Mexico
Two cities I explored, two routes that actually work, and the practical page. I wish someone had handed me that the first time.
Updated September 2026
What nobody tells you before you land
A quick honest note: this is not the whole country. It's Mexico City and the ruins on its doorstep — the two places I actually walked. Mexico is enormous, and one page can't fairly hold the coast, the Yucatán and the north as well, so this one stays where I stayed: the capital and Teotihuacán, the great pyramids an hour north.
The one thing to plan for is the altitude: Mexico City sits at 2,240 m, high enough to slow you down the first day. Give the city a couple of days to settle into before you climb pyramids in the sun, base yourself in Roma or Condesa, and treat Teotihuacán as the day-trip it's meant to be — early, and back by afternoon.
Fact sheet
Everything practical, on one page
Itineraries
Two routes that actually work
Three days is a long weekend in the capital. Five gives you the city, the pyramids and one more escape.
The Centro Histórico and Zócalo, a day in Roma and Condesa, and Chapultepec with the anthropology museum. Enough to fall for the city.
The full capital, an early morning at the pyramids of Teotihuacán, and a last day on the canals of Xochimilco (swap in Puebla if you'd rather a colonial city).
City guides
Two cities, walked one street at a time
Mexico City
Centro Histórico, Roma and Condesa, Chapultepec, and the best street food in the country.
3 days · Coming soonTeotihuacán
The great pyramids north of the city — the Sun, the Moon and the Avenue of the Dead, best at dawn.
1 day · Coming soonAsked every week
Questions I get about Mexico
How many days do I need in Mexico City?+
Three is a good long weekend — the Centro, Roma and Condesa, and Chapultepec. Five lets you add Teotihuacán and a day on the canals of Xochimilco (or a trip out to Puebla) without rushing.
Is it safe?+
The tourist areas are fine with normal city sense. Use Uber or registered taxis at night, keep your phone away in crowds, and stick to the neighbourhoods you know after dark — the same rules as any big city.
How do I handle the altitude?+
Mexico City sits at 2,240 m. It's not Cusco, but you'll feel it — take the first day slow, drink plenty of water, go easy on alcohol, and save the pyramid climbing at Teotihuacán for once you've settled in.
Where should I stay?+
Roma and Condesa — leafy, walkable, full of cafés and easy to get around from. They're safe, central, and put you a short ride from the Centro and Chapultepec.
The podcast
I walked this before I wrote it
Every guide starts as an episode. Listen to the Mexico City introduction — the context, the history and the honest bits — then come back for the routes.