The distinctive red tezontle exterior and red window awnings of Mexico City’s National Palace catch the eye—the grand building is home to the country’s federal executive branch, along with a wealth of art and cultural belongings that are on display for visitors. Wander the elegant gardens, explore the history museum, and take in the scale of Diego Rivera’s famous mural, The History of Mexico.
Chapultepec Park, named for the Aztec word chapoltepec (at the grasshopper’s hill), is one of the world's largest city parks. The green space spans 1,695 acres (686 hectares) and is dissected by walking paths connecting quiet ponds, monumental buildings, and museums, including the Museum of Anthropology and the Rufino Tamayo Museum.
Architecture, art, and pre-Hispanic culture combine at the pyramid-shaped Anahuacalli Museum, conceptualized by Mexican artist Diego Rivera and Juan O’Gorman and built from black volcanic rock. Opened in 1964, this singular museum houses Rivera’s collection of about 2,000 pre-Hispanic artifacts, murals, mosaics, and more.
Leafy pedestrian walkways, historical monuments, and numerous open-air art and photography exhibitions characterize Paseo de la Reforma, one of Mexico City’s busiest thoroughfares which splices Chapultepec Park and connects it with the historic center. Lined by towering skyscrapers and luxury hotels, Paseo de la Reforma is also home to Mexico City landmarks like the Ángel de la Independencia.
Situated just a few hours southeast of the Mexican capital, San Pedro Cholula is one of the two municipalities of Cholula proper and a popular day trip from Mexico City. Explore the Great Pyramid of Cholula—the largest in the world—sample traditional Pueblan cuisine, and shop for local handicrafts at the marketplaces before visiting Cholula’s many ornate churches.
Topped with a gilded Winged Victory, the Angel of Independence (El Ángel) is one of Mexico City’s most recognizable monuments, built to commemorate the centennial of the War of Independence. Visitors can admire from a distance, tour the mausoleum, or get a special permit to climb to the angel’s 150-foot-high (46-meter-high) viewpoint.
Soccer—or fútbol as it’s called in Spanish—is an integral part of Mexican culture. For the country’s people, Azteca Stadium (Estadio Azteca), which is the largest stadium in Mexico, is the heart of the sport. Home to the professional soccer team Club América and the Mexican national team, the 84,000-seat stadium is the first venue to host two FIFA World Cup finals, and it will welcome a third in 2026.
Once the tallest building in Latin America, the Latin-American Tower (Torre Latinoamericana) was originally built in 1956 and remains a major landmark of downtown Mexico City as well as remarkably earthquake resistant. Here, visitors can marvel over panoramic views from the 44th floor observation deck, sip cocktails at the 41st floor bar, and stop by the two on-site museums.
One of the oldest markets in Mexico City, San Juan Market is a hotspot of culinary delicacies, rarities, and oddities you’ll struggle to find anywhere else in the capital. Alongside tarantulas, scorpions, and all kinds of creepy crawlies, visitors can also sample exotic fruits, some of the city’s best tacos, and organic Mexican coffee.
Historic Plaza Garibaldi is the go-to spot for live local music in Mexico City. To get the full experience, cozy up to the bar at one of the square's numerous tequila joints, watch a folkloric show, or settle in to an outdoor table and enjoy the hustle of urban life as mariachi bands weave among patrons while playing traditional tunes.
Visible on the horizon from Mexico City, the dormant Iztaccíhuatl volcano is Mexico’s third-highest peak and a popular choice for hiking excursions. Iztaccíhuatl is named for its resemblance to a sleeping woman, and scaling the 17,159-foot-high (5,230-meter-high) summit offers impressive views of Popocatépetl and the Valley of Mexico.
Founded in 1551, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is one of the country’s largest, oldest, and most prestigious universities. However, it’s the UNESCO-recognized Mexico City campus—known as Ciudad Universitaria (University City)— which is of most interest. Visitors can freely explore the grounds, admire the murals, and drop by the on-campus art, history, and science museums.
Originally a public green space in 1592, Mexico City’s Alameda Central features fountains, statues, and lush landscaping. The urban park is a popular spot for locals and visitors to relax, people watch, and explore historic, cultural, and artistic sights like Diego Rivera's famous mural,Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.
In the Juan O’Gorman-designed San Ángel houses where Rivera and Kahlo lived and worked—now known as the Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo Studio-Museum—you can explore the pair's work, legacy, and former living spaces. Quieter and lesser known than Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Coyoacán, this Studio-Museum gives you a new perspective on the artists.
The charming, bohemian vibe of Mexico City’s La Condesa neighborhood attracts locals and tourists alike. The stylish area boasts a thriving food scene, as well as plenty of bars and clubs. Its wide, tree-lined avenues are dotted with modern cafés, galleries, and boutiques mixed with fixtures of its past, including art nouveau mansions and art deco apartment buildings.
The so-called "Coffee Capital of Mexico," Coatepec is one of Veracruz’s most alluring pueblos mágicos (magic towns) where coffee, culture, and cloud forests combine. Situated at the foothills of the Cofre de Perote, Coatepec—once a sacred Aztec site now strewn with cafés and an impressive orchid garden—offers a quieter alternative to nearby Xalapa.
Take on roller coasters, river rapids, and laser tag at Six Flags Mexico—the only Six Flags theme park in Latin America. Located at the southern edge of Mexico City, this theme park brings to life comic book characters and cartoons via all manner of family-friendly attractions, spread across seven areas, including DC Super Heroes.
The Plaza Carso branch of Mexico City's Soumaya Museum houses the eclectic $700 million private art collection of one of the world’s wealthiest men. Its exhibitions of European masters and Mexican art are on par with the world’s top museums, while the towering building itself is a shimmering work of art on the Mexico City skyline.
The Diego Rivera Mural Museum (Museo Mural Diego Rivera) houses Mexico’s most famous work of art by perhaps the nation’s most beloved artist. Rivera painted Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Central in 1947, and the mural depicts famous people and events in Mexico’s history, passing through downtown Mexico City’s Alameda central park.
Just north of Mexico City’s Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec), the upscale district of Polanco is home to some of the country’s wealthiest families. In addition to high-end real estate, the city’s most luxurious hotels and priciest restaurants line the streets of the district’s five neighborhoods. At the center of it all is the welcoming green space of Parque Lincoln.
The Ciudadela Artisan Market (Mercado de Artesanías la Ciudadela) offers perhaps the most comprehensive range of locally made handicrafts in Mexico City. In one fixed marketplace situated in the historic center, browse for reasonably priced jewelry, textiles, homewares, leather products, and more produced by artisans across the country, before refueling at the on-site dining area.
For a genuine glimpse of everyday life in most cities, head to the local food market. While Mexico City is packed with such spots, it’s La Merced Market that offers the most bang for your buck. With a maze of street food stalls selling goods from local produce to pinatas, this traditional spot is the city’s largest market and a major tourist draw.
In Mexico City, La Merced Market serves as the go-to spot for Mexican food items, while neighboring Sonora Market (Mercado de Sonora) is home to pretty much everything else. Vendors sell handmade and specialty goods, including pottery, religious items, and even animals. Known as the Witchcraft Market, the shopping center is filled with medicinal plants and occult items.
One of the most enigmatic yet well-preserved archaeological ruins in the state of Veracruz, the UNESCO-recognized El Tajín is characterized by relief carvings, dozens of ball courts, and unique architectural features not found at other Mesoamerican sites. Highlights of this expansive complex include the 6-story Pyramid of the Niches, the Southern Ball Court, and the regular "Danza de los Voladores" performances.
Mexico City’s Museum of Tequila and Mezcal (Museo del Tequila y el Mezcal) offers a lesson in the history, production, and significance of Mexico’s agave-based spirit. The museum also covers Mexican history and pop culture, with exhibits on its location at Plaza Garibaldi. The building is topped by a rooftop bar where you can sample shots overlooking CDMX.
With fewer visitors than other butterfly reserves and handy proximity to Mexico City, the Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is one of the best spots to admire the orange-and-black creatures. Hike or ride a horse through the forest to reach the butterflies, which coat the fir trees before bursting into flight and fluttering among the treetops.
At Mexico City’s Jamaica Market (Mercado Jamaica), just outside the city center, colorful flowers arrive by the truckload, filling the air with the scents of roses, hydrangeas, and lilies. In addition to the flowers displayed, Jamaica Market is also known for its local produce stalls and authentic street food at low prices.
In the shadows of the Macuiltépec volcano, Xalapa’s cool climate and highland scenery makes it one of Mexico’s most attractive state capitals. The Veracruz city boasts a large student population and a reputation as a cultural hub, while day-trippers are also drawn to its elegant colonial architecture, lush parks, and impressive anthropological museum.
Home to monuments, historic residences, and a cultural center, the San Angel neighborhood is a charming respite from busy Mexico City. But, one day a week, the Bazaar Sábado (Saturday Market) bustles with activity, with vendors selling art and crafts, original paintings and sculptures, and cheap eats.
A quieter alternative to nearby Coyoacán, San Ángel is also the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center. Beloved for weekly arts and crafts markets and its charming small-town feel, San Ángel is characterized by colorful colonial buildings, cozy cafés, and cobblestone streets. Spend an afternoon here people watching in the plazas and shopping for handicrafts.
