Mexico City holidays
Mexico City holidays at a glance
At an altitude of 2,250m, Mexico City can feel head-spinningly huge, but within its immensity lie plenty of treasures and a colourful history dating back to the Aztecs in the 14th century. As the country’s capital, it combines centuries of history with a vibrant modern identity, creating a destination of extraordinary diversity and energy.
Spend time exploring the vast zócalo and its towering cathedral, or lose an afternoon in the National Museum of Anthropology. Beyond the historic centre, the floating gardens of Xochimilco and the arty colonial quarter of Coyoacán, home to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul, offer a completely different side of the city, while the artisanal market of La Ciudadela and the restaurants of Roma and Polanco showcase its thriving creative and culinary scene.
The result is a destination where multiple layers of history exist side by side, and where museums, historic streets and local markets quickly reveal why it remains one of the mostrewarding cities in the Americas.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Mexico City
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Mexico City is one of the world’s great cultural capitals, offering a mix of history, architecture, museums and cuisine.
When to visit Mexico City
Mexico City can be visited throughout the year and offers a wide variety of cultural and historical experiences regardless of season. The drier months are particularly popular for sightseeing and exploring the city on foot. Throughout the year, Mexico City hosts cultural events and celebrations that provide additional insight into local traditions. Its combination of museums, architecture and culture makes the capital rewarding at any time of year.
While November – February can be a little on the chilly side, from March onwards weather conditions are idyllic with minimal rain and temperatures around 20°C. Day of the Dead sees huge, colourful parades with locals dressing up as skeletons to welcome the return of ancestral spirits to earth. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on 12 December is Mexico’s biggest religious festival, celebrated with a mass ceremony and a traditional fair.
From June onwards there is increased rainfall in the city which lasts until September, and temperatures hover in the low 20°Cs. Independence day on 16 September is a national holiday and sees spirited celebrations with fireworks, dance routines and parades in the streets.
Top Things to do in Mexico City
Mexico City offers an extraordinary concentration of cultural and historical attractions, from ancient sites and colonial architecture to museums, performance and gastronomy. Whether you’re drawn to Lucha Libre wrestling, traditional Ballet Folclórico or a hot-air balloon ride over nearby pyramids, there’s something here to interest every kind of traveller.
Take an exhilarating flight in a hot-air balloon over the immense archaeological site at Teotihuacán.
Take a tour of the archaeological site of Tula with its huge warrior statues before exploring the pretty main square of Tepotzotlán for a glimpse of small-town Mexican life.
Bring home more from your trip than just photographs and souvenirs by picking up some easy cooking techniques to help recreate the taste of Mexico back home.
Discover the private world of celebrated artist Frida Kahlo at her family home in leafy Coyoacán.
Take a look around the bullet-riddled house in which the Russian revolutionary lived in exile before meeting a gruesome end.
Take a stroll through the historic plazas and boulevards of Mexico’s cosmopolitan capital, discovering the city’s Aztec foundations.
Accommodation in Mexico City
Accommodation ranges from elegant boutique hotels in historic buildings to contemporary properties located within the city’s most attractive districts. Options such as the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico and Hotel Historico Central put you right in the heart of the historic centre, while properties like the Four Seasons offer a more contemporary base close to the same major attractions.
Elegant and well-located hotel with a beautiful, manicured courtyard area, outdoor pool and stylish restaurant.
Elegant hotel in a prime location near the main square; a magnificent example of Art Nouveau architecture.
Well-located hotel within a historic building, with a lovely roof terrace, stained glass ceilinged atrium and particularly helpful staff.
A good value mid-range hotel with plenty of Mexican character, one block from Mexico City’s main plaza and its magnificent cathedral.
Las Alcobas is a small luxury hotel in Mexico City most prestigious neighbourhood.
Unpretentious hotel with an illustrious heritage, located right on the main square in the city’s atmospheric historic centre.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Mexico City
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Group Mexico City Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Eagle: Aztecs, Mayas and conquistadores
Places visited: Mexico City · Oaxaca · Chiapas, San Cristobal and Palenque · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Caribbean coast: Riviera Maya and Holbox
15 days from £4,598
Tailor-Made Mexico City Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Discover Mexico: Oaxaca’s culture and coastline
Places visited: Mexico City · Colonial and silver towns · Oaxaca · Southern Pacific Coast
13 days from £3,500
Explore and Relax Mexico: Silver cities to Pacific coast
Places visited: Mexico City · Colonial and silver towns · Southern Pacific Coast
12 days from £3,800
Luxury Mexico: Yucatan in style
Places visited: Mexico City · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Caribbean coast: Riviera Maya and Holbox
11 days from £5,850
Mexican street food
Places visited: Mexico City · Colonial and silver towns · Oaxaca
10 days from £2,550
Mexico’s Copper Canyon Railway
Places visited: Mexico City · The Copper Canyon
10 days from £3,300
Self-drive Mexico: Discover Baja California and the Sea of Cortez
Places visited: Mexico City · Baja California
12 days from £3,000
Signature Mexico: Cultural heartlands to Caribbean coast
Places visited: Mexico City · Oaxaca · Chiapas, San Cristobal and Palenque · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Caribbean coast: Riviera Maya and Holbox
15 days from £4,485
Signature Mexico: Day of the Dead
Places visited: Mexico City · Oaxaca
9 days from £3,300
Treasures of Central America: Heritage of the Aztec and Mayan Empires
Places visited: Mexico City · Colonial and silver towns · Oaxaca · Chiapas, San Cristobal and Palenque · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Copan · Antigua and the highlands
19 days from £6,000
Value Mexico: Highlights of Mexico City and the Yucatán
Places visited: Mexico City · Mérida, Chichén Itzá and the Yucatan · Caribbean coast: Riviera Maya and Holbox
11 days from £2,300
FAQs about visiting Mexico City
Mexico City is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When is the best time to visit Mexico City?
It’s a year-round destination. Most rain falls between Jun and Sep.
For more detailed information visit our When To Go section.
- What language is spoken in Mexico City?
The main language spoken in Mexico City is Spanish.
- What currency do I need in Mexico City?
The Mexican peso is the main currency used in Mexico City. Notes can be withdrawn from the many ATMs using a UK credit or debit card. You may have ask your bank to authorise withdrawals before you leave the UK, and amounts are limited to about £100.
- What is the time difference between Mexico City and the UK?
The time difference between Mexico City and the UK is GMT -5 hours.
- What does a visit to Mexico City combine well with?
A visit to almost anywhere else in Mexico: the domestic flight network is comprehensive and roads are good. Close to the city you might visit the silverwork town of Taxco (170 kms); a bit further afield but accessible by car is a necklet of divine colonial towns, including the artists’ Mecca San Miguel de Allende (234 kms).
- How do I get to Mexico City?
There are direct flights from London taking around 12 hours.
- What key events are there in Mexico City?
Independence Day, 16 Sept, celebrations throughout the city
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe), 12 Dec: Not a public holiday, but it is Mexico’s biggest religious festival of the year. The day is celebrated with a mass ceremony and a traditional fair in her honour. The day is packed with free concerts on the plaza of Basilica de Guadalupe, in a suburb of the city.
Day of the Dead, Nov 1st – 2nd, celebrated throughout the country.
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Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.