Things to do · Mexico City · Mexico
20 best things to do in Mexico City
20 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ulisesmorales, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Mexico City are Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral and Templo Mayor. Of the 20 picks below, 11 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 5 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Zócalo
- Free sights
- 11
- Good on a rainy day
- Templo Mayor
- Time to see the highlights
- 5 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zócalo | Centro Histórico | 30 minutes | Free |
| Metropolitan Cathedral | Centro Histórico | 45 minutes | Free |
| Templo Mayor | Centro Histórico | 2 hours | Low cost |
| National Palace murals | Centro Histórico | 1 hour | Free |
| Palacio de Bellas Artes | Centro Histórico | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| National Museum of Anthropology | Chapultepec | Half a day | Low cost |
| Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul) | Coyoacán | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Xochimilco canals | Xochimilco | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Lucha libre at Arena México | Doctores | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Plaza Garibaldi | Centro Histórico | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Torre Latinoamericana | Centro Histórico | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Chapultepec Castle | Chapultepec | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Coyoacán centre | Coyoacán | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Museo Soumaya | Polanco | 1.5 hours | Free |
| Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe | Gustavo A. Madero | 1.5–2 hours | Free |
| Biblioteca Vasconcelos | Buenavista | 1 hour | Free |
| Casa Luis Barragán | Tacubaya | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Ciudad Universitaria (UNAM) | Coyoacán | 2 hours | Free |
| Mercado de San Juan | Centro Histórico | 1 hour | Free |
| Paseo de la Reforma and the Ángel | Juárez and Reforma | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 20 best things to do
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Landmark · Centro Histórico
1.Zócalo
The Plaza de la Constitución, universally called the Zócalo, is one of the largest public squares in the world, laid out over the ceremonial centre of Tenochtitlan. It is framed by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace, a giant national flag flies in the middle, and it hosts concerts, protests and national celebrations.
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
2.Metropolitan Cathedral
The largest cathedral in the Americas was built in stages between 1573 and 1813, mixing Renaissance, baroque and neoclassical styles; its gilded Altar of the Kings is the highlight. The building has sunk unevenly into the soft former lakebed, and a plumb line hanging inside shows how far it leans.
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
3.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. A walkway crosses the layered temple foundations, and the site museum holds the Tlaltecuhtli monolith, the largest Aztec sculpture yet found.
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
4.National Palace murals
The seat of the federal government on the east side of the Zócalo holds Diego Rivera's epic murals of Mexican history, painted between 1929 and 1951 around the main staircase and first-floor corridors, from the Aztec city through the conquest to the Revolution.
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
5.Palacio de Bellas Artes
The white-marble Palacio de Bellas Artes, finished in 1934 with an Art Nouveau exterior and an Art Deco interior, is Mexico's leading arts venue. Its upper floors hold murals by Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros and Tamayo, including Rivera's Man, Controller of the Universe, and the theatre has a Tiffany glass curtain showing the volcanoes Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
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
- Book ahead
- Book performances of the Ballet Folklórico de México in the main theatre in advance through the official box office.
- Art
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
Museum · Chapultepec
6.National Museum of Anthropology
Mexico's greatest museum, opened in 1964 in Chapultepec Park, covers the civilisations of ancient Mexico in more than 20 halls around a courtyard sheltered by a giant umbrella-like canopy on a single column. Highlights include the Aztec Sun Stone, colossal Olmec heads, a recreation of the Maya king Pakal's tomb and the Teotihuacan hall; the upper floor covers living Indigenous cultures.
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 · Coyoacán
7.Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul)
Frida Kahlo was born and died in the Casa Azul, the cobalt-blue house in Coyoacán she shared with Diego Rivera. Its rooms keep her studio, easel and wheelchair, the couple's folk-art collection and a shaded garden, and a separate exhibition shows her Tehuana dresses and medical corsets.
Visit the Leon Trotsky house-museum a few blocks away to complete the story of 1930s Coyoacán.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Tickets are sold online for timed slots and often sell out days ahead; book as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Art
- History
- Iconic
- Couples
Experience · Xochimilco
8.Xochimilco canals
In the far south of the city, the canals of Xochimilco are the last remnants of the Aztec lake landscape of chinampas (floating gardens) and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Brightly painted flat-bottomed boats called trajineras carry groups along the canals while mariachi and food boats pull alongside, especially lively at weekends.
Go on a weekday for a quieter ride or on Sunday for the full party, and agree the boat price by the hour using the official board at the landing.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Food
- Outdoors
Experience · Doctores
1.Lucha libre at Arena México
Masked wrestlers, acrobatic dives from the ropes and a crowd hurling good-natured insults make lucha libre a classic Mexico City night out. Arena México, known as the 'Cathedral of Lucha Libre', holds shows several nights a week.
Buy a mask from the stalls outside, and use an app-based ride to and from the arena, which is in a rough neighbourhood at night.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Buy tickets at the arena box office or through official sellers; a guided outing is an easy option for first-timers.
- After dark
- Iconic
- Kids
Landmark · Centro Histórico
2.Plaza Garibaldi
Mariachi bands in silver-studded charro suits gather in Plaza Garibaldi, north of the Alameda, to play for paying customers, especially in the evening. The Museo del Tequila y el Mezcal and the Salón Tenampa cantina, open since 1925, are on the square.
Agree the price per song before the band starts, and use an app-based ride to get there and back at night.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- After dark
- Free
- Iconic
Viewpoint · Centro Histórico
3.Torre Latinoamericana
Completed in 1956, the 44-storey Torre Latinoamericana was one of the first skyscrapers built to resist earthquakes on soft ground and came through the 1957 and 1985 earthquakes. The observation deck at the top looks over Bellas Artes, the Alameda and the seemingly endless city, and on clear days to the volcanoes.
Go on a clear morning after overnight rain, when the volcanoes may be visible, or at dusk to watch the city lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- History
- After dark
Castle · Chapultepec
4.Chapultepec Castle
On a hill in Chapultepec Park, one of the largest city parks in the Americas, the castle was the residence of Emperor Maximilian in the 1860s and later of Mexican presidents. It now holds the National History Museum, with restored royal rooms, murals and terraces looking down Paseo de la Reforma.
Arrive early at weekends, when the park fills with families; the walk up the hill from the park entrance takes about 15 minutes.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Architecture
- Kids
Neighbourhood · Coyoacán
5.Coyoacán centre
Coyoacán's two central squares, Jardín Centenario with its coyote fountain and Plaza Hidalgo with the 16th-century church of San Juan Bautista, fill with families, balloon sellers and street performers at weekends. The Mercado de Coyoacán is known for its seafood tostadas.
Come on a weekend afternoon for the atmosphere, then have churros and hot chocolate on the square.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Kids
- Couples
- History
Museum · Polanco
6.Museo Soumaya
Carlos Slim's free museum in Plaza Carso is housed in a curving building covered in about 16,000 hexagonal aluminium tiles. Its top floor is filled with Rodin bronzes, one of the largest collections outside France, and lower floors hold European old masters, Mexican art and coins.
Cross the plaza to Museo Jumex for contemporary art afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · Gustavo A. Madero
7.Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
One of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world, the basilica holds the cloak (tilma) of Juan Diego bearing the image of the Virgin, viewed from a moving walkway below the altar. The circular modern basilica of 1976 stands beside the 18th-century old basilica, which leans visibly on the soft ground.
Climb Tepeyac Hill behind the basilica for chapels and views; avoid 12 December unless you want to join millions of pilgrims.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Architecture · Buenavista
8.Biblioteca Vasconcelos
Opened in 2006, this public 'megalibrary' next to Buenavista station has steel bookshelves that seem to float in a vast atrium, with Gabriel Orozco's whale-skeleton sculpture suspended above the central hall. Entry is free, and botanical gardens surround the building.
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
Architecture · Tacubaya
9.Casa Luis Barragán
The home and studio of architect Luis Barragán, built in 1948, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a lesson in light, colour and walled gardens behind a plain street facade. Small guided tours show its pink and yellow walls, the cantilevered wooden staircase in the library and the rooftop terrace.
Combine it with lunch in nearby Condesa, about a 15-minute ride away.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Visits are by guided tour only, in small groups; book well ahead.
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Art
Architecture · Coyoacán
10.Ciudad Universitaria (UNAM)
The main campus of Mexico's national university, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a showcase of 1950s modernism. Juan O'Gorman's Central Library is covered on all sides with a stone mosaic of Mexican history, David Alfaro Siqueiros's relief murals decorate the Rectorate tower, and the stadium used for the 1968 Olympics stands across the avenue.
Take Metrobús Line 1 down Avenida Insurgentes, and add the MUAC contemporary art museum on campus.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Market · Centro Histórico
11.Mercado de San Juan
This downtown market supplies the city's chefs with exotic fruit, cheeses, game meats and pre-Hispanic delicacies such as chapulines (grasshoppers) and escamoles (ant larvae). Several stalls let you taste insect tacos, cheeses and cured meats on the spot.
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
Street · Juárez and Reforma
12.Paseo de la Reforma and the Ángel
The city's grand boulevard, laid out in the 1860s under Emperor Maximilian, runs from the Alameda past monuments such as the golden Ángel de la Independencia to Chapultepec Park. On Sunday mornings, long stretches are closed to cars for the Muévete en Bici cycling and walking programme.
Rent an Ecobici bike and join the Sunday car-free ride from the Ángel towards the Centro.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Architecture
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | National Palace murals, Palacio de Bellas Artes, National Museum of Anthropology and Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul) |
| History | Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral, Templo Mayor and National Palace murals |
| Views | Torre Latinoamericana and Chapultepec Castle |
| Outdoors and nature | Xochimilco canals and Paseo de la Reforma and the Ángel |
| Food and markets | Xochimilco canals, Coyoacán centre and Mercado de San Juan |
| After dark | Torre Latinoamericana, Lucha libre at Arena México and Plaza Garibaldi |
| With children | National Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Castle, Xochimilco canals and Coyoacán centre |
| On a rainy day | Templo Mayor, Palacio de Bellas Artes, National Museum of Anthropology and Museo Soumaya |
What to book ahead
- Palacio de Bellas Artes: Book performances of the Ballet Folklórico de México in the main theatre in advance through the official box office.
- Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul): Tickets are sold online for timed slots and often sell out days ahead; book as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Lucha libre at Arena México: Buy tickets at the arena box office or through official sellers; a guided outing is an easy option for first-timers.
- Casa Luis Barragán: Visits are by guided tour only, in small groups; book well ahead.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Mexico City?
Zócalo. The Plaza de la Constitución, universally called the Zócalo, is one of the largest public squares in the world, laid out over the ceremonial centre of Tenochtitlan.
+What can you do for free in Mexico City?
Zócalo, Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace murals, Plaza Garibaldi and Coyoacán centre. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Mexico City when it rains?
Head indoors to Templo Mayor, Palacio de Bellas Artes, National Museum of Anthropology and Museo Soumaya.
+What is there to do in Mexico City at night?
Torre Latinoamericana, Lucha libre at Arena México and Plaza Garibaldi are best after dark.