Area in close walking distance to the Frida Kahlo Museum, and the renowned churro place…read more We left the hotel early, got dropped off with one hour before our ticket admitting us in so we walked to a Panera that Doc spotted on the ride there. We entered a church, had lunch in the area and did some shopping. Doc bought a bracelet I liked from a vendor and a T-shirt from a man across the street from the museum for me. I bought some bracelets and pouches from a man on the street. He could speak English and said his family was Aztec. He made the bracelets and his grandmother made the pouches. Many locals with their dogs and tourists were enjoying the nice warm weather. We saw people being blessed with special smoke or sage. Many shops and eateries on nice streets. There was one two story restaurant that looked very pretty and romantic with couples eating on the outdoor balcony.

Fun, lively area! Came on a Sunday and there were tons of people outs and about…read more Pros: -many restaurants to choose from -vendors galore where you can buy souvenirs -there are a few free Wi-Fi spots in this area -we saw performers dancing near the church Cons: -none

I believe a parroquia is considered less than a cathedral in the pecking order of the Catholic…read morechurch, but what do I know? It's still a cool landmark, especially at sunset when the pastel pink hue of the building takes on a seductive glow. It's probably sacrilege to refer to a parish church as seductive, but hey, my knowledge of Catholicism is limited to watching "Conclave" on Amazon Prime. Good flick. Originally built in the 17th century, the church was redesigned in the 1800's to its current more ornate state by architect Zeferino Gutiérrez Muñoz. He took inspiration from European cathedrals, and its fanciful silhouette brings to mind a cross between Sagrada Família and the Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland with a little bit of Petra's pink sandstone thrown in for good measure. It's free to enter the church where you're expected to keep quiet while parishioners pray. Right across the courtyard is the Iglesia de San Rafael, another Catholic church with an equally resplendent interior. It's no wonder the parroquia is the vantage point for notable vista points like El Mirador and popular rooftop restaurants like Quince and Luna Rooftop. It's definitely the city's essential stop. RELATED - Exploring San Miguel de Allende? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/he7dP2ebOv

Extraordinary cathedral with historic architecture. They still hold services and weddings. They do…read moreprefer you to be quiet, and no pets or food is allowed inside.

Highly recommend it to tourists! everything about the city is nice, but this monument just stands…read moreout the most because it brings in a little bit of history.

Teotihuacán pyramids are about 30 miles away from Mexico City. My husband really wanted to visit…read morethe pyramids during our trip to Mexico City. We visited last month on a Thursday morning. We arrived around 9 am (but you can come in as early as 8 am. We would have arrived around that time but had trouble finding an uber driver who would take us from our Airbnb. Normally if you travel during peak tourist travel, you shouldn't have trouble finding a rideshare to bring you to the pyramids but one driver told us that he did not want to drive us out there because it was not peak season, even though this was in May. But the 3rd driver we reached out to was fine driving us and we did not have trouble finding a rideshare to head back to Mexico City). We entered through gate 2 and paid 210 MXN (or ~$12 USD). Because there is no shade, you want to make sure you come early (much cooler temperatures in warmer months) and bring a hat, wear sunblock, water and a few snacks. And you may also want to consider bringing toilet paper, although I was lucky to have had toilet paper in all of the restrooms that I had used during our visit but have read that others did not see any toilet paper towards the end of the day. So it is believed that Teotihuacán pyramids were built as ceremonial centers, temples, and monuments. But is unknown who actually was the one who built them. Teotihuacan was the home to a multi ethnic culture where some of these ethnicities no longer exist to today, such as the Otomi, Zapotec, Mixtec, Totonac, and Maya. There are 3 pyramids here (Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon and Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl which was formally known as the Temple of the Feathered Serpent). The only pyramid you may climb is Pyramid of the Moon, but only about half way. The ability to climb the pyramid was recently allowed since this year, as for the last 5 years, it was not permitted (Although 8 years ago people were still able to climb the Pyramid of the Sun, which is the tallest of the 3). While climbing up or back down on the Pyramid of the Moon there is a rope like handlebar that you can hold onto. Because the steps are rather steep, it is best to probably walk down sideways. Although a rather challenging climb (but very doable for the average person), it is worth the effort. I saw a few people climbing up as we were coming back down saying they can't go any more, lol. I encouraged those to keep going so that they can enjoy the scenery from above. Besides the pyramids, you can see the museum and also some of the historic buildings, like the Palace of Quetzalpapálotl. The carvings on the walls are amazing and quite intricate. They are so well preserved and surprised that you can still see them, Throughout your visit, you will see many, many vendors selling jewelry, handmade wares and craft, carved statues, blankets, jaguar whistles and other animal whistles (I actually wish I purchased some of those whistles for my nephews so that they could annoy my brother, lol). A lot of these vendors can also speak English in case you are interested in purchasing something. Although none of these vendors sell food or water (which surprises me that they don't), there is a small store that does sell popsicles, chips/ other packaged snacks, bottled water and other beverages. There are also quite a lot of stray dogs that walk the ruins. They are generally friendly, at the least the ones we had interacted with. They sleep in some of the surrounding caves and also will climb part of the pyramids. One dog that was near us while we were eating our apples that we brought looked really thirsty. So my husband gave him some water that we brought and that dog drank that up so quickly. Because we walked most of the area, my husband and I were here for about 3 hours. And on this day, we both walked over 14,000 steps during our visit. So bring comfortable walking shoes and enjoy your visit.

This is a must while visiting Mexico City. It was on my list and one of the only reasons i visited…read moreMexico City. There are 2 pyramids here; The pyramid of the sun and Pyramid of the Moon. You are no longer allowed to climb on the Pyramid of the Sun (the larger of the 2) and only half way up on the Pyramid of the moon. The stairs are kind of steep so i suggest climbing down sidewards and leaning into the pyramid or walking down backwards. Its very cool and the place is large with other structures to see. There are also many different exit and entrances; just inside exit 5 there is a museum which i think explains much of the history of it. so you can probably skip a guide and just look in there and read a bit about it. Make sure to walk past the Pyramid of the sun (opposite the pyramid of the moon) to see the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. Most people miss it. There are people selling idols made of obsidian (volcanic glass) which was what knives were made of to sacrifice people. You can always haggle with them, the price is not set and there are many vendors so you can probably get a pretty good price. I was very impressed with the scale and size of the place. I'm always blown away with how old things are and how large and detailed things were. You realize how skilled they were back then. Very impressive. Tips: They tear the corner of your ticket when you enter and give it to you to keep in case you exit the wrong place and need to go back in (there are multiple exits and entrances). The place is hot and there is very little shade so bring sun screen, a large hat or umbrella and water. And as in most places in Mexico there may not be toilet paper in the bathrooms and they may charge for it as you enter so 1. bring loose change in case they charge, 2. take the roll of toilet paper from your hotel room and stash it in your backpack. Sundays are most crowded because it's free for locals. Mondays are also crowded because the museums are closed. So Tuesday thru Friday are the best days to go. While taking an Uber around in the city we asked how much it would be to take us to Teohihuacan and back the next day. Its much better than taking a tour bus that stops at each hotel picking up multiple people. If you do so you also have to leave when the bus leaves and it might be too long or too short a time. If you hire an Uber you can leave whenever you want.

Worth putting on your itinerary for CDMX. Love the architecture of this beautiful castle. The…read moreentrance de for foreigner is $210 pesos (~$10 USD). You can pay at the kiosk and not have to wait in line. To get to the castle, you will have to walk to the top of the hill. CDMX has a much higher elevation than where we're from so you feel altitude sickness particularly when walking up the steps. Recommend to bring some shades as it does get hot when the sun is out. Amazing views, overlooking the city. You can take your time exploring the inside of the castle and the garden area. It wasn't too crowded when we were here or didn't feel like it since it's pretty big.

The castle is nice with a huge balcony area overlooking Mexico City…read more The inside was good but if you have been to other castles in Europe then this won't impressed you. It has a very nice stained glass window and that one is very impressive. We bought fast lane tickets online , which is not necessary. You can surely buy at the door and it's cheaper The castle is not

Great statue, nicely made, powerful image and a great story behind it…read more This is on top, a reward after taking the funicular here! Local hero of the city, chekc out the small museum near by to find out about the mining history of Guanajato! You can walk up here but the funicular is a fun experience! Either way, you will be rewarded with great views of the city!

Five stars because it's definitely a must-do while in Guanajuato, but the main attraction is the…read morebeautiful view of Centro and the surrounding areas. You can take the funicular, walk or a taxi/Uber. The funicular is closed on the weekend (at least it was the time I was there). I recommend not walking up as it is brutal. I walked down and even that was hard. At the top are some food stalls, souvenir places and a nice cocktail bar/restaurant overlooking the view.

This was the day that I was the most nervous for because this was the one day I either (1) didn't…read morehave an organized tour picking me up directly from the hostel, or (2) wasn't going in walking distance of my hostel. I woke up at 7AM and left by 8 in a 30 minute taxi ride to the city's main bus station. When I arrived I had to find the correct counter in this huge station. Of course I was using my stellar spanish skills. Once I found the correct counter I was so proud of myself to use the correct spanish to ask for my bus ticket to Tula. The only problem was that it took me a long time to understand what they were trying to tell me; that the bus was in an accident earlier that morning and was not currently available. After waiting some time there was finally a bus for me. I have to say that the bus was very clean and comfortable with terrific reclining seats. And my ticket onl cost six US dollars for an hour and a half ride. I was the only one on the bus and the driver made sure for me to sit in the front seat so he could converse with me in spanish. Did I mention that I have stellar spanish skills? I had been nervous though for when I got off the bus in Tula and would need to communicate to a taxi to take me to the archaeological site in Tula. Fortunately, my new friend, the bus driver, quickly got me onto a smaller city bus that took me there for only the equivalence of 50 cents. This archaeological site was an important site to the Toltec civilization. The Toltec established their capital at Tula. Their god was Tezcatlipoca; this god later became an Aztec god. At its height, Tula had 40,000 inhabitants, but the civilization disappeared after 300 years. I began by visiting the museum first where I viewed pottery, jewelry, sculptures, etc from the Toltec. Next I took a long walk out to the site. I really enjoyed what I saw and was glad I made the long trip out to see it all. As with all Mesoamerican ruins, it was a steep walk up to the top of the "pyramid". On top I was rewarded with amazing 360 degree views of the ruins, the town of Tula, and surrounding mountains. Of course also on top were Toltec statues. I spent a good time up there enjoying the views. When I came down I walked around more in the ruins. I saw the remains of some great art carved into the stone. When I finished touring, I faced my next challenge of finding a local city bus to take me back to the main terminal. I tried to flag them down but failed four times. I then approached a local and asked if I was even in the corect place. He told me that I was but since I had been unsuccessful to catch a bus he offered to give me a ride. Now don't tell my mom, but I accepted the ride. I'm still happy to report that I was not mugged or kidnapped and this provided further proof that there are too many negative stereotypes. Once at the station I got my ticket for the hour and a half ride back to Mexico City.

As I'm watching the World Cup from my cozy confines back in Sacramento-I see the FIFA Fanfest in…read moreMexico City happening at the Zocalo with over 50k fans packed in the Zocalo watching on big screens their beloved home team Mexico open the World Cup 2026. During my visit to Mexico City earlier this year,I really enjoyed visiting the Zocalo.Its kind of Mexico City's version of Times Square in that it's used as a central location for many events that happen in the city-While also housing the Capital Building where the Mexican President works at on a daily basis. It also houses one of the most historic cathedrals in all of Mexico City.This church is a true must visit for anyone who spends any time in Mexico City. There are also many restaurants and bars surrounding the Zocalo-though be warned,it's pretty much a tourist trap and you will be price gouged at most of those restaurants in the Zocalo area. I remember during my trip we visited the Zocalo almost every day and the trippy part was how much it changed day to day.That trait also reminded me of Time Square-You go to bed with it looking one way and wake up and it's something else-that happens a lot at the Zocalo. Two really good memories standout about the Zocalo during my visit,The first was I got to witness firsthand the ceremony of the military taking the huge Mexican Flag down that is located in the center of the Zocalo-It's like a whole ceremony that is used to take it down each evening and felt very lucky to have been there at the right time to witness it.The ceremony starts at 6pm local time each evening-it's pretty awesome.Its free to attend and I highly recommend it. The second memory I had was I was at the Zocalo the morning that Shakira was giving her free concert at the Zocalo in Mexico City-so I got to witness for a few days watching them setup for the concert and it was a massive project-the concert later that evening set an attendance record for the Zocalo as an estimated 400k people were in attendance for the free concert. That's the kid of things that randomly happen at the Zocalo-it's a very special place and a must-visit for anyone visiting the beautiful Mexico City.

The square itself is amazing, and the history is even more so. And while the square is a great…read moreplace to walk around and there is always something happing, it's great to go to the walking street and check out all the shops. But the people watching is the best. There are many souvenir shops around and it's worth going into the churches. One could easily spend a couple of hours here, more if you find a bar and have a nice, cool drink.