Hard Truths:
- Popular restaurants need to be booked months in advance
- Be wary of altitude sickness
- Only take red/white taxis or Uber
- Cuadra San Cristobal needs to be booked ahead
- Hot air balloon take off site can be hard to find
- Don’t expect the Teotihuacán ruins to have Chichén Itzá grandeur
Can’t Miss:
- Sunrise hot air balloon ride
- Amazing restaurants at all ends of the spectrum
- Museums and more museums
Most people think of coastlines when picturing Mexico so when heading to Mexico City it seemed strange that it would be land-locked and at a high elevation (7,350 ft, 2,240 meters). And with such a high altitude can come altitude sickness so be wary. High altitude is ~5,000 feet but usually people won’t feel the effects until over 7,000-8,000 feet so it’s definitely possible to feel it in Mexico City. Luckily it didn’t effect me when I went!
As expected, being its capital city, Mexico City is huge and as tourist you mostly and up wandering around only a tiny part of it. That part mainly falls within La Roma, La Condesa and Polanco neighborhoods which border Chapultepec Park. La Roma and La Condesa are very walkable neighborhoods. They are both very hip and artsy with a lot of cafes and tree lined streets. Polanco has a number of really good restaurants and is the more high-end hood. I went for a long weekend so really only did see a tiny part but I know I’ll go back to explore more!
The high-end hotels are very reasonably priced in Mexico City so my friend and I decided to book the Four Seasons. It’s in a great location, in La Condesa, and has an amazing courtyard with a restaurant and bar. Check out the Don’t Forget section for more hotel recs.
The best and safest way to get around is by taxi or Uber. I was told not to take buses or the subway and to only take “taxi de sitio” which are the red/burgundy or white ones and not take the green and white VW beetle cabs.
With over 150 museums, Mexico City is one of the highest-ranking cities in the world for its number of museums, so it’s definitely a struggle to figure out where to begin. Another great thing about the Four Seasons is it’s right next to Chapultepec park which is home to Museo de Arte Moderno and Museo de Antropologia so those are a great start.
Museo Soumaya was my favorite. The building itself is a work of art with its gleaming metal tower rising above you. It houses a large range of art both old and modern from around the world. There was an exhibit when we went where the walls were covered in cut outs of butterflies, it was amazing!
The contemporary art museum, MUAC (Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo) is also in an architecturally interesting building on the grounds of the University. It houses Mexican art starting from the 1950s.
If you’re a fan of Frida Kahlo, it’s probably working going to Casa Azul but I have heard mixed reviews and when we got there to check it out the lines were wrapped around the corner so decided to skip it. Apparently, it’s better to go during the week and reserve specific timed tickets in advance.
The next stop we wanted to check out was the art exhibition at Cuadra San Cristobal, which Architectural Digest wrote a feature on. Sadly, we learned you need reservations to go there ahead of time so it will have to wait until the next trip.
Most museums are free on Sundays, which means they are packed, and all are closed on Mondays so plan accordingly. For a list of museums and galleries worth checking out have a look in the Don’t Forget section.
Besides museums, there are tons of other things to do in Mexico City. Chapultepec Park, the one near the Four Seasons, has a Botanical Garden and a lovely lake where you can rent one of the pedal boats. There is El Zocalo, the Historic Centre, which I was told is very crowded and chaotic so we avoided it but it does have the Templo Mayor, a big temple ruin right in the heart of town, and about a million other museums. There is the Metropolitan Cathedral, which is the largest cathedral in Mexico City and El Angel de la Independencia, which is a beautiful avenue that crosses a large part of the city which you can bike down.
There are also a few things to see outside of the city as well. Ajusco, the mountain range which is part of the city, is beautiful and has some hiking trails. And the Teotihuacán ruins, which are about an hour from the city. The best way to see these is by hot air balloon of course!
I’ve always wanted to go in a hot air balloon so figured why not now. And a sunrise ride over the ruins sounded perfect.
We booked a tour through Viator which ended up being a tour operator called Bamba Experiences. Be wary of the tour operators as it can be confusing who you’re booked with and they can be inflexible with changes. The tours include a car to/from the ruins but we got an email from them a few days after booking advising there were no drivers available that day. They were very inflexible when trying to find another way to get drivers and just suggested switching the days of our trip. We ended up booking our own private driver which costs way more but was our only option. We then found out right before our trip we’re actually flying with another operator, Fly Volare!
The pickup was around 4:45am. There are a bunch of balloon operators so be sure to get clear instructions on where yours takes off . The location we were given wasn’t very clear and in the pitch black it was almost impossible to figure it out. Our driver ended up driving up and down the street until some lights appeared and we figured we’d check it out. It turned out it was the right spot.
Each operator has its own stand. When we finally found the Fly Volare stand they didn’t even have our booking. There was still space with them and since we had our voucher they were able to fit us in. I think it might have been better to book directly with one of the balloon operators.
After you check-in, they take you to a tent for a light breakfast, mostly pastries, and coffee. Shortly after they take you towards the balloons that are being blown up. It was enchanting to see these flat pieces of fabric grow to massive sizes.
We were soon taken to our balloon and hoisted into the basket. It felt very sturdy and I opted to get in the spot on the outside. It seems everyone’s experience can be different in a balloon. Ours was great. They were still blowing up the balloons so we got a great view as we ascended above them. The wind was pretty calm but we seemed to keep rising higher and higher which was a little scary but we got a great overview of the ruins and the surrounding area. It was well worth it!
It might be more scary trying to land in one of these things. There isn’t really any control on where they end up. Ours landed just past a patch of cacti. I was sure we were going to land right on top of them! Once you’re on the ground, there is a car waiting to drive you back to where we took off. It’s broad daylight now and the take off area has turned into a festival. There are all these stands selling food and souvenirs and more festive balloons.
Now it was time to see the Teotihuacán up close. Our driver met us where we agreed earlier that morning and drove to the site of the ruins. He guided us through parts of them which was interesting but overall they looked more impressive from up above. They were spread out over a much smaller space than I expected but on the plus side you don’t need long to see everything. The tallest, the Pyramid of the Sun, was the most striking and a climb to get to the top, almost 250 steps!
Mexico City has become a great foodie destination. There are a number of restaurants that have earned global acclaim and are now in high demand requiring reservations months in advance. It’s easier to get a lunch reservation so opt for that if there’s a restaurant you really want to try. We were able to get into Rosetta for lunch which was probably our best meal as well as Contramar. And then there’s the nightlife. Make sure to try one of the many mezcal bars. For an extensive list of restaurants and bars head to the Don’t Forget section.
Don’t Forget:
Hotels: Four Seasons, Hotel Condesa DF, JW Marriott, W Hotel, St. Regis, Sofitel, Hippodrome Hotel Condesa, Las Alcobas, Brick Hotel, Hotel Habita, Círculo Mexicano, Hotel Carlota, Hotel Downtown Mexico
Boutique Hotels: Nima Local House Hotel, Maison Salamanca, Casa Goliana, Ignacia Guest House, Hotel Villa Condesa, AR218 Hotel, La Valise, The Wild Oscar, Hotel Casa Nuevo Leon
Restaurants:
High-End – Maximo Bistrot, Rosetta, Pujol, Quintonil, Sud 777, Blanco Colima, Dulce Patria
Mid-Range – Puerto Madero, Páramo, Salón Ríos, Contramar, La Unica, La Docena, El Parnita, Cafe de Tacuba, El Danubio, J by José Andres, San Angel Inn, El Bajío, Azul Histórico, Casa Virginia, MeroToro, Meroma
Taqueria – El Farolito, El Califa, El Greco, El Pescadito
Nightlife: Hotel Condesa DF Rooftop Bar, The Comrade, Bósforo, Baltra Bar, La Botica, La Clandestina, Licorería Limantour, Xaman Bar, King Cole Bar, Fifty Mils, Parker & Lenox, GinGin, Aurora, Felina, Hanky Panky (speakeasy, reservations must be made on Facebook or by phone)
Museums: Casa Azul Frida Kahlo, Casa Estudio Diego Rivera, Luis Barragan House and Studio, Museo Soumaya, Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo de Antropologia, Castillo de Chapultepec, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Jumex, Museo Rufino Tamayo, Museo de Arte Popular , Galeria Kurimanzutto, Galeria OMR, Street Art Chilango