By plane

Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX IATA)

Most travellers arrive to Mexico City by air, to Benito Juárez International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city.

Coming from the Caribbean or outside of North America you may get a better fare flying to Cancun. From there you can take a separate flight to Mexico City.

Low withdrawal fees in Terminal 1 and 2 have the ATMs of citibanamex, Santander and Banorte. From both terminals goes the metrobus line 4 into the historical centre for M$30 (Nov 2021). You need to buy the public transport card before using the metro bus. From Terminal 1 operates the metro line 5 for M$5 (Nov 2021). Uber, Cabify or Didi are available from the airport. Between Terminal 1 and 2 is a free shuttle bus. For more information have a look into the dedicated article of the airport.

Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU IATA)

With brand new facilities for commercial flights, this airport opened to the public in Spring 2022. The airport has long been the Mexican Air Force’s busiest facility. It has historically been known as Santa Lucia Military Base (and still operates as an active military base), but is now part of the region’s transportation solution to alleviate congestion at MEX. Like most airports in Mexico, nobody actually uses the long official name of an obscure government figure, but rather, the Chilangos simply call this airport “Santa Lucia”. While constructing the new passenger facilities, workers uncovered several woolly mammoth remains, which are now housed in the beautiful new Museo Paleontologico Santa Lucia Quinametzen (inside the airport facility).

NLU is served by Aeromexico, Volaris, and Viva Aerobus for destinations throughout Mexico, and by Venezuelan carrier Conviasa for flights to Caracas. Flying to this airport could (maybe) save you some money over flying to MEX. Skyscanner and Google Flights don’t include the Felipe Ángeles airport if you look for flights to/from Mexico City. Instead you need to specifically type in this airport. kiwi.com does include this airport when typing in Mexico City.

Like most outlying airports, NLU is not as convenient for travelers as MEX. The airport is 49km (30 miles) from the city and only limited public transportation is available (Take Metro to the Ciudad Azteca station, look for the Terminal de Pasajeros bus stop and you’ll find a Mexibus to the airport). Allow at least 90 minutes from the airport to downtown.

Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport (TLC IATA)

This airport is in the city of Toluca 50 km southwest of Mexico City. There are only scheduled flights by VivaAerobus to Cancún as of March 2022. Reaching the Toluca airport from the West of Mexico City (such as Santa Fe) is easy, but it can be time-consuming to do so from the rest of Mexico City.

• Caminante offers the best transportation from and to Toluca’s airport. It has the biggest fleet of taxis at the best price and it also includes deluxe Mercedes Benz vans. These taxis cost M$600 to Santa Fe and M$650 (April 2022) to the metro station Observatorio.
• Viva Aerobus offers airport transport through its Viva Transfer shuttle on all flights to Toluca. The price is M$76 (April 2022) from the metro station Observatorio.

Other airports

MEX remains the best bet for most passengers to or from Mexico City. But NLU and TLC might work better for some travelers. Depending on your overall trip, it might also be worth considering flying to nearby cities as Puebla (PBC IATA), Querétaro (QRO IATA) or Cuernavaca (CVJ IATA), but reaching Mexico City from these places could be quite time-consuming and tiresome.

By carpooling

You can have a look for shared rides on Blablacar. These are around 30-50% cheaper than first-class intercity buses. Prices are approximately as of January 2022:
• Cuernavaca – M$80
• Puebla – M$120
• Querétaro – M$190
• Morelia – M$290

By bus

Being the national transportation hub there are various bus lines going into and out of Mexico City in all directions, from/to around the country at varying distances. Some of the bus companies come from the surrounding states of Mexico, Hidalgo, Puebla and Guerrero while others come from all over the nation to as far as the U.S border in the north and the Guatemalan border to the south. Most foreigners coming into the country would most likely fly in but it’s also possible to travel to Mexico City by bus from various cities in the U.S. and from Panama, through the Central American isthmus.

The city has four major bus stations based on the compass points. They are:

• Terminal Central Autobuses del Norte (North) (Cien Metros or Mexico Norte), Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas No. 4907, Colonia Magdalena de las Salinas (Metro station stop Autobuses del Norte (Line 5, yellow)), ☏ +52-55 5587 1552. Most buses departing to & from bordering towns with the U.S. such as Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, Tijuana, Reynosa, and Ciudad Juarez. Other destinations that buses go to from this terminal: Acapulco, Aguascalientes, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta, Monterrey, Leon, Querétaro, San Luis Potosi, Hermosillo, Durango, Zacatecas, etc. Overall, buses are bound to western and northern Mexico. 
• Terminal Central Autobuses del Poniente (West) (Observatorio or Mexico Poniente), Sur 122 y Rio Tacubaya, Del. Álvaro Obregón, Col. Real del Monte (Metro station stop – Observatorio (west end of Line 1, pink).), ☏ +52-55 5271 4519. also known as Terminal de Autobuses Observatorio. Usually used for destinations due west such as Colima, Manzanillo, Morelia, Puerto Vallarta, Toluca in the states of Colima, Jalisco, Michocoan and the western part of Mexico state. 
• Terminal Central del Sur (South) (Taxqueña or Mexico Sur), Av. Tasqueña 1320, Colonia Campestre Churubusco (Metro Station – Taxqueña (South end of Line 2, blue)), ☏ +52 55. Buses from here go south of Mexico City such as, Acapulco, Cuernavaca, Taxco and various places in Colima, Guerrero, Morelos & southern part of Mexico state. Station is also north end (Taxqueña) of the light rail (Tren Ligero)) tram going to/from Xochimilco. 
• Terminal de Autobuses de Pasajeros de Oriente (East) (TAPO or Mexico Oriente), Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza 200, Colonia 10 de Mayo Venustiano Carranza (Metro Station – Lazaro Cardenas (Line 1, Pink; Line B, Gray); next to the national capitol Building (Camara de Diputados)), ☏ +52 55 5762-5977. Serving destinations in the eastern & southeastern states of Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Tlaxcala, Tamauliapas, Campeche, Tobasco and the Guatemalan border. Traffic in and around the TAPO area (and any other bus terminal for that matter) can get quite congested during peak/rush hours. Always give yourself an extra hour or so in travel time, including to/from, to be sure that you do not miss a bus or a connection. (updated Jan 2018)

There are many other smaller bus stations, which serve fewer destinations but can be very useful if you wish to avoid congestion or are traveling to/from the outer parts of Mexico City. Some of these are:

• Aeropuerto (Mexico City Airport) (AICM). There are two bus stations in terminals 1 and 2 of the Mexico City airport, serving nearby big cities such as Querétaro and Puebla. Buses to/from these stations are usually more expensive than those heading to the 4 main bus stations. Most buses stop at both stations. 
• Cárcel de Mujeres, Calzada Ignacio Zaragoza 3097, Colonia Santa Martha Acatitla, Istapalapa. Along the main road heading East from Mexico City, it serves buses heading to Puebla and points in-between. 
• Ciudad Azteca, Centro Comercial Mexipuerto, Corner of Avenida Central and De Los Guerrero, Colonia Ciudad Azteca 3ra Sección, Ecatepec de Morelos, Estado de México (Metro and Mexibús Ciudad Azteca). In the Northeast of the metropolitan area, it is used by many services to/from North and East Mexico. 
• Indios Verdes, Avenida Insurgentes Norte 211, Colonia Santa Isabel Tola, Gustavo A. Madero (Metro and Metrobús Indios Verdes). Most buses to/from Pachuca stop here. Usually more convenient by public transport than the North Bus Station. 
• Tepotzotlán, Autopista México-Queretaro 164, Colonia Cedros, Tepotzotlán, Estado de México. Just before the toll booth along the Mexico City-Querétaro highway, many buses heading North from Mexico City stop here. 
• Caseta Chalco
• Coapa
• Ecatepec (Las Américas)
• Ixtapaluca
• Tlalnepantla

The below are some of the major bus companies serving Mexico City at one or several bus stations. Some offer service to/from both terminals at the airport (aeropuerto). See the addresses in the below listings and the links to the company’s website as to where they go to in Mexico City:

• ADO (Autobuses Del Oriente), Aeorpuerto, TAPO, Central Norte, Taxqueña, Col. Santa Martha, Del. Iztapalapa, ☏ +52 55 5133-5133, toll-free: 01800-009-9090. They operate the ADO, ADO GL, AU (Autobus Unidos), OCC (Omnibus Cristobal Colon), Platino, Texcoco, Diamante, Estrella de Oro, Cuenca and Pluss bus lines and the ClickBus booking site (formerly Boletotal & Ticketbus). They are a major bus company in the eastern and southeastern part of the country towards the Guatemalan border in the states of Guerrero, Puebla, Veracruz, Chiapas, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, and the Yucatan Peninsula (Yucatan, Quintana Roo and Campeche). Travel towards Guatemala via Tapachula or Tuxtla Guttierrez; to Belize through Chetumal and the United States border through Matamoros. They only offer cross border buses to Belize City from Cancun and Merida via Chetumal. 
• Autovias, Mexico Norte, Mexico Poniente, toll-free: 01 800 622 2222. goes from Mexico DF to the surrounding Mexico state and beyond to Colima, Guerrero, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan and Queretaro states. They also operate Allegra, La Linea and the Pegasso brands. 
• Caminante, Aeropuertos (Toluca & Mexico City), Mexico Poniente. Travels mainly between Mexico City and Toluca. (updated Jan 2018)
• Costa Line, AERS, Mexico Norte, Mexico Sur (Taxquena), ☏ +52 55 5336-5560, toll-free: 01800-0037-635. Serves mainly in Mexico state, Morelos and Guerrero. They also operate the Turistar, Futura and AMS bus lines. 
• ETN (Enlances Terrestre Nacionales), Turistar Lujo, Central de Norte, Poniente & Sur. They offer a ‘deluxe’ or ‘executive’ class seating with 2 seats on one side of the aisle and one on the opposite side with more leg room and an ability to recline into a lying position. They may cost more above first class. They go to Aguascaliente, Baja California Norte, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacan, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo Leon, Oaxaca (coast), Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Veracruz (Poza Rica, Tuxpan) and Zacatecas states 
• Grupo Estrella Blanca (White Star), Aeoropuerto, Central del Norte, Taxquena, ☏ +52 55 5729-0807, toll-free: 01800-507-5500. They operate the Anahuac [formerly dead link], Elite, TNS (Transportes Norte de Sonora), Chihuahuanese [dead link], Pacifico, TF (Tranporte Frontera), Estrella Blanca, Conexion, Rapidos de Cuauhtemoc, Valle de Guadiana and Autobus Americanos bus lines. As the largest bus company they serve much of the northern & northwestern part of the country such as Aguascaliente, Baja California Norte, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Districto Federal (DF), Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Estado de Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas states, up to the US border. They sell tickets for onward travel to the United States from the border on Greyhound Lines / Autobus Americanos (and vice versa). 
• Estrella de Oro (Gold Star), TAPO, Taxqueña, ☏ +52 55 5133-5133, toll-free: 01800-009-9090. operates mainly between Mexico City and various places in Guerrero, Veracruz and Hidalgo states. They are now a subsidiary of Grupo ADO but also a separate company and brand. 
• Estrella Roja (Red Star), Aeorpuerto, TAPO, Carcel de Mujeres (Women’s prison), ☏ +52 222 273-8300, toll-free: 01800-712-2284. Travels mainly between Mexico City and Puebla. 
• Primera Plus, Aeorpuerto, Central de Norte, Obsevatorio, ☏ +52 477 710-0060, toll-free: 0800 375-75-87. Subsidiary of Grupo Flecha Amarilla which also include ETN, Turistar Lujo, Coordinados, TTUR and Flecha Amarilla (2nd class service) bus lines. They serve Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Colima, Aguascalientes, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, México,D.F., Nayarit, Estado de Mexico, Hidalgo, Guerrero and Sinaloa states 
• Grupo Flecha Roja, Aguila, Central de Poniente, Central del Norte, ☏ +52 55 5516 5153, toll-free: 01800 224-8452. operates mainly between Mexico City and various places in northern part of Mexico state into Queretaro state on the Flecha Roja brand and to the southeastern part of Mexico State into Guerrero and Morelos states as Aguila. 
• FYPSA, TAPO, ☏ +52 951 516-2270. operates mainly between DF, Mexico, Oaxaca and Chiapas states. 
• Omnibus de Mexico, Central de Poniente, Central del Norte, ☏ +52 55 5141-4300, toll-free: 01800-765-66-36. They serve much of the central and northern part of the country such as Aguascaliente, Colima, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Michocoan, Nayrit, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and Zacatecas states, up to the US border. 
• OvniBus, Autotransportes Valle de Mezquital, Central del Norte, toll-free: 01800-715-83-39. They serve Tula, Tepotzotlan, Pachuca, Actopan and other cities/towns in Hidalgo snd Mexico states. 
• Grupo Senda, Central de Norte. They serve much of the north central part of the country such as Aguascaliente, Colima, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nuevo Leon, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas states, up to the US border as. From the border they continue up to the southeastern and central U.S. states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee from Texas as Turimex Internacional. They also operate the and Del Norte and Coahuilenses bus lines in north central part of Mexico, south of Texas. 
• TAP, Central de Norte, toll-free: 0800-0011-827. Operates bus more or less along the Hwy 15 corridor between Tijuana and Guadalajara and other places off of the Hwy 15 corridor in Baja California Norte, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora, Estado de Mexico and Mexico DF. They also operate the TAP Royal bus lines from the border to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Tuscon in the southwestern part of the U.S. (updated Aug 2017)
• Autobuses de Teotihuacan SA de CV, Central de Norte, ☏ +52 55 5781 1812, +52 5587 0501. Independent second-class bus to the ‘piramides’ or the ruins of Teotihuacan ruins/pyramids, S Juan Teotihuacan, Texcoco, Pachuca, Tulacingo, and other places in the NE part of Mexico state towards Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Puebla states. 
• Zina Bus, Excelencia, Excelencia Plus, Central de Poniente, Central de Norte, ☏ +52 55 5278-4721. goes from Mexico DF to the surrounding Estado de Mexico, Guerrero and Michoacan states. They also operate the Pegasso brand in Estado de Mexico, Guanajuato, Michoacan and Jalisco states. 

By train

Intercity passenger train services to various parts of the country have ceased operations since 1997. The only remaining route is a suburban commuter train from Cuautitlán, 27 km (17 mi) north. While not particularly useful for most tourists, it can be used to see the sights in or close to the northern part of the metropolitan area, such as the old convent at Cuautitlán (walking distance) or the Museo Nacional del Virreinato and fine church in Tepotzotlán (bus ride from Cuautitlán). The train is operated by Ferrocarriles Suburbanos and it runs very frequently throughout the day.

Additionally, a new intercity passenger line from Toluca is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2022. It will terminate at Observatorio metro station.

• Buenavista railway station (Estación Buenavista). This is the old intercity railway station and pretty to look at regardless of train service. (updated Sep 2020)

Mexico City is a huge place, but driving is definitely not a way to see it even if tourist attractions are scattered throughout the city. A good way to plan your trip is to stop by Guia Roji to identify the location of the “Colonias” (neighborhoods) you intend to visit. You may also try Google Maps, to find addresses and even look for directions.

Mexico City has several public transport alternatives. The city government operates the Metro and Metrobús bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which are cheap and reliable but can be very crowded during rush hour. It also operates a light rail line, RTP bus system and electric trolleybuses. There are also plenty of franchised private buses, minibuses and vans, known as peseros and combis, which are less reliable and safe but reach more destinations. In the metropolitan area, there is a commuter train line and the Mexibús bus rapid transit system, but most destinations are only served by private minibuses and vans. For a handy route planner, try ViaDF.

There are also thousands of taxis, now painted in white and magenta. Official taxis have a red box in the center lower area of their license plates that reads TAXI. Only use these taxis, sitio taxis or have a hotel call you a taxi for safety reasons. If you have a smartphone and internet access, the ridesharing services Uber and Cabify can also be used, with the added advantage that you can put your destination beforehand and pay with a credit card.

Google Maps and Apple Maps can plan routes using a car or the city-operated public transport (excluding private buses). There are at least two other websites available for planning trips within the city. Buscaturuta (“Busca Tu Ruta,” or “Find Your Route”), which serves all of Mexico, uses a Google Maps interface and allows you to search with incomplete addresses. It will give you options for traveling by public transit, taxi, car, or bicycle.

Some mobile apps exist to help users navigate the public transportation system. Metroplex DF is one such option (iOS only).

By e-hailing

Uber, Cabify and Didi are available. Beat offers electric cars (Beat Zero) for a similar price to Uber, and Teslas for a higher fee. The app Yaxi allows you to order a safe regular taxi to your location.

By metro

Moovit and Google Maps show you a way through the city. Both cover the buses and the metro trains. Moovit has more bus lines and bus stops covered.

The metro is relatively quick and efficient, especially as an alternative to taxis during rush hours when the streets are essentially parking lots. The metro trains run every couple of minutes, so if you just miss it, you won’t have long to wait until another arrives. Operating hours are from 5AM to midnight on weekdays (starts at 6AM on Saturday and 7AM on Sunday). A last train leaves every terminal station at midnight.

Tickets for one trip with unlimited transfers within the system cost M$5 (Jan 2018). Instead of buying individual tickets (and queuing), you may opt for a multi-use rechargeable smart card. These smart cards can be used in the Metro, Metrobús and Tren Ligero.

The Metro is quite safe, but there are a few incidences of pickpocketing every day. Keep your belongings close to you; if you have bags, close them, keep them in sight and you won’t have any problems.

Metro signs

Here are a few of the commonly-used Metro signs translated into English:

• Taquilla – Ticket booth
• Entrada – Entrance
• Salida – Exit
• No Pase – Do not enter. You’ll still see many people passing through in order to walk less though.
• Andenes – Train platforms
• Correspondencia – Line transfer, marked with a “C” sign with the same outline as the metro station icons.
• Dirección – Direction you are heading inside a line: one of the two terminal stations.

Further information

The Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, known as the Metro, is one of the largest and most patronized subway systems in the world, with 12 lines that measure more than 190 km (120 mi) and carry 4.4 million people every day. You’ll quickly see how busy it is, particularly lines 1, 2 and 3 and during the morning (7AM-9AM) and afternoon (5PM-7PM) rush hours: trains are often filled to significantly over capacity, and sometimes it will be hot and uncomfortable. It can get loud in the trains due to the noise of the wheels and due to conversation, vendors or people blasting their music (see below).

Stations usually have food stalls inside and outside the entrances, and many have city-sponsored exhibits and artwork on display, so it’s good even for a look around. If you missed the food stalls getting on the train, people selling all kinds of things are available in the trains as well. Just don’t count on them selling things you need when you need them.

The Metro can be the quickest way to travel longer distances within the city – especially if your origin and departure points align with metro stops. Although the Metro lacks informational signs in English, the system was designed with illiteracy in mind, so finding your way around should not be a problem. Lines are defined by number but also by a color, and that color runs as a thematic band across the entire station and along the entire route, so you always know what line you are on. Stations are identified by name but also by a pictorial icon that represents that area in some way.

Entire maps of the Metro system are posted around ticket booths and on platforms, but not always inside trains. Neighborhood maps around every station are also available near the ticket booths.

Some lines run through more tourist-related spots than others and will become very familiar to you after a while. Line 1 (pink) runs through many tourist spots, such as the Centro Histórico (Salto del Agua, Isabel la Católica and Pino Suárez), the Chapultepec Forest (Chapultepec), Condesa and Roma neighborhoods (Insurgentes and Sevilla) and the West (Observatorio) and East (San Lázaro) Bus Stations. Line 2 (blue) runs through the Centro Histórico (Allende, Zócalo and Bellas Artes) and reaches the South Bus Station (Tasqueña). Line 3 (green) runs near Coyoacán (Coyoacán and Miguel Ángel de Quevedo) and also near the University City (Copilco and Ciudad Universitaria). If traveling to and from the airport, you’ll want to use Line 5 (yellow) to connect to the Mexico City International Airport (Terminal Aérea, and not Boulevard Puerto Aéreo of line 1, which is 1 km away but is still colloquially called Aeropuerto). The North Bus station is also served by Line 5 at Autobuses del Norte. Line 6 (red) runs east-west through the north of the city and passes by the Basílica de Guadalupe (La Villa – Basílica). Line 7 (orange) runs through many touristic spots such as the Chapultepec Forest (Auditorio) and the Polanco neighborhood (Polanco). Line 8 (green) crosses the Centro Histórico north-south (Salto del Agua, San Juan de Letrán, Bellas Artes and Garibaldi). Line 9 (brown) runs near the Condesa neighborhood (Chilpancingo).

Each platform has a large sign indicating towards which direction that train heads. For example, if you are travelling on Line 1 from Insurgentes to Pino Suárez stations, you are heading in the direction of the Pantitlán terminus (“Dirección Pantitlán”). On your return trip, you would be heading in the direction of the Observatorio terminus (“Dirección Observatorio”).

As you enter a Metro station, look for the ticket booth. There might be a short queue for tickets, and to avoid having to always stand in line, many people buy a small handful of tickets at a time. A sign is posted by the ticket window that shows how much it would cost for any number of tickets. Once you approach the agent, simply drop some money into the tray and announce (in Spanish) how many tickets you would like (uno for M$5, cinco for M$25, diez for M$50, and so on). You do not need to say anything about where you are going, since fares are the same for everywhere in the system.

For buying a smart card, at the same window you buy tickets, ask for a tarjeta. There may be a minimum amount for your initial balance. To use the card, simply hold the card next to the white card reader at any turnstile. The cost of a single fare will be deducted and the remaining balance will show on the card reader display. You can ask for a recharge (recargar) at any ticket window to supplement your card’s balance. If you don’t speak Spanish, it might be easier to buy a card at the machines in the Metrobús or Tren Ligero stations rather than in a Metro station ticket booth.

Once you have your ticket (boleto) or card, it is time to go through the turnstiles. The stiles are clearly marked for exit or entry but if you are confused, follow the crowd. Insert the ticket into the slot (it does not matter which direction is up or forward) or put your card against the card reader above. You won’t get the ticket back. Some turnstiles are only for smart card holders, which are marked with solo tarjeta. Past the turnstiles, signs that tell you where to go depending on your direction within the line are usually clearly marked, as are signs that tell you where to transfer to a different line. There is no standard station layout, but they are all designed to facilitate vast amounts of human traffic, so following the crowd works well, as long as you double check the signs to make sure the crowd is taking you in the same direction.

On the platform, try to stand near the edge. During rush hours when it can get pretty crowded, there is sometimes a mad rush on and off the train. Although for the most part people are respectful and usually let departing passengers off first, train doors are always threatening to close and that means you need to be moderately aggressive if you don’t want to get left behind. If you’re traveling in a group, this could mean having to travel separately. At the ends of the platform, the train is usually less crowded, so you could wait there, but during rush hours some busier stations reserve those sections of platform exclusively for women and children for their safety. If this is the case, there will be a police officer blocking the way.

While on the train, you will see a steady stream of people walking through the carriages announcing their wares for sale. Act as if you are used to them (that is, ignore them, unless they need to pass you). Most often you’ll see the city’s disadvantaged population make their living by begging or selling pirate music CDs, blaring their songs through amplifiers carried in a backpack. There are people who “perform” (such as singing, or repeatedly somersaulting shirtless onto a pile of broken glass) and expect a donation. There are also people who hand out pieces of paper, candy or snacks between stops, and if you eat it or keep it you are expected to pay for it; if you don’t want it, they’ll take it back before the next stop. It can be quite amusing, or sad at times, but don’t laugh or be disrespectful… this is how they make a living. The best thing to do is to observe how others around you behave, but you can usually just avoid eye contact with these merchants and they will leave you alone.

If the merchants weren’t enough, the trains are usually just crowded places to be. You will usually not get seats if you are traveling through the city center during the day, and even if you do, it’s considered good manners to offer your seat to the aged, pregnant or disabled, as all cars have clearly marked handicap seats. In keeping with the mad rush on and off the train, people will move toward the exits before the train stops, so let them through and feel free to do the same when you need to (a con permiso helps, but body language speaks the loudest here).

Women have complained of being groped on extremely crowded trains; this is not a problem on designated women’s wagons, or any other time than rush hour. If theft or any other sort of harassment do occur, you can stop the train and attract the attention of the authorities by pulling on alarms near the doors, which are labeled señal de alarma.

When exiting, follow the crowd through signs marked Salida. Many stations have multiple exits to different streets (or different sides of streets, marked with a cardinal direction) and should have posted road maps that show the immediate area with icons for banks, restaurants, parks and so forth. Use these to orient yourself and figure out where you need to go. A good tip is to remember what side of the tracks you are on, these are marked on such maps with a straight line the color of the metro line you are traveling.

By bus

There are two kinds of buses. The first are full-sized buses operated by the Mexico City Government known as RTP [dead link] and Ecobús. Regular RTP routes cost M$2 anywhere you go, while Express RTP routes cost M$4 and the Ecobús costs M$5. Most buses have coin boxes, in which case you should have the exact fare (or be willing to deposit more than your fare) and put the money in the box. If there isn’t a coin box, give the money to the driver. RTP buses are orange and green, while Ecobús buses are all green.

The second kind of buses are known as microbuses or peseros. These buses are private-run and come in small and bigger sizes. Newer peseros look like regular buses but are painted in white and purple, while older ones are ominous looking and painted in green and grey. Smaller peseros cost M$4 for shorter trips, M$4.50 for 6–12 km trips and M$5 for trips longer than 12 km. Full-sized private buses are M$5 for shorter trips, and M$6 for longer trips.

All buses are supposed to stop at bus stops, but microbuses are usually willing to stop anywhere as long as there are no police nearby. In the inner city, bus stops are usually small bus shelters with metal seats. In other areas, they might be unmarked and you can reasonably assume that a bus will stop just before a big intersection. Routes are also very complex and flexible, so be sure to ask someone, perhaps the driver, if the bus even goes to your destination (“va a …?”), before getting on. Also, though the locals hang off the sides and out the doors, it is generally not recommended for novices. Riding RTP buses is safer and more comfortable than the private franchised and smaller microbuses, which are more prone to robbery and often have terrible driving habits. All buses display signs on their windshields which tell major stops they make, so if you want to take a bus to a metro station, you can just wait for a bus that has a sign with an M followed by the station name.

Buses can be packed during rush hours, and you have to pay attention to your stops (buses make very short stops if there’s just one person getting off, so be ready), but they are very practical when your route aligns with a large avenue. There’s usually a button above or close to the rear door to signal that you’re getting off; if there isn’t one, it’s not working, or you can’t get to it, shouting Bajan! (pronounced “BAH-han”) in a loud and desperate voice usually works.

By Metrobús and Mexibús

The Metrobús is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that operates seven routes (líneas) in dedicated lanes along Insurgentes, Eje 4 Sur, Eje 1 Poniente (Cuauhtémoc/Vallejo), Eje 3 Oriente, Eje 5 Norte Avenues, and Ave Paseo de la Reforma. Line 1 is convenient for the Condesa/Roma area, Line 3 for Del Valle and the Centro Histórico and Line 4 has a route to/from the airport (with stops at terminals 1 and 2) that passes through the Centro Histórico. The Metrobús is safe but can be crowded.

Most routes cost M$6 (April 2022) to ride, while buses to/from the airport cost M$30 (Nov 2021). In order to ride, you need a refillable smart card that must be bought in advance (M$16, including one fare). These cards can be used at the Metro and Tren Ligero as well. Lines 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 have enclosed stations with turnstiles where you pay. There are card vending machines at these stations. Line 4 has regular bus stops and you pay when boarding the bus. Cards are thus not sold there, but can be bought/recharged at convenience stores along the route. If you are just arriving and want to take the Metrobús from the airport, you can buy the card at the 7-Eleven shops in both terminals.

The Metrobús has stops approximately every 500m. Expect Line 1 to be crowded around the clock and other Lines to be crowded during rush hour, but it’s a great way to move around very rapidly. There are branches in each route, buses that take multiple lines and buses that do not go all the way from terminal to terminal, so you must check the correct door to take the bus in your direction, as well as the bus’ billboard before boarding to see which is the last stop they will visit. There are reserved boarding areas at the front of every bus (indicated on the platforms) for women, the handicapped and the elderly.

The Mexibús is a similar system covering areas of the State of Mexico (in the metropolitan area). There are 3 lines, all of which cost M$6 but use different smart cards. The Mexibús is reasonably safe, but pickpocketing and robbery do sometimes occur.

By trolleybus

Trolleybuses are operated by the Electric Transport Services. There are 15 trolley bus lines that spread around for more than 400 km. They usually do not get as crowded as regular buses, and they are quite comfortable and reliable. They have lower frequencies and can be a little slower than regular buses, since they are unable to change lanes as quickly. There is a flat fare of M$2 on most lines and M$4 on the Eje Central, Eje 2 Sur and Eje 7 Sur lines. You pay in a coin box and bus drivers do not give out change. For tourists, the Eje Central line (Line A) is useful to go between the North and South bus stations or between these stations and the Centro Histórico.

By light rail

The Tren Ligero (Light rail)nis operated by Electric Transport Services and consists of one single line that runs to Xochimilco, south of the city, from the Tasqueña Metro Station (Line 2, blue; alternatively you may see it spelled as Taxqueña). For tourists, it is useful if you plan to visit Xochimilco, the Dolores Olmedo Museum, the Anahuacalli Museum or the Azteca Stadium. The ticketing system works very similarly to the Metro, but the tickets are not the same. Tickets are sold at most stations along the line. Where they aren’t, there is always a police officer guarding the entrance, next to whom there is a coin box where you can deposit the fare in coins (exact change or pay extra). You can also use the same smart card as in the Metro and Metrobús.

By Cablebus

The cablecar is not specifically made for tourists. It starts from the metro station Indio Verdes. The ride until the first stop goes along a street avenue for about 7 minutes. Then the cable car passes a highway. After the second stop it only goes through a rather poor neighborhood with grey houses far and wide. It’s not recommended to leave the cable car stations and stroll around due to safety. If you have never taken a cablecar inside a city, here is your chance. The price is M$7 (April 2022).

By taxi

There are more than 250,000 registered cabs in the city and they are one of the most efficient ways to get around. The prices are low, a fixed fee of about M$8.6 to get into the cab, and about M$1.14 per quarter kilometer or 45 seconds thereafter, for the normal taxis (taxi libre). The night rates, supposedly between 11PM at night and 6AM in the morning are about 20% higher. Some taxis “adjust” their meters to run more quickly, but in general, cab fare is cheap, and it’s usually easy to find a taxi. At night, and in areas where there are few taxis, cab drivers will often not use the meter, but rather quote you a price before you get in. This price will often be high, however, you can haggle. They will tell you that their price is good because they are “safe”. If you don’t agree on the price, don’t worry as another cab will come along.

Although safety has substantially improved, catching cabs in the street may be dangerous. Taxi robberies, so-called “express kidnappings”, where the victim is robbed and then taken on a trip to various ATMs to max out their credit cards, do sometimes occur, but there are some general precautions that will minimize the risk:

• Taxis have special license plates. The registration number starts with an “A”, “B” or “M” followed by five digits. Base (“Sitio”) taxis are safer. These plates are white and have a small green and red squares at the bottom corners.
• The taxi license should be displayed inside the taxi; usually it is mounted somewhere above the windshield. Check that the photo of the driver on the license is of the actual driver. Make a point of looking at it.
• Look for the meter. Without it, they will be more likely to rip you off. All taxis in Mexico city have meters.
• If you are nervous, take sitio taxis only. These may be a bit more expensive, but they are well worth the expense.
• If you are safety-conscious or require additional comfort, consider radio taxis, which can be called by phone, and are extremely reliable and safe, although a bit pricier than other taxis. Most restaurants, hotels, etc., have the number for radio taxis. Radio taxis will usually give you the price for the trip on the phone when you order them. Radio taxis charge more than regular taxis, but are available all night. Hotel taxis will be significantly more expensive than site or radio taxis.
• As with absolutely everything else, risks are greater at night. At night, radio taxis are recommended.

Mexico City is so large, and many street names so common that cab drivers are highly unlikely to know where to go when you give only a name or address of your destination. Always include either the name of the colonia or the district (i.e. “Zona Rosa”), as well as any nearby landmarks or cross streets. You will probably be asked to give directions throughout or at least near the tail end of the journey; if either your Spanish or your sense of direction is poor, carry a map and be prepared to point.

The two most common recommendations for a safe cab riding experience are to make sure you take an official cab, and to notify a person you trust of the license plate number of the cab you are riding. There is a free app available for iPhone, android and Blackberry (soon) that allows you to verify if a cab is official by comparing the taxi license plate number with the government provided data and that lets you communicate through Facebook, twitter and/or email the license plate number of the cab you have taken or even communicate an emergency through these mediums. The free service is called Taxiaviso.

By double-decker tourist bus

The Turibus is a sightseeing hop-in hop-off bus that is a good alternative to see the city if you don’t have too much time. The one-day ticket costs M$140 Monday-Friday and M$165 Saturday-Sunday. Children are half-price. Your ticket is valid for all routes. Runs 365 days a year. Its main route includes the Zona Rosa, Chapultepec Park, Polanco, Condesa, Roma and the Historic Center. There are three secondary routes running South, West and North. The South route runs from Fuente de la Cibeles in Condesa to Coyoacan and Xochimilco. The West route (Circuito Polanco) runs between Polanco and Chapultepec. The North route (Circuito Basílica) goes to Tlatelolco and the Basilica de Guadalupe.

The new Capitalbus [dead link] has a similar service. It has a central route that includes the Centro Histórico, Reforma and Polanco, as well as a route west to the Santa Fe business district, and a North route to the Basílica de Guadalupe and various churches. Tickets cost M$130 for 6 hours, M$140 for 24 hours Monday-Friday, M$180 for 24 hours (Saturday-Sunday) and M$250 for 48 hours. Buses have Wi-fi.

If you get lost

If you get absolutely lost and you are far away from your hotel, hop into a pesero (mini bus) or bus that takes you to a Metro station; most of them do. Look for the sign with the stylized metro “M” in the front window. From there and using the wall maps you can get back to a more familiar place. The Metro stops running around midnight-ish and if you get lost late at night, taking a taxi is probably your best bet.

By car

Driving around by car is the least advised way to visit the city due to the complicated road structure, generally reckless drivers, and the 5 million vehicles moving around the city. Traffic jams are almost omnipresent on weekdays, and driving from one end of the city to the other could take you between 2 and 4 hours at peak times. The condition of pavement in freeways such as Viaducto and Periférico is good, however in avenues, streets and roads varies from fair to poor since most streets have fissures, bumps and holes. Most are paved with asphalt and some used to be paved using concrete. Since the city grew without planned control, the street structure resembles a labyrinth in many areas. Also, traffic ‘laws’ are complex and rarely followed, so driving should be left to only the most adventurous and/or foolhardy. Driving can turn into a really challenging experience if you don’t know precisely well where are you going. Guia Roji [dead link] sells good paper maps, and Google Maps and Apple Maps have good maps of the city.

Street parking (Estacionamiento in Spanish) is scarce around the city and practically nonexistent in crowded areas. Some areas of the city such as Zona Rosa, Chapultepec, Colonia Roma and Colonia Condesa have parking meters on the sidewalks which are free on certain days and hours (depending on the location). It is possible to park in other streets without meters but is likely there will be a “parking vendor” (Franelero in Spanish) which are not authorized by the city, but will “take care of your car”. Some of these fellows will “charge” at your arrival, the best advice is to pay if you want to see your car in good shape when you come back.

Hoy No Circula (Today You Do Not Circulate) is an extremely important anti-traffic and anti-pollution program that all visitors including foreigners must take into consideration when wishing to drive through Mexico City and nearby Mexico State with their foreign-plated vehicles, as they are not immune to these restrictions. It limits vehicle circulation to certain hours during the day or certain days depending on the previous days’ pollution levels, how new your car is, the last digit of your plate number (plates with all letters are automatically assigned a digit) and whether the car has passed the bi-yearly emission controls. Newer and electric vehicles (which are usually the case for rentals) have a 00 or 0 hologram sticker and are exempted from most regulations. You can check the cars that cannot circulate today here[dead link]. Mexico City, but not the State of Mexico, offers a special pass good for 2 weeks, that allows someone with a foreign-plated vehicle to be exempt from these restrictions.

You should take into consideration the following tips when driving: avenues have preference over streets and streets over closed streets. Continuous right turns even when traffic light red are not allowed from 2016. Seat belts are mandatory for all seats. Police generally drive with their lights on, but if you’re stopped by a police car, it is likely they will try to get money out you. It is up to you if you accept to give a bribe, but never offer one directly. Fines are usually cheap and can be paid at banks, supermarkets and convenience stores.

By bike

Cycling in most parts of Mexico City is difficult. Distances are long, many roads are wide, car drivers are aggressive and traffic can be hectic. However, the city government is making a serious effort to make cycling more attractive, installing dedicated cycle lanes along several main streets, including Reforma and around Chapultepec Park. Bicycle parking is available in/around most metro stations (such as Auditorio) and the central city. Cycling along dedicated lanes and smaller streets feels safe enough.

For more recreational cycling, the government closes off Reforma every Sunday morning for strollers, cyclists and other non-motorised transport. One Sunday a month, there is a much longer route. Other nice places to cycle include Chapultepec Park and the cycling path installed on the former railway line to Cuernavaca, which passes through Polanco and Lomas and reaches all the way to the Morelos state limits. Bicycles can be taken in the Metro and Tren Ligero on Sundays.

• EcoBici. EcoBici is a bike sharing program in Mexico City. It has 444 stations and over 12000 bikes in central Mexico City, including the Centro Histórico, around Reforma, Condesa and Roma, Del Valle and Polanco. Newer bike stations allow you to purchase a 1-day (M$90), 3-day (M$180), 7-day (M$300) or 1-year (M$400) subscription directly with a credit card. You can take a bicycle from any station and make as many 45-minute trips as you want during that time. They will block M$1,500 from your credit card from the time you sign up and until 5 days after your subscription ends. There are reports that Ecobici are slow to release this deposit, often taking longer than 5 days. 
• Free rental bikes can also be obtained at kiosks in various parts of the city, such as along Reforma, if you provide two pieces of ID.

By foot

Unfortunately, although public transport is frequent and reliable, taxis blanket the city, and Uber comes almost instantly, the traffic and crowds in the central neighborhoods (Chapultepec, Zona Rosa, Centro Historico) are so intense that at rush hour (most of the day) walking is about as fast as any of those options. The good news is that streets have sidewalks, the center is safe during the day, and you can be assured of finding something interesting on every block. The bad news is that this area is nearly 10 km across, so you may want to hop on a bus just to take the weight off your feet.

Downtown Mexico City has been an urban area since the foundation of Tenochtitlán in 1325, and the city is filled with historical buildings and landmarks from every epoch since then. It is also known as the City of Palaces, because of the large number of stately buildings, especially in the Centro. Mexico City has three World Heritage Sites: the Centro Histórico and Xochimilco, the house of architect Luis Barragán and the University City campus of UNAM. In addition, Mexico is one of the cities with the largest number of museums in the world.

Landmarks

• Plaza de la Bellas Artes. Commonly known as Palace of Fine Arts or Cathedral of Arts in Mexico, host of art events and art exhibitions. 
• Plaza de la Constitución. Commonly known as Zócalo in the Centro Historico (Historic Downtown) is one of the largest squares in the world, surrounded by historic buildings, including the City Hall and the Cathedral. 
• La Catedral. The biggest in the Americas. Containing many altars, its principal altar is made from solid gold. 
• Angel de la Independencia (El Angel). A monument in Reforma Avenue and Florencia Street, near Zona Rosa. This monument celebrates Mexico’s independence in 1810. 
• Basílica de Guadalupe. Catholicism’s holiest place in the Americas, and the destination of pilgrims from all over the world, especially during the yearly celebration on the 12th of December. Located at La Villa de Guadalupe, it is the shrine that guards the poncho of Juan Diego that contains the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and is in the northernmost part of the city. 
• Ciudad Universitaria. — The main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Located on Insurgentes Sur Avenue, it is one of the world’s largest universities, with more than 270,000 students every semester. In 2007 it was declared a UNESCO world heritage place. 
• Coyoacán. Historic Colonial Arts district which was home to Frida Kahlo, Leon Trotsky, and Diego Rivera, among others. 
• Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi. The square is surrounded by cafés and restaurants much favored by tourists, and in these and in the square itself groups of musicians play folk music. Most of these groups are “mariachis” from Jalisco, dressed in Charro costume and playing trumpets, violins, guitars and the guitarrón or bass guitar. Payment is expected for each song, but it is also possible to arrange for a longer performances. People set up lemonade stand style bars in the evening to sell you cheap cocktails while you listen. A visit to Mexico is not complete until you experience the fantastic Mariachi Bands, but the neighborhood is a bit sketchy. 
• Ciudadela crafts market. The Ciudadela is a Mexican crafts market where cultural groups from around Mexico distribute their crafts to other parts of the country and the world. 
• Alameda and Paseo de la Reforma. The Alameda is the main park in the Downton area of Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma (“Reform Avenue”) is a 12 km long grand avenue in Mexico City. It was built for the Emperor Maximilian’s wife in the 19th century. Its name commemorates the liberal reforms of Mexican President Benito Juarez. 
• Cineteca Nacional (National Film Archive). It was the first to screen art films, and is known for its forums, retrospectives and homages. It has four screening rooms, a video and a film library, as well as a cafeteria. 
• Torre Latinoamericana. Observation Deck hours, 9AM- 10PM. For stunning views of the city. Its central location, height (183 m or 597 ft; 45 stories), and history make it one of Mexico City’s most important landmarks. 
• Mexico City US National Cemetery, Virginia Fabregas 31 (Colonia San Rafael), ☏ +52 55 5546 0054. Daily 08:00-17:00, closed 25 Dec and 1 Jan. The cemetery is the final resting place for 750 unknown American soldiers lost during the Mexican-American War between 1846 and 1848. Another 813 Americans are also interred here. Free. (updated May 2016)

Parks

Mexico City is full of various plazas and parks scattered through every neighborhood, but the following are some of the biggest, prettiest, most interesting, or best-known.

• Alameda Central (Metro Bellas Artes or Hidalgo). Named after the poplar trees planted there, it is the oldest urban park in Mexico City (1592) and the largest inside the Centro Histórico. 
• Chapultepec Park and Zoo, Paseo de la Reforma (Metro Auditorio). A large park of 6 km² in the middle of the city which hosts many attractions, including the city zoo and several museums such as the Modern Art Museum, the Museum of Anthropology, the Children’s Museum (Museo del Papalote), the Technology Museum, the Natural History Museum and the National Museum also known as Castillo de Chapultepec, the former residence of the Austrian Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg. 
• Xochimilco (Tren Ligero Xochimilco). A vast system of waterways and flower gardens dating back to Aztec times in the south of the city where tourists can enjoy a trip in the “trajineras” (vividly-colored boats). Trajineras pass each other carrying Mariachi or marimba bands, and floating bars and taquerias. Xochimilco is the last remnant of how Mexico City looked when the Spanish arrived to Mexico City in 1521 and it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987. A quieter alternative is to visit the Parque Ecológico Xochimilco, accessible by buses running along Periférico. 
• Plaza Garibaldi-Mariachi (Metro Garibaldi-Lagunilla). Surrounded by bars and restaurants that cater to Mariachi Band enthusiasts. It is where bands come to do public auditions outside, on weekend evenings, simply play for pleasure, or for whoever may pay them. A visit to Mexico is not complete until you experience the fantastic Mariachi Bands. You can also find a great “pulqueria” here (a bar that sells pulque, an interesting fermented maguey cactus drink). 
• Parque Mexico and Parque España. Two adjacent parks in the Colonia Condesa. Now they are popular for an evening stroll, and sometimes house outdoor exhibitions or concerts, and are surrounded by cool cafes and bars. 
• Viveros de Coyoacán (Metro Viveros). A large expanse of greenery and trails that is still used as a nursery to grow trees for the city, but also a public park popular with joggers and amblers alike. 

Many visitors to Mexico City are surprised to find that the city includes large tracts of open land intended to preserve some of the natural resources of the region. These parks offer natural scenery, historical landmarks, and recreational opportunities including hiking, mountain biking, and camping. Public transit is generally not a reliable way to reach these parks, but taxis or private drivers can get you there. Several Mexico national parks lie within the valley of Mexico, but two are particularly noteworthy for travelers to Mexico City:

• Parque Nacional Desierto de los Leones (Southwest part of CDMX, off the highway to Toluca). The first park in the Mexico national parks system, Desierto de los Leones had actually been a federally protected natural area for 50 years before becoming the inaugural park of a new park system. Situated entirely within the city limits of the Distrito Federal, the park is home to cool mountain trails through stands of pine, is home to a variety of plant and animal life, and is known as the site of a historic Carmelite convent dating from the early 17th century. 
• Iztacchuatl-Popocateptl National Park. Look east from downtown Mexico City and the horizon is dominated by two snow-capped mountain peaks with smoke billowing from the cauldron of the still active Popo volcano. Known locally as Izta-Popo, these twin volcanoes are the centerpoint of a 172,000 hectare park that spans a range that crosses the border between Estado de Mexico and neighboring Puebla state. Trails are well documented, and it is easy to find a local guide who can arrange a day hike (ask your hotel concierge). If you want to do a day trip on your own, take Metro to the TAPO bus station, find the Volcanes bus line and take a bus to Amecameca. From there, you can take a taxi into the national park. Even if you’re just winging your trip, you can hire a local guide at the Paso Cortes visitor center. 35 pesos (2022). 

Museums

Mexico is the city with the largest number of museums in the world, to name some of the most popular:

• National Museum of Anthropology. Chapultepec. One of the best museums worldwide over, it was built in late 1960s and designed by Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. Notice the huge, impressive fountain in the courtyard. It gathers the best collection of sculptures, jewels and handcrafts from ancient Mexican cultures, and could take many hours to see everything. They also have interesting international special exhibits. Guides are available outside the museum for about M$200 and may be helpful, especially if you don’t read Spanish well. 
• Plaza de las Tres Culturas. In Tlatelolco has examples of modern, colonial, and pre-Columbian architecture, all around one square. 
• Museum of Modern Art. Chapultepec. Here you will find paintings from Frida Kahlo, Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, as well as a sculpture garden. 
• Dolores Olmedo Museum. Xochimilco. An art philanthropist left her former home, the grand Hacienda La Noria, as a museum featuring the works of her friend Diego Rivera. At least 137 of his works are displayed here, as are 25 paintings of Frida Kahlo. The premises also feature beautiful gardens full of peacocks and a weird species of Aztec dog. 
• Fine Arts Palace Museum (Palacio de Bellas Artes). Centro. A concert hall and an arts center, it houses some of Mexico’s finest murals and the Art Deco interior is worth seeing alone. 
• Museo Soumaya, ☏ +52 55 1103 9805. Mexico City/Polanco. A private museum and collection of many well-known European artists, including an extensive selection of works by Auguste Rodin. 
• Rufino Tamayo Museum. Chapultepec. Contains the works of Mexican painter, Rufino Tamayo. 
• José Luis Cuevas Museum. Centro. Opened in 1992 and is filled with about 1,000 paintings, drawings, and sculptures from notorious artist, Jose Cuevas. 
• National History Museum in Chapultepec’s Castle. Chapultepec. The Museum’s nineteen rooms contain, in addition to a collection of pre-Columbian material and reproductions of old manuscripts, a vast range of exhibits illustrating the history of Mexico since the Spanish conquest. 
• Papalote, children’s Museum. Chapultepec. If you’ve got kids, they’ll love it! Bright, colorful, and filled with educational experiences for children of all ages. 
• Universum (National University’s Museum). Coyoacán. A science museum maintained by UNAM, the largest university in Latin America. Take some time to wander around the Campus. 
• Casa Mural Diego Rivera. Centro. Contains murals of acclaimed artist, Diego Rivera. 
• National Palace (Zocalo). Centro. You can see some impressive Diego Rivera frescoes. You’ll need to carry some sort of ID in order to enter the building. 
• San Idelfonso Museum. Centro. There are some of Orozco’s best frescoes. The temporary exhibitions are usually very good. 
• Franz Meyer Museum. Centro. Display the collections of Franz Mayer, it holds Mexico’s largest decorative art collection and also hosts temporary exhibits in the fields of design and photography. 
• Mexico City’s Museum. Centro. Great place to learn about Mexico City’s eclectic history. 
• Templo Mayor Museum (Zocalo). Centro. Contains the ruins and last remnants of the Aztec empire. attached to the huge archeological site where the foundations of the temple were accidentally found in the 1970s. 
• San Carlos Museum. Centro. The San Carlos Museum holds some of Mexico’s best paintings and exhibit 15th and 16th century paintings. 
• National Art Museum. Centro. The National Art Museum, houses a rich collection of Mexican art ranging from the 16th to the first half of the 20th centuries. 
• Frida Kahlo Museum. Coyoacán Also called Casa Azul, it is the former house of the painter since she was born to her death, and full of some of her works, and many of her personal artifacts. 
• Anahuacalli Museum. Coyoacán An impressive modern representation of Mayan architecture, it houses Diego Rivera’s collection of Aztec and other precolumbian cultures’ sculptures. 
• Leon Trotsky Museum. Coyoacán This was the house where Trotsky lived in exile during the last 1.5 years of his life, and was murdered by one of Stalin’s agents. Guided tours are provided by members of the Workers/ Revolutionary Party. 

As the world’s second largest city, Mexico City offers something for everyone and for every budget. Attractions in Mexico City focus less on lazing on the beach (there are no beaches in Mexico City!) and more on exploring the culture and urban culture of Mexico. The typical “must-see” sites for the foreign visitor are the sites of interest in and around Centro Historico and Chapultepec Park, a visit to the ruins of Teotihuacan in the outskirts of the City and probably a visit to Xochimilco, though there are many other things to see if you have time to really explore.

Itineraries

• Traveling in Mexico City with children

Seasonal celebrations

• Independence Day “Yell”. In the evening of September 15, the President of the country (or the city mayor) salutes the crowds from the presidential balcony in the National Palace in the Constitution Square (Zocalo) and shouts the famous “Viva Mexico”. The Zocalo (and the rest of the city) is decorated with ornaments and lights. This is an incredible expression of Mexican patriotism combined with a party mood. Expect big crowds with a big revelery. If you want smaller crowds, the squares at the center of every borough usually host similar celebrations. 
• Independence Parade. In the morning of September 16, there is a military parade that runs across Paseo de la Reforma, turns right at Juarez Avenue which later becomes Madero Street and ends at the Zocalo. 15,000 to 30,000 soldiers of the Mexican Army, Navy and Air Force march through the streets displaying its equipment and weapons. 
• Day of the Dead. November 1–2. Mexico is one of the few countries in the world that celebrates this day (Dia de los Muertos), in which people go to the cemeteries to offer tribute to their departed ones, and decorate their graves with marigolds and bright colors. But this is not a sad celebration, on the contrary, people give family and friends candy treats in the shape of skulls and bones made of sugar and chocolate, as well as delicious bread called “Pan de Muerto”. Don’t miss a visit to a public market to find these delicacies, and watch out for the parades to and from the local cemeteries. 
• Wise Men’s day. January 6. Most Mexican kids receive toys from the Three Wise Men (Reyes Magos). This is a celebration that pays homage to the aforementioned Bible story. To celebrate it the family gather to eat the “Rosca de Reyes”, a sort of bundt cake filled with plastic baby Jesus figures. Traditionally, people who get a figure in their slice of cake are expected to host a feast with tamales on Candelaria Day, February 2. The surroundings of the Alameda Central park are filled with costumed Reyes Magos on the days leading to January 6. 

Amusement parks

• Six Flags Mexico. Carretera Picacho al Ajusco #1500 Col. Héroes de Padierna. Southwest of Mexico City, it is the largest amusement park in Latin America and the only Six Flags park outside the U.S., The Netherlands and Canada. The park is fitted with several million-dollar attractions, including Batman the Ride and not for the faint-hearted Medusa Roller Coaster. 

Sports

If you’re into sports, then Mexico City has plenty to offer. Soccer is the national sport and Mexicans go crazy about it. The city was host to two FIFA world cups, one in 1970 and the other in 1986. Another important sport in Mexico City is baseball, with many Mexicans playing professionally in the US. The city was the first in Latin America to host an Olympics, doing so in 1968; the majority of the city’s sport facilities were built for that event.

• Estadio Azteca, Calzada de Tlalpan 3665 (Colonia Ursula Coapa: take the light rail to Xochimilco, get off at ‘Estadio Azteca’). One of the biggest soccer stadiums in the world, built in 1961, now with an official capacity of 95,500 but frequently packing in several thousand more. It’s the home of El Tri, the Mexico men’s national team, and also home to one of the country’s most famous soccer clubs: Club América. It also serves as venue for concerts and for the first NFL regular-season game outside the United States. Prices for soccer usually start from M$200 up to M$600 for field level seats, but will be higher for national team matches. Beware of resellers, as they will often sell fake tickets. 
• Estadio Olimpico de Ciudad Universitaria, Avenida Insurgentes Sur, Ciudad Universitaria. Simply known as “Estadio de C.U.” Located south of the city, this was the site of the 1968 Olympic opening ceremony. It was built with 72,000 seats but now holds 52,000. It is home to Club Universidad Nacional, more often known as “Pumas”, a soccer team operated by the National University (UNAM). The Pumas began as an amateur team of UNAM students, but have been fully professional for several decades (though still owned and operated by the university). The stadium hosts several sports, mainly soccer and American football. To reach the stadium by public transport you can use the Metro and hop off at the Universidad station (Line 3, green), and hop in one of the free shuttle buses that run around the University circuit (only in weekdays). 
• Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu, Ciudad Deportiva Magdalena Mixihuca (Southeast of el Centro). Modernistic baseball stadium built in 2019 for 20,000 cheering fans. It is a pleasantly intimate stadium with excellent sight lines from almost any seat in the house. The new stadium replaces Foro Sol as Mexico City’s primary venue for professional baseball, and is home field for the Diablos de Mexico, a AAA-level Mexican League professional team. The closest Metro station is Puebla or Cuidad Deportiva (both on line 9). 
• Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Rio de la Piedad (Metro to Palacio de los Deportes (Sports Palace)), ☏ +52 5598 3316. Built in 1962 ,this 4.4 km track hosts Grand Prix Formula One and other motor racing such as NASCAR and A1-Grand Prix. It’s held a regular F1 event since 2015, with the next races on 27-30 Oct 2022 then 27-29 Oct 2023. (updated Sep 2022)
• Palacio de los Deportes (Viaducto Piedad and Rio Churubusco. Metro station: Ciudad Deportiva (Line 9)). Built for the 1968 Olympic Games, with a full capacity of 22,000, it hosts several indoor sports. Venue for several concerts, circus, expos. 
• Arena Ciudad de Mexico, Av. de las Granjas 800, Santa Barbara, Azcapotzalco (Take Metro line 6 to Ferreria), ☏ +52 5562357016. Opened in February 2012, with a full capacity of 22,300, Arena Ciudad de Mexico hosts several indoor sporting events and a wide range of popular music events, it is the home for annual NBA regular-season games played in Mexico. The venue hosts several concerts, shows, festivals, and expos. 
• Hipodromo de las Americas, Av. Industria Militar, Colonia Lomas de Sotelo. Mexico City’s home for horse racing, both thoroughbreds and quarter-horses. There are races nearly every day, the complex has different zones for different budgets including the original club-house and grandstand, with several restaurants and seating for 20,000 race fans. 

Lucha libre

Lucha libre (loosely translated as “free fighting”) is the term for the style of professional wrestling that developed in Mexico. Due to its affordable and entertaining nature, it is a favorite pastime throughout the country. While similar to professional wrestling elsewhere in that the outcomes are predetermined, it developed quite differently from wrestling in the rest of the world. Wrestlers, known in Mexico as luchadores (female: luchadoras), tend to work much faster than those in the rest of North America, employing complex chains of moves, numerous high-flying maneuvers, and often-realistic submission holds. Also, rings in Mexico often lack the spring supports used in many other countries, which means that wrestlers typically don’t take falls landing on their back as they often do elsewhere. More often than not, aerial moves involve wrestlers launching themselves outside of the ring at their opponents, allowing them to break the fall by tumbling. Finally, Mexican wrestling has far more weight classes than in other countries.

Another hallmark of lucha libre is the emphasis on tag team matches, which are most often made up of three-wrestler teams instead of the pairs that are common elsewhere. Rules for tag team matches are also significantly different.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of lucha libre is the colorful masks worn by many performers. While the concept of the wrestling mask was borrowed from the U.S., it has become infused with the role that masks have long played in Mexican culture. Almost all luchadores will begin their careers wearing them, but most will lose their masks at some point in their careers. The biggest matches in lucha libre are luchas de apuestas (“betting fights”), in which wrestlers will bet their masks, hair, or even their careers on the outcomes.

• Arena México, Doctor Lavista 189, Colonia Doctores. The most famous venue for lucha libre. You can enter through Avenida Chapultepec. It’s very close to Zona Rosa and Avenida Insurgentes. 
• Arena Coliseo, República de Perú 77, Centro. Another famous venue for Lucha Libre and boxing. In the Centro Histórico. (updated Feb 2016)

Concerts

• Arena Ciudad de México. (updated Feb 2016)
• Auditorio Nacional. (updated Feb 2016)
• Bellas Artes. Opera, traditional Mexican and classical music. (updated Feb 2016)
• Circo Volador. Alternative music and metal. (updated Feb 2016)
• Ollin Yoliztli. Home to the Mexico City Symphonic Orchestra. (updated Feb 2016)
• Sala Nezahualcóyotl. Home to the UNAM Symphonic Orchestra (updated Feb 2016)
• Teatro Metropolitan. (updated Feb 2016)

Out of town trips

• Desert of the Lions National Park.  – 28 km away from the city you can find yourself surrounded by trees in the middle of the forest. Take a hike from “La Venta” to “El Convento” or up to “Cruz Blanca” and eat some great quesadillas for lunch, you can’t miss them since it the only structure on “Cruz Blanca”. If you can find a mountain bike, it’s one of the best places to ride.
• Teotihuacan.  – 50 km. The ancient city of giant pre-Columbian pyramids.

Like many other things in the country, Mexico City has the largest concentration of universities and colleges, starting with the UNAM, one of the finest in Latin America and the second oldest university in the American continent, founded in 1551.

Some of the most renowned universities in the city include:

• Instituto Politecnico Nacional Public university dedicated mainly to engineering and research.
• Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Commonly known as UNAM, located in the south of the city mainly in Ciudad Universitaria, is a public university with a student population of more than 300,000.
• Instituto Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey simply known as “Tec” is a branch of the famous private institute in Monterrey, having 3 campuses in the Greater Mexico City Area: one to the south in Tlalpan, one in the western financial district of Santa Fe and one to the north in the industrial corridor of Atizapán de Zaragoza-Tlalnepantla de Baz-Cuautitlán Izcalli.
• El Colegio de Mexico, or Colmex is an exclusive graduate and teaching institution in the social sciences and humanities with a student to faculty ratio of roughly one to one. It contains a library with over 600,000 volumes and Large-scale inter-library exchange agreements are maintained with domestic as well as foreign universities. More than 60% of library users are external to El Colegio. About twenty percent of full-time students come from countries other than Mexico, and the majority of its graduates continue to do their PhD’s at institutions like Harvard, Stanford, or Oxford
• Universidad Panamericana Private catholic university that holds one of the best business schools in the world: IPADE located in the seventeenth century Hacienda de San Antonio Clavería.
• Universidad Anahuac Recognized Private catholic university, aims on humanism and leadership.
• Universidad Intercontinental Private catholic university of Guadalupe affiliation.
• Universidad Iberoamericana Private university of Jesuit origin.
• Instituto Tecnológico Autonomo de Mexico Private university.
• Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Commonly known as UAM, a public university with four campuses citywide.
• Universidad Tecnológica de Mexico Private university.
• Universidad del Valle de Mexico Private, a branch of Laureate International Universities.
• Universidad de Las Américas The first private university in México
• Universidad La Salle Private catholic university.

You can learn Spanish in Mexico City as there are various schools offering courses for foreigners, for example:

• Centro de Enseñanza de Lenguas Extranjeras[dead link] Known as CELE, is a faculty of the National University (UNAM) and is probably the most renowned, located south of the city in Ciudad Universitaria.
• Center for International Education, La Salle (CIEL)
• Academia Hispano México, S.A. de C.V.
• CIB Centro de Idiomas Bravo
• Walk Spanish

These ATMs have low withdrawal fees and are widespread throughout the city:
• banamex / citibanamex
• Santander
• Banorte
If there is none of them near you, check these ATMs with low fees:
• BanCoppel
• BanBajío
• Banco Azteca
• Banjercito

Mexico City is famous among Mexicans for its huge malls, streets like Presidente Mazaryk offer haute couture stores.

Shopping districts

• Polanco. Upscale shopping and dining district centered around Presidente Masaryk and Campos Eliseos streets. It also has several shopping malls. 
• Altavista. San Angel upscale shopping street. 
• Condesa. Trendy district full with alternative stores and boutiques. 
• Centro Historico, 20 de Noviembre St. The city’s oldest shopping district, you can find almost anything here. The old department stores are clustered around 
• Pino Suarez. There is a lot of youth-minded fashion going on here. Most of it is a knock-off of something else but at such low prices who can complain? There is a very large indoor market near the metro stop (Pino Saurez, on the pink line) that has a ton of clothing, shoes, and food vendors. 

Shopping centers

American-style shopping malls appeared in Mexico City by the late 1960s and are now are spread all over the metropolitan area. Here you will find some of the malls sorted by area.

Central

• Reforma 222, Paseo de la Reforma 222, Juárez. Metro Insurgentes or Metrobús Hamburgo.
• Fórum Buenavista, Eje 1 Norte and Insurgentes, Buenavista. Metro Buenavista.
• Plaza Insurgentes, San Luis Potosí 214, Roma. Metrobús Sonora.
• Parque Delta, Cuauhtemoc 462, Narvarte. Metro Centro Médico or Metrobús Obrero Mundial.
• Metrópoli Patriotismo, Patriotismo 229, San Pedro de los Pinos. Metro San Pedro de los Pinos.

North

• Parque Lindavista, Riobamba 289, Lindavista. Metro Lindavista.
• Plaza Lindavista, Montevideo 363, Lindavista. Metro Lindavista.
• Plaza Satélite, Circuito Centro Comercial 2251, Ciudad Satélite.
• Mundo E, periférico Norte 1007, Santa Mónica
• La Cúspide
• Toreo Parque Central, Boulevard Manuel Ávila Camacho 5, Fraccionamiento Lomas de Sotelo, Naucalpan de Juárez. Metro Cuatro Caminos.

West

• Antara Polanco; Ejército Nacional 843, Polanco
• Molière dos22; Molière 222, Polanco
• Pabellón Polanco; ejército Nacional 980, Polanco
• Magnocentro 26 Fun & Fashion, Magnocentro 26, Interlomas
• Parque Duraznos, Bosque de Duraznos 39, Bosques de las Lomas
• Paseo Arcos Bosques, paseo de los Tamarindos 100, Bosques de las Lomas
• Centro Santa Fe, Vasco de Quiroga 3800, Santa Fe. The largest shopping mall in Mexico City. Reachable by Ecobús from Metro Balderas.

South

• Centro Coyoacán, Avenida Coyoacan 2000, Del Valle. Metro Coyoacán.
• Plaza Universidad, Avenida Universidad 1000, Del Valle. Metro Zapata. The first shopping mall in Mexico City.
• Galerías Insurgentes, Insurgentes Sur 1329, Del Valle. Metro Insurgentes Sur or Metrobús Félix Cuevas.
• Perisur, insurgentes Sur 4690, Jardines del Pedregal. Metrobús Perisur.
• Galerías Coapa, Calzada del Hueso 519, Villa Coapa.
• Plaza Cuicuilco. Metrobús Villa Olímpica.
• Plaza Loreto, Altamirano 46, San Angel. Metrobús Doctor Gálvez.
• Pabellón Altavista, Camino al Desierto de los Leones 52, San Angel. Metrobús Altavista.
• Gran Sur, Periférico Sur 5550, Pedregal de Carrasco

Outlet malls

• Premium Outlets at Punta Norte. Northwest of Mexico City (State of Mexico) in the intersection of Periferico (Mexico Hwy #57) and the Chamapa La Venta highway, near Ciudad Satelite. You will need a taxi or a car to get there. 
• Las Plazas Outlet Lerma. Mexico- Toluca highway Km. 50 in the intersection with Calzada Cholula in the City of Lerma, near Toluca. You will need a car to get there. 

Arts and crafts

• Mercado de Curiosidades. In Centro Historico. 
• Mercado Insurgentes. In Zona Rosa. 

The National Fund for the Development of Arts and Crafts (Fonart), Avenida Patriotismo 691, in Mixcoac, Avenida Paseo de la Reforma No. 116 in Colonia Juárez and Avenida Juarez 89 in Centro.

Flea and antique markets

Although street vendors can be found almost anywhere in Mexico City, the following are more “formal” flea markets selling handcrafts, furniture and antiques.

• Bazar del Sábado. In San Angel. Every Saturday, artists show and sell their paintings in a beautiful, cobblestoned zone of the city. There are also stores where they sell handcrafts. 
• Mercado de Artesanias. In Coyoacan on Saturdays, featuring handicrafts from all over the country, and classes for kids. 
• Plaza del Angel. In Zona Rosa, Calle Londres (metro station Insurgentes). Mostly expensive antique shops, the famous Sunday collectibles market has nearly vanished. 
• Mercado de Alvaro Obregon. In Colonia Roma 
• Sunday art market in the Monumento a la Madre. 
• Tianguis Cultural del Chopo. The main flea market for the counterculture in Mexico City. Along Aldama Street between Sol and Luna. Metro Station Buenavista. 
• Mercado de Antiguedades de Cuauhtemoc. Near Centro Historico (metro station Cuauhtemoc), every Saturday 9AM-5PM. 
• La Lagunilla and Tepito. Near Centro Historico (metro stations Lagunilla and Garibaldi). La Lagunilla has some of the best antiques, and is a maze of interesting thing, although it is a high crime area with 317 reported robberies in 2006. Tepito is more for pirated CDs, stolen things, and knock-offs. This area is huge and it’s very easy to get lost. Shopkeepers are mostly friendly and will point you toward the nearest Metro station. For safety, visitors to this market should dress down, go with someone else, and arrive early in the day when it’s less crowded. If you don’t speak Spanish it’s probably better to stay away. The collectibles market takes place every Sunday from 9AM, mainly along Paseo de la Reforma at intersection with Allende. 

Supermarkets

You may want to buy groceries and food at any of the hundreds of supermarkets. You can use Google Maps or the store locators at their websites to find one close to you. These are some of the most common:

• Chedraui. 
• The high-end City Market, small Sumesa and large Mega supermarkets. Sumesa has several locations around the Roma and Condesa. Owned by Soriana.

• Soriana. If you’re staying in the Centro Histórico, a useful central one is inside the Forum Buenavista shopping mall, reachable by Metro Station Buenavista. From Roma and Condesa, you can easily reach the one inside the Paruqe Delta shopping mall (Metro Centro Médico). 
• Wal-Mart. Also owned by them are the high-end Superama and discount-store Bodega Aurrerá supermarkets. Several throughout the city, including one near the airport. Stock just about everything, much like the supercenters found in the US. An easily accessible one is right next to the Nativitas Metro station (Line 2) on the west side of the Calzada de Tlalpan. Exit the Metro on the west side (toward Calle Lago Pte.) and make a left as you exit the station. The first thing on your left, just next to the station building, is the ramp going up to the Wal-Mart entrance. Visible from the train, impossible to miss. 

Ethnic grocery stores

For generally hard-to-find ingredients, such as vegetables and spices that are unusual in Mexico, try the Mercado de San Juan (Ernesto Pugibet street, Salto del Agua metro station). You can even find exotic meats here, such as iguana, alligator, ostrich, and foie gras. Go to the cheese stand at the center of the market, and ask for a sample— the friendly owner will give you bread, wine, and samples of dozens of different kinds of cheese.

Korean

• Supermercado Seul (Florencia Avenue and Hamburgo Street, Zona Rosa). 
• Seoul Market (Hamburgo 206, Zona Rosa). 
• Uri Market (Londres 234, Zona Rosa). 

Japanese

• Mikasa (San Luis Potosí 170, get from Insurgentes Sur Avenue, between Medellín and Monterrey). Lots of Japanese food ingredients, candy and drinks 
• Kokeshi (Amores 1529, Colonia del Valle (between Parroquia street and Felix Cuevas Avenue (Eje 7)), ☏ +52 5534 7131. Mostly Japanese food stuff but they also sell other Asian foods. They also sell Japanese dinnerware. 

Asian

• Super Kise (Division del Norte 2515, Del Carmen, Coyoacan). South of the city, they sell Korean, Chinese and Japanese groceries. 

Kosher

Many food products in Mexico including milk are kosher compliant. If you’re looking for specific products, try some stores in the Polanco neighborhood. At some Superama branches you would find kosher departments, especially the ones in Polanco, Tecamachalco and Santa Fe neighborhoods.

Although it is easy to assume that Mexico City is the world capital of tacos, you can find almost any kind of food in this city. There are regional specialties from all over Mexico as well as international cuisine, including Japanese, Chinese, French, Polish, Italian, Argentinean, Belgian, Irish, you name it. You find specific restaurants in the district articles of Mexico City. The main restaurant areas are located in Polanco, Condesa, Centro, Zona Rosa, along Avenida Insurgentes from Viaducto to Copilco and more recently Santa Fe.

There are several Mexican chain family restaurants that can be assumed to be safe and similar no matter where you are, including Vips, Lyni’s, Toks, and the more traditional Sanborns, all reminiscent of Denny’s in the United States. They are uniformly good but never excellent. If you’re on a budget, you can also try one of the myriad comida corrida (set menu) restaurants, frequented by many office workers. Some of these offer very good food, are usually safe, and should range between M$70-110 (March 2022).

Perhaps the most ubiquitous type of food almost anywhere in Mexico city are fast food outlets, located on the ground floor of a street-facing building, or puestos, street stands located on a sidewalk or almost anywhere there is room. Most of these serve the usual tacos or tortas (filled bread rolls similar to a sub or sandwich), and they can be very cheap. Hygiene varies from good to abysmal, so eat at a place that has plenty of people.

If you want to stuff your face with lots of real Mexican food at cheap prices then head over to a market, such as Mercado La Merced (the former central market, located on the pink line of the subway at the stop “Merced”). There are several restaurants as well as stands serving up some delicious food. Huaraches, which are something like giant tortillas with different toppings/fillings, are popular here, as are alambres. Another superb market is located a stone’s throw from the Salto del Agua metro stop; Mercado San Juan Arcos de Belem. It is full of food stalls offering all the Mexican favourites, but find the one opposite the small bakers, which is located by one of the rear entrances on Calle Delicias, which serves the Torta Cubana. The people running it are amazingly welcoming and the food, especially the Cubana, is excellent.

If you want something safe and boring, most American fast food chains have franchises here. You’ll see McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s Pizza, Domino’s Pizza, TGI Friday’s, Chili’s, Dairy Queen, Subway, and yes, Starbucks. These are all fairly affordable.

El Globo, a French-style bakery, has locations throughout the city selling both French and traditional Mexican pastries, like orejas (little ears), éclairs, empanadas, and rosca during New Year’s. It can’t be beat for a quick snack or bagful of pastries to eat later.

Asian food restaurants are abundant, and the quality is good, and caters from cheap Chinese cafeterias to expensive and very good Japanese food. Korean, Japanese and Chinese are most common cuisines in Mexico City, while Indian, Thai and Indonesian can be harder to find. Most sushi places, however, put far too much rice on their sushi rolls and not enough fish.

Vegetarian (vegetariano in Spanish) alternatives are commonly available at larger restaurants, but don’t expect much from street vendors. The magic phrases, for vegetarians or vegans, are “sin pollo” (no chicken), “sin carne” (no meat), “sin huevo” (no eggs) and “sin queso” (no cheese). If you can communicate this and then gesticulate to the menu, the waiter normally will give you suggestions. In regular restaurants, they will even try to edit an existing dish for you. Just make sure you are clear. Chiles Rellenos are usually filled with meat, but different fillings are a definite standard in any vegetarian restaurant.

Restaurant basics

Tips— Tipping (propina in Spanish) is expected, with 10% the standard for decent service at all sit-down restaurants. You can tip more for very good service (15%), or tip less or not at all for poor service.

In Mexico, there is no difference in prices if you sit inside or outside, it is the same if you eat at the bar or sit at a table.

Don’t leave without trying

• Tacos al pastor
• Cecina Adobada
• Tacos de tripa
• Gringas
• Enchiladas Suizas
• Enchiladas de mole
• Pozole
• Quesadillas
• Sopes
• Tortas
• Sopa de tortilla
• Chilaquiles
• Huevos Rancheros
• Arrachera
• Micheladas
• Huaraches
• Alambres
• Tacos de suadero
• Tacos de canasta
• Enfrijoladas
• Tacos de barbacoa
• Migas
• Agua de Jamaica
• Pambazos

For a quick breakfast you can always try a tamal (steamed corn dough with chicken or pork) bought on the street or specialized shops, accompanied by a cup of atole (hot chocolate corn starch drink), which is the breakfast of the humble on their way to work. They are often in the form of tortas de tamal.

In Mexico City you have an almost endless choice of options to party. Traveling by yourself at night in certain areas of Mexico City is not a good idea, especially in Plaza Garibaldi, where pickpocketers are ever ready to relieve you of your unguarded cash. One of the ways you can check out the night life safely is by doing a Night Club Tour. These tours will typically take you to a few clubs and include transportation. Mexicans are for the most part very friendly and enjoy socializing.

The typical Mexican place to go to drink is the cantina, a bar where food is usually free, and you pay for drinks (exact policies and minimums vary). Cantinas serve a wide range of Mexican and foreign drinks, with prices usually reasonable compared to prices in the US, and you’ll be continually served various Mexican foods, such as tacos (you should ask for ‘Botana’). If your tolerance for Mexican music (mariachi or otherwise) and lots of noise is low however, this may not be your kind of place. Cantinas are open moderately late, usually past midnight at the very least. However some cantinas, like La Victoria, near the Plaza Garibaldi, are also open at midday for lunch.

A lower-end traditional option is going to a pulquería, where you can drink pulque (a gooey whitish drink). After being on a steep decline for decades, many are finding a new surge in popularity with young people. They can be found in the Centro Histórico and around Xochimilco. If you don’t like pulque, they usually serve beer as well.

Many bars play a combination of Spanish and English-language rock, electronic music, and some Latin/Caribbean music. These bars tend to close around 3-4AM.

Club music mainly falls into three main categories, pop, rock and electronic music. The pop places generally play what’s on the music charts, Latin pop, and sometimes traditional Mexican music, and are frequented by a younger (sometimes very young) audience, and are often more upper class. The rock places play rock in the wide sense, in English and Spanish. Most people are at least over 18 in these places. The electronica clubs, which attract everyone from Mexico City’s large subculture of ravers and electronica fans, of all ages. Most clubs close late, 3-4AM at the earliest, and some are open until 7AM or 8AM.

The best bet used to be the Zona Rosa, which has a large number of street bars with rock bands playing and a large selection of clubs, especially strip clubs and gay bars. South of Zona Rosa you can find the Condesa and Roma areas, with many options of bars and restaurants. Another good area is Polanco, particularly a street called Mazaryk, where you’ll find plenty of good clubs but it is best to make a reservation. Republica, La Santa or Guilt (gay club) are posh and exclusive clubs on that street. Be forewarned – entrance is judged on appearance and to get a table a minimum 2-bottle service is required, unless its a slow night [min. US$80 per bottle]. Posh and upper scale night clubs can be found in the Lomas area, particularly the Hyde, Sense and Disco Lomas Clubs, but be warned some of these could be extremely expensive, where the cover charge could range from 250 pesos upwards and bottles start at US$130. In addition, getting in could very difficult, as these are the most exclusive in town. There are also exclusive gay clubs in that area with the same characteristics: Envy night club on Palmas 500 and Made nightclub on Chapultepec next to the lake and the restaurant El Lago Chapultepec.

The other common Mexican-style thing to do when going out is to go dancing, usually to salsa, meringue, rumba, mambo, son, or other Caribbean/Latin music. This is considerably more fun if you’re a somewhat competent dancer, but even complete beginners who don’t mind making fools of themselves will likely enjoy it. Most dance places close late, 3-4AM is common.

The legal drinking age is 18. It is illegal to consume alcohol in public (“open container”). This is strictly enforced and the penalty is at least 24 hours in jail.

Take an identification card such as a copy of your passport.

The city has literally hundreds of hotels in all price ranges, though the district you want to stay in will be a good indicator of price and quality. Zona Rosa is a tourist haven with a strong mid-range selection; the Polanco district is where high-end hotels thrive, and the Centro Histórico is home to plenty of budget hotels and backpacker hostels. A wide variety of hotels can also be found along Paseo de la Reforma.

Budget

Decent budget hotels with private bathroom can be found for around M$320 (April 2022) in and around the historical center.

Very good rated hostels for M$220-250 (April 2022) are with facilities like a fully equipped kitchen. Many low-priced hotels are not listed on the internet and many foreigners jump into the hostels. The hostels are a good place to meet people. Just there are plenty of other places to meet people besides hostels so be sure to look around before deciding to stay at one just because it has a sign in English.

• Hostel Mexico City, República de Brasil #8 (northwest corner of Catedral Metropolitana, metro Allende or Zócalo, line #2 blue), ☏ +52 55 5512-3666, +52 55 5512-7731, reservaciones@mexicocityhostel.com. Centrally located close to the Zócalo in the Historic Center. Breakfast included, Internet, laundry, lockers, tours and tourist information. (updated Apr 2022)
• Hotel Rio de Janeiro, Rep De Brasil, near Zocalo, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, CP. 06010, ☏ +52 5555181591. Decent rooms with TVs with local channels. The rooms with attached bedrooms are also cheap. Basic, but clean and with personal TVs. (updated Apr 2022)
• Hotel Habana, Rep De Cuba No. 77, Mexico City, Distrito Federal, CP. 06010, ☏ +52 55 55 18 15 91. The Hotel Habana in the Calle República de Cuba has well-appointed rooms for a good price. (updated Apr 2022)

If you are on a low-budget, you can find hotels as low as US$10 (Aug 2020) if you take a room with a shared bathroom. Most are centred in the Centro Historico and are very decent.

Mid-range

• El patio 77 B&B, García Icazbalceta #77, Col San Rafael Mexico DF (3 blocks from SAN COSME metro station (Blue Line)), ☏ +(52)(55)55928452, elpatio77@gmail.com. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. El patio 77 is the first eco-friendly B&B in Mexico City. This only 8-room boutique guest house is a huge French style mansion from the 19th century located in the heart of the city. Starting at US$70+tax. 
• Holiday Inn Zocalo, Av Cinco De Mayo 61 Col Centro Colonia Centro Mexico City 06000. Modern three star hotel that has an amazing rooftop balcony restaurant overlooking Zocalo Square. The rooms are small but comfortable, well furnished although the internet access in the lobby can be inconsistent. US$102. 
• Hotel Majestic, Av Madero 73, Centro Histórico, Mexico City 06000. While boasting an impressive tezontle stone façade, this two star hotel is let down by small rooms and staff that seem ambivalent. However, it is an unbeatable location and the terrace restaurant gives stunning panoramic views of the Zócalo. Starting at US$86. 
• NH Centro Histórico, Palma 42, Centro Histórico, Mexico City 06000, ☏ +52-55-51301850. The NH Centro Histórico is in the heart of the city of Mexico, only a few steps away from the historic ‘Plaza de la Constitución’ better known as “Zócalo”, and the magnificent historical ‘Metropolitan Cathedral’, the ‘National Library’ and ‘Mexico City Museum’. The NH Centro Histórico offers the ideal starting point to visit the most important symbolic buildings and monuments. There are 2 other NH Hotels in Mexico City. Starting at US$83. 
• Barceló México Reforma, Paseo de la Reforma, 1, ☏ +52 55 5128 5000, melia.mexico.reforma@solmelia.com. Meliã México Reforma is on the renovated Paseo de la Reforma Avenue, near the financial, cultural and historic districts of Mexico City. Starting at US$152. 
• Camino Real Aeropuerto, Puerto México 80, Col. Peñón de los Baños (Connected to Int’l Airport (MEX) Terminal 1), ☏ +52 (55) 30 03-0033. Though a fairly standard hotel as far as rooms and facilities go, its ideal feature is a walkway directly connecting it to Terminal 1 of Mexico City-Benito Juárez International Airport. Check-out is usually quick, and you can be in the terminal in less than one minute. For travellers flying in/out of Terminal 2, the “Tren Aéreo” (Air Train) that connects T1 to T2 is steps away. Restaurant and bar, plus 24-hour room service. Rooms are clean and comfortable, though somewhat small. Wi-fi in lobby and wired Internet access in the rooms (for a fee). Starting at US$107. 

Splurge

• Four Seasons Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma 500 Colonia Juárez Mexico City 06600. Historic setting, built in a square around a large open-air courtyard containing restful tropical gardens with a fountain, sculptures, a cafe, and a restaurant. All rooms are fitted and finished to a high standard and great service from the staff, especially the concierge. Starting at US$293. 
• JW Marriott Hotel Mexico City, Andres Bello 29 Mexico City 11560 Mexico. Situated in the trendy Polanco district, with great shopping and restaurants within walking distance, the JW Marriott delivers all expectations. The rooms are luxurious and comfortable, with exceptional detailing, and the staff goes out of their way to ensure that every request is catered to. Starting at US$229. 
• Hyatt Regency Mexico City, Campos Eliseos 204 Col. Polanco Mexico City 11560. Formerly the Nikko Hotel, it hosts some of the best Japanese restaurants in town and some art galleries worth visiting. Perfect location for restaurants and major museums. Starting at US$195. 
• Presidente Intercontinental Mexico City, Campos Eliseos 218 Mexico City, Distrito Federal 11560 Mexico. It’s hard to miss this hotel which towers 42 stories high in a sleek, ultra modern design. All rooms featuring a view of the city or Chapultepec Park and feature a daily maid service, air conditioning, kitchenettes and cable television. The hotel itself has a car rental desk, health club and business center. Starting at US$249. 
• W Hotel Mexico City, Campos Eliseos 252 Mexico City 11560. The W Hotel displays its signature sexiness in Mexico city, with sleek designs, cherry red walls in the rooms and the traditional all white beds. Great for young professionals, families and mature customers may not appreciate the thumping techno music that accompanies them throughout the hotel. Starting at US$309. 
• The St. Regis Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma 439 Mexico City 06500. The St. Regis Mexico City is ensconced in the sleek, 31-story Torre Libertad. It overlooks the Paseo de la Reforma in the heart of one of the city’s most exciting zones. Starting at US$394. 
• Hotel Camino Real Polanco México, Mariano Escobedo 700 Mexico City 11590. Strategically located in the exclusive financial and commercial zone of Polanco close to sites of interest such as: El Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park), the Museum of Anthropology and History and the Rufino Tamayo Museum. Starting at US$230. 
• Hotel Habita, Presidente Masaryk 201 Mexico City 11560. Habita is Mexico City’s most comtemporary luxury hotel. Uniquely located in the upscale area of Polanco, the hotel appears as a floating glass box. Inside, serene and elegant spaces combine modern design with personalized service. Starting at US$245. 
• CONDESA df, Veracruz 102 Mexico City 06700. This design hotel is the star in the Condesa neighborhood. Artsy, cool, stylish and fun, CONDESA df truly exemplifies its neighborhood — fashionable and trendy, yet respectful and traditional. Starting at US$200. 

Despite its reputation, travel in Mexico City is generally safe and most people find it surprisingly non-threatening. Areas around the historic center and other places where tourists usually go are generally well-lit and patrolled in the early evening. Much of your travel within the city will be done via public transportation or walking. Mexico City is an immensely crowded place, and as with any major metropolitan area, it is advised to be aware of your surroundings.

Do not show money in front of others as this generally attracts pickpockets. Protect your personal information, such as your PIN number when entering it at an ATM or bank terminal. When paying at a restaurant, it’s best if you don’t let your card be taken away but instead ask for the terminal to be brought to you or go where it is located.

Do not leave anything of value visible from your car window, always use the trunk, even things that could be considered to hold something of value (for example, an empty gift box) will attract unwanted attention to your car and might prompt a broken window.

Plan ahead, and know where you are going and how you will arrive. Most people in Mexico City are quite hospitable and some will speak English, and people who work for hotels and other hospitality-oriented businesses will always help. This will help in avoiding confusion, becoming lost or stranded. Also, you can ask a local for advice to get somewhere, though you might need basic Spanish to do this. In the Polanco, Sante Fe and Lomas districts, some police officers and many business people and younger children speak English, as it is very common to learn it in school.

The least safe places where tourists often go are around the North part of the Centro Historico, such as around Garibaldi square. Be extra vigilant if you go there at night. There is a detailed crime map based on official statistics.

Safety at public transport

There are pickpockets in Mexico City. Purses and bulky, full back pockets are quite attractive. Do not keep your passports, money, identification, and other important items hanging out for someone to steal. Place items in a hotel safe, or tuck them away inside your clothes. A money belt might be a good option. The Metro or Subway system can get extremely crowded, which creates opportunities for pickpockets on cars that are often standing room only.

Taxi

Taxi robberies, so-called “express kidnappings”, where the victim is robbed and then taken on a trip to various ATMs to max out their credit cards, do occur, although safety in the city has improved. 95% of total kidnapping victims are nationals, so your odds of being taken are very slim, they are not targeting strangers, yet you should always use your common sense.

The two most common recommendations for a safe cab riding experience are to make sure you take an official cab, and to notify a person you trust of the license plate number of the cab you are riding. There is a free app called Taxiaviso for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry (soon) that allows you to verify if a cab is official by comparing the taxi license plate number with the government provided data and that lets you communicate through Facebook, Twitter and/or email the license plate number of the cab you have taken or even communicate an emergency through these mediums.

Metro

Well organized bands of pickpocketers are operating in the most common Mexico City Metro lines, most of which are close to touristic spots. One of the most common methods of pickpocketing in addition to the thefts inside the wagons is work in teams of 4 or 5 persons that push the victims into the doors trying to emulate a fake crowd. The victim tries to enter or exit the wagon and the thefts take advantage of this deliberated movement of distraction to extract mainly phones or wallets that are inside the pockets of the victims and it gives to a third person inside or outside the wagon that escapes with the objects. In case of pickpocketing the method of warning to the police is pushing the “alarm signal” red lever (warning sign) close to the doors. Take in consideration that if the thefts are discovered they will argue violently in their favor to the police elements and will ask for a revision of all their belongings, knowing that they give the objects to other accomplice that hurried from the station and there is no evidence of theft, one of the conditions that the police will ask to begin a formal detention and prosecution. The most common stolen objects are cellphones, specially high end-models. Stay safe keeping your cellphone and wallet inside a security bag or money belt with zippers and avoid enter the wagons into the middle of the platform where are more common find crowds at the doors.

Buses and trolleys

While the most tourist areas are safe and the areas with more incidents are outside them, buses are stolen by armed robbers. In case this happens do not try to resist, give your belongings (cell phones and money), do not make violent movements and do not try to look at the thieves. Murders have been reported by people who do it.

Also be careful of pick-pocketing which is reported to happen especially around line B of the subway.

Violent robberies on trolleybuses or M1 buses (public transport of Mexico City Government) are not common at all.

Police officers

Police officers in Mexico get paid a third of what New York City police officers make, and some rely on bribes and corruption to make more money (however, never offer a bribe first since not all officers will want or accept them). Paying bribes supports systematic corruption that impoverishes the country and weakens the rule of law, so if you care about that, adamantly reject bribery and ask for their badge number, they will generally leave you alone. The historic center and other major sites often have specially trained tourist police that speak English or other foreign languages and are more helpful than ordinary transit cops.

The Mexico City Government has opened a specialized prosecution office (Ministerio Público in Spanish) for foreigners that find themselves affected by robberies or other crime situations. It is in Victoria Street 76, Centro Historico. Multilingual staff are available.

Most embassies are clustered in the areas around Bosque de Chapultepec in Delegación Miguel Hidalgo and in the adjacent and more central Delegación Cuauhtémoc. There are others located further south in Delegacion Álvaro Obregón as well. Some of the embassies in Mexico City are accredited as non-resident embassies to Central America, the Caribbean and/or South America while others are accredited to Mexico from Washington DC or from their Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York:

• Argentina, Av. Paseo de las Palmas N° 1670, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5520-9430, fax: +52 55 5540-5011. M-F 08:30-17:00. Embassy is also accredited to Belize. 
• Australia, Rubén Darío 55, Col. Bosque de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11580, ☏ +52 55 1101-22000, fax: +52 55 1101-2201. M-F 08:30-17:00. Embassy is also accredited to Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama. 
• Austria, Sierra Tarahumara 420, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5251-0806, fax: +52 55 5245-0198. M-F 09:00-12:00. Embassy is also accredited to Belize Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua where they have and oversee honorary consulates. 
• Brazil (Brasil), Lope de Armendáriz 130, Col. Lomas Virreyes, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5201-4531, fax: +52 55 5520-6480. 
• Belize (Belice), Bernardo de Gálvez 215, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 1101-22000, fax: +52 55 1101-2201. M-Th 09:00-17:00, F 09:00-16:30. 
• Belgium (Belgica), Ave Alfredo Musset 41, Col. Polanco, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11550, ☏ +52 55 5280-0758, fax: +52 55 5280-0208. M-F 08:30-13:30. 
• [formerly dead link] Bolivia, Goethe 104, Verónica Anzúres, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11550, ☏ +52 55 5255-3620, +52 55 5255-3630. M-F 08:30-12:00 & 13:45-16:30. 
• Canada, Schiller 529, Col. Bosque de Chapultepec (Polanco) Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5724 7900, fax: +52 55 5724 7980, mxico@international.gc.ca. M-F 09:00-12:00 & 14:30-16:00; notarial services are available at 09:00-10:00 only. 
• Chile, Andrés Bello Nº10, Piso 18, Edificio Forum Colonia, Col. Polanco, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5280-9682, +52 55 5280-9682, +52 55 5280-9689. The consulate is at a separate location at Calle Arquímedes N° 212, 5° Piso, Colonia Polanco, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 
• China, Av. Río de la Magdalena 172, Colonia Tizapán – San Ángel, Delegación Álvaro Obregón 01090, ☏ +52 55 5616 4324, +52 55 5616 4309, +52 55 5616 4239. M-F 09:00-13:00, phone service 16:00-19:00. 
• Colombia, Paseo de la Reforma 412 Piso 19, Col. Benito Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc, ☏ +52 55 5525-0277. The consulate is at a separate location at Paseo de la Reforma 319 Piso 1, Col. Cuauhtemoc. Tel: +52 55 5525-4562 (updated Jan 2017)
• Costa Rica, Rio Po #113, Col. Cuahtémoc, Del. Cuahtémoc, ☏ +52 55 5525-7766, fax: +52 55 5511-9240. (updated Jan 2017)
• Cuba, Presidente Masaryk, No. 554 Col. Polanco. Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11560 (Entre Bernard Shaw y Línea Ferrocarril de Cuernavaca), ☏ +52 55 6236 8737. (updated Jan 2017)
• Denmark (Dinamarca), Tres Picos #43, Col. Polanco., Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11580, ☏ +52 55 5255-3405, fax: +52 55 5545-5797. (updated Jan 2017)
• Dominican Republic (Republica Dominicana), Prado Sur 755, Col Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5540-3841. The consulate is at a separate location at Francisco Petrarca #336, Int. 301, 3a Piso, Col. Chapultepec Morales. Tel: +52 55 5260-7262 (updated Jan 2017)
• Ecuador, Calle Tennyson N° 217, Col. Polanco, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11560 (entre Av. Homero y Horacio), ☏ +52-55 5254-4665. M-F 09:00-17:00. 
• El Salvador, Calle Temistocles 88, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Del Miguel Hidalgo 11560, ☏ +52-55-5281-5725. 
• Egypt (Egipto), Alejandro Dumas 131, Col. Polanco, Del Miguel Hidalgo 11560, ☏ +52 1 5281-0823, +52 1 5281-0698. (updated Jan 2018)
• Finland (Finlandia), Monte Pelvoux 111, 4. piso, Colonia Lomas de Chapultepec, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11000 México D.F., ☏ +52-55-5540 6036, fax: +52-55-5540 0114, sanomat.mex@formin.fi. M-F 09:00-13:00. Embassy is also accredited to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama 
• France (Francia), Av Campos Elíseos 339, Miguel Hidalgo, Polanco, Polanco III Secc, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11560 México D.F., ☏ +52-55-9170-9700. 
• 19.416119-99.2169821 Georgia, Monte Everest 905, Colonia Lomas de Chapultepec, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11000 México D.F., ☏ +52 55 5520 0118, fax: +52 55 5520 0897, mexico.emb@mfa.gov.ge. M-F 09:00-18:00. 
• Germany (Alemania), Horacio 1506, Col. Los Morales, Sección Alameda, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo 11530, ☏ +52 55 5283-22-00, fax: +52 55 5281-25-88. M-Th 07:30-16:30, F 07:30-15:00. 
• Greece (Grecia), Monte Ararat 615, Lomas de Chapultepec V Secc, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52-55-5520-2070. 
• Guatemala, Explanada 1025, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec V Secc, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52-55-5520-9249. 
• Haiti, Sierra Vertientes 840, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5580-2487, +52 55 5557-2065. M-Th 09:00-16:00, F 9:00-15:00. (updated Jan 2018)
• Honduras, Calle Alfonso Reyes #220, Col. Hipódromo Condesa, Del. Cuauhtémoc 06170, ☏ +52-55-5211-5747. 
• [formerly dead link] Iran, Paseo de la Reforma 2350, Col. Lomas Altas, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52-55-9172-2690. 
• [dead link] Iraq, Paseo de la Reforma No. 1875, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5596-0933, fax: +52 55 5596-0294. (updated Jan 2018)
• Ireland (Irlanda), Cda. Blvd. Manuel Avila Camacho No. 76, piso 3 Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del Miguel Hidalgo 11000. (updated Jan 2018)
• Israel, Sierra Madre No. 215, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5201-1500, fax: +52 55 5201-1555. (updated Jan 2018)
• Italy (Italia), Av. Paseo de las Palmas 1994, Col. Lomas Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52-55-5596-3655, +52 55 5596-7710. M Tu Th 09:00-13:00; 15:00-16:00 Passport Issuance; 13:30-15:00 Visa Issuance. 
• Jamaica, Paseo de las Palmas 1340, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec Morales, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5250-6804, +52 55 5250-6806. M-Th 09:00-17:00, F 09:00-15:00. (updated Jan 2018)
• Japan (Japón), Paseo de la Reforma No.395 Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc 06500, ☏ +52 55 5211 0028, fax: +52 55 5207 7743. 
• Korea (Corea del Sur), Lope Diaz de Armendariz 110, Col Lomas de Chapultepec IV Secc, 11000 Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5202-9866. M-F 09:00-13:00 & 15:00-17:00. 
• Lebanon (Líbano), Julio Verne No. 8, Del Miguel Hidalgo C.P. 11560, ☏ +52 55 5280-5614, +52 55 5280-6794. (updated Jan 2018)
• The Netherlands (los Paises Bajos), Av. Vasco de Quiroga 3000-7a Piso, Edificio Calukmul, Colonia Santa Fe, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5258-9921, +52 55 1150-6550, fax: +52 55 5258-8138. 
• New Zealand (Nueva Zelanda), Corporativo Polanco, Jaime Balmes 8, Piso 4 – 404A, Col Los Morales, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11500, ☏ +52 55 5283-9460, fax: +52 55 5283-9480. M-F 09:30-14:00 & 15:00-17:00. Embassy is also accredited to Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama & Venezuela 
• Nicaragua, Prado Norte 470, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5283-9460, fax: +52 55 5283-9480. 
• Norway (Noruega), Avenida Virreyes 1460, Col. Lomas Virreyes, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5047-3700. M-Th 09:00-15:00, F 09:00-12:00. (updated Jan 2018)
• Panama, Calle Sócrates No.339, Colonia Polanco, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo 11560, ☏ +52 55 5280-7857. 
• Peru, Paseo de la Reforma 2601, Colonia Lomas de Reforma, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 1105-2270. M-F 09:00-14:00 (to receive and issue documents). The consulate is at a separate location at Presidente Masaryk, No. 29, Colonia Polanco, Del. Miguel Hidalgo. Tel: +52 55 5203-4838 or 4401-2381 (Emergencies) 
• Philippines (Filipinas), Rio Rhin 56, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc, ☏ +52 55 5202 9360, fax: +52 55 5202 8403, mexico.pe@dfa.gov.ph. M-F 08:00-17:00. 
• Paraguay, Homero 415 , Col. Polanco, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5545-0403, +52 55 5545-0405. 
• Portugal, Alpes 1370, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec V Secc, Delegacion Miguel Hidalgo 11000 (Entre Montañas Rocallosas y Montes Apalaches), ☏ +52 55 5520-7897. M-F 08:00-12:00 & 13:00-15:00. 
• Romania, Calle Sófocles, 311, Colonia Polanco, Delegación Miguel Hidalgo, 11560, ☏ +52 55 5280 0197, fax: +52 55 5280 0343, mexico@mae.ro. Embassy) 
• Russia, Maestro José Vasconcelos 204, Col. Hipódromo Condesa, Del. Cuauhtémoc 06140, ☏ +52 55 5271-4856. 
• Spain (España), Calle Galileo 114, Col. Polanco, 1150 Del Miguel Hidalgo (Corner of Horacio and c/ Galileo), ☏ +52-55-5281-5725. M-Th 09:00-17:00, F 09:00-15:00. 
• South Africa (Sudáfrica), Andrés Bello 10, Piso 9, Col. Polanco, Del Miguel Hidalgo CP-11560, ☏ +52 55 1100-4970. M-F 08:30-16:30. (updated Oct 2018)
• Sweden (Suecia), Paseo las Palmas 1375, Paseo de las Palmas, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 9178-5010, fax: +52 55 5540-2347. (updated Oct 2017)
• Switzerland (Suiza), Torre Optima, Piso 11, Paseo de las Palmas, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del Miguel Hidalgo 11000 (Corner of Horacio and c/ Galileo), ☏ +52-55-91 78 43 70, fax: +52 55 55 20 86 85. M-Th 09:00-12:00 & 14:00-15:00, F 09:00-12:00. 
• Turkey, Monte Líbano No. 885. Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11000, ☏ +52 55 5282-5446, +52 55 5282-4277. M-F 09:00-13:00 & 14:00-16:30 (10:00-12:30 Consular Section). (updated Jan 2018)
• United Kingdom (Reino Unido), Río Lerma, No. 71, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc, ☏ +52 55 1670-3200. M-Th 08:00-16:30, F 08:00-14:00. Consular services are temporary available at Torre Cuadro (3rd floor) ; Cda. Blvd. Avila Camacho, 76-3; Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, Del. Miguel Hidalgo (updated Jan 2017)
• 19.42849-99.16642 United States (Estados Unidos), Paseo de la Reforma 305, Col. Cuauhtémoc, Del. Cuauhtémoc, ☏ +52 55 5080 2000, fax: +52 55 5080 2005. (updated Jan 2017)
• Uruguay, Hegel 149 – Piso 1, Col. Polanco, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, ☏ +52 55 5531-0880. M-F 09:00-15:00. (updated Jan 2017)
• Venezuela, Schiller 326, Polanco, Del. Miguel Hidalgo 11550, ☏ +52 55 5203-4233. (updated Jan 2017)

See this Link from Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM), the Mexican Immigration Department for a list of embassies and consulates of additional countries in Mexico.

Routes through Mexico City

Guadalajara ← Toluca ←	W  E	→ Ocoyoacac → END
Queretaro ← Tepotzotlan ←	N  S	→ SE branch END at in San Marcos Huixtoco → SW branch END at in Acopilco
Pachuca ← Ecatepec de Morelos ←	N  S	→ END at Jct
END ← Tres Marias ←	N  S	→ Cuernavaca → Taxco
END at Jct ← San Juan de Teotihuacan ←	SW  NE	→ las pirámides → Tulancingo
Toluca ← San Francisco Chimalpa ←	W  E	→ END
END ←	SW  NE	→ Apizaco → Texcoco
END ← Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl ←	NW  SE	→ San Marcos Huixtoco → Puebla→ Cordoba