Do : Shop at the Ciudadela !
La Ciudadela is a large market located on Balderas and fairly close to the Bellas artes area. It is one of the last remaining markets in the city where you can buy real mexican "artesania" straight from the Artisan.
The market sells everything and anything is a real treat for anyone wanting to shop for all this Mexican whilst in the city. Although the market is not the cheapest, it is not overpriced and you will find maybe things there that are hard to come by in the City.
Reasons to shop at the Ciudadela :Not only is the Ciudadela completely wonderful but it is also under threat as local officials are wanting to turn the markets land into a development of office buildings due to its prime location. Check out our video about the market to know more and learn about the markets wonderful history.
Don´t miss out on the Oaxacan tin decorations to be found at the market - they are our favourite!
Do : Ride the Metro !
Mexico citys Metro is one of the best Metro systems in the world we think ! The metro is spacious, cheap, quick and very efficient ! Dont worry if you miss a train as there will always be another one within a few minutes and there are stops all over the city making it a very easy way to cut out the traffic and get to various points around the city. We suggest that you get a map of the metro and plan your journey beforehand but at MX$2.oo a ride its a steal - so we say give it a go !
Reason to use the metro : Its cheap and fast and using public transport in the city instead of taking a taxi will not only help in a small way towards reducing pollution but also if more visitors start using pubic transportation it will help the public image of the city transportation!
Do : Take a walk on Reforma at night
Reforma at night is one of the best places to walk and take in the city. Generally around the angel and up to Chapultepec park you will find exhibitions on Reforma to look at which always makes the walk a little more interesting. You will find people sitting and talking on the many benches, people walking there dogs and many people going home from a long day at work. Reforma is generally quite safe and has many people and police in the evening and into the night so safety should not be a problem before midnight
Do : Take the Turibus at night
The safest way to see the city at night is with the Turibus night tour which really is unmissable. You see the city as it calms down for the evening and as its people come out to play. Take a look at the turibus website for timings.
Do : Visit the National Anthropology Museum ( Museo Nacional de Antropología )
The beautiful musuem located infront of Chapultepec park just off the end of Reformas main stretch is not one to be passed by. The musuem can easily fill up a whole day for Musuem enthusiasts and is a favourite with lovers of modern architecture too!
Do: Make time to watch the Voladores de Papantla (Dance of Papantla's flyers)
Who perform outside the anthropology musuem daily. This really is going to be a show that wows visitors from outside of the country and is a great peice of Mexican national hertitage.
Do : Take a trip to see the Pyramids at Teotihuacán
Take the chance to see the Pyramids whilst you are in Mexico. The pyramids are a must see if you are visiting and are located just 40kms outside of the city. Any tourist information spot will give you info on tours going to the site and you can also take a local coach from the North Bus terminal close to Lindavista.
Tip : Get there early to beat the heat and the flock of tourists for better photo opportunites!!
Do : Go eat Ice-Cream in Coyoacán
One of Mexico citys prettiest neighbourhoods is also home to lots and lots and lots of Ice cream parlours !
Take a walk into Coyoacán where located around the square you will find the stores selling some delicious ice-cream. We recommend trying a scoop of Tequila and Mango ! Yummy !
Coyoacán is also the home of many great art centres and also the Frida Kahlo museum - we know that you will love this quiet and tranquil neighbourhood !!
*Tip : Beat the crowds and go on a weekday - if you like the buzz of the market go to Coyoacán on weekends were an arts market is held saturday and sunday until late at night - but we warned, the crowds are HEAVY !!
Do : Go to the Cinema in Mexico city !
Maybe going to the cinema is the last thing that you would want to do went visiting somewhere new but we think that the city has some of the worlds best cinemas - clean, comfortable, cheap and if you really want luxury, the city has V.I.P cinemas complete with leather recliners and waiter service ( and its so worth the extra ten dollars) So if its raining or you have a spare few hours - we recommend that you try out one of our fabulous cinemas!!
Do : Wear your sunscreen
Mexico citys pollution adds heavily to the UV problem and the sun on some days can be very strong so if you are planning to be out and about in the city - slap on the sunscreen otherwise you might find yourself getting burnt.
Do : Be good !
This may seem a little bit silly but STICK TO THE RULES. A very large number of visitors each year are arrested in Mexico for Law Breaking. If you come to Mexico, our laws apply to you to!
Don´t : Take Taxis all the time !!
If you want to waste hours in the back seat of a taxi go ahead but try to use taxis as little as possible in the city. You will save money and see far more with public transport and walking!
Don´t : Eat on the street
Although eating on the street is not overly unsafe - visitors might get an upset stomach from street food and medicine is not always the cheapest in the city.
Don´t : Hire a car !
We get lots of emails asking about car hire in the city and we recommend that its never a good idea for visitors.
The traffic is heavy, the city is sprawling and has many intricate one way systems to follow. Hiring a car is a sure-fire way to get lost in the city so dont think about it unless its a must or you are planning on travelling outside of DF.
Don´t : Go out with large amounts of money or valuable items
This may seem like an obvious one but unless you are going to the National palace which requires Passport I.D for entrance, you shouldnt be carrying your passport or any personal items with you when touring around. Take a photocopy !
If you are going out shopping, take your money with you divided into smaller notes so that no oe sees you taking out large amounts from your wallet!
Don´t : Be tempted to go to the downtown black market areas
Markets like Tepito are famous for cheap and black market goods - you can really find anything around the area of La Lagunilla but we dont recommend that you go alone without a local who knows the area. Yes, the area is not very safe - but the main safety concern is that the market is so large that if you dont know your way you can very easily get lost.
Don´t : Change money in Mexico city airportThe exchange rates generally are a little better compared to what you will find around reforma or at your hotel but it is far SAFER to change money downtown. Criminals have been known to target tourists changing money at the airport terminals.
