What to Do in Mexico City: 80 Free, Offbeat & Food Spots

Best Things to Do in Mexico City

The big four sit close together, and three of them are closed on Mondays.

• The Zócalo is free and always busy. The Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace line it, and concerts or protests can take it over on any given day.
• The Templo Mayor next door is open Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–5pm. INAH lists entry at 210 pesos. Check before you go.
• Out in Chapultepec, the National Museum of Anthropology (Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–6pm) holds the Aztec Sun Stone in its Mexica hall. The museum and INAH list different prices, so check before you go. Plan on at least three hours.
• Chapultepec Park itself is free and bigger than Central Park. Chapultepec Castle on its hill, once home to Emperor Maximilian, now houses the National History Museum (Tuesday–Sunday, 9am–5pm).
• Add the Casa Azul in Coyoacán, where Frida Kahlo was born and died. Book timed tickets well ahead.

• 

  Templo Mayor

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  The main temple of Tenochtitlan, dug out right next to the Zócalo after workers hit a giant stone carving in 1978. Walkways take you over layer after layer of the pyramid's rebuilds, and the site museum holds the finds, including a huge carved disc of the moon goddess Coyolxauhqui. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm; INAH lists general entry at 210 pesos.

  • Typical visit: 2-3 hours
  • Typical best time: Tuesday-Saturday right at 9am opening
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  National Museum of Anthropology

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  If you see one museum in Mexico, make it this one. Rooms around a courtyard with a huge umbrella-like fountain cover every ancient culture in the country, and the Mexica hall holds the famous Aztec Sun Stone. Open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-6pm. The museum's site lists general entry at 100 pesos, and INAH's page shows a higher price, so check before you go. Plan at least three hours.

  • Typical visit: 3-4 hours
  • Typical best time: Weekday mornings right at 9am opening
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Frida Kahlo (Casa Azul)

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $$ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  The bright blue house in Coyoacán where Frida Kahlo was born, lived and died, with her studio, clothes and garden. It's the most popular museum in town for a reason. Book timed tickets online well in advance.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Arena México

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  The cathedral of lucha libre, where masked wrestlers fly off the ropes several nights a week. The crowd is loud, the costumes are wild and the tickets are cheap. Buy a mask from a vendor outside and go on a Friday night.

  • Typical visit: 2-3 hours
  • Typical best time: Evening show nights (check the weekly fight schedule)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A grand old Jesuit school where the Mexican mural movement was born in the 1920s, with powerful murals by José Clemente Orozco lining its courtyards. Big exhibitions rotate inside. Cheap entry, free on Sundays.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Monumento a la Revolución

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  This giant domed arch was meant to be a congress building, then got turned into a monument holding revolutionary heroes' remains. A glass elevator zips you up to a lookout under the dome. Come at sunset when the fountains in the plaza light up.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Álvaro Obregón · Mexico City

  Juan O'Gorman designed these twin studios in 1931 for Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, two buildings joined by a bridge. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5:30pm for $45 MXN and free on Sundays; pair it with a walk around San Ángel.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Sunday (free) or Saturday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

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  Isla de las Muñecas

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $$ · Xochimilco · Mexico City

  Deep in the canals of Xochimilco, a man hung hundreds of old dolls in the trees to honor a girl he said drowned nearby. Now the rotting dolls stare at you as you walk around. It's a long trajinera ride from Cuemanco, so plan a half day.

  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Typical best time: Weekday mornings

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Anahuacalli

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  Diego Rivera designed this dark stone pyramid on volcanic rock to hold his huge collection of pre-Hispanic art. It feels like walking into an ancient temple. Your Frida Kahlo Museum ticket includes entry here.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Casa Luis Barragán

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $$ · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  The home of Mexico's most famous architect, full of bold pink and yellow walls, light and quiet. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tours only, so book online well ahead.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo de Arte Popular

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Alebrijes, masks, toys and crafts from every corner of Mexico fill this small Art Deco museum. It's a burst of color for a cheap ticket, and a good preview before you shop the markets.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Cárcamo de Dolores

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  A 1950s water pumping station in Chapultepec where Diego Rivera painted a mural meant to sit underwater, with a giant swimming Tláloc rain god fountain outside. Very few tourists find it. Small fee, and it's next to the Museo de Historia Natural.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Mural Diego Rivera

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  An entire museum built around one giant Diego Rivera mural, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda, with Frida Kahlo and La Catrina in the crowd. It was rescued after the 1985 earthquake. Small fee, and it's right on the Alameda.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Casa de León Trotsky

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  The fortified house in Coyoacán where Leon Trotsky lived in exile and was killed with an ice axe in 1940. You can still see bullet holes from an earlier attack and his study left as it was. Small fee, and it's a short walk from Frida's Casa Azul.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Frontón México

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $$ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A gorgeous 1929 Art Deco jai alai arena on Plaza de la República, right next to the Monumento a la Revolución. It sat closed for years before reopening for events and matches. Check for a jai alai night, it's fast and fun to watch.

  • Typical visit: 2-3 hours
  • Typical best time: Evening match nights (check the schedule)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  MUAC

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  A dramatic glass museum on the UNAM campus showing Latin American contemporary art, where the building is reason enough to come. Entry is cheap, and the Espacio Escultórico is close by for a free bonus.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Nacional de San Carlos

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A neoclassical mansion with an oval courtyard that holds European paintings from the 14th to 20th centuries. It's often quiet, which is part of the charm. Cheap entry, free on Sundays.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Franz Mayer

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Mexican and European decorative arts fill an old hospital wrapped around a beautiful arcaded courtyard. Linger at the café in the cloister after you've seen the collection. Small entry fee.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Laboratorio Arte Alameda

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A 16th-century convent turned into a space for electronic and new-media art, where projections and sound pieces fill the old chapel. It's a cool contrast of old and new. Cheap, and right across from the Alameda.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: Wikipedia (es) (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Dolores Olmedo

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Xochimilco · Mexico City

  A colonial hacienda in Xochimilco with the world's biggest collection of Diego Rivera's work and some Frida Kahlo paintings. Peacocks and hairless Xoloitzcuintle dogs wander the gardens. Small fee, and combine it with a trajinera ride.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Casa Gilardi

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $$ · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  Luis Barragán's last house, built around a jacaranda tree, with a hot-pink wall and a dining room with an indoor pool lit by colored light. It's still a private home. Tours are by appointment, so book ahead.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  Palacio de Minería

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A grand neoclassical palace from the 1800s built for a mining school, wrapped around an enormous courtyard. Look for the giant meteorites displayed inside. Tours cost a small fee.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Museo del Juguete Antiguo México

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A crazy collection of tens of thousands of vintage toys, robots, wrestler figures and dolls in Colonia Doctores. The rooftop has murals by street artists. Small fee.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  Museo del Pulque y las Pulquerías

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Upstairs from a working pulquería beside the San Hipólito church, this small museum explains the ancient fermented maguey drink and the culture of the taverns that serve it. Open 11am-8pm (Sundays until 6pm), closed Tuesdays and on the 28th of each month; afterwards, taste a flavored pulque downstairs.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Afternoon
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  MODO Museo del Objeto

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Everyday objects and design from 1810 to today, drawn from a collection of more than 200,000 pieces, fill a 1906 Roma Norte house with exhibitions that change constantly. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm; tickets are $80 MXN, half price for students, and the building has no elevator.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Official site (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo de la Caricatura

  Things to Do · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Mexican political and humorous cartoons fill this small museum on Calle Donceles, opened in 1987. Entry is by voluntary donation and it's open daily 11am-7pm, so slot it into a historic center walk.

  • Typical visit: 45 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  Museo de Geología de la UNAM

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A grand 1906 Porfirian building in Santa María la Ribera where a mammoth skeleton, minerals and fossils share space with landscape paintings by José María Velasco. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm for a small fee.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

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  Museo de El Carmen

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Álvaro Obregón · Mexico City

  A 17th-century Carmelite college in San Ángel whose crypt holds a dozen mummified bodies, found in 1916 by Zapatista troops hunting for treasure. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm; tickets are $155 MXN for foreigners and $85 for Mexican nationals and residents, and Metro Miguel Ángel de Quevedo is nearby.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  A former Churubusco convent founded in 1580 that was defended as a fort during the 1847 US invasion, now the national museum of foreign interventions in Mexico. It's two blocks from Metro General Anaya and open Tuesday to Sunday; tickets are $210 MXN general or $105 for nationals and residents.

  • Typical visit: 1-1.5 hours
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Archivo de la Fotografía

  Things to Do · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Housed in a 16th-century mansion on Calle República de Guatemala, this museum traces Mexico City's transformation through historic photographs. Open Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm, it's a quiet break from the busy streets of the historic center.

  • Typical visit: 45 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

Hidden Gems & Unusual Things to Do in Mexico City

Mexico City's odd corners are some of its best.

• Mercado de Sonora sells herbs, spell candles and Santa Muerte figures.
• Cárcamo de Dolores is a 1950s waterworks in Chapultepec. Diego Rivera painted a mural there that was meant to sit underwater, and a huge Tláloc fountain sits outside.
• On the UNAM campus, the Espacio Escultórico rings a field of black lava rock with 64 concrete blocks (1979).
• Frontón México, a 1929 Art Deco jai alai hall beside the Monumento a la Revolución, hosts matches again.
• On Cerro de la Estrella, the Mexica lit their New Fire every 52 years.
• Isla de las Muñecas is a long trajinera ride from Cuemanco in Xochimilco, so plan a half day.

62 places on this list are flagged as lesser-known.

• Isla de las Muñecas Things to Do
• Museo Anahuacalli Things to Do
• Casa Luis Barragán Things to Do
• Biblioteca Vasconcelos Cheap-Free
• Palacio Postal Cheap-Free
• Mercado de Sonora Cheap-Free
• Mercado de Jamaica Cheap-Free
• Museo de Arte Popular Things to Do
• Espacio Escultórico Cheap-Free
• Cárcamo de Dolores Things to Do
• Cuicuilco Cheap-Free
• Museo Mural Diego Rivera Things to Do
• Museo Casa de León Trotsky Things to Do
• Café La Habana Food to Eat
• Frontón México Things to Do
• Tianguis Cultural del Chopo Cheap-Free
• Museo Universitario del Chopo Cheap-Free
• Desierto de los Leones Cheap-Free
• Los Dinamos Cheap-Free
• Edificio Basurto Cheap-Free
• Cineteca Nacional Cheap-Free
• Casa del Lago Cheap-Free
• MUAC Things to Do
• Museo Nacional de San Carlos Things to Do
• Museo Franz Mayer Things to Do
• Laboratorio Arte Alameda Things to Do
• Museo del Estanquillo Cheap-Free
• Panteón de San Fernando Cheap-Free
• Panteón Civil de Dolores Cheap-Free
• San Andrés Mixquic Cheap-Free
• Cerro de la Estrella Cheap-Free
• Museo Dolores Olmedo Things to Do
• Casa Gilardi Things to Do
• Edificio Ermita Cheap-Free
• Palacio de Minería Things to Do
• Mercado de La Merced Food to Eat
• Museo del Juguete Antiguo México Things to Do
• Pulquería Las Duelistas Food to Eat
• Pastelería Ideal Food to Eat
• Dulcería de Celaya Food to Eat
• Callejón del Aguacate Cheap-Free
• Mercado de Medellín Food to Eat
• Plaza Río de Janeiro (David replica) Cheap-Free
• El Vilsito Food to Eat
• Panadería La Vasconia Food to Eat
• Cafebrería El Péndulo (Condesa) Food to Eat
• Mercado La Nueva Viga Food to Eat
• Museo del Pulque y las Pulquerías Things to Do
• MODO Museo del Objeto Things to Do
• Museo de la Caricatura Things to Do
• Museo de Geología de la UNAM Things to Do
• Museo del Calzado El Borceguí Cheap-Free
• Templo de Ehécatl (Metro Pino Suárez) Cheap-Free
• Zona Arqueológica de Mixcoac Cheap-Free
• Jardín Botánico de la UNAM Cheap-Free
• Cablebús Line 1 Cheap-Free
• Palacio de la Escuela de Medicina Cheap-Free
• Museo de El Carmen Things to Do
• Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones Things to Do
• Biblioteca de México (La Ciudadela) Cheap-Free
• Fonoteca Nacional Cheap-Free
• Museo Archivo de la Fotografía Things to Do

Free & Cheap Things to Do in Mexico City

• At Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Gabriel Orozco's Mátrix Móvil, an 11.69-meter gray whale skeleton drawn over in graphite, hangs above the stacks. Entry is free.
• Palacio Postal is a working post office with gilded iron staircases. Mail a postcard.
• Museo Soumaya is free. Take the elevator up and walk down the ramps past the Rodins.
• Museo del Estanquillo holds Carlos Monsiváis's pop-culture collection and is also free.
• At Panteón de Dolores, Diego Rivera rests in the Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres.
• After dark, Plaza Garibaldi's mariachis cost nothing to listen to; you pay only if you request a song.

Many INAH and public museums are free on Sundays for Mexican citizens and residents. Visitors from abroad usually pay.

• 

  Zócalo (Plaza de la Constitución)

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  One of the biggest public squares in the world, built over the heart of the Aztec capital. The Metropolitan Cathedral fills one side and the National Palace another, with a giant flag in the middle. It's free and always busy; concerts, festivals and protests take it over regularly, so it can look different every visit.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday mornings; check for events and protests
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Chapultepec Park & Castle

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  Mexico City's giant green lung, bigger than Central Park, with lakes, paddle boats, street snacks and several major museums. On the hill sits Chapultepec Castle, once home to Emperor Maximilian and now the National History Museum, with murals, period rooms and terraces looking down Reforma. The park is free; the castle is open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-5pm (INAH lists 210 pesos). Most of the first section closes on Mondays.

  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Typical best time: Weekday mornings (castle and museums closed Mondays)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Biblioteca Vasconcelos

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A library that looks like a sci-fi set, with bookshelves that seem to float in midair and a whale skeleton hanging in the middle. It's free and open to everyone, so climb to the upper walkways for the best view.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Palacio Postal

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Mexico City's main post office looks like a palace, with gold-trimmed iron staircases, marble floors and Italian bronze work. It's still a working post office, so you can mail a postcard. Free to walk in, and there's a small museum upstairs.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Museo Soumaya

  Cheap-Free · Free · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  A shiny silver building in Polanco that looks like a twisted hourglass, packed with Rodin sculptures and European art. It's free. Ride the elevator up to the top floor, then wander back down the ramps.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Museo del Estanquillo

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Writer Carlos Monsiváis's giant collection of Mexican pop culture, from comics and toys to photos, posters and political cartoons, in a beautiful old building downtown. There's a terrace with views over Madero Street. Free entry.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Panteón Civil de Dolores

  Cheap-Free · Free · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  The biggest cemetery in Mexico, home to the Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres where Diego Rivera, painter Siqueiros and composer Agustín Lara rest. It sits at the edge of Chapultepec. Free, and go during daylight.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Plaza Garibaldi

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  At night, mariachi bands in silver-studded suits play for anyone who pays a song. It's loud, crowded and a true Mexico City experience. Free to watch, and stop by the Museo del Tequila y el Mezcal on the plaza.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Evenings, when the mariachis are out

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Plaza de las Tres Culturas

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Aztec temple ruins, a 16th-century church built from their stones and modernist apartment towers all share one plaza in Tlatelolco. It was also the site of the 1968 student massacre, marked by a memorial. The plaza is free to cross; the fenced ruins charge a small fee, waived on Sundays for Mexican residents.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Biblioteca Central de la UNAM

  Cheap-Free · Free · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  Juan O'Gorman wrapped all four sides of this 1956 library in a mural of Mexican history, and it's the emblem of the UNAM campus. Admiring it from the plaza outside costs nothing.

  • Typical visit: 30 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday daytime
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Mercado de Sonora

  Cheap-Free · Free · Venustiano Carranza · Mexico City

  Mexico City's witches' market, where stalls sell herbs, potions, spell candles and Santa Muerte statues and fortune tellers wait for customers. Nowhere else in the city feels quite like it. Keep your valuables close.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Mercado de Jamaica

  Cheap-Free · Free · Venustiano Carranza · Mexico City

  A flower market that never closes, piled with roses, marigolds and towering arrangements 24 hours a day. In the days before Día de Muertos it becomes a sea of orange. Wandering is free.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Espacio Escultórico

  Cheap-Free · Free · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  A huge ring of 64 concrete pyramid-like blocks surrounding a sea of rough black lava rock on the UNAM campus, made by a group of artists in 1979. It feels like a modern Stonehenge built on a volcano. Free, and walk the nearby sculpture trail too.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Cuicuilco

  Cheap-Free · Free · Tlalpan · Mexico City

  One of the oldest pyramids in the Valley of Mexico, a round platform about 2,500 years old that was half-buried when the Xitle volcano erupted. You walk up a path to the top over cooled lava. Free, with a small museum on site.

  • Typical visit: 2-3 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

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  Tianguis Cultural del Chopo

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Every Saturday, punks, metalheads, goths and rockers take over a street near Buenavista for this music market. Stalls sell vinyl, band shirts, boots and patches. Free to wander, and there's often live music at the end of the market.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Museo Universitario del Chopo

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A contemporary art museum inside a striking Art Nouveau iron-and-glass building that was shipped from Germany in pieces. Exhibits are edgy and change often. Cheap entry and a nice cafe.

  • Typical visit: 1.5-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Desierto de los Leones

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Cuajimalpa · Mexico City

  Despite the name, it's not a desert, it's a pine forest on the edge of the city with a 17th-century Carmelite convent you can explore, including dark underground passages. Weekends have food stalls with quesadillas. Small entry fee, and bring a jacket.

  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Los Dinamos

  Cheap-Free · Free · Magdalena Contreras · Mexico City

  A forested valley in Magdalena Contreras with a river, waterfalls and old hydroelectric dynamos that gave it its name. Locals come for hiking, rock climbing and trout lunches. Free, and best on a weekday morning.

  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Edificio Basurto

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  An Art Deco apartment block in Condesa famous for a spiral staircase that curls like a seashell. It's a residential building, so admire it from outside, then keep walking: Condesa is full of Art Deco facades.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Cineteca Nacional

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  Mexico's national film archive in Coyoacán, with several screens, an outdoor forum and cheap tickets for indie and classic films. The cafes and gardens are great for hanging out. Tickets are cheap, and some outdoor screenings are free.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (es) (opens in a new tab)

• Casa del Lago

  Cheap-Free · Free · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  A pretty early-1900s mansion on the lake in Chapultepec, now run by UNAM as a cultural center with free concerts, readings and exhibitions. Weekends are lively with families paddling boats outside. Free to enter.

  • Typical visit: 30 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Panteón de San Fernando

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A small 19th-century cemetery behind a church where Benito Juárez and other heroes of the Reform are buried in fancy marble tombs. It's quiet, eerie and almost always empty. Tiny entry fee.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  San Andrés Mixquic

  Cheap-Free · Free · Tláhuac · Mexico City

  On the southeast edge of the city, this village throws a Día de Muertos like nowhere else, with its cemetery glowing with candles through the night. The rest of the year it's calm. It's free, but Nov 1 and 2 bring huge crowds.

  • Typical visit: Half day
  • Typical best time: Day of the Dead (Nov 1-2) for the full tradition

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Cerro de la Estrella

  Cheap-Free · Free · Iztapalapa · Mexico City

  A hill in Iztapalapa where the Aztecs held their New Fire ceremony every 52 years to make sure the world wouldn't end. There's a small temple ruin and a museum at the top, plus huge city views. Free, and go in the daytime.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Edificio Ermita

  Cheap-Free · Free · Miguel Hidalgo · Mexico City

  A wedge-shaped 1930 Art Deco building that is Mexico City's answer to New York's Flatiron. It once held a famous cinema and is now a theater. Admire it free from the street in Tacubaya.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Callejón del Aguacate

  Cheap-Free · Free · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  A narrow walled alley in Coyoacán that locals say is haunted by the ghost of a boy. It's charming by day and properly spooky after dark. It's free, so come at dusk and decide for yourself.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Plaza Río de Janeiro (David replica)

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A leafy plaza in Colonia Roma with a full-size bronze copy of Michelangelo's David standing in the fountain. It's surrounded by old mansions and the Casa de las Brujas. Free.

  • Typical visit: 1-2 hours
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); weekday mornings are quietest

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Museo del Calzado El Borceguí

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Inside a shoe store founded in 1865 and still selling shoes, a free little museum shows off footwear from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Visit Monday to Friday 10am-6pm (closed 2-3pm) or Saturday 10am-6pm.

  • Typical visit: 30 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Templo de Ehécatl (Metro Pino Suárez)

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Workers digging Metro Pino Suárez in the 1960s uncovered a round temple from around 1400 CE dedicated to Ehécatl, the wind god; its cylinder shape was meant to let the wind pass. It sits right inside the station, so a regular Metro ticket is all you need.

  • Typical visit: 15 min
  • Typical best time: Off-peak Metro hours
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Zona Arqueológica de Mixcoac

  Cheap-Free · Free · Benito Juárez · Mexico City

  A pre-Hispanic pyramid platform dedicated to Mixcóatl, the cloud serpent, surrounded by the city in San Pedro de los Pinos. It's free and open Tuesday to Sunday 9am-5pm, a short walk from Metro San Antonio.

  • Typical visit: 45 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Government site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Jardín Botánico de la UNAM

  Cheap-Free · Free · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  Thousands of native Mexican plants, including a spectacular cactus and succulent collection, grow in this garden on the university campus. Entry is free, weekdays 9am-5pm and Saturdays until 3pm.

  • Typical visit: 1-1.5 hours
  • Typical best time: Weekday morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Cablebús Line 1

  Cheap-Free · Cost tier: $ · Gustavo A. Madero · Mexico City

  A commuter cable car that glides from Metro Indios Verdes over the neighborhoods of Cuautepec, giving you a bird's-eye view of a side of the city most visitors never see. It's built for residents, not tourists, so ride it as a round trip and stay on board rather than wandering around the upper stations.

  • Typical visit: 1.5 hours round trip
  • Typical best time: Clear morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Palacio de la Escuela de Medicina

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Once the headquarters of the Inquisition, this 1730s palace on Plaza Santo Domingo now houses UNAM's museum of Mexican medicine, including a recreated old apothecary. Entry is free and it's open daily 9am-6pm (closed on university holidays); signs are in Spanish only.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Official site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Biblioteca de México (La Ciudadela)

  Cheap-Free · Free · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A former tobacco factory transformed into a vast public library, with sunny courtyards and the personal book collections of famous Mexican writers preserved room by room. Entry is free, Monday to Saturday 8:30am-7:30pm.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Fonoteca Nacional

  Cheap-Free · Free · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  Mexico's national sound archive lives in a historic Coyoacán house with a Sound Garden, where hidden speakers play concert music, sound art and poetry among the plants. Come for the garden programs at noon or 5pm on weekdays (open Monday to Friday 10am-6pm); entry is free.

  • Typical visit: 45 min
  • Typical best time: Weekday at noon
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Official site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

What to Eat in Mexico City

Eat by the clock.

• Morning: café de olla and chilaquiles at Café La Habana on Bucareli, or grab a tray and tongs at Pastelería Ideal and pick from mountains of pan dulce.
• Lunch: a market lunch. Try comida corrida at Mercado de Medellín in Roma, or tostadas piled high at Mercado de Coyoacán. For grasshopper tacos, go to Mercado de San Juan.
• Evening: pulque at Pulquería Las Duelistas, or a drink in the wood booths of Bar La Ópera, where legend says Pancho Villa shot a hole in the ceiling.
• Any time: Churrería El Moro has fried churros on Eje Central since 1935, and the original branch is open 24 hours. Check before you go.
• To take home: a box of candied fruit or cajeta from Dulcería de Celaya (1874).

• 

  Café La Habana

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  An old-school café on Bucareli where, the story goes, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara met over coffee while planning the Cuban Revolution. Today it's full of journalists, chess players and families eating breakfast. Order a café de olla and chilaquiles.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: Wikipedia (es) (opens in a new tab)

• Pastelería Ideal

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A huge old-school bakery where you grab a tray and tongs and pile it with pan dulce from towering shelves. Upstairs, a room of giant display wedding cakes is pure spectacle. It's cheap, so load up.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Mercado de Medellín

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A neighborhood market in Roma known for ingredients from all over Latin America, from Colombian arepas to Peruvian chilies. Eat at the fondas inside for a cheap comida corrida. Great for a lunch stop.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Mercado de Coyoacán

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Coyoacán · Mexico City

  A neighborhood market near Frida Kahlo's house famous for tostadas piled high with toppings like shrimp, mushrooms or pig's feet. Pull up a stool at a tostada counter. Cheap.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Mercado de San Juan

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $$ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  The chef's market, full of exotic meats, imported cheeses, insects and fruit you've never seen. Try a taco of grasshoppers or even crocodile. Prices are higher here, but it's a wild tasting adventure.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Pulquería Las Duelistas

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A classic pulquería in Centro covered in psychedelic murals, serving pulque, a milky fermented drink from the maguey plant. Try it with fruit like guava or oats. It's cheap and full of locals.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Bar La Ópera

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $$ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A fancy 1870s cantina with dark wood booths, where Pancho Villa supposedly shot a bullet into the ceiling. You can still see the hole. Order a tequila and some botanas.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Churrería El Moro

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Frying churros since 1935, the original Centro location makes them fresh in front of you and pairs them with thick hot chocolate. It's a classic late-night stop. Get the Mexicano-style chocolate and dunk away, it's cheap.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• Dulcería de Celaya

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A candy shop from 1874 in a grand old building, selling traditional Mexican sweets like candied fruit and cajeta. Walking in feels like time travel. Buy a little box to take home.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• 

  Casa de los Azulejos

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $$ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  An 18th-century palace covered in blue and white Puebla tiles, now a Sanborns restaurant. Order enchiladas suizas under the old courtyard roof. Look for the Orozco mural on the stairs.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Mercado de La Merced

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Venustiano Carranza · Mexico City

  The city's biggest traditional market is a maze of stalls selling everything from chilies to piñatas. It's chaotic in the best way. Go in the morning and keep your valuables tucked away.

  • Typical visit: 45 min-1 hour
  • Typical best time: Weekday, outside peak meal times (lines are shortest mid-afternoon)

  Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

• El Vilsito

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Benito Juárez · Mexico City

  By day it's a car repair shop; at night the garage turns into a Narvarte taquería with al pastor sliced off the spit. Order the tacos al pastor or a gringa de pastor, and come late, because that's when it comes alive.

  • Typical visit: 45 min
  • Typical best time: Late night

  Source: Official site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Panadería La Vasconia

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  Baking on Calle Tacuba since 1870, this historic center bakery still makes its breads and pastries by hand. Stop in for breakfast pastries on your way to the Zócalo; it's open daily 7am-9:30pm.

  • Typical visit: 20 min
  • Typical best time: Morning
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: Official site (opens in a new tab)

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

• Cafebrería El Péndulo (Condesa)

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Cuauhtémoc · Mexico City

  A bookstore with a café inside, where you can sip coffee among stacks of mostly Spanish-language books (a few in English) and a big art and architecture section. It's open daily 8am-11pm, so it doubles as a rainy-afternoon refuge on Calle Nuevo León in Condesa.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Rainy afternoon

  Source: Wikivoyage (opens in a new tab)

  Data from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab)

• 

  Mercado La Nueva Viga

  Food to Eat · Cost tier: $ · Iztapalapa · Mexico City

  A seafood market in Iztapalapa piled with fish and shellfish, a long way from any coast. Go in the morning for the liveliest scene.

  • Typical visit: 1 hour
  • Typical best time: Morning

  Source: Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Where to Stay & When to Go

Pick the base that fits your trip.

• Centro Histórico puts the Zócalo and the Templo Mayor at your door.
• Roma, Condesa and Juárez are leafy and walkable, with the most restaurants.
• Polanco is close to the Chapultepec museums.
• Coyoacán is calmer and farther south, near the Casa Azul.

The dry season, roughly November–April, brings sunny days and cool nights. From about June to September, expect heavy afternoon rain, so save museums for after lunch. Late October to early November is Día de Muertos. San Andrés Mixquic's candlelit cemetery draws big crowds on November 1 and 2. Remember that Mondays close many museums.

Day Trips from Mexico City

• Malinalco, Tepoztlán's Tepozteco and the Great Pyramid of Cholula are on the Mexico page.

Teotihuacán is in Estado de México and is listed here as a day trip from Mexico City.

• 

  Teotihuacán

  Things to Do · Cost tier: $ · Teotihuacán · Mexico City

  Day trip

  Stand on the Avenue of the Dead with the Pyramid of the Sun on one side and the Pyramid of the Moon at the far end, in the ruins of the largest city of ancient Mesoamerica. Its Nahuatl name means 'place where the gods were made', and beyond the giant pyramids you'll find the carved Temple of the Feathered Serpent and painted murals at Tepantitla and Tetitla. It's open daily 8am-5pm (last entry 4:30pm), with tickets at $210 MXN for foreigners and $105 for Mexican nationals and residents, site museum included. Get there for opening, wear a hat, and bring water, since outside food isn't allowed.

  • Typical visit: Full day (4-5 hours on site)
  • Typical best time: Dry season (November-May); arrive at 8am opening on a weekday
  • Last checked: October 21, 2026

  Source: INAH (official site page) (opens in a new tab)

  Data from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab)

Map of Things to Do in Mexico City

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Nearby in Mexico

More of the country is on the things to do in Mexico page, including Oaxaca, Puebla and Guanajuato.

Mexico City FAQ

How many days do you need in Mexico City?

Four to five days. That covers the Centro Histórico, Chapultepec and its museums, and Coyoacán, plus one day trip. Group your days by borough. Most of the places in this guide are in Cuauhtémoc, Miguel Hidalgo and Coyoacán.

Are museums in Mexico City closed on Mondays?

Many are. The Templo Mayor, the National Museum of Anthropology and Chapultepec Castle all open Tuesday–Sunday, and much of the first section of Chapultepec Park closes on Mondays. Use Monday for markets, walks and the Zócalo.

What are the best free things to do in Mexico City?

31 of the 80 places here are free. They include:

• the Zócalo and Chapultepec Park
• Biblioteca Vasconcelos and its whale skeleton
• Palacio Postal
• Museo Soumaya and Museo del Estanquillo
• Panteón de Dolores
• mariachis at Plaza Garibaldi

Many public museums are free on Sundays for Mexican citizens and residents only.

What should I eat in Mexico City besides tacos?

• churros and chocolate at Churrería El Moro (since 1935)
• pan dulce at Pastelería Ideal
• tostadas at Mercado de Coyoacán
• comida corrida at Mercado de Medellín
• pulque at Pulquería Las Duelistas
• grasshopper tacos at Mercado de San Juan

Do you need to book the Frida Kahlo Museum in advance?

Yes. Casa Azul tickets are sold online for timed entry and often sell out days ahead. Check the museum's official site.

Does the altitude affect visitors?

At about 2,240 m (7,350 ft), some people feel short of breath or tire quickly for the first day or two. Drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol at first and pace the walking. People with heart or lung conditions should ask a doctor before traveling.

Suggested 48-hour taco plan

A suggested eating plan for two days in Mexico City, not a filmed trip.

• Mercado de San Juan Exotic meats, cheese and seafood stalls.
• Mercado de Coyoacán Tostadas upstairs.

Eat al pastor at night, that’s when the trompo is going.