Highlights of Mexico City
Mexico’s capital city is home to more than 20 million people and enough restaurants, museums, and parks to keep almost all of them happy. Whether you want to dive deep into the history of the pre-Hispanic cultures that came from this region or you want to eat your weight in tacos, Mexico City has a little something for everyone.
1. The Zocalo
Mexico City’s Zocalo, or main square, is home to some of the city’s richest history. It’s the location of the original Aztec city, Tenochtitlan, and you can still see remnants of this ancient civilization at Templo Mayor.
In addition to the ruins and museum at Templo Mayor, the Zocalo is also home to the national palace, a building which has been the seat of government since the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Bring an ID to access the interior of the museum where large-scale murals painted by Diego Rivera can be found.
The Metropolitan Cathedral draws the most visitors. It’s free to explore the interior and once a day visitors can pay 40 pesos to explore the depths of the crypt.
2. Pyramids of Teotihuacan
The Pyramids of Teotihuacan are about an hour north of the city center, but can be easily visited by public bus from the Northern Bus Terminal or by booking a tour that picks you up from your hotel in the downtown area.
The pyramids are one of the only sights around Mexico City that is open 365 days a year and it costs 75 pesos per person to enter.
The main path of this ancient city is known as The Avenue of the Dead. At one end, you’ll find the Pyramid of the Moon which stands 141ft. Visitors can climb roughly halfway up this pyramid for views over the valley.
The larger of the pyramids, the Pyramid of the Sun, stands at 213ft and you can climb all the way to the top and get a small idea of what this kingdom must have looked like when it was at its height home to over 100,000 people.
Read more: How to spend the perfect weekend in Mexico City
3. El pastor tacos
There aren’t many Mexican foods that actually come from Mexico City, but the humble pastor taco makes that claim.
The taco, made from marinated pork and cooked on a spit much like a shawarma, is a fusion of Lebanese culture and Mexican cuisine, and it makes for one of the most delicious few bites you can have in Mexico.
While many in the city debate with or without pineapple, the two places in the city that claim to have created this delectable taco shouldn’t be missed.
El Huequito in the Centro Historico is on the no pineapple team while El Tizoncito in Condesa stands firm on the pineapple version of the pastor taco.
4. Anthropology Museum
If there’s only time for one museum while visiting Mexico City, the Anthropology Museum should be it.
This is a great place to start any trip to Mexico City where visitors can learn about the history of this country as well as the different indigenous groups that influenced the culture you find in Mexico today.
Read more: Best Mexican restaurants in Mexico City
5. Chapultepec Park
Chapultepec Park is the largest city park in the Western Hemisphere and once inside you’ll discover a plethora of activities to keep you busy.
The park is home to the National History Museum which also happens to be inside the only castle in North America where actual royalty has lived.
Chapultepec is also home to the city’s main zoo, which is free to enter, the Natural History Museum, the Children’s Museum, and two lakes where you can rent a paddle boat and get out onto the water.
6. Folkloric Ballet
This show is one of the best in the city and can be viewed either inside the Palace of Fine Arts or outside the Chapultepec Castle if you are visiting during the Christmas season.
The Folkloric Ballet is a collection of the most famous dances from around Mexico including local dances from the states of Jalisco, Guerrero and Veracruz.
The costumes are specific to each dance and region where the dance comes from and the choreography has been perfected after over 70 years of performances.
Read more: Quick guide to Mexico City's best neighborhoods
7. Frida Kahlo Museum
Frida Kahlo has become a symbol of Mexico City in recent years and her house is now one of the most visited museums in the country. Pre-book your tickets to skip the line and explore the place where she was born and lived with Diego Rivera until she died.
If you enjoy the Frida Kahlo Museum, you may also enjoy exploring the studio where Diego and Firda worked, the Anahuacalli Museum full of their collections of pre-hispanic art, and the College of San Ignacio of Loyola Vizcaínas where Diego and Frida first met and where you can see Diego’s very first mural in Mexico, the Creation.
8. Xochimilco
The colorful trajineras of Xochimilco have long been on the must-do list of tourists in Mexico City, but there’s another side to this historical region of the city that doesn’t include micheladas or mariachi bands.
The chinampas of Mexico City are all that remains of what the Aztecs created when they arrived in this region of the country. The entire city used to be one big lake and the Aztecs built islands inside of it where they lived, farmed, and worshiped.
While most of the water in Mexico City was slowly drained by the Spanish, Xochimilco remained untouched and today local farmers are continuing this ancient tradition in order to create food for the city and save the strange-looking axolotl, a type of salamander native to these waters.
Read more: Finding Frida: Mexico City through the eyes of an icon
9. Visit one of the world’s top 50 restaurants
In between all of the street food and pastor tacos, visitors to Mexico City can also enjoy dining at restaurants that rank as some of the best restaurants in the entire world, and you can do it for a fraction of the price it would cost elsewhere in the world.
Pujol and Quintonil are the two restaurants in Mexico City that consistently make this list and for good reason. Their menus combine Mexican ingredients and culinary traditions with a modern and fine-dining twist.
You may also like:
Top 14 free things to do in Mexico City
Where to find artisan-produced textiles in Mexico
Where to celebrate Día de Muertos in Mexico
Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox with our weekly newsletter.