MEXICO CITY
TRAVEL GUIDE
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
-
Your credit/debit cards should be accepted in most places. However, most markets and street food vendors will only take Mexican pesos, so we recommend having some cash on hand
-
Ubers are readily available in Mexico City and are very cheap. We recommend using uber as a form of transportation to avoid dealing with parking
-
Weather should be nice and sunny, but afternoon rain is common at this time of year
STAY
La Condesa/ Roma Norte
-
Personally, our favorite Mexico City neighborhoods. They are located next to each other so grouped them together.
-
Roma Norte is a leafy neighborhood with great architecture and lots of hotels, Airbnb’s, and apartment rentals to choose from. It’s worth taking a walk along Alvaro Obregon, the neighborhood main street, and Orizaba Street to enjoy the beautiful architecture, restaurants, and cafes. Visit El Parian a little hidden street with shops, art stores and coffee shops.
-
La Condesa is one of Mexico cities trendier neighborhoods with amazing Art Deco architecture. Walk down Avenida Amsterdam and Avenida Nuevo Leon and enjoy the cool bars, restaurants, and coffee shops. Most places offer street-side seating which is a must to enjoy the views. Visit Parque Mexico and Parque España both located in this area.
Polanco
-
The “Beverly Hills of Mexico City” you can walk around this upscale neighborhood, eat gourmet food (the famous Pujol is located here) and shop. There’s lots of hotels and Airbnb to stay in. This area is very walkable and centrally located which makes it an ideal base to explore CDMX. The National Museum of Anthropology, Bosque de Chapultepec and the Chapultepec castle are all close by on Avenida Reforma, one of the mayor avenues of CDMX.
EXPLORE
Museum of Anthropology
One of our favorite museums located in Polanco. It’s filled with Mexican history dating all the way back to the Mayan’s and Aztecs. The museum contains significant archaeological and anthropological artifacts from Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage, such as the Stone of the Sun and the Aztec Xochipilli statue. The Museum is closed on Mondays.
Bosque Chapultepec/ Chapultepec Castle
A city park that is massive, and has it all - the city’s museums, botanical gardens, amusement parks, and lakes with boats for rent. Walk around the park and you’ll get to the Chapultepec castle a beautiful castle filled with history and views of the city.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
A prominent cultural center in Mexico City. It has hosted notable events in music, dance, theatre, opera and literature in Mexico and has held important exhibitions of painting, sculpture and photography.
Zocalo/ Centro Historico
Mexico city’s city square. Prior to the colonial period, it was the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms Square", and today its formal name is Plaza de la Constitución
Catedral Metropolitana
Sitting at the heart of the historic center, the sinking Catedral Metropolitana is an unmissable Mexico City sight. It is the oldest cathedral in Latin America and is made from the stone of a Mesoamerican pyramid and took three centuries to build.
Frida Kahlo Museum & La Casa Azul
The beautiful blue house was once the home of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Located in Coyoacan, this museum offers a glimpse into their life and art
Mercado de Coyoacan
In this market you can find anything from food to artisanal baskets. You can visit this market for really good street food (especially the tostadas) and local food products.
Xochimilco
Located on the south end of the city, the Xochimilco canals are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The canals form a vast network of highways built by the Aztecs. Take a trajinera boat ride enjoying music and cocktails.
Lucha libra
For a fun night go see a Mexican wrestling match. Here you’ll see incredible performances by Mexican luchadores in amazing costumes. You can get tickets to the events in advance. There are a couple arenas to watch lucha libre including Arena Mexico and Arena Coliseo. Arena Mexico offers luchas on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Arena Coliseo offers shows every Saturday.
Teotihuacan
Located about an hour outside of Mexico City, Teotihuacan is home to ancient Mexican pyramids. In an effort to preserve the pyramids, they are now closed for hiking however you can take a hot air balloon ride and enjoy the pyramids from above. I recommend going during the week to avoid crowds.
EAT
Restaurants
Mexico is known for its amazing food. Here is a list of restaurants that we enjoy as well as some that were recommended to us by family and friends from Mexico. All restaurants are different varieties of Mexican food including tacos. Ana’s favorite dish is tacos al pastor a Mexico City staple!
El Cardenal
Entremar
El Guardiana
Porfirio’s
El Cambalache
Quintonil
Azul Historico
San Angel Inn
Contramar
Carmela y sal
Costa Guadiana
La onda (tacos)
El charco de las ranas (tacos)
El farolito (tacos)
Don Manolito (tacos campechanos)
Tacos El Huequito
Mercado Roma (food market)