We use cookies to enhance your journey. Privacy Policy

🎒 NEW 39 Backpacker Guides Live — SE Asia, South America, Europe & more · From £12/day
← All Destinations 🌮
Central AmericaFoodHistoryCulture

Mexico City & Oaxaca
Mexico

The best food city in the Americas and the ancient world still buried beneath it.

Central America

Why visit Mexico?

Mexico City is consistently ranked the world's best food destination. The taco culture alone justifies the flight. Oaxaca, three hours south, is the greatest food city of its size anywhere in the Americas. The combination is extraordinary.

CDMX has 22 million people, Aztec ruins literally beneath its colonial streets, a contemporary art scene rivalling any European capital and neighbourhoods — Roma Norte, Condesa, Coyoacán — that feel completely liveable once you stop expecting coherence.

Key Info
Mexican Peso (MXN)SpanishType A/BDrive Right
10–15% at restaurants — leave cash on the table
Weather
Best: Nov–Apr
Día de los Muertos (Oct 31–Nov 2) — the most extraordinary cultural festival in the Americas
November–April is the dry season. Rainy season May–October with heavy afternoon rain but clear mornings.
Health
⚠️Do not drink tap water in Mexico — always bottled. Avoid ice at non-tourist restaurants.
Hepatitis Arecommended
Typhoidrecommended
Transport
UberMetroADO bus
✈️ MEX Benito Juárez (Metrobús or Uber, 45 min) / OAX Oaxaca
Uber in Mexico City — faster and safer than street taxis. ADO bus to Oaxaca (7hr, TAPO terminal).
Emergency
👮 Police911
🚑 Ambulance911
🔥 Fire911
Who It's Perfect For
🌮

Food Lovers

Mexico City and Oaxaca are consistently ranked the world's top two food destinations in the Americas. Tacos al pastor, mole negro, mezcal and the extraordinary market culture.

🏛️

History Seekers

Aztec ruins beneath colonial buildings beneath modern art museums — nowhere else layers civilisations this visibly. Teotihuacan, the Templo Mayor and Monte Albán are extraordinary.

🎭

Culture Travellers

The Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul), MUNAL, the muralists of Diego Rivera — Mexico City has the finest collection of 20th-century art in Latin America.

The Highlights

Things to Do & See

01
Tacos al pastor circuit — El Huequito, any busy taquería after 11pm, the Mercado de la Merced
02
Teotihuacan at 8am opening — the Pyramid of the Sun, the Avenue of the Dead, the view from the top
03
Oaxaca market culture — tlayudas, black bean memelas, chapulines (grasshoppers) and mole negro
04
Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul) in Coyoacán — book months ahead, extremely limited daily capacity
05
Monte Albán Zapotec ruins above Oaxaca — older than Teotihuacan, mountain views, almost empty
06
Mezcal distillery tour in Oaxaca's Sierra Juárez — a small producer with tasting and the full process
07
Día de los Muertos in Oaxaca (Oct 31–Nov 2) — cemeteries lit by marigolds and candles, the whole community gathered
08
Mercado de Jamaica flower market in Mexico City — the extraordinary wholesale market that supplies all the Día de los Muertos altars
Where to Stay

Base Yourself in Mexico City & Oaxaca

🌿

Roma Norte & Condesa (CDMX)

Food, cafes, urban energy

Best neighbourhoods for restaurants and cafes — the most liveable part of Mexico City.

🏛️

Historic Centre (CDMX)

Aztec ruins, Zócalo, colonial history

The Zócalo, Templo Mayor Aztec ruins and Palacio de Bellas Artes.

🌶️

Oaxaca City

Mole, mezcal, artisan crafts

The food capital — the mercado, zócalo and easy access to Monte Albán.

Insider Knowledge

What Most Guides Don't Tell You About Mexico City & Oaxaca

Ready to visit Mexico City & Oaxaca?

Tell us your dates, budget and travel style — we'll handle every detail.

Get a Free Quote More Destinations
// Book Activities

Things to book ahead

Curated activities worth booking in advance — via GetYourGuide.

Affiliate link — same price for you. Disclosure →

Travelling on a Budget?

Mexico Backpacker Guide — £20–£45/day

Daily budgets, hostel picks, transport tips and no-fluff advice.

Read the Guide →