Top 20 Things to Do in Mexico City – Local Approved
Mexico City is full of activities for cultural immersion, foodies, history buffs, and more. When planning our trip, we consulted family, friends, ChatGPT, and had our final itinerary “peer-reviewed” by a local, because we wanted to make sure we didn’t miss a thing! We spent a total of 4 days and 5 nights in the city (full itinerary coming soon) and tested out all the top activities to give you the TOP 20 THINGS TO DO IN MEXICO CITY. Buckle up, because this city is quite the adventure you don’t want to miss.
Google Map of Mexico City
As with all of our travel destinations, we bookmark everything in Google Maps; see our Travel Maps page for the full list of destinations. Check out the one below for Mexico City:
Food and Drink of Mexico City
First things first, the best way to enjoy any city and its culture is through its food. Mexico City is the foodie’s dream city. It has the perfect blend of super cheap (I’m talking $1 USD tacos!) to fine dining (sadly, no Michelin star restaurants, which is a crime..). But, did you know Mexico City has 2 of the Top 10 Restaurants in the world? More on that later.
1. Enjoy the Street Food of Mexico City
- Hours of Operation: Daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm – ish
- Price: $15+ pesos (~$1+ USD)/piece
- Recommended Time: 30 minutes
- Reservations: n/a
One of the top things we recommend doing in Mexico City is enjoying the street food. Street food is available at almost all hours of the day, though you’ll find more between the hours of 9am – 5pm. The time of day also impacts what food is available. In the morning you’ll find chilaquiles and breakfast tacos (huevos/eggs and papas/potatoes). In the middle of the day you’d better go for some al pastor tacos.
To avoid food poisoning, you’ll want to make sure all the meat is cooked, and avoid anything that’s been sitting out all day (you’ll see people shooing away flies). You can expect to pay $1-2 USD/taco or food item. Try to pay in exact change, as sometimes they don’t give you your change back.
2. Eat Al Pastor Tacos
- Hours of Operation: varies, afternoon through evening
- Price: varies, $1-10 USD
- Recommended Time: varies, 15 minutes to 1 hour
- Reservations: n/a
This activity may or may not cross over with street food, depending on where you go. But, if you’re non-vegan, you must try some al pastor tacos before you go. Our Mexican friend, Armand, claims you cannot find these anywhere in the United States, so you must have them when you’re in Mexico.
For legitimate al pastor, you must find the rotating marinated meat by the taco stand or in the restaurant. It should look like the picture above. Or, you can just head over to a Taqueria Orinoco, a chain around the city. It was so good, we went back for seconds the next day. The line is worth it. Get the gringo special, it won’t disappoint.
3. Enjoy Some Mexico City Fine Dining
- Hours of Operation: varies, but typically lunch through dinner
- Price: $4000 pesos or ~$250 USD/person
- Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
- Reservations: Yes – far in advance
Mexico City has some of the best fine dining options in the world, we would argue it rivals with Chicago and New York. Though they have yet to claim a Michelin Star (which is a shame), 2 of Mexico City’s top restaurants have consistently ranked in the The World’s Best 50 Restaurants. If you have the budget and would appreciate the experience, we highly recommend booking a reservation FAR IN ADVANCE for a tasting menu. We booked Quintonil almost 2 months in advance because Pujol was completely booked. The experience cost us ~$8,000 pesos or ~$500 USD for 2 people, and was one of our top activities (and Sylvia’s favorite) in all of Mexico City.
The reason this experience ranks to highly on our list, is because the fine dining experience was culturally immersive relative to the fine dining experiences we’ve had in Chicago. In Chicago, most fine dining restaurants we’ve visited our New American. Though exquisite, the experience at Quintonil had a perfect blend of exquisite tastes, while paying homage to the cultural foods of many regions of Mexico. Including ants and crickets!
If Pujol and Quintonil are out of your price range, there are other fine dining restaurants that offer a la carte menus. Try Amaya, Merotoro, or Maximo Bistrot.
4. Eat Churros
While churros are believed to have originated on Spain or Portugal and made their way over to Mexico, it’s still a very popular treat in Mexico and should not be missed. In fact, we found a place that made them so fresh and so well, we went twice. You can find them on the streets, but we preferred watching ours get freshly made at El Moro.
5. Mezcal Tasting
When is Rome, as they say. When in Mexico, you should try some Mezcal. Whether it’s in a drink (like a palamo or other Mezcal-based drink) or you join a Mezcal tasting tour, if you drink alcohol, add it to your bucket list.
Day Trips and Experiences
6. Take a Guided Tour of the Teotihuacan Pyramids
- Hours of Operation: Daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Ticket Price: 85 Mexican pesos (approx. 4 USD), more for guided tours
- Recommended Time: Half a day
- Reservations: not required for general entry, recommended for guided tours
For Teotihuacan, we highly recommend a guided tour. Firstly, because you have to get there and its an hour northeast of the city. Secondly, because there’s not enough signage to get you enough information on the site and all the nuances (like the fact that what you see is mostly rebuilt and your guide will point out where they messed up. If there is any excursion you do in Mexico City, this should be top of list. You can also see some Aztec ruins in the Templo Mayor, but Teotihuacan is like walking through an entire ancient city, not just a museum and ruins.
Protip: we recommend visiting the National Anthropology museum before visiting Teotihuacan to enhance your experience.
7. Catch a Lucha Libre Fight at Arena Mexico
- Hours of Operation: Check the schedule for wrestling events
- Ticket Price: Varies depending on the event
- Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
- Reservations: buy them on ticketmaster in advance
When I (Sylvia) planned our Mexico City trip, I told Satish we were going to a Lucha Libre fight and his jaw just dropped. And, to no ones surprise, this was Satish’s favorite experience in all of Mexico City. I mean, an authentic Lucha Libre fight, in Mexico City? How cool is that?
Buy your tickets in advance via ticketmaster and go to the Arena Mexico as its right in the city. Get there about 30 minutes early to find your seat and purchase your snacks. Know that the usher’s helping you find your seat will expect tips, and the aisles are constantly crowded with people walking in late and vendors trying to sell you chips and beer.
8. Enjoy a Boat Ride in Xochimilco
- Hours of Operation: Open daily
- Ticket Price: $600 pesos/hour for an entire boat, or varies depending on the tour you book
- Recommended Time: minimum of 3 hours, half a day
- Reservations: not required unless you’re joining a full tour
I’m not sure how to describe this experience other than, this was really, really cool. We were told by one of our guides that Xochimilco is popular for a weekend lunch amongst local families. Families get together at the port, split a boat amongst themselves, and bring food to share. Basically a huge family picnic on the water!
As a tourist, you basically rent a boat and meander down a canal with all the other colorful boats. There are some cool food tasting tours you can book online, but with our timeline through Mexico City we opted to show up and just rent a boat to ourselves for an hour. There are options to rent boom boxes, have a mariachi band join you on the boat, and more. When you rent the boat it comes with someone to drive/paddle it, don’t forget to tip them at the end!
While you meander through the canal, there will be smaller boats with food vendors, offering elotes (street corn), tacos, drinks, and even a mariachi song. Your driver will stop at any vendor you like – bring cash!
To get to Xochimilco, its about a $25 USD Uber ride for a 1 hour drive, each way. Some tours may offer transportation as well.
Museums
9. National Museum of Anthropology
- Hours of Operation: Daily from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (closed Mondays)
- Ticket Price: 90 Mexican pesos (approx. 5 USD)
- Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
- Reservations: not needed
The National Museum of Anthropology is by far the most famous museum in Mexico City, and should not be missed. It’s incredibly affordable, given it has over 6 different exhibits to visit, including some that go outside.
Protip: visit the museum before you visit Teotihuacan, it will help give context as there are replicas in the museum.
10. Templo Mayor
- Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Ticket Price: 75 Mexican pesos (approx. 4 USD)
- Recommended Time: 1-2 hours
- Reservations: not needed
The Templo Mayor, similar to the National Museum of Anthropology, holds relics and replicas of the Aztec empire, but the museum is built around the ruins of one of the pyramic-like structure. It’s also a bit smaller than the National Museum of Anthropology, which makes it easier to fit into a day exploring the Centro Historico.
11. Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)
- Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Ticket Price: 230 Mexican pesos (approx. 11 USD)
- Recommended Time: 1-2 hours
- Reservations: required (book early)
Definitely one of the more sought and harder to get into museums, the Frida Kahlo museum is something you definitely don’t want to miss. Make sure you buy tickets in advance, they were sold out when we went to book and unfortunately we were unable to go inside.
12. Museo Soumaya
- Hours of Operation: Open all week (one of the only top museums open Mondays), from 10:30 am-6:30 pm
- Ticket Price: Free
- Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
This was the last museum we did in Mexico City. While it wasn’t our favorite, it is definitely a famous art museum that you don’t want to miss. It includes works from Salvador Dali and Diego Rivera. Despite being museum-ed out for the weekend, we loved the layout – a long spiraling ramp that goes from floor to floor. Each floor is dedicated to a different genre or time period of art. And, the ramp makes it accessible to wheel chairs. Also, it’s free and the outside of the building looks incredible!
Landmarks
13. Catedral Metropolitana
- Hours of Operation: Open every day
- Ticket Price: It’s free!
- Recommended Time: Spend about 1-2 hours
- Reservations: n/a
Despite having been all over Europe and seen an unending number of churches, the Catedral Metropolitana did not disappoint. This church is HUGE and covered in gold. Plus, it’s free and its a cold place to escape from the heat. It’s also conveniently located near the Templo Meyor and historical square, which we also recommend visiting.
14. Chapultepec Castle and Park
- Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Ticket Price: 80 Mexican pesos (approx. 4 USD)
- Recommended Time: 2-3 hours
- Reservations: can’t buy tickets online
Located at the top of a hill in Chapultepec Park or Bosque de Chapultepec, this castle and museum is definitely something you don’t want to miss. It was less about the museum for us, and more about the rooms, decor, architecture, gardens, etc. You’ll also want to spend some time strolling through the park. There’s always vendors selling snacks and street food.
Protip: on Sundays, Mexican residents get free admission into museums, so they are much more crowded!
15. Mirador Torre Latinoamerica
- Hours of Operation: Open daily
- Ticket Price: ~$180 pesos or $10 USD
- Recommended Time: Spend about 1-2 hours
- Reservations: not needed, but go on a weekday if you can to avoid long lines
We didn’t expect this one to make our top 20, but were pleasantly surprised by this experience. Like most major cities with skyscrapers, this would be the Mexico City version of the Eiffel Tower, CN Tower, Space Needle, Sears (Willis) Tower, etc. It was only $10 usd/person to get to the top, and you get to see Mexico city from above. The view of the city with the mountains in the distance is spectacular, as is the view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes from above.
We had no line when we went on a Friday afternoon, but we’ve heard there can be lines, so it might be worth booking tickets in advance for weekend visits. There is also a bar in the tower you can go to instead, with a slightly lower view and average drinks.
16. Palacio de Bellas Artes
- Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
- Ticket Price: Varies depending on the event/exhibition
- Recommended Time: 1-2 hours
Prepare to be dazzled at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a haven where art, music, and theater harmoniously blend. Marvel at the exquisite architecture while indulging in breathtaking performances or losing yourself in thought-provoking exhibitions. We enjoyed the Palacio from the outside, but depending on the day you’re visiting, there could be an exhibit, ballet, opera, etc.
Neighborhoods of Mexico City and Areas to Explore
17. Coyoacรกn Neighborhood
- Hours of Operation: Open daily
- Ticket Price: Free
- Recommended Time: Half a day
Besides being home to the Frida Kahlo museum, the Coyoacan Neighborhood has it’s own set of landmarks, churches, parks, monuments, squares, and restaurants to explore. There is so much to do in this neighborhood, it was by far our favorite neighborhood to explore in all of Mexico City. While we were there, we enjoyed tostados at the market, street food, stumbled upon an artisan fair and tasted some delicious coffee laquour, and marveled at the colorful buildings. Spend at least a half a day here and put it high on your list!
18. Zรณcalo (Main Square of Mexico City)
- Hours of Operation: Open daily
- Ticket Price: Free
- Recommended Time: 1-2 hours
If your’e going to visit Mexico City, you have to stop by Zocalo, the main square, and center of the historical buildings of Mexico City. You’ll walk by plenty of street vendors on the way, enjoy the older buildings and cobblestone streets, and get to see the outside of the National Palace and Catedral Metropolitana. It’s free, it’s somewhere you’ll walk by on the way to other top sites, and it helps you get your steps in! Next to the Catedral and the Templo Mayor, you’ll also find performances of ancient rituals.
19. Bike Down Avenue de la Reforma
Similar to Avenida Amsterdam, Avenue de la Reforma has a biker/pedestrian path in the middle of the road. And, the road leads straight to a huge monument. If you’re looking for a cool Mexico City experience, though, the whole street shuts down on Sundays and everyone grabs a bike and bikes down the avenue. Get your bike early or reserve one from a rental shop as they will book out on the streets.
20. Shop and Eat in a Mercado (Mercado de la Ciudadela)
- Hours of Operation: Open daily from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
- Ticket Price: Free
- Recommended Time: 1-2 hours
There are a ton of Mercados, or markets, around Mexico City full of souvenirs, artwork, tshirts, and, best of all, food. Mercado de la Ciudadela is maybe on of the more popular ones for souvenir shopping. Since we’re not big on souvenirs, we also recommend grabbing a snack or meal at a market. We loved the tostados at the Coyoacan Market, for example.
That wraps up our list of top 20! Stay tuned for our Mexico City itineraries and more!
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