Are These Mexico City Landmarks On Your Bucket List? (They Should Be)
Want to see the famous landmarks in Mexico City?
As one of the largest cities on Earth, there are seemingly countless sites and must-see Mexico City landmarks that will WOW you!
So how do you choose what to see when you travel to Mexico City (and what to skip)?
As I used to live in Mexico City, I’ve compiled this list of quintessential landmarks, historic sites, and ancient ruins that you need to visit on your trip to CDMX.
Ready to discover the 15 famous places in Mexico City that you need to add to your itinerary? Let’s get to it!
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1. Templo Mayor (Aztec Temple)
Centuries ago, the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan served as the central location for the entire Aztec Empire.
After the Spanish conquest, it was buried, and the present-day Zocalo (Town Square) in Downtown Mexico City was built on top of it.
The first efforts to find the templo began in the 19th Century, though public interest wasn’t very high.
Archeologists persisted, and by the 20th Century, they had a good idea where the temple might be — however, it was ultimately discovered by accident.
On 21 February 1978, workers for the electric company were digging [in Centro Historico]… and just over two meters down, the diggers struck a pre-Hispanic monolith.
source: Wiki
Today, you can tour the remnants of the temple and see some of the most important archeological treasures at this historic site.
During the excavations, upwards of 7,000 objects and artifacts were recovered at this Mexico City Aztec Temple.
Some of them are now displayed at the adjoining Templo Mayor Museum, one of the best museums in Mexico City.
2. Metropolitan Cathedral
The Templo Mayor and Catedral Metropolitana are two of the most important landmarks or monuments of Mexico City.
The two are also intertwined, as the bricks used to build the cathedral were the same ones taken from the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan (Templo Mayor).
It took an astounding 240 years to build this opulent structure — one of the 10 largest churches on the Americas Continent.
The Mexico City Cathedral also has the largest pipe organs on the continent, and is a must-visit for first time Mexico City travelers.
3. Palacio Bellas Artes
Among the most famous buildings in Mexico City, the golden-domed Palacio Bellas Artes is one of the most recognizable of all Mexico City landmarks.
It houses a museum and performance space, where you can often see the famous Ballet Folklórico de México.
🌳 Alameda Central Park
Located next to Bellas Artes, you’ll be in Parque Alameda, home to the Benito Juárez Hemicycle.
This impressive monument pays homage to former President Benito Juárez, who implemented constitutional reforms that helped establish democracy in Mexico.
4. Mexico City Zócalo
In cities throughout Mexico, you’ll find a Zocalo (Main Square). Being a huge city, the Mexico City Zocalo is larger than most.
There are a few sites in the Plaza de la Constitución, another name for the Zocalo, including the Templo Mayor, Cathedral and Mexico National Palace.
🏰 Palacio Nacional (Mexico National Palace)
Located in the heart of Mexico City, the Palacio Nacional is one of the must visit national landmarks of Mexico.
It is the main building in Mexico City that houses government offices and the officials who keep the country running.
Aa long building at 660-feet in length (201 m), it takes up one entire side of the Zocalo Square.
It is one of the most famous Mexican buildings, and most important for present-day politics. The Mexican president also has an office inside.
5. Chapultepec Castle in Chapultepec Park (Castillo de Chapultepec)
Located in Bosque de Chapultepec — which means Chapultepec Forest, but is better known as Chapultepec Park — you’ll find Chapultepec Castle.
Sitting at the top of Chapultepec Hill, this is technically the only castle in North America, as it’s the only castle on the continent that once housed royals.
It was the official residence of Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota from 1864-1867, during the Second Mexican Empire.
Since its construction, Chapultepec Castle has been used as a home, military academy, and presidential palace. It’s now one of the best Mexico City museums.
Both Chapultepec Castle and the National History Museum should be on any Mexico City itinerary.
Located nearby, don’t miss the Monumento a los Niños Héroes (Monument to the Boy Heroes). These six young boys played a key role in the Mexican-American War.
6. Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
Xochimilco (pronounced so-chee-mil-ko) is one of the best places to visit in Mexico City.
Located in the southern part of the city near the Coyoacan neighborhood, Xochimilco is famous for an intricate network of canals and colorful gondola boats.
The Xochimilco canals are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico that offer a fascinating insight into the Aztec civilization.
Carved by hand, this prehispanic civilization once used the canals as a main thoroughfare for trade and commerce.
There are really two ways to visit Xochimilco — one a sort of party cruise, and the other by taking a tour of the chinampas, or floating gardens.
The latter shows the historic side of Xochimilco, where farmers still use techniques from ancient times to grow organic food.
There is also the Xochimilco Island of the Dolls — which is one of the creepiest places in Mexico, and popular for dark tourism.
7. Basílica de Guadalupe
The Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe, usually just called the Basílica de Guadalupe, is the 13th largest church in the world.
One of the best architectural sites in Mexico, the most recent building of the basilica was built by famed Mexican architect, Pedro Ramírez Vázquez.
A popular place for religious worshipers and tourists all year, this holy site sees upwards of one million visitors and pilgrims on December 12.
This is the Dia de la Virgin de Guadalupe holiday, and this church was built in her honor.
8. Ángel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence)
The most famous monument in Mexico City! The large, gold Angel towers over Avenida Reforma, one of the main streets in Mexico City.
There are other monuments to see on Reforma Avenue as well, including the Diana the Huntress Fountain and Monument to Cuauhtémoc.
9. Monumento a la Revolución (Revolution Monument)
Located just off Reforma Avenue in the Plaza de la República, you’ll find the grand Monument to the Revolution — one of the most famous structures in Mexico City.
This domed monument commemorates the Mexican Revolution, and several war heroes are buried there, including Pancho Villa and other famous Mexicans.
10. UNAM Campus (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)
The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) received the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2007.
It is one of 35 Mexico UNESCO World Heritage Sites, with three of them in Mexico City alone.
The UNAM campus has sprawling open spaces and buildings constructed by more than 60 architects, engineers and artists.
Done by the architect and painter, Juan O’Gorman, his iconic painting on the Central Library UNAM is said to be the largest mural ever done.
Besides those of O’Gorman, you can see the work of other great Mexican muralists, like David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera amongst the UNAM murals.
Besides the art, the historic architecture at UNAM will wow anyone interested in design and esthetics.
10. Frida Kahlo Museum (La Casa Azul)
Rounding out this list of the Top 10 landmarks in Mexico is La Casa Azul (The Blue House) — one of the best museums in Mexico City.
Once home to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, two of the most famous Mexican artists of all time, people from all over the world come to visit the landmark.
The Blue House Frida Museum offers a glimpse into Frida’s life, her art, and ultimately, her death on July 13, 1954.
The museum is located in the historic Coyoacan Mexico City neighborhood — and you’ll want to save some space on your Mexico City itinerary to visit Coyoacan.
Besides the Museo Frida Kahlo Mexican artist house, don’t miss the Fuente de los Coyotes (Coyote Fountain) and 16th Century San Juan Bautista Church.
11. National Anthropology Museum
The Museo Nacional de Antropología is the most-visited of all the best museums in Mexico City.
It’s also massive — with 23 exhibition halls that span 3,225 years of history.
In it, you’ll see the Piedra del Sol (Aztec calendar or Aztec sunstone), a replica of Moctezuma’s headdress, and the Olmec head statues.
These are of course just some of the highlights in the Mexico City National Museum of Anthropology.
🗿 Love Mexican history?
If you’re deeply fascinated by the extensive history of Mexico, book this Mexico Unearthed at Anthropology Museum Tour.
It’s led by a female anthropologist slash archeologist, with 25-plus years of experience in Mexican history.
12. Estadio Azteca Stadium
Home to the Mexican national team and Mexico City soccer team, Club América, is the biggest Mexico football stadium — Estadio Azteca.
It’s also one of the world’s highest stadiums, at 7,218-feet (2,200 m) above sea level, and the best place to see soccer games in Mexico City.
🇲🇽 Mexico Fun Facts: Mexico City is about 1.5 miles above sea level (2.4 km), so when making your Mexico packing list, remember to include altitude sickness meds.
13. Arena México: The Cathedral of Lucha Libre in Mexico City
To see another popular Mexico sport, lucha libre, you’ll visit Arena Mexico.
The beloved part-comedy, part-sport of Mexican wrestling is a cultural phenomenon, and many Mexico City visitors have a lucha libre match on their itinerary.
14. Torre Latinoamericana Mexico City Skyscraper
When it comes to modern, famous architecture in Mexico, there’s no building more important than the Torre Latinoamericana Tower.
In fact, many would consider it the most famous building in Mexico City’s Downtown, and the most famous building in Mexico.
One of the key buildings in Mexico City and all Latin America — the Torre Latinoamericana skyscraper is one of the dominant buildings in the Mexico City skyline.
On a clear day, head up to the Mirador (viewing platform), for the best views of Mexico City from its highest point of view.
15. Teotihuacan Ruins: A UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Mexico City Pyramids of Teotihuacan (pronounced tay-oh-tee-wok-on) are located in San Juan Teotihuacan.
About one hour from Mexico City, head to this UNESCO World Heritage Site to climb the Teotihuacan pyramids — Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl.
On a personal note, I’ve been to A LOT of ruins in Mexico, and I think the Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl has some of the most beautiful architectural features of them all.
After visiting, don’t miss all the local villages, restaurants and shops in San Juan Teotihuacan, Mexico.
This is one of the 177 or so Mexico pueblos magicos (magic towns).
Some of the most noteworthy places in the country, the magic towns are worth a visit on your trip to Mexico.
🎈 Best Teotihuacan tours
Wondering about the best way to visit Teotihuacan Ruins?
That would be on one of these best Teotihuacan hot air balloon tours so you can see this massive site from above and truly appreciate its grandeur.
Of course, there are these other ways to visit Teotihuacan from Mexico City if you don’t want to go on the balloon tour.
Though we covered A LOT on this list, it barely scratches the surface! Check out these 51 Coolest Things to Do in Mexico City if you need even more suggestions.