36 Hours in Mexico City: Things to Do and See

When Mexico City was the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the La Merced district on the southeastern edge of the historic center was a dock for goods arriving from the mainland. There’s no water anymore, but with thousands of informal traders and around 11 covered markets, La Merced still has the feel of a port: noisy, exciting and overwhelming. To avoid getting lost, the best way to get around is to enjoy a mobile breakfast with Eat Like a Local, a small tour operator that dedicates part of its revenue to educational programs for young women in the neighborhood. The company’s flagship product is a four-hour walking route ($120 per person) covering La Merced and the Mercado Jamaica flower market, but it can also organize shorter, customized tours focusing on Mexico City landmarks.

Walk from La Merced to the spectacular Zócalo ceremonial square, stop at Cerería de Jesús to buy handmade beeswax candles (24 pesos) and visit Ex-Teresa Arte Actual (free), a museum housed in a steeply sloping former convent. From there, walk past the sunken ruins of the Great Aztec Temple (100 pesos) to the new flagship store of FONART (National Foundation for the Development of Crafts), and around the corner, see the moving works of José Clemente Orozco (50 pesos) at the Colegio de San Ildefonso, widely considered the birthplace of Mexican Muralism. Finally, in the former Secretariat of Public Education (open since 2024 as the Museo Vivo del Muralismo), admire (free of charge) a series of Diego Rivera’s vibrant paintings, from romantic depictions of Mexican folklore to dazzling ridicules of capitalist excess.

Opening in April 2025, the Charco restaurant will be located on the roof of the new child-friendly Cocoa and Chocolate Museum, overlooking the dome and buttresses of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Charco’s kitchen, run by Chilean chef Ricardo Verdejo, offers a creative seafood menu that includes cocktails, mezcal and natural wine (cocktails starting at 190 pesos, dinner for two about 1,500 pesos, excluding drinks). On a clear day—and, admittedly, clear days are rare—the twin volcanic peaks of Popocatepetl and Iztasihuatl may appear on the horizon, but the sunsets are spectacular in any weather. For a low-key drink with a bit of history, try one of the nearby classic taverns like El Gallo de Oro (beers from 65 pesos), which has been open since 1874 and whose decor has changed little since the 1970s.

After nearly six years of collecting rare agave distillates across Mexico, in 2022 food writer Natalia de la Rosa and photographer Jason Thomas Fritz opened Ahuehuete, one of the city’s best tasting rooms, in the historic center. The owner welcomes six visitors at a time, pouring a variety of high-quality spirits purchased from producers in remote villages such as the highlands of Sonora, the tropical hills of Guerrero and the volcanic valleys of Michoacán. Priced at $90, the two-hour tasting includes at least six glasses of mezcal and paints an unparalleled picture of Mexico’s cultural and ecological diversity. If you want a more do-it-yourself experience, Bósforo, also in the Centro neighborhood, remains the city’s standard-bearer for tequila shots and experimental music—still sexy and surprising more than 15 years after opening (from 80 pesos an ounce).

In Mexico City, lunch continues into the evening, and late-night food is often served under a halo of fluorescent lights and smoke, becoming a common substitute for dinner. Options abound. Café La Pagoda, one of the historic de Chinos cafes in the historic center opened by Chinese immigrants starting in the 1930s, serves tacos (149 pesos) and chilaquiles (94 pesos) 24 hours a day, while Caldos de Gallina Luis in La Roma follows the same strict schedule and is famous for its hot bowls of chicken soup (from 65 pesos). In the Narvarte neighborhood, Tacos Tony serves savory tacos de suadero (32 pesos), a block from El Vilsito, a machine shop by day and a taco shop by night, serving marbled al pastor (27 pesos) until 5 a.m.