Mexico City and Teotihuacan

When in Mexico you can’t miss Mexico City and Teotihuacan. The capital has so much to offer from culture to gastronomy. Near the capital you climb the volcano Nevado de Toluca and visit the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Find out all you need to know before your visit. I stayed at a great hostel in the center of the city. It is called Massiosare El Hostal. Due to its great location, I felt very safe in Mexico City, even as a solo female traveller.

Mexico City

Stroll along

The historic downtown is great to discover on foot. Make sure you pass by the Cathedral and the Templo Mayor, which still preserves vestiges of the great Aztec empire. I went on a free walking tour that lasted 3 hours but was amazing! Our guide was Guillermo from the organization Kactus.

Gran Hotel Ciudad de México on the Zócalo has a marvelous interior. The building was originally a department store in 1899. Since then, the art nouveau building is very well preserved. Things that will catch your eye are the curving staircase, the antique elevator, and the incredible Tiffany stained-glass ceiling from France.

Once you’ve seen the old, it’s time for the new. The Roma and Condesa neighborhoods offer a variation of architectural styles. They are great neighborhoods to spend the night drinking, dancing or dining. I went on another free walking tour that lasted 5 hours but was incredible! Our guide was Adriana from the organization Vibe Adventures.

Castillo de Chapultepec

From the city center I walked along the Paseo de la Reforma (Reforma Avenue). Along the way I passed by the Ángel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence). My destination was the Bosque de Chapultepec, where you can visit the Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle), where Maximiliano and Carlota lived. In the park they offer activities on the lake and in the area, you can find many art galleries, theaters, cultural and entertainment centers, as well as museums. The most famous museum is the National Museum of Anthropology. Walking back, I had lunch at one of the many restaurants in the Zona Rosa.

National Museum of Anthropology

The incredible National Museum of Anthropology is one of my favorite museums in the world! Not only does it logically explain the history of the pre-Colombian ethnic groups, also the interior plays part in the story. You can find fascinating anthropological artifacts, such as the Stone of the Sun (or the Aztec calendar stone). The outside of the building is almost as impressive as the inside.

Luis Barragán House

Luis Barragán House and Studio is the former home of award-winning architect Luis Barragán. It has been transformed into a museum, but is mostly visited for its colorful walls, fountains, and pools. Architecture and design lovers come here to admire the artist’s use of color, form, shadow, light, and texture. 

Diego Rivera’s Masterpiece

You can find Diego Rivera’s famous mural The History of Mexico at the Palacio Nacional. It depicts not only the Aztec era, but also the conquest, the Revolution, and the development of industry. The best thing of all, is that you can visit it for free! If you don’t remember who Diago Rivera is, he was Frida Kahlo’s infamous husband.

Update 2021: the palace is currently not open to visitors anymore.

Frida Kahlo Museum

And who was Frida Kahlo? Well, you can learn all about her former home in the beautiful neighborhood of Coyoacán. The house received the nickname the Blue House (La Casa Azul), as it is a beautiful and colorful building. Inside you will find artwork by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and others.

Xochimilco

Xochimilco is on every traveler’s bucket list. Take a tour of the canals aboard a colorful trajinera. You will be able to try Mexican snacks whilst popular music is playing. It is not a peaceful boat ride as you can imagine, but it is lots of fun!

Food in Mexico City

When I asked around for recommendations, people came back to me saying thet they had the best food on a food tour in Mexico City. There are many to choose from. You can opt for one that includes a cooking workshop as well. It’s even possible to do one by bike! Some take place during the day and others take you from one food vendor to the other by night. Here’s the food I tried and recoomend:

• Pan de Muerto & Concha
• Latin American food market
• Cochinita Pibil at Cochinita Pibil ALEX
• Tacos al Pastor at Taquería Orinoco
• Churros at Churrería El Moro
• Pulque at Pulqueria los Insurgentes
• Michelado
• Shrimp empanada at Mercado Medellín
• Fish tacos at El Pescadito
• Tacos with Tripa/Organs at Los Cocuyos
• Tacos canasta at Los Especiales
• Casa de Toño is the Mexican chain restaurant: Pozole and arroz con leche
• Café de Tacuba: enchiladas suizas, tamales and enchiladas with mole poblano

Or maybe a Mezcal tour? A private mezcal tour with Gyde & Seek is very exclusive. Although it’s private, you can bring as many people as you want. Andrea, a certified master mezcalier, knows all about small producers in the Guerrero region. In her family home in the Coyoacan you can taste her top picks. Personally, I must say that I prefer Tequila over Mezcal. Do you know the saying: “Para todo mal Mezcal, y para todo bien también.”? It means for everything bad that happens, you need to have some Mezcal and for everything good as well!

Climbing volcano Nevado de Toluca

We climbed the volcano Nevado de Toluca. It took us 7 hours to reach the volcano from Querétaro in a very small bus, on a very bumpy road. We did not know what we signed up for starting the climb. The top of the volcano was hidden in the clouds. Each time we thought we could see the top, we saw another top once we got there. My hair was wet from walking in the clouds and we could barely see the volcanic lakes, but it was rewarding finally getting to the top. No great views unfortunately, but also no regrets.

Teotihuacan

We visited the pyramids of Teotihiuacan and climbed to the top of the Sun Pyramid, a serious work out! The complex is huge and there is more to see than just the Sun Pyramid, Moon Pyramid and the Avenue of the dead. Before we entered, we witnessed a traditional Danza de los Voladores. It’s basically men dangling in the air, very impressive to see. If you want to, you can also fly over the pyramids at sunrise, which must be great!

I hope you liked this article about Mexico City and Teotihuacan. In THIS VIDEO you can catch a glimpse of Mexico City, the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, the incredible National Museum of Anthropology, and the volcano Nevado de Toluca.

I wrote the following articles about my time of Mexico:

• Trips North of Mexico City – Trips from Querétaro
• Studying in Mexico – Going local in Querétaro
• Celebrate Día de Muertos in Mexico
• Mexican Independence Day in Guanajuato
• Waterfalls and Mayan ruins in Oaxaca