Is Mexico City Worth Visiting – A Traveler’s Perspective
A vacation in Mexico is pretty much a rite of passage if you hail from North America. But are you wondering if Mexico City is worth visiting?
Mexico City is known for its famous artists, museums, architecture, historical significance, and food. It also has a reputation for crime, smog, income disparity, and corruption.
Mexico City, or Ciudad de México in Spanish, is the largest city in North America. First the capital of the Aztecs, then the Spanish Conquistadors, and now the capital of modern-day Mexico.
When I decided to go to Mexico City, many friends and family members were concerned. A Mexican family we had dinner with near Bucerias, Mexico, earlier in our journey warned us about pickpockets and being careful.
Over 21 million people call the greater metro area of Mexico City home, and more than 12 million visitors arrive yearly. I was unwilling to be talked out of seeing if Mexico City was worth visiting for myself.
Reasons to Consider Visiting Mexico City
- Mexico City has 3 Unesco World Heritage Sites
- Mexico City has a world-class culinary scene
- Is Mexico City safe for tourists?
- Is Mexico City expensive?
- Mexico City is a mecca for museums and works of art
- Mexico City has a castle and a lot of green space
- Day trips from Mexico City
- Is Mexico City worth seeing?
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Mexico City.
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Mexico City Has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco
The historic centre of Mexico City, also known as El Zocalo, is significant because of its blend of Aztec ruins, Spanish cathedrals, and modern-day architecture. Xochimilco is a borough of Mexico City made up of canals and artificial islands called chinampas that date back to the time of the Aztecs.
Central University City Campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Part of the University of Mexico City has been designated a world heritage site for its architecture, engineering, and design.
Luis Barragán House and Studio
The house and studio of deceased architect Luis Barragán have been designated a World Heritage Site because they influenced modern Mexican design and landscaping.
Other UNESCO World Heritage Sites near Mexico City but not within city limits:
- Historic Centre of Puebla
- Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
- Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve
- Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
Mexico City Has A World-Class Culinary Scene
In Mexico City, you can find dishes from every region of Mexico. International food is easy to find and popular. I was surprised to see lineups stretching down the street at some Chinatown spots.
The street food is abundant and consists of more than the famous taco al pastor. I had the best street chicken soup while in Mexico City.
3 Must-try dishes while in Mexico City
Elote: Mexican street corn on the cob. The corn gets skewered and BBQ’d, or boiled and then loaded with toppings. Popular toppings are mayonnaise, chilli powder, and cotija cheese.
Chiles Rellenos: Charred poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and breaded. It was served with red or green sauce and was accompanied by rice.
Aguachile: Raw shrimp or fish marinated in lime and chilli peppers. Aguachile is very similar to ceviche but much spicier.
Is Mexico City safe for tourists?
You should exercise caution when visiting Mexico City. Numbeo, a site that measures crime rates across 12 categories ranging from fear of assault to theft, lists Mexico City’s crime as high in 9 of the 12 categories. For the categories of corruption and bribery, Mexico City scored very high.
Sticking to the neighbourhoods considered tourist-friendly or affluent will increase your safety level to be at least on par with large North American cities. The neighbourhoods most popular with travellers are Roma, Condesa, Zona Rosa, Polanco, Chapultepec and Centro Histórico.
I felt confident walking around the above neighbourhoods in the daytime, though I was still vigilant for pickpockets, kept a close eye on my surroundings, and was cautious when I pulled out my phone.
At night, I walked around the club areas of Roma and Zona Rosa but used Uber if I had to traverse any unpopulated streets.
Is Mexico City dangerous? Yes! But don’t let fear stop you from travelling around Mexico City; just keep your wits about you.
Safety Tips For Mexico City
- Stay in an area that is considered safe
- Don’t wear flashy jewelry or expensive items
- Be careful where you pull out your cell phone
- Separate a small amount of cash for paying for street tacos and small purchases instead of pulling out a wad of cash
- Choose carefully where you pull out money. Aim to use ATMs that are inside bank branches and that have a security guard present
- Keep your wits about you; don’t get too intoxicated.
- Carry your driver’s license instead of your passport when you go out partying. You are unlikely to be ID’d, and a foreign passport is a valuable commodity.
- Only use ride-share apps or taxis booked by your accommodation.
Is Mexico City Expensive?
Mexico City is affordable when compared to North American or European cities. It’s also cheaper to eat and rent accommodations in Mexico City than it is in the tourist zones of Puerto Vallarta or Cancun.
I paid $38 CAD / $28 USD / $27 EUR per night for an Airbnb bedroom in a home with the host present during my stay in Mexico City.
Nomadlist, a site that factors the cost of living in cities, lists the median price of an Airbnb in Mexico City as $42 USD per night and the average price of a hotel at $61 USD per night.
I found public transportation in Mexico City to be very inexpensive. The metro and bus lines cost a mere $5 Pesos (that’s less than 50 cents in CAD, USD, or EUR)
I used Uber extensively in Mexico City with rides never costing more than $88 Pesos ($7 CAD / $6 USD /$5 EUR) except for our trip to the airport.
A trip from Central Mexico City to the airport cost me $191 pesos ($15 CAD / $11 USD/ $10 EUR).
Food prices vary greatly from restaurant to restaurant, but I found prices less expensive than the equivalent meal would have cost in Canada.
For example, in the attached breakfast menu below from El Coma La Olla in the affluent Roma neighbourhood of Mexico City, the most expensive item is $110 Pesos ($9 CAD / $7 USD / $6 Euro).
Mexico City Is A Mecca For Museums And Works Of Art
Mexico City is home to over 150 museums and 180+ art galleries. Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Anthropology Museum) is Mexico’s largest museum and was well worth the visit.
Bellas Artes National Museum is an example of beautiful architecture and masterpieces of art. The galleries contain works from Rubens, Rembrandt and Goya, artists I have travelled to Europe to view. The museum just celebrated 90 years and has a digital collection that you can view online and use to plan your itinerary. Check out the Bellas Artes digital collection here
Many museums are free on Sundays for Mexican nationals, so it’s best to avoid visiting that day to avoid large crowds.
Mexico’s most celebrated artists, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera have museums dedicated to them located 10 minutes apart in Coyoacán, Mexico City.
Mexico City Has A Castle And Impressive Green Spaces
Chapultepec Castle towers above Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. The castle has been the home to monarchs and presidents, and now acts as a museum.
Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec in Spanish) is the largest urban park in Latin America. I was astonished at its size. It is so big that you could spend a week just visiting the 9 museums, zoo, amusement park and the 3 lakes within Chapultepec Park.
Alameda Central is the oldest public park in the Americas, and it was packed. We saw a rap battle in Alameda and a group of dancers. It is a lovely green space to relax, eat some street corn and people-watch.
Day Trips From Mexico City
Mexico City makes a fantastic home base to explore the surrounding archaeological sites, historic towns, and nature reserves all within a couple of hours’ drive.
Teotihuacan is located just 48 km outside of Mexico City. It’s about a one-hour drive unless you get stuck in traffic on your way back in. It is the most visited site in Mexico, home to the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
I visited Teotihuacan from above on a hot air balloon before exploring the grounds on foot. It was hands down the best thing I did in Mexico City.
Is Mexico City Worth Seeing?
With a recorded history that stretches back to the year 1325, Mexico City is a must-see for anyone passionate about eating, architecture, and art.
The size and population of Mexico City are intimidating, but once you embrace it, you will have a good time. As we journeyed about Mexico City, I saw street music, art markets springing up on street corners, and people just enjoying their city and living their lives.
Mexico City offers a cultural experience that can’t be replicated. The people, the restaurants, the artistry, and the history make Mexico City one of the most fascinating cities on earth.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Mexico City.
Thanks for reading my perspective on if Mexico City is worth visiting. I hope that it inspires you to add this amazing and culturally significant city to your Mexico itinerary.
Have a fantastic day and Live Self Happy!
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Mexico Trip Planning Recommendations
Accommodation
- Booking.com for hotels, condos, and guest houses. It’s my fav booking platform.
- Hostelworld for dorm beds and private rooms in hostels, which often gives you the best of both worlds
- Vrbo has whole vacation homes for rent.
- Agoda has crazy cheap deals, but I find I need to cross-check the reviews on Google as their listings can be misleading.
- Airbnb has stays with locals and unique themes. I had a great, cheap stay in Mexico City with them, but in Piste, I had a bad experience, and they refused to refund me. They do have properties nobody else has.
Transportation
- Busbud lets you book bus tickets in Mexico in English using your currency.
- BlaBlaCar is a Mexico inter-city ride-share app for cheap travel. Read driver reviews and choose a verified driver.
- Skyscanner scans multiple airlines to compare Mexico flight deals.
Tours
- Viator has unique experiences like the hot air balloon ride I took over Teotihuacan and the lowest price guarantee.
Language
- Duolingo is free and teaches you the basics – eventually.
- Rosetta Stone and Babbel are alternatives, but they are subscription services.
- Google Translate with Spanish downloaded for offline use.
I have not yet visited Mexico City, but hoping to do it soon as I’ve read a lot about it. Thanks a lot for the useful tips, especially safety related. There are so many interesting places to visit in Mexico City and safety concerns should definitely not stop you!
I completely agree that Mexico City is worth adding to your itinery despite the safety concerns.
Mexico City is totally worth visiting, from its food, history, beauty and extensive culture and the fact that it’s far much cheaper compared to Europe where I’m from, it’s definitely worth visiting or even moving to, especially half the year when it’s winter in Europe.
Winter in Mexico and sumer in Europe sounds ideal.
This is literally the most thorough blog post I’ve ever read on Mexico City! I’ve never heard of aguachile but it looks so good!
I appreciate you taking the time to read. Aguachile was my favourite,
Great advice- esp. with the financial elements and food! I love following the culinary advice of people who have been there, eaten that!
Thanks Jenn!
The food, the landscape, and a hot air balloon ride? This all sounds dreamy. Just the safety concerns give me trepidation.
It was dreamy Dina! Safety is a real concern but I believe you can mitigate most dangers by making safe choices.
I loved my stay at Mexico city a few years ago. The city has a bad reputation – but mostly by people who have never been there. We felt safe all the time, went around by public transport and enjoyed the museums, the restaurants and the UNESCO sites. We love the Luis Baragan House!
I’m glad you had such a great trip too Natascha. Mexico City has so much to offer.
I would love to visit Mexico City! I totally agree it’s worth visiting; the history and food are enough to get me to want to visit! HA Thanks for sharing all the beauty of this city!
Thanks for reading Meghan. Hope you get to visit Mexico City soon.
I absolutely think Mexico city is worth visiting! There are so many fun things to do! I had so much fun there but you need to be careful with pickpockets! I was fine but my friend did get her phone stolen!
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about your friend and good advice. Its unfortunate that thieves exist and operate in large cities. I hope the incident didnt’t ruin her trip.
Lots of helpful tips for visiting Mexico City. Can’t believe there are so many museums and art galleries! Hopefully I will be able to travel there soon. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the architecture and food.
I’m certain you will love it! Thanks for reading.