About Mexico City
Mexico City — CDMX — has emerged as one of the world's great cities for food, art, and urban culture. At 2,240 metres altitude in a volcanic basin, it is a city of microclimates, neighbourhoods with entirely distinct personalities, and a culinary tradition so deep that UNESCO listed Mexican cuisine as Intangible Cultural Heritage. The historic centre around the Zócalo has Aztec ruins visible beneath the colonial cathedral. Coyoacán is Frida Kahlo's neighbourhood and a village within the city. Roma and Condesa are the creative districts — galleries, mezcal bars, and restaurants from world-class taqueiras to the most ambitious Latin American fine dining. The Mercado de Jamaica flower market at 3am is one of the world's great spectacles. CDMX rewards those who eat their way through it methodically.
Highlights
Mercado de la Merced at 7am — the city's main wholesale market, overwhelming and extraordinary Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul), Coyoacán — book weeks in advance, worth every effort El Huequito tacos al pastor — the birthplace of tacos al pastor, Bucareli, since 1959 UNAM campus — Diego Rivera's library mosaic, world-class brutalist campus architecture Teotihuacán pyramids — the Pyramid of the Sun at dawn, 2,000-year-old city north of CDMX Mezcal tasting in Roma Norte — dedicated mezcalerías pour everything from Oaxacan espadin to rare tobaziche
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Practical Info
EU, UK, and US citizens can enter Mexico visa-free for tourism stays up to 180 days with a valid passport.
The local currency is the Mexican Peso (MXN), with roughly 17-18 MXN per 1 USD. Cards are widely accepted in urban areas, but carry cash for markets and small vendors.
Tipping is customary: 10-15% in restaurants (check if service charge is included), 10-20 MXN per bag for bellhops, and small change for taxi drivers if helpful.
Mexico City is generally safe for tourists in well-traveled areas, but watch for pickpockets in crowded places and avoid unlicensed taxis at night.
Buy a Telcel SIM (best coverage) at official stores or kiosks for ~100-200 MXN with 3-5GB of data; eSIMs like Airalo are also available.
Spanish is the official language, and English is spoken in tourist areas, hotels, and by younger locals, but not universally.
25 Local Tips
Never leave a drink unattended at a club, and if someone you just met insists on buying you a drink, go to the bar together and watch it get poured. It's not paranoia — it's just how savvy locals operate and nobody will think twice about it.
Gay nightlife in Zona Rosa is genuinely welcoming and inclusive in a way that spills out onto the streets — the block parties and outdoor gatherings on weekends there have an electric energy that I think is unlike anywhere else in the city.
If you're going to a club in Polanco, dress sharper than you think you need to — the door culture there is real and bouncers will turn you away for sneakers without blinking. My rule is if I'm second-guessing the outfit, I change it.
The Uber situation after 2am gets complicated — surge pricing gets brutal and drivers cancel constantly in the nightlife zones. I always walk a few blocks away from the main strip before requesting a ride, which cuts wait times and prices dramatically.
Mezcal is sipped here, not shot — ordering a shot of mezcal at a serious mezcalería is a fast way to out yourself as a tourist. Ask for a curado or just nurse it slowly, and the bartender will respect you immediately.
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