Mexico City Travel - Best places to eat and visit

Ciudad de México (CDMX), an immense city that offers its visitors an endless number of experiences to discover. Among the delicious food, variety of cultural plans, beautiful architecture, and the pulse of the chilangos (inhabitants of CDMX), Mexico City will always have something new to discover no matter how long you stay.

Top experiences in Mexico City CDMX

1. Explore the Historic Center

We start early in the day to live one of the best experiences in CDMX, visiting the historic center. The journey begins in Parque Alameda Central. This large park is full of trees, fountains, and benches. An ideal place to clear your mind and get ready for the beautiful places to visit. After walking for a while in the park, we start the day’s adventure by visiting the first museum, the Museum of Popular Art, a couple of blocks from the park.

The Museum of Popular Art is a great introduction to Mexican culture, through everyday objects. Decorations, masks, toys, clothing, and more, all a window into the beliefs and values of the Mexican people. In the exhibitions, you can see the alebrijes, sculptures of mystical and colorful animals. Although the current version of the alebrijes was popularized in the 20th century thanks to the work of Pedro Linares López, in different pre-Hispanic cultures there was already a version of these mystical animals. In Zapotec mythology, each person is born accompanied by a spiritual guide and protector in the form of an animal, which accompanies you throughout your life.

After visiting the Museum of Popular Art, the next destination to visit is the Palace of Fine Arts. This palace is one of the most beautiful buildings in Mexico City, if not the most beautiful. Equally impressive as the exterior is the interior, where you can enter by paying an entrance fee. If you are a student, remember to bring your student ID with you, so you can receive discounts on the entrance fee.

Inside the palace, you can see the beautiful marble used in its construction and the spaciousness of its spaces. On the different floors of the palace, you can find small exhibitions and murals, but the most impressive of all is Diego Rivera’s mural on the top floor. “Man in the Crossroads” is a work with many details and meanings regarding human civilization. In this mural, it is easy to spend a long time admiring the details and discovering its meanings. It is highly recommended to search for the meaning of each of the symbols to understand the message that Diego Rivera wanted to convey with his work, or if you are lucky, you can join a guided group and listen to some of the explanations. This mural was originally commissioned for the Rockefeller Center in New York, but given its anti-capitalist message, it was destroyed, and then recreated by Diego Rivera at the Palace of Fine Arts.

After visiting the Palace, it’s time to walk around the historic center and absorb the passing of people, historic buildings, and eat some antojitos along the way.

If you’re hungry at this point, I recommend two typical places to eat something and continue the journey. If you don’t mind walking a couple more blocks, the place to try is El Huequito. El Huequito is known for having some of the best tacos al pastor (pork marinated in chilies, spices, pineapple, and achiote, cooked and roasted on a vertical rotating spit) in Mexico City. I recommend that you order tacos al pastor, either to eat standing outside or inside at the restaurant’s tables. Either way, you will feel how special these tacos are from the first bite when all their flavors are discovered in the mouth. The tacos here cost a little more than normal, but they still have a good price. As one person said while we were eating outside: “Look, mom, gourmet tacos!”

If you don’t want to walk to El Huequito, near the Palace of Fine Arts, there is also a famous restaurant, Taquería Tlaquepaque. Here you can try Guadalajara’s flagship dishes, such as birria. Birria is a goat stew, marinated and cooked slowly with vinegar, chilies, garlic, and spices, and accompanied by onion, cilantro, lemon, spicy salsa, and tortillas. Although El Huequito seems much better to us, you can also eat here and on the way back, stop by El Huequito.

After recharging energy with a good meal, it’s time to continue walking around the historic center. For this, we can return to the Palace of Fine Arts and visit the Postal Palace. This palace, whose entrance is free, is divided into two sections. The first, where postal service is still provided, and the second to visit and know the ground floor of the building. It is a short visit, but the palace inside is beautiful, with many details to admire and explore. There is also a small museum where the history of postal mail in Mexico is exposed.

Next to the Postal Palace, you can also see the Plaza de Manuel Tolsá, the Palacio de la Minería, and the National Museum of Art, which we only saw from the outside.

Afterward, walk two blocks down to Avenida Madero, to walk along this pedestrian avenue full of all kinds of shops and many people. Walk along this beautiful and busy avenue towards the Constitution Square, the immense central square of Mexico City, also called Zócalo. In the square, you can see several of Mexico City’s most iconic sites, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Palace, and the Templo Mayor Museum.

In the imposing Metropolitan Cathedral, what we liked the most was entering the section where the church’s organ is, which is immense and impressive.

On the other hand, the National Palace houses the offices of the President of Mexico. From the main balcony of the palace, on September 15th, the president performs the commemorative cry of independence to an immense audience of chilangos (locals of Mexico City), Mexicans, and visitors.

On the right side of the Cathedral, looking at it from the front, you can find the Templo Mayor museum. Templo Mayor was one of the most important temples of Aztec culture, who called themselves Mexicas. In the location of the Templo Mayor is where the Aztecs are believed to have seen the symbolic eagle on a cactus devouring a serpent, a sign prophesied by the god Huitzilopochtli to indicate that this was the center of the universe. It is this symbol of the eagle devouring the serpent that is depicted on the flag of Mexico.

During the Spanish conquest, the temple was destroyed, and its materials used for the construction of the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was only after 1979 when workers in a construction site found an 8-ton stone disk, sculpted with the goddess of the moon Coyolxauhqui, that the government decided to clear the area of colonial buildings and excavate. You can enter the Templo Mayor Museum or observe part of the ruins from a free elevated bridge, which is what we did.

After a cultural afternoon, it’s time to enjoy some of the most representative dishes of Mexico City. For this, return along Avenida Madero towards the Palace of Fine Arts, enjoying the commerce and passing of people again. The destination? The famous taco stand Los Cocuyos, open 24 hours a day. This taco stand, embedded in a small space in the wall, and where you eat standing, is the best place to try suadero tacos.

Suadero is beef, traditionally flank steak, cooked and slowly confit in oil in a chorizo pot, a pot that looks like a hat.

After ordering your suadero tacos, be sure to add lemon, cilantro, and a little spicy sauce, but not too much so as not to ruin it if you’re not a big fan of the spice! Enjoy here one of the best tacos in Mexico City.

But leave room in your appetite for the next destination, one of our favorite spots in all of Mexico, Churrería El Moro. Forget everything you may or may not know about churros and get ready to taste almost perfection in churro form.

Starting in 1933 as a churro cart, this classic establishment now has locations in Condesa, Polanco, and Roma, among many others, but the first and most traditional, the one we recommend you go to, is in the historic center. At El Moro’s, coils of long churros constantly come out of a bathtub of oil, and here in the center, they are sold as fast as they are made.

You can buy your churros to go, but we recommend sitting at one of the tables and ordering an order of churros with traditional Mexican hot chocolate, and perhaps extra chocolate sauce for the churros.

After eating at Los Moros, another highly recommended stop is to try pulque at Pulquería Las Duelistas. Pulque is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of maguey sap. Pulque is a drink with a history as old as indigenous cultures, but only now is it being sought to revive the popularity of this drink.

Pulque is a drink with very particular characteristics. Viscous, a little slimy and sour, it may not be for everyone, but it’s worth at least trying, and at Las Duelistas, you’ll find an atmosphere that is almost as particular as the drink. Here you will find an eclectic mix of travelers and locals of all kinds. With its walls painted with graffiti, a jukebox of music, and barrels of pulque of different flavors, spending time here is a unique and very fun experience.

If you still have a craving for delicious food and have not been to El Huequito Taquería before on this walk, now is the time to try the delicious tacos al pastor.

The last stop on this visit is the La Ciudadela Crafts Market. Here you will find a large market full of Mexican handicrafts. It is not only fun to get lost in the aisles seeing all the handicraft products they sell, but it is also the ideal place to find gifts and souvenirs of Mexico of all kinds.

Visited places:

Central Alameda Park
Museum of Popular Art
Palace of Fine Arts
El Huequito Taquería
Postal Palace
Madero Avenue
Constitution Square
National Palace
Metropolitan Cathedral
Templo Mayor
Los Cocuyos
Churros El Moro
Las Duelistas Pulqueria
La Ciudadela Handicrafts Market

2. Chapultepec Forest

Chapultepec Forest is the perfect plan to be close to nature, enjoy a calm day and visit some of the best museums in Mexico City.

Ideally, this experience begins not in Chapultepec Forest, but nearby, at the Angel of Independence, on Reforma Avenue. The Angel of Independence was built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Inside the monument are the remains of 14 important heroes of independence, including Miguel Hidalgo, Jose Maria Morelos, and Ignacio Allende.

After admiring the Angel, continue walking along Reforma Avenue towards the Puerta de los Leones entrance of Chapultepec. On the way to the entrance, enjoy this wide avenue with its parks, tall and modern buildings, many trees, and art exhibitions.

Once at the Puerta de Los Leones, enter Chapultepec Forest park. Chapultepec Forest is a green park of almost 7 km², and inside you can find museums, lakes, and monuments. Among the most recommended places inside the forest are the Monument to the Children Heroes, the Chapultepec Castle, and the National Museum of Anthropology.

The Monument to the Children Heroes is a tribute to 6 young cadets between 14 and 19 years old who died defending the castle of Chapultepec, at the time a military academy, in September 1874, during the Mexican-American War.

After visiting the monument of the children heroes, continue walking along the green paths of the park until you reach the entrance of the Chapultepec Castle. Here you will find a high hill where you can climb to visit the Castle. The Chapultepec Castle began its construction in 1785, and since then it has served for multiple purposes: as a resting place for viceroys of Spain, military college, imperial and presidential residence, and currently, as a museum. Inside the museum, you can find multiple exhibitions related to military history and the castle, but the best thing about visiting this museum are the panoramic views of the city.

After visiting the castle, continue walking through the park towards the National Museum of Anthropology, perhaps buying an antojito to eat on the way from the many food stalls on the park’s paths.

The National Museum of Anthropology is perhaps one of the most recognized and recommended in Mexico City, for its large size and impressive historical artifacts. The great rock art works, sacred totems, and the impressive Aztec Stone of the Sun are some of the exhibitions that we liked the most.

Visited places:

The Angel of Independence
Reforma Avenue
Chapultepec Forest
Monument to the Children Heroes
Chapultepec Castle National Museum of Anthropology

3. Condesa and Roma Neighborhoods

After several days of walking and sightseeing, it’s time to slow down and enjoy a leisurely walk without much to do, enjoying the day and the atmosphere, and what better plan for this than the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods, a couple of pleasant and quiet neighborhoods with parks and shops to explore and taste.

Start this quiet day at Parque México, where you can recharge your energy around tall trees, a lake and green paths. When you want to continue, the next plan is to explore the Mercado Medellín, a couple of blocks from the park. In this colorful market, you can find Mexican products of all kinds, such as spices, traditional sweets and even piñatas, among other products that are usually found in a market.

Although it may be tempting to eat something here, and I wouldn’t blame you if you feel like it, the next place to visit and try is one of the best tacos we ate in Mexico City. The destination is Taquería Orinoco, a few blocks north of the Market.

Taquería Orinoco is recognized among travelers and locals for its successful Monterrey-style tacos. Here, the dish to try is the chicharrón tacos. The place itself is very nice and pleasant, especially at the outside tables. To order, go to the entrance.

If you order several tacos, these usually come with cambray potatoes and roasted onion, but the accompaniments we liked the most were the sauces. Every taco order includes five sauces with different levels of spiciness, tzatziki (natural yogurt with cucumber, lemon and garlic), cilantro with lemon, roasted árbol chili red sauce, piquín chili red sauce and serrano chili green sauce. They are all delicious, but our favorites were the cilantro with lemon and the roasted chili árbol.

Taquería Orinoco can get very crowded during peak hours, so we recommend going at less common hours to eat.

After eating some delicious tacos, continue enjoying a leisurely walk along Avenida Álvaro Obregón (the same one where Taquería Orinoco is located), walking east, towards Centro Cultural Casa Lamm. At Casa Lamm, you can find different free art exhibitions. After visiting Casa Lamm, cross the avenue to visit the Café and Bookstore, “Cafebrería” El Péndulo Roma. Here you will find an excellent selection of books in Spanish and English, in a nice and cozy place.

If you feel like having coffee, this is a good place to have it. But if you prefer some delicious churros with chocolate, continue walking down the Avenue to one of our favorite spots in Mexico City, Churrería El Moro. If you haven’t tried the churros with chocolate from El Moro in the center yet, make sure to stop here, even if it’s just for one churro, which is never enough.

In contrast to the center location, Churrería El Moro in Roma is modern and minimalist, with white tiles everywhere and blue accents. Order your churros at the cash register and sit at one of the tables to enjoy these delicious churros. If you go during regular hours to eat, you may have to wait a bit, but they are worth it if you haven’t tried them before.

This walk ends at Plaza de Río de Janeiro, a beautiful and quiet square, where you can rest for a while, enjoy nature and continue exploring other places in Condesa and Roma if you wish.

Places visited:

Parque México
Mercado Medellín
Taquería Orinoco
Centro Cultural Casa Lamm
“Cafebrería” El Péndulo Roma
Churrería El Moro
Plaza de Río de Janeiro

Map of places to eat and visit in Mexico City

If you use Maps.me or Organic Maps, you can download the map of places to eat and visit in Mexico City here and import it into these applications to use their offline map functions.

Best places to eat in Mexico City

Alameda Central and Historic Center:

⭐️ El Huequito / $ / Google Maps

Open since 1959, El Huequito is recognized in Mexico City for having some of the best tacos al pastor (pork meat marinated in chilies, spices, pineapple, and achiote, cooked and roasted on a vertical spit). The name El Huequito comes from both the size of the place and the Mexican saying of eating the last bit to fill the little hole that remains in the stomach.

Hours: Monday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

⭐️ Los Cocuyos / $ / Google Maps

To try one of the best signature dishes of Mexico City, the Suadero tacos, what better place than the famous stand of Los Cocuyos. Open 24 hours a day, Los Cocuyos, embedded in a small space on the wall where you eat standing, is the best place to try the Suadero tacos, beef, traditionally over the belly, cooked and slowly confit in oil in a choricera, a pot that looks like a hat.

Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours, Tuesday: Open 24 hours, Wednesday: Open 24 hours, Thursday: Open 24 hours, Friday: Open 24 hours, Saturday: Open 24 hours, Sunday: Open 24 hours

⭐️ Churrería El Moro - Historic Center / $$ / Google Maps

Since its beginnings in 1933 as a churro cart, Los Moros has produced delicious and long churros covered in sugar or cinnamon, along with delicious hot chocolates of different thickness and sweetness. Despite having multiple locations in Condesa, Polanco and Roma, the most traditional and recommended is the one in the historic center. At Los Moros del Centro, coils of long churros constantly come out of a bathtub of oil, and are sold as fast as they are made. Buy your churros to go or sit inside and accompany your churros with a hot traditional Mexican chocolate, and perhaps extra chocolate sauce for your churros.

Hours: Monday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Thursday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Friday: 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Saturday: 7:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Sunday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM

⭐️ Pulquería Las Duelistas / $ / Google Maps

At Pulquería las duelistas you will find an eclectic mix of travelers and locals of all kinds. With its walls painted with graffiti, a music jukebox, and barrel pulque of different flavors, spending time here is a unique and very fun experience.

Hours: Monday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sunday: Closed

Taquería Tlaquepaque / $ / Google Maps

Traditional taquería, famous for its dishes from Guadalajara. If you haven’t been to Guadalajara, this is the best place to try the famous birria, goat stew marinated and cooked slowly with vinegar, chilies, garlic, and spices, and accompanied by onion, cilantro, lemon, spicy sauce, and tortillas.

Hours: Monday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Café El Popular / $ / Google Maps

Traditional café with two locations next to each other near the zocalo. In its quiet atmosphere, you can have a good coffee with milk along with a variety of rich traditional sweet breads of all kinds. It is a good place to get away from the crowds of people you can sometimes find in the center.

Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours, Tuesday: Open 24 hours, Wednesday: Open 24 hours, Thursday: Open 24 hours, Friday: Open 24 hours, Saturday: Open 24 hours, Sunday: Open 24 hours

Roma and Condesa:

⭐️ Taquería Orinoco / $$ / Google Maps

Taquería Orinoco is recognized among travelers and locals for its exquisite Monterrey-style tacos. Here, the dish to try is the chicharrón tacos. The place is nice and pleasant, especially at the outdoor tables. Every order of tacos includes five sauces with different levels of spiciness, tzatziki (natural yogurt with cucumber, lemon, and garlic), cilantro with lemon, roasted chili de árbol red sauce, piquín chili red sauce, and serrano chili green sauce. All are delicious, especially the cilantro with lemon and the roasted chili de árbol. Taquería Orinoco can be very crowded during peak hours, so we recommend going at less common hours to eat.

Hours: Monday: 1:00 PM – 3:30 AM, Tuesday: 1:00 PM – 3:30 AM, Wednesday: 1:00 PM – 3:30 AM, Thursday: 1:00 PM – 4:00 AM, Friday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 AM, Saturday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 AM, Sunday: 1:00 PM – 3:30 AM

⭐️ Tamales Madre / $$ / Google Maps

Modern establishment that seeks to redefine the concept of traditional tamales. With individual outdoor tables and a beautiful community table inside where you can sometimes see the preparation of the tamales. The menu is small, but each dish is worth trying. Among our recommendations are the Mole and Macho Plantain Tamale and the Bean and Hierva Santa Tamale.

Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

⭐️ Carnitas el Chulo / $ / Google Maps

Delicious Michoacán-style tacos. After passing by this taco stand several times and seeing the number of people eating here, we decided to try it. Needless to say, this place became one of our favorites in Roma. Its tacos are filled with plenty of meat. The house recommendation is the giant Chamorro tacos and gorditas, calf of pork cooked in a broth with spices, juicy and very flavorful.

Hours: Monday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Churrería El Moro - Roma / $$ / Google Maps

In contrast to the Los Moros location in the center, Churrería el Moro in Roma is modern and minimalist, with white tiles everywhere and blue accents. Order your churros at the cashier and sit at one of the tables to enjoy these delicious churros. If you go during regular meal times, you may have to wait a bit, but they’re worth it if you haven’t tried them before.

Hours: Monday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Thursday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Friday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Saturday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Sunday: 7:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Mercado Medellín / $ / Google Maps

Colorful market where you can find all kinds of Mexican products, such as spices, traditional sweets, and even piñatas, among other products that are typically found in a market.

Hours: Monday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Best food to try in Mexico City

⭐️ Tacos al pastor

Pork tacos with influences from Lebanese migrants. Pork meat marinated in chili, spices, pineapple and achiote, cooked and roasted on a vertical rotating spit. Served with cilantro, onion, lime and small pieces of pineapple. Where to eat: El Huequito

⭐️ Suadero

Beef meat, traditionally flank steak, cooked and slowly confit in oil in a choricera, a pot that looks like a hat. Where to eat: Los Cocuyos

⭐️ Churros

Fried dough in strips, covered or filled with usually sweet ingredients such as sugar, cinnamon sugar, chocolate, among others. They are also generally accompanied by a hot drink such as coffee or chocolate. Where to eat: Churrería El Moro - Centro Histórico

Tamales

Corn dough filled with vegetables or meat, and cooked in steam in banana leaves or corn husks. The tamale fillings may vary depending on the region. Where to eat: Tamales Madre

Chamorro

Juicy pork shank cooked in a broth with spices. Where to eat: Carnitas el Chulo

Pulque

Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of the sap of the maguey. Pulque is a drink with a history as ancient as indigenous cultures, but currently its popularity is being revived. Pulque is a drink with very particular characteristics. Viscous, a little slimy and sour. Where to eat: Pulquería Las Duelistas

Best places to visit in Mexico City

Alameda Central and Historic Center:

⭐️ Palace of Fine Arts / $ / Google Maps

This Palace of Fine Arts is one of the most beautiful buildings in Mexico City. Both the exterior and interior are equally impressive. Inside the palace, you can see the beautiful marble used in its construction and the spaciousness of its spaces. On each floor of the palace, you can find small exhibitions and murals, but the most impressive of all is Diego Rivera’s mural on the top floor. The man at the crossroads is a work with many details and meanings regarding human civilization. This mural was originally commissioned for the Rockefeller Center in New York, but given its anti-capitalist message, it was destroyed and later recreated by Diego Rivera in the Palace of Fine Arts. If you are a student, remember to bring your student ID to receive a discount on admission.

Schedule: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Saturday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sunday: 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM

⭐️ Museum of Popular Art / $ / Google Maps

The Museum of Popular Art is a great introduction to Mexican culture through everyday objects. Decorations, masks, toys, clothing, and more, all a window into the beliefs and values of the Mexican people. Within the exhibitions, you can see the alebrijes, sculptures of mystical and colorful animals very popular in Mexican culture.

Schedule: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Alameda Central Park / Free / Google Maps

A large park full of trees, fountains, and benches. It is very nice to walk through this park, especially with all the movement of people and traffic that can be in Mexico City, it is an ideal place to relax and clear your mind. Near the park, there are several museums, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum, the Museum of Memory and Tolerance, the Palace of Fine Arts, and the National Museum of Art.

Schedule: Monday: Open 24 hours, Tuesday: Open 24 hours, Wednesday: Open 24 hours, Thursday: Open 24 hours, Friday: Open 24 hours, Saturday: Open 24 hours, Sunday: Open 24 hours

Postal Palace / Free / Google Maps

This palace is divided into two sections. The first, where postal service is still provided, and the second to visit and learn about the ground floor of the building. It is a short visit, but the palace inside is beautiful, with many details to admire and explore. There is also a small museum where the history of postal mail in Mexico is exhibited.

Schedule: Monday: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, Thursday: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, Friday: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM, Saturday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM, Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Constitution Square / Free / Google Maps

Huge central square of Mexico City, also called Zócalo. In the square, you can see several of the most iconic sites in Mexico City, such as the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Palace, and the Templo Mayor Museum.

Metropolitan Cathedral / Free / Google Maps

In this imposing metropolitan cathedral, the best plan is to enter to admire its architecture. Among what we liked the most was entering the section where the church organ is located, which is immense and impressive. After the destruction of the Templo Mayor, its materials were used to build the cathedral. When the Aztec Stone of the Sun was rediscovered in 1970 during repairs to the Cathedral, the stone was placed on an external side of the church as an exhibition until 1885.

Schedule: Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Madero Avenue / Free / Google Maps

Pedestrian avenue full of all kinds of shops and many people. This pretty avenue connects the Palace of Fine Arts with the Constitution Square.

Templo Mayor / $ / Google Maps

Templo Mayor was one of the most important temples of the Aztec culture, who called themselves Mexicas. It is believed that it was at the location of Templo Mayor where the Aztecs saw the symbolic eagle on a cactus devouring a snake, a signal prophesied by the god Huitzilopochtli to indicate that this was the center of the universe. It is this symbol of the eagle devouring the snake that is depicted on the Mexican flag. During the Spanish conquest, the temple was destroyed and its materials used for the construction of the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was only after 1979, when workers at a construction site found an 8-ton stone disc, carved with the goddess of the moon Coyolxauhqui, that the government decided to clear the colonial buildings and excavate the area. You can visit Templo Mayor by entering the museum or by observing part of the ruins from an elevated bridge for free, which is what we did.

Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Palacio Nacional / Free / Google Maps

The National Palace houses the offices of the President of Mexico. From the main balcony of the palace, every September 15th, the President gives the commemorative cry of independence to an immense audience of “chilangos” (locals of Mexico City), Mexicans, and visitors.

⭐️ Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela / $ / Google Maps

Great market full of Mexican handicrafts. It’s not only fun to get lost in the aisles looking at all the handmade products they sell, but it’s also the ideal place to find gifts and souvenirs of Mexico of all kinds.

Hours: Monday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Thursday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Friday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Saturday: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Sunday: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Bosque de Chapultepec y Reforma:

El Ángel de la Independencia / Free / Google Maps

The Angel of Independence was built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of the War of Independence in Mexico. Inside the monument are the remains of 14 important independence heroes, including Miguel Hidalgo, Jose María Morelos, and Ignacio Allente.

Paseo de la Reforma / Free / Google Maps

Wide avenue with many trees, roundabouts, parks, art exhibitions, and tall, modern buildings. On Sunday mornings, the avenue becomes a bike path, where vehicle access is closed to allow pedestrians and cyclists to travel along the avenue. On the bike path, it is possible to rent bikes, free of charge, with identification at various stands along the avenue.

⭐️ Bosque de Chapultepec / Free / Google Maps

Bosque de Chapultepec is a green park of almost 7 km², and inside you can find museums, lakes, and monuments. Among the most recommended places inside the forest are the Monument to the Niños Héroes, the Castle of Chapultepec, and the National Museum of Anthropology.

Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Wednesday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Thursday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Friday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Saturday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sunday: 5:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Monumento a Los Niños Héroes / Free / Google Maps

Tribute to 6 young cadets aged between 14 and 19 who died defending the Castle of Chapultepec, at that time a military academy, in September 1874, during the Mexican-American War.

Castillo de Chapultepec / $ / Google Maps

The Castillo de Chapultepec began construction in 1785 and has since served multiple purposes: as a rest house for Spanish viceroys, military college, imperial and presidential residence, and currently, as a museum. Inside the museum, you can find multiple exhibitions related to military history and the castle, but the best part of visiting this museum are the panoramic views of the city.

Museo Nacional de Antropología / $ / Google Maps

The Museum of Anthropology is perhaps one of the most recognized and recommended in Mexico City, due to its large size and impressive historical artifacts. The great works of rock art, the sacred totems, and the impressive Aztec Sun Stone are some of the exhibitions that we liked the most.

Hours: Monday: Closed, Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Sunday: Closed

Roma y Condesa:

Centro de Cultura Casa Lamm / Free / Google Maps

At Casa Lamm, you can find different free art exhibitions.

Hours: Monday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Thursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Friday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Parque México / Free / Google Maps

Quiet park in the Roma neighborhood with tall trees, a lake, and green paths.

Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours, Tuesday: Open 24 hours, Wednesday: Open 24 hours, Thursday: Open 24 hours, Friday: Open 24 hours, Saturday: Open 24 hours, Sunday: Open 24 hours

Cafebrería El Péndulo / $$ / Google Maps

Nice and cozy place with an excellent selection of books in Spanish and English. If you feel like having coffee, this is a good place to have it.

Hours: Monday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Thursday: 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM, Friday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 AM, Saturday: 8:00 AM – 1:00 AM, Sunday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Plaza Río de Janeiro / Free / Google Maps

Beautiful and quiet square, where you can rest for a while and enjoy nature.

Hours: Monday: Open 24 hours, Tuesday: Open 24 hours, Wednesday: Open 24 hours, Thursday: Open 24 hours, Friday: Open 24 hours, Saturday: Open 24 hours, Sunday: Open 24 hours