The first time I took a hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán pyramids near Mexico City, I called it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

But over the years, I’ve managed to find more opportunities to float over the pyramids at sunrise. I’m up to five balloon rides, and I’d do it again tomorrow.

✨Is a Mexico City hot air balloon ride worth it?

Yes, we think so. A hot air balloon ride itself is a magical experience, and a trip above the Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon makes it unforgettable.

A tour usually includes:

• A 45 to 50 minute sunrise balloon ride with a celebratory toast after you land

• Round trip transportation

• Full breakfast

• Two hours on your own in the archeological zone at the pyramids

💲How much does a Mexico City balloon ride cost?

Our most recent trip cost $3,250 MXN ($190 USD).

Prices vary depending on your add-ons. You could choose private round-trip van transport, a professional on-site archaeological guide, or custom packages like anniversary toasts or marriage proposals with a mariachi band on the landing field.

❓Is a balloon ride safe?

Safety records are excellent with legitimate operators.

Check with your tour company to make sure pilots are licensed and equipment is certified by the AFAC, which is Mexico’s Federal Civil Aviation Agency. Ask them about any health conditions that may make a ride risky for you.

✔️How to make it happen: Step by step

I’ve learned a few things planning and experiencing our balloon rides. Here’s what you need to know.

🏢1. Choose a company

There are dozens of different companies that offer balloon rides. The first time, we didn’t know how to choose and went with a third-party service (Viator) that paired us with Flying Pictures Mexico.

We were so happy with Flying Pictures’ expertise and communication that we’ve used them ever since, booking directly though their site.

What we’re sharing here is our experience with them. We don’t get any compensation or perks for mentioning them, we’re just happy repeat customers. But the process might be slightly different if you go with another company.

📅2. Make your reservation

We’ve been able to get reservations a couple of days ahead of time, but it makes sense to book as early as you can, especially November through April. You should be able to book online.

• Weight estimates: Be prepared to share the approximate weight of everyone in your group.

• Confirmation: You might have to wait 24 hours or so for a confirmation, which will probably come through WhatsApp. (That’s something you should get used to using if you’re spending any time in Mexico. It’s what everyone uses to communicate.)

  You’ll hear back from the tour company confirming the date and pickup time, and they’ll fill you in on any details you need to know. For example, you might need to show them the credit card you used to pay when you made your reservation.

🌄How the morning unfolds

⏰Early wake-up

Balloon rides launch at sunrise because there needs to be a big temperature difference between the air inside the balloon and the outside air. So, you have to get up very early and head out well before dawn. On our last ride, our pickup time was 4:40 a.m.

🕶️What should you wear?

• Dress in layers, especially if you plan to go to the pyramids. It will probably be chilly when you head out in the morning and warmer after breakfast.

• Bring sunglasses and sunscreen for the archeological zone. There’s no shade and the sun will be climbing by the time you get there.

• Wear comfortable shoes that can get dirty. You need to climb in and out of the balloon basket, and your balloon might land in a dusty or muddy field. You’ll want good walking shoes if you plan to climb the Pyramid of the Moon.

• If you want to bring a backpack or tote bag, you should have room to put it next to your feet on the balloon ride.

🚗How do you get to the launch site from Mexico City?

We’ve always included transportation as part of our balloon tour package. As an add-on, round-trip group transportation costs $500 MXN ($29.50 USD) per person.

A one-way Uber costs about the same, so you can decide what works best for the number of people in your group. You can also drive yourself, if you have a car.

I have to admit, the first time, it made me a little uneasy to get into a van with a total stranger in what feels like the middle of the night.

But off you go with your driver, who may or may not speak English. There might be two or three groups sharing a van, unless you’ve reserved private transportation. So, after you get picked up, you might stop by some hotels or short-term rentals.

You’ll drive for about an hour. (The trip back might take closer to two hours, depending on traffic.)

☕Once you get there

We’ve always had English-speaking staff greet us when we arrive at the launch site.

You sign waivers, and you might have time to get a cup of coffee, use the restroom, and take some photos of the balloons being readied for launch. If your balloon is ready, you might need to hurry to get on board.

Either way, someone shows you to your balloon and they take photos of you and your group.

• Climbing in: The sides of the basket are fairly high—maybe four feet—but there’s a stepladder as well as footholds built in to the basket, plus people there to help you.

• Basket layout: We’ve been on flights where it was just our group of four, even when we didn’t reserve a private ride. And we’ve been on flights with groups of up to 12 riders.

You’ll have amazing views no matter what—the balloon and basket gently pivot during the flight, and each group has access to the sides, so you can see everything. We don’t think there’s any need to pay extra for a private flight.

⬆️The launch

Once everyone is on board, the staff shoots a few more photos and explains how you should position yourself for the landing, and then the pilot launches the balloon.

There’s a peaceful feeling when you lift off the ground. It’s not scary. It’s like the ground gently drops away.

You almost don’t notice the motion—you just see the difference when you look down. It’s hard to explain unless you experience it, but it feels natural. It’s nothing like the sensation of a plane taking off.

As the balloon lifts into the air, the views get better and better. You see the sun rising in one direction, the pyramids in another, and dozens of other balloons lifting off all around you.

You’re airborne for 45 or 50 minutes, and your pilot adjusts the balloon higher or lower to take advantage of different wind currents. You might drop down low over the pyramids, and then rise up for an overarching view.

⬇️The landing

Landing isn’t quite as smooth as taking off. The pilot tells you to hold the sides of the basket and bend your knees to brace yourself, as a precaution. The basket might graze the ground for a few seconds until it stabilizes.

A ground crew meets you, rolls up the balloon, and helps you get out of the basket. Some local people might approach you with jewelry or other small items you can buy, so bring some cash if that’s something you’re interested in.

Your group gathers and your pilot leads a champagne (or juice) toast and passes out certificates before you all head back to the launching point together in a van.

📷Photos and videos

You’ll probably take hundreds of photos and videos of the balloon ride—it’s hard not to. You’ll also be able to buy photos and videos from the balloon company.

With Flying Pictures, that includes shots of your whole group, professional drone photos from outside the balloon, and high-quality video. We don’t typically buy this sort of thing, we’ve always opted for the company’s photos and videos, and we’ve never been disappointed.

🥚Breakfast

After meeting at the launching point and reviewing the photos and videos, you board a van to go to the next stop, breakfast.

There’s a restaurant called the Gran Teocalli where a lot of the balloon companies offer breakfast. It’s big and touristy, with buffets, a mariachi band, and people dressed in traditional clothing you can take photos with.

We weren’t all that impressed with that place. But Flying Pictures has switched to another breakfast spot, El Jaguar. It’s a buffet with lots of options, plus table service for omelets, eggs cooked to order, and drinks.

If you only book the balloon ride, from here, you head back to Mexico City.

👣The pyramids

If you include a trip to the pyramids as part of your package, you head there next. It’s only a few minutes away. It’s worth seeing—we recommend adding it to your package.

We’ve never gone on a guided tour, but we would like to try it, since there’s so much history to learn about.

For a self-guided tour, the van driver drops you off and lets you know when to return. You’ll probably have an hour and a half or two hours to explore the site.

• Security and entry: You’ll pass through a metal detector and a bag check. These precautions were added after a shooting on the site.

• Climbing rules: You can walk up to and around the Pyramid of the Sun and you can climb upto the first level of the Pyramid of the Moon.

• On-site museum: The small museum is also worth a visit, although if you’re visiting the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City you may want to focus only on that one.

Once you’re done exploring, the driver will take you back to your pickup spot in Mexico City.

💜 More Mexico City with Eternal Spring

🍷 Need dinner plans after your flight? Read our Mexico City Reservation Cheat Sheet to book top tables like Pujol, Contramar, and Handshake Speakeasy.

Planning a Mexico City trip? Download Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City 2026 ($9.99) for neighborhood maps, daily itineraries, and curated restaurant lists right on your phone.

Get our Mexico City guidebook!

❤️Bonus photo

Thanks for reading to the end! Here’s a photo from our first hot-air balloon ride, balloon ride, in Albuquerque, NM, on our honeymoon in June 1990.

(Things were a bit different the first time we wrote about Mexico City balloon rides, if you want to check out the 2024 version.)

Want to get into Pujol, Handshake Speakeasy, or the Frida Kahlo Museum when you visit Mexico City? You need to plan ahead.

Here are our tips for getting reservations and tickets for Mexico City’s top places.

Planning a Mexico City trip? Download Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City 2026 ($9.99) for neighborhood maps, daily itineraries, and curated restaurant lists right on your phone.

Get our Mexico City guidebook!

🍴Restaurants

Pujol

Pujol and Quintonil (below) are widely considered two of the top restaurants in all of Mexico. They are the only restaurants in all of Mexico with two Michelin stars.

If you want to dine at Pujol, you have two options:

• An eight-course meal in the restaurant

• An eight-course omakase meal at the bar

📅When and how to book

Pujol takes reservations three months in advance, so set a reminder on your calendar to make your reservation.

If you’re open to less-popular days and times, it’s not as hard to get into Pujol as you might think. During one search, I found restaurant tables for two available on weekdays within a week, at 1 pm or 9:30 pm. I had to look two months out to find availability on a Friday or Saturday night at 6:30.

We’ve also had luck messaging Pujol on WhatsApp with a two-week block of dates and asking if they had any availability in that timeframe. We did this about four months in advance.

Read our full Pujol restaurant review.

Things to know

• You’ll need a credit card to make a reservation, but it won’t be charged at the time. You’ll be charged $2,000 MXN ($118 USD) if you don’t cancel at least 24 hours in adviance.

• You can book a table for up to 8 in Pujol’s dining room and for larger groups in a private room.

• You can request to be added to the wait list if there aren’t any available reservations.

• Pujol uses corn, tomato, onion, garlic, chili peppers, and cilantro in all their base preparations and sauces, so you can’t request food without them, even if you’re allergic.

• Reserve at table at Pujol.

Quintonil

Like, Pujol, Quintonil also offers two dining options:

• Bar—Kitchen counter experience: For one to three people, where you sit facing into the kitchen and can watch the chefs prepared their dishes

• Main dining room: For two to six people

Read our full Quintonil restaurant review.

📅When and how to book

• You may find it harder to get a table at Quintonil than at Pujol. When I checked, the first available tables of any type were more than a month out, and they only book reservations two months in advance.

Things to know

• There’s a $3,000 MXN ($176 USD) per person deposit that gets credited to your bill, but it’s non-refundable if your plans change.

• If you can’t find a timeslot, you can choose “Notify” in the reservation system and select multiple dates. You’ll get a message if a table becomes available.

• Reserve a table at Quintonil.

Maximo

Maximo is the place some of our Mexican friends consider a top fine-dining experience in the city.

At Maximo, you can choose a tasting menu like Pujol and Quintonil, or you can select what you want, a la carte, from a traditional menu. You can make your decision at the restaurant—you don’t need to pick one when you make your reservation.

📅When and how to book

You’ll want to make a reservation at Maximo at least a month in advance, and longer if you’re hoping for a weekend dinner. You can book about three months in advance.

Things to know

You have to enter a credit card number to hold the reservation. If you need to cancel, do so more than 1 day in advance, or you’ll pay $500 MXN ($29 USD) per person.

• Reserve a table at Maximo.

Rosetta

Rosetta is housed in a former mansion with some beautiful spaces. At Rosetta, you can choose what you like from a traditional menu that’s focused on Mexican and Italian ingredients and dishes.

📅When and how to book

Rosetta isn’t as difficult to get into as some of the other big-name restaurants in Mexico City. I saw same-day options available for lunchtime, and there were dinner options at reasonable times (not 5 pm or 10 pm) within two weeks.

You can book a table at Rosetta up to three months in advance.

Read our Rosetta restaurant review.

Things to know

• You can choose from indoor or outdoor seating at Rosetta. I’d suggest indoor, because the setting is so stunning. (Outdoor is nice too, but Mexico City is full of places where you can eat outside.)

• You need to contact Rosetta directly for a group of 5 or more: reservaciones@rosetta.com.mx or Whatsapp (+52 55 3931 4702). You need to leave a credit card number to make a reservation for a group of this size.

• Rosetta also accepts walk-ins when tables are available, so you might get lucky.

• Reserve a table at Rosetta.

Other options

These restaurants might not have the same level of name recognition, but we think they’re worth considering for a fine-dining experience in Mexico City.

You have a good chance of getting a table at these places the same day, even if you’re looking for a popular time on a weekend evening. They’re nice options if you want to have a nice restaurant experience in Mexico City without planning your whole trip around that meal.

Sud 777

Sud 777 earned a Michelin star, and it has a nice prix fixe menu with a feature we’ve never seen anyplace else—you can add another meat, fish, or vegetable course at no extra cost.

We’ve visited twice. We loved it on the first visit; we thought creativity and presentation were getting more attention than flavor in some dishes on the second.

You’ll need to travel a bit to get to Sud 777. It’s is about 30 minutes south of the city center by car, which may be part of the reason it’s easier to get in.

• Reserve a table at Sud 777.

Baldio

Baldio is a zero-waste, farm-focused, sustainable restaurant with a creative menu. They’ve earned a Michelin green star for their eco-friendly focus.

They offer the “Baldio experience” if you want to try a prix fixe meal, or you can choose what you like from their traditional menu. We’ve been to Baldo twice and had great meals both times.

• Reserve a table at Baldio.

🍸Cocktail bars

These top-rated Mexico City cocktail bars all use Open Table for their reservations, and on that site you can usually make reservations about three months in advance.

Open Table tip: The site won’t let you make multiple reservations within two hours. So, if you want to make a cocktail bar reservation for drinks before dinner and then a dinner reservation in an hour or an hour and a half, have someone else make one of the reservations with their account.

Informally surveying Mexico City bartenders, which we like to do, most of them name Bijou, Hanky Panky, and Handshake Speakeasy as the best bars in the city.

Baltra Bar

Baltra is one of the “big-name” Mexico City cocktail bars. It feels comfortable, where some of the other well-known bars feel pretentious. We were disappointed the last time we visited though, because they’ve taken some of their classic cocktails off the menu. You might be able to get a same-day reservation, or even walk in.

• Reserve a spot at Baltra Bar.

Bijou

We’re fans of Bijou’s sister bar, Ruby, so we were cheering them on when they were nominated for North America’s Best Bars and celebrating when they made the list in 2025.

• Reserve a spot at Bijou.

Hanky Panky

We’re getting a little tired of the whole speakeasy concept. (“Are we at the right place?” “What’s the street number”?” “Should we just ask someone?”) But we’ll make an exception for Hanky Panky, since they are now the longest-running speakeasy in the city. Plus, it’s terrific.

• Reserve a spot at Hanky Panky between 5 and 8 pm. After that, it’s walk-in only.

Handshake Speakeasy

You have to plan ahead to get into Handshake. It was on the top of the list for The World’s 50 Best Bars in 2024 and North America’s Best Bars in 2024 and 2025, and everybody wants to see what it’s all about.

Read our full review of Handshake Speakeasy.

• Reserve a spot at Handshake Speakeasy. (Up to two weeks in advance.)

Licoreria Limantour

When you go to some of Mexico City’s up-and-coming cocktail bars and talk to the people working there about where they worked before, you hear Limantour’s name come up a lot. It’s a popular place, but you still might get lucky and walk in and get a table or a seat at the bar.

• Reserve a spot at Licoreria Limantour. (Two locations, Polanco and Roma Norte.)

🎨Sights

Museo Frida Kahlo

The Frida Kahlo museum is located in her former house and dedicated to her life and her art.

It’s not that difficult to get tickets to the Frida Kahlo Museum. But it seems like many people don’t realize they need to buy tickets ahead of time, so they show up at the door and get shut out.

Read our guide to Museo Frida Kahlo.

The website offers tickets for about six weeks out, and you can probably find some available within 10 to 14 days.

Tip: If you can’t get tickets on your own, you can check online tour groups. We’re not adding any links here, because some of these sites just buy up tickets and sell them at a big markup without adding any value. But if you really want to go, you should know this is an option.

• Buy tickets for Museo Frida Kahlo.

Also consider: Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo. This underrated gem contains lots of examples of artwork from Kahlo and Rivera in their former studio space.

Honestly, it’s not clear to us why this place flies under the radar compared to Kahlo’s former home. We’ve visited this studio museum couple of times and walked right in to get tickets.

Lucha Libre

Lucha Libre is an iconic Mexican sport that’s part wrestling, part choreography, part spectacle and 100% fun.

It’s fairly straightforward to get tickets to Lucha Libre but you want to pick your event, especially if you’re only in Mexico for a few days.

At the main arena, Arena Mexico, they host events on Tuesday nights, Friday nights (the main event) and Sunday afternoons (for families, although plenty of families go on Fridays).

If you know you want to go to Lucha Libre—you definitely should see it—you might as well buy your tickets early and get the best possible seats.

Read our guide to Lucha Libre.

• Buy tickets for Lucha Libre.

Teotihuacan hot-air balloon ride

If you search for “Balloon rides” online, you’ll find third-party resellers and you won’t know which balloon company you’re booking with. Plus, you’ll pay about 25% more, and these balloon rides aren’t cheap to begin with. (Totally worth it, though.)

We recommend searching on Google Maps. First, search for “Teotihuacan.” That’s the area northeast of Mexico City where the balloon rides start. Zoom in on that area, and search for “Balloon rides.” You’ll zero in on the companies that offer them and you can compare packages and ratings.

We like Flying Pictures. We’ve taken friends and family members on balloon rides several times. We ended up with Flying Pictures at random the first time, and we were so happy with the experience, we’ve booked directly with them ever since.

Read our guide to Mexico City hot-air balloon rides.

• Buy tickets for a balloon ride with Flying Pictures.

Thanks for exploring Mexico City with 💜 Eternal Spring! Consider becoming a subscriber so you never miss our exclusive tips and guides. — Paul and Steph

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We’ve walked past La Once Mil lots of times without giving it much thought. But in 2026, the Michelin Guide gave it a star.

Only 11 of the thousands of restaurants in Mexico City earned one or two stars, so when some friends were visiting we gave it a try.

📅 Do you need reservations for La Once Mil?

They don’t take reservations, so they’re one of the easier-to-get-into Michelin-starred restaurants. When we walked by on a Tuesday night there was a 30-minute waitlist and we were too hungry to wait.

We tried again at mid-afternoon on Wednesday. The place was packed, but we only waited about 10 minutes for a table.

They pour you a small glass of beer (Modelo) to drink while you wait, and there’s an area with some tables, chairs, and benches, so waiting isn’t bad. You don’t have to just hover outside the door.

The staff writes the wait list on a board next to the door, visible to everyone, so there’s no question about how many groups are ahead of you.

🌮 What’s the menu like at La Once Mil?

La Once Mil specializes in tacos. You can choose from:

• Black angus prime trompo

• Suckling pig and pork belly

• Snapper al pastor

• Wood-fired prime skirt steak

• Mushroom barbacoa

• Squash blossom quesadilla

• Charcoal-grilled steak with bacon crust

These delgaditas (thinly sliced prime cuts:

• Ribeye chairman’s reserve

• center-cut filet mignon choice

• Japanese A5 wagyu

Two tostadas:

• Spicy tuna

• Avocado with vegan ceviche

They serve five different salsas that range from mild to spicy you can add to your meal.

We each ordered two plates, and that felt like the right amount of food.

La Once Mil also offers a few side dishes and desserts, as well as beer, wine, soft drinks, and aguas frescas.

🍽️ What was the food like at La Once Mil?

Everything we ate was delicious and prepared well, with balanced flavors and decent-sized portions.

The meat was moist and tender, and it was worth saving room for the tres leches cake, which got rave reviews from people who know how it’s made and how it can go wrong.

The salsas packed great flavor, and the range of heat levels meant even hot food wimps like me have solid options.

The tortillas had great flavor, although the blue corn variety got a little soggy and crumbly.

We were underwhelmed by the drinks. We expected full bottles of beer, not glasses. And the rose was fine, but nothing special.

Thanks for exploring Mexico City with 💜 Eternal Spring! Consider becoming a subscriber so you never miss our exclusive tips and guides. — Paul and Steph

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💲How expensive is La Once Mil?

Prices are high by taqueria standards, and about what you would expect for interesting dishes made with quality ingredients in a well-appointed place.

• Tacos/tostadas: $125 to $205 ($7.20 to $11.75 USD) with the exception of the Wagyu beef tacos, which clock in at a rather pricey $335 MXN ($19.20 USD)

  Beer and nonalcoholic drinks: $75 to $85 MXN ($4.30 to $4.90 USD)

• Wine (glass): $125 to $135 MXN ($7.20 to $7.80 USD)

• Desserts: $120 to $165 MXN ($6.90 to $9.40 USD)

🎵 What’s the vibe like at La Once Mil?

La Once Mil feels trendy and fun. The free beer you get while you wait sets the welcoming atmosphere, and that carries through with the solid service.

• The indoor/outdoor space is decorated in neural tones, with a water feature running alongside the outdoor tables.

• The small but mighty open kitchen and bar/prep area makes it feel like you’re part of the action.

• The music is loud enough to enhance the vibe but low enough to carry on a conversation with the people at your table.

Our verdict?

✅ Solid food options, great service, fun atmosphere. An easy, affordable way to say you ate in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

✖️ Not for you if you’re looking for cocktails, an expansive wine list, or a dinner where you want to linger.

A few years ago, we almost canceled a trip we had planned to Mexico City in August.

The rainy-season photos and videos we saw as we were planning made it seem like we’d be trapped indoors, facing a nonstop deluge, with no hope of exploring the city’s charming streets and green spaces.

Those photos and videos aren’t wrong, exactly. But they’re sensationalized. They capture a snippet of a day that probably started with hours of clear skies and sunshine.

Here’s the truth: If you plan a trip to Mexico City in the summer, there’s a good chance you’re going to face rain. Maybe a lot of rain. But that doesn’t mean you should reschedule, and it doesn’t mean you’re going to have a lousy trip.

💧Does it rain all day during the Mexico City rainy season?

No, it does not rain all day. A typical summer day in Mexico City starts with clear, beautiful skies and warm sunshine in the morning. Clouds roll in by mid-afternoon, and, some days, you can expect heavy thunderstorms in the late afternoon or evening.

The rainy season usually runs from late May through late September, and July and August are the wettest months.

Think of it like Florida rainy, not Seattle rainy.

📅Planning your days during Mexico City’s rainy season

The rainy season isn’t all bad. We like it because:

• The rainfall clears the air, reducing pollution

• Daytime high temperatures are comfortable

• Cool, rainy nights are great for sleeping

• The rain keeps a lot of locals home in the evenings, which makes it easier to get into restaurants and cocktail bars

Here’s what we recommend:

• Plan your walks, visits to parks like Chapultepec, and outdoor dining for mornings and early afternoons.

• If you want to walk and the weather is iffy, head to Condesa. The trees give you some protection, and you’ll find shops, cafes, bars, and restaurants to duck into while you wait out a storm.
  

• Schedule museums, concerts, and indoor dining for the late afternoons and evenings. Most museums are open until 5 pm. Here are a few later options:

  • Palacio de Bellas Artes (Centro Historico): Open until 6 pm. Ideal if a downpour strikes when you’re downtown.

  • Museo Soumaya (Polanco): Open until 6:30 pm and admission is free, so it’s a good option for a day with a high chance of storms.

  • Museo Jumex, next door to Museo Soumaya: Open until 7 pm on Saturdays.

• The last Wednesday of every month is Noche de Museos (Museum Night). Lots of the city’s museums are open late and have free or discounted admission. So that’s an excellent rainy day option if it coincides with your trip.

• Taking Ubers will minimize the amount of time you’re out in the elements. Just keep in mind that when it rains, lots of people who would otherwise walk or bike take Ubers, too. So build in some extra wait time for the Uber and expect higher fares. Plan for travel time in traffic, too.

• The Metro is another transit option, though it will probably be crowded when it’s raining, too.

Thanks for exploring Mexico City with 💜 Eternal Spring! Consider becoming a subscriber so you never miss our exclusive tips and guides. — Paul and Steph

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⛈️Here’s what you should bring

Don’t expect any light sprinkles or drizzle when it rains in Mexico City. The thunderstorms bring the kind of downpours that mean you’ll get drenched in seconds, even if you’re just crossing the street.

🛍️Shop for your gear before your trip

Don’t plan to buy a raincoat or shoes during your trip, especially if you’re taller than average.

Most visitors are bigger than most Mexicans, so you might have a hard time finding clothes or shoes in your size.

Plus, if you only have a few days in the city, you’re not going to want to spend them shopping for necessities.

Here’s what you’ll want to bring:

🧥A raincoat

You can’t manage the Mexico City rainy season without a raincoat. Keep it lightweight—it’s usually not that cold when it rains, and you can always layer a light sweater under it if you need to.

We have Eddie Bauer (Paul) and Land’s End (Steph) raincoats that are about mid-thigh length. They work well, although if I were buying something new, I’d get something knee-length or longer, like this one. (Option for men)

👞Waterproof walking shoes

It’s pretty much a guarantee that your feet will get soaked, so keep them dry with the right footgear. Otherwise, you’ll be spending your valuable vacation time blow-drying your wet shoes.

I love these waterproof On sneakers because they’re comfortable, and I can wear them all day, whether it’s raining or not. (Option for men) These highly rated waterproof sneakers are more affordable. (Option for men)

🌂An umbrella

Even with a raincoat, your pants will probably end up wet unless you add some coverage from a good umbrella.

This umbrella is big enough for two people and still folds up to a relatively small size.

👜A tote bag or day bag

When you’re out all day, you’ll need a way to carry around your raincoat and umbrella so your hands are free for taking photos, looking up addresses, and, of course, planning your days with our digital guidebook.

This tote is affordable, durable, and can fold up to keep on hand as a shopping bag when you don’t need it for your rain gear.

If you want something more secure where you can keep your wallet, passport, phone, or anything else valuable, this expandable, waterproof day bag is a nice option.

📱A phone wrist strap or lanyard

I got caught in a downpour with my phone in an open pocket on my purse. I thought it got protected but the charging port got wet and never quite worked properly again.

With a phone wrist strap or lanyard, you can tuck your phone in your sleeve or under your raincoat.

It can also help keep your phone safer from pickpockets and from the risk of dropping it if you’re taking photos from a rooftop, hot-air balloon, or boat ride.

🧥Layers

Did you see all those low temperatures in the 50s in the forecast? It won’t be much warmer than that in the early mornings and after storms comer through in the evenings.

In Mexico City, life happens outside, so I usually bring a light sweater so I’m comfortable sitting outside at a restaurant or bar.

👎What not to bring

Don’t pack flip flops or sandals. You’re visiting a big city, not a beach resort, and you’ll want to keep your feet clean and protected. Save the swimwear for Cancun or Puerto Vallarta.

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🛍️Other shopping options

I’m a fan of more affordable and climate-friendly shopping options, so I buy quite a bit of what I need from these two retailers. These aren’t affiliate links; I’m just a fan. With both, you’ll want to check the sites frequently because the inventory changes all the time.

• Relay Goods: They sell returned but unworn, previous season, and damaged-box running and walking shoes, including some waterproof options. I got my On waterproof sneakers here for $35 less than full price. Shipping has been quick, in my experience.

• ThredUp: They sell all kinds of secondhand clothing, accessories, and bags. They’re a great place to shop if you need affordable travel gear in a climate that’s different from where you live. You can sort by “new with tags” if you’re not into used clothing. Shipping can take a while, so give yourself plenty of time before your trip to shop.

If you found these rainy season strategies helpful, our complete digital guidebook, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City, contains more than 500 pages of neighborhood breakdowns, curated restaurant guides, and real-world logistics designed to work seamlessly on your phone, e-reader, tablet, or computer. Click below to download your copy.

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💧More Mexico City rainy-season tips

Here are a couple of early morning activities we think are worth it. Book them for early in your trip so there’s time to reschedule in case you hit some rare inclement weather early in the day.

Mexico City: What we’re reading this week

CDMX through the eyes of Mexican-American . I’m especially liking her shopping selections.

Sad Mami

how to experience mexico city: a no sabo guide

I made my fourth visit to Mexico City this week. Visiting Mexico (and CDMX) in particular is always a surreal experience as a third/fourth gen Mexican American. Originally known as Tenochtitlan, the center of the Aztec Empire, Mexico City has lived rent free in my imagination since my early Chicano Studies days when I learned the legend of the eagle, s…

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2 months ago · 14 likes · 5 comments · Dayna Cobarrubias

This collection of sounds of Mexico City, complete with cultural and historical background, by .

Marcelo's Substack: Silva (de Varia Lección)

Mexico City: The Acoustic Version

This is an English translation of my original Spanish text. I hesitated to post it because I did not want to clutter your inbox, but I wanted to reach out to the English-speaking readers…

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2 months ago · 1 like · Marcelo Castro Salinas

Two new museums we want to try, thanks to .

Leslie Brenner (Home of Cooks Without Borders)

Six delectable days in Mexico City

Become a paid subscriber and enjoy full access to the full archive, including the Cooks Without Borders Recipe Collection…

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2 months ago · 9 likes · 4 comments · Leslie Brenner

The dining scene in Mexico City showcases cuisines from around the world, brought from people who have made the city their home over the decades.

explains how these restaurants live alongside the traditional Mexican restaurants you expect to find here, so we’re sharing his guest post with you.

Find more of his work at goodfoodmexico.

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When I came to live in Mexico City in the late 1990s, I was obsessed with finding the best Mexican food. There were no restaurant guides for outsiders—I would later write the first one. Street food was still regarded with suspicion by most foreign visitors. The only indispensable guidebook I found was the mythical, spiral-bound Guía del Pleno Disfrute de la Ciudad de México, produced by a circle of writers and intellectuals and as rare as a three-peso bill. It became my bible.

In his introduction, the essayist, urban chronicler and bon vivant Carlos Monsiváis posed a question that has stayed with me ever since:

“What does a city offer? What are its mysteries, its hidden corners, its underground paradises? And what mechanisms does it provide for pleasure?”

For years, I thought the answer lay entirely in local food. I chased late-night taquerías, weekend barbacoa, mole made by anonymous women in hole-in-the-wall kitchens, forgotten fondas and bustling market stalls. I was still captivated by that troublesome word “authentic”—a concept I have long since abandoned. I believed that understanding Mexico meant eating nothing but Mexican food. But Mexico City has changed; so have I.

One of the most rewarding ways to understand the city today is by eating everyone else’s food. That may sound like a contradiction. Why fly halfway around the world only to eat Chinese noodles or Korean barbecue? Because those meals are just as much a part of contemporary Mexico City as tacos al pastor.

One of the great misconceptions about “eating local” is that it assumes a city’s identity can be reduced to its traditional cuisine. But cities aren’t museums. They evolve with the people who live in them.

Mexico City was cosmopolitan long before anyone coined the phrase “digital nomad.” Chinese immigrants founded the cafés de chinos more than a century ago. Spanish, French, Lebanese and Jewish communities have all left lasting marks on the city’s culinary landscape. More recently, Indians, Koreans, Japanese, Venezuelans and, increasingly, Chinese immigrants have added entirely new chapters.

Contrary to what one occasionally reads in newspaper trend pieces, none of this has diluted Mexican cuisine. During the thirty years I’ve lived here, I’ve witnessed precisely the opposite. Regional Mexican cooking has flourished. There are more excellent taquerías, seafood restaurants, fondas and fine-dining venues than ever before. The city’s table hasn’t become less Mexican; it has become bigger.

So when people ask me what I miss most about New York, I usually answer: family, friends… and good Chinese food.

For years, finding it in Mexico City felt like searching for the Holy Grail. Every so often someone would whisper about a place above a shopping arcade or hidden behind an office building where nobody spoke much Spanish, the menu wasn’t translated, and every table seemed occupied by people who clearly hadn’t come because the restaurant had five stars on Yelp or appeared in a guidebook. Half the time, the rumors proved disappointing. Then, every once in a while, I’d strike gold. Those discoveries thrilled me every bit as much as finding an extraordinary taco stand. Eventually I realized why. The best foreign restaurants in Mexico City are the ones that don’t really care whether you come or not. That isn’t meant as criticism. Quite the opposite. Their purpose isn’t to introduce Chinese food to Mexicans or Indian food to tourists. They exist because someone misses the food they grew up with. They serve homesick students, engineers, factory managers, visiting relatives and families who simply want dinner to taste like home. The rest of us are welcome, of course. We’re just not the intended audience, and that’s precisely what makes them so exciting.

There is something deeply satisfying about eating another person’s comfort food. Food that hasn’t been adjusted, translated, sweetened or explained. Food that assumes you already know what it is and if you don’t, you’ll learn.

In the last few years, that world has expanded dramatically in Mexico. A growing Chinese community—driven in part by investment in the electric vehicle and technology sectors—has brought with it a new generation of restaurants serving regional cuisines that would have been unimaginable here a decade ago. Some don’t even have Spanish menus, requiring Google Translate and a willingness to take chances. The dining rooms are filled largely with Chinese customers. Exactly as they should be.

I find myself increasingly drawn to these places—not because I’m tired of Mexican food, but because they reveal another Mexico City. The same is true of Korean restaurants crowded with Korean families, Japanese noodle shops serving Japanese office workers, or even American-style cafés feeding brunch to homesick digital nomads. These aren’t “ethnic restaurants,” they’re neighborhood venues serving neighborhoods most of us never knew existed.

Carlos Monsiváis asked what hidden pleasures a city proposes. After almost three decades, I’m still answering that question. Some of those hidden pleasures are still found in tiny taquerías and market stalls. Others arrive in bowls of hand-pulled noodles, sizzling Korean grills, or plates of food whose names I still can’t pronounce.

That’s one of the great pleasures of living in a city that never stops becoming itself.

If you’re curious to explore this other side of Mexico City’s dining scene, I’ve written about many of these discoveries—including outstanding Chinese restaurants and other immigrant cuisines—on Good Food Mexico.

Consider it the beginning, not the end, of the treasure hunt.

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Quick guide: San Ángel walk details

• Starting point: San Ángel Inn

• Ending point: Plaza del Carmen

• Distance: About a half mile

• Time: 1 to 2 hours, depending on shopping and photo stops

• Best time to visit: Saturdays, when the parks are filled with Mexican artists selling paintings, sculptures, and fabric art.

With its tree-lined streets and understated affluence, San Ángel is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Mexico City. It’s also an ideal place for a stroll. Just be sure to wear comfortable sneakers or walking shoes—you’ll be glad you have them when you’re navigating the cobblestones.

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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San Ángel Inn

Start at San Ángel Inn (1). This is one of our favorite restaurants in Mexico City, and we begin many San Ángel visits with a meal here and then walk it off.

Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo

Cross the street to the northeast to Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (2). This often-overlooked gem is worth a visit, and unlike Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, you can walk right up and buy tickets on the spot.

You can also simply enjoy its cactus-lined exterior if you don’t have the time to explore inside right now.

Head east on Avenida Altavista (3) then rurn right (south) and stroll down Calle Reyna (4).

Crucifix statue

Check out the crucifix statue tucked into the corner of Calle Reyna and Gral Aureliano Rivera (5), then continue south on Calle Reina (6).

Plaza de los Licenciados

Cross the street to visit the small Plaza de los Licenciados, then turn left (east) onto Calle Benito Juárez (7).

Parroquia San Jacinto

Turn into Parroquia San Jacinto (8) on the right (south). Check out the pretty garden inside the wall and take a look inside the church if you like.

Bazar San Ángel

Head east on Calle Benito Juárez (9) and where you’ll find Bazar San Ángel (10), a collection of shops selling Mexican handicrafts.

If you’re ready for a break, you’re close to Oxa, where you can get a meal or a drink. We’re fans of their brunch menu.

Plaza Tenanitla

Plaza Tenanitla hosts Bazar Sábado, a charming outdoor art market, on Saturdays.

Plaza san Jacinto

Kitty-corner from Plaza Tenanitla is the larger Plaza san Jacinto (11). The park surrounds a fountain and hosts local artists selling their work on Saturdays.

Calle Madero

Head northeast on Calle Madero (12) and explore the shops and stores on both sides of the street.

Plaza del Carmen

Finish your walk at Plaza del Carmen (13), a small triangular park, which also has a wonderful art fair each Saturday.

From here, you can relax on a park bench, grab a quick drink—we recommend a glass of wine at Bistro 83 across the street to the north in the Mercado del Carmen—or see if there’s an event at Centro Cultural San Ángel, across the street to the south.

Then, you can catch an Uber back to your vacation rental or hotel of, if you’re still feeling adventurous, to Coyoacán.

If you can’t get enough of San Ángel and have the time, you could wander through the three blocks or so behind the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo between Calle Diego Rivera and Calle Reyena (north of Avenida Altavista), or the other streets that parallel Calle Reyana south of Avenida Altavista.

This is where Mexico City’s wealthiest residents live, not in Polanco. Most homes have private security with a dedicated security booth that’s manned 24/7, and yet the area retains a subdued, quiet, and natural beauty.

If it’s your first time visiting Mexico City, there are a handful of neighborhoods that should be at the top of your list of places to stay.

This is an excerpt from our downloadable book, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City, which is designed to work seamlessly on your phone, e-reader, tablet, or computer. Use it to plan your itinerary, and refer t…

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Quick Guide: Reforma Walk Details

• Starting point: Estela de Luz at the entrance to Chapultepec Park

• Ending point: Monumento a la Madre/Jardín del Arte Sullivan

• Distance: About 1.5 miles

• Time: 1 to 2 hours, depending on photo stops

• Best time to visit: Sunday mornings and early afternoons, when the street is closed to cars for biking and walking

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The FIFA 2026 World Cup is taking place in North America this year, and these five matches will be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City:

• Mexico v South Africa: Thursday June 11

• Uzbekistan v Colombia: Wednesday, June 17

• Czechia v Mexico: Wednesday, June 24

• Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place: Tuesday, June 30

• Winner match 79 v Winner match 80: Sunday, July 5

If you’re headed to Mexico City to watch the World Cup matches, this guide can help you plan your trip.

While we outline our top advice here, you’ll need a subscription to drill down into most of the content in the links.

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🏨Where is the best place to stay for the World Cup in Mexico City?

Estadio Azteca (Estadio Banorte), where the Mexico City matches will be played, is in the southern part of the city’s Coyoacán neigborhood.

Depending on how long you plan to stay in Mexico City, you may want to stay in:

• Coyoacán: The more visitor-friendly part of Coyoacán, where you’ll find Casa Azul, parks, the Coyoacán market, street food stalls, and more, is about a 20-minute drive or 30-minute subway ride from the stadium during typical traffic.

  

• Roma Norte/Condesa: These neighborhoods, popular with visitors, are even further north. But they are loaded with walkable streets, green parks, stunning architecture, and bars and restaurants that will be showing the World Cup matches from throughout North America.
  They’re our top pick for a base you can use to explore the city, as long as you don’t mind a longer trip to the stadium, compared to Coyoacán.

  

• Centro Histórico: This “downtown” area is even further north. It’s where you’ll find some of the city’s top sites, including the Zócalo (main square) with its cathedral and palace, the stunning Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the Torre Latinoamericana (Latin American tower), with the views of Mexico City in all directions from the top.

  

🧳What should you pack?

In Mexico City in June and July, you’re in the rainy season. That usually means sunny mornings and thunderstorms in the late afternoons or evenings. It typically doesn’t rain every day.

The rainy season can be nice, because the rain clears the pollution from the air and keeps the temperatures comfortable.

However, last year’s rainy season brought a surprising amount of nonstop rain, so plan for that.

We recommend a light raincoat, waterproof shoes, and maybe an umbrella.

If you get soaked and you don’t have laundry access, you can have your clothes washed, dried, and folded, usually that same day, in one of Mexico City’s many lavanderías (laundromats) or tintorerías (dry cleaners, which usually do regular laundry as well).

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🏟️What should you expect in and around Estadio Azteca?

Estadio Azteca holds almost 90,000 people, so expect big crowds on game days. Give yourself plenty of time to get there and find your seats.

You can get there by:

• Car

• Bus

• Light rail

Outside the stadium, you’ll probably find vendors selling food, drinks, and all kinds of items related to the teams that are playing. You should also expect a strong security presence.

Only bring what you need to have with you to the stadium—ID, cash for food and drinks, a credit card, and your phone. You can bring personal items in a small bag, but make sure you don’t bring any prohibited items.

🚅How can you get around in Mexico City?

The best way to get from place to place in Mexico City depends on how far you’re going and how crowded your options will be.

• Walking: Most of the parts of Mexico City that are popular with visitors are walkable, so that’s probably your best option for nearby places.

• Driving: Don’t rent a car. Drivers follow local customs that you won’t know and understand. And even if you manage to drive, you’ll have to find someplace to park.
  Uber works fine in Mexico City and, as a visitor, it’s probably the way you’ll want to get to places that are too far to walk. Just check the traffic so you know how long to expect your trip to take.

• Metro/Metrobus: You can get to most parts of the city inexpensively on the Metro or Metrobus. But these options can get very crowded at rush hour.

• Biking: You can get an Ecobici pass for 1 day (128 MXN/~6.40 USD), 3 days (254 MXN/~12.70 USD), or 7 days (425 MXN/~21.25 USD). The passes give you unlimited rides of 45 minutes or less for the number of days you choose. Mexico City has a lot of cyclists and bike lanes, and biking is often about as fast as taking a car.

📺Where can you watch the matches?

If you’re going to be in Mexico City for the World Cup but you aren’t going to the games in person, you’ll find plenty of bars and restaurants showing the matches.

We know some places that are putting in TVs just so they can attract visitors. If you see a TV, there’s a good chance it will be showing the World Cup.

❓What should you know about visiting Mexico City?

You can make your visit smoother and less stressful if you know a few things ahead of time.

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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• Mexico City has 2 airports, so know which one you’ve booked.

• You might feel tired or low-energy or have trouble sleeping at first, because of the altitude.

• We find Mexico as safe as any major city. Be aware of your surroundings and take precautions against pickpockets, like you would anywhere.

• Don’t be vocal about how “cheap” you think everything is. It’s not cheap to most people who live here.

• A lot of smaller restaurants, bars, and shops are closed on Sundays and Mondays.

• Know where the closest pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals are, just in case. Call 911 for an emergency.

💲What to know about money in Mexico City

You should be able to withdraw pesos at ATMs with your debit card, and your US credit cards should work at places that accept credit.

Most places take credit cards, so you only need to carry enough cash for things like buying street food and tipping musicians.

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!

Get our Mexico City guidebook!

🎟️What is there to do in Mexico City?

When you’re not watching World Cup matches, you’ll find plenty to do in Mexico City.

• Book your tickets ahead of time if you want to see Casa Azul.

• If you can fit it into your schedule and budget, we highly recommend a hot-air balloon ride.

• You can visit the Xochimilco canals on your own during the day, and it’s a lot of fun. For a more peaceful experience, take a sunrise tour.

• Watching a Luche Libre match is ridiculously fun. Friday nights are the “spectaculars.”

• Focus on different neighborhoods each day you’re here and minimize the time you spend in traffic.

• We definitely recommend making time for the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo), Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Anthropology Museum), and Palacio de Bellas Artes.

• CDMX Secreta and other sites and apps list live music, local art exhibits, festivals, and other events that will be happening when you’re here.

👣Neighborhood walks

You can easily wander around these neighborhoods on your own, but our walks can help if you want more guidance and details.

🍽️Restaurants and bars

Mexico City is loaded with great restaurants and bars, from little taco stands to Michelin-starred restaurants.

• For a homemade and affordable meal, look for a cocina economica.

• To see what the city’s top chefs and mixologists are crafting, book ahead at these top restaurants and bars.

🗺️More of our guides

Check out these guides for detailed looks at sights, restaurants, and bars in some of Mexico City’s neighborhoods.

Roma Norte

Coyoacán and San Ángel

Condesa

Centro Histórico

Subscribe to 💜 Eternal Spring and get all of our content, including more than 100 searchable articles where you can find answers to your questions about Mexico City.

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Odds are good that when you’re out exploring Mexico City, nature will call. If you’re ready to stop for a snack or a drink, you’re probably covered.

Restaurants and bars have bathrooms customers can use. Same with museums and other attractions. In a bigger place, an attendant might be working in the bathroom. It’s polite to tip a few pesos.

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If you’re a cocktail enthusiast, you’ll find lots to sip in Mexico City, especially in the trendy Roma Norte, Juarez, and Condesa neighborhoods.

This guide highlights the 8 Mexico City cocktail bars on the 2026 North America’s 50 Best Bars list, plus a few of our favorite bars that didn’t make the cut.

A few things to know about the city’s cocktail bar scene:

• Expect to pay $200 to $3050 MXN (about $10 to $17.50 USD) per cocktail.

• Generally, you’ll find more of a visitor/expat crowd early in the evening at Mexico City cocktail bars, with more locals and Mexicans visiting from other parts of the country later at night.

• A lot of people in Mexico City don’t like to go out on rainy nights, so those evenings can be a good time to try to get into a cocktail bar if you don’t have a reservation.

• A lot of cocktail bars are closed on Sundays and/or Mondays.

• As is true in most places, going on a weeknight and earlier in the night gives you better odds of getting in.

If you’re planning dinner around your bar reservations, our Roma Norte and Condesa restaurant guides can help you choose where to eat:

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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.

Th…

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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 …

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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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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.

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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 tip…

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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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