Check out our pinned-for-you-map of Mexico with all our favourite destinations marked so you can Roam around Mexico city with ease
Is Mexico City worth visiting?
Absolutely yes. The food, the architecture, the people, the history, it is all incredible. We loved it. The perfect start to our 3 week Mexico trip but would we make it our only Mexican destination? Most likely not. Like most huge cities (Mexico city has a population of over 9million people) it is chaotic, we prefer to balance the chaos with quite when travelling.
How long should you stay in Mexico City?
Mexico City is huge and there are endless things to do and see. We stayed for 4 nights and had 3 full days and felt it was the right amount of time for us, we could have maybe had another full day in us to explore one more area and of course eat more tacos.
View our ultimate Mexico City 3 day itinerary here.
Where to stay in Mexico City?
When looking at where to stay in Mexico City we highly recommend staying in the areas of Roma North or La Condesa. These areas are beside each other so you will explore both. The areas are beautiful with tree lined streets, amazing restaurants/bars/cafes, parks and stunning architecture. Both Roma North and La Condesa are really popular among locals and tourists alike. They are lively early in the am as well as at night making the areas really safe.
Click here for a wide range of accomodation available in La Condesa and Roma
How to get around Mexico City?
We suggest walking and getting Ubers around Mexico City. We walked to most places because we just like to explore a city by foot or by bike. E-Bikes are available but locals we spoke to said they are quite dangerous, especially when you aren’t used to Mexican driving. There is also a subway and a bus line throughout the city. Uber is very affordable. We were paying approx 100 pesos for 30 min taxi rides. Traffic can be very heavy between between 9am - 11am so always take that into account.
To help you get around we have created a Pinned-for-you-map of Mexico city with all our favourite places pinned.
Is Mexico City safe?
A big question we had was whether or not Mexico City is safe and from our experience, yes, it is safe. Naturally, like in any big city or place you are unfamiliar with, do your research of the different areas, keep all items on you, use common sense. After asking a lot of locals, the recommendation is to stay out of the historic centre and surrounds after 6pm or so because there is no one around. The areas of Roma and La Condesa are where people go to to enjoy their evenings. Explore the centre during the day, eat in Roma and La Condesa at night.
What language do they speak in Mexico City?
Spanish is the widely spoken language in Mexico City. English is actually not spoken much at all. If your Spanish is limited (like ours is currently) you will need to have a few basic phrases and use a translation app but the locals are lovely and work with you. We never had issues getting by. In fact, it has just made us really excited to learn more Spanish!
The altitude
Mexico City is situated at 2240 meters above sea level. This means you are likely at a higher altitude than you are used too. For us, it wasn’t super obvious most of the time but definitely be extra cautious on the first day, take it easy. Drink lots of water throughout and if climbing to steeper parts of the city, take your time. We did notice we were extra tired towards the end of the days than we usually would be.
What currency do they use in Mexico City?
Mexican Pesos is the currency used throughout
Best way to make payments in Mexico city?
Shops, especially larger shops don’t actually like to accept cash. They will but they prefer not too because the money is renowned for being quite unhygienic. Debit cards are preferred, most places do take tap but sometimes you will have to insert the cards. We used a combination of cash and our Revolut cards and it worked well for us.
Is tipping expected in Mexico City?
Yes, there is a big tipping culture in Mexico City. We added approx 10% onto most of our payments by card in restaurants and cafes.
What to do in Mexico City?
There are so many things to do in Mexico City but definitely do a walking tour on your first day to get your bearings, enjoy all of the wonderful food and fill yourself with tacos and visit Coyoacán.
To view our ultimate Mexico City 3 day itinerary see here.
You can also check out a huge range of tours available here
What is the internet/ wifi like in Mexico City?
There is public wifi throughout Mexico City that did work amazingly sometimes but terribly others. It’s not reliable as your only source of data. We used a combination of an e-sim from Airlo (slaney used this) and buying a local sim (colm did this) and both worked. The e-sim was great for convenience and having data from the second we got off the flight. The physical local sim had more consistent coverage. If travelling with 2 people, consider both. They cost the same, approx $25 (Aud) for 3gb data.
What to pack for Mexico City?
Comfortable shoes for walking, we could not believe the amount of steps we did.
Light clothing as it gets hot, especially when walking around a lot.
A light jacket or jumper. Due to the high altitude, the mornings and nights can have a slight chill.
A cross body bag or something that can go under your clothing. We had no issues with pick pocketing but always a good idea in busy cities.
Where to withdraw money in Mexico City?
When withdrawing cash, stick to the big banks: Santander, banamex, hsbc
Where to buy groceries in Mexico City?
We found Walmart to be the best and most accessible
How to avoid getting sick in Mexico City?
This is a common concern when visiting Mexico City. The usual rules apply - if you can’t cook it, boil it, peal it, then forget it. Don’t drink the water from the tap or wash your teeth with it .The locals don’t even drink the water from the tap so just be cautious of things that may be washed in water like salad.
When it comes to street food, we did a street food tour to learn what to look out for because we definitely wanted to enjoy the street food. The main tips from the locals were to:
Use common sense, go with your gut feel
Avoid places handling cash and then preparing food
Look at the hands of the person preparing food, so they seem hygienic?
In most cases, avoid tacos that are below 15 pesos
Check reviews online if they are available
Check out our list of the best tacos in mexico city
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