🏛Mexico City's 15 top must-see attractions
Discover Mexico City's world-class museums, historical sites, ancient pyramids, iconic landmarks, lush gardens, and vibrant parks.
This is an excerpt from our guidebook, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City.
Mexico City is bursting with historic sights, museums, monuments, parks, and more. From the history behind the sights in Centro to the majesty of the ancient pyramids at Teotihuacán to the floating gardens at Xochimilco, you’ll discover this city’s many charms.
In fact, when you’re planning a short trip, it can feel a little overwhelming to figure out what to see and how much you can fit in. We’re here to help.
To make the best use of your time, we highlight the very best things to see and do in Mexico City.
Everything here is a ⭐-rated must-see sight. And to make it easier for you to find what you want, we identify the neighborhood of each sight and the type of sight it is using emoji that can be easily understood at-a-glance.
They are:
🌳Park or outdoor place
🏛Monument or other important sight
🚶Walk or notable street
🏟️Arena or other sports venue
🎨Museum
👁️Something to see
🛍️Shopping
These are our top-rated Mexico City sights.
🏛 El Ángel de la Independencia
The marquee monument on the amazing🚶Avenida Paseo de la Reforma is misidentified and misunderstood by just about everyone in Mexico City: Its official name is Monumento a la Independencia, the Monument of Independence, and the gold statue at its top does not depict an angel. No matter, El Ángel, as the locals call it, is beautiful and well-worth seeing. It’s one of the most iconic sights in Mexico City.
🏟️ Arena México (Lucha Libre)
Located in 🩺Doctores just to the east of 🏠Roma Norte, Arena México is the home of Lucha Libre (“freestyle wrestling”), the campy professional wrestling style best known for its colorful masks, capes, and outfits. Taking in a Lucha Libre match surrounded by people cheering for the técnicos (“good guys”) and booing the rudos (“bad guys”) is one of the most entertaining experiences you can have in Mexico City.
🚶 Avenida Amsterdam
This elliptical street encircles the Hipódromo area of 🌳Condesa, including🌳Parque México. It’s one of the prettiest spots in Mexico City, thanks to its iconic tree-lined and pedestrian-friendly median. Take your time walking the 1.2-mile loop and check out the cute cafés, shops, and circular plazas along the way. And be sure to cross into and through the park as needed.
🚶 Avenida Francisco I. Madero
This bustling pedestrian-only avenue in 🏛️Centro is lined with shops and sights and runs from the 👁️Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in the east to the 🏛️Palacio de Bellas Artes and 👁️Torre Latinoamericana in the west. You will often see—and hear—Mexico City organilleros (organ grinders) here, and be sure to take a peek inside the tiled 👁️Casa de los Azulejos.
🚶 Avenida Paseo de la Reforma
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma is the Champs Élysées of Mexico City, a magnificent grand avenue that stretches east to west across the entire city. But it’s best known for the expanse east of the🌳Bosque de Chapultepec showcased by the🏛Ángel de la Independencia monument. This part of Reforma is closed to traffic on Sunday mornings so Mexico City’s citizens and visitors can walk, jog, bike, skate, or otherwise enjoy the unusual perspective.
🏛️ Catedral Metropolitana y 🏛️ Sagrario Metropolitano
The Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral) and the smaller Parroquia de la Asunción Sagrario Metropolitano (Metropolitan Sanctuary) dominate the north side of the 👁️Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) and both are worth seeing inside and out. The former offers a bell tower tour, while the latter is notable for its artifacts and other curiosities.
🏛 Gran Hotel
Located on the southwest corner of the 👁️ Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in 🏛️Centro, the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico is famous for its striking Art Nouveau-style stained-glass ceiling, which you can see from the lobby. When you’re done staring and taking photos, ask inside about getting a drink at the hotel’s terrific🍸terrace restaurant and bar, with its sweeping views of the plaza.
🎨 Museo Frida Kahlo
The Frida Kahlo Museum is located in 🐺Coyoacán in the former home of the famous painter and artist, and where she spent most of her life. Wander through the rooms and garden and take in the art and everyday items she shared with Diego Rivera. But be sure to buy your tickets in advance, as the museum is quite popular and often sells out.
🎨 Museo Nacional de Antropologia
The Museo Nacional de Antropologia (National Anthropology Museum) in 🛍️Polanco showcases a remarkably extensive collection of archeological and anthropological artifacts in 23 exhibit halls. Plan what you want to see the most before visiting, as it’s unlikely you’ll be able to see it all in one visit. Free guided tours are available.
🏛 Palacio de Bellas Artes
Located next to 🌳Alameda Central in 🏛️Centro, Bellas Artes is arguably the most beautiful and iconic building in all of Mexico City, with an Art Nouveau exterior, a striking golden dome on the roof, and an Art Deco-style interior showcasing enormous murals by Diego Rivera and other prominent artists.
🏛 Palacio Postal
The Palacio Postal (Postal Palace) in 🏛️Centro was built in 1907, and today it’s the most beautiful functioning post office anywhere in the world. Step inside and take in the gargoyles, marble staircases, and other elaborate details and decor. But don’t miss the fun little museum. It’s free.
👁️ Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo)
The vast Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) in 🏛️Centro was originally the center of Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec city conquered by the Spanish. It’s now the central plaza of Mexico City and the political and religious center of all of Mexico. The Zócalo often hosts fairs, festivals, concerts, exhibits, and other key events, so it can be quite different from weekend to weekend.
👁️ Teotihuacán
This archeological site is one of the largest and most significant in Mexico, and it’s located about 30 miles northeast of the center of Mexico City. It includes the magnificent Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, as well as murals, carvings, and other artifacts. You can explore the site on foot, but you can no longer climb the pyramids. We strongly recommend taking a hot-air balloon ride over the pyramids, with options available daily at sunrise.
👁️ Torre Latinoamericana
You’ll easily spot the Torre Latinoamericana (Latin American Tower) from many vantage points in the area. Go inside and buy tickets for the Mirador Torre Latino, the observation deck on the tower’s 44th floor that offers the best views of Mexico City in all directions. It’s worth experiencing day and night, if possible.
👁️ Xochilmilco
These floating gardens and canals were constructed by the Aztecs, and they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hire a colorful trajinera boat and guide for an hour or more and explore the scenery. Expect more of a party scene, with lots of boats and music, on weekends. But you can have a more peaceful experience if you visit earlier on a weekday.
We’d love to get your feedback as we build out our guidebook. Please ❤️ if you like what you see here or 💬 with any thoughts or suggestions.
Great timing, I’m hoping to visit CDMX for the first time around March-April 😀