Top 10 Places to Visit in Mexico City

The Mexica founded Tenochtitlan here in the 14th century, and Hernán Cortés and his indigenous allies took it in 1521; the Templo Mayor ruins beside the Zócalo and the Metropolitan Cathedral built partly on their stone show the two layers in one walk. The Centro Histórico is a UNESCO World Heritage area together with Xochimilco, and holds the National Palace, Bellas Artes and most first-time sights within a 2-kilometre radius.

The practical layout runs from the Zócalo west along Madero and Avenida Juárez to the Alameda and Bellas Artes, then along Paseo de la Reforma past the Ángel de la Independencia to Chapultepec Park, home to the castle and the National Museum of Anthropology. Coyoacán, the Casa Azul and Xochimilco lie south, 13-25 kilometres from the centre. The Metro costs MXN 5 per trip as of 2026 and Metrobús about MXN 6, both paid with the reloadable Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada, and ride-hail apps are cheap and widely used. Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) has a Metro station at Terminal 1 and lies roughly 7 kilometres east of the Zócalo; the newer AIFA airport is around 45 kilometres north.

February to May and October to November give the most comfortable weather; June to September brings short afternoon storms, and Día de Muertos in late October and early November fills the centre. Most national museums, including Templo Mayor, Chapultepec Castle and the Anthropology Museum, close on Mondays, so a Monday plan should lean on the Zócalo, Coyoacán and Xochimilco. Altitude makes the first day tiring, and tap water is not safe to drink.