Mexico City is massive! It’s the largest city in Mexico and one of the largest cities in the world! The city is so big that each neighborhood has its own unique personality. Having lived in Mexico for two years, we were really excited to finally get to explore Mexico’s capital city! This blog is a list of some of our favorite things to do in and around the Mexico City area. It’s a far cry from a comprehensive post, but if you only have a few days to explore the area, hopefully this can be a good place to start.
1. Teotihuacán Ruins
The first thing on my list isn’t even technically in Mexico City. But if you visit Mexico City it is definitely worth the 45 minute bus ride to the Teotihuacán Ruins. These 2,000 year old ruins are gigantic and full of history! One of the things that make these ruins so interesting is that not much is known about the people group that built these massive structures! These are some of the most impressive ancient ruins that we’ve seen! Well we almost saw. Unfortunately when we went to visit, the ruins were closed and opened up two days later! We were able to see the tops of the ruins from outside the gate, but it would be really amazing climbing up these massive structures! Getting to the ruins by bus is really simple. We read The Whole World Or Nothing’s blog and were dropped off right at the pyramid’s entrance!
2. Main Plaza (Metro Zócalo)
Visit this one area and you’ll get to see many of the cities top attractions. Standing in the center of the large Metro Zócalo, or main square, is a sight in itself. Within a short walk we could visit the Mexico City Palace, Cathedral, museum, supreme court, and ancient Aztec Ruins. It reminded me of the National Mall in Washington DC. It’s a great place to start in the sprawling Mexico City.
3. Palacio de Bellas Artes
Also in the neighborhood of Centro Histórico is the impressive building of Palacio de Bellas Artes. This is my favorite building because of its size and architectural detail! The inside houses a cultural center. There’s a theater, art, sculpture, and many other forms of art.
4. Angel of Independence
In the neighborhoods of Santa María La Ribera and San Rafael is the iconic Angel of Independence Statue. At 144 feet tall, El Ángel rests in the middle of a giant roundabout on Paseo de la Reforma. This area has lots of skyscrapers, museums, and is a short walk from Chapultepec Castle.
5. Chapultepec Park & Castle
Bosque de Chapultepec is the Central Park of Mexico City. (Just twice the size of it’s New York City counterpart!) In one section of the park is the castle, zoo, museums, and a great view of the iconic Angel of Independence. The massive castle has had many uses over its history, but is currently a museum for the public. Unfortunately it was closed when we were there, but it supposedly offers great views of the rest of the park.
6. Mariachi Bands in Plaza Garibaldi
For lunch we stopped by Plaza Garibaldi, which is famous for its mariachi bands. Choose any of the restaurants in the area and you may be serenaded by the iconic music. In areas like Cancun and Cabo, you can often hear mariachi bands playing around the resorts as more of a tourist experience. To me, sitting in Plaza Garibaldi, surrounded by locals listening to the music and enjoying their food, felt like a different experience. It’s a great place to relax and experience this Mexican musical tradition.
7. Avenida Presidente Masaryk in Polanco
Mexico City has some of the finest dining in the world! The neighborhood of Polanco is filled with upscale shopping and restaurants. We walked from the modern Soumaya Museum down Avenida Presidente Masaryk. There are endless amounts of luxury shops and upscale restaurants. One of the most famous restaurants Pujol is located just off of Avenida Presidente Masaryk.
8. La Condesa and Roma Neighborhoods
Em’s favorite neighborhoods were Condesa and Roma. There isn’t anything in particular that stands out as a must-see in these neighborhoods, but they are still with a visit! La Condesa and Roma are hip, stylish neighborhoods full of parks and restaurants. This was also the area where we stayed. It’s a safe neighborhood and perfect for strolling around (with a handful of churros of course =)
9. Exotic Foods in San Juan Market
We love visiting markets, but this market is definitely unique. Its biggest draw is its exotic foods. We saw everything from chocolate covered tarantulas to lion meat. We weren’t brave enough to sink our teeth into a tarantula, but we did try a chocolate covered scorpion. San Juan Market is unique but isn’t necessarily a typical Mexican experience. Also be aware that functioning meat markets are not for everyone.
10. Plaza Hidalgo in the Neighborhood of Coyoacán
Coyoacán is a charming neighborhood with cobblestone streets. It seemed like everywhere we turned there was a restaurant or market! It was also the home of many famous artists such as Frida Kahlo. We of course could help but grab some churros and hot chocolate while we were walking around Plaza Hidalgo.
11. Santa Fe
One of the newest, fastest growing neighborhoods in Mexico City is Santa Fe. About 10 miles southwest of the city center, Santa Fe is home to some of the biggest skyscrapers in the city. It is hard to believe that this modern area full of skyscrapers and shopping used to be a landfill!
12. Soumaya Museum
The unique, modern outside of this museum is probably even more famous than its contents inside. When we walked by we spotted at least 4 people posing for their personal photo shoots outside. So of course we had to join and take a couple pictures ourselves. ;) Located in the neighborhood of Polanco, the museum is a short distance from the shopping and restaurants of Avenida Presidente Masaryk.
13. Floating Gardens in Xochimilco
South of the city lies the area of Xochimilco. This is an area we really wanted to see but never made it to! Known for its canals called the Floating Gardens, here you can rent a boat and spend the day floating through the canals buying food from local vendors and being serrated by mariachi bands! Hopefully next time we will get to experience it!
14. Monument to the Revolution
The 220 foot Monument to the Revolution is a lot bigger in person than pictures do it credit! The monument was originally supposed to be the Federal Legislative Palace but wasn’t able to be completed due to the Mexican Revolutionary War. After the war ended, the started construction project was converted into a monument to remember the revolution. We walked here from the Angel of Independence. The area surrounding the monument is very modern and a fun area to explore.
Where We Stayed
Casa Carmelia (Condesa)
During our time in Mexico City we stayed in the neighborhood of Condesa. This was our favorite neighborhood we visited! It felt very safe and is full of restaurants, parks, and walking paths. We stayed at Casa Carmelia, a luxury boutique accommodation in the heart of La Condesa. Its location and ease of access make it perfect for short or long-term stays. The room was very clean and conveniently laid out.
Inside the property, there are several bedrooms along with a full-sized shared kitchen, dining room, and lounge area. We loved being able to walk to dozens of the surrounding restaurants, and it was really helpful being able to put our leftovers in the full-sized fridge for later! It is also a great place to meet fellow travelers! If you are looking for a place to stay, definitely check out Casa Carmelia in Condesa!
Where We Ate
I love food, but am far from an expert foodie. There are endless options for food here. From the fanciest Michelin-Star restaurants to incredible street food, Mexico City has it all. Mexico City is definitely a place worth doing some research on which restaurants you want to experience. There are several amazing blogs online for the best food in Mexico City.
While there wasn’t any particular restaurant that we ate at that I would say is a must visit, there were several areas that I loved. I loved walking through the streets in La Condesa and picking from the dozens of restaurants. The cobblestone streets of Coyoacán was a fun area to walk around while we downed some churros. The mariachi bands in Plaza Garibaldi made for a fun and unique experience. And of course eating a scorpion in San Juan Market is something I won’t soon forget.
How To Get To Mexico City
Mexico City is an incredible city to visit! If you’re planning a trip there, we recommend booking transportation to Mexico City through Bookaway. Bookaway sells online transportation tickets such as bus, ferry, and trains worldwide – so it’s super easy to book your transportation tickets through them and focus on planning the rest of your trip. They offer transportation to Mexico City from a variety of locations within Mexico!
