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Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and the largest city in North America, located in the south-central part of the country at an elevation of 2,240 metres.
Despite the city being massive, it’s actually quite easy to navigate thanks to an affordable and widespread transit system, and it’s division into a diversity of unique and individually fascinating neighbourhoods.
Whether you’re planning a low-key getaway to slowly wander through the city’s streets and parks or an active adventure to try and cram in as much as possible, Mexico City offers itineraries for all travellers.
In this guide, we’ve set out to give you a solid overview of what you can look forward to on your trip to this amazing city, so let’s dive right in!
Mexico City has two major airports: Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU).
The majority of flights from Canada use Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport, but it is possible to book a flight that will arrive/depart from Felipe Ángeles International Airport .
If you’re given the option, it’s easiest to arrive and depart from Mexico City Benito Juárez International Airport since this airport is closer to the central part of the city and has more options for getting to and from its location.
To get from Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) to the centre of Mexico City, you have the following options:
If you’re taking a taxi, make sure to book through one of the official vendors at the airport. The price for this option will likely be between $25-40.
When you land, you can also try to connect with an Uber or Didi car (made easier if you’ve already got data with an eSIM for Mexico), but be aware that there are rules for where ride-shares like these can pick you up, so you’ll likely have to go on an adventure to find the pick-up location.
For travellers with only a small amount of luggage, public transit is also a reasonable option. However, while this option easily costs the least, it does take the most amount of time, and you will have to transfer routes at least once.
If you’re flying to or from Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU), the fastest way to get to Mexico City’s historical centre is by car. You can either book a taxi or car service, or you can attempt to use Uber or Didi, though our research shows mixed results for the latter option.
Alternatively, you can take one of the many buses that depart from the in-airport bus terminal — just make sure to choose the one that’s headed nearest to the neighbourhood that you’re staying in.
Mexico City has such a wonderful diversity of neighbourhoods that you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing where to stay.
Neighbourhoods like Polanco and Reforma are excellent options for travellers who want to stay in a more high-end area known for shopping, museums, and fine dining.
For someone who’s craving a bit more of a historical vibe, the Centro neighbourhood is packed with historical buildings, even more museums, and lots of great food.
Plus, if you’re hoping to use some hotel points to save on your accommodations, these three neighbourhoods are home to lots of popular hotel brands so you can use your Marriott Bonvoy points or Hilton Honors points.
If you prefer to stay in smaller, boutique hotels or Airbnbs, take a look at the beautiful art deco buildings in Roma and Condesa or get cozy with the small-town feeling in Coyoácan.
To learn more about each of these amazing neighbourhoods, check out the guide we’ve written about some of the most popular places to stay when in Mexico City. You can also explore our article on how to save money when staying at Airbnbs and smaller hotels to help you keep more pesos in your pocket.
When visiting Mexico City, there’s just so much to see and do that you could easily spend years exploring.
However, given that most of us will only be lucky enough to visit this amazing city for a short time, we’ve tried to highlight some of the best and most popular activities, along with some more unique opportunities to help you plan a memorable trip.
You can also read about Jonathan’s itinerary in Mexico City to see a real trip in action.
One of the absolutely best things about Mexico City is that there’s so much amazing food to try.
From incredible street food stalls to Michelin-starred restaurants to everything in between, the food scene in Mexico City is legendary!
As a massive city, Mexico City is home to people from across the entire country and beyond, so during your visit, you’ll have a chance to taste food from pretty much any of Mexico’s many regions.
In fact, lots of popular dishes have regional variations and thanks to the diversity of the city, you can sample and compare these differences.
With so many options, it’ll be impossible to try everything, but to get you started here’s a few suggestions:
For breakfast, consider stopping in at one of the many local markets to try chilaquiles, huaraches, and a fresh juice. Or if you prefer a sweet breakfast, you can always grab a pastry from a panadería like the very popular Panadería Rosetta.
Later in the day, when you’re ready for lunch or a snack, I recommend enjoying some street food favourites like tacos (al pastor and birria are a couple classic options), tortas, tlayudas, and quesadillas.
Then, if you’re looking for a sit-down option for dinner, you could get fancy with one of Mexico City’s Michelin-starred restaurants like Expendio de Maíz and Pujol.
Additionally, if you want to try a lot of different things but would rather not do a ton of planning, you can always book a food tour with GetYourGuide or Civitatis. With a food tour, all you have to do is show up hungry and curious, and you’ll get to try all sorts of Mexican treats!
For travellers who enjoy a nice drink from time to time, Mexico City will not disappoint.
The city is home to a handful of the top 50 bars in North America so there’s no shortage of delicious and innovative cocktails to choose from.
Plus, if you want to take your exploration of Mexican spirits further, you can also sign up for a mezcal tasting. Similar to the food tours we mentioned above, you can find informative experiences through Airbnb Experiences, GetYourGuide, Civitatis, and other tour operators.
In these tastings, you’ll learn about the agave plant, how it’s been used by the Indigenous people of Mexico for thousands of years, and how it’s now used to make mezcal, tequila, pulque, and more, giving you a deeper appreciation for this fascinating plant and these incredible spirits.
The shopping options in Mexico City are as expansive as you’d expect for a city of its size.
From high-end shops in Polanco and Reforma to hip vintage stores and cute boutiques in Roma and Condesa, shopping fans can easily spend their entire trip exploring all that’s on offer.
Don’t forget to also look out for specialty Mexican crafts like rugs from the town of Teotitlán del Valle that showcase the Zapotec weaving traditions or obsidian carvings that make use of captivating volcanic stones from the region.
And, of course, you can always pick up a nice bottle of mezcal to bring home, or you could head to Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela for some fun souvenirs to share with friends.
Mexico City is home to over 150 museums, making it basically essential that you spend an afternoon or two getting some culture.
There’s pretty much a museum to suit everyone’s taste, whether you prefer contemporary art, ancient artifacts, political history, or just about anything else.
With so many interesting and unique options, we recommend that you do a bit of research to pick out a few that speak to your interests and that will fit in with your trip’s itinerary.
However, in case you need a bit of insipiration, here are a few of the most popular choices:
During any trip to Mexico City, it’s pretty much required that you take part of a day to head just out of town to visit Teotihucan, a massive archaeological complex that used to be a pre-Columbian city.
While visiting the site, you can marvel at the incredible structures, learn about the history of the area, and, if you’re lucky (and not afraid of heights), you can climb the Pyramid of the Moon.
Our recommendation is to visit Teotihuacan in the morning before it gets hot and busy around midday. The best way to visit is to book a tour since this not only gets you a ride to and from the complex, but it also gives you a knowledgeable tour guide to help you understand what you’re seeing.
For the more adventurous, another popular option is to take a sunrise hot air balloon ride to take it all in from above. Just make sure to bring a jacket, as it can get chilly when you’re up in the sky.
Another fantastic activity that will take you back in time is to visit the canals of the Xochimilco area to get an idea of how the city was when it was first founded.
While in Xochimilco, you can take a quieter trip on a kayak to explore the canals and chinampas (built islands for living and agriculture) which showcase how Mexico City looked when it was mostly water, or you can choose to party it up on a boat (trajinera) for a more contemporary option with drinks and mariachi music.
For all the sports fans out there, you’ll definitely want to take a look at which games are in town during your trip to Mexico City.
Although the most popular local sport is soccer, there’s also lots of opportunity to check out other athletic events like baseball, basketball, Formula 1, wrestling (especially the infamous Lucha Libre spectacles), and more.
I highly recommend checking the sports calendar for while you’re in the city to see if you can join in and cheer on the home team!
As a major North American city (it’s actually the largest city on the continent), Mexico City is unsurprisingly home to many major events, including a number of matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
There are currently 5 matches scheduled for Mexico City, including 1 in the Round of 32 and 1 in the Round of 16.
The games will be held at Estadio Azteca (Azteca Stadium) which is located in the southern part of the city, not too far away from the Coyoácan neighbourhood, so if you’re a soccer fan, you’ll definitely want to plan you visits accordingly!
We’ve put together a couple guides for this massive event, so definitely check the out if you’d like to learn how to secure tickets, save on accommodations, or use your points to find affordable flights.
Although most brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants in Mexico City will take credit cards, having some cash on hand in pesos will let you enjoy delicious street food and will help cover you for any unexpected situation.
The primary language in Mexico City is Spanish so consider practicing a few polite phrases to help you make friends and make your visit more enjoyable.
To do this, you could grab some free language-learning resources from your local library or try out an app like Babbel that makes it easy to learn no matter where you are.
It’s always a great idea to take a credit card that doesn’t charge FX fees, like the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite* Card. This not only saves you the 2.5% fee on all your purchases in Mexico City, but it also lets you earn Scene+ points on every purchase.
Plus, if you want, you can then use these earned points to save you even more on your trip by redeeming them against travel expenses made on the card.
Any trip to Mexico City is sure to be an amazing experience thanks to the city’s diverse food scene, the incredible art, culture, and architecture, the region’s fascinating history, and more.
We hope our guide has helped get you excited about all the amazing things you can see and do while exploring this incredible city, and we wish you fun and safe travels!
Planning to explore different regions in Mexico? Read our guides to help plan your trip:
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