SIX REASONS YOU’LL LOVE MEXICO CITY
Mexico City is a destination that’s love at first sight. You won’t need to look for things to do here with the endless museums, art galleries, trendy bars, delicious food and ancient Aztec ruins all throughout the city. As the largest Spanish speaking city in the world, Mexico City can be daunting for even the most experienced traveler, but once you find your way – you’ll never want to stop exploring the heartbeat of Mexico’s Capital.
Mexico City has become more popular in recent years, and it seems as if everyone is in on all the cultural experiences this city has to offer its guests. I bet you didn’t know that Mexico City ranks as the city with the second-highest number of museums in the world (right after Paris)!
Or, if you’re a foodie, Mexico City has over 40,000 restaurants from Michelin star restaurants to taquerias! Your hardest part isn’t finding food, it’s deciding what to eat!
For a weekend getaway to Mexico City here are the experiences you won’t want to miss!
1. Fly in a Hot Air Balloon over the Teotihuacan Pyramids
See the historic Teotihuacan Pyramids from the best view you could imagine- from the sky! Don’t pass up on this unique experience. Hot air balloons are so relaxing, and I love seeing the world from a new perspective.
I highly recommend choosing Flying Pictures Mexico for your hot air ballon adventure. Flight time in your balloon is around an hour. You’ll be picked up on your way to the pyramids early in the morning (pickup is usually around 5AM) to ensure that you’re up in the air for sunrise. The pyramids are around a 50-minute drive outside of Mexico City.
The Teotihuacan Pyramids (aka the City of the Gods) date back to 100 BC. It’s comprised of three main ruins: the Moon Pyramid, Sun Pyramid and Temple of Quetzalcoatl. The Sun Temple alone is the third largest pyramid in the world!
Tour Company | Flying Pictures Mexico
Cost Per Person | $145 USD
2. Explore Mexico City’s Museums
With hundreds of museums, there’s no way you could see all of them in just a weekend trip! For your first visit I recommend the Museo Nacional de Antropologia and the Museo Frida Kahlo.
National Museum of Anthropology
The design of the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Museum of Anthropology) museum is truly spectacular. The center fountain in the courtyard has a giant “umbrella” like waterfall which is supported by a single pillar that seems to defy gravity.
The most popular piece in this museum is the Aztec Sunstone. It’s become the modern-day emblem of Mexican culture.
Admission | $3.50 USD
Hours | Tuesday – Sunday 9AM to 7PM. Closed on Mondays.
Museo Frida Kahlo
The Museo Frida Kahlo has become a must see in Mexico City attracting visitors from around the world who want to try and understand a little more about the fascinating life of the artist Frida Kahlo.
The museum is also known as “Casa Azul”, or the blue house, named after the color of the walls. This building was the birthplace of the artist and the home in which Frida grew up. She lived here with her husband, and fellow Mexican artist, Diego Rivera for several years, and eventually died in one of the upper rooms.
Popover Tip: Lines for this museum are notoriously long! Be sure to buy your tickets in advance online to avoid waiting a long queue.
Entry Fee | $10.50 USD
Hours | Tuesday-Sunday 1000-1800
3. Discover the Best Churros in Mexico City
Churrería El Moro
Welcome to the Cafe du Monde of Mexico City. What beignets are to the Big Easy, churros are to Mexico City! Stop in the oldest churrería in the city, Churrería El Moro, and watch the cooks dip, fry, roll, and sugar coat these mouthwatering churros.
Your order of churros (just 20 pesos) comes with a cup of hot chocolate for dipping.
Bite into a hot churro and sip on a cafe con leche, or one of Churrería El Moro’s famous hot chocolates and watch the world go by you. These churros are made fresh when you order them, and they’re open 24 hours a day.
Hours | Open 24 hours
4. Visit Mexico City’s Iconic Landmarks
Palacio de Bellas Artes
As a UNESCO heritage site, Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is possibly one of the most beautiful buildings in Mexico City. You’ll immediately notice the beautiful yellow domes at the top of the building. To enter, you’ll need a ticket to the museum, and you can only visit the theatre if you’re watching a performance.
The building is used as a concert hall for operas, ballet and symphony performances. You can find art exhibits on the inside including paintings created from Diego Riveria.
The Zolaco
The Zolaco, or the Plaza de la Constitution, is one of the world’s largest city squares. You can’t miss it once you see the massive Mexican flag waving at you in the center of the square. It’s bordered by the Palacio National (the Presidential Palace), the baroque Cathedral Metropolitana, and government offices.
5. Eat at a Local Taqueria
In Mexico City, you can trip and fall and truly stumble on the best taco of your life. Trust me when I say that you really haven’t really eaten tacos until you’ve been to Mexico City.
El Tizoncito
El Tizoncito continues to hold their crown for one of the best tacos al pastor (marinated pork flavored with various spices and pineapple). Tacos al Pastor have become a staple of Mexico City. Watch chefs skillfully shave meat and pineapple into tiny corn tortillas, then add your own onions, cilantro and salsas to complete this masterpiece of a taco that will truly blow your mind!
Hours | Sunday- Saturday 12:00PM -3:30AM
Contramar
If you’re a lover of good seafood, look no further than the Pescado al Pastor tacos at Contramar in the Condesa neighborhood. Contramar has a beach-like vibe with marine murals and white tablecloths with seafood focused dishes. Contramar is one of the most popular places in Mexico city for both tourists and locals alike.
If you’re an adventurous eater, I challenge you to try the pescado a la talla. One side of the butterflied snapper is covered in a red spice rub, while the other half is smothered in a green, parsley-heavy salsa. The grilled fish is served with tortillas on the side- allowing you to the perfect opportunity to build your own fish taco from the freshest ingredients.
Hours | Sunday through Thursday, 12 to 1830 and Friday and Saturday, 12 to 2000
6. Splurge on a Luxury Hotel in the Heart of the City
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City
The Four Seasons Mexico City has a perfect location near the Chapultepec park with walking distance to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia. As always, the Four Seasons has incredible hospitality and their Mexico City location has a tranquil courtyard that is truly stunning.
The Four Seasons Mexico City has one of the most acclaimed bars in the city, a charming secret garden and excellent on-site restaurants (Il Becco for dinner and Zanaya for breakfast), there’s no better hotel option for the perfect Mexico City weekend getaway.
Safety in Mexico City
It’s my opinion that most people have the wrong impression about Mexico City. Usually the two words that come to mind when someone hears Mexico City are crime and pollution. I’m not disagreeing that there are areas certainly to be avoided, but to shy away from a city all together because of an impression you have is limiting your opportunities for learning more about such a beautiful culture.
I’d recommend you research thoroughly what neighborhoods you want to visit and be mindful of your surroundings. Like most major cities, the areas with high crime and poverty and the areas typically visited by tourists do not have much overlap. Always be mindful of your belongings to prevent any pick pocketing temptations.
Transportation Safety in Mexico City
Transportation will be your biggest concern you need to be mindful of while visiting Mexico City. Uber is going to be your best resource for an efficient and safe ride. Be mindful though not all of your drivers will speak English. It’s also a good idea to contact your hotel to see if they offer any pick-up, or drop-off services to/from the airport. We used Uber all throughout our trip, and despite not speaking any Spanish we didn’t run into any challenges.
Final Thoughts on Mexico City
It’s hard not to love a place with so much history and culture. However you choose to spend your time in Mexico City, I promise it will be memorable. Don’t bypass a chance to visit this under-the-radar hidden gem of a city!
Have you been to Mexico City, or has this post inspired you to go? What’s one thing about visiting Mexico City that excites you the most?
Mexico has been on my list forever! I hope I can get there soon. I like the sound of all these recommendations, definitely sounds like my style. Thanks for putting together such a great guide!
I was recently in South America. However, my initial plan was to start from Mexico and then make way through Central and finally South America. But had to skip all of that due to shortage of time. Now, I am back in India and it costs a fortune to fly there! But I am literally always on the lookout to find a good flight deal! All your tips are amazing, I am saving your post for later.
This post is full of surprises for me – there’s so much to see and do here!! The balloon ride looks spectacular . Also in general you’ve got such a clean website and beautiful photos . I’m pinning for future reference when I eventually get to Mexico!
I love these shots! I would love to visit Mexico City and have dessert for breakfast 🙂
Oh this makes me want to go! I’ve never been but I need to check out this amazing city!
Taco is one of my favorite foods so I definitely need to go to Mexico city!! And I didn’t know they have hot air ballooning! Wow you make me want to book ASAP!
I’ve always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon!! And over pyramids?! I’m about it
You had me at churros. Seriously looks fabulous. I want to go next great. Thanks for this great post!
That hot air balloon ride sounds amazing! Hoping to visit Mexico City soon and would definitely try that!
oh my gosh I am now craving churros!! Your description of them is sooo delicious! All these tips are great, I love how you’ve added little popover tips to help everyone out
I have been longing to go to Mexico City for a long time and I hope to make it true this winter. I absolutely agree with you, most places are not dangerous for tourists. You just have to keep stay alert and use your street smarts while you travel.
Floating over the Teotihuacan pyramids while eating deep-fried, sugar-coated mouthwatering long spindly churros sounds like my type of holiday 😉 Enjoyed reading the post!
Definitely not what I expected from Mexico! Especially the pyramids, everything looks so beautiful, I’ll definitely be visiting Mexico city!
Brilliant post with amazing photos to accompany it. Those tacos from the authentic taqueria has made me hungry. They look delicious. I have pinned this post for later use.
Omg, Mexico City looks amazing! All these are very interesting. I’ll definitely go for the food first. The Churros made me salivate and of course the tacos. I’m in for the hot-air balloon too. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.
Sounds like an amazing place to spend Summer even just for a couple days. Will definitely be looking out for cheap plane tickets to Mexico hehe.
I didn’t know Mexico is high on crime, I believed it’s a city of many museums & safe, at least that’s what I heard. I am an art lover, would definitely pop on as many museums as possible. Apart from that I am a big fan of Mexican food, and will surely try the churros from the oldest outlet.
Would love to do the hot air balloon ride!
Riding the hot air ballon over the Teotihuacan Pyramids would be my top thing to do in Mexico city. All of the five things mentioned here sound so much fun. Would love to visit someday.
I would love to experience the Hot air balloon flight over the Teotihuacan Pyramids 🙂 I would definitely enjoy breathtaking aerial views of the Teotihuacan zone and the Sun and Moon pyramids !! And last but not least I would not missed to eat at an authentic taqueria… Real delicious tacos … Now I get my mouth watering 🙂
Ah! A hot air balloon ride over ancient pyramids at dawn would be an experience of a lifetime! I’d also like to visit the National Museum of Anthropology; the collection looks impressive.
Fabulous guide! I feel reassured that Mexico isnt as dangerous as i have been led to believe – just be careful not to mix up in the wrong part of town. Good advice!
I just did a balloon ride in the Serengeti, would love to do one here!
So glad I found this post! I am currently road-tripping through Baja California, my first encounter of Mexico and oh my goodness are you right about not knowing what a real taco is until you have been to Mexico… needless to say I can’t wait to get to Mexico City! I don’t know how on earth I’m going to work through over 40,000 restaurants but I’m definitely going to give it a good crack! Tip 3, having dessert for breakfast will lo doubt help my endeavor.
Great tips!!
This all looks fantastic! I mean how could anyone not love flying over ruins!? Although I don’t think I’d want to skip the walking tour… getting up close would be really fun too!
All that food sounds amaaazing too!!
Feeling so inspired! Saved this for when I go one day!
I adore Mexico City, I can’t wait to go back and try the hot air balloon trip!
I have never been to Mexico and something always holds me back even though I am literally 5 hours away driving. Your guide is so helpful. I just might change my mind!
I hope you can add it to the top of your list! I would probably recommend flying to Mexico City though as the traffic there can be so crazy!
Churros for breakfast, you say? Sign me up, please! Great guide! Mexico has been on my list forever, and this is giving me massive FOMO and wanderlust. The hot air balloon ride looks amazing!
So glad you enjoyed it! It really was such an incredible city! You can find great deals on hotels and flights there too! Let me know if you ever go and want more tips!
the float over sounds so fun!! great idea.
Joy at The Joyous Living
Yum! Now I want tacos. Definitely a great guide for what to do.
Wow! What lovely pictures and insights on the beautiful city of Mexico. It makes me wanderlust. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Keep travelling and writing such beautiful posts.
I love these ideas! Having dessert for breakfast is probably my favorite lol I can’t wait to get to Mexico City one day!
Great blog! I can’t wait to return to Mexico City in a couple of weeks! Happy traveling!
I’m so happy you’re going! Feel free to reach out to me if I can give you any other tips! Have a taco for me!
Gosh, Mexico City looks so pretty, and so interesting. I’d love to eat dessert for breakfast (even though being a coeliac I would not be able to have churros), and actual tacos and and and.. And the air balloon! Yes please! 🙂 I’m inspired now! Thank you! #gltlove
They have amazing coffee there too! It’s just a good place to people watch. The hot air balloon is so magical! Let me know if you ever go!
Would love to go to Mexico City. Those Churros look soooo good!
They are amazing! I love the decor of the shop too!
Those churros look amazing! This makes me want to go to Mexico City!
They are the best! You have to get the hot chocolate with them! Delicious!
This is fantastic! Heading to Mexico city in the near future and will have to make sure I take this along. 👊
I’m so happy to hear that! Let me know if you ever need any tips when you start the planning! 🙂
Hey Linnea – just wanted to reach out and say thank you for these tips. returned from Mexico City a few hours ago. Though, I did not hit every one of your suggestions, we did book with Flying Pics and take the balloon tour over the Teotihuacan Pyramids!!! 👊 Weather related delays (with balloons are a factor) backed us up a couple of days, but well worth the wait. 😊 No problems – we used the extra time to climb the pirimide de sol 🌞 to the 🔝 Thank you!!!
Hey Rudy! This makes me so happy! I’m so glad you loved your trip! Aren’t the pyramids stunning in the morning?! I’m so glad you loved Mexico City as much as I do!
Mexico City is so high on my bucket list. I’m definitely keeping this article handy for when I travel back to Mexico. 🙂
This was such an informative post. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. The pictures are stunning! I had the same misconception about the safety so thank you for clarifying that. I will add this to my list of places to see!
OMG you had me at churros and hot chocolate lol! I love Mexico but have only ever been to Cancun and Tulum. I am dying to go back!
I love this! I had no idea that you could do a hot air balloon ride there. How beautiful 😍
I want to visit Mexico since so long! I am glad you gave us so many tips here. And the food looks so good: that guacamole and those churros!!!
That hot air balloon ride looks insane! Gorgeous photography. I’ve only ever been to Tulum but would love to visit Mexico City one day!
I hope you can! I would love to visit Tulum one day too!
I haven’t made it to Mexico City yet, but I am really dying to go. Especially after reading this! Your photos are beautiful and I agree with everything – I’d love all these things about Mexico City.
Thank you Meghan! I hope you can go one day!
This looks so much fun. For one I’ve always wanted to take a hot air balloon ride! And that view! Also fresh churros might just be the best thing ever
Beautiful photos! I have always wanted to do a hot air balloon ride, and now I want to even more! I was just in Mexico- in Tulum & Cancun, but would love to go back and check out Mexico City now, too. You bring such vibrance to it, and great tips! Excited to click through to some of your other posts now….
Thanks so much Daphne!
This looks like such an incredible experience, I can’t wait to go to Mexico! (I’m going to a different area but I have to admit the hot air balloon over the Teotihuacan Pyramids looks like bucket list stuff!)
Definitely bucket list worthy!
I’ve visited Mexico several times, but I have never been to Mexico City. But, wow! There’s so much to eat, so much to see! Your beautiful photos captured it all! From fresh guacamole to hot air balloon ride this is the perfect inspiration to start planning my trip. Do you have any food recommendations for the vegan traveller?
That’s a great question! They have available options there, but I’ll admit it’s not as common as you may find in other countries.
I want to eat that churros! 🙂
They were amazing!
Wow – I never knew Mexico had pyramids! Your story has been an eye opener to me, and has definitely piqued my interest in traveling to Mexico City. Thanks.
You’re so welcome! The pyramids there are stunning!
I’ve always wanted to go to Mexico, but I’d never actually thought of going to Mexico City haha! This post has made me want to go there, especially to go in a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids and go Fridato the museum!
Thanks Jasmine! It’s such a beautiful place!