Mexico City is a sprawling and electrifying capital where ancient Aztec heritage meets contemporary culture — a city of world-class museums and remarkable street food that rewards every curious traveller with unforgettable experiences at every turn.
Mexico: Mexico City – Diego Rivera’s Murals at the Palacio Nacional
🏛️ The National Palace: Built on Rubble, Running a Country
When Hernán Cortés and his Spanish forces rolled into Mexico in the early 16th century, they didn’t hang about. Having conquered the Aztec Empire with a combination of military force, smallpox, and frankly breathtaking brutality, they set about flattening Tenochtitlan — the magnificent Aztec capital that once sat on an island in Lake Texcoco, right where modern-day Mexico City now stands. Tenochtitlan had been, by most accounts, one of the largest cities in the world at the time, home to perhaps 200,000 people and a rather impressive collection of temples, causeways, and floating gardens. Cortés reduced most of it to rubble.
Then, with the cheerful audacity that seems to have been a defining Spanish trait of the era, Cortés built himself a rather grand palace — right on top of the ruins of Moctezuma II’s own palace. He even used the stones from the Aztec ruler’s demolished home to do it. You’ve got to admire the nerve, if nothing else.
👑 From Private Residence to National Landmark
The palace didn’t stay in Cortés’ family for terribly long, as it turned out. The Spanish Crown, presumably deciding that one of their most powerful conquistadors owning a vast palace in the heart of New Spain was perhaps not ideal from a political standpoint, purchased the building from his heirs in 1562. For the next two and a half centuries, it served as the Viceroy’s Palace — the administrative heart of New Spain, from which a succession of Spanish viceroys governed an enormous colonial territory stretching from California down to Central America.
That all came to an abrupt end in 1821, when Mexico finally achieved independence from Spanish rule after a gruelling eleven-year war. The new Mexican leaders, presumably feeling that “Viceroy’s Palace” was no longer quite the right name for the place, renamed it the Palacio Nacional — the National Palace. Sensible enough.
🏗️ A Building That Kept Growing
Over the following centuries, the National Palace went through a remarkable number of changes, extensions, and additions — the architectural equivalent of someone who keeps adding conservatories and loft conversions until the neighbours start to complain. The result today is a vast, imposing three-storey structure stretching nearly 200 metres along the eastern side of the Zócalo, Mexico City’s enormous central square. It is, not to put too fine a point on it, very big indeed.
Somewhat surprisingly for a building of this stature, the current Mexican President doesn’t actually live there. Previous presidents have, but today the official Presidential residence is Los Pinos, tucked away in the Bosque de Chapultepec — a rather lovely park to the west of the city centre. The National Palace remains, however, a working federal building of considerable importance, housing the offices of the Mexican President, the Treasury, and the National Archives. And if that sounds like a rather dry collection of bureaucrats shuffling paper, do bear in mind that the grounds also contain some genuinely beautiful gardens, fourteen courtyards, a royal chapel, a national library, and the parliamentary quarters. Not bad for a building that started life as a pile of someone else’s stones.
🎨 A Very Good Reason to Actually Go Inside
We’ll be honest — we nearly didn’t bother going in, which would have been a spectacular mistake. The National Palace is quite simply one of the finest places in all of Mexico to see the murals of Diego Rivera, the legendary Mexican painter who spent the better part of the 1930s covering the palace’s main staircase and upper corridor with some of the most extraordinary frescoes you’re ever likely to see. Painted between 1929 and 1951, they depict the entire sweep of Mexican history from the Aztec era through the Spanish conquest, independence, and beyond — vivid, crowded, politically charged, and utterly magnificent. If you only do one thing inside the palace, make it standing in front of those murals.
🔔 The Cry of Independence, Once a Year
Every year on the 16th of September — Mexican Independence Day — something rather wonderful happens on the balcony of the National Palace. The President of Mexico appears before the enormous crowd gathered in the Zócalo below, takes hold of the Campana de Dolores — the Bell of Dolores — and rings it, just as the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla did in the town of Dolores on the night of 15th–16th September 1810, when he rang his church bell to summon his parishioners and deliver the speech that sparked the independence movement. The President then re-enacts the Grito de Dolores — the Cry of Dolores — shouting out the names of the independence heroes to the roaring crowd below.
It’s theatrical, it’s loud, and it’s genuinely moving — which is more than can be said for most things involving politicians.
🎫 Getting In — Easier Than You’d Think
Compared to some of the bureaucratic nightmares we’d encountered elsewhere in Mexico City, getting into the National Palace was refreshingly straightforward. You don’t need to book tickets in advance, queue for hours, or hand over the sort of money that makes your eyes water. What you do need, however, is a government-issued photo ID, which you surrender at the door and collect again on your way out. If you’re visiting as a couple, one ID between the two of you is perfectly sufficient — which is either an admirably relaxed policy or a sign that they’re not taking security terribly seriously. Possibly both.
We’d been slightly anxious about handing over our passports — there’s something deeply unsettling about giving your travel documents to a stranger and wandering off into a large building — so we used our driving licences instead, which were accepted without any fuss whatsoever. If you have the option, it’s worth doing the same. Keep the passport in the hotel safe where it belongs.
One other thing worth knowing: if you’re carrying a large bag — and after a morning of sightseeing around the Zócalo, you probably are — you’ll need to check it in once you’re through the door. It takes about thirty seconds and costs nothing, so it’s really not the hardship it might sound.
🌿 The Garden, the Grounds, and a Rather Lovely Little Library
Once inside, the grounds open up in a way that genuinely takes you by surprise. You don’t expect a working government building in the middle of a heaving capital city to feel quite so calm, but there it is.
Close to the bag drop, almost as an afterthought, sits a small library — and we were completely won over by it. We are, it has to be said, absolute suckers for a classic library. Something about the smell of old books and the particular hush that seems to settle over them gets us every time, and this one was no exception. It’s not a vast, cathedral-like space — don’t go expecting the Bodleian — but what it lacks in scale it more than makes up for in quiet charm. The curved reading desks in particular caught our eye: elegant, unhurried things that made us want to sit down, open something leather-bound, and pretend to be considerably more learned than we actually are.
🌵 A Little Bit of Desert in the Middle of a Palace
Stepping through the gates of the National Palace and into the main interior courtyard felt, frankly, like someone had pressed a giant mute button on the city. One moment we were in the middle of Mexico City’s relentless Zócalo — horns, vendors, pigeons, the full carnival — and the next we were standing in a large, airy courtyard garden that seemed to exist in an entirely different dimension. A quieter, considerably more pleasant one.
At the heart of it sits a small cactus garden, and it’s rather a charming thing. Planted with species typical of the Mexican desert — tall columnar cacti standing to attention like spiky sentries, smaller barrel cacti crouching at their feet — it manages to feel both authentically Mexican and oddly tranquil. Nobody, it turns out, is in a great hurry when there are cacti about. They have that effect on people.
⛪ Red Paint, Big Columns, and a Royal Chapel
The courtyard itself is framed on one side by a row of substantial stone columns — the sort of grand, unhurried architecture that quietly reminds you this building has been the centre of power in Mexico for the better part of five hundred years. They give the whole space a sheltered, cloister-like feel, which only adds to the sense that you’ve accidentally stumbled into somewhere rather special.
And then there’s the Royal Chapel — a vivid, striking red against the pale stonework around it. Built during the colonial period, it served the spiritual needs of the Viceroys and their households for centuries, which is presumably a fairly demanding brief when you’re simultaneously conquering a continent. It’s a small building by palace standards, but the colour alone makes it impossible to miss.
🏛️ The Grand Courtyard
Fourteen courtyards sit within the walls of the National Palace. Fourteen. Most of them, rather frustratingly, are closed to the public — which is exactly the sort of thing that happens when civil servants are involved. But the one we were allowed into was, to be fair, worth the price of admission on its own. Which was nothing, as it happens, because entry to the National Palace is free. So no complaints there.
The main courtyard — the grand courtyard, as it deservedly goes by — is the one you’ll make straight for, and quite right too. Three layers of arched colonnades rise up around all sides of this vast open space, each arcade stacked neatly on top of the other in the sort of elegant, symmetrical stonework that makes you feel slightly underdressed just for standing in it. The effect is both grand and graceful — a proper courtyard in the old Spanish colonial tradition, the kind of architecture that says, very clearly, we are in charge here, and we’d like you to know it.
At the centre of it all stands a statue of Pegasus — the winged horse of Greek mythology — which feels like a slightly unexpected choice for a Mexican government building, but there we are. Nobody asked us.
The honest truth is that photographs simply don’t do the place justice. We tried, as everyone does, and came away with a collection of images that made it look roughly the size of a decent pub garden. It isn’t. It is genuinely, almost absurdly large — the kind of space that makes you stop mid-stride and just look up for a moment, which is not something we do terribly often.
🎨 Diego Rivera and the Murals That Tell a Nation’s Story
We’ll be completely honest with you: the murals were the whole point of coming here. Everything else — the courtyards, the gardens, the very nice chapel — was essentially an excuse to wander around looking busy whilst working our way towards the second level, where Diego Rivera’s extraordinary paintings cover the walls in a sweep of colour and ambition that genuinely stops you in your tracks.
The murals are, rather brilliantly, located on the outside walls of the building’s interior courtyard — exposed to the elements in a way that means they spend a fair amount of their life under restoration. Scaffolding and painters are apparently an occupational hazard of the visit. On the day we arrived, however, not a single plank of scaffold was in sight, which felt like an enormous stroke of luck and probably justified the entire trip.
🖼️ Two Sets of Murals, One Grand Vision
There are essentially two distinct bodies of work to take in. The first, and frankly the showstopper, is The History of Mexico, which Rivera painted across the grand staircase — a sweeping, monumental composition that unfolds as you climb. The second is a series of panels running along the second-level corridor, depicting the pre-Hispanic era in vivid, densely populated detail. Rivera worked on the whole programme between 1929 and 1935, which gives you some sense of the sheer scale of effort involved. This was not a man who knocked things off quickly.
✊ The Politics Behind the Paint
To understand why these murals exist at all, you need to go back a few years. After the Mexican Revolution — a brutal and extraordinarily complicated ten-year conflict that ground on from 1910 to 1920 and left somewhere between 500,000 and two million people dead, depending on whose figures you trust — the new Mexican government found itself with a rather pressing problem. The country was fractured, regional loyalties were fierce, and there was an urgent need to forge some kind of shared national identity out of the wreckage.
Their solution was, in retrospect, inspired: commission an enormous programme of public murals, painted throughout Mexico City and its surrounding areas, to tell the story of Mexico to a population that was still largely illiterate. The project was led by three painters — Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros — a trio who between them had enough artistic talent, political conviction, and sheer bloody-mindedness to paint half the country if you’d let them.
Crucially, the artists were given complete creative freedom over their work, which meant the murals were never going to be bland government propaganda. They were politically charged, often provocative, and unashamedly opinionated. The idea that a wall painting could be a political statement — that public art could challenge, educate, and agitate in equal measure — spread from Mexico to the United States and then, gradually, around the world. Every piece of politically motivated street art you’ve ever walked past owes something, however distantly, to what Rivera and his colleagues were doing in Mexico City in the 1920s and 30s.
🌞 The North Wall: The World Before the Spanish Arrived
The staircase mural is divided into three sections, each one devoted to a different period in Mexican history, and the scale of the thing is frankly absurd. Standing at the bottom and craning your neck upwards, it feels less like looking at a painting and more like being gently swallowed by one.
On the north wall, Rivera turned his attention to the Aztec world — the civilisation that flourished in central Mexico for roughly two centuries before the Spanish arrived and comprehensively ruined everything. At the centre sits a great blazing sun, below which a pyramid rises and an Aztec leader presides over proceedings with appropriate gravity. Around them, Rivera packed the composition with scenes of everyday Aztec life: merchants trading, farmers tending their crops, artisans at work, priests conducting religious rituals with the sort of ceremonial enthusiasm that made Aztec religion rather more involving than a Sunday morning in London. It is rich, busy, and endlessly rewarding to look at.
⚔️ The Centre: Blood, Conflict, and the Long Road to Freedom
The central section is where Rivera tackled the stuff that nobody in Mexican history would particularly want to relive, but which cannot honestly be avoided. This is the mural of conflict — the Spanish conquest under Cortés, the long grinding centuries of colonial rule, the Inquisition, the wars of independence, and finally the Mexican Revolution itself. Rivera painted it all with unflinching directness, refusing to tidy up history into something more comfortable than it actually was.
It is, in places, genuinely uncomfortable viewing. Which is, of course, rather the point.
🌅 The South Wall: Looking Forward
The south wall offers some relief from all that historical carnage. Here, Rivera turned his gaze towards the future — depicting a Mexico of progress, industry, and prosperity, a country finally in charge of its own destiny and heading somewhere worth going. Given everything the previous two walls had just shown you, it feels genuinely hard-won.
Whether Rivera’s optimism was entirely justified is perhaps a discussion for another day and ideally another blog post. But as a piece of painting, it is magnificent.
🖼️ Rivera’s Unfinished Story
As we made our way around the second floor of the National Palace, we found ourselves stopping rather more often than planned. Lining the walls is a series of Diego Rivera murals depicting life in pre-Hispanic Mexico — and they are, to put it plainly, absolutely stunning.
There are eleven panels in total, each one packed with extraordinary detail. Rivera painted ordinary people going about their daily lives, traders, farmers, warriors, priests — an entire civilisation caught in vivid colour on a palace wall. There are scenes of the great Aztec markets, religious ceremonies, and the rhythms of everyday life in a world that the Spanish would shortly turn upside down entirely. And then, inevitably, Hernán Cortés arrives — rendered in paint with all the subtlety you might expect from an artist who had fairly strong opinions about Spanish colonialism.
What makes these murals particularly poignant, if you know to look for it, is that Rivera never actually finished the series. He worked on this collection from the late 1940s until his death in 1957, but the final panels remained incomplete — left mid-thought, like a sentence that simply stops. Rivera died at the age of seventy with his brushes, metaphorically speaking, still in hand.
It’s a strangely affecting thing to stand in front of — this enormous, ambitious, unfinished account of a civilisation’s story, painted by a man who clearly felt the weight of that history rather personally. Most of us can’t finish a DIY project we started last Bank Holiday. Rivera was attempting to summarise several thousand years of Mexican culture on a government building wall. He came remarkably close.
Well worth the climb up the stairs.
🏛️ What Else We Didn’t Get Round To Seeing
If we’re being entirely honest — and there’s really no point in being otherwise — we barely scratched the surface of what the National Palace has to offer. The place is enormous, and we are not as young as we used to be. There are any number of other rooms tucked away along its seemingly endless corridors, most of which we cheerfully failed to visit, either through poor planning, tired legs, or the universal British traveller’s instinct to prioritise finding somewhere to sit down with a cold drink.
✨ The One Room You Really Shouldn’t Miss
If your time is short — and it usually is — then do yourself a considerable favour and seek out the parliamentary chamber on the second level. It is, without question, one of the most spectacular rooms we’ve ever shuffled into wearing slightly inappropriate footwear.
The chamber dates from the 19th century and is precisely the sort of room that makes you feel you really ought to be wearing a frock coat and delivering a speech about something terribly important. Every surface is ornate and gilded to within an inch of its life — the kind of decorative excess that the Victorians absolutely adored and that we, frankly, can’t help admiring despite our best efforts to remain sensibly restrained about it. It was here that the Mexican Government sat and conducted the business of running a nation, and it carries that weight with considerable grandeur.
It’s the sort of room that stops you mid-stride and makes you stand there with your mouth slightly open, which, given the average tourist’s already bewildered expression, probably doesn’t look all that different from usual.
Planning Your Visit
📍 Location
Plaza de la Constitución S/N, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc, 06066, Mexico City, Mexico. The palace occupies the entire eastern side of the Zócalo, Mexico City’s main public square.
🚇 How to Get There
The Palacio Nacional is in the heart of Mexico City’s Centro Histórico and is easily reached by public transport. The closest Metro station is Zócalo (Line 2, Blue Line), which is directly adjacent to the palace. Numerous public buses and the hop-on, hop-off tourist bus also stop close by. On foot, the palace is within easy walking distance of many historic-centre hotels.
🌐 Website
📞 Contact Telephone
+52 55 3688 1602
To enquire about or book a guided tour: visitas_guiadas@hacienda.gob.mx
For general cultural enquiries: difusioncultural@hacienda.gob.mx
🎟️ Entry Fees
Entry to the Palacio Nacional is free of charge. Visitors must present a valid form of photographic identification (such as a passport) to enter. Guided tours are also free but must be arranged in advance either by emailing the address above or by visiting the ticket office at the Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, located at 4 Calle Moneda, adjacent to the palace.
🕙 Opening Times
Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday: Closed
Please note that the palace is an active seat of government and may close without prior notice for official state events. It is advisable to check the official website or contact the palace directly before your visit to confirm access
Getting Around Mexico City
Mexico City (CDMX) is one of the world’s great megacities — sprawling, vibrant, and surprisingly easy to navigate once you know what you’re doing. With over 21 million people in the greater metropolitan area, transport options are plentiful, ranging from one of the world’s busiest metro systems to app-based taxis and even cable cars. Here’s everything you need to know about getting in and getting around.
✈️ Arriving: Know Your Airport
Mexico City is served by two international airports, and confusing them is a surprisingly common — and costly — mistake.
Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX/AICM) is the main hub, located just 13 km east of the historic centre. The vast majority of international flights land here. It has two terminals — Terminal 1 (older, busier) and Terminal 2 (more modern) — connected by a free shuttle and the Metro.
Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU/AIFA) is the newer, secondary airport, situated around 45 km north of the city centre in the State of Mexico. It primarily handles budget domestic carriers such as Volaris and VivaAerobus, along with some regional international routes. Always double-check your airport code before travelling — MEX and NLU are on opposite sides of the city and a transfer between them takes upwards of 90 minutes.
🚇 From MEX Airport into the City
By Metro: The cheapest option by far. Terminal 1 is directly connected to the Metro system (Line 5, Hangares station). A single ride costs around 5 pesos (roughly 20p). However, it’s not recommended if you’re travelling with large luggage or during rush hour — the carriages get extremely crowded.
By Metrobús: Line 4 connects both terminals to the city centre. It’s more comfortable than the Metro with luggage and costs 6 pesos per journey using a travel card.
By Uber or DiDi: The most practical option for most visitors. Download the app before you travel, and request your ride once you’re in the arrivals hall. Fares into central neighbourhoods such as Roma, Condesa, or Polanco typically range from 150–300 pesos (£6–£12), depending on traffic. Avoid accepting offers from drivers who approach you inside the terminal.
By Official Airport Taxi: Pre-paid taxi desks are located in the arrivals area of both terminals. Purchase your ticket at the booth before proceeding to the taxi rank. Fares are fixed by zone. This is safe and straightforward, though slightly pricier than app-based rides. Do not accept a ride from anyone who approaches you without a pre-paid ticket.
🚌 From AIFA Airport into the City
AIFA’s location makes it a longer journey into the city centre, so plan your time accordingly.
By Train (Tren Felipe Ángeles): Launched in April 2026, this new commuter rail service connects AIFA directly to Buenavista station in the north of Mexico City. The journey takes around 40–50 minutes, and from Buenavista you can connect to the Metro and Metrobús network. A promotional fare of 45 pesos applies for the airport leg. This is now the quickest and most reliable public transport option from AIFA.
By Bus (Aerofaro Shuttle): A shuttle service runs from AIFA arrivals to Buenavista station, from where you can connect to the wider Metro network. Budget approximately 90–120 minutes total travel time to central areas.
By Uber or DiDi: Available from AIFA, but journey times into the city centre can be 60–90 minutes or more depending on traffic. Expect fares of 400–600 pesos (£16–£24).
🚇 The Metro (Sistema de Transporte Colectivo)
The Metro is the backbone of public transport in Mexico City — one of the largest metro systems in the Americas with 12 lines and 195 stations spanning over 200 kilometres. It’s fast, efficient, and extraordinarily affordable at just 5 pesos (roughly 20p) per journey, regardless of distance.
Most major tourist attractions — the Zócalo, Chapultepec Park, Coyoacán, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes — are easily reachable by Metro. The system uses a combination of numbers and colour-coded lines, and each station has its own distinctive icon (helpful if you’re still finding your feet with Spanish).
Tips for visitors:
- Avoid rush hour (7:00–9:00 and 17:00–19:00) — carriages become extremely crowded and pickpocketing risk increases
- Keep valuables secure and avoid using your phone openly
- Look out for carriages reserved for women and children, marked with pink signs — these are particularly in force during peak hours
- Purchase a Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (MI Card) for 15 pesos; this rechargeable card works across the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, light rail, and trolleybus networks
🚌 Metrobús
The Metrobús is a network of articulated buses that run in dedicated lanes, making them faster than standard city buses. There are several lines covering key corridors, including the famous Avenida Insurgentes (Line 1 — one of the longest bus rapid transit routes in the world) and Avenida Reforma. A journey costs 6 pesos and requires a travel card to board.
The Metrobús is particularly useful for travelling along the main north–south and east–west axes of the city, and connects conveniently with the Metro at many interchange points. Line 4 also serves both terminals at Benito Juárez Airport.
🚡 Cablebús (Cable Car)
One of Mexico City’s most distinctive and photogenic forms of transport, the Cablebús is a network of cable car lines operating in the hillier outskirts of the city. There are currently three lines, primarily serving working-class neighbourhoods in the east and south that have limited Metro access.
While not a practical daily commuter option for most visitors staying in central neighbourhoods, taking a ride on the Cablebús — particularly Line 1 in Iztapalapa — offers spectacular panoramic views across the city and a glimpse of everyday life beyond the tourist trail. Fares are 7 pesos with a travel card.
📱 Ride-Hailing Apps: Uber, DiDi & Cabify
For many visitors, app-based rides represent the sweet spot between safety, convenience, and value. Uber is the most widely used and reliable, with a large fleet and consistent pricing. DiDi (a Chinese-owned competitor) often undercuts Uber on price and is widely available. Cabify is another reputable option, particularly favoured for longer journeys.
All three apps show you the route, the fare, and the driver’s details before you confirm — a significant safety advantage over hailing a taxi on the street. You’ll need mobile data, so consider purchasing a local SIM card or setting up an eSIM before or upon arrival.
App-based rides are especially recommended for: journeys after dark, trips to and from bus terminals or the airport with luggage, and any destination not conveniently served by the Metro.
🌐 uber.com | didiglobal.com | cabify.com
🚕 Taxis
Mexico City has one of the largest taxi fleets in the world, and the iconic pink-and-white cabs are a familiar sight on every street. However, visitors should exercise caution.
Do not hail taxis from the street. Unofficial taxis — known colloquially as “piratas” — can pose safety risks and overcharge passengers.
Sitio taxis (taxis from authorised stands) are the recommended on-street option. They are registered, carry fixed fares, and can be found at airports, hotels, shopping centres, and major tourist sites. You can also ask your hotel or restaurant to call a registered taxi for you.
For most practical purposes, using Uber or DiDi is safer and simpler than locating a trustworthy sitio taxi.
🚲 Ecobici (Bike Share)
For visitors staying in central neighbourhoods — Roma, Condesa, Polanco, Juárez, or Centro Histórico — Ecobici is a genuinely excellent way to cover short distances without sitting in traffic. The network has over 689 stations and nearly 10,000 bikes, making it one of the most extensive bike-share systems in the Americas.
Rides of up to 45 minutes are included in the subscription fee, and you can return the bike to any station. Day passes start at around $5 USD (approximately £4), with three-day and weekly options also available. Registration is done via the app or website — no passport or lengthy paperwork required at modern stations, just a credit card. The MI Card also links to your Ecobici account.
Sundays are a particularly good day to cycle — Avenida Reforma is closed to traffic and given over entirely to cyclists and pedestrians.
🚌 Long-Distance Buses (for Day Trips & Onward Travel)
If you’re planning to visit nearby cities — Puebla, Oaxaca, Guadalajara, or Teotihuacán — Mexico City’s long-distance bus network is excellent. The main terminals are:
- TAPO (Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente) — east of the city, served by Metro Line 1 (San Lázaro station). Good for Puebla, Oaxaca, and the Gulf Coast.
- Terminal Central del Norte — north of the city, reached via Metro Line 5. Good for Guadalajara, Querétaro, and the northern states.
- Terminal Poniente — west of the city (Metro Line 1, Observatorio station). Good for Toluca and western destinations.
ADO is the premier intercity bus operator, offering comfortable, air-conditioned coaches with allocated seating. Booking online in advance is recommended for popular routes.
🚶 Walking
Do not overlook the simplest option. Several of Mexico City’s best neighbourhoods reward leisurely exploration on foot. Roma Norte and Roma Sur, Condesa, Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, Polanco, and San Ángel are all walkable districts with plenty to see at street level. The altitude (2,240 metres above sea level) may leave you slightly breathless at first — take it steadily on your first day or two.
🗺️ Useful Apps for Getting Around
- Google Maps — reliable for Metro, Metrobús, and walking directions
- Moovit — excellent for real-time public transport updates and route planning
- Metro CDMX — detailed Metro map, station information, and journey times
- Uber / DiDi / Cabify — essential for ride-hailing
- Ecobici — for bike-share planning and unlocking bikes
💳 The MI Card (Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada)
If you plan to use public transport more than once or twice, the MI Card is well worth picking up. It costs just 15 pesos and can be topped up with credit to use across the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, light rail, and trolleybus networks. It also links to the Ecobici bike-share system. Cards are available at Metro stations and Metrobús stops throughout the city. There is a maximum balance of 500 pesos on the card at any one time.
Mexico City’s transport network is, in truth, one of its great assets — vast, affordable, and remarkably well-connected for a city of its size. With a little planning and the right apps on your phone, getting around is far less daunting than the map might initially suggest.
The best time to visit Mexico City
🌸 Spring – Dry Season (March to May)
Spring is widely regarded as the finest time to visit Mexico City. The rainy season has not yet arrived, temperatures are pleasantly warm, and the city buzzes with cultural energy. Daytime highs hover between 22°C and 26°C, with cool evenings that rarely dip below 10°C. Skies are predominantly clear, making it ideal for exploring open-air sites such as Teotihuacán, the Zócalo, and Chapultepec Park.
March and April bring Semana Santa (Holy Week), one of Mexico’s most important religious observances, when the city fills with processions and festivities. Crowds are noticeable but not overwhelming outside of the Easter weekend peak. May sees temperatures climbing and the humidity building ahead of the summer rains — visit early in the month for the best of the season.
What to pack: Lightweight layers, a light jacket for evenings, breathable walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a reusable water bottle. A compact umbrella is useful from late April.
⛈️ Summer – Wet Season (June to August)
Summer brings the rainy season, though this need not be a deterrent. Rain typically falls in concentrated afternoon and evening downpours lasting one to two hours, leaving mornings largely clear and pleasant. Temperatures remain mild — generally 18°C to 24°C — and the city’s parks and surrounding valleys turn a vivid green. Hotel rates are often lower, and the city’s cultural calendar remains full, with exhibitions, concerts, and street festivals running throughout the season.
The main inconvenience is the afternoon rain, which can cause traffic disruption and occasional flooding in low-lying areas. Planning outdoor activities for the morning is the sensible approach. July and August also coincide with school holidays in Mexico, so family-orientated attractions tend to be busier.
What to pack: A compact waterproof jacket or poncho, quick-dry clothing, waterproof footwear or sandals, light layers, insect repellent, and a small daypack with a dry bag for electronics.
🍂 Autumn – Transition Season (September to November)
Autumn is one of the most atmospheric and culturally rewarding times to visit. September marks the beginning of the end of the rainy season, with rainfall gradually tapering through October and drying considerably by November. Temperatures settle between 15°C and 22°C — cooler than summer but still comfortable during the day.
November is the undoubted highlight of the autumn season. Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), celebrated on 1 and 2 November, transforms Mexico City into a spectacle of marigold-draped altars, candlelit processions, and vibrant public gatherings. The Zócalo and Mixquic are especially dramatic. Tourist numbers are rising but the city retains a more relaxed atmosphere compared with peak winter months.
What to pack: A warm layer or light wool jumper, a waterproof jacket for early September, comfortable walking shoes, festival-appropriate clothing for Día de Muertos, and a camera or smartphone with ample storage.
❄️ Winter – Dry Season (December to February)
Winter is the driest period in Mexico City and brings some of the clearest skies of the year, making it excellent for photography and open-air excursions. Daytime temperatures range from around 18°C to 20°C, though cold fronts known as nortes can push overnight temperatures close to or below 5°C, particularly in January and February.
December is the busiest and most festive month, centred on Las Posadas (16–24 December), Christmas, and New Year. The city is richly decorated, markets are in full swing, and the atmosphere is convivial. January and February are considerably quieter, representing something of a hidden gem — dry, clear, and calm, without the holiday crowds.
What to pack: A medium-weight coat or insulated jacket, warm layers for evenings and early mornings, a scarf, comfortable smart-casual clothing for festive events, and good walking shoes or boots.
📊 Season at a Glance
✅ Overall Best Time to Visit
The optimum time to visit Mexico City is from late October through to early May, taking in the tail end of autumn and the full dry season. Within that window, November stands out for its extraordinary cultural richness — Día de Muertos is a once-in-a-lifetime experience — whilst March and April offer the finest combination of weather, manageable crowds, and vibrant street life. Travellers seeking quieter streets and crisp clear skies will find January and February particularly rewarding. Mexico City rewards visits at almost any time of year given its altitude, which moderates temperatures year-round, but avoiding the peak of the wet season in June and July will make outdoor exploration considerably more enjoyable.
Vegan Dining in Mexico City
Mexico City has transformed into one of Latin America’s most exciting destinations for plant-based eating. From buzzing street-food carts in Roma Norte to cosy neighbourhood cafés, the city offers an extraordinary range of fully vegan options that rival — and often surpass — their meat-based counterparts.
🌮 Por Siempre Vegana Taquería — Food Cart & Restaurant
One of the most famous names in Mexico City’s vegan scene, Por Siempre Vegana has built a devoted following for its authentic Mexican street tacos made entirely from plants. The menu is extensive, featuring classics such as al pastor, barbacoa, chicharrón, suadero, and bistek — all crafted from soya, seitan, or wheat protein. Sweet treats like cupcakes and doughnuts round off the offering. The original food cart operates on a pavement in Roma Norte and gets very busy at peak times, with queues sometimes stretching to 30 minutes. A sit-down taquería location on Coahuila opened subsequently.
- Location: Food cart: Calle Manzanillo 18, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX. Taquería: Coahuila 169, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
- Website: porsiempreveganataqueria.com (best reached via Instagram: @porsiempreveganataqueria)
- Phone: +52 55 6116 6266
- Opening hours:
- Food cart: Mon–Sat 1:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Taquería: Mon–Sat 2:00 pm – midnight; Sun closed
🌸 La Pitahaya Vegana — Restaurant
La Pitahaya Vegana is instantly recognisable for its iconic pink tortillas, tinted with beetroot and chard, which have made it something of a social media sensation. The menu goes far beyond aesthetics, however — dishes such as Baja tacos, mole mixteco, enfrijoladas, enchiladas, and a pink tofu burger are all prepared with fresh organic ingredients and a genuine commitment to sustainability (the kitchen composts organic waste and recycles inorganics). The bilingual menu and friendly, English-speaking staff make it welcoming to international visitors, and delivery across Mexico City is available. The restaurant is small, so arrive early to secure a seat.
- Location: Calle Querétaro 90, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX (second location: Miguel A. de Quevedo 353, Mercado Roma Coyoacán)
- Website: lapitahayavegana.mx
- Phone: +52 55 3902 7792
- Opening hours (Roma Norte):
- Mon, Wed–Fri: 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Sat–Sun: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Closed Tuesday
🍔 Forever Vegano — Restaurant
Forever Vegano (also known simply as “Forever”) is a well-established all-vegan restaurant in Roma Norte with a boho, psychedelic-chic aesthetic that makes it popular for brunch, dates, and casual dinners alike. The menu takes a creative, plant-based approach to Mexican and fusion cooking — standout dishes include the Forever burger made from beans, raw coastal ceviche with coconut, mushroom aguachile, tacos al pastor with marinated mushrooms, and vegan pizza. Cocktails and craft beverages complement the food nicely. A second branch is located in the Polanco neighbourhood. The restaurant is dog-friendly and offers outdoor dining.
- Location: Calle Guanajuato 54, esquina Mérida, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
- Website: forevervegano.com
- Phone: +52 55 6726 0975
- Opening hours:
- Mon–Sat: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm
- Sun: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
☕ Café Vegetal — Café
Café Vegetal is a much-loved, fully vegan café with a warm, cosy atmosphere perfect for a slow breakfast or a working lunch. Its menu spans sweet and savoury ground — expect pancakes, chilaquiles, scrambled tofu, molletes, cinnamon rolls, a wide selection of cakes, and a thoughtfully curated drinks list featuring organic coffee, matcha, almond smoothies, and kombucha. The interiors — wooden furniture, lush greenery — create an inviting neighbourhood feel. Two locations serve the city: one in Narvarte Poniente and one in Coyoacán, not far from the Frida Kahlo Museum. The café is pet-friendly and offers outdoor seating.
- Location:
- Narvarte: Enrique Rébsamen 364, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 CDMX
- Coyoacán: Av. Río Churubusco 310, local C, Del Carmen, Coyoacán, 04100 CDMX
- Website: cafevegetal.com
- Phone: Not publicly listed — contact via Instagram @cafevegetalmx
- Opening hours:
- Tue–Sun: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
- Closed Monday
🐟 Paxil – Plant Based Seafood — Food Cart
Paxil is one of the most talked-about and original vegan food stalls in Mexico City, drawing visitors from around the world for its entirely plant-based take on Mexican coastal seafood cuisine. The owner has developed remarkable techniques to recreate the flavours and textures of the sea — tomato becomes raw tuna, various mushrooms stand in for fish, and the results are genuinely astonishing. The menu includes fish tacos, tostadas with “vegatún,” the signature Paxil taco, the Takeshi (a sushi-inspired dish with nori, rice and tamarind sauce), zarandeado, ceviche, and vegan fish and chips. The bright blue and white stall is hard to miss, and queues form quickly at weekends.
- Location: Orizaba 83 (4th stall), Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
- Website: Instagram: @paxil.plantbasedseafood (no standalone website)
- Phone: +52 55 3035 5144
- Opening hours:
- Mon, Wed–Sun: 1:30 pm – 7:00 pm
- Closed Tuesday
🌯 María Bonita Veganos — Food Cart
María Bonita Veganos is a beloved vegan street-food stall in Roma Norte, celebrated for its hearty, affordable, and deeply flavourful food. The menu is a highlight reel of Mexican street classics — massive burritos, tortas (particularly the crispy milanesa torta, a firm favourite), gringas, tacos, hamburgers, and hot dogs, all made with alt-meat substitutes. Daily rotating lunch specials offer a soup, main, salad, and drink at very reasonable prices. The portions are generous, the staff are friendly, and there is a small counter where you can eat on the spot, or you can take your food to nearby Plaza Río de Janeiro.
- Location: Calle Durango 65, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 CDMX
- Website: Instagram: @mariabonita.veganos (no standalone website)
- Phone: +52 55 8863 5880
- Opening hours:
- Daily: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm (hours may vary — check Instagram for upd
Where to stay in Mexico City
1. City Centro Cuidad de Mexico
City Centro by Marriott Ciudad de México sits in the historic heart of Mexico City, on Republica de Uruguay in the Centro district. The building has real heritage credentials — it was designed by the Mariscal brothers, the same architects behind the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and the original ceilings, floors and one of the city’s oldest lifts are still in place. The hotel has 44 rooms, an outdoor rooftop pool, a gym, a restaurant and a bar. Madero Street and the Torre Latinoamericana are a short walk away, and Benito Juárez International Airport is around ten minutes by car. It is a solid, characterful mid-range option for travellers who want to be close to the main sights without staying in a bland business hotel.
2. Hotel Villa Condesa
Hotel Villa Condesa is a small boutique hotel with 15 rooms, set in a converted mansion in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most liveable neighbourhoods. The area is walkable, lined with tree-shaded streets, independent restaurants and cafés, and is well connected by metro. Rooms are individually decorated with classic touches — wooden floors, sash windows — and the better ones include balconies overlooking the interior courtyard. Breakfast is included and well regarded by guests. There is an on-site restaurant serving Mexican and international dishes, a rooftop terrace, a garden, and bike rental for those who want to explore the city under their own steam. Staff consistently receive strong reviews for being attentive and helpful. Chapultepec Park and Paseo de la Reforma are both within easy reach on foot.
3. Hotel MX Roma
Hotel MX Roma sits on Calle Mérida 81 in Roma Norte, one of Mexico City’s most appealing neighbourhoods for eating, drinking, and general wandering. Part of the Wyndham Trademark Collection, it is a four-star, smoke-free property with 46 air-conditioned rooms, a rooftop terrace, a gym, and a squash court. Free breakfast and Wi-Fi are included, and there is paid parking on site. The location earns consistently high marks from guests — Insurgentes metro station is a short walk away, and the restaurant Rosetta is practically on the doorstep. It is not a large or lavish hotel, but as a well-priced, well-placed base for exploring the city, it does the job reliably well..
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