Mexico City
Mexico, North America
Twenty-two million people, one taco at a time.
The altitude hits first, 2,240 metres, then the smell of corn tortillas on a comal somewhere just around the corner. Mexico City is a capital that operates at full intensity from 7am until 3am: baroque churches sinking into soft lakebed, street tacos that cost less than a newspaper, a metro system carrying five million people daily, and contemporary art museums that would embarrass most European cities.
Our honest take
Mexico City is one of the great food cities on Earth, full stop. The museums are world-class and nearly free. It's also deeply unequal, the traffic is brutal, and altitude sickness on day one is genuinely unpleasant. Stay in Roma Norte or Condesa, give yourself at least 5 days, and eat at the taco stand with the longest queue.
Why go
- The taco culture alone justifies the flight, suadero, carnitas, and barbacoa on blue corn tortillas for under 30 pesos ($1.50) at stands that have operated the same corner for decades
- Museo Nacional de Antropología holds the Aztec Sun Stone and room after room of pre-Columbian civilisations, easily the best archaeology museum in the Americas
- Lucha libre at Arena México on a Tuesday night: 60-peso tickets, elaborate masks, multi-generational family crowds, acrobatics that make WWE look slow
Skip if you can
- Chapultepec Castle interior, long queues, underwhelming rooms; the park itself is worth it but skip the castle on a Saturday when every school group in the city is there
- Xochimilco on a weekend afternoon, the trajineras become floating parties with aggressive vendors and terrible recorded music. Go on a weekday morning for something closer to serene
- The tourist restaurant row on Presidente Masaryk, overpriced, aimed squarely at Polanco's wealthy locals and expense-account visitors, food is mediocre relative to what a street taco costs three blocks away
Things to do
Where locals eat
Achiote-marinated pork shaved off a vertical trompo onto small corn tortillas with pineapple, onion, and cilantro. A Mexico City icon, descended from Lebanese shawarma. Best eaten late at night.
El Vilsito in Narvarte, an auto repair shop by day, one of the city's revered al pastor taquerias by night
Tostadas piled with tuna, ceviche, or seafood, a bright, citrusy counterpoint to the meat tacos, especially good in the Roma/Condesa area.
Contramar, the famous lunch spot for tuna tostadas and grilled fish (book ahead)
A cheap set lunch, soup, a main, agua fresca, eaten at market fondas in Coyoacán or Mercado de San Juan. This is how the city actually eats midday.
A fonda inside a neighbourhood market (Coyoacán or San Juan)
Fresh-fried churros with thick drinking chocolate, a late-night or early-morning CDMX ritual at long-running churrerias.
A dedicated churreria open late
Costs
Per person, per day on the ground, lodging, food, local transport and activities. Excludes international flights (see Getting there).
Street tacos: 20-35 MXN each ($1-1.75). Museum entry: most 80-100 MXN ($4-5), Sunday is free for nationals. Metro: 6 MXN ($0.30). Uber across Roma to Centro: 80-120 MXN ($4-6).
Getting there
Where to stay
Tree-lined streets, good restaurants and coffee shops, walkable, safe at night
Art deco buildings, parks, slightly quieter than Roma, popular with long-stay visitors
On top of the archaeology and murals, noisier, grittier, more chaotic, not for everyone but nothing is further from generic
Good to know
- Stick to Uber or ride-hailing apps, street taxis and unofficial cabs carry real risk of express kidnapping
- Altitude sickness is real at 2,240m, take the first day slow, avoid alcohol, drink water obsessively
- Petty theft on the metro during rush hour is common, use a front-worn bag and keep your phone out of sight
- Tap water is not drinkable, every hotel and Airbnb will have a garrafón (large water jug); use it
Prices, visa rules, and transport details may change. Always verify with official sources before booking. Last updated: July 2026.
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