Mexico City 🇲🇽

Guest Post by Lindsey Whitehouse

Meet Lindsey Whitehouse

Lindsey, her husband, and her two daughters live in San Francisco in the sunny Bernal Heights neighborhood. They love to travel like locals and explore new places, visiting six countries with their kids so far. One of their favorite places is Mexico City, where they lived during summer 2023. 

Lindsey’s favorite country is Kenya, her favorite city is a tie between New York City and Mexico City, and her favorite travel tip is to stay hydrated inside and out by drinking a lot of water and applying SPF and moisturizer regularly. 

Q&A GUEST POST with Lindsey Whitehouse: Mexico City 🇲🇽

Q: Tell me why Mexico City is such a great travel destination.
A: It’s beautiful, vibrant, historical, and delicious! People are extremely friendly and there’s something for everyone. Many folks compare it to a European city, but I like to think it’s in a class of its own.

Q: How many days should you stay in Mexico City to really experience the city, food and culture?
A: A week! But you could pack a lot into a long weekend.

Q: When is the best time of year to visit? What is the weather like then?
A: March, April, May, and June. It’s warm and dry. The summer is typically really mild, though we happen to visit in summer 2023, which was unseasonably hot and unpleasant since most of CDMX isn’t air conditioned (because they usually don’t need it!).

Q: What should you not forget to pack when visiting Mexico City?
A: LAYERS! Mexico City is at a very high altitude (7,350’, which is 2,000’ higher than Denver!) and it’s on a plateau, so the weather can vary greatly.

Comfortable but chic walking shoes. CDMX is a huge city but so fun to walk around in. It’s also very fashionable, so keep that in mind!

Q: What is the best airport to fly in/out out of? Any specific airport tips?
A: Mexico City has a great international airport, and many major U.S. cities fly there. It’s also a great hub for flying to other parts of Mexico (we have flown to Oaxaca and La Paz from there).

Q: After arriving at the airport, is it best to take a taxi to your destination? Rent a car? Take public transportation? Is there Uber?
A: Uber in CDMX is cheap and safe. There are also taxi stands where you can book accredited taxi cabs. Similarly to any big city in the U.S., don’t take a random black car or any taxi cab without booking it at a stand first.

You can rent a car, but it’s not necessary (unless you plan to take long day trips) and it might be a hassle to find parking.

Q: Tell me about public transportation in Mexico City. Is it safe? Easy to navigate?
A: I’ve taken public transportation a few times but I would recommend taking Uber if you’re just visiting for a few days or a week. It’s a huge city but fairly easy to navigate thanks to Google Maps and Waze.

Q: Where is the best area/neighborhood in Mexico City to stay? Any specific hotel recommendations? Is Airbnb an option?
A: My favorite neighborhoods are Condesa and Roma Norte. They are great for visitors and in the heart of or near fantastic restaurants, cafes, and parks.

I would absolutely Airbnb instead of booking a hotel, especially if you have kids. Either way, though, you can get a much better sense of the neighborhood and cultural scene if you live in a home vs. in a hotel.

Q: Is Mexico City kid-friendly?
A: It’s one of the most kid-friendly cities I’ve ever been to in the world! There are huge parks and playgrounds everywhere and kids go out to eat with their families.

Top spots to visit with kids include:

• Papalote Museo del Niño – a fabulous children’s museum with interactive exhibits, outdoor spaces, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium. There is an exhibit featuring axolotls (ajolotes, in Spanish), which are Mexican amphibians and sort of an unofficial state animal.

• Granja Las Americas – a small theme park with rides and a petting zoo.

Q: What are some must-do activities while in Mexico City and what are some sites that you absolutely shouldn’t miss?

A: So many things!

• Walk around Condesa and Roma Norte! They are filled with delightful, tree-lined streets and lots of good dog watching.

• Farmer’s Market “Tuesday Tianguis” in Condesa – rows of fabulous fruits, veggies,meats, clothing, books, toys.

• Bosque de Chapultepec – the oldest and largest urban park in Latin America is where you’ll find winding paths, beautiful museums like the Chapultepec Castle, art installations, food stands, a lake where you can rent boats, and so much more. It’s truly an oasis in the large city.

• Museo de Arte Moderno – located inside Chapultepec, the building itself is as cool as the art exhibits. There’s also a lovely sculpture garden located outside the museum.

• Casa Azul / Blue House – Frida Kahlo’s house and museum. It’s beautifully done. Don’t forget to buy the extra ticket for ~USD1 so you can take photos inside!

Q: Where can you find the best shopping in Mexico City? What area can you find unique, artisan goods and clothes?

A: I’m a big fan of El Palacio de Hierro, which is a department store. Mexico typically has these shopping days throughout the year to encourage people to buy, and there can be some great deals on clothing at the Palacio. There are several locations in CDMX, but I frequented the one on Calle Durango.

The Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela is a sprawling open-air market filled with crafts from all over Mexico. It’s fun to browse the aisles to get a taste of different Mexican cultures.

Q: Did you see any live performances in Mexico City? If so, what do you recommend?
A: I saw the Ballet Folklórico in the famous, gorgeous Palacio de Bellas Artes. It’s an incredible journey through Mexican indigenous cultures and heritage.

Q: Any must-do day trips from Mexico City?
A: Xochimilco is very cool. You rent a long boat (that comes with a captain!) and they guide you through these gorgeous canals. You can buy food from floating food stands and listen to music from floating band boats!

Q: Let’s talk food! Tell me about the Mexico City food scene. Any favorite restaurants? Favorite food stands? Must-eat dishes?
A: I could probably write an entire entry just about the food scene! It’s world renowned and for a good reason. You can find delicacies on pretty much every street corner – from seared meat tacos to fresh-squeezed juice and Tajin-topped fruit. If there’s a long line outside of a taco stand, you know it’s a good spot!

My favorite places are:

• Amanda Manda – the most delicious and unassuming brunch! Amanda herself is often there and is so kind (and speaks English also!).

• Postales de Café – can’t go wrong with their coffee and pastries.

• Lardo and Café Nin – sister restaurants and typically on the top of every food list on the internet. There’s usually a line outside Lardo, but you can also get pastries from the to-go window. Highly recommend both as they are very tasty and the ambience is lush.

• Botánico – great date night spot. It’s mainly an outdoor patio filled with lush trees and an axolotl pond.

• Helados Carmela – the creamiest, most delicious ice cream.

• Helena – a gorgeous greenhouse-like ambience with good food and cocktails.

• Loose Blues – delicious Japanese fusion and cocktails located behind a storefront, so it has that cool speakeasy vibe.

• Omusubi House – excellent handmade onigiri. They are different every day and match teas to the day’s selection.

Q: Any additional recommendations or tips about traveling to Mexico City that you’d like to share?

A: Yes!

• Sunday is a day for familia in Mexico, so it’s usually the busiest day for restaurants, parks, playgrounds, museums, etc.

• Similar to the U.S., many restaurants, museums, parks, etc. are closed on Mondays.

• It’s very, very friendly. People love to hear visitors speak Spanish and they will help you whenever possible.

• Mealtimes are shifted from the typical U.S. ones. They usually eat a pastry and coffee around 8 or 9am, breakfast at 10 or 11am, lunch at 2 or 3pm and then dinner at 8 or 9pm (or later!).