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Top 10 things to do in Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. In central Mexico, it's one of the largest cities in North
America. The Aztecs built it on an island of Lake Texcoco in 1325 as Tenochtitlan,
which is now surrounded by Mexico City. The city began as a religious center but
became the seat of power for many empires over time. During this period, it became a center for
learning and trade, attracting scholars from all over Europe. This earned it the titles "La Cuna
de la Civilizacion" (the Cradle of Civilization) and "El Centro del Mundo" (Center of the World).
Over 21 million people live within its limits. To accommodate them, Mexico City
has built one of the world's largest transit systems (subways and buses) that criss-cross
the city to ease traffic congestion. It has 16 boroughs with each having its own mayor,
who answers to the mayor of Mexico City. Mexico City is also considered the most
culturally diverse city in the world. Distinct neighbourhoods reflect Arab, Chinese, Korean,
or African influence, among others, because of immigration. Moreover, the city is known
for its distinct cultural flavours, brought about by food and drinks unique to each area.
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Here are 10 things you can try when in Mexico City:
1. Tour Mexico City by Tour Bus The Red double-decker tour buses are with 100%
panoramic view open-top buses. The buses run approximately every 20 minutes the Hop-on
Hop-off service is a great and cheap way to explore the city and most famous attractions,
with 4 different bus routes some are short ones and ranging from 5 to 16 stops per route
to explore Mexico City and its countless attractions. Inside the red tour buses,
you can stay connected online via Wi-Fi and keep sharing your experience with your social networks.
They offer an audio guide service in seven languages, and an eighth channel just for kids,
plus a bilingual guide on every bus who will be happy to answer all your questions.
These Mexico City Tour buses are also GPS enabled to monitor their location, speed, and heading.
The Mexico City Tour is committed to the environment and uses low-emissions fuels
on all its vehicles. The company has been awarded the ESR® logo as a socially responsible company.
2. Visit the Castillo de Chapultepec Castillo de Chapultepec is a castle
located at the center of Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. The building has housed the
Mexican National History Museum since 1934. It is situated at the top of a hill that
gives it a panoramic view of the twin volcanoes, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, to one side and
Lake Texcoco to the other. Kings Maximilian I of Mexico and Agustín de Iturbide are entombed here.
3. Taste traditional cuisine in Coyoacán
Coyoacán was once an independent settlement on its own island but now it's part of Mexico City
proper. Its old town is home to many important historical sites like Frida Kahlo House-Museum,
Jardin del Centenario (a park), La Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's birthplace),
and La Plaza de la Conchita (site of the Virgin Mary appearance to Juan Diego).
It is also home to a number of eateries serving traditional cuisine.
A favourite being Tere - Frida Kahlo's favourite taqueria. Try their tacos and quesadillas and wash
it down with some hand-shaken juices and fruit drinks. Their price range starts from MXN55
for a basic taco al pastor up to MXN100 for a more expensive one like the filete en salsa
de camarón. You can add guacamole or cheese to your order by paying an extra fee, too.
4. Sample Mexico City street food The best way to get a feel of Mexico
City street food is by strolling around the city and checking out what's available. You'll
be able to try delicious tacos, tortas, gorditas, empanadas, quesadillas, and churros, depending on
where you go. I suggest going early because some stalls pack up as early as 11:00 A.M. I suggest
you try the 3 foot long Machetes quesadillas They are edible Tortilla Swords around 60cm long
or try one of those fruit cups filled with fresh mango, coconut, jicama, cucumbers with fresh lime
juice and a lot of chillies to make it HOT and Spicey I bet you never eaten fruits this way.
If you're less adventurous with your food choices, there are a lot of fast-food chains
in Mexico City offering familiar meals from burgers and fries to sandwiches and pizzas.
5. Visit the Templo Mayor The Templo Mayor was once the
main temple of the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan before it was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores
after they subdued Mexico City through battle. It has since been rebuilt,
with only one of its original stone pillars intact. The excavated site is now open to
public viewing as an archaeological museum displaying some of the unearthed relics,
including two skulls believed to have belonged to King Cuauhtemoc, the last Aztec ruler.
You can also try some out-of-the-box dishes at their on-site restaurant El Caballito,
which offers a "Comida corrida" menu for MXN100. It usually includes soup, rice and the main
course of your choice between chicken, beef or fish with sides like refried beans or salad.
6. Take a day-tour to Teotihuacan Teotihuacan is one of Mexico's most popular
tourist attractions because it features some of the earliest evidence of urban living in North
America. The city was built around 2,000 years ago by the Toltecs before they were driven out
by invading tribes from the north (Chichimecas). It remained abandoned for almost a thousand
years before being rediscovered in the 1910s. Today it attracts visitors from all over who
come to marvel at its two ancient pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.
7. Go shopping in "Centro" or on "5th Avenue." Mexico City is a shopper's paradise, offering
a wide variety of items from cheap trinkets to high-end brands. Markets sell wholesale
goods like textiles and leather at fixed prices, public markets where vendors sell
their wares at retail prices, and malls where you can pay a fixed price for most products.
In downtown Mexico City, you'll find popular places like Zocalo Market that
sells everything from arts and crafts to souvenirs to ultra-cheap clothes.
There are also plenty of food stalls in nearby streets serving deep-fried treats
like churros, hot dogs, and more. For upscale shopping, there are two popular spots:
one is "Centro" (downtown), which houses big department stores like Liverpool and Sanborns
selling everything from clothes to food to electronics; and the famous 5th Avenue in Polanco
with malls like the up-scale Plaza Loreto that has high-end brands like Cartier and Burberry.
8. The Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
The gardens of Xochimilco are a network of canals in the southern part of Mexico City. They
existed centuries ago to connect settlements, but today you can hire boats and see them yourself.
Xochimilco has been a site for growing food for over 1200 years. It's known as a "garden city."
Some people say that Xochimilco has the most beautiful gardens in Mexico, and it's hard to
disagree. The blue water and vegetation make for an impressive view. There are canals and floating
islands that people ride around on, called trajineras, the best way to see Xochimilco.
9. Visit Museo Frida Kahlo The life of Mexican painter
Frida Kahlo is legendary not only because of her paintings but also because of the tragic
events that marked her life. Among them was a shop accident when she was 18 years old,
which left her in bed for nine months and partially disabled.
This misfortune later turned into an opportunity to study art after she met Diego Rivera,
one of Mexico's most famous painters, who became her husband and her mentor.
Kahlo started painting as therapy after she could no longer walk without assistance. She
produced many self-portraits depicting the pain and struggles she endured throughout her lifetime,
including miscarriages, abortions, love affairs, and political turmoil that characterized Mexico
during those times. The museum holding some 300 pieces ranging from paintings to personal
objects like jewellery is now open for everyone to see at "Casa Azul" (Blue House) in Coyoacan.
10. Visit National Anthropology Museum
The National Museum of Anthropology is not only the largest in Mexico,
but it's also considered a world-class museum. It has an extensive collection of pre-Hispanic pieces
covering all major Mesoamerican civilizations including Aztecs, Mayas, and Olmecs,
as well as artefacts from other cultures around the country, so you can see how
the nation developed through the centuries even before its colonization by Spain. There are also
rooms dedicated to Mexican art starting from early colonial days up to contemporary times,
which makes it a comprehensive place to learn about Mexican history, art, and culture—a
great for both Mexicans living abroad or foreign tourists who want to get to know Mexico better.
We hope you enjoyed this video. Have you ever visited Mexico City?
Let us know in the comments below.
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