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Mexico City

A city two thousand two hundred and forty metres up, with Tenochtitlan under the Zócalo and the continent's finest archaeology museum sitting in a park.

2119 m above sea level 15 boroughs 184 metro stations 4 minimum days
In two minutes

What it is, and what it is not

Mexico City cannot be seen in a day or walked end to end: it is a valley of neighbourhoods stitched together by twelve metro lines. The historic centre stands on top of old Tenochtitlan, and the Templo Mayor surfaces right beside the cathedral.

What almost nobody says before you book: you sleep at two thousand two hundred and forty metres, and it is worth planning nothing demanding on day one. From June to September it rains most afternoons. And the city shakes: there is an audible alert, drills, and marked exit routes in hotels.

State Mexico City Airport MEX and NLU Best time Oct – Nov Avoid Mar – May Minimum days 4 Currency Peso (MXN)
The places

Six areas, from the centre outwards

This is the order that works: the centre first, and a whole day for whatever lies far out.

Historic centre Centro Histórico
01 / 06
01 Historic centre Centro Histórico The Zócalo, the cathedral and the Templo Mayor on one block, above the ruins of Tenochtitlan. Bellas Artes is ten minutes away on foot along Madero. A World Heritage site All on foot
02 Park and museums Chapultepec The country's largest urban forest, and inside it the National Museum of Anthropology: the sun stone, the Maya and Mexica halls. Three hours is the sensible minimum. Closed on Mondays 3 h minimum
03 Neighbourhoods Roma and Condesa Two early twentieth-century districts of tree-lined medians, art deco houses and the densest concentration of cooking in the city. Best walked with no plan and no map. Mercado de Medellín All walkable
04 Neighbourhood Coyoacán A colonial town swallowed by the city, with a square, a market and Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul, which sells out online weeks in advance. Booked tickets only 40 min from the centre
05 Canals Xochimilco The last canals and chinampas of the original lake, farmed since before the conquest. The trajinera boats are hired by the hour and by the boat, not per head. Per boat, not per head A World Heritage site
06 Archaeological site Teotihuacán An hour by bus from the Terminal Norte. Leave early to arrive at opening: by mid-morning there is no shade anywhere on the Avenue of the Dead. 1 h by bus Opens 08:00
When to go

The valley has four seasons

Here the month decides the afternoon rain and the air quality, not the temperature.

The best October and November The rain has stopped, the air is clean after the wet season and the nights are cool without being cold. Day of the Dead fills the entire city. —Book two months ahead —Day of the Dead: high prices
Good value December to February Dry and sunny, with five-degree mornings and twenty-two-degree afternoons. Little rain and fewer people, apart from the fortnight around Christmas. —Bring a coat for mornings —Museums shut on the 25th
With a caveat June to September The wet season: an hour-long storm falls most afternoons, sometimes with hail. In exchange, the valley is green and the prices are low. —Save museums for the afternoon —An umbrella, every day
Risk March to May The hottest, driest months, and the worst for air quality: ozone alerts are declared several times each spring. —Check the air index —Bad if you have asthma
Getting around

Legs, times and prices

The metro reaches almost everything for five pesos. For the airport and for leaving town, take the bus.

Airport (MEX) → Centro 40 min $14 taxi Authorised taxi from the terminal. Metrobús line 4 does the same run for under a dollar. Airport (NLU) → Centro 1 h 30 $6 bus Felipe Ángeles is a long way out. There is a direct bus and a suburban train; leave three hours on the way back. Centro → Teotihuacán 1 h $5 bus Departures every fifteen minutes from the Terminal Norte. The last one back leaves around six. Mexico City → Puebla 2 h 15 $16 ADO From the TAPO terminal, every half hour. It is the most frequent link in the country. Mexico City → Oaxaca 6 h 30 $38 ADO An overnight sleeper coach, or a one-hour-ten flight from MEX if time is short.

Reference prices in dollars gathered in 2025, per person, economy class. The metro and Metrobús run on a rechargeable card; intercity buses are sold online or at the terminal.

Where to sleep

Four neighbourhoods, four different cities

See hotels →
From $45 Centro Histórico Colonial buildings turned into hotels, with everything ten minutes away. For seeing a lot on foot without depending on the metro.
From $70 Roma and Condesa Turn-of-the-century houses, tree-lined medians and the best eating in the city. For anyone here to eat and to wander with no fixed route.
From $80 Juárez and Reforma The wide avenue, museums nearby and the metro running both ways. For short trips, and for landing late and needing a bed.
From $55 Coyoacán Cobbled streets and a village square, half an hour from the centre. For longer stays, and for anyone who wants a quiet night.
Before you book

What everybody asks

At two thousand two hundred and forty metres the first day is more tiring than usual and alcohol hits sooner. You do not need to acclimatise as you would in the Andes, but plan nothing demanding until day two and drink more water than you feel like.

Yes, and it is the fastest way across the city: five pesos a ride and nearly two hundred stations. It is packed from seven to nine and six to eight, the front carriages are reserved for women, and it is worth carrying your bag in front of you.

The city sits in a seismic zone and the old lakebed amplifies the shaking. There is an audible alert, regular drills and clear procedures, and hotels have the exit route marked: read it when you check in. It is not a reason to stay away.

Four at a minimum for the centre, Chapultepec and one neighbourhood. Six if you want Teotihuacán and Xochimilco without rushing, because each eats a whole day.

March, April and May. The dry spring traps ozone in the valley and alerts get declared. If you have a respiratory condition, October and November are far better.

Not from the tap. Almost every hotel and kitchen serves purified water, and many places have a refill jug: bring a bottle and save both plastic and money.