It's always nice to experience the culture while living in a new city. Mexico is filled with culture and many activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you'd like to share your details from a trip, please email us with details of your trip including where to stay, how far from the city, as well as what activities you'd recommend.
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND MEXICO CITY |
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| EVENTS | DAY TRIPS | LONG WEEKENDS |
| EVENTS | ||
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| DAY TRIPS | ||
| Metepec Metepec is a small town near Toluca that has nice shopping and a leather market. Also visit the Arbol La Vida which is at the church just down the street. |
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| Monarchs There are 4-5 monarch sanctuaries in Michoacan. Visit the new one (Dec-Feb). You'll want the sun to be out, so leave around 9:30am to arrive around 12. Splurge and rent the horses to go up into the mountain. Afterwards, drive to Valle De Bravo for lunch. |
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| Nevada de Toluca One of the only volcanos that you can drive all the way into the crater. They recently closed the road for the last part, but is a short hike from the top. Be sure to dress warm. It has snow on the top in the winter and is chilly in the summer. |
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| Puebla Who could not fall in love with this important cultural and educational center of Mexico? It is one of the oldest cities in the continent, surrounded by volcanoes and snow-capped mountains and the best part is the short 2 hour drive from Mexico. Puebla's unique motif is its "Talavera Poblana", a fine earthenware of colonial origin still made and sold in the city. |
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| Reino Animal When visitors come to town and you visit Teotihuacan, stop by Reino Animal afterwards. Only 5 minutes away, it has 2 safaris (one caged and one open) as well as 2 aviaries where the birds will land on you and eat right out of your hand. There are also dog shows and petting zoos. |
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| Taxco Be sure to stop by Taxco, an old silver mining town where today they make most of the silver items you can buy. This is also a good side trip driving back from Acapulco. |
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| Tecali Tecali, meaning house of stone in Nahuatl, will have all of your onyx and marble needs -- the cheapest in the country! The town is fairly small (near Puebla), but nearly every shop is an opportunity to buy, buy, buy! You'll also be able to see an ancient ex-convent in ruins in the town center. |
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| Teotihuacan (19.692819,-98.843801) Teotihuacan is a great day trip just north of the city. When guests visit, a stop here is a must. Be sure to stop afterwards and eat at the cave restaurant which is located behind the temple of the sun. Afterwards head over to Reino Animal, 5 minutes away. |
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Tepoztlán |
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Tolantongo |
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| Tula (20.064034, -99.340589) Toltec ruins located 40 miles north of Mexico City in the town of Tula de Allende. Afterwards, eat at El Rancho Ganadero (left out of the ruins and it's on the left just past the bridge). |
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| Xochimilco Located fairly close to the airport, Xochimilco is the perfect place to take the family for a picnic on a gondola through the ancient canals. Meaning place of the flowers in Nahuatl, Xochimilco is the last reminder that Tenochtitlan was Mexico's Venice. |
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| LONG WEEKENDS | ||
| Acapulco Acapulco is a 4 hour drive or a quick flight from Mexico City. Enjoy the beach. Visit the famous divers by eating at the Perla restaurant. It's a little pricey, but you're paying for the view. |
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| Barrancas Del Cobre The copper canyon is 4x larger than the grand canyon. Fly interjet or other local airlines to Chihuahua and ride the train (El Chepe) to El Fuerte or Divisadero for spectacular views. Spend a night at the Hotel Barrancas del Cobre built into the side of the canyon where every room has a magnificent view. |
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| Chiapas - Sumadero Canyon There's so much to see in the archeological-rich, ecosystem-diverse southern Mexican state. For first time travelers, a travel guide may be the best option. The flight from Mexico City to Tuxtla or Villa Hermosa is about 1 hour. Start your trip from Tuxtla, you'll want to head north to the Sumadero Canyon where you can take a 2 hour boat ride through the heart of some amazing scenery. |
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| Chiapas - San Cristobal Continuing up the mountains to the east you'll encounter the amazingly beautiful, mountaneous town of San Cristobal de Las Casas founded by the Spanish in the 1500s. It's a place of colorful roofs, baroque facades, colorful handicrafts, exquisite cuisine, and a lively zocolo with live music. If you're a fan of jade or amber this is your place. |
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| Chiapas - Agua Azul From San Cristobal, you can tour the amazingly large, bright-blue waterfalls of Agua Azul. |
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| Chiapas - Palenque From there you can head toward the archeologically rich city of Palenque where you'll find a triple A rated Aztec ruin. The cities of Yaxchilán and Bonampak are a 3 hour drive from this city where you'll find more amazing ruins, the Rio Usumacinta which divides Chiapas from the Guatamala and the Lacandon jungle, home of infamous howling monkeys. |
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| Guanajuato Guanajuato, Guanajuato is about 4 hours north of the city. The city, an old mining town, has a network of tunnels under it. It's a great colonial town for walking and enjoying the scenery. |
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| Media Luna A 6 hour drive from Mexico City, in the state of San Luis Potosi is the crystal blue waters of Lagoon Media Luna perfect for snorkeling or scuba diving year round. If you don't know how, take lessons from the certified PADI instructors. The campgrounds are wonderful for tent camping or renting cabanas. They even have a couple of restaurants on-site. |
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| Huatulco Looking for a secluded less touristy beach getaway? Huatulco is a great choice. Although it can be driven, the curvy roads have caused many a traveler to become sick. FLY FLY FLY. |
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| Ixtapa Ixtapa is a 6.5 hour drive from Mexico City. It's a smaller, cleaner beach and hotel zone than Acapulco or even it's sister city 20 minutes away, Zihuatanejo. The surf is a little strong here, making it a perfect place to take surf lessons. There are many houses along the beach making it a great place to relax in a hammock listening to the sounds of the waves. |
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| Morelia The capital of Morelia, about a 4 hour drive from Mexico, houses more than 100 colonial buildings and churches and became a World Heritage Site in 1991. It is also an important city in the history of art and culture in New Spain. Important architectural sites include the Catedral de Morelia, the Aqueduct, the Governor's Palace, the Palacio Clavijero and numerous churches and convents. |
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| Oaxaca - Oaxaca City Home to the important ancient centers of Monte Albán and Mitla, Oaxaca has long been considered Mexico's culinary capital with its variety of moles, tlayudas, tejate, mezal, and chapulines. Of course there's plenty to see in Oaxaca city from the animalitoes (hand-painted wooden carvings), the black pottery, textiles, museums and great restaurants and night life. |
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| San Miguel De Allende Located about 3-4 hours from Mexico city, San Miguel De Allende is a great colonial town with many good restaurants. |
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| Tzintzuntzan An ancient ruin near Patzcuaro, Michoacan. This area was never conquered by the Aztecs. Their language is still spoken here. A definite visit for a day of the dead trip or a combination trip to Paztcuaro. |
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