Tacos, Temples, and Traffic Jams: The Best Places to Go in Mexico City for Cultural Gluttony

The Absolute Best Places to Go in Mexico City (According to Your Personality Type)

Mexico City contains multitudes—perhaps too many. With 150+ museums, thousands of restaurants, and centuries of history, decision paralysis is the most common affliction among first-time visitors. The trick is finding the best places to go in Mexico City that align with your particular travel obsessions, whether you’re a history buff, art aficionado, culinary adventurer, or architectural enthusiast.

For History Buffs: Ancient Wonders and Colonial Splendor

The pyramids of Teotihuacan stand 45 minutes northeast of the city center, a testament to a civilization that predated even the Aztecs. Arrive between 8-10am to avoid both crowds and heat, and budget about $5 for entrance. The 248 steps to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun might leave you gasping for air (blame that elevation again), but the panoramic views once reserved for priests performing human sacrifices now reward anyone with sturdy knees and a camera. Authorized guides hover near the entrance offering their services for around $25—money well spent considering how many fascinating details remain invisible to the untrained eye.

Back in the city center, the Templo Mayor and its adjacent museum offer a more intimate connection with Aztec civilization. Excavated in the 1970s after electrical workers stumbled upon an eight-ton stone disk depicting the goddess Coyolxauhqui, this partially unearthed temple sits literally in the shadow of the Metropolitan Cathedral. The juxtaposition is so stark it feels like time-travel whiplash. For $4.50, visitors can examine artifacts that put the British Museum’s collection to shame, including intricately carved stone sculptures that retain their original paint—a rarity for pre-Hispanic art.

The National Museum of Anthropology houses Mexico’s archeological crown jewels, including the famous Aztec Sun Stone that appears on everything from peso coins to tourist t-shirts. While a complete tour would require about six hours and the physical stamina of an Olympic athlete, the museum’s highlights can be enjoyed in a manageable two-hour visit. The $8 entrance fee represents perhaps the best value in North American museums—it’s like getting access to the Smithsonian, the Met, and the Field Museum for the price of a fancy coffee.

For Art Lovers: From Frida to Contemporary Scenes

Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Coyoacán attracts lines that would make Disney World blush. Save yourself a two-hour wait by booking tickets online for $13. The cobalt blue house where Kahlo was born, lived with Diego Rivera, and eventually died contains personal items that humanize this icon beyond her commercialized image—her wheelchair positioned at an easel, the corsets she painted while confined to bed, and the mirror she used for her famous self-portraits. After visiting, wander the neighborhood’s plaza where street performers entertain weekend crowds and vendors sell marquesitas (crispy rolled crepes filled with cheese and Nutella).

The Museo Soumaya resembles what happens when Frank Gehry designs after three mezcals. Billionaire Carlos Slim (once the world’s richest man) spent $300 million on this shimmering titanium structure to house his personal collection, which includes the largest assemblage of Rodin sculptures outside France, plus works by European masters like El Greco and Monet. The most shocking aspect? It’s completely free, making it one of the best places to go in Mexico City for travelers on a budget.

For contemporary art with social commentary, explore the street murals of Roma Norte. The neighborhood’s political and cultural statements are spray-painted across building façades, turning ordinary walks into impromptu gallery visits. Start at the corner of Colima and Orizaba streets and wander north, photographing pieces that won’t make your Instagram feed look like everyone else’s hackneyed Mexico shots.

Neighborhood Focus: Where to Base Yourself

Condesa and Roma Norte have become the default neighborhoods for international visitors, and for good reason. These adjacent colonias offer tree-lined streets, Art Deco mansions converted to boutique hotels ($90-180/night), and cafés where baristas discuss single-origin beans with the seriousness of sommeliers. Restaurants like Contramar serve seafood tostadas ($30-40/person) that have launched a thousand foodie Instagram posts, while Rosetta’s Italian-Mexican fusion ($25-35/person) demonstrates why chef Elena Reygadas won Latin America’s Best Female Chef award.

The Historic Center offers convenience and budget-friendly accommodations starting around $40/night. Staying near the Zócalo (main square) means many major attractions are within walking distance, though the area transforms between day and night. Daytime brings tourists and office workers; evenings see fewer people except around busy restaurants and bars. While generally safe, common-sense precautions are advisable after dark. The trade-off for central convenience is noise—between church bells, traffic, and street vendors, light sleepers should pack earplugs.

For luxury seekers, Polanco serves as Mexico City’s Beverly Hills. Along Avenida Presidente Masaryk, flagship stores of international fashion houses neighbor the city’s most expensive restaurants. Five-star hotels like the Four Seasons (from $350/night) pamper guests, while Pujol—ranked 12th on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list—serves Enrique Olvera’s modernist Mexican cuisine via a $125 tasting menu that requires reservations months in advance. The neighborhood feels noticeably more sanitized than others, which depending on your perspective is either a comfort or a disappointment.

Coyoacán, 30 minutes south of the center, feels like a small town that the megacity accidentally swallowed. Its cobblestone streets and colonial buildings house artists’ studios, while its weekend markets sell everything from handcrafted jewelry to regional foods. Accommodations run $60-100/night, and the area offers a slower pace for travelers seeking respite from urban intensity. The commute to central attractions requires planning, but the charm compensates for the inconvenience.

Culinary Adventures: From Street Food to Michelin Stars

Street food safety concerns keep many visitors confined to upscale restaurants, but with simple precautions, tacos can be both safe and life-changing. Look for stands with crowds of locals, busy turnover ensuring freshness, and visible handwashing stations. Most tacos cost $1-3 each, with al pastor (spit-roasted marinated pork) being the local specialty. For the full experience, memorize this phrase: “Quiero tacos de [meat choice], con todo por favor” (“I want tacos with [meat], with everything please”).

Mexico City’s markets offer immersive food experiences beyond street stands. Mercado de San Juan caters to chefs and adventurous eaters, with stalls selling everything from scorpions to imported cheeses. Mercado Merced, the city’s largest traditional market, overwhelms with its maze-like corridors of produce and household goods. For those seeking a more sanitized experience, Mercado Roma functions as an upscale food hall where visitors can sample different cuisines without committing to full meals.

On the high end, Mexico City has become a global culinary destination requiring advance planning. Reservations at top spots like Pujol, Quintonil, and Máximo Bistrot should be made weeks or even months ahead. These restaurants reimagine traditional ingredients through contemporary techniques—think mole sauce aged for 2,500 days at Pujol or ant larvae served with guacamole at Quintonil. Tasting menus range from $75-150 per person, a fraction of what similar experiences would cost in New York or San Francisco.

Day Trips from the Capital

Puebla, two hours east by bus ($15 each way), offers architectural eye candy with its colonial buildings adorned in Talavera tiles. The city claims to be the birthplace of mole poblano, the complex chocolate-chili sauce containing upwards of 20 ingredients. Visit the stunning Biblioteca Palafoxiana, the first public library in the Americas, with books chained to shelves like medieval manuscripts. The nearby town of Cholula contains the world’s largest pyramid by volume, though it’s partly hidden beneath a Spanish church and centuries of vegetation.

Tepoztlán, 90 minutes south, draws both spiritual seekers and hikers to its mystical mountain setting. A steep trail leads to Tepozteco, a small archaeological site perched atop a cliff with views that justify the sweaty climb. The weekend market sells healing crystals, herbal remedies, and indigenous crafts, while ice cream shops offer exotic flavors like avocado, cheese, and corn. It’s one of the best places to go in Mexico City’s orbit for those seeking a complete change of pace from urban intensity.

Xochimilco, just 45 minutes south, offers Mexico City’s version of Venice—a network of canals plied by colorful trajinera boats. The experience costs approximately $25 per hour for the entire boat (not per person), making it ideal for groups. Weekend afternoons bring mariachi bands that serenade from boat to boat, food vendors selling snacks from floating kitchens, and a party atmosphere that can verge on rowdy. For the truly adventurous, request a detour to the legitimately creepy Isla de las Muñecas (Island of the Dolls), where hundreds of deteriorating dolls hang from trees in a tableau straight from a horror film.

Practical Matters That Make or Break Your Trip

Money management in Mexico City requires minimal planning. ATMs dispense pesos with the best exchange rates, though those connected to banks offer lower fees than standalone machines. Credit cards are widely accepted in restaurants, hotels, and major attractions, but small vendors and markets remain cash-only. Tipping follows North American customs at 10-15% in restaurants, though it’s typically added as a suggested amount on the bill rather than calculated separately.

Transportation options range from incredibly cheap to reasonably priced. The metro system charges a flat fare of approximately $0.30 per ride—possibly the best transit value on earth—and connects most major attractions. During rush hours (7-10am and 6-8pm), trains transform into human sardine cans, with designated women-and-children-only cars offering slightly more breathing room. Rideshare apps like Uber provide convenient, affordable alternatives (a 30-minute ride typically costs $5-10) without the haggling sometimes associated with traditional taxis.

The city’s elevation affects visitors in ways they rarely anticipate. At 7,350 feet, even fit travelers may experience shortness of breath, particularly when climbing stairs or hills. Alcohol hits harder and faster, turning what would normally be a two-cocktail buzz into a three-margarita mistake. Dehydration occurs more rapidly, contributing to headaches some mistake for food-borne illness. The solution? Drink water constantly, limit alcohol for the first 48 hours, and build in afternoon rest periods—the locals know what they’re doing with that siesta tradition.