Paul has a word for these tourists—“gringbros.”

They’re a block away, and yet their voices are all you can hear. They’re dressed like they’re in Cancun, not Mexico City. They’re taking up the whole sidewalk, and they all have beers in their hands, like they can’t manage the five-minute walk between bars without drinking.

You don’t want to be like them.

The fact that you care about how you come across means you’re more than halfway there. Most of what makes you a good visitor comes down to being polite and respectful when you’re out in public.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re in Mexico City, so you won’t be that “gringbro” who’s making the locals roll their eyes.

💰Shut up about how cheap you think everything is

To be a respectful tourist in Mexico City, keep in mind that “cheap” is relative, so it can be rude to talk about what a bargain everything is.

From souvenirs to restaurant meals to Ubers, things are probably less expensive than what you’re used to in the U.S.

They are probably not cheap to the restaurant server, store owner or front desk clerk who can hear you.

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Minimum wage in Mexico City is $315.04 pesos per day.

That’s a little more than $18 USD.

A $54 USD dinner may seem cheap to you, but it could be three days’ pay for someone within earshot.

In the same vein, that $4 USD Uber that seems like a bargain is out of reach for someone paying $0.25 USD to take the metro or the bus.

💬Learn and use a few Spanish words

Yes, you should speak Spanish in Mexico City. Yes, you’ll feel awkward. You’ll worry about your pronunciation. You may even be corrected by locals. Do it anyway.

Don’t just walk into a place speaking English and assuming someone will understand you.

No one expects you to be fluent in Spanish before a vacation, but you can learn enough to be polite:

• Buenos días/buenas tardes/buenas noches: Good morning/good afternoon/good evening.
  This sounds formal in English, but it’s a polite, friendly greeting in Spanish, like “hi” or “hello.” Greet people in stores and restaurants as you enter.

• ¿Habla ingles?: Do you speak English?

• Por favor: Please.

• Gracias: Thank you.

• La cuenta, por favor: The check please.
  You usually have to ask for the check in Mexico City. The server won’t assume you’re finished or leave a check and say “take your time” or “whenever you’re ready.”

• Hasta luego: See you later, used more than “adios” for goodbye.

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Your Spanish will probably be so bad that the other person will speak in English, or offer to, if they can. If not, you’ll need to muddle through with gestures, pointing, and your translation app.

🤫Keep your voice down

If you want to be a respectful visitor in Mexico City, read the room (or street, or bus) before you talk.

If you’re cheering for a soccer team at a crowded bar or you’re shouting to your friends over the music at a club, fine.

But if you’re walking down a peaceful neighborhood sidewalk, riding the Metro or Metrobus, or having a latte at a quiet cafe, keep your voice down. Listen for a second, and drop your volume down below what you can hear around you.

And it goes without saying (but of course I’ll say it) use headphones. No one wants to hear you FaceTime your friends/kids/cat sitter.

📷Before you take someone’s photo, ask

Locals and vendors don’t necessarily want to be in your Instagram or TikTok. Ask “¿Puedo tomar una foto?”

If you photograph or video a street performer or musician, leave a tip.

🩴Skip the sandals

Mexico City is a long way from the beach, and it’s a city—the sidewalks can be dusty in the dry season and full of puddles in the rainy season.

Plus, most of the year, it’s chilly in the evenings and a lot of restaurants are indoor/outdoor with plenty of fresh air. Nothing says “tourist” like someone shivering in a sundress because they didn’t even bother to check the weather and pack a sweater.

You’re probably going to look like a tourist regardless of what you wear, but you’ll at least look like you’re trying with sneakers, jeans, a plain shirt or sweater, and a cross-body bag or backpack.

• Exception: Dressy sandals for a nice dinner when you don’t have to walk far are fine.

🔇Keep your comments to yourself

Not everything will be the same as it is for you at home. If it was, why would you leave?

That doesn’t mean things that are different are weird or bad, even if you think what you’re used to is better.

It may be surprising or inconvenient for you to find out that a breakfast spot opens at 9 a.m. But it works for the people who work there and the locals who eat there.

💧Don’t ask if it’s safe to drink the water

If water or ice is served to you in a restaurant, it’s filtered. You don’t need to ask if it’s “safe.”

Mexicans can’t drink tap water here either. That’s why you see so much bottled water for sale on every street corner.

If you would rather not drink water that’s served to you, just leave it there.

If you want bottled water, ask for “agua natural” for plain water or “agua mineral” for sparkling water.

The word for ice is “hielo.” If you don’t want ice, you can say, “Sin hielo, por favor.”

(Thanks to of Mexico City Streets, which you should absolutely subscribe to, for pointing out how common this is.)

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In the past few years, cocktail bars have been popping up all over Mexico City.

And you’ll find lots of them in the Roma Norte neighborhood, where you can walk from place to place and try different cocktails or settle in for a few drinks and something to eat at one spot.

A few tips:

• Go early on a weeknight when it’s less busy if you want to improve your odds of getting a good seat, maybe even a seat at the bar. Go later and on weekends for a better feel of a bar’s vibe, when it’s packed.

• Plan to pay $200 to $350 pesos per drink ($10 to $17.50 USD) in upscale, stylish bars like these. You can pay with credit cards.

• You may have to be a little more assertive when you want to get a server’s attention, compared to in the U.S. Waiters in Mexico City are more likely to leave you to enjoy the people you’re with than to interrupt you to check on you.

  An 💜 Eternal Spring subscription is a smart investment in your Mexico City experience. For just $7/month or $49/year, you get access to all of our paid content, plus our archive of more than 100 articles covering neighborhood walks, what to pack, safety considerations, and more.

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From arriving at the right airport to downloading the apps you’ll need to getting into that top restaurant, there are things you can do ahead of time to make sure your trip goes smoothly and you don’t miss anything.

Some of these tips might be obvious, but it can be a major headache if you overlook something. Following our Mexico City checklist can help you make sure you’ve done everything you need to.

This article is free, but a lot of the links below are for paid subscribers only.

1. Make sure your passport is valid

If you’ve taken a cruise to Mexico or driven to a border town from the US, you might have used a passport card. These cards are only valid if you’re traveling by land or sea.

You’re probably flying to Mexico City (it’s a long drive) so you need a traditional passport book.

And while this isn’t a hard and fast rule, Mexico could deny you entry if your passport will expire within 6 months of your arrival date. So make sure your passport is up-to-date and, if not, get started with the renewal process before booking your trip.

2. Check for major events before you pick dates

Depending on what you like to do, you may want to plan a trip to Mexico City, or avoid the city, during big events. Expect higher prices for flights and lodging, and more crowds during:

• Dia de Muertos: Nov. 2. Most of the major events happen in the week leading up to, and including, Nov. 2

• Formula 1: Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2026; Oct. 22 to 24, 2027

• Art Week: Feb. 3 to 7, 2027.

• World Cup: June 11 to July 19, 2026 (2026 only)

Easter week (Semana de Pascua) is quieter, since a lot of locals head out of town. It can be a nice time to visit, although smaller restaurants and shops might be closed.

3. Book your flights and double-check the airport

I like to use Google Flights to find the best deals. You can set up a price tracker for specific flights, so you know when prices drop.

I always book directly with the airline, not through a third party like Booking.com or Expedia, in case I want to make changes or upgrade later.

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Mexico City now has two airports:

• Mexico City International Airport Benito Juárez, about 20 to 40 minutes from the city

• Felipe Ángeles International Airport, about 1.5 hours from the city

Make sure you know which one you’re flying to and from.

4. Reserve a place to stay

Popular rental properties in Mexico City are booked well in advance, so you start this search early. Vrbo is a good option for vacation rentals in Mexico City, and there are plenty of hotels at a big range of prices.

5. Make a few reservations so you don’t miss out

You don’t need to plan every minute of your trip ahead of time. But some sites and restaurants fill up well in advance.

• Balloon ride over the pyramids of Teotihuacán. We recommend Flying Pictures Mexico. You should book this about a month before your trip, but they often have availability on shorter notice.

• Some tours, like the sunrise boat ride on the canals of Xochimilco, require reservations in advance. We recommend Exotik City Tours. As above, you should book this tour about a month before your trip, but they too can often accommodate last minute requests.

• Certain popular sights like Museo Frida Kahlo require reservations—you can’t just show up in an Uber and expect to get in. You should book these tickets 2-3 weeks before your trip, and you should do so directly from the Museum’s website.

• Michelin-class fine dining experiences like Pujol and Quintonil require you to book a reservation as far in advance as possible, though the time frame is typically limited to two months out. So set a reminder, if needed, or you’ll miss out.

You should also make reservations at other fine dining restaurants, like Contramar, Maximo, and Rosetta. We recommend getting reservations about a month before your trip.

6. Get a feel for the city’s layout

Mexico City is huge, and it can take a long time to get from place to place. So, you’ll want to make sure you do the things you want to do in the same neighborhood on the same days.

For all our tips, recommendations, and itineraries, grab a copy of Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. It’s optimized for your phone, with links to everything you need for your trip.

Paid subscribers get a copy for free!

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If you use Google Maps, download the offline versions so you have access when you’re not online.

7. Check the weather (seriously)

You might think this would be obvious—we did. But we see a lot of people in tank tops and shorts, shivering in the evening here.

Mexico City’s high altitude and low humidity make for a mild climate. (It’s the inspiration for “Eternal Spring.”)

Highs might be in the 70s and 80s, but it might only hit those temperatures for an hour or two in the afternoon.

Mornings and evenings are chilly, especially when it’s dark. Bring a sweater or light jacket—something waterproof if you’re visiting during the rainy season, roughly May to September.

8. Be prepared to feel the altitude

Mexico City is more than 7,300 feet (2,240 meters) high. There’s less oxygen in that thinner air, so you may feel more tired than you expect and a little dizzy or lightheaded. You might have trouble sleeping for the first couple of days.

There’s not much you can do about the altitude ahead of time, but it’s good to know what to expect.

9. Contact your bank and credit card companies

Your credit and debit cards will generally work normally in Mexico. But your bank—especially if it’s a smaller, local bank—may require you to inform them about your trip so that they don’t flag any transactions as fradulent.

Don’t bring US cash. This may also seem obvious, but because some of the Mexico coastal resorts accept cash, some people assume Mexico City does, too. You can’t spend US cash here.

You can withdraw pesos from an ATM at the airport or at banks throughout the city.

10. Plan for your transportation in the city

Walking: Mexico City is a great place to walk, so bring a pair of good walking shoes.

Biking: It’s easy to cover longer distances on a bike, and it can be almost as fast as taking a car. You can get a daily, weekly, or yearly Ecobici pass.

Driving: Uber is a convenient way to get from the airport to your lodging, and from place to place around the city. If you don’t normally use Uber, install it and set it up before you leave home.

Metro: It’s inexpensive to get around the city by Metro or Metrobus, but it can take longer than driving, especially if you need to change lines. Compare the time and make sure you’re not giving up too much of your valuable vacation time to save a small amount of money.

11. Install WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the way everyone communicates in Mexico City. If a restaurant confirms your reservation, you’ll probably get a message in WhatsApp. Same goes if you need to make a doctor’s appointment, or if you have something delivered.

12. Make sure your phone works in Mexico

You can most likely call, text, and use data with your phone in Mexico. But you might save money by purchasing an as-you-go international data eSIM designed for Mexico. To do that, your phone will need to be unlocked.

13. Don’t worry about power adapters

If you’re coming from the US, you don’t need to bring power converters or adapters. Your chargers, laptops, razors, etc. plug right into the Mexico receptacles.

14. Learn at least a little Spanish

If you don’t speak Spanish already, you’re not going to become fluent by the time you travel to Mexico City. But you can learn the basics by using language learning apps like Duolingo for a month or two beforehand.

That can give you enough of a base to exchange pleasantries, ask simple questions, and make some sense of a menu.

15. Ward off Montezuma’s revenge

• Prevention: When I started coming to Mexico City, I would take Pepto-Bismol tablets every day, starting a couple of days before my trip. I haven’t really recommended this (I’m not a health care professional), but I found out that Harvard Health does, So, you might want to try it.
  

  If you do, take 2 pills 4 times a day for no more than 3 weeks. You can bring enough for your trip with you or buy them here, though we’ve found the ones they sell here taste different, like licorice.

  

• Street food: We think eating street food is part of what makes a trip to Mexico City special. Everything is prepared right in front of you, so it’s pretty easy to judge the safety standards. Most of these places work hard to make sure they keep their customers safe—just watch the extensive cleaning process when they break down the stands at the end of the workday.

• Water: Don’t drink water from the tap. Restaurants serve filtered water and ice made from filtered water, so you should be fine drinking water when you’re eating out.

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Roma Norte is a charming neighborhood full of incredible restaurants and bars, interesting buildings in the Belle Époque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco architectural styles, and tiny stores and shops selling vintage items, clothing, Mexican handicrafts, art, and more.

The neighborhood’s pretty, leafy streets are ideal for walking. Be sure to look at the doorways and entryways, windows, courtyards, and more. There are little details everywhere.

You could easily wander the streets on your own and explore the shops and sights that appeal to you along with way. If you’d prefer to have a plan, follow our walk.

This walk goes east from the El Palacio de Hierro Durango department store through the heart of Roma and up into two tiny but special spaces, Plaza de Romita and Plaza Morelia. But as with any other walk, you can go in either direction.

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Key takeaways

• You might feel some effects from the lower oxygen levels in Mexico City, but most people don’t have serious issues.

• Resting, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep can help.

The first time Paul and I visited Mexico City, in 2021, Covid rules meant we had to wear masks in the airport.

We landed in terminal 1 and started the long walk to passports and customs. Before long we were both winded, and taking advantage of every moving walkway we could find so we could catch our breath.

Since then, even without masks, we’ve noticed the effects of the altitude on our energy levels. Sometimes, I even feel my heart beating fast even when I’m just sitting on the couch.

But it’s pretty easy to deal with the altitude, most of the time.

Here’s what to know, and how to adjust so you can keep the altitude from affecting your trip.

⬆️ How high is Mexico City?

Mexico City is more than 7,300 feet (2,240 meters) high. That’s 2,000+ feet higher than Denver, the “Mile-High City.”

If you live at or near sea level, that’s a big change.

😮‍💨 How does Mexico City’s altitude affect you?

At higher altitudes, the atmosphere is thinner, which means the air you’re breathing doesn’t have as much oxygen as you’re used to.

For us, that means things that we can normally do easily, like climb a flight of stairs, take more effort. We’ll have less energy than usual on the first couple of days. Our heart rates go up. I’ll find myself getting dizzy sometimes when I go from laying down or sitting to standing up.

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You could have other symptoms, too:

• Headache (the most common symptom)

• Loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting

• Trouble sleeping

It’s possible to have serious complications from altitude sickness, but that’s not common at Mexico City’s altitude. It’s high, but not that high.

For all our tips, recommendations, and itineraries, grab a copy of Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. It’s optimized for your phone, with links to everything you need for your trip.

Paid subscribers get a copy for free!

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👣 What can you do to cope with the altitude in Mexico City?

Being at a higher altitude than you’re used to shouldn’t affect your trip too much, but you can take a few steps to adjust more easily:

• Pace yourself: If you can, plan to take it easy for your first couple of days and save the strenous activities for later in your trip.

  

• Drink plenty of water: Mexico City has low humidity a lot of the time, which means you can get dehydrated without noticing it. Dehydration has a lot of the same symptoms as altitude sickness.

• Go easy on the alcohol: I know, Mexico City is filled with great cocktail bars and wine bars. And truthfully, the idea that alcohol affects you more at higher altitudes might be a myth. But alcohol can dehydrate you. So, if you’re going to drink, at least make sure you compensate with plenty of water.

  

• Get enough sleep: Being on vacation is probably already throwing off your sleep schedule, especially if you’re changing time zones, too. Try not to let the altitude make it worse.
  
  Personally, I take 5 mg of melatonin the first few nights, but I’m not a doctor. If you’re having trouble sleeping, find what works for you.

If you feel like the altitude is affecting you, try to rest. You might want to take over-the-counter medications for headaches or nausea.

If you didn’t bring medicine with you, there are plenty of pharmacies in Mexico City, and you can get what you need by using a translate app or a photo on your phone if you don’t speak Spanish.

Enjoy your return to lower altitude

If you’ve adjusted to the altitude in Mexico City, and you return home, you get the benefits of the “extra” oxygen.

I’ll go for a run in the first few days back in Pennsylvania and my lungs feel like they could go forever. My legs? Not so much!

These articles can also help you prepare for a trip to Mexico City:

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The first time we visited the Frida Kahlo Museum, back in 2021, We were lucky(ish). People were just starting to get back into traveling post-Covid, and Mexico City didn’t have quite the influx of visitors it has today.

The good news: We could book tickets to the Frida Kahlo Museum just a couple of days in advance.

The not-so-good news: We had to walk through the museum single-file, six feet behind the person in front of us, effectively making our way through the museum at the pace of the slowest person in line.

Luckily, today you can see the museum at your own pace. But you need to make sure you buy your tickets in advance.

🎨 Who was Frida Kahlo?

Kahlo was a Mexican artist born in 1907. After a streetcar accident left her seriously injured in 1925, her parents gave her art supplies and a special easel so she could paint in bed while she recovered. She painted her first self-portrait in 1926, and her career as an artist began.

Kahlo lived with her husband, famous Mexican artist and muralist Diego Rivera, in Casa Azul, and she created a lot of her art within its walls.

Her reputation grew over time, and she became even more famous after her death in 1954.

• The museum’s website highlights key moments in Kahlo’s life and work.

• You might also want to watch the acclaimed 2002 movie Frida, which starred Salma Hayek as Kahlo.

🖼️ What do you see at the museum?

The exterior of the museum is painted a stunning blue—you’ll probably recognize it from photos. That’s where you’ll line up in front of it at your scheduled entrance time.

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Kahlo and Rivera intended the home to become a museum after her death, and Casa Azul opened in 1958. Once you get inside, you’ll see:

• Personal items, photos, books, documents, and furnishings, including the bed where Kahlo started painting while recovering from her accident

• Paintings by Kahlo and Rivera

• Folk art and sculptures that Kahlo placed around the home

• The courtyard garden

  

🎟️ How do you get tickets?

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Key takeaway: You are probably just as safe, or safer, in Mexico City as you are in any major U.S. or European city:

• Pay attention to your surroundings

• Keep your valuables safe

• Know where your bags are

• Steer clear of sketchy areas (there’s no reason to go to places that have unsafe reputations, anyway)

Back in 2021, when Covid restrictions were still in place and a lot of the world was off-limits, Paul was researching places where we could travel. The more he saw about Mexico City, the more he found it interesting.

He was thinking about how to bring it up to me, and he knew how I would react. At that time, my opinions on Mexico City were entirely shaped by U.S. news and media.

So, in my mind, Mexico City was a place filled with machine-gun-armed narcoterrorists. I’d be caught in crossfire unless I was kidnapped first. Why would I ever want to go there?

Paul said, “I know what you’re going to say. Hear me out.” He showed me videos of people vacationing in Mexico City.

They were riding bikes down tree-lined streets, sipping coffee or cocktails at sidewalk cafes, and dining in some of the world’s best restaurants.

Before long, I was convinced, and in June 2021 we visited Mexico City for the first time. We fell in love with it, so much so that six months later, we started the process of buying an apartment.

🚶‍♀️Do we feel safe in Mexico City?

Yes. We walk everywhere we want to go, any time of day or night. Even when the streets are quiet or dark, they feel safe to us. We’re usually together, but when we aren’t, I feel safe walking by myself.

The Roma Norte and Condesa areas, where most visitors stay, are home to lots of upscale shops. We joke around that if we ever feel unsafe, we’ll duck into a sushi bar, an artisanal dog treat bakery, or a vegan restaurant.

In general, most of the places you would like to explore as a visitor—the places where you’ll find top museums, attractions, shops, and restaurants—are safe. You should also be safe exploring other parts of the city with a tour guide.

🚅What about safety on the Metro?

We take the Metro to different parts of the city and it feels as safe to us as any other subway system we’ve traveled.

That said, it can get really crowded, so we tend to avoid it during rush hour.

Both the Metro and the Metrobus have cars or areas reserved just for women and children. These tend to be less crowded, and sometimes I’ll ride in that section on my own and meet Paul when we get to our stop.

🔥What about cartel violence in Mexico City?

In February 2026, cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, (El Mencho) was killed in Talpalpa.

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Violence broke out in Talpalpa, as well as in places like Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city, and Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort area on Mexico’s west coast.

But it wasn’t as bad or as widespread as it looked. AI-generated false information about the violence spread quickly on social media. And the way the U.S. media covered the events, you would think the entire country was a war zone, and on fire.

We got loads of messages from our American friends and family asking if we were OK. Some even demanded that we return home immediately. Some IN ALL CAPS.

But what actually happened in Mexico City?

As far as we can tell, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

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Here’s the thing: Mexico is a really big place:

• Guadalajara is about 330 miles from Mexico City, about a 7 hour drive.
  That’s roughly the distance from Boston to Philadelphia.

• Talpalpa is more than 400 miles from Mexico City.
  It’s about the distance between Denver and Albuquerque.

• Puerto Vallarta is more than 500 miles from Mexico City.
  When we visit there, we fly. It’s too long of a drive for us. It’s further than Chicago is from Nashville.

So, if you hear about violence or crime in Mexico, drill down and find out exactly what’s happening, and where.

Think of it like this: If you lived in Boston, how concerned would you be about violence in Chicago? Not at all.

👮‍♀️There is a heavy police presence in Mexico City

In Mexico City, you’ll see a lot of police cars and trucks, at least compared to the U.S. and comparable to what we’ve seen in major European capitals like Paris. There are also lots of different kinds of police, from tourist police to neighborhood police to city police.

We’re told that all this police presence is supposed to make us feel safer. That’s not the way I feel when a truck full of officers holding machine guns drives by. I guess it’s one of the many cultural differences to embrace?

🌳Staying safe on the streets

We used to joke around that the most dangerous thing about Mexico City wasn’t the risk of crime, it was the chance of tripping. Sidewalks are uneven, tree roots grow up through them, and garage entrances create steps and ramps where you don’t expect them. Plus, some streets aren’t well-lit at night.

We’ve stumbled lots of times, but we’ve always managed to stay on our feet. Until recently.

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One night, Paul tripped on a tree root coming up through the sidewalk, wasn’t able to catch his balance, and went down hard, bruising and scraping his shoulder, arm, leg, and knee.

Luckily, he didn’t need emergency medical care, but he’s been pretty sore, and those bruises are going to take a while to fade.

You should also be extra careful when you’re crossing the street. We’ve learned that:

• Drivers can be unpredictable.

• Many intersections have no stop signs or lights, making them a free-for-all for drivers.

• A few more cars might “beat” the red light well after it changes.

• Sometimes bus lanes run in the opposite direction as the car traffic.

• We need to watch for cyclists in bike lanes.

• Bikes and motorcycles will go the wrong way on one-way streets.

✔️Mexico City safety tips

We follow the same precautions in Mexico City as we do wherever we travel:

• Only carry the cash and credit cards you need for the day. There’s no reason to have more than that with you.

• Don’t wear flashy jewelry or carry fancy bags.

• Be aware of your surroundings when you’re withdrawing money from an ATM. Plan to take out money during the day, and when you have other people with you.

• Be extra careful in crowds.

  

• Keep your purse or backpack in sight when you’re in a restaurant, especially if you’re eating at a street-side table. Don’t put bags under your chair.

• If you’re going to an unfamiliar neighborhood and you’re not sure if it’s safe to walk, take an Uber, Didi, or licensed taxi.

• Don’t ask for trouble or behave in ways that attract attention, like walking around late at night with an open alcohol container or looking for street drugs. (We’ve never had any trouble taking home a bottle of wine we didn’t finish at a restaurant.)

  

• Watch out for scams, especially times when people distract you or touch you. We’ve heard (but not seen) of one where someone “spills” mustard on you and picks your pockets as they help clean it off.

• Keep a copy of your passport with you in case you need ID. Or get a passport card if you’re a U.S. citizen.

• Call 911 for emergencies. You can also download App CDMX, which has a red button in the top right you can tap to connect with emergency services.

• Check out more safety tips at Mexico City’s government website.

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You’ll find markets (mercados) in lots of Mexico City’s neighborhoods. They can be big enough fill a city block, and inside you might find everything from ripe avocados to whole fish to fresh flowers, and so much more.

Mercados are fun to explore, and while tourists have discovered them, they’re still places where you see how locals shop.

For all our tips, recommendations, and itineraries, grab a copy of Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. It’s optimized for your phone, with links to everything you need for your trip. Paid subscribers get a copy for free!

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Here are a few things to know about them.

• Don’t expect much English: You might find a vendor here or there who speaks English, but be prepared to do some translating.

• Vendors will talk to you: You’ll probably hear “buenos dias” or “buenas tardes” as you pass by, and they might tell you what they’re selling or ask you what you’re looking for. You can respond with “buenos dias” or “buenas tardes” and “no, gracias” if you’re just browsing.

• Not all vendors observe the same hours: The hours the market is open aren’t necessarily the hours that each stall and vendor is open. We’ve found that if you go close to opening or closing time, or on Sundays, some places might still be closed. It’s better to go in the middle of the day for the best variety.

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• Look for “zones” if you’re trying to find something specific: Vendors who sell the same types of goods, like flowers, seafood, produce, or household items, are usually clustered together. Same goes for restaurants.

• Bring your own bags: Some vendors might offer them, but it’s good to have some on hand.

• Respect the “no fotos” signs: Obviously. We don’t see many of these requests in Mercado Medellín, but some vendors don’t want you taking photos of them or their merchandise.

🥘Go for a meal

Visit a mercado for a meal, or at least a drink. Mercados have restaurants where you can get a hearty and inexpensive meal.

They usually have a lot of egg options for breakfast, like huevos rancheros, huevos divorciados, and omelets, and lunches that include soup, rice, and a main course like mole with pollo or enchiladas.

In Mercado Medellín, the market in our neighborhood, our favorite place for breakfast or lunch is Cocinas Juanita e Hijas near the entrance on Calle Coahuila. (Someone from a nearby juice stand will come by to take your drink order, it’s separate.) Moloch Cochinita Pibil is also very good.

If you’re not hungry, try an agua fresca or jugo verde from a juice stand.

(More about Mercado Medellín)

🍲Buy food if you want to cook

If you’re staying at a place with a kitchen, you can buy just about everything you need for a meal here:

• Meat, chicken, or fish

• Fresh vegetables

• Sauces and moles

• Spices

🎁Pick up some souvenirs

You can find some interesting things to take home in mercados, like olive oil, piñatas, candles, incense, and more.

🔎Explore the nooks and crannies

Mercados may have maps like this one, but you’re probably better off wandering, or asking for directions if you’re looking for something specific.

Paseo de la Reforma is one of Mexico City’s main thoroughfares, and you’ll see a lot of influencers posting videos of themselves biking down the roadway on a Sunday, the breeze blowing through their hair and the sun shining down on them.

“How did they get a bike?” is probably not what you are asking yourself as you watch one of these videos.

But that is what you should be asking yourself, if this is an activity you would like to try.

Here’s the thing: As we discovered with two friends, even though there are probably thousands of people biking on Reforma on any given Sunday, actually renting a bike can be frustrating and time-consuming.

It took our friends about an hour of downloading apps, logging into webpages, and requesting free bikes before they were ready to ride.

It was worth it at the end. We got to be out on bikes in the sunshine, enjoying the day. But we could have gotten started a lot sooner.

Here’s what we learned. Hopefully, these tips will help you get rolling more quickly than we did.

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We’ve been working on our book a lot this past month, focusing mostly on the organization, or layout, of the content. Our goal for this second (2026) edition is to clean the design, add and revise dozens of reviews, photos, and other content, and expand the book with a short chapter describing other places to visit in Mexico for those with longer stays.

Here’s what we’ve done so far.

🖼️ New book cover for the 2026 edition

Each year/edition, we plan to change the cover design to some degree and we debuted our new 2026 edition cover in late December. This is a stunning Day of the Dead photo that we took while friends were visiting and we had almost used it for the first edition before deciding that it had to be a photo of Palacio de Bellas Artes.

🧼 General cleanup

One of the challenges with creating a book in the digital age is that we’d like Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City to work well on smartphones. We feel that many readers will want to refer to the book while they’re out and about exploring the city. And so we include links to maps and specific locations in Google Maps throughout so you can learn more directly from the source.

Of course, there are also links within the book that, when clicked or tapped, will jump to a different place in the book. In the first edition of the book, we adorned each link with an emoji (like ⭐ or 🌴) that we hoped would provide a quick visual cue about the linked-to place. But there were far too many of them, and the book felt a bit busy as a result. So we removed most of those emojis, leaving only a 📌 emoji next to those links that navigate you outside the book to Google Maps.

Aside from that, we also each made passes through the existing text, making small revisions as needed throughout.

📃 Organizational changes

In the first edition, we felt that we were a bit light on content for some neighborhoods, and so we combined them into chapters like Juárez and Reforma, Polanco and Chapultepec, and Coyoacán and San Ángel. For this second edition, we’ve separated each neighborhood into individual chapters and revised the associated maps and content where required.

We also renamed the Further afield chapter to Day trips. This is because we will soon have a new Further afield chapter with content about other places you may wish to visit in Mexico when using Mexico City as a hub. No promises yet, but we think we will have sections about Acapulco, Cancún, Guanajuato, Puebla, San Miguel de Allende, Oaxaca, and Puerto Vallarta this year.

➕ More to come

There’s always more to do, that’s the nature of a guidebook. But in addition to the reviews and other content updates we will add throughout 2026, we will continue fine-tuning the book. The Day trips chapter needs some work, in particular, and we need to update the underlying maps. Please let us know if you find any issues or have any suggestions.

Thanks!

Paul & Steph

Two of our friends had never been to Mexico City before but they recently had a full weekend to spend here. So, we showed them our greatest hits—the city’s top sites, plus some of our favorite restaurants.

Unlike the recent New York Times’ 36 Hours: Mexico City itinerary, we didn’t try to drag them from museums in Centro to shopping in Juarez to drinks in Roma and Condesa to dinner in San Miguel Chapultepec to dancing back in Roma—all in a Friday afternoon/evening, when the city’s gridlock is at its worst.

If you’d like to get a feel for Mexico City in a short time, without spending it stuck in the back seat of an Uber while your driver fights the traffic, try our tips.

For all our tips, recommendations, and itineraries, grab a copy of Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. It’s optimized for your phone, with links to everything you need for your trip.

Get our Mexico City Guidebook!

Here’s where we went, what we saw, and what we ate and drank, with maximum feet on the ground and minimal transportation time.

🍸Friday night: Drinks and dinner in Roma Norte

Our friends arrived around 8 pm, and we weren’t sure if they would want to go out or just crash for the night. They were up for some food and drinks, so we went out in the neighborhood.

Drinks at Form+Matter (FOMA)

FOMA is a stylish cocktail bar not far from our apartment. It was full (make a reservation, especially on the weekends) but we know one of the owners, and he led us to a table in the “lab” in the back where we could stand and have a drink.

Seeing their equipment was cool, and a table freed up where we could have a second drink.

Dinner at Bolero Café

Our favorite local spot for pizza, Bolero Café, is open late and isn’t far from FOMA. The sourdough crust takes a while, but it’s worth the wait. We ordered our favorite, the marghuerita, and tried something new to us, the Mexicana, with chorizo, mushrooms and peppers.

⛪Saturday: Zocalo and beyond

After what turned out to be a late night on Friday, we slept in a bit Saturday morning, but we still managed to see a lot.

Zócalo

We took the Metro to the Zócalo and checked out:

• A cool temporary art exhibit filling the square, with large nopales (cactus) sculptures designed by different artists.

• The inside of the Gran Hotel, with its stained-glass ceiling. We would have gone upstairs to the terrace restaurant, but they were only serving brunch and we weren’t ready for a full meal.

• The Metropolitan Cathedral.

• The smaller Catholic parish next to the cathedral.

Avenida Francisco I. Madero

When we were finished exploring the Zocalo, we walked along the busy, pedestrian-only Avenida Francisco I. Madero past the famous Casa de los Azulejos (blue-tiled house) and toward the Latin Tower.

Latin American Tower

We went to the top of the Torre Latinoamericana to take in the impressive 360-degree views of Mexico City from above.

• Tip: The first elevator takes you most of the way to the top. You take a second elevator a few more floors for the views that aren’t behind glass. We had to wait in line for longer than expected for the second elevator.

Bellas Artes and Alameda

Next, we walked past the Palacio de Bellas Artes to take in the iconic exterior. We didn’t have time to go inside, but it’s worth it to see the Diego Rivera murals if it fits in your schedule.

We then walked through Alameda Central, one of our favorite Mexico City parks, to explore the shady paths, statues, and fountains.

Lunch at Cancino Alameda

We considered having lunch at La Azotea, one of our favorite places in this area. But doing so means climbing four flights of stairs, and after walking all morning, we decided a street-level meal was more our speed.

Cancino Alameda turned out to be a great spot to stop for some food and a break. It’s known for its pizza, but since we had pizza the night before, we tried some of their other menu options.

Shopping at Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela

Our friends wanted to bring home some Mexico City souvenirs, so we walked over to the Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela to shop.

This market has a good selection of fabric and leather bags, jewelry, dishware, and more. It’s nicer than a lot of the tourist shops you’ll find throughout Mexico City.

I bought the cloth shopping bag pictured for $200 MXN ($10 USD) and the drinking glass for $100 MXN ($5 USD).

• Tip: Bring cash—it may get you better prices.

Dinner at Merotoro in Condesa

We had an hour or two to rest before our 7 pm dinner reservation at Merotoro, one of our favorite restaurants for when we’re celebrating something or friends are visiting (it’s a little pricey to be an every weekend kind of place).

We’ve always found the food, drinks, and service to be fantastic, and that was true once again on this visit. They offer a nice assortment of meat, seafood, and vegetarian dishes.

Drinks at Rubi Wine Cocktails

We probably would have called it a day at this point, but we wanted to stop in at Rubi, one of our favorite cocktail bars, to say goodbye to Sebastian, a friend and ridiculously talented bartender, who is off to work at one of the world’s best restaurants in Panama City.

🌳Sunday: National Anthropology Museum, Chapultapec, and Reforma

Sunday was another day full of walking, sites, food, history, and culture.

Morning in Roma Sur and Roma Norte

Just south of the Roma Norte border, in Roma Sur, is Mercado 100, a more upscale market than typical Mexico City markets. It’s open on Sunday mornings and early afternoons, and I try to get there as often as I can to stock up on kombucha.

It’s not far from our apartment, so we walked through there for water bottle stones (like whiskey stones, but cylinders), vegan tacos, kombucha (of course), and browsing.

On our way back we stopped by Vulevú Bakery (if you know any French, you’ll recognize the play on voulez-vous) for their amazing croissants. We got the sandwich version, filled with ham and cheese. Highly recommended for a quick and decadent breakfast.

National Anthropology Museum

The Museo Nacional de Antropología is one of the top sites in Mexico City and worth a visit even if you aren’t here for long. The permanent exhibits on the ground floor cover the various civilizations of Mexico throughout history. On the second floor, you’ll see cultural treasures, like costumes, tools, and musical instruments.

Don’t expect to see everything in a single visit—there’s too much to take in. But be sure to see the Aztec calendar stone in the central hall.

• Tip: Sundays are free for locals, and even temporary residency qualifies, which means it’s busy. We went fairly early on Sunday and the line moved quickly. By the time we left, the line stretched outdoors and well into the courtyard. If you’re not looking for free admission, I’d recommend choosing another day.

Outside the museum, there’s a row of food stands inexplicably selling mostly hot dogs and hamburgers. They were among the worst we’ve ever had, and it’s tough to screw up a hot dog.

If you’re in this area and you need lunch, you’d be better off heading over to one of the stands or restaurants in Chapultepec Park.

But we saw two interesting performances in this area:

Los Voladores/The pole flyers: Five men in traditional clothing climb a tall pole, bringing ropes with them. One stays at the top and plays music, while the others swing through the air attached to the ropes, circling the pole until they reach the ground. Some places say they perform hourly on the weekends, but I can’t confirm that for sure.

Aztec fire dancers: Nearby, we saw these dancers, dressed in large feathered headdresses, performing a traditional dance.

Chapultepec Park

From there, we crossed into Chapultepec Park so our friends could get a quick idea of what this gigantic park has to offer. We couldn’t spend a lot of time here. You could take a full day and spend time going up to the castle and exploring the botanical gardens and the zoo.

The park’s main paths are bustling, full of families and vendors, but there are plenty of quieter, more peaceful parts to explore.

Angel of Independence

Leaving the park, we walked along Avenida Paseo de Reforma, past the Fuente de la Diana Cazadora (Diana the Huntress Fountain) to the Ángel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence), one of the most recognizable landmarks in Mexico City.

Dinner at Azul Condesa

Azul Condesa is one of our favorite places for traditional Mexican dishes, especially mole, in a more upscale setting. We were happy to discover that they’re now serving wines from our favorite Mexican winery, Tres Raíces.

🛍️Monday morning: Mexico City market, local breakfast

Our friends needed to head to the airport in the early afternoon, so we stayed in Roma Norte for the morning.

Medellín Market

Mercado Medellín is a short walk from our apartment and it gave our friends a good chance to see a typical Mexico City market and buy a few things to take home with them.

You can buy produce, meat, fish, incense, jewelry, candles, mole, household supplies, and more in this market. There are also some great, inexpensive restaurants.

Late breakfast at El Buen Sazón

We eat lunch at El Buen Sazón, a little cocina económica in our neighborhood, just about every weekday, and this day we had a late breakfast there before our friends headed to the airport for their flight.

Bonus dinner: Piquette

Not long after our friends arrived at the airport, they messaged with the news that their flight was cancelled and rescheduled for early the next morning.

It wasn’t ideal for them, but we all made the best of it with one more dinner out. This time we went to Piquette, a new French place just a couple of blocks from our apartment and is quickly becoming a favorite.

Last stop: Bolero Cafe (again!)

We planned to end the night after dinner, especially since our friends had to get up early the next day to catch their flight. But Paul found out during dinner that Bolero Cafe received their certificate as an espacio cultural independientes.

This was a big deal because the Mexico City government had closed down thousands of bars and restaurants in 2025 for not meeting certain regulations. The closures seemed more designed to raise money through fines, but Bolero Cafe’s closure lasted for months, and it was a real financial hardship for a small, locally owned business.

Being designated an independent cultural space helps protect them from future closures, so it was cause for celebration.

Have more than a weekend to explore Mexico City?

Here are some of our top itineraries.

We love spending time in Mexico City, but some friends invited us to stay with them in Acapulco, so we decided to check it out.

You can drive to Acapulco from Mexico City in less than 5 hours, or fly there in about an hour, which is what we did. You can get a cheap, round-trip fare for as low as $125 USD.

Acapulco is divided into three zones:

• Acapulco Di…

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For all our tips, recommendations, and itineraries, grab a copy of Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City. It’s optimized for your phone, with links to everything you need for your trip.

Get our Mexico City Guidebook

La Liste ranks the world’s restaurants based on writeups in publications, guidebooks and online reviews. They just released their 2026 list, and these 12 Mexico City restaurants made the cut.

Pujol

Pujol consistently tops fine-dining lists in Mexico City, and for 2026 it took over the top spot from Quintonil. We’ve visited twice. The food was great, the service had a couple of glitches, and the wine was pricey.

Quintonil

Quintonil and Pujol are the only two-star-rated Michelin restaurants in Mexico. It’s one of the top fine-dining experiences in Mexico City, so we’re not surprised to see it on this list. We shared a detailed review after our visit:

Rosetta

We didn’t find much to like about Rosetta when we visited the first time a couple of years ago, but our second visit was a better experience.

Guzina Oaxaca

We’ve never been to Guzina Oaxaca, probably because we don’t spend much time in Polanco—other than completing paperwork for the apartment purchase, we don’t get there much. But this place looks like it’s worth checking out if we’re in the area.

Bakéa

We also haven’t been to Bakéa, which is well to the west of Chapultepec Park and almost outside the city limits. But we’ve liked some French restaurants we’ve tried in the city and we’d like to give this one a shot.

Sud 777

We liked the tasting menu at Sud 777, which features Mexican ingredients with an Asian accent. And we thought it included plenty of food, but we like that they offer you an extra plate of meat, fish, or vegetables at no additional cost. It’s a bit out there, however—about 30 minutes south of the city without traffic.

Almara

We’ll have to check out the Mediterranean restaurant Almara with our friend , who lives in the Juarez neighborhood where it’s located.

Azul Histórico

We’re fans of Azul Histórico’s sister restaurant, Azul Condesa, which prepares classic Mexican dishes like moles really well. I’d give either of them a try, depending on which neighborhood you’re in. It’s one of our favorites.

Yoshimi

Yoshimi is a Japanese restaurant in Polanco, so maybe that gives us another reason to get to that neighborhood, though it’s difficult to get us to try other Japanese places when we love Gin Chan so much.

Places that didn’t make the 1,000 best list for 2026

Even though La Liste dropped these Mexico City restaurants from their list, we’d still give them a shot.

El Puntal del Norte

We’d like to try El Puntal del Norte. The Spanish spot in Reforma looks stylish and interesting.

Fonda Fina

Fonda Fina is another place, like Rosetta, where one bad visit colored our experience. In this case, someone was allowed to smoke cigars inside the restaurant, ruining the meal for us and several other customers. But the food and cocktails are consistently good. And we’ve been back.

Huset

We visited Huset after we were introduced to it with the 2025 list. This charming spot in Roma Norte is within walking distance from our apartment. With its beautiful setting, interesting menu, and great service, it’s still on our list.

For me, booking flights is the most stressful, and least fun, part of travel. I’m spending a lot of money, and there are so many places to make mistakes. Did I choose the right dates? The right airports? The right number of passengers? Is there a typo in my name?

I can cut back that stress, at least a little bit, by taking some steps to make sure I’m ge…

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Mexico City’s cocktail bar scene is booming, and places like Handshake Speakeasy, Hanky Panky, Licoreria Limantour, Bijou, and Baltra Bar consistently make “best of” lists.

Most of these bars are worth a visit, but they’re so popular that there’s a good chance you won’t get in without a reservation.

These places have great cocktails and nice vibes, and odds are good you can just walk in and get a table or a seat at the bar.

Cheers!

(And here’s what to know before you go to Handshake Speakeasy.)

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I’ve burned through a lot of travel gear over the years—bags that look good online but don’t hold my things, organizers that are more effort than they’re worth, and bulky stuff that’s not worth the space it takes up.

These are travel items that I use myself …

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Condesa is endlessly walkable, with pretty, tree-lined streets, cafes and restaurants for breaks, and an incredible array of quirky shops of all kinds. You almost can’t go wrong strolling through Condesa.

Two obvious walks present themselves in Avenida México, which encircles Parque México in the center of Condesa, and Avenida Ámsterdam, which circles both one block further out and features an iconic pedestrian walkway in its center.

But our walk hits on most of the must-see sights in the area. As with any walk, you can start at either end or anywhere along its length.

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The long-standing Museo Frida Kahlo, which showcases her life and work, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mexico City, and it’s worth a visit, as is the studio museum in San Angel, Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo

Now, there’s a new museum, Museo Casa Kahlo, that focuses on Kahlo’s childhood and connections to her family.

For…

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So, you’re planning a trip to Mexico City. It’s easy enough to figure out what the top sights are. With a quick search, you’ll find the city’s must-see attractions like The Museo Frida Kahlo, Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the Zocalo.

But what if you want to listen to live music, see the work of up-and-coming local artists, or take in a food festival?

It’s harder to find activities that come and go. But it’s not impossible. Check these websites, and sign up for their newsletters if that’s an option, to make sure you’re clued into what’s going on in Mexico City during your visit.

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