Expert Guide to the Best Things to do in Mexico City with Kids

Published by Cassie on

CDMX letters (CD black, MX green) kid inside C and D. Blue skyand lake behind the letters

There are so many things to do in Mexico City and so many unmissable activities for kids in Mexico City that it can be hard to know where to start planning your family trip to Mexico City, right? Other blogs might offer you fifty-seven amazing things to do in Mexico City but really, who needs fifty-seven? That’s just overwhelming, let’s focus instead on the top ten things to do in Mexico City with kids, which is realistically all most people have time for when they visit Mexico City, one of the world’s largest cities.

When visiting a vibrant city like Mexico City, planning is your friend. If you follow the suggestions in this article, curated and honed after multiple trips to Mexico City with my own kids you’ll be sure to hit it just right and have amazing experiences the whole family will remember forever.

So let’s dive into my list of the best things to do in Mexico City for kids.

CDMX letters (CD black, MX green) kid inside C and D. Blue skyand lake behind the letters

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Why is Mexico City a Good Choice for a Family Vacation?

This a fair question. You’ve probably asked this yourself and if you haven’t, you’ve probably heard it from others. The fact is, Mexico City is an absolutely perfect choice for a family vacation. I applaud you for seeing this and your kids are going to thank you.

Mexico City, like the rest of Mexico, is an absolutely awesome destination for a family vacation. Sure, it’s a giant, sprawling city, in fact, it’s one of the biggest cities in the world, but this just means there’s more to do and see. You already love London and New York, right? So why not Mexico City too?

It’s full of world-class museums, culture, parks, great restaurants and so much more that your kids will never, ever be bored.

⭐️ Wherever you’re going in Mexico with kids, our packing list for Mexico with kids will come in handy.

⭐️ Mexico City is firmly on my list of the best spring break Mexico destinations for families. ⭐️

Is Mexico City Safe?

✅ “Is Mexico City safe?” is a question I get asked regularly and I fully understand why. Personally, I’ve never ever felt unsafe in Mexico City, whether there with my kids, alone or groups of friends.

✅ The main tourist areas—Centro Historico, Roma Norte, Polanco, Condesa and Coyoacan—are all perfectly safe. You’ll see a good mix of tourists and local families enjoying life and all Mexico City has to offer.

❌ But: there are pickpockets in Mexico City. Be smart; don’t take your eyes off your possessions. If you feel more comfortable, wear your bag on your front. I don’t do this but I do use a bag that’s hard to open. I keep my phone in my pocket and keep my hand on it.

❌ Pickpockets are not everywhere but it’s always smart to be aware of where your things are. You’re most likely to find pickpockets on the metro and in Centro Historico.

Museums for Kids in Mexico City

Mexico City has more museums than any other city on the planet! Naturally, some of these are just perfect for kids. Here is my rundown of the very best museums you’ll find for children in Mexico City.

Papalote Museo del Niño

Located in the incredible Chapultepec Park, this children’s museum will blow your mind. My kids ask to go to Mexico City just to visit this museum. It’s interactive, innovative, fun and incredibly educational. The museum’s tagline is ‘Touch, Play, Learn’ and they don’t shirk from this at all. With displays about the human body, animals, physics and more downstairs and a second floor that is entirely dedicated to hands-on experiments for everyone, from younger children all the way to young teens.There is an IMax on-site and a planetarium too.

children and father taking part in experiment - instructor in yellow jacket handing out materials

Natural History Museum

Also located in the Bosque de Chapultepec, this is another very hands-on, kid-friendly museum where kids can learn about Mexican natural history and biodiversity.

UNIVERSUM

This hands-on science museum is part of UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonóma de Mexico). Buy tickets online and spend the day following your kids around this extremely cool and educational museum space. Kids can take part in fun lessons and activities and press alllllll the button. Staff speak Spanish and English.

We took part in a chemistry lesson, the kids learned to make slime, they watched videos, smacked buttons, drew, built and explored.

Museo Templo Mayor

Right downtown by the Zocalo is this fabulous museum dedicated to the main temple of the Mexica people. Kids will love walking through the ancient ruins of Tenochtitlan in the heart of Mexico City, the temple dedicated to Tlaloc (god of rain) and Huitzilopochtli (solar god of war) before entering the museum. Note: this is much more manageable than the Anthropology Museum for smaller kids.

Did you know that this temple lay forgotten for hundreds of years? Construction of the temple began after 1325 and was destroyed in 1521 by the Spanish. The temple reached around 70m high by the time it was finished.

➡️ Book your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out!

Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul)

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

Frida Kahlo's house: blue house across road with trees in front

➡️ Book your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out! 

National Museum of Anthropology

Also one of the most popular and busiest museums in Mexico City, this is a great option with older kids. My kids were little when we took them and it wasn’t a roaring success. They were overwhelmed and lost interest pretty quickly.

➡️ Book your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out!

If you think your kids enjoy museums then you might also want to consider the two kids’ museums in Guadalajara, a very kid-friendly city not too far away.

Bosque de Chapultepec

child on an aerial walk way, trees in background

Bosque de Chapultepec is the park to blast all other parks out of the water! It’s the largest urban park in Latin America and it is truly enormous and many days could (should) be spent exploring here. While bosque actually translates as ‘forest’, this really is, for the most part, an enormous city park. It is one of the largest city parks in the world and is the second largest park in Latin America. Around 15 million people visit the park each year.

Be sure to check out:

  • The numerous playgrounds
  • Many museums including Papalote and the Natural History Museum
  • Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle)
  • Botanical Garden (often offering kids’ activities)
  • Audiorama
  • Mexico City’s Zoo (see below)
  • Boating lake
  • Aerial walkway
  • Casa de Espejos (Hall of Mirrors)
  • Mirror-maze
  • Merry-go-round
  • Bikes for rent
  • Numerous stalls selling souvenirs and local street foods

Note that since 2022 the theme park, la Feria de Chapultepec Magico has been closed. There is, as yet, no word on whether it might reopen. 

market stall in park filled with cut fruits in cups

Zoologico de Chapultepec

Of course, many are immediately suspicious of zoos, us included. We talk a great deal about the rights and wrongs of zoos with our kids (we have two in Merida, one great, one, um, less so). I wouldn’t include a zoo on a ‘best of’ list though if I didn’t think it deserved to be there. This zoo is huge, free and while I wouldn’t say it’s perfect for animals, I’d actually rate it more highly than London Zoo (sorry) and it’s free. There’s even a giant panda here. 

Note: you can’t take food into the zoo. There are cloakrooms at the entrance.

close up of butterfly with orange wings on a purple flowe

Churros, Tostadas and Plaza-Running in Coyoacan

My kids love just being taken to a plaza and being allowed to run around. It’s great because we sit still and chat while they run like loons. They have fun, we soak up the vibe and then they’re tired at the end of the day. What’s not to love?

Our favourite plaza in Mexico City is the Coyoacan combo of Plaza Hidalgo and Jardin Centenario.

It’s great to stop here after visiting Caza Azul and eating tostadas in the Mercado de Coyoacan. If the kids get hungry again, take them for churros at Churreria General de la Republica just off Jardín Centenario.

Note: Mexico City’s Zocalo, also known as Plaza de la Constitucion, is also a great place to let kids run. There’s so much space and since you’re probably going to be in this area anyway for some of the other great sites, you may as well let them burn off some energy.

fountain with wolf statue in middle

Parks and Playgrounds in Mexico City

Mexico City is just brimming with amazing parks and green spaces to enjoy with your children. Look at the map, zoom in on green spaces and check out whether a park is for you. The list below offers some of the very best we’ve discovered and loved (and don’t forget that Chapultepec has multiple play areas)

  • Lincoln Park (Polanco)
  • Parque España (Condesa)
  • Parque Mexico  (Condesa)
  • Parque La Mexicana (Lomas de Santa Fe)
  • Parque Hundido (Benito Juárez)
  • Bosque San Juan de Aragon (near the airport)
colourful plastic climbing frame
Parque Hundido

Climb a Tower in CDMX

Mirador Torre Latinoamericana

Who doesn’t love looking down on stuff? Not only is it a tower you can climb to get a great view from the observation deck but it also has a small museum and a restaurant in the tower. The museum was surprisingly interesting. The views were obviously fabulous and the kids loved being able to use the giant binoculars. The tower is also open at night.

This tower is right opposite the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Alameda Central, where kids can run and play. In the summer you’ll see children playing in the fountains here. The Alameda Central is surrounded by museums including the Museo Memoria y Tolerancia, which is great for bigger kids.

Don’t miss

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

➡️ Book your tickets now to ensure you don’t miss out!

Monumento a la Revolucion Mexicana

Highly recommended! My kids ask to climb here every single trip to Mexico City (to be fair I think the main draw is the crepe stand but since the view is so fabulous we give in!)

large monument with bronze dome roof

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. 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.

Palacio Nacional

Not every family may love this activity but we adore checking out the national palaces in every city we visit in Mexico. Mexico has a wonderful tradition of decorating government buildings with murals explaining the region’s history. In Mexico City, the murals were painted by non-other than Diego Rivera and they are as stupendous as you might imagine. We were blown away. Even the kids didn’t mind spending time in here, so full of detail were the murals.

In my experience taking a walking tour of the centro historico is a great way to get the lay of the land.

#mexicocassie what to do with kids in cdmx Rivera's mural at top of stairs

Note: The Palacio is free to visit but you’ll need one official ID per group.

Pyramids at Teotihuacan

Pyramid and site of Teotihuacan

50km north of the city, this area has two truly huge pyramids: Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. The Pyramide del Sol is the world’s third biggest pyramid. The easiest way to get here is to take an organised tour like this one. 

As an added bonus you can even take a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids. We took our kids in a hot air ballon in Querétaro and they thought it was one of the most magical experiences of their little lives.

Take a Boat Ride on the Canals of Xochimilco

 Xochimilco is a dream destination with kids when you visit Mexico City thanks to its ancient canals, its colourful long boats and the chinampas (artificial islands). Everyone will love taking a peaceful ride through this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We visit the canals with Insolitours who took us to Nativitas, one of the seven piers (embarcaderos). We were told that Nativitas is one of the more traditional and less pushy spots to pick up a tranjinera (Mexican style gondola or punt). It costs 500 pesos for an hour on the canal whether you have one or twenty people.

Given the distance from the city it’s easier to visit Xochimilco with an organised tour. 

Be sure to take cash so you can buy snacks from the local salespeople who row up and down the canals selling their wares.

Xocimilco boats, red and yellow, bright blue sky, reflection of trees in still canal water

Cuicuilo – archaeological site

parched grass leading to ruined pyramid, people walking up, very blue sky, some clouds

This archaeological site is thought to be one of the oldest inhabited areas in the region. It is also the perfect spot to let kids run whilst pretending you’re filling them with culture and a love of history. Currently only a 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 lost to history.

The site is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm and is free to get in.

Take a Day-Trip to Cholula

Just a short drive from Mexico City is Choula, one of Mexico’s oldest cities. Cholula is a pueblo magico that is a perfect kid friendly day trip from CDMX. In Cholula you’ll find the world’s biggest pyramid, get to see the active volcano, Popocatépetl and so much more.

Where to Stay With Kids in Mexico City

As noted above, the main tourist areas are Centro Historico, Coyoacan, Polanco, La Condesa and Roma Norte. We have stayed in each of these areas many times. My recommendation is to think about what you’re doing to do in Mexico City and plan from there (remember, I told you, planning is your friend for this city). If you’re mainly going to be around Bosque de Chapultepec, then La Condesa or Polanco are you best options.

La Condesa is great because it can be slightly cheaper than Polanco and it also gives you the option of walking along Reforma easily (the road that bisects the city).

Polanco has an incredible European-style outdoor eating scene.

What to Eat With Kids In Mexico City

Kids are welcome everywhere in Mexico so decide what you want and take them along! My kids are huge fans of Mexican food and street tacos in particular so we just look around, see where everyone else is eating and head there.

If your kids aren’t into tacos then there are plenty of fast food options that they’ll recognise everywhere. VIPS is a decent option too.

Breakfast places and coffee shops abound throughout the city

two small kids and adult man looking at an old maroon car
Kids checking out a wind up car

FAQS – Mexico City

Would you use public transport in Mexico City?

The metro is pretty good in Mexico City. There are women only (and children) carriages, which are great for safety but, of course, men can’t travel in them. Apart from rushhour this is a good and cheap way to get around the city. Buses are cheap but are often extremely crowded and can be a very slow way of getting around Mexico City.

Is Uber in Mexico City?

Yes, Uber is in Mexico City, as is Didi. Both work just great and, in my opinion are better 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.

Can I pick up a cab at the airport?

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.

Should we worry about earthquakes in Mexico City?

Earthquakes are a reality of life in Mexico City but they’re by no means common. If there is an earthquake an alarm will sound. All hotels in Mexico City are required to be able to cope with earthquakes.

Is the air quality really a problem?

Air quality in Mexico City can be a problem, yes. Some people do suffer with itchy eyes and dry throats due to poor air quality. The end of the year (Sept – Dec) has more clear days as the rains have cleared out much of the pollution. If you’re just visiting for a few days it won’t be a problem.

What about water in Mexico City?

Don’t drink tap water anywhere but don’t worry about ice, salads or juices because no one drinks tap water so none of these will ever be made 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. Seriously, no one drinks the tap water.

You didn’t mention Lucha Libre, why not?

Good spot, my friend, good spot! That’s because we didn’t go in Mexico City, we went in Mérida. Here’s a good looking Lucha Libre experience for the family.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, why not pin it for later?



Cassie

Cassie is a British-born travel writer who lives in southern Spain. Prior to moving to Spain, Cassie and her family lived in Yucatán, Mexico for many years. Something of a self-confessed-all-round travel-nerd, Cassie has a deep love of adventure, and of learning as much as possible about every place visited. This blog is testament to that.

12 Comments

Tina · 29/09/2018 at 12:02 am

This is super informative cos I had no idea there’s so much to do for kids.. Mine would go wild here! And, what!? The zoo is free? How? What? Why. We pay exorbitant prices here in Australia to set food inside a zoo.

    Cassie · 29/09/2018 at 8:43 am

    Yup. Same in the UK hence my extreme excitement! The two zoos in Mérida are free too. And one is excellent. But yes Mexico City ‘s zoo is very impressive.

Lauren · 29/09/2018 at 8:52 am

Although I am not a mother I do feel that tequila was well deserved! High five to you for sharing that travelling with children is not all rainbows & ice cream! Mexico city sounds like so much fun (with or without children) though, to be honest if tequila is involved I think anywhere sounds pretty fun!

    Cassie · 29/09/2018 at 8:56 am

    Thanks. Yeah I don’t understand why people fib about stuff like this. Travelling with kids is awesome but exhausting at times. And tequila is always a bonus!

Juli · 29/09/2018 at 9:55 am

Love this post! I spent one day in Mexico city a few weeks ago, and we loved walking through Parque Chapultepec. I agree with you tostadas are amazing and the best idea to get a bit to eat. I will have to go back sometime soon and some of these places will be on my list.

    Cassie · 29/09/2018 at 10:23 am

    Mmm yes tostadas are the best. Glad you had a good time too.

Michelle · 29/09/2018 at 3:46 pm

Lovely post! We do not have kids, but do travel with family with kids. I feel like a will be the future aunt with pita of great recommendations and ideas now! ?

Alina · 29/09/2018 at 4:00 pm

Mexico is on our list for a long time, but we never thought there are so many options for kids in Mexico City too! Thanks for the tips!

    Cassie · 29/09/2018 at 4:04 pm

    Pleasure. Hope you make it there.

Jerny Destacamento · 03/10/2018 at 3:41 am

Bucketlisted! Not with kids though ?

    Cassie · 03/10/2018 at 7:45 am

    Hahah. Yeah more tequila opps without them that’s true.

Private Transportation Service Mexico · 26/10/2018 at 11:36 am

Great article! Thank you for all the tips shared here and congratulations on your blog.

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