🏆 Mexico City with kids itinerary

My recommendation is to give yourselves a minimum of 5 days in CDMX. This place will never leave you bored, ever, I’ve been visiting regularly since 2016 and on my most recent trip (without the kids) I visited 9 new to me museums!

So here we have my recommended ‘first time with the kids itinerary’. It hits all the main sites as well as offering alternatives based on age/interest. The links in the itinerary will take you directly to the details below.

OK, so that’s my recommended itinerary, now let’s take a look at some of the other important stuff, the more ‘plan-ny’ side of it all before you get into the details of the itinerary. 

Is Mexico City safe?

This is a question I get asked regularly and although I’ve never ever felt unsafe in Mexico City, whether there with my kids, alone or groups of friends, I do understand why people ask. You need to feel sure before you take your babies.

✅ My general answer is yes. The main tourist areas—Centro Histórico, Roma Norte, Polanco, Condesa and Coyoacán—are all absolutely safe for visitors. Everywhere you go, you’ll see a good mix of tourists and local families enjoying life and all Mexico City has to offer. I’ve also spent time in non touristy areas and also never once felt unsafe.

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Feeding the kids in Mexico City

Kids are welcome everywhere in Mexico so decide where you want to eat and take them along! You can find every cuisine you can imagine in the city.

→ If you’re travelling with kids, be sure to open up the MexicoCassie guide to feeding kids in Mexico to take the stress out of mealtimes

🌮 Tacos – you can always ask for tacos without toppings so your kids are just eating meat and tortillas. Generally, street food in the city is excellent – the tacos in the photo above were from a random street stall and they were excellent

🧀 In Mexico City, a quesadilla doesn’t have to have cheese in it so be sure to confirm the cheese when ordering one!

🍕 If your kids aren’t yet into Mexican food then there are plenty of fast food options that they’ll recognise including burgers & pizza. VIPS is also a decent option for feeding kids.

🧊 Don’t drink tap water anywhere but know that it’s fine to have ice in your drink and to enjoy salads & juices. Because not even locals drink the tap water nothing is ever made or washed with tap water. 

🫗If you’re given a glass of water in a restaurant you can drink it as it will be from a garafon. 

🚆 The metro is pretty good in Mexico City. There are women and children only carriages, which are great for safety late at night or if you’re feeling worried. Apart from rush hour, it’s a good and cheap way to get around the city. Buses are also cheap but are often extremely crowded and can be very slow.

Cabs & Uber in Mexico City

🚖 You’ll find both Uber & Didi in the city. In my opinion they are a better option than regular cabs as they don’t require cash or a knowledge of the city. Who enjoys haggling for a ride when they don’t know the distance or real price? Not me. Download Uber or Didi and save yourself the hassle of cabs.

✈️ Use Uber to order a ride from the airport. It’s permitted and super hassle free. Your app will tell you where to wait for your driver.

Best things to do in Mexico City with kids

OK, so now let’s get into the fun bit, the specifics of your itinerary. This section follows the suggested itinerary plan above.

⚠️ Museums & even most sections of the Bosque de Chapultepec are closed on Mondays. Some privately owned museums may be open but confirm before making your plans.

Centro Historico

This is a lively, bustling area full of culture, history & shopping opportunities.

Zocalo

You can’t miss the enormous Zocalo (main plaza). If you’re lucky there might even be something going on here, an exhibition, a market, a protest. In my experience taking a walking tour of the centro historico is a great way to get the lay of the land if your kids are into walking tours (mine are not).

➕ Also by the Zocalo are: the Metropolitan Cathedral (anyone ever known a kid who cared about a cathedral?); the Palacio Nacional, which is really good for any family that enjoys Diego Rivera’s incredible murals; the Jose Luís Cuevas Museum, & Ex-Teresa Arte Actual, which is a brilliantly weird art gallery in an old church. The fun thing about this is that the building has subsided to the point of being really slanted. The Museo de la Ciudad de México, just down the road is also a great option, it’s not too big and there’s plenty to see.

🛍️ The zocalo itself is generally a fun place to pick up a few souvenirs and just down the road on Plaza de Santa Domingo there is often a great artisan market too. 

Ave Franciso I. Madera & 16 de Septiembre

Between the Zocalo and the Alameda are two roads worth checking out, via Ave. Francisco I. Madera, and 16 de Septiembre. Along Ave Francisco I Madera you’ll find both shops & interesting (lesser known) museums and galleries that older kids in particular might enjoy. 16 de Septiembre is another shopping street option and between the two is a small China Town.

Francisco I Madera – Museo de Estanquillo has some fabulous exhibitions and also a lovely roof terrace with a cafe. Palacio de Cultura Banamex is a free exhibition centre that always shows a fascinating side to Mexico’s artistic scene.  And on the right hand side is the Instagram famous Casa de los Azulejos, where everyone likes to take a photo.

16 de Septiembre – if you’re feeling kind, stop in at Pastelería Ideal to pick up some goodies for the kids, this cake/candy shop is enormous and will blow their little minds. Older kids might love the cool Mexican sneaker brand, PANAM, which has a shop along here, too.

The Alameda

The Alameda is a large urban park area that’s a great place to get a feel for life in the city. In the summer you’ll find kids playing in water fountains here. It is surrounded by museums, some of which are fabulous for the kids and every time I visit there is more and more of a market to explore too, particularly at the weekends. 

Palacio de Bellas Artes  – It really depends on your kids as to whether you visit this incredible art gallery or not. If they’re interested in art, they’ll love it. If they’re not, maybe just enjoy gawping at the gorgeous building from outside and decide to visit here when they’re older.

Museo Memoria y Tolerancia – this is a must for bigger kids as it really does a deep dive into conflict points around the world throughout history. It also looks at modern day issues in a very sensitive way and doesn’t shy away from discussing problems in Mexico.

Museo Mural Diego Rivera – this museum houses just one enormous Rivera mural – Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday afternoon in Alameda Park). I think it’s a pretty impressive mural to take the kids to see.

Museo de Arte Popular – four floors of great exhibits of popular and folk art. There are regular activities for kids and adults offered at the weekends and in the school vacations.

There are, of course, far more museums but this is a good starting point.

➕ The extremely famous original, churros cafe is here, Churrería El Moro so be sure to stop by for chocolate and churros and Mexico City’s small but vibrant China Town, is just around the corner.

Plaza de la Republica

A final destination to visit in Centro Historico is the Plaza de la Republica. This large, pedestrianised plaza is surrounded by cafes but the highlight is, without a doubt, the enormous monument in the centre.

Monumento a la Revolución – every single time we go to Mexico City, my kids ask to visit. A glass elevator takes you to the top this fascinating building for gorgeous views of the city. I recommend going at the end of the day for really spectacular views just as the sun is setting. If the kids are big enough (over 120cm) you can climb up to the very top for an extra fun view. 

➕ Kids will enjoy running around the plaza below and at night there is a water fountain light display.

Bosque de Chapultepec

Bosque de Chapultepec is the park that blasts all other parks out of the water! It’s the largest urban park in Latin America. While bosque actually translates as ‘forest’, this really is, for the most part, an enormous city park.

The park is home to numerous museums that on their own could fill days of your time. Every time we go to Mexico City we try to allocate at least a day or 2 to this magnificent park. We will visit at least one museum and spend time walking, playing and eating.

There are also numerous playgrounds, 2 boating lakes, monuments and restaurants, craft stalls and even adventure spaces. There are paths lined with stalls selling delicious Mexican street food.

→ Read the MexicoCassie guide to the Bosque de Chapultepec

Other activities in the Bosque de Chapultepec

Zoologico de Chapultepec – Of course, many people are immediately suspicious of zoos, I certainly am. This zoo is huge, free and while I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, it’s definitely not a bad one.

Jardin Botanico (Botanical Garden) – not only is this a lovely place to explore with the kids, there are often learning activities put on for the kids (in Spanish). My kids regularly talk about this as being a favourite spot of theirs.

Activity area –  here there’s an aerial walkway, a casa de espejos (hall of mirrors), a mirror maze, a merry-go-round and more. It isn’t that easy to find given the size of the park but it’s well worth the effort.

Aztlán Parque Urbano – the new theme park to replace the old Feria de Chapultepec Magico. If your kids enjoy rides then they’ll have fun exploring this brand new amusement park.

➕ Just outside the park, on Paseo Reforma (which runs from one corner of the park through the city), is the Angel de Independencía, which is always worth checking out. And Reforma itself always has amazing things to see, too. 

Coyoacán & Xochimilco

Coyoacán is a gorgeous part of Mexico City. Most visitors to the area will spend their time in the historic centre, one of Mexico City’s oldest, and most beautiful neighbourhoods. It might not seem, at first glance, that there is a ton here for kids, but we first took our kids here when they were 4 and 6 and they had a blast and continue to do so every time we return with them.

What to do

Casa Azul/Museo Frida Kahlo – this is one of the most popular and busiest museums in the city, & if your kids are at all interested in art, then this is a museum worth visiting.

I was surprised at how much my kids enjoyed it given that we had to follow the crowd and keep moving constantly. The gardens and walls of this blue house are gorgeous and there are great photo opportunities for social media conscious older teens.

It’s really imperative to book your tickets in advance or you’ll risk not getting into this popular museum.

→ Reserve your tickets now

Mercados – kids will enjoy the market food and looking at all the piñatas in the Mercado de Coyoacán. Bazar Artisanal is a great place to go souvenir shopping, and along Ignacio Allende you’ll find both street-markets and shops that will fascinate kids of all ages. 

Plaza de Coyoacán (and Plaza Jardin Hidalgo) is a gorgeous plaza surrounded by cafes and stores. There are street performers & street sellers here as well as people going about their daily business. 

Museo Anahuacalli – one of my favourite museums in the world. This is a fabulous castle built out of volcanic rock to house Diego Rivera’s impressive pre-hispanic collection (it’s a cab ride from the centre of Coyoacan). 

UNIVERSUM – this awesome hands-on science museum is part of UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonóma de Mexico). Kids can take part in fun lessons and activities and press alllllll the button. Staff speak Spanish and English.

Parks & playgrounds – If you want somewhere for the kids to run and play, try Parque Frida Kahlo or Viveros de Coyoacán.

➕ Leon Trotsky’s House is a small museum worth visiting with older kids; the National Museum of Popular Culture might interest some kids.

Take a boat ride on the canals of Xochimilco

🛶 Xochimilco is a dream destination with kids when you visit Mexico City. The whole family will love taking a ride through this UNESCO World Heritage Site, exploring ancient canals, meeting axolotls and watching the world go by from a trajinera, (colourful long boats).

Other great things to do in Mexico City with kids

Archaeological sites for the kids who love history

Tenochitlan – mentioned above, by the zocalo, this is the easiest ruins & museum combo to visit when you’re in Mexico City.

Teotihuacan – often simply referred to as the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon in English. The Sun Pyramid is the third biggest pyramid in the world (after the pyramid in Cholula, and the Great Pyramid in Egypt) and the site is really impressive.

Cuilcuilco – sadly, barely noticed by most visitors to CDMX, I absolutely adore this ruin in the south of the city. It is thought to be one of the oldest ruins in the region. Currently only one pyramid has been excavated but archaeologists believe there could be an entire city waiting to be discovered. It is thought that a volcano eruption around 2000 years ago caused the inhabitants of Cuicuilco to leave their homes and move to Teotihuacan where their culture was subsumed and ultimately lost to history.

Tlatelolco – in the north of the city, this smallish site is a fascinating place for kids who are into their pre-Colombian history. The city was established by dissidents from Tenochitlan who wanted to go their own way and it was here that the Aztecs made their final stand against the Spanish. There’s some excellent street art up in this part of town, too.

Mixcoac – these ruins stand on the edge of the Lake Texcoco basin in a part of the city that has been inhabited since the Teotihuacan era. The pyramid that you can visit today was a dedication to the god of hunting, Mixcóatl.

Chapultepec – here you’ll find Moctezuma’s baths, the Cueva de Cincalco (in the audiorama), some small ruins of water storage areas, and the Tomb of the Aztecs.

Evening activities for older kids

Lucha libre & ice creams

⭐️ If your kids have expressed an interest in checking out  a lucha libre match then this is the best tour for you as it focuses on ice-cream and lucha libre. It includes your entrance tickets to Arena Mexico where you’ll watch matches and learn about the sport from your experienced guides.  

See a football (soccer) game in CDMX

If your kids are into soccer/football then they’ll jump at the opportunity to see a proper match in Mexico City’s stadium.

⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended football match experience – enjoy pre-game tacos while you learn about the Mexican soccer scene before heading to the stadium to watch a game (obviously what you see is dependent on the official calendar). The tour includes transport, tacos and the game price.