Mexico City is a sprawling, perpetually lively city. Home to 22 million people, it’s a hub of activity and excitement and you won’t experience a single dull moment.
What you do in Mexico City will depend on your own interests. There is so much to do there that you have no chance of being bored.
So, rather than specifying what I think you should do, I’ve set out a few brief suggestions below, along with some practical tips. This is obviously a non-exhaustive list but hopefully it gets your Mexico City research going!
Getting around Mexico City
First some practicalities. You’ve got various options for getting around:
Walking
Walking around Mexico City is doable, and it’s my preferred method of getting around a city. But it’s a bit of a challenge. It’s a large city so you can find yourself walking quite long distances. More importantly, it’s not only very car-centric but the general standard of driving is pretty erratic, so you have to be very careful when crossing the road!
Public transport
Other than walking, the cheapest way to get around Mexico City is by bus or metro. If you want to use public transport in Mexico City, download the CityMapper app which will show you live times and prices. You’ll need to buy a prepaid card and scan this when you get on the bus or train.
Taxi
The easiest way to get around Mexico City is by taxi. I used Uber and it was surprisingly affordable.
Now on to what to do when you’re in Mexico City.
Museums
Mexico City is packed full of museums so you could fill your entire time here with museums if you like. Here are three I particularly recommend:
Museo Nacional Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology)
The Museo Nacional Antropología was my favourite museum in Mexico City. It explains Mexico’s history from prehistoric times to the Mexican occupation of areas of what is now the USA. It also has a lot of exciting visual exhibits, including some very convincing replicas of various Mayan and Aztec temples.
The information in the museum is mainly in Spanish but each room has a helpful summary in English. In fact, it’s probably a good thing there wasn’t as much information in English because I’d probably still be there reading the information plaques now – there’s so much to see and learn!
The museum is in the Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City’s biggest park, so have a walk around that before or after your museum visit.
Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is in the city centre. Even if you’re not especially into art, the building itself is, as its name suggests, palatial and worth seeing. On the outside, its distinctive orange domed roof is a key feature of Mexico City’s skyline. The inside of the Palacio de Bellas Artes will awe you with its very shiny marble walls and staircases. The permanent art collection is well worth a visit, especially the entire floor of murals. Diego Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads is particularly worth a look.
Frida Kahlo Museum
Finally, visit a museum dedicated to one of Mexico City’s most famous inhabitants: the artist Frida Kahlo. The Frida Kahlo Museum is a little out of the way in the district of Coyoacán, where Kahlo lived and died. It showcases Kahlo’s art and provides information about her life as one of Mexico City’s best-known and most beloved inhabitants.
The wider Coyoacán district is also nice to wander around. I particularly liked its food and craft market and its lovely main square.
Historical centre of Mexico City
Venture into the very centre of Mexico City and be prepared for chaos. There’s movement everywhere you look and you’ll be overwhelmed by all the sounds and smells of the busy streets.
Walk around the Zócalo (main square) and duck into the cool, dim cathedral for some peace and quiet. Interestingly, Mexico City is sinking so the lines in the cathedral aren’t quite straight. It took us a while to notice this and it’s easy to think you’re going mad when you do!
Ruins
What would a trip to Mexico be without visiting some ancient ruins?
The nearest ruins to Mexico City are at Teotihuacán. This was once the largest city in the Americas and what remains of it is three large and several smaller square-based pyramids along a wide avenue. Read my full blog post about visiting Teotihuacán for more information about the history of the place and the logistics of getting there.
If you decide to go to both Teotihuacán and the National Museum of Anthropology, I recommend visiting the museum first. There is lots of information about the different gods celebrated by Teotihuacán’s inhabitants, so what you see at Teotihuacán puts the museum’s information into a visual context.
Food
Mexican food is one of my favourite world cuisines. Simple fare yet carefully flavoured, you can eat tacos, quesadillas and burritos for days in Mexico City.
In my view, the best area for food in Mexico City is La Condesa. Whether you want a light brunch, a fancy dinner or simply a nice cup of coffee, you are spoilt for choice in this district.
You’ll also find taquerías all over the place. Something I loved about Mexico was how many makeshift grills and taquerías there are at the side of the road, where people sit at the few chairs or stand around chatting to eat their tacos. You must try a taco from one of these side-of-the-road taquerías in Mexico – if not in Mexico City then perhaps in the smaller city of Oaxaca.
Enjoy Mexico City!
Hopefully my tips above help kick-start your planning. And I hope you enjoy your trip to Mexico City!
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