Things to Do in Mexico City: A First Person Guide
I had heard Mexico City described a hundred ways before I ever landed, but nothing prepared me for the real thing. Ten days in the capital left me with sore feet, a spice-blistered tongue, and a shortlist of places I would go back to tomorrow. If you are planning your own trip, here are the things to do in Mexico City I actually loved, in the order I would repeat them.
Start in Centro Historico
My first morning I did what every traveler does: I stood in the Zocalo and tried to take in the Metropolitan Cathedral. But the real lesson came at the Templo Mayor, where the excavated pyramid sits right beside the colonial cathedral. That single sight, an Aztec temple and a Spanish church shoulder to shoulder, tells you more about this city than any guidebook chapter. I spent two hours in the on-site museum looking at the Coyolxauhqui stone, and I still felt I had rushed. Start here, early, before the noise of the day builds.
Eat Well, Often, and Cheaply
You cannot talk about things to do in Mexico City without talking about food, because eating is the city’s main event. My first full day I made a rule: one taco stand per neighborhood, minimum. The al pastor from a rotating trompo on Roma Norte ruined me for every other taco I have eaten since. For pastry, track down the churros with cajeta at a late night stall. For a sit down meal, I booked lunch at a decade old cantina in San Rafael and let the waiter choose my courses, a trick that works in Mexico City every single time.
Roma and Condesa on Foot
These two neighborhoods are the parts of the city that feel most alive in the late afternoon. I spent hours just walking, turning into whatever side street looked interesting. Roma’s tree lined avenues hold some of the finest art deco and modernist buildings in the Americas, and Condesa’s park draws people at every hour for food, conversation, and dog walking. My favorite afternoon was a slow loop through both, stopping for coffee, then a cold drink, then tacos again. Bring good shoes. You will earn your dinner.
Art That Stops You Cold
Mexico City’s art shots went straight to the top of my list of things to do. The National Museum of Anthropology is the obvious first stop, and it deserves every line of praise it gets. The Aztec Sun Stone alone is worth the ticket. But the room that moved me most was the Palacio de Bellas Artes, where Diego Rivera’s mural of an industrial cityscape covers an entire wall. Upstairs I could see the same artist’s work from another angle, and I understood for the first time why people call him the father of Mexican muralism. Set aside nothing less than half a day for the anthropology museum and the palace together. They are close enough to walk between.
Day Trip to Teotihuacan
When people ask what to do outside the city center, I tell them one thing: climb the Pyramid of the Sun. Teotihuacan is an hour from the capital and I nearly talked myself out of it, worried it was too touristy. I was wrong. Walking the Avenue of the Dead toward the pyramids, with the whole plain rising ahead of you, is the single most impressive thing I did in the country. Get there at opening time to beat both the heat and the tour buses. Bring water, wear a hat, and leave your flip flops behind. The climb is steep and the afternoon sun is no joke.
Paddle the Canals at Xochimilco
For a slower afternoon I took a trajinera, one of the brightly painted boats that glide along Xochimilco’s canals. Rent a boat in a group if you can, or share with whoever is waiting at the dock. Vendors raft up alongside, so you can buy elotes, fresh fruit, and beer without ever stepping off. It is touristy, yes, but it is also genuinely fun in a way that is hard to describe until you are floating past mariachi bands and laughing families. I went late in the day and the light over the water was worth the trip by itself.
Shop at the Markets
Skip the overhyped souvenir streets and spend a morning at La Merced or the San Juan market. San Juan is where the city’s best cooks shop, and I found wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, and dozens of chilies I had never seen. For something more classic, the Ciudadela market sells crafts and textiles from all over the country. I bought a hand embroidered blouse there for a third of what it would cost anywhere tourist central. Haggling is fine, but keep it friendly and light.
Planning the Practical Stuff
Three practical notes before you go. First, the metro is cheap, clean, and fast, and I used it to cross the city in minutes for a few pesos. Second, carry small bills, because vendors and taco stands rarely break a large note. Third, give yourself more time than you think you need. Mexico City rewards slow travel, and my only real regret is that I tried to pack too much into the first three days. Ease up, eat a second taco, and let the city do the work for you. These things to do in Mexico City will fill a week easily, and the ones you cut will still be there waiting when you come back, because you will come back. I already want to.
