles Like This…

Barcelona: Discover the Top 10 Beach Clubs

2024 Global City Travel Guide – Your Passport to the World’s Top Destination Cities

Exploring Khao Yai 2024 – A Hidden Gem of Thailand

The post Ultimate Cancún Adventure: Your 15-Step Guide to Mexico’s Coastal Gem republished on Passing Thru with permission from The Green Voyage .

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Luis Alfonso Amaya Padron.

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

More for You

National Ice Cream Recall Due to Possible Listeria Includes 67 Products from 13 Brands

‘Impossible for me to stay here’: New Orleans widow forced to sell ‘forever home’ as soaring insurance costs outpace her retirement budget

Major fast food franchisee files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Amanda Balionis shares snaps from New York as she gushes over 'latest drop'

The 10 states with the best health care in America—and the 10 with the worst, according to data

Dreaming of moving to Italy? Tuscany will pay you up to $32,000 to buy a home in a village

Marcus Smart Makes A Statement After The Celtics Win A Title Without Him

US carrier strike group's new video captures the Navy's explosive front-line combat in the Red Sea

Dick Van Dyke: Forever young

New Mexico’s Largest Landowner Controls a Ridiculous 24,665,774 Acres

Here’s the retirement savings that put you with the richest 10% of Americans — it’s a much smaller number than you may think

Real estate CEO says pandemic boomtowns in Florida and Texas are overvalued—and in some cases, are crashing

DIY An Incredible Bird Bath With An Essential Kitchen Item

How common is your birthday? These are the most popular.

How America's largest buffet survived the death of all-you-can-eats

Supreme Court Rejects Religious Freedom Challenge

Kevin McHale on why Larry Bird was better than Luka Doncic: "People forget Larry is 6'9", 240 pounds, and strong as an ox"

Top 10 Songs Of The '80s

Here is the true value of having a fully paid-off home in America — especially when you're heading into retirement

Julia Quinn Breaks Silence on Bridgerton's Gender-Swap Twist After Backlash