With kids · Mexico City · Mexico
Mexico City with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: JEDIKNIGHT1970, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Mexico City is surprisingly good with children: Chapultepec Park has the castle, museums and a children's museum, Xochimilco's boats are a hit, lucha libre is a family show, and Coyoacán's squares fill with balloon sellers at weekends. Altitude, traffic and crowds mean shorter days work best. Top picks: National Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Castle and Xochimilco canals. Families usually base themselves in Condesa.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- Condesa
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- November
Best things to do with kids
Museum · Chapultepec
1.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
Castle · Chapultepec
2.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
Experience · Xochimilco
3.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
Neighbourhood · Coyoacán
4.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
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Landmark · Centro Histórico
5.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
Experience · Doctores
6.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
Museum · Polanco
7.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
Rainy-day ideas
- 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.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, first-timers and families
Condesa
Built in the 1920s and 1930s around a former racetrack that is now the oval of Avenida Amsterdam, Condesa has Art Deco apartment buildings, two leafy parks, Parque México and Parque España, dog walkers and pavement cafés. It is a little calmer than Roma next door, with good restaurants and bars along Tamaulipas and Michoacán streets.
- Good
- Green, walkable and relaxed; Excellent cafés and restaurants; Parks for children and runners
- Watch out
- A ride from the Centro's sights; Popular streets get loud on weekend nights
- Nearby
- Parque México, Parque España, Avenida Amsterdam, Roma Norte
Family travel tips
- Give everyone a slow first day to adjust to the altitude, and keep children well hydrated.
- Papalote Museo del Niño in Chapultepec is a large hands-on children's museum.
- Use ride-hailing with your own car seat if you need one; most cars won't have them.
- Avoid the Metro at rush hour with strollers; many stations have stairs only.
- Weekend mornings in Parque México and Coyoacán are relaxed and full of local families.
Day trips for families
- Teotihuacan (About 1 hour by bus) — The vast ancient city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is laid out along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the largest pyramids in the world, and the Pyramid of the Moon.
- Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (About 3.5 hours by car) — From about mid-November to March, millions of monarch butterflies overwinter in the high fir forests of Michoacán and the State of Mexico, covering the branches and filling the air on sunny days.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–April and October–November. November is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Mexico City good for kids?
Mexico City is surprisingly good with children: Chapultepec Park has the castle, museums and a children's museum, Xochimilco's boats are a hit, lucha libre is a family show, and Coyoacán's squares fill with balloon sellers at weekends. Altitude, traffic and crowds mean shorter days work best.
+What can kids do in Mexico City?
National Museum of Anthropology, Chapultepec Castle, Xochimilco canals, Coyoacán centre and Zócalo.
+Where should families stay in Mexico City?
Condesa: Art Deco apartments, Parque México and pavement cafés.