Mexico City, or CDMX, is a huge city with almost endless things to see, eat and experience.

We are not usually big fans of spending too much time in large cities, but CDMX was definitely an exception. We spent five days here and found it to be a great introduction to our six-month trip through Latin America.

In this Mexico City travel guide, you’ll find the areas we explored, our favorite things to do, where we stayed, how we got around and our personal tips.

The city is enormous, so don’t expect to see everything in just a few days. We concentrated mainly on Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, Condesa, Roma, Polanco and Chapultepec, plus a day trip to Teotihuacán.

If you are into travel stories, though, read our diary at the end of this post.

First Impressions: Condesa & Roma

We stayed on Avenida Amsterdam, between the neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma.

From what we experienced, this was one of the best areas to stay. There were plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby, and we could easily reach Zona Rosa, Zócalo, Coyoacán, Chapultepec Castle and Polanco.

We also felt very safe in the areas we visited, especially during the day. We didn’t stay out late at night, though, and would still recommend being cautious as you would in any large city.

Our first experience of CDMX was already very positive.

It was busy and huge, but at the same time there were plenty of neighborhoods where we could slow down, walk around, sit in cafés and enjoy the city.

Where is Mexico City?

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and one of the largest cities in the world. It is located in the center of Mexico at an altitude of approx. 2200m above sea level.

Why visit Mexico City?

History and culture

CDMX has an incredible mixture of Mexican history, colonial architecture, museums and modern city life.

Food

Mexico City is an excellent place to try Mexican food, especially tacos. Around Condesa and Roma alone, there are countless restaurants and cafés.

Different neighborhoods

One of the things we enjoyed most was seeing how different the neighborhoods can feel.

Coyoacán has an artistic, almost small-town atmosphere, while Polanco feels luxurious and modern.

Ancient history

You don’t even have to leave the city to see traces of ancient Mexico. Templo Mayor sits right beside the Zócalo, while Teotihuacán is an easy day trip outside the city.

Best 10 things to do in Mexico City

1. Explore the Zócalo

Start in the huge central square of Mexico City.

From here you can visit the Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace and Templo Mayor, the remains of the ancient Aztec capital.

There are also plenty of smaller museums and interesting streets around the square.

2. Visit Templo Mayor

The archaeological site of Templo Mayor sits right in the middle of modern Mexico City.

It’s a fascinating reminder that today’s city was built on top of the ancient Aztec capital.

3. Walk along Avenida 5 de Mayo

From the Zócalo, walk along Avenida 5 de Mayo toward Palacio de Bellas Artes.

From here you can continue toward the Torre Latinoamericana and enjoy the city views.

4. Explore Coyoacán

Coyoacán was one of our favorite stops.

It has an artistic atmosphere and feels much smaller and more relaxed than central CDMX.

Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky both lived here, and the neighborhood is home to the famous Frida Kahlo Museum.

One important tip: tickets for the museum need to be purchased well in advance.

5. Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum

The famous Casa Azul (Blue House) in Coyoacán was Frida Kahlo’s home and is now a museum dedicated to her life and work. It’s a great stop if you’re interested in Mexican art and culture. Book your tickets in advance, as it can sell out.

6. Explore Polanco

After Coyoacán, we headed to Polanco.

This was a completely different side of Mexico City.

There are large shopping centers, famous brands, beautiful buildings and fancy restaurants, particularly around Lincoln Park. We were honestly surprised by how luxurious everything felt compared with what we’re used to in Europe. The apartments, cars, shops and restaurants all felt very high-end.

7. Visit Teotihuacán

Our third day was dedicated to the pyramids of Teotihuacán.

We spent around three hours walking around the archaeological site and seeing the pyramids of the Sun and Moon.

It is one of the highlights of any Mexico City trip.

8. Explore Chapultepec Park

Chapultepec Park is enormous and gives you a chance to escape the busy city streets.

We visited Chapultepec Castle, including its museum, to learn some of the basics about Mexican history.

The view of Mexico City from the top was one of our favorite views of the trip.

9. Visit the zoo

We also visited the zoo inside Chapultepec Park.

Entrance was free when we visited, although it was really crowded.

If you’re already spending the day in Chapultepec, it’s an easy extra stop.

10. Experience Lucha Libre

If you want something completely different, go to a Lucha Libre wrestling show at Arena México.

Shows traditionally take place on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, although you should check the current schedule before going.

Where to stay in Mexico City

We stayed on Avenida Amsterdam, between Condesa and Roma.

For us, it was an excellent location.

There were many cafés and restaurants nearby, and it was relatively easy to reach the main areas we wanted to visit.

Condesa & Roma

We would definitely recommend these neighborhoods if you want a combination of restaurants, cafés, walkability and convenient access to other parts of the city.

Our accommodation

We stayed in an Airbnb on Avenida Amsterdam for approximately 700 Mexican pesos per night.

For the price and location, we were very happy with it.

There are, of course, plenty of other accommodation options in CDMX, from hostels to luxury hotels.

Eat and drink in Mexico City

It is impossible to summarize the food scene in Mexico City.

There are endless options, from street food to high-end restaurants.

Around Condesa and Roma, we had plenty of choices.

Places we tried and liked

Degu Condesa
Takotl
Vegan tacos in Coyoacán

And, of course, don’t leave Mexico City without trying plenty of tacos.

Transportation and how to get around

From the airport

The easiest way for us to reach Avenida Amsterdam from Benito Juárez International Airport was Uber.

The ride took approximately 20 minutes, although traffic can obviously change that considerably.

If you need internet to order an Uber, you can use the airport Wi-Fi or buy a Telcel SIM card from one of the small convenience stores after exiting baggage claim.

Uber felt like a very safe and convenient option for us.

Uber

Our rides averaged around 100 MXN.

The downside is traffic. CDMX traffic can be heavy, so allow plenty of extra time.

Metro

The metro was another option we used.

It was extremely cheap — approximately 5 MXN per person per ride when we visited — and easy enough to use.

You can change trains using the same ticket.

We felt comfortable using it during the day, but preferred not to rely on it late at night.

Travel Tips for Mexico City

Stay in a good neighborhood. For a first visit, we really liked the Condesa/Roma area.
Don’t underestimate the size of the city. CDMX is huge.
Plan your days geographically rather than constantly crossing the city.
Use the metro during the day. It is cheap and practical, especially when traffic is bad.
Uber is convenient. For us, Uber was the easiest option, particularly from the airport.
Book Frida Kahlo Museum tickets early
Be cautious at night. We felt safe in the areas we visited, particularly during the day, but this is still a huge city.
Give yourself enough time. We stayed five days and still only saw a small part of CDMX.

Final Thoughts – Is Mexico City Worth Visiting?

Definitely.

We normally aren’t big fans of spending too much time in large cities, but Mexico City changed our minds.

There is simply so much to experience.

You can spend one day exploring Aztec ruins and the Zócalo, another wandering around artistic Coyoacán, another visiting Teotihuacán and another relaxing in Chapultepec or exploring the luxury of Polanco.

And then there is the food.

For us, CDMX was also a great introduction to Mexico and the beginning of our six-month Latin American adventure.

After five days, it was time to leave the city and continue our journey.

Next stop: Oaxaca!

Save this Mexico City Travel Guide for later!

Planning a Mexico trip?

Save this Mexico City guide for later and use it when planning your itinerary.

You can also continue reading our Oaxaca Travel Guide, which was our next stop after CDMX.

For more photos from Mexico City, visit our Dreamy Xplorers Instagram.

Our Diary

Day 1 – Zócalo: The City Center

Our first full day was dedicated to the center of Mexico City. We took the metro from Condesa to the Zócalo.

The metro was easy to use, very cheap and felt safe during the day. We started at the main square and visited the Cathedral, Templo Mayor and the National Palace. On the right side of the Cathedral, we also discovered a place where you could participate in a temazcal ceremony and have your aura cleansed.

There were plenty of small museums around the area as well. We also walked through streets where entire groups of shops were dedicated to specific products, from electronics and medical devices to paper and painting supplies.

From the Zócalo, we walked down Avenida 5 de Mayo toward Palacio de Bellas Artes.

We then went up to the Torre Latinoamericana area to enjoy the view of the city. From there we continued toward Juárez and Zona Rosa, a gay-friendly area with plenty of restaurants and bars. For the evening, we had the option of going to a Lucha Libre show at Arena México, but instead we decided to take it easy.

Day 2 – Coyoacán & Polanco

On our second day, we visited Coyoacán.

It felt almost like a small town inside the enormous city, with an artistic atmosphere and plenty of history.

Frida Kahlo and Leon Trotsky both lived here. We knew we wanted to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, but tickets had to be bought many days in advance, so we weren’t able to visit it during our trip. We started the morning with breakfast at Casa Café before exploring the neighborhood. We also tried vegan tacos.

After Coyoacán, we headed to Polanco. The difference was huge. Polanco felt incredibly luxurious compared with the neighborhoods we’d seen earlier. There were large shopping centers, international brands, beautiful buildings and fancy restaurants, particularly around Lincoln Park. We were surprised by how luxurious the apartments, cars, shops and restaurants felt compared with what we’re used to in Europe.

Day 3 – Teotihuacán

Our third day was dedicated to Teotihuacán and its famous pyramids.

We took an Uber to the Northern Bus Station and from there took the dedicated bus to Teotihuacán.

The bus ticket counter was close to Gate 7. The ride took around 1 hour and 15 minutes.

We spent approximately three hours walking around the archaeological site, exploring the pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the remains of the ancient city. Although we usually refer to it as an Aztec site, the city was actually built centuries before the Aztecs and was later incorporated into the Aztec world.

After exploring the site, we took the bus back to Mexico City from the same area where we had been dropped off.

It was a long day, but definitely worth it.

Day 4 – Chapultepec & Polanco

For our last day, we visited Chapultepec Park.

We went to the castle and its museum to learn some of the basics about Mexican history.

The view from the top of the castle was beautiful and gave us a completely different perspective of the enormous city. Afterwards, we walked through the park and visited the zoo. The zoo had free entrance when we visited, although it was really full. In the evening, we went back to Polanco for coffee and some tacos.

And that was our Mexico City adventure. Five days in one of the world’s biggest cities had gone surprisingly quickly.