Mexico City is huge and cosmopolitan. It is so huge in fact that in terms of population, it could become a country on its own. It is complex and vast and yes, overwhelming.
The majority of my clients are top executives who are sent on frequent business trips and want to take advantage of that weekend in the middle of meetings or a few extra days they can take off at the end.
Unfortunately, they rarely have the time to plan their mini-vacation. That’s where I come in.
If you are such a person (and even if you aren’t), these are my recommendations for a cultural travel experience in Mexico City that will leave you with a taste of their history and rich culture.
How to see Mexico City
First of all, don’t get overwhelmed. I’m going to lay it all out for you so that you don’t have to deal with too many details.
As I said, Mexico City is enormous. So the best idea is to plan your itinerary according to proximity and neighborhoods (colonias).
I have divided this visit to Mexico City in four easy-to-do days so that you really pace yourself and absorb as much as you can from this incredible culture.
You can choose accordingly which “days” you want/can do with your extra days. If you can’t do the four days in a single trip, don’t worry! Do what you can and leave the rest for the next trip.
Transportation in Mexico City
The city is actually very well connected with a good transportation offer of the metro, buses and taxis.
Taxis are cheap. If you can, I highly recommend you find a good trustworthy driver at your hotel, or that you hire a taxi for the day.
It is a bit more expensive, but many of these drivers can double as quite knowledgeable tour guides. If somebody has recommended one of these drivers to you, I say go for it.
If not, ask at your hotel or call a taxi from a reputable taxi company that offers taxis amarillos (yellow) or blancos (white).
It is not advisable to hail any taxi (especially the green ones) on the streets, though I did so, and nothing happened to me, but Mexicans themselves warn visitors against it.
Beware that the traffic can be terrible at rush hour, but since we’re going to concentrate on small areas of town, I don’t think that would be too much of a problem.
If you’re more of the adventurous type, by all means, take the metro. It will be crowded, a bit dirty and there may be pickpockets, but it connects the entire city faster and more efficiently.
If you really want to be a local, hop on the diverse assortment of buses that can drive you around. Make sure you’ve asked which bus you need to take to reach your destination.
Food in Mexico City
The cliché of tacos and quesadillas is only the beginning of the immense diversity and richness of Mexican cuisine.
It would be ridiculous to try and squeeze it all into a few paragraphs in this article. (Though I may give it a go and write a Mexican food article later on).
Suffice it to say, that you can find it all, from all over the country in Mexico City. You can even find food from other countries or go into a familiar American chain like Burger King.
You are not going to go hungry in Mexico City.
And I suggest you try a little bit of everything. Of course, Mexican food, though superbly delicious, it can also be superbly heavy on your stomach.
Read these 13 tips to eat healthy during your trips, just to be safe. You can buy food on the streets or you can go into a fancy restaurant. Try it all!
Just make sure you take some general precautions like seeing if the food has been properly cooked, that it’s not been laying around for a long time and that the place looks clean.
The weirdest things you’re going to encounter in Mexico are chapulines (little grasshoppers), the worm in mezcal shots and crackers with fly eggs (Though they might have been teasing me with that one).
But don’t worry, generally Mexicans won’t trick you into eating any of them without you knowing about it. At least that’s my experience. Other than that, everything is oh, so yummy!
Weather in Mexico City
There are mild seasons, so just check the weather online before heading over.
So that’s it for the general aspects of visiting Mexico City. Next time we’ll begin with day 1, when we will delve into the history and art of this amazing culture.
Mexico to me is just one of those places where everything is culture; every aspect of their daily life speaks of where they come from and of their cast heritage.
Have you been to Mexico City before?
What did you see?
What did you eat?
What’s your impression of their magnificent culture?
Share your comments below or join us in Facebook!
Continue reading in Part 2 of this series: Dead Simple Mexico City (Day 1), Chapultepec.
I’ve been hearing SO much about Mexico City, and really want to check it out! I love Frida Kahlo and would love to visit her blue house…
What you should know about the Blue House is that it doesn’t really house any of Frida’s masterpieces, like her famous self-portraits. So if you’re looking to see those, this is not the place. Most of her works actually belong to private collections.
However, you can see her diary there, and some of her earlier works, like the portrait of her father.
The house is above all, a look into her life with Diego, into her spaces and how she made them her own. You can see Frida in every corner of the house, her special touch and her reverence for all things Mexican. It’s truly remarkable. When you go, pay special attention to her collection of ex-votos.
They are amazing! Her furniture and her studio are also incredible. Only one article left on the Mexico City series, so come back later on to read it! Thanks for the comment.