Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital and largest city of Mexico, as well as the most populous city in North America.
It is one of the world's leading cultural and financial centers and, according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network's 2024 ranking, is classified as an Alpha world city. Located in the Valley of Mexico on the high Mexican Central Plateau, the city sits at an altitude of 2,240 meters. It is divided into 16 boroughs, or alcaldías, which are further subdivided into neighborhoods, or colonias.
Getting to Mexico City
= = Most travellers arrive to Mexico City by air, to Benito Juárez International Airport, located in the eastern part of the city. This is the most convenient airport to most parts of the Mexico City area. From the airport, downtown hotels can be as close as 15 minutes by taxi if traffic is light (which it rarely is). A bus terminal inside the airport makes for easy connections to nearby cities.
Worth seeing
Downtown Mexico City has been an urban area since the foundation of Tenochtitlán in 1325, and the city is filled with historical buildings and landmarks from every epoch since then. It is also known as the City of Palaces, because of the large number of stately buildings, especially in the Centro.
Things to do
As the world's 7th largest city, Mexico City offers something for everyone and for every budget. Attractions in Mexico City focus less on lazing on the beach (there are no beaches in Mexico City!) and more on exploring the culture and urban culture of Mexico. Traveling in Mexico City with children Wise Men's day. January 6. Most Mexican kids receive toys from the Three Wise Men (Reyes Magos).
Where to eat
You can find almost any kind of food in this city. There are regional specialties from all over Mexico as well as international cuisine, including Japanese, Chinese, French, Polish, Italian, Argentinean, Belgian, Irish, you name it. The main restaurant areas are in Polanco, Condesa, Centro, Zona Rosa, along Avenida Insurgentes from Viaducto to Copilco and more recently Santa Fe.
Getting around Mexico City the local way
- Get inYou can have a look for shared rides on Blablacar.
- Get aroundThere are plenty of franchised private buses, minibuses and vans, known as peseros and combis, which are less reliable and safe but reach more destinations.
- Get aroundIn the metropolitan area, there is a commuter train line and the Mexibús bus rapid transit system, but most destinations are only served by private minibuses and vans.
- Get aroundThe Sistema de Transporte Colectivo, known as the Metro, is one of the largest and most patronized subway systems in the world, with 12 lines that measure more than and carry 4.4 million people every day.
- Get aroundIt's not recommended to leave the cable car stations and stroll around due to safety.
From Wikivoyage: Mexico City, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
