Mexico City Travel Guide
Plan your trip to Mexico City: neighbourhoods, food, museums, day trips, and practical tips for one of the world's great capitals.
Guides for Mexico City
Mexico City (CDMX) is one of the world’s largest metropolises and one of the most rewarding to visit. At 2,240 metres above sea level, the altitude is the first thing you notice. After that: the sheer density of things to do. World-class museums, a serious food scene, Aztec ruins beneath the city streets, and neighbourhoods that each feel like a different city.
Neighbourhoods to know
Roma Norte and Condesa are the go-to areas for first-time visitors — tree-lined streets, good cafes, and most of the city’s international restaurant scene. Polanco is upmarket, with luxury hotels and the Bosque de Chapultepec on its doorstep. Centro Histórico holds the Zócalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the ruins of the Templo Mayor. Coyoacán is calmer and more local-feeling, with the Frida Kahlo Museum and good Sunday markets. Xochimilco is where you take a trajinera (flat-bottomed boat) through the ancient canal network.
What to do
The Museo Nacional de Antropología is non-negotiable — it houses the Aztec Sun Stone and collections covering every pre-Columbian civilisation in Mexico. Allow a full morning. The Templo Mayor sits adjacent to the Zócalo; excavations are still ongoing and the site museum is excellent. Chapultepec Castle sits at the top of a forested hill inside the city’s main park and gives sweeping views of the city. For contemporary art, the Museo Jumex in Polanco is the best in the country.
Food
Mexico City has earned serious culinary credibility. For tacos, El Vilsito in Narvarte (open until the early hours) does superb tacos al pastor. Contramar in Roma is the benchmark for Mexican seafood. For mole, Expendio de Maíz in Roma Norte is outstanding. Street food clusters around Metro Insurgentes and along Avenida Álvaro Obregón. The city’s best mezcal bars are concentrated in Roma and Condesa.
Getting there and around
Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) handles most flights; the newer Felipe Ángeles Airport (NLU) takes some budget carriers. The Metro is inexpensive and covers most of the city, though carriages get crowded during rush hour. For shorter trips, the Metrobús (BRT) is faster. Taxis: always use Uber or Cabify — street taxis carry security risks. Altitude sickness (soroche) affects some visitors; take it easy for the first 24 hours and stay hydrated.
Day trips
Teotihuacán is 50 km northeast — an early start gets you ahead of the crowds at the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Taxco (three hours south) is a silver-mining colonial town good for a long day or overnight. Tepoztlán (90 minutes) is a smaller colonial town below a clifftop pyramid. Xochicalco (two hours) is a less-visited hilltop archaeological site with excellent sightlines and few tour groups.
When to go
October–April is dry season; May–September brings afternoon rain. December is busy around the holidays but atmospheric. March–April can see air quality issues during temperature inversions. For Día de Muertos (1–2 November), the city fills up weeks in advance — book accommodation early.