Mexico City

General Notes / Impressions

  • CDMX is a huge city. Be mindful of distances
  • Traffic is bad, allow ample time for road travel
  • Ubers are pretty reasonably priced (Apr 2026)
  • It feels pretty safe
  • Cards / Apple pay are accepted almost everywhere, but you will need cash. Keep $100-$150 equivalent cash.

Must See, Must Do

  • Lucha Libre (★★★★★)
    • book tickets in advance. Go with a tour if you like, but you can easily go by yourself – its pretty well organized. Go a little early so you have time to buy a mask.
  • National Museum of Anthropology (★★★★★)
  • Day trip to Teotihuacan (★★★★★)
    • You will need cash, make sure you look up how much the entry costs, and carry enough cash – entry is cash only.
    • Book a driver on the internet; or go with a tour group, if that’s your jam. Aaron Cruz (whatsapp: +52 55 1188 8421) was excellent. Booking a driver gives you flexibility and also the driver will pick you up and drop you off at your doorstep. Expect to pay 2.5 to 3 times the Uber price of a one-way trip from Mexico City to Teotihuacan. This will be a 6 hour booking (1 hour to go, 1.5-2 hours to return, 2-3 hours at the pyramids, 1 hour for lunch). You will need 2-3 hours at the pyramids.
    • Go early – plan to be at Teotihuacan at 8-830. It gets really hot later in the day.
    • If you have your own driver enter from Gate 3 and go to Pyramid of the Moon first – climb it, it’s not too hard. The view from the Moon pyramid is great, and its a great photo op. Ask your driver to meet you at Gate 2. You walk to Pyramid of the Sun – you cannot climb this one, but you can and should walk around. Meet the driver at Gate 2 and drive to Gate 1 to visit the Pyramid of Quetzalcóatl. Climb it if you still have the energy. By following this plan you can avoid the 2km walk between Quetzalcóatl and Sun/Moon pyramids. You can enter and exit the gates on the same ticket.
    • There are numerous vendors selling souvenirs. Most of them surprisingly accept cards/ apple pay.
  • Palacio Postal (★★★★★)
    • working post office, fantastic architecture. enter from the entrance on C. de Tacuba
  • Biblioteca Vasconcelos (★★★★★)
    • Library with amazing architecture
  • Churreria El Moro (★★★★★)
    • chain with many locations
  • Pastelería Ideal (★★★★☆)
    • huge bakeries. chain with many locations
  • Templo Mayor (★★★★☆)
  • Metropolitan Cathedral (★★★★☆)
  • Zocalo (★★★★☆)
    • huge square with a giant flag, restaurants, vendors. This is a good place to buy souvenirs.
  • Casa de los Azulejos (★★★★☆)
    • its a working restaurant, but you can walk around inside the building without eating there. be sure to go upstairs.
  • Chapultepec Castle (★★★★☆)
    • be prepared, there’s a bit of an uphill walk
  • Xochimilco boat tour (★★★★☆)
    • rent a boat – bargain and pay less than the currently posted “maximum” price. The maximum price is a suggestion, to set the floor. Igno
  • Coyoacan Market (★★★★☆)
  • Palacio de Bellas Artes (★★★★☆) + Sears Cafe (★★★☆☆)
    • The Sears Cafe has great views of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The cafe is usually busy – you can see the view and leave.
  • Frida Kahlo museum – we skipped it, but you should go.