16 Things to do in Mexico City

16 Things to do in Mexico City – 2022.

There are plenty of things to do in Mexico City. Here you will find 16 things to do that we highly recommend, but there are plenty more to try.

Take the Mexico City Hop-on Hop-off City Tour Bus (Turibus)

Getting around a city as big as Mexico City can be challenging. However, this is an excellent option for getting to important tourist attractions throughout this big city and having a good vantage point for sightseeing. The double-decker Hop-on, hop-off bus service makes a circuit from the historical center, down the Paseo de la Reforma to Chapultepec Park, and into trendy neighborhoods such as Condesa, Roma, and Polanco.

Turibus info

• There are four different routes that cover iconic parts of Mexico City.
• You can get on and off at any of the stops as many times as you like for the day.
• The Historic City Center route will take you to the heart of Mexico. This route has 16 stops, and the duration is 2.5 hours.
• The Coyoacan route will take you to the most artistic neighborhoods and will connect you with its hipster lifestyle, magic, flavor, and fun. This route has 11 stops, and the duration is 2.5 hours.
• The Polanco route will take you to Mexico City’s most exclusive neighborhoods, where you can also shop at the most prestigious establishments. This route has 9 stops, and the duration is 2 hours.
• The Basilica route will take you to the most cherished worship center in all of Mexico and Latin America. You can also celebrate its folklore and music, singing actual hymns to the beat of Mariachis. This route has 4 stops, and the duration is 2 hours.
• All buses offer free Wi-Fi abroad, audio guides in nine languages, and audio guides for children.

Explore Centro Historico (Historic Downtown)

Centro Historico, or “Centro,” is both the historic center and the beating heart of Mexico City. Here you can see the birth of the nation. However, Centro Historico is not just a touristic place; still, residents continue to come to celebrate, protest, have fun, shop, and stroll.

• Stand at the Zocalo, the largest plaza in America.
• See the breathtaking Metropolitan Cathedral.
• Visit the Templo Mayor (“main temple”) ruins.
• See the office of Mexico´s President – Palacio Nacional.
• Admire Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), considered the cultural center of Mexico.
• Go on top of Torre Latinoamericana, a 44-story skyscraper built in 1965 that used to be the tallest building in Latin America.
• Stroll in Alameda Central, Mexico’s oldest municipal park.
• Have a coffee at Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles).
• Admire Palacio Postal, a beautiful working postal office next.

Visit some of the most iconic Mercados (Markets)

Markets in Mexico City are fascinating, and visiting them is the best way to immerse yourself in some of the Mexican traditions, cuisine, daily life, and culture. Mexico City alone has more than 120 permanent markets and over 1000 tianguis (flea markets), temporary mobile markets that move around different zones.

• Mercado de la Merced, the oldest ones in the city, a colorful labyrinth with the widest variety of products.
• Mercado de Sonora, also known as the witchcraft market, where you will encounter voodoo, Santeria, and other mystical potions, items, and herbal remedies.
• Central de Abastos (supply center) is one of the biggest markets in the world: 2,000 businesses spread across 810 acres. It serves as the primary distribution market for retailers and other smaller markets and vendors throughout the city.
• Nuevo Mercado de la Viga is the second biggest seafood market in the world.
• Mercado de San Juan is a smaller market and one of the most prestigious in the city. This market is a gourmet kind.
• Mercado de la Lagunilla which specializes in antiques, mid-century furniture, vintage clothes, records, jewelry, rare books, and more
• Mercado de la Ciudadela is the biggest Mexican craftwork market, where you will find authentic and high-quality souvenirs at a reasonable price.
• Mercado de Coyoacan is a colorful market and one of the most visited by tourists, so don’t expect the same prices that you will find in other markets.

Visiting Ruins is a must thing to do in Mexico City

The best archaeological sites in Mexico City and the surrounding areas are excellent options for a trip. They will give you a clear idea of their society, economics, and religious beliefs.

• Teotihuacan, which in Náhuatl means “where men become gods,” also known as the “Mexican pyramids,” was a large ancient city built over 2,000 years ago over an area of 264 hectares, includes impressive constructions including la Piramide del Sol which a height of 86m (250ft).
• Templo Mayor (“main temple”), which was the centerpiece of the ancient Aztec capital, was built in 1325 in the marshes of Lake Texcoco. This is where the Aztecs saw the sign that Huitzilopochtli (Sun god) told them to look for to build their city: the eagle eating a snake coiled in a cactus.
• Cuicuilco is another important archaeological site located in the southeast of Mexico City, inside a modern urban area.
• Tlatelolco, or Plaza of the Tres Culturas, is a space where you can perceive the three important eras of Mexican history through pre-Hispanic, colonial, and contemporary architecture.

Attend a Lucha Libre match (Mexican wrestling)

Lucha Libre is a signature Mexican activity that is very entertaining. The wrestlers have elaborate costumes and storylines, and crowds get very excited. You can attend a match from Tuesday night through Saturday night at Arena Mexico.

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Having a Fiesta in Mexico’s little Venice in Xochimilco should be on your things-to-do bucket list

Although Mexico City is a bustling place, there are several opportunities to bask in a natural setting. None is more exemplary than Xochimilco, which means “where the flowers grow in Nahuatl.”  

Xochimilco was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and its neighborhoods are full of tradition and respect for nature. It’s one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico City, in which you float through canals in traditional colorful trajinera (gondola) boats.

The trajinera ride experience can go from a peaceful and quiet to a floating party that includes food, drinks, and music, including a Mariachi bad. So before you embark, make sure you tell the gondolier what experience you are looking for; if you want a quiet one, they will take you to the less busy canals. Regardless of your experience, make sure you ask to visit la Isla de las Muñecas (the Island of Dolls), an eerie plot of land where dolls are hung from the trees, and the ground is covered with decapitated and decomposing dolls. Its creation is attributed to Julián Santana Barrera, who, according to a local legend, he used the dolls to scare away the spirit of a girl who drowned near the area.

Visit one or many of the 160+ museums in Mexico City

Mexico City is the second city with more museums in the world, right after London, and one of them holds the title of the most visited museum in the world. Each one is unique, and the themes go from history and archeology to museums dedicated to shoes, sugar, perfume, and others.

• Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Anthropology Museum) is the most visited museum in the world, which holds the most extensive collection of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic civilization.
• Museo de Frida Kahlo, located in the beautiful neighborhood of Coyoacan, is the former home of famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, where she lived with Diego Rivera and eventually died.
• Museo Suomaya, founded by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is home to an incredible art collection dating back to the early Mayan period, classic Mexican artists to European artwork from Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, El Greco, and Vincent Van Gogh.
• Museo Nacional de Historia (National History Museum), located in the Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle), the only royal palace built in North America, features exhibitions of Mexican history from the colonial era into the Mexican Wars of Independence and then the Mexican Revolution.
• Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (Museum of Contemporary Art), located inside the beautiful Mexico’s National University (UNAM) campus, opened in 2008. This museum has a remarkable modern architecture.
• Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in the Centro Histórico, can be found inside one of the most beautiful buildings in the Mexican capital. The museum displays the wonderful works of art that the Palace is famous for.
• Jumex Museum, a contemporary art museum that opened in 2013, houses probably the most extensive private art collection in Latin America, with more than 2000 art pieces by Mexican and international artists.
• Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum) in the forest of Chapultepec features national and international modern art collections of the 20th century, and it’s one of the most important in Latin America.

Tour Mexican Cantinas (Local Bars)

These lively places are great meeting points to bask in Mexican music, cuisine, and drinks. Many of these types of establishments are well known and frequent by night owls. They’re considered places to leave your troubles behind or when you’re kicking off a night of partying and clubbing.

Thanks to movies, you may have a picture that a cantina is a rough and rowdy place that belongs in something like a western movie, but they vary quite a lot. Some can be rough for sure, but others are fancy and upscale.

A relaxing thing to do in Mexico City is to stroll Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest)

If you thought New York’s Central Park was incredible, just wait until you see Mexico City’s 686-hectare Bosque de Chapultepec. Dating back to ancient Aztec times, when the park served as a royal retreat, the trees of Chapultepec are often referred to as the city’s lungs.

Inside the park, you’ll find walking, running, and biking trails, the Chapultepec Zoo, the Anthropology Museum, and Rufino Tamayo Museum, the National Auditorium, and the impressive Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle), which is the only castle on the North American continent that housed a king/queen. Constructed in the 18th century, has now been transformed into the Museum of National History.

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Admire Biblioteca Vasconcelos (Vasconcelos Library)

This mega library, interesting from an architectural point of view; full of geometric cubicles, floors, and hanging sculptures, houses thousands of books. This mega-library uses natural light and ventilation and is surrounded by a botanical garden with over 60,000 species of local plants.

Ride de Mexican Metro (Subway)

Although this is not necessarily a touristic activity, the experience is highly recommended; just make sure to do it outside of rush hours as then it gets really crowded and unsuspecting tourists might get pickpocketed.

Mexico City’s Metro is the second-largest metro system in America, right after New York’s subway. In 2019, the system served 1.6+ billion passengers, becoming the tenth highest ridership in the world. Riding the metro is an experience itself as you’ll always find vendors with distinct voices selling whatever they can find – from tissues, through old CDs, to snacks or diapers, and various metro stations also have incredible small exhibits or murals.

Drive through Paseo de la Reforma

Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs diagonally across the heart of Mexico City. This is where you find all the parades, where protestors walk and sometimes camp, but also here you can see various street exhibits or find the most luxurious hotels and important Mexican monuments.

Among the most iconic Mexico City landmarks is the Angel of Independence (Angel of Independence), which stands 45m (148ft) high. Unfortunately, you can’t climb to the top without a special permit that’s not easy to obtain, so most likely, you will have to see it from below.

Have a romantic night at the Lanchacinema (Boat Cinema)

On the first Saturday of every month, the Chapultepec Forest Lake has a cinema screening which you can enjoy from the comfort of a boat. You will test your senses (and concentration) as you have to watch the film while the lake’s waters move your boat.

Watch a film at the Cineteca Nacional

This impressive cinematographic center offers everything from commercial films to various options dedicated to arthouse films, cinema cycles, and alternative cinema.

One of the best things to do in Mexico City is to Take a Food Tour or many

Visiting Mexico and not taking a food tour is a mistake. Mexico City is the best place to try food from different regions of Mexico and regions all over the world. In addition, there are many reputable food tours to choose from in town, from street food to high-end restaurants.

Visit Garden Santa Fe

This innovative garden hides a mall underground. Beautifully designed by KMD Architects, the structure counters pollution and congestion and optimizes space and light.

Here you’ll find three large sinkholes going down from the garden. These sinkholes are skylights that allow natural light into the massive underground shopping mall and business hub.

This environmentally sustainable building is definitely worth a visit.