Solo travel · Mexico City · Mexico
Solo travel in Mexico City
How to enjoy Mexico City at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: DavidGomezChiu, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Mexico City is rewarding for solo travellers: Roma, Condesa and the Centro have plenty of hostels and walkable streets, free walking tours and food tours make it easy to meet people, and eating alone at taco stands and market counters is completely normal. Many solo travellers base themselves in Roma Norte.
Key facts
- Base
- Roma Norte
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- Spanish
Solo travel tips
- Stay in Roma, Condesa or Juárez for walkable evenings and lots of places to eat alone.
- Join a free walking tour of the Centro or a street-food tour on your first day.
- Use ride-hailing at night and avoid hailing taxis on the street.
- Women can use the women-only Metro and Metrobús carriages at the front of the train.
- Take the first day slowly; the altitude can cause headaches and tiredness.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and couples
Roma Norte
Roma's tree-lined streets of early-20th-century Art Nouveau and Beaux-Arts mansions now hold many of the city's most acclaimed restaurants, cafés, galleries, mezcal bars and boutique hotels, centred on Avenida Álvaro Obregón and Plaza Río de Janeiro with its copy of Michelangelo's David. It is walkable and lively by day and night.
- Good
- The city's best dining and bar scene; Attractive, walkable streets; Wide choice of boutique hotels and rentals
- Watch out
- Busy and noisy around bar streets at weekends; Prices rising quickly
- Nearby
- Plaza Río de Janeiro, Avenida Álvaro Obregón, Mercado de Medellín, Condesa
Great on your own
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Landmark · Centro Histórico
Zócalo
For the best view, have a drink on one of the hotel rooftop terraces overlooking the square around sunset.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Religious site · Centro Histórico
Metropolitan Cathedral
Ask at the entrance about bell-tower tours, which are sometimes available and give views over the Zócalo.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Iconic
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Historic site · Centro Histórico
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
Palace · Centro Histórico
National Palace murals
Public access to the murals has varied in recent years; check before you go and bring your passport or photo ID.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Art
- History
- Free
- Iconic
Architecture · Centro Histórico
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
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
Meeting people
- Street-taco crawl — Taste al pastor, suadero and tacos de canasta at different stands in the Centro or Roma; busy stands with high turnover are a good sign of fresh food.
- Comida corrida — The set lunch served from about 2pm in fondas across the city: soup, rice, a main course and a drink, at a very low price.
- Roma Norte — Cocktail bars, mezcalerías and small clubs around Álvaro Obregón and Colima streets.
- Condesa — Bars and pavement terraces along Tamaulipas, Michoacán and Avenida Amsterdam.
Sensible precautions
The main visitor areas such as Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán and the Centro by day are generally comfortable, but pickpocketing is common on the Metro and in crowded markets. Use app-based rides or authorised taxi ranks rather than hailing taxis on the street. The city has an earthquake early-warning system: if the sirens sound, follow locals to open space.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés and many public spaces; local SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy, and many North American plans include Mexico roaming.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Mexico City good for solo travellers?
Mexico City is rewarding for solo travellers: Roma, Condesa and the Centro have plenty of hostels and walkable streets, free walking tours and food tours make it easy to meet people, and eating alone at taco stands and market counters is completely normal.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Mexico City?
Roma Norte: Art Nouveau mansions, acclaimed restaurants, cafés and mezcal bars.