If you’re looking for a trip full of food, art, architecture, culture, history, and more, Mexico City is your place! Often overlooked for its coastal neighbors like Cancún and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico City is a blossoming and happening travel destination. Keep scrolling to read this Mexico City travel guide.
I lived in Mexico City a few years ago on a modeling contract and have visited with friends since then. I always felt safe during my time here and was blown away by the amount of things there were to see and do.
Below is an extensive guide of what to see and where to stay during your next trip to Mexico City, Mexico!
Oh, and if you need a good podcast to download for your flight, see my list of recommendations here.
Neighborhoods
The best neighborhoods in Mexico City are highlighted on the map above. Keep in mind that Mexico City is the biggest city in North America by population, even more than New York City. This city is huge and has so many wonderful neighborhoods to explore.
Condesa, Colonia Roma Norte, Colonia Hipódromo, Polanco, and Chapultepec are the best and safest areas to stay in Mexico City. The marker in the city center (top right) marks the Casa Pepe hostel, which I stayed at and absolutely loved.
If you are visiting Mexico City for the first time, I would recommend not staying in the city center because you will find yourself constantly having to Uber west to the Chapultepec area. You also might not feel safe in the heart of downtown, as with any city.
Due to the Spanish invasion of Mexico, much of the architecture is very European. As you walk through Roma Norte, Hipódromo, and Condesa, you will see a lot of these gorgeous buildings. This area is extremely walkable with tons of shops and restaurants.
Parque Mexico
Parque Mexico is gorgeous and is also lined with restaurants, fruit stands, and juice shops. Put on your walking shoes and explore this friendly neighborhood! Or, if you would like to go on a run while traveling, this is the perfect place to do so.
Chapultepec Castle
The Chapultepec Castle is one of only two castles in North America. It sits high above the city on Chapultepec Hill and is an absolute must see while you are in Mexico City.
It costs about $5 USD or 85 MXN to get into the castle and it’s worth every penny. Part of this castle is now a National History Museum. This castle was especially important during the Mexican American war and used to be home to the Emperor of Mexico. You should plan a half day for this sight.
It’s also possible to join a guided tour of this castle! Usually I am not one for guided tours, but I do wish that I was on a tour at this sight. There aren’t many signs, and a lot of the signs are in Spanish, so I wasn’t always sure what I was looking at.
Here’s a link to a top rated Tripadvisor tour of the Chapultepec Castle!
Mercado Roma Food Market
You could travel to Mexico City and spend your entire trip hopping in and out of some of the best restaurants in the world. The food scene in this city is seriously incredible.
Mercado Roma is located in Roma Norte, and it’s actually not far at all from Parque Mexico. This eclectic food market is exactly that, a food market. You will be able to find a wide variety of bites and drinks here from different backgrounds of Mexican cuisine.
Upstairs, there’s a beautiful outdoor seating garden that turns into a very lively bar at night. This bar is called Biergarten. Don’t miss Mercado Roma during your time in Mexico City!
Visit the Pyramids of Teotihuacán (Day Trip)
If you have time during your trip, carve out a day to go see the Pyramids of Teotihuacán! This archeological site is a stunning and complex place to visit. It’s still unknown who exactly built these pyramids.
The Pyramid of the Sun (seen behind me in the image above) is the 7th largest pyramid in the world and you can climb the stairs to the top. There are murals and script all throughout this site that have still not been decoded and a majority of this site remains a mystery to archeologists.
Teotihuacán is about 1.5 hours from the Roma Norte neighborhood of Mexico City. I have been to this site twice, and I took an Uber each time which was very easy. This is another site where I wish I had a tour guide because there are no signs anywhere!
If you’d like to book a day tour, here is a link to a highly rated guided tour complete with a tequila and mezcal tasting. I’ll be booking this on my next visit!
Xochimilco River Cruise (Day Trip)
You guys… if you’re headed to Mexico City on a girl’s trip, couple’s trip, bachelorette party, or anything similar, this is an experience you can not miss! Whenever people ask for Mexico City recommendations, I always suggest this excursion.
When I was living in Mexico City, my modeling agency at the time took us to Xochimilco in 2016. It is such a unique experience and it’s SO FUN. Bring drinks and snacks and be ready to have the time of your life as you sail down the canals with other boats and mariachi bands.
Book your Xocimilco excursion here.
Thank you for reading this Mexico City Travel Guide! I hope you took away some helpful information and that you enjoy your next trip to Mexico City. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions for CDMX.
This post is a Mexico City Travel Guide.
