Choose from 51 Fun Things to Do in Mexico City
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Stretching 150 feet (45 meters) above street level, the building sparkles with 16,000 honeycombed, aluminum hexagons, which reflect sunlight and appear to float. While Plaza Carso in the Polanco neighborhood is the museum’s main location, an older, second location at Plaza Loreto dates back to 1994. Between the two, the volume of art is staggering, offering Avant-Garde classics among its hundreds of sculptures. Thanks to its stunning design, the museum is often included in Mexico City's architecture tours.
Torre Latinoamericana
Built in 1956, the Torre Latinoamericana was once Latin America’s tallest building. And while it’s weathered a handful of major earthquakes, the Torre is no longer the region’s most towering skyscraper (that title belongs to a building in Argentina). Still, impressive city views from the 44th-floor observation deck, strong drinks at the 41st floor lounge and a well-curated museum that showcases the history of the city make this architectural beauty worth checking out.
Travelers say the Torre Latinoamericana offers some of the most breathtaking views around, but it’s best to wait for ideal weather conditions (and days when city smog is under control), otherwise there’s little to see from the Torre’s observation deck.
Practical Info
Torre Latinoamericana is located at Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 2, near the Ballas Artes metro stop. It’s open daily from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. and admission costs about M$70 for adults and M$60 for children. Admission is free to those visiting the bar.
Address: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 2, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06000, Mexico
Admission: Adults: $M70; Children: $M60
From $ 11
Teotihuacan Pyramids
Overview
Known as the City of the Gods, Teotihuacán was the metropolis of a mysterious Mesoamerican civilization that reached its zenith around AD 100. Once the largest city in the region but abandoned centuries before the arrival of the Aztecs, Teotihuacán boasts towering pyramids and stone temples with detailed statues and intricate murals.
The Basics
Designed according to an astronomical orientation, Teotihuacán was given its name, which means “birthplace of the gods,” by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztecs well after its collapse around AD 550. It was one of the largest urban centers in the region during its heyday, organized along a grid pattern. Today a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though less visited than other archaeological sites in Mexico, Teotihuacán remains largely a mystery.
Opt for an early morning tour with an archaeologist to avoid the crowds that descend later in the day and learn about the site’s highlights, including the Moon Plaza, the Sun Pyramid, the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the feathered serpent). Teotihuacán is also incorporated into some tours of Mexico City.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Teotihuacán is a must-see for history buffs and those interested in indigenous cultures.
- The steep climb to the top of the Sun Pyramid includes more than 200 steps so requires a reasonable level of fitness.
- Though the pyramids are not wheelchair accessible, the site itself and the restrooms are.
- The site is closed on Mondays, and Mexican residents receive free admission on Sundays.
- On weekends and holidays, a trolley takes visitors from the entry booths to various stops within the site for a small fee.
How to Get There
Located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City, Teotihuacán is accessible by the scenic but long 132D, a winding freeway that can take well over an hour, and 85D, a toll road that will usually get you to the pyramids in about 50 minutes. It's also easy and convenient to take a bus from the Terminal Central del Norte in Mexico City; buses leave at least hourly and are geared toward tourists with limited Spanish skills.
When to Get There
Since locals receive free admission on Sundays, expect more crowds then. Popular Mexican public holidays, such as Independence Day (September 16), the week of Easter, and All Saints Day (November 1) also tend to attract more visitors. In general, in order to beat the crowds, arrive in the early morning either on a private tour or on your own.
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
About a 50-minute drive from Teotihuacán, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe) is the most-visited religious site in Latin America. In 1531, a man professed to see a vision of the Virgin Mary at the site, and a second image is said to have appeared on his cloak. Millions of worshippers come to the basilica every year to see this sacred cloth, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Day is celebrated December 12.
Address: Carretera Mexico Teotihuacan KM 46, San Juan Teotihuacán, Central Mexico, Mexico
Admission: Varies
From $ 8
Zocalo
Located at the heart of Mexico City in the center of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, Plaza de la Constitucion—better known as Zocalo—is where old and new Mexico meet. Pre-Hispanic ruins exist side-by-side with impressive colonial structures, and white-collar workers stroll among cultural performers and traditional art vendors. This city-block square is also a gathering place for political protest and cultural celebration—and it’s an ideal spot to savor the flavor of real Mexico City.
Tour nearby Palacio Nacional, just east of Zocalo, where massive murals by Diego Rivera depict the nation’s vibrant history. Next, pass through the doors of Catedral Matropolitana for a look at religious colonial art and impressive golden altars. When it’s time for a break head to the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico, where incredible views and strong drinks from the terrace bar round out the perfect day.
Tour nearby Palacio Nacional, just east of Zocalo, where massive murals by Diego Rivera depict the nation’s vibrant history. Next, pass through the doors of Catedral Matropolitana for a look at religious colonial art and impressive golden altars. When it’s time for a break head to the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico, where incredible views and strong drinks from the terrace bar round out the perfect day.
Practical Info
Zocalo is easily accessible from the city’s metro system. It’s worth spending some extra time in the station to examine made-to-scale replicas of the square throughout history.
Address: Plaza de la Constitución S/N, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, Ciudad de México, D.F. 06010, Mexico
From $ 15
Museo Memoria y Tolerancia
Museo Memoria y Tolerancia does more than explore Mexico's history of violence and its role in aiding Holocaust survivors. Built in 1999, this groundbreaking museum examines the impact of genocide through eye-opening exhibits that increase awareness of all global violence"”from North America to Sub-Saharan Africa.
The museum is divided into two major sections, as its name suggests"”Memory and Tolerance. Memory galleries tell the story of the Holocaust, Balkan Conflict and the Rwandan genocide, as well as devastation in Cambodia, Guatemala and Darfur. The Tolerance wing explores the impact of language on discrimination and prejudice and offers a roadmap to acceptance of differences on a more global level. Together, these galleries illustrate the international struggle between harm and hope, leaving visitors with a new appreciation for human rights and human strength.
The museum is divided into two major sections, as its name suggests"”Memory and Tolerance. Memory galleries tell the story of the Holocaust, Balkan Conflict and the Rwandan genocide, as well as devastation in Cambodia, Guatemala and Darfur. The Tolerance wing explores the impact of language on discrimination and prejudice and offers a roadmap to acceptance of differences on a more global level. Together, these galleries illustrate the international struggle between harm and hope, leaving visitors with a new appreciation for human rights and human strength.
Practical Info
The museum is located in downtown Mexico City on Avenida Juarez in Juarez Square. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Address: Plaza Juarez S/N, Centro, Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de Mexico, Distrito Federal 06000, Mexico
Hours: Tue-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat-Sun 10am-7pm
Admission: Admission: $65; Senior/Student: $49
From $ 15
Soumaya Museum (Museo Soumaya)
The Soumaya Museum (Museo Soumaya) is more than just another art museum in Mexico—it is home to the incredibly impressive $700 million private collection of one of the world’s wealthiest men. Like a roster of history’s most influential artists, names such as Da Vinci, van Gogh and Matisse inhabit the halls, along with works from Monet, El Greco, Picasso, Dalí and Tintoretto. Lovers of Rodin will take delight in the collection of the artist's sculptures, which is the largest set found outside of France. On par with the world’s most prominent museums, Soumaya is unlike anything else of its kind in Latin America—the towering building itself is a shimmering work of art.
Stretching 150 feet (45 meters) above street level, the building sparkles with 16,000 honeycombed, aluminum hexagons, which reflect sunlight and appear to float. While Plaza Carso in the Polanco neighborhood is the museum’s main location, an older, second location at Plaza Loreto dates back to 1994. Between the two, the volume of art is staggering, offering Avant-Garde classics among its hundreds of sculptures. Thanks to its stunning design, the museum is often included in Mexico City's architecture tours.
Practical Info
Visitors can explore the museum via the spiral ramp and elevators that connect the six thematic floors. The site is open Wednesday through Monday from 10:30am to 6:30pm, and until 8pm on Saturday. Mexico’s largest aquarium, Inbursa, is across the street.
Address: Avenida Revolución and Río Magdalena, Mexico City, Mexico
Hours: Wed–Mon 10:30am–6:30pm (Sat until 8pm)
From $ 240
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Mexico
Astonishing humans, amazing animals, shocking science and more in Ripley's Believe it or Not! This staple of the bizarre, unbelievable, yet true collection of history's great oddities is the most successful franchise museum of its kind, and is one opportunity you shouldn't miss out on while in Mexico City. Shaped like a medieval castle and boasting over 14 different exhibits that will shock and amaze (like the mirror maze, swivel tunnel, and oddity museum), Ripley's Believe it or Not! is known as a fantastic adventure into the surreal, unnatural, and even famous (there's a wax sculpture museum to explore). If you or your loved ones would like to come face-to-face with nature and mankind's greatest head-scratchers, this is your chance.
Practical Info
Ripley's Believe it or Not! Mexico City is open from 11am to 7pm, 7 days a week. Tickets are roughly $16 for adults and $13 for children.
Address: Londres numero 4, Col. Juarez del. Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico 06600, Mexico
Admission: Adults: $16; Children: $13
From $ 15
Xochimilco
With its brightly painted trajineras (flat-bottomed boats), traditional chinampas (floating gardens), and network of flower-perfumed canals, Xochimilco—the “Flower Garden”—is the kind of place that will have you reaching for your camera at every turn.
The Basics
The floating gardens of Xochimilco make an easy half-day trip from Mexico City, and the quintessential way to explore is a traditional trajinera boat ride around the Xochimilco canals and islands. Xochimilco tours are often combined with a Mexico City sightseeing tour, visits to historic sites such as the National University of Mexico or the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan, or a tour of the Coyoacán neighborhood, where highlights include the Diego Rivera Anahuacalli Museum and the Frida Kahlo Museum.
Things to Know Before You Go
- Opt for a 2-hour boat tour to fully explore the site.
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing so you can easily climb on and off the boats.
- Some of the larger trajineras offer food, drinks, and mariachi music on-board.
How to Get There
The Gardens of Xochimilco are located about 14 miles (23 kilometers) south of the Zócalo in Mexico City. To get there by public transport, take Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña station. From there, the Tren Ligero trains runs directly to Xochimilco; follow the signs to the embarcadero on arrival.
When to Get There
Xochimilco can get crowded; locals and tourists alike visit on weekends and holidays. The festive atmosphere is all part of the experience, but opt for a weekday or early-morning visit if you prefer to avoid the crowds.
The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
Xochimilco’s floating gardens are the last vestige of Mexico’s elaborate chinampas—the agricultural system set up by the ancient Aztecs. Devised to make the most of the fertile lake lands of the Anahuac Valley, the chinampas are comprised of small, man-made islands of farmland linked by a network of canals. Though most of the Aztecs' massive system of canals have long since been drained, the suburb of Xochimilco offers a glimpse into the ancient beauty of Tenochtitlán, and the remarkably preserved site is now protected as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Address: Xochimilco, Mexico
Admission: Free
From $ 29
Piedra Herrada Sanctuary
Each autumn as many as a billion monarch butterflies from across the United States and Canada migrate south to the forests of central Mexico in one of the planet's most spectacular animal migrations. Piedra Herrada Sanctuary is one of a few areas of the UNESCO-listed Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve open to the public.
Visitors trek into the forest on horseback before continuing on foot to a remote roost where monarchs are known to congregate. During butterfly season, the area's fir trees are coated in an undulating blanket of orange and black wings, with occasional pockets of butterflies bursting into flight and filling the sky. As one of the biosphere reserve's newer areas, Piedra Herrada Sanctuary sees fewer visitors, lending the experience a more isolated feel.
Practical Info
All visitors to Piedra Herrada Sanctuary must be accompanied by a guide.
Address: Los Saucos, Central Mexico, Mexico, Mexico
From $ 1,695
Franz Mayer Museum
Opened in 1986 to house, display, and curate Mexico's largest collection of colonial art, this amazing display of artistic wealth is located in a 16th-century Spanish hospital, charming in its own right.
This museum is a delight for antique lovers, history buffs, and art aficionados alike. Presented as a select collection of quality historic pieces that tell the story of Mexico City before Mexico City became what it is today, the Franz Mayer Museum tells its history through decorative items of the period, letting you get a visceral experience of what life was like in colonial Mexico.
Located on the other side of the Museum of Bellas Artes in the Zocalo, the Franz Mayer Museum transports you to a different era and offers an accessible and interesting experience with exhibits from southeast Asia, Europe, England, and Latin America. Be sure to see the pottery, the silver, and the tapestries from Franz Mayer's own collection.
Practical Info
The Franz Mayer Museum is located at Hidalgo 45 in Centro Historico. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is roughly $4.50 for adults and $2.50 for students and teachers with current ID. Note that there is attached parking next door to the museum.
Address: Av. Hidalgo 45, Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico 06300, Mexico
Admission: Adults: $4.50
From $ 15
Reforma 222
Reforma 222 is Mexico City's version of a supermall. Filled with shopping opportunities that reflect both the best the world has to offer and the unique Mexico City cultural experience, Reforma 222 is a shopping lover's ideal getaway. Consisting of three towers that rival the very tallest buildings in Mexico, the glass-covered shopping center features some of the highest-end shopping in the city. Swarovski, Lacoste and Zara can all be found here, as well as some of Mexico's finest and most successful eateries (and even distilleries).
Located along the famous Paseo de la Reforma in the midst of Mexico City's highest skyscrapers, Refoma 222 makes for a paradisiacal, air-conditioned shopping escape in the heart of the city's famous thoroughfare.
Practical Info
Located just off the Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, Reforma 222 is free to enter. Parking is plentiful and also free.
Address: San Miguel Amantla, Azcapotzalco, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico 02000, Mexico
From $ 15
Tamayo Museum
In the late 1960s, Rufino Tamayo began utilizing his vast wealth to collect what has become a stunning display of international contemporary art. Not wanting to display the artwork in anything but a conceptually fitting structure, Rufino Tamayo worked with architects Abraham Zabludovsky and Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon to complete this iconic and compelling modern art museum.
Before passing, Tamayo gifted the collection and building to the Mexican people, and established a trust for the operational and maintenance costs of running one of the most successful museums in Mexico’s history. Today, visitors to this amazing structure can walk the halls of the museum and study the masterworks of artistic greats such as Picasso, Joan Miro, and Rene Magritte, as well as a finely curated selection of contemporary exhibits that tour regularly.
Practical Info
The Tamayo Museum is located in Chapultepec Park at Paseo de la Reforma No. 51. It is open from 10am to 6pm Tuesday through Sunday, and admission costs roughly $10. On Sunday, admission is free.
Address: Paseo de la Reforma 51, Bosque de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo, Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico 11580, Mexico
Admission: $10
From $ 15