In this video, we'll show you ten best things to do in Mexico City.
The suggestions are based on our fun trip to this unique historic metropolis.
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Here are our top 10 picks.
NUMBER 10: Plaza del Zócalo
Officially called Plaza de la Constitución and nicknamed Zócalo, Mexico City’s main square
has been a meeting place for Mexicans since the Aztec times.
People gather there for ceremonies,
royal proclamations, military parades, and even national protests.
The site was the main ceremonial center
in the pre-Columbian Mexico City called Tenochtitlan.
This large and well-developed city-state was
built on the island of Lake Texcoco together with another city - Tlatelolco.
According to Aztec mythology, it was considered the center of the universe.
The nickname Zócalo means "pedestal" or "plinth."
A monument to the Mexican independence was planned to be built here
but only the base to support the statue called Zócalo was built.
The plinth is no longer there, but the name has lived on.
You won’t, however, be able to miss a giant Mexican flag placed in the center of the square.
Zócalo is home to several important buildings, including the National Palace,
the seat of the Mexican government,
and the largest Cathedral in Latin America – Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral,
built in segments from 1573 to 1813 around the original church
built atop the former Aztec Templo Mayor.
While you're in the area, watch Aztec dancers next to the Cathedral that uses inspiration
from ancient rituals and traditional dance just outside the cathedral.
NUMBER 9: Templo Mayor
Located right next to Zócalo, Templo Mayor or Greater Temple
is a vast complex of ruins of religious and civic buildings from the Aztec times.
Templo Mayor was the main Temple of the rulers of the Aztec Empire
– the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, or what is today known as Mexico City.
According to Aztec mythology, the Aztec God
of Sun and War Huitzilopochtli ordered his people to establish a new capital in a place
where an eagle sits on a cactus, devouring a snake.
The seal of the Mexican government
represents this legend from Aztec mythology.
That legendary location turned out to be a place covered by wetlands.
The Temple was built on an island in the 14th century and
was destroyed after the Spanish Conquests in the 16th century.
The ruins of the temple's
exact location was later forgotten, and the excavations was carried out at the end of
the 19th century and some parts even in the late 20th century.
Visit Templo Mayor Museum, a part of UNESCO
World Heritage that showcases archaeological finds and exhibits related to the Aztec civilization.
Or if you don’t have time, see the temple from the street above.
Don’t skip a disturbing Skull Rack displaying
hundreds of stone skulls representing the sacrificial victims to honor the gods and
the power of the empire.
NUMBER 8: Xochimilco
Xochimilco was the most important city of the Xochimilca people, who first settled in
around 900 BC up until it was conquered by the Mexica of Tenochtitlan in the 15th century.
Xochimilco is best known for a vast system of around 170 kilometers or 110 mi. of canals,
famous for its colorful gondola-like boats called trajineras.
Canals of Xochimilco are one of the last traces
of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs.
These canals were a part of a
massive lake and canal system that connected most of the settlements in the Valley of Mexico.
Both canals and the chinampa system of Xochimilco are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The name Xochimilco means "flower field” and describes flowers and other crops grown here.
The vegetables, fruits, and flowers were shipped to Tenochtitlan via the canal.
NUMBER 7: Street Food
Mexico City's culinary scene offers a wide
variety of food options, from affordable street food or antojitos (street snacks or appetizers)
to gourmet international and local restaurants.
Experience Mexican life through a variety of street food.
Try some of the following options:
tacos, quesadillas, tamales, chicharrón, machetes, delicious churros,
or elotes - a, Mexican street corn topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and others.
And if you are up to a challenge, even chapulines or grasshoppers.
Don’t skip several important food and artisan markets spread throughout Mexico City,
like Mercado de Coyoacán, etc.
NUMBER 6: Torre Latinoamericana
Torre Latinoamericana or Latin American Tower, completed in 1956, is a skyscraper
in the historic city center of Mexico City.
This 166 m or 545 ft high building is one of the
city's important architectural attractions was the tallest structure in Mexico until
it was surpassed by Torre Ejecutiva Pemex.
It is the world's first major skyscraper successfully built on a highly active seismic zone.
Torre Latinoamericana survived the 8.1 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City in 1985.
Other buildings in downtown were severely damaged.
The tower's observation area Mirador Torre Latino offers some of the best panoramic views of Mexico City.
Don’t forget to explore Madero Street right below Torre Latinoamericana, a popular and
crowded pedestrian area featuring bars, shops, and other attractions.
Check our Mexico City 4K walking tour with closed captions to get the full experience.
The link is in the description.
NUMBER 5: Coyoacán
Coyoacán is a bohemian neighborhood located south of the city center.
Covered with cobblestone streets and known for its colonial architecture, the name actually derives
from the Aztec language, meaning "place of coyotes."
The area was used as a headquarters during
the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
Coyoacán was the first capital of New Spain.
The areas offers many activities and attractions, such as:
La Casa Azul, a historic house and an art museum where Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was
born and later lived with her husband, Diego Rivera.
Mercado de Coyoacán: a traditional market famous for its colors and folklore, selling
everything from clothing, plants to various food options and more.
Plaza Hidalgo and Jardín Centenario full of colonial landmarks, bars, restaurants,
Fuente de los Coyotes, Parroquia San Juan Bautista, beautiful Tranvía Coyoacán
and other attractions.
Or Plaza de la Conchita with the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Church,
the oldest church in Mexico.
There are many other exciting neighborhoods and streets worth exploring, like Barrio China,
Zona Rosa, etc.
Check our travel guide for more suggestions.
By the way, our mobile-friendly travel guide
covers the top 20 things to do in Mexico City and things to know before you visit,
including opening hours, links to buy tickets, itinerary suggestions, maps, and other information.
By purchasing our travel guide, you are also helping us sustain this channel,
so a big thank you for that!
NUMBER 4: Bosque de Chapultepec
The Chapultepec Forest is one of the oldest urban parks in the world and one of the largest
city parks in the Western Hemisphere.
Chapultepec functions as the lungs providing oxygen to the Mexico Valley.
In the pre-Columbian era, the forest was also a popular retreat for Aztec rulers.
The most popular section of Chapultepec is
home to popular attractions and activities, including the Museum of Anthropology,
botanic garden, a zoo, and an artificial lake.
Here, you can rent a boat and enjoy the escape from the busy city streets.
There are two other lakes in the second section of the park.
Don't skip Chapultepec Castle or The National Museum of History,
built in the colonial period.
The castle official residence of Mexican heads of state until 1940.
It is located at the top of Chapultepec Hill, with amazing views towards Paseo de la Reforma
and the rest of the city.
Chapultepec served as an important water management
system in the pre-Columbian era, featuring an Aztec-built ancient aqueduct.
Did you know that the name Chapultepec derives
from the Aztec language and translates as Hill of the Grasshopper.
Check our travel guide for more beautiful
parks suggestions, like an impressive Alameda Central right next to the Palace of the Fine Arts.
NUMBER 3: Museum of Anthropology
National Museum of Anthropology is the most visited museum in Mexico, offering the world's
most extensive collection of ancient Mexican art, important archaeological and anthropological objects
from Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage, like the Stone of the Sun
(or the Aztec calendar stone) created in the 16th century.
You can walk around the 23 permanent exhibit halls representing the colors and materials
related to Teotihuacan, Olmeca, and Maya cultures.
Don’t skip the stunning outdoor part of the museum.
The building was designed by the architect Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, who also designed other
important buildings in Mexico City, like Basilica de Guadalupe or Estadio Azteca.
There are many other fascinating museums in Mexico City.
Don't skip Voladores De Papantla or Flying Men – an ancient Mesoamerican ritual
to ask God to end a severe drought in Tamayo Park close to the museum.
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NUMBER 2: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic church, basilica,
and National shrine of Mexico and one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Catholicism.
The present church was constructed on an earlier
16th-century church finished in 1709 due to its dangerous sinking foundation,
the Old Basilica.
The new basilica houses the cloak containing the images of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
one of the most important symbols of Mexican faith, based on a series of Marian apparitions in 1531.
The basilica is visited by millions of people every year,
making it the most visited Catholic shrine in the world.
Don't skip the impressive and stunningly landscaped Sagrado Recinto del Tepeyac Garden
and explore other impressive sites.
NUMBER 1: Teotihuacán
Located about an hour drive from Mexico City, Teotihuacan is a must-see.
This ancient Mesoamerican city was probably established around 100 BC,
long before the arrival of the Aztecs and its origins are still unknown.
Teotihuacan began as a religious center in the Mexican Highlands around the first century AD.
It was supposed to be the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with an estimated
population of at least 125,000.
In the 8th century AD, the city was abandoned,
probably because of the extreme weather events in the centuries before.
Walk along the Avenue of the Dead and admire
the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon,
apartment compounds, and vibrant murals.
Secret tunnels were discovered under the pyramids of the Moon and Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
Teotihuacan was a prosperous kingdom and traded with obsidian, used for tools, weapons, and other.
Close to the pyramids, you can even experience how people turn volcanic stone
into a piece of art, observe the sun, how to use the entire cactus and turn it into
a sewing kit, or how they ingeniously colored the sewing thread and used interior parts
of the cactus as paper.
And here is the bonus that we promised:
Don’t leave Mexico without experiencing Mariachi,
a genre of regional Mexican music and a symbol of Mexican national identity.
Mariachi music as we know it today originated in Jalisco in the 19th century.
You can listen to mariachi in various places
around Mexico City, like Plaza Garibaldi.
Whether you want to follow the footsteps of the Aztecs, experience centuries-old traditions
during Día de los Muertos, admire the place where Frida Kahlo lived, immerse yourself
in delicious street food, or discover artisan and other markets,
there is plenty to do in Mexico City.