Mexico City isn’t a city you’d visit just for a few sights.

The best experiences often come at moments you haven’t even planned for in your itinerary.

Morning tacos on the street, an evening cocktail in one of the world’s best bars, or a stroll through the Roma Norte district were just as memorable for us as the famous sights.

Find a hotel in Mexico City by location

Take a hot-air balloon ride over the pyramids

If I had to choose just one experience from my whole trip to Mexico City, it would be the hot-air balloon ride over Teotihuacán.

Without a doubt.

In fact, it was one of the best experiences of all my travels.

The sunrise over the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon is one of those experiences that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

• 👉 Read about our experience in detail
• 👉 or book the activity directly on Getyourguide.com

Head to Grutas Tolantongo

Just a few hours’ drive from Mexico City, you’ll find natural thermal pools carved into a rocky valley.

Grutas Tolantongo is one of the most popular day trips from the capital and, for many travellers, offers a welcome change after a few days spent in the city.

• 👉 Read about our experience in detail
• 👉 or book the activity straight away on Getyourguide.com

Experience the best bars in Latin America

Mexico City is one of the world’s cocktail powerhouses.

It is here that you’ll find several venues regularly ranked among the world’s best bars. Handshake Speakeasy made the biggest impression on us, but we also enjoyed a great atmosphere at Tlecán, Bar Mauro and Licorería Limantour.

View the 10 best hotels in CDMX

Even if you don’t usually go out of your way for cocktails, a visit to at least one of these bars is well worth considering.

• 👉 Here are our experiences from all the bars

Discover the sights – both colonial and Aztec

Although history is by no means the only reason to visit Mexico City, the sights here are world-famous!

We visited most of them and these were our favourites.

• The Pyramids at Teotihuacán – a half-day to full-day trip, but well worth it
• Basilica of Guadalupe – Mexico’s most famous place of pilgrimage, featuring a modern cathedral, historic chapels and stunning views
• Metropolitan Cathedral – the largest historic cathedral in Latin America, right on the main square
• Chapultepec Castle – a beautiful castle with gardens, views and a magnificent stained-glass corridor
• Bellas Artes Palace – Mexico’s most famous building with its iconic orange-yellow roof

Museums that will surprise you

Personally, I’m not that interested in museums, so I was very surprised to find that Mexico City is one of the world’s top destinations in this regard.

You’ll find some truly famous and truly large museums here:

• Museo Soumaya – a vast and diverse museum in a modern building, with free admission
• The NationalAnthropological Museum – one of the most visited museums in Latin America
• Museo Frida Kahlo – the birthplace of the famous Mexican painter (advance booking required!)
• Museo Jumex – a museum of contemporary art
• and many more

Take a stroll through Roma Norte with no particular destination in mind

It sounds strange, but that’s exactly what I’d recommend.

Pick a café, have a coffee or brunch, and just spend a few hours strolling through the streets around Plaza Río de Janeiro, Álvaro Obregón or Orizaba.

It was here that we got the best insight into everyday life in modern-day Mexico City.

Roma Norte is one of my favourite city districts I’ve ever visited. And that’s saying something, given that after a recent visit to Rome, I thought nothing could beat Trastevere.

It has. See for yourself and pop over to Mexico City to have a look.

Check flight prices to Mexico City

Try the street food

Tacos al pastor, churros, tamales or fresh fruit with chilli.

Mexico City is one of the world’s top gastronomic destinations, and much of the experience takes place right on the street.

You don’t have to spend thousands of pesos in luxury restaurants to eat well.

Where did I enjoy the food the most?

• Taquería Orinocco – the best tacos ever!
  • Just off Reforma Street (see map)
• Churrería El Moro – and here are the best churros I’ve ever had. Better than in Spain!
  • We stopped at the branch in the heart of the Polanco district (see map)
• Stalls along Colima Street – fruit, quesadillas and more
  • right in the centre of the Roma Norte district (see map)

Sunday run along the Paseo de la Reforma

Every Sunday, the main boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma, is closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian and cycle zone stretching for tens of kilometres.

It was then that we felt the whole city was alive outdoors.

• 📍Where: Paseo de la Reforma – roughly from the Angel of Independence deep into Chapultepec Park (see the map of the route we ran)
• 📆Days: every Sunday
• 🕘Time: 8am–2pm

Shop and sample delicacies at the markets

If you want to experience Mexico City beyond the tourist attractions, head to one of the local markets.

In our opinion, the Mercado de San Juan is particularly worth a visit, where you can sample seafood, Mexican specialities and a range of unusual ingredients.

We also really enjoyed the local flea market in Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez park (see map).

Go to a lucha libre match

Mexican wrestling is a much bigger cultural phenomenon than we expected.

The atmosphere at Arena México is a mix of a sporting event, a theatre performance and a folk festival. Even if you don’t usually watch wrestling, it’s a very authentic Mexican experience.