Culture, history, art, food, nightlife, Mexico City has something for everyone! Read about the top things to do when visiting this amazing city.
About Mexico City
With an astounding population of 21.3 million people and with an estimated 22% share of Mexico’s GDP, Mexico City is without a doubt the political, economic, and cultural center of the of the country.
Mexico City was founded on the remains of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Tenochtitlan was a flourishing metropolis complete with a government, trade, and even a sewer system. Amazingly, the Aztecs had created their city on an island in what was then the lake of Texcoco. The city was destroyed after the conquest of the Aztecs by the Spanish conquistadores and in its place the Spaniards built what is now Mexico City.
Top Things to Do
Take a tour of the Centro Histórico. If you are new to Mexico City, you will want to start at the city’s historic center. It includes multiple noteworthy stops such as Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palacio Nacional, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the Palacio de Correos.
The Zócalo is at the center of the Centro Histórico. From there the historic center extends in all directions for a number blocks. The UNESCO declared this area a World Heritage Site.
Go for lunch or dinner at the terrace of the Gran Hotel. You can get a spectacular view of the Zócalo and surrounding structures from the terrace of this beautiful hotel. You will also be amazed by the stained glass ceiling and ironwork elevator of the hotel.
Admire the Diego Rivera murals at the Palacio Nacional. Diego Rivera was busy painting murals all over Mexico City during his time. One of his most famous murals is at the entrance to the Palacio Nacional. This mural depicts the history of Mexico, including pre-Columbian times, the arrival of the Spaniards, the Revolution, and the present.
Pay a visit to the Templo Mayor Museum. The Templo Mayor was the main temple of the Aztec empire in the city of Tenochtitlan before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. The temple consisted of a large pyramid with two shrines located on top. One shrine was dedicated to Huitzilopochtli, god of war, and the other to Tlaloc, god of rain and agriculture.
After the conquest and eventual destruction of Tenochtitlan, the Templo Mayor and other structures were taken apart to build new structures in the Spanish colonial city. The exact location of the Templo Mayor was forgotten. It wasn’t until excavations in the 20th century that the remains of the temple were rediscovered.
The Templo Mayor museum includes multiple exhibits and thousands of pre-Hispanic artifacts. You can also get a glimpse of a mock-up representing what the old city of Tenochtitlan looked like before the arrival of the Spaniards.
Visit the Metropolitan Cathedral. Construction on the Cathedral started in 1573 and took nearly 250 years to complete. Today, it’s impossible to miss this imposing structure with its two bell towers ringing loud for all to hear.
Visit the museum inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The museum includes some impressive murals from Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquieros, and José Clemente Orozco. You can also plan ahead and attend a concert or other special event at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Catch a glimpse of the city at night from the top of the Torre Latinoamericana. This iconic skyscraper at the heart of Mexico City was at one point the tallest building outside the United States. Its height is 597 feet (181.33 meters) if the tip is included and has a total of 44 floors.
Get serenaded by mariachis at the Plaza Garibaldi. You can find many mariachi bands playing and looking for work at all hours of the day at Plaza Garibaldi. You can also catch dinner and a show at the Salón Tenampa or any of the other restaurant bars in the plaza. The Museum of Tequila and Mezcal is also located here and it is worth a visit.
Take a walk through the Paseo de la Reforma and visit El Ángel de la Independencia. This wide avenue was inspired by the avenues of Europe like the Champs-Élysées in Paris. It cuts diagonally across the city center and leads all the way to the a hill on which rests the Castillo de Chapultepec—an impressive building which has served as a military academy, imperial residence, presidential residence, and museum.
On the way to the Chapultepec Castle you will see various famous landmarks including the Ángel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence) and the Diana Cazadora fountain.
Fun fact: The word chapultepec is the nahuatl for “grasshopper hill”. This hill was a sacred site for the Aztecs.
Spend some time in the Museo Nacional de Antropología. The National Museum of Anthropology is the largest museum in Mexico. It includes various archaeological and anthropological exhibits from Mexico’s past. You cannot miss the Aztec Stone of the Sun, also known as the Aztec Calendar.
Visit Chapultepec Park and walk up to the castle. One of the biggest green spaces in the Western Hemisphere, the Forest of Chapultepec is the lungs of the city. In the center of the park is a hill with the Chapultepec Castle on top. Here you can also find the city’s zoo.
Visit the Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul) and Leon Trotsky museum in Coyoacán. You can also get some coffee and ice cream while walking the streets of Coyoacán.
Marvel at the Monumento a la Revolucion. The monument commemorates the Mexican revolution. Standing tall at 220 feet, it is considered the tallest triumphal arches in the world.
Visit la Basilica de Guadalupe in la Villa. Locally known as La Villa, the basilica is the national shrine to the Virgen de Guadalupe. Here you will find the cloak with the image of the Virgin Mary.
Ride a trajinera in Xochimilco. Xochimilco is characterized by its many canals which you can navigate on one of the many trajineras (boats). While on the trajinera you can order food or even request a few songs from the floating mariachi bands!
Spend some time the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco. The Tlatelolco archaeological site is in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas named in recognition of three distinct periods in Mexico’s history: pre-Columbian, Spanish colonial, and independent Mexico.
Visit Ciudad Universitaria. The main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM). Here you will find the Estadio Olimpico which hosted the 1968 Olympic games.
Take a tour of the Estadio Azteca. Soccer is the national pastime of Mexico and you can’t find a stadium more emblematic of soccer than the Estadio Azteca. Known as the Coloso de Santa Úrsula, this stadium can hold up to 87,000 people and is the largest stadium in the country. This was the first stadium to host two World Cup finals. Diego Armando Maradona and Pelé made their World Cup debut here.
Stroll through the center of Tlalpan. Tlalpan is like a pueblo magico inside the city. It’s charming central plaza is great for spending a weekend afternoon with the family.
Take a short drive to one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world, Teotihuacán. The site includes two huge pyramids and a great museum. You can read more about it in my list of top archaeological sites in Mexico.
Experience a professional wrestling match at Arena Mexico. You can’t visit Mexico City with out experiencing lucha libre at the Arena Mexico.
Least but definitely not last: tacos, tacos, tacos!
History, art, and culture is great, but what I love about Mexico City is the food! Especially the tacos! You can find a taco stand almost anywhere you go. Everybody has their favorite spot and really the best thing you can do is talk to a local for a recommendation, they usually know the best and most economical spots.
What did you think about the list of things to do in Mexico City? If you have been there before you probably have your own recommendations. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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Hi, I’m Iván García—I love to travel and photography. I’m big on road trips, just about anywhere in the world. I share information for people to reach truly great places. My goal is to inspire you to visit these places for yourself.
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I believe we have been to all these places! We love visiting Mexico City there is always something different to see and it is so full of culture. You did a great job on the post.
Thank you so much, Ruth! Huge compliment coming from you. CDMX was such a great experience. It’s definitely on the “must return, explore, repeat” list 👍🏼
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