Rainy day · Mexico City · Mexico
6 things to do in Mexico City when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Start with Templo Mayor, Palacio de Bellas Artes and National Museum of Anthropology. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 10–11 hours across 4 areas; 3 are free. July is usually the wettest month, with about 23 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 10–11 hours
- Areas
- Centro Histórico, Chapultepec and Polanco
Mexico City on a rainy day
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Historic site · Centro Histórico
1.Templo Mayor
Visit the museum after the ruins; its scale models help make sense of the layers you have just walked over.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Architecture · Centro Histórico
2.Palacio de Bellas Artes
Combine it with the Torre Latinoamericana's observation deck across the street for a view down onto the palace's domes.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Chapultepec
3.National Museum of Anthropology
Head straight to the Mexica (Aztec) hall at the back of the ground floor before groups arrive, and allow at least half a day.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Polanco
4.Museo Soumaya
Cross the plaza to Museo Jumex for contemporary art afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Architecture · Buenavista
5.Biblioteca Vasconcelos
Climb to the upper walkways for the best view along the hanging stacks.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Market · Centro Histórico
6.Mercado de San Juan
Go late morning on a weekday and ask a stallholder to put together a tasting plate.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centro Histórico | Templo Mayor, Palacio de Bellas Artes and Mercado de San Juan | 2 hours + 1.5 hours + 1 hour |
| Chapultepec | National Museum of Anthropology | Half a day |
| Polanco | Museo Soumaya | 1.5 hours |
| Buenavista | Biblioteca Vasconcelos | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 3 free, 3 low cost. Book ahead for Palacio de Bellas Artes. The longest visit is National Museum of Anthropology; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Palacio de Bellas Artes: Book performances of the Ballet Folklórico de México in the main theatre in advance through the official box office.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centro Histórico): Templo Mayor → Palacio de Bellas Artes → Mercado de San Juan, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Chapultepec): National Museum of Anthropology, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Polanco and Buenavista): Museo Soumaya → Biblioteca Vasconcelos, at least 3 hours.
The wettest months
- July: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 23 rainy days, moderate crowds. The wettest month, with daily afternoon storms; plan museums for the afternoons.
- August: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 21 rainy days, moderate crowds. Rainy afternoons continue, and chiles en nogada season begins.
- September: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 18 rainy days, moderate crowds. Still rainy, with patriotic decorations everywhere for Independence Day.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centro Histórico — The Zócalo, Aztec ruins, baroque churches and colonial palaces
- Polanco — Designer stores on Masaryk, fine dining and big museums by Chapultepec
More of Mexico City
All things to do in Mexico City · Where to stay · When to go.
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Mexico City?
Templo Mayor. The ruins of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan, the twin pyramid dedicated to Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc, were uncovered beside the cathedral after electricity workers found the great Coyolxauhqui stone disc in 1978.
+Which of these are free in Mexico City?
Museo Soumaya, Biblioteca Vasconcelos and Mercado de San Juan.