8 Fun Things To Do in Mexico City
Traveling to Mexico City soon? Here are some fun things to do on a short trip!
1. Teotihuacan Pyramids
Didn't know that Mexico City has ancient Mesoamerican ruins nearby? I didn't either!
About an hour via bus each way, you can get to the pyramids for 104 pesos ($5 USD) round trip from Autobuses del Norte station. (Here’s the helpful guide we used on the transportation piece)!
Plan for plenty of walking in the area and climbing up small stairs to get to the top.
The views are incredible!
Prepare yourself for people selling souvenirs and being a little in-your-face in some of the main spots. It is a tourist destination, after all!
These people are friendly and are just doing their job. If you don’t want to buy anything, a polite “No” should work.
Overall this was one of my favorite things we did during our trip to Mexico City and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting!
2. Chapultepec Park
This is the largest park in North America and it is much bigger than New York's Central Park.
It has a castle (!) as well as tree-lined, walkable streets, a lake (Lago Mayor) where you can rent little boats and float around, and vendor stands selling food and drinks.
The greenery and beauty make your visit more than worth it as it is a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of the city.
My friend and I rented city bikes and rode through. It was beautiful!
Note: the park is closed on Mondays.
3. Xochimilco Canals by Boat
In Southeast Mexico City on the canals you can rent colorful boats for a one- or two-hour ride!
You can bring your own food and drinks on the boat, or buy some along the ride as there are vendors on other boats offering food, drinks, jewelry, and souvenirs for sale as they float by.
The boats are shaded and you can play music on them to create your own little party!
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this because of some TripAdvisor reviews said it was too chill or touristy, but my friend and I LOVED it. It was so fun and we are SO happy we went!
We had planned to go with a group - either by joining a hostel tour or getting a group of people together using the Couchsurfing app but it didn’t pan out in time. (Trying to organize a group hangout on Couchsurfing was quite interesting, haha).
We decided it wasn’t something we wanted to miss so we went just the two of us and still had a blast!
It was easy to find a boat as there were plenty and a guy walked right up to us offering a one-hour ride for 700 pesos. I ended up negotiating 350, simply because it was a price I saw on a blog, and they agreed.
We bought some drinks and sliced mangos and boarded the boat, ours named Lupita.
Since we went on a Thursday, and it was just the two of us, the ride was quite calm and relaxing. We played music and waved to people in other boats and had short conversations as they floated by.
A big group was floating by on a different direction and saw us taking photos. Two guys from that boat jumped onto ours and photobombed us, then quickly got up as they realized how fast their boat was moving in the other direction! They jumped back onto their boat and almost didn’t make it!
Another random but funny memory I have from here was having to do a video chat meeting for work. (I do freelance work online so I can work from wherever, including a boat apparently!)
Thanks to T-Mobile’s cell service working the same in Mexico as it does in the US, I was able to log onto Zoom and do our quick 10-minute meeting from the boat. Haha #digitalnomadlife
Read: T-Mobile International Phone Plan Review
Read: How To Plan Travel as a Digital Nomad: 3 Quick Tips
4. Food
You could honestly spend your entire trip eating your way through the city and wouldn't come close to running out of amazing new restaurants to try.
Mexico City is known as one of the food capitals of the world, and it lives up to its name.
My friends back home were surprised when I told them how great the food was, and I don’t know why!
Mexico City is a big capital (8.8 million people) and - let’s be real - Mexican food in general is just the best.
Add in a super trendy atmosphere to the already delicious food, and you’ve got a great overall experience.
Read: 5 Restaurants to Try on Your Trip to Mexico City
5. Shopping
Whether you're shopping at a market, local boutique, or the high-end designer shops, there are plenty of ways to get your shopping fill in Mexico City.
Check out a list of markets here for suggestions (and which ones you may want to avoid if they happen to be in a dicey neighborhood).
There are many name-brand stores in the main part of the city, and the Polanco neighborhood is know to have high-end designer stores like Louis Vuitton.
6. Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)
Frida Kahlo was a famous Mexican painter whose life was very fascinating.
Kahlo had illness that caused her to lose her ability to walk and have children, though she hid this with elaborate, costume-like clothing and used her artwork to give way to her emotion.
Her house is now a museum open to the public with the cost of admission. Note that you must pay extra to be allowed to take photos, so keep that in mind before you go.
You can also purchase tickets ahead of time, but know that the lines get long in the afternoon so try to go early if you can!
7. Top of Monumento a la Revalucion
If you love city views from above (I sure do!), then this is a cool place to see them!
My friend and I randomly stumbled upon the monument while walking around the city and thought it was beautiful, so we kept going toward it for a closer look.
There is pretty much only one “route” when you are going up to the top and then you follow the path back down. I remember joking that it felt like an Ikea store - the only way out is by seeing it all!
The views from each spot are definitely worth the trip though.
Plus, it is not expensive to go up and they also have teacher and student discounts.
8. Explore by bike - this city is huge!
Rent a bike or get a pass from the local bike rental locations all over the city.
There are well-marked bike lanes on the roads which make riding through the city a breeze.
It’s a fun way to get around part of the city and also bypass some of the traffic that can come with taking an Uber or taxi.
Just go to Mexico City already ;)
Mexico City quickly jumped up to one of my favorite cities in the entire world and I can't wait to return. While you may be surprised to hear that, take another look at the list above.
The friendly locals, vibrant city life, amazing food, and fun things to do make this an awesome place to visit.
If you’re concerned about the safety, read this post I wrote on safe travel in Mexico City. My friend and I took typical travel precautions and were fine.
And if you’re visiting soon? Have so much fun!
Book a Place to Stay in Mexico City
My all-time favorite booking website is the well-known Booking.com - I’ve used it for years all over the world.
It is the easiest way to search and find the best hotels (hostels too!), especially based on reviews. I always check the reviews on Booking, even if it’s a name-brand hotel. You never know!