Mexico City
Currency
MXN
Language
Spanish
Timezone
Mexico City
Continent
North America
Discover Mexico City
Mexico City sits at 2,240 metres on a drained lake, and the first flight of stairs tells you so. Constitution Square — the Zócalo to everyone — is among the largest in the world: the Catedral Metropolitana closes it to the north, the National Palace to the east, and the Templo Mayor, heart of Aztec Tenochtitlán, surfaces right beside it, uncovered by accident in 1978. The Museo Nacional de Antropología is the country's great museum and deserves a full day. Casa Luis Barragán, the architect's manifesto of a house, is visited by appointment.
When to go
November to April, the dry season. From May to October it rains almost every afternoon — short violent bursts that leave mornings free, which makes the season more workable than it sounds. March to May are the hottest months. Altitude keeps the nights cool all year, whatever the afternoon did.
Getting around
The metro is very cheap, very extensive and very full at peak hours, with carriages reserved for women and children. The Metrobús covers the main avenues at street level. Ride-hailing apps are widely used and often preferred to street taxis. The historic centre walks well, but the city is enormous: each district — Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán — is its own outing.
Where to eat
The street is the main venue. Tacos al pastor, meat grilled on a vertical spit, came from Lebanese immigrants and are eaten standing, late in the day. Tlacoyos, quesadillas and tamales hold the morning. Mole, a dark sauce that takes a day to make, is judged on chicken. To drink, the city takes mezcal and pulque, a fermented agave with a texture that takes adjusting to. No halal address is listed in our data.
Good to know
Altitude is the real subject: breathlessness for the first days, alcohol noticeably stronger, sunburn faster. Plan two slow days on arrival. The Mexican peso is the currency and cash stays essential on the street. Tap water is not drunk. The city is seismic: an audible alarm precedes tremors by seconds, and drills are frequent — it is not an emergency when it sounds during one.
Top Activities in Mexico City
museumCasa Luis Barragán
from €18
landmarkCatedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México
from €21
museumMuseo Nacional de Antropología
from €4
landmarkPiedra del Sol
from €16
landmarkConstitution Square
from €15
landmarkBiblioteca Vasconcelos
from €12
landmarkTemplo Mayor
from €15
landmarkNational Palace
from €15
museumMuseo Nacional de Historia Castillo de Chapultepec
from €18
landmarkMonumento a la Revolución
from €12
landmarkAngel of Independence
from €14
landmarkTorre Latinoamericana
from €13
landmarkUniversidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
from €12
museumComplejo Cultural Los Pinos
from €15
museumAntigua Academia de San Carlos
from €15
museumMuseo Nacional de Arte
from €16
landmarkPalacio de Iturbide
from €11
museumMuseo Nacional de San Carlos
from €14
parkAlameda Central
Free
landmarkPolanco Chapultepec
from €12
landmarkPalacio Postal
from €10
landmarkMonumento a Cuauhtémoc
from €10
Historic Centre of Mexico City
from €8
museumMuseo Memoria y Tolerancia
from €13
Restaurants in Mexico City
Kentucky Fried Chicken Balbuena
Mercado Roma
Pizza Hut
Little Caesars
