Mexico City is quite easily one of my top three cities in the whole world. It is a bustling city with so much to offer. From insights into pre-hispanic culture, some of the best food you’ll ever eat, and incredibly friendly people, you’ll have a great time here!
Having spent just under a year here, I want to present my favourite must-dos in CDMX. There is something for everyone – whether you like a good drink, a good bite to eat, or you enjoy exploring and discovering beautiful sights.
I hope you enjoy your time in Mexico City! ¡Que la pasen bien en la Ciudad de México!
Visit museums
Mexico City is home to many great museums, including Museo Frida Kahlo, Museo Nacional de Antropología, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Soumaya, Museo de Templo Mayor (mentioned in the Pyramids section below), and many more.
If you have limited time, try visiting Museo Frida Kahlo and wandering around the beautiful streets of Coyoacán, as well as the Museo Nacional de Antropología. But do keep in mind, the latter museum is HUGE and you may not finish it all in one go. So pick the areas that interest you most.
If art is your thing, make sure to check out the Palacio de Bellas Artes, as well as some of the art galleries further along in this guide.
Cable cars
Mexico City is huge, and it can be hard to get a real understanding and feel for the whole city when you stay in Condesa, Reforma, or Roma Norte/Sur. This is why I recommend doing the cable car routes that help connect the outer areas of the city to the centre.
There are three routes, one in the south, one in the north and the other going west from Chapultepec. Each offering something slightly different. Whichever you take, you’ll see just how large and varied this city is. And you’ll also gain an insight into the local life.
I recommend doing a tour for this so you can learn more about the areas that you will be passing over. Here are some of the best tours for each cable car route:
Eat street food
If you are visiting México, you really must try the street food! Thankfully, there are street food stalls dotted around everywhere, so you’ll likely find a favourite spot near your hotel or apartment.
If you are vegan, then you won’t be missing out. There are also tonnes of great vegan options. Look out for Huitlacoche Quesadillas (and order without cheese), or Tlaycoyos (and order without cheese). These are both vegan-friendly street food dishes and can be found near enough everywhere. Or you can check out a 100% vegan spot, including Paxil, Por Siempre and Gatorta.
Or you can book yourself on to a street food tour:
Visit pyramids
There are a few pyramids you can visit in and around Mexico City. The most famous being Teotihuacán, with both the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun. You can simply visit the pyramids and walk around, or opt for the hot air balloon ride with views over the pyramids. For both, I recommend a tour (options below) as they will supply transport to and from the city.
In addition, you can visit the ruins of Templo Mayor in Centro, which are located in the main plaza next to the cathedral. You can also head south of the city on the Metro Bus to visit the archaeological park that is home to the Cuicuilco Pyramid ruins (the park is pictured above). With the beautiful Parque Nacional Bosque del Pedregal (a large forest) nearby, this makes for a great day out.
Explore the parks
Mexico City is home to many beautiful parks and squares. Chapultepec Park is probably one of the best, due to its vast size, beautiful lakes, and the street vendors. At one of the entrances, you will find two coffee shops (one a Starbucks) which have been built around the trees.
Chapultepec Park is home to the Museo Nacional de Historia Castillo de Chapultepec (which has beautiful views over the city), the Museo de Arte Moderno, the Jardín Botánico del Bosque de Chapultepec, and a few other sights.
On top of this, you can also enjoy watching all the dogs, salsa dancers, and other arty/sporty people in Parque México or Parque España. I can spend hours in Parque México with my book and a great coffee.
Another popular park is the Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco where you can book a gondola ride, typically this involves a lot of booze.
Go for coffee
One of my favourite things about the city is its coffee culture. There are hundreds of beautiful coffee shops serving up delicious flat whites, cortados and cold brews.
I highly recommend checking out Compay, a small hole-in-the-wall style coffee shop with some outdoor seating. Their oat flat whites are sublime (pictured above). You can also check out the hip Hule cafe, which transforms into a vinyl bar later in the day, Quiasmo Coffee Bar, my favourite remote work spot, and INSOMNIA cafe.
Both Roma Norte and Condesa are great for cute and trendy coffee shops. But you can also find some great places outside of these areas, including Totte Para Todos in Anzures.
Discover all my favourite oat flat whites in the city.
Visit galleries
I didn’t realise just how many art galleries there were in the city until Mexico City Art Week in February 2025 (it happens annually). All of the art galleries were being promoted online, all across social media, and I thoroughly enjoyed walking around visiting as many as I could.
Those I didn’t get to visit, I saved in my Maps and wandered around at a later date. Thankfully, most of them are open to the public year-round. You will see a few of these attached to the map at the top of this guide.
My favourite space is La Laguna, a converted factory with loads of independent art sellers and businesses. They also have a coffee shop and food on site. It is a beautiful space to enjoy and reminds me of being in East London.
You can also check out the beautiful interior design projects at AGO Projects or visit the Museum of Modern Art at Chapultepec.
Rooftop bars & nightlife
Mexico City has a thriving nightlife scene with a mix of cheap and vibrant bars, wine bars, cocktail bars and breweries. On top of this, there are a fair few rooftop bars with beautiful views to check out (although I don’t think these offer the best cocktails).
If you like craft beer, check out Drunkendog. If you like great cocktails, then Handshake is a must (voted the best cocktail bar in the world). And if you like great wine, you must visit one of the many amazing wine bars (my favourite is Sin Cruda).
Fancy a done-for-you night out in Mexico City? Check out these bar crawls and cocktail experiences:
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