7 things to do in Mexico City
I recently watched two films, which I really enjoyed: Queer, a romantic drama set in the 1950s, starring Daniel Craig as an American expatriate who falls for a younger man, and Emilia Perez, a musical about a Mexican cartel kingpin who changes sex and reinvents herself. They’re both set in Mexico City.
The Mexican capital is home to more than 9 million people (whereas Greater Mexico City is home to more than 20 million), which makes it the largest city not only in Mexico but also in North America. Mexico City is also the oldest capital of the Americas. Nowadays, it is a vibrant city well worth a visit. As I’ve mentioned in my previous posts, it is home to some of the world’s best restaurants and bars. But it is also home to about 170 museums, which makes it one of the top ten cities in the world with the highest number of museums. Today, I’m sharing my top 7 recommendations for what to do in Mexico City.
1. Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan
Coyocan is a borough in Mexico City and is famous for the Frida Kahlo Museum. It’s also a nice neighbourhood to wander around. I actually spent one night (and two full days) there.
The Frida Kahlo Museum is actually the house where the famous painter was born in, lived, and died in. When I visited, I spent about an hour walking around the museum and sitting in the garden. Like most museums in Mexico City, it is closed on Mondays. I would strongly recommend making an advanced booking. The standard ticket costs 320 pesos (15 euros).
Afterwards, you can either go towards the Coyocan Market or the historical centre of Coyoacan.
I had one of the most memorable meals at La Coyoacana, located in the historical centre of Coyoacan, very close to Plaza Hidalgo and the Jardin del Centenario. I went there for lunch and had enough food to last me till the end of the day. For starters, I had the sopa azteca and shared sopecitos. For the main, I shared the molcajetes: a stone mortar filled with strips of rib eye steak and topped with chicharron (pork crackling). It would’ve been enough for 2 people without the starters! Several mariachi bands came by and played their beautiful music.
Afterwards, I visited the Parroquia (Parish Church) de San Juan Bautista, which is one of the three oldest parish churches in Mexico City.
2. Visit the Palacio de Bellas Artes
The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts) is located in the Centro Historico and next to the Alameda Central Park.
A prominent example of late 19th-century architecture, it is home to one of the city’s main museums (Museo de Bellas Artes). It is a beautiful place for a coffee or a cocktail against a backdrop of impressive murals. You don’t have to visit the museum in order get to the café. However, I would strongly recommend that you visit the museum to take a closer look at the impressive murals by three Mexican painters: José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros. Among the murals, there’s Rivera’s El hombre en el cruce de caminos (Man at the Crossroads), which had originally been commissioned for New York City’s Rockefeller Center. The original was destroyed because of its pro-marxist themes, and was later re-created. As well as the murals, there are also temporary exhibitions.
There’s also the Museo Nacional de Arquitectura (Museum of Architecture) which occupies the top floor of the building, and is also well-worth a visit. The museums are closed on Mondays. There is no need for advanced bookings. The standard ticket for the Museo de Bellas Artes costs about 4 euros, whereas for the Museo de Arquitectura slightly less. When I visited, I spent about two hours in the museums, then had a cocktail.
Places of interest near the Palacio de Bellas Artes
If you’d rather have a meal, you could combine your visit to the Palacio de Bellas Artes with a visit to the nearby House of Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos). Also known as the Palace of the Counts of Valley of Orizaba (Palacio de los Condes del Valle de Orizaba), it is now home to Sanborns, a restaurant and department store chain. It is a fantastic location for a meal, such a unique and atmospheric place! There are several rooms, but the one on the ground floor, closer to Calle Madero is the most impressive. No need for advanced booking.
If you have time for another museum, there’s the Museo Nacional de Arte (National Museum of Art), which is housed in an impressive neo-classical building. When I visited, I spent several hours. It features a large collection representing the history of Mexican art from the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-20th century. It is also closed on Mondays. The standard ticket costs 90 pesos (about 4 euros – cash only).
3. Visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mexico City was built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, which was founded in the 14th century. There are remains of Aztec buildings, including the main temple, Templo Mayor. The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is situated on top of the former Aztec sacred precinct near the Templo Mayor on the northern side of the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in the Centro Historico. The latter has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
From Zocalo, you can take the hop on and off bus (Turibus) to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, about half an hour away. There are actually two churches, the Templo Expiatorio a Cristo Rey (Old Basilica of Guadalupe) and the New Basilica of Guadalupe.
If you have time, you might also want to take the Turibus to go around the city and admire other landmarks, such as the Angel of Independence on the Paseo de la Reforma. There are a total of 4 lines, accessible with a single ticket that costs 240 pesos (about 11 euros). There is also the option of a ticket for two consecutive days, which costs 300 pesos (about 14 euros).
4. Visit the National Museum of Anthropology
The National Museum of Anthropology is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. It is located in the affluent neighbourhood of Polanco in the Miguel Hidalgo borough. Here you will find an impressive collection of archaeological artifacts from Mexico’s past, such as the Stone of the Sun and a Moctezuma headdress, both located in the Mexica Hall. I would recommend spending at least 3 hours in the museum. The standard ticket costs about 90 pesos (about 4 euros).
Polanco is also home to two of the world’s best restaurants, Quintonil and Pujol. I have only visited the latter and had the 9-course tasting menu, which was largely fish and seafood, but also included Pujol’s famous mole! I also had two cocktails, and paid 5,000 pesos (235 euros) per person, which was worth it! Advanced booking is a must. I had made a reservation a few weeks earlier (I had put our name on the waiting list, as it was initially fully booked for all the days we checked).
5. Take a trajinera in Xochimilco
Xochimilco is another one of the 16 boroughs in Mexico City, and is well worth a visit because of its canals. Since 1987, Xochimilco has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once there, enjoy a tour on a traditional trajinera (a colourful boat that can accommodate up to 18 people). The cost of a trajinera ride depends on the length of the trip and whether you share a boat (the price is per trajinera, not per person). My friend and I opted for a 2-hour trip, which cost us about 2400 pesos (about 110 euros). You can hire live music, such as mariachis or buy drinks from other boats.
6. Stay, eat and drink in Roma Norte or Condesa
Considered the center of the Mexican capital’s culinary and artistic zeitgeist, Roma Norte and the neighbouring Condesa are located in the Cuauhtémoc borough. They’re home to some of the best places to eat and drink in Mexico City. Because of this, but also because of their proximity to many sights, Roma Norte and Condesa are good places to stay overnight.
There are six bars in Mexico City among the world’s 100 best. These include Handshake Speakeasy (number 1), Tlecān (number 20), Licorería Limantour (number 32), Baltra Bar (number 83), Rayo (number 87) and Hanky Panky (number 93). They’re all located in Roma Norte or in Condesa.
There are also four restaurants in Mexico City among the world’s 100 best. These include Quintonil (number 7), Pujol (number 33), Rosetta (number 34) and Sud 777 (number 82). Rosetta is located in Roma Norte and I would highly recommend it.
Check out my post ‘20+1 places to eat and drink in Mexico City’ for even more recommendations, most of which are in Roma Norte.
7. Visit Teotihuacan
Teotihuacan is an ancient Mesoamerican city located kilometres northeast of modern-day Mexico City. It is the site of many Mesoamerican pyramids built in the pre-Columbian Americas, namely the Pyramid of the Sun (Piramide del Sol) and the Pyramid of the Moon (Piramide de la Luna). It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. When I visited Mexico City, I found a half-day trip on Get Your Guide (37 euros/person). We spent three hours at the archaeological site, which was about right.
Where to stay
As mentioned, Roma Norte is a good place to stay. There are many hotels, decent and reasonably priced. If you stay in Coyoacan, I would recommend Meztli: Casa Boutique & Spa, which is very close to the Frida Kahlo Museum.
How long to visit for
If you visit Mexico City for the first time, I would recommend staying for 6-7 days to visit the aforementioned places. When planning your visit, remember that most museums are closed on Mondays.
Further reading
To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet Mexico Travel Guide.
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)