Discover the Best Time to Visit Mexico City: A Comprehensive Guide
Mexico City is one of the most popular places for tourists passionate about the bustle of the city and history and in the capital of the Latin American country you can enjoy the past and evolution, that’s why we will tell you what is the best time to visit Mexico City?
Mexico City (CDMX) formerly called Distrito Federal (D.F.) is the capital of Mexico and is located in the Valley of Mexico, right in the southern center of the Latin American country. It is considered the smallest entity in the entire country, however, it has numerous tourist destinations that you will surely love.
In Mexico City there are 132 museums, 7 archeological sites near the city and 64 theaters. In addition, it has numerous nightclubs, bars and restaurants of Mexican and international food that will impress more than one visitor.
Given all the above, it is necessary to highlight the importance of scheduling your visit to Mexico City, to improve your experience, and is that like any capital city stands out for the hurried life of its inhabitants, the bustle and usually if you do not plan in time you could not get variety of lodging options and tourist guides, that’s why we will explain what is the best time to visit Mexico City.
We will tell you what is the best time to visit Mexico City
If you are wondering what is the best time to visit Mexico City, the first thing you should know about Mexico City is that its climate is not characterized by extreme heat or cold, this area has a temperate climate most of the year. On average the city is between 15 to 20 centigrade.
Below we will tell you in more detail the weather and seasons in Mexico City:
The first thing you should know to define best time to visit Mexico City is that Mexico City is divided into two main periods, which are the dry season and the rainy season.
While the dry season (November to April) is generally cool and dry, the rainy season (late May to October) is characterized by frequent rains and warmer temperatures.
Spring
If you enjoy the blooming of flowers and moderate temperatures, spring is definitely the best time to visit Mexico City for you. This season starts in March and ends in May, it is known for its warm weather, with approximately 25 degrees during the day and 10 degrees at night.
One of the things that stands out the most in spring is that you can see the jacaranda trees, which bloom covering the streets in bright purple.
In spring, both locals and tourists usually visit the archeological sites such as Tlatelolco and Cuicuilco, where every year people gather in spring dressed in white. They also usually visit the Zocalo of Mexico City for the Spring Festival, where you can enjoy good music such as jazz, rock and folkloric.
Besides visiting museums and parks, in spring you can attend the Polanco Jazz Festival in the first days of April. So yes, spring is definitely considered by many as the best time to visit Mexico City.
Summer
The temperature in summer (June August) in Mexico City is 22 to 27 degrees. Some of the pros of visiting CDMX in summer is that the days are longer, it is the vacation period so there are many places open, so you can take a hot air balloon ride, try some super refreshing local drinks, you can also see fireflies in the forests of CDXM and have fun in their water parks.
However, the cons are that because it is high season prices increase, the places are usually crowded and dealing with the weather is not easy, and despite the high temperatures, it rains frequently in Mexico City in summer, so your plans could be affected at any moment.
Autumn
The autumn season is also considered by many as the best time to visit Mexico City because the temperature begins to drop and the humidity decreases, during the day the temperature is usually 20 degrees, while at night the temperature drops to 5 degrees.
The autumn period begins in September and ends in November, and is notable for the variety of festivities that are celebrated. Among the most anticipated festivities of this period is the Day of the Dead and the mega procession of Catrinas. In addition, you can enjoy the Monumental Alebrijes parade and visit unique places such as the Museum of the Future.
Winter
Winter (December, February) in Mexico City stands out for being cool and dry, temperatures during that time are around 18 to 20 degrees during the day, while at night they reach 5 degrees. Due to the temperatures, tourists are advised to wear warm clothes, since nights are usually cold.
Winter is usually the best time to visit Mexico City for some tourists because of its cool weather, cheap flights are usually found, due to the fact that there are no excess of visitors, queues for tourist sites are short and stores offer sales.
On the other hand, Christmas, New Year’s Day and Three Kings Day are celebrated in winter, so you can enjoy typical events and local food, such as the famous rosca de reyes. At this time of the year you can also warm up with tastings at the Tequila and Mezcal Museum of CDMX.
In winter you can also welcome the Lunar New Year in Chinatown, in February you can enjoy the Carnivals of Mexico City and on Valentine’s Day you can leave your love lock at the Museo del Objeto and attend the Contemporary Art Week of CDMX.
Know what are the main annual events in CDMX
Before really knowing what is the best time to visit Mexico City it is necessary that you know how is the panorama of events throughout the year in Mexico City, either to live the experience or to avoid visiting the city at that time, and is that some events can generate much more tourist movement, so prices go up, however, if it is an experience you want to live, it is definitely worth facing the setbacks. These are the main annual events and cultural festivals:
The Day of the Dead
If you want to truly get to know the culture of the Mexican people, the Day of the Dead festival is an experience that you will surely love, it takes place in autumn, specifically on November 1st and 2nd. It is a way to honor deceased loved ones.
On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans make beautiful altars for their deceased, full of cempasúchil, sugar skulls, candies, pan de muerto, catrinas, candles, alebrijes and typical food (usually the favorite dishes of the deceased).
This day is quite unique and it is a way to commemorate in a joyful and colorful way the people who are no longer on this plane. It is believed that the holiday allows you to meet with the spirits to relive memories and teachings, therefore, it is a date that brings together a bunch of emotions (pain, love, sadness and joy).
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During these dates you will see a series of parades with floats of different sizes, catrinas, music and dance. It is important to mention that UNESCO declared the Day of the Dead Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
On the other hand, if this is the first time you visit CDMX during these dates, we recommend you to go with local guides or friends, because usually many people gather to celebrate these important dates.
Independence Day
Another special event not to be missed by many tourists in CDMX is Independence Day on September 15th at 11:00 PM every year.
The celebration is accompanied by music, Mexican dishes, fireworks and even traditional costumes. This celebration is usually held in every plaza, with the intention of recreating the cries of independence, ringing the bell and in turn shouting the names of the heroes of independence.
It is important to mention that Mexicans continue the celebration until September 16, with the civic march of escorts and war bands performed by each institution.
Mexican Carnivals
In Mexico, as in all Latin America, carnivals are celebrated 40 days before the Lent period. It lasts approximately 1 week where you can enjoy various themed floats with people in costumes. In addition, you can listen to music and see their eccentric choreographies.
In the Mexican carnivals they elect a queen and within the celebration there are concerts and they offer a gastronomy representative of each state. Among the most famous carnivals in the country is the one held in Mexico City.
It is important to mention that due to the crowd of people in this type of events, it is advisable to be very attentive and we recommend not to accept drinks from strangers.
Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Another of the great celebrations in Mexico City and throughout the country is the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, especially for believers of the Catholic religion.
This celebration is based on the story of Juan Diego, an Indian who on December 12, 1531, the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared before him. That is why every December 12 millions of people gather at the Basilica of Guadalupe to sing her birthday and participate in a series of masses.
It is also customary to see in the streets 3 days before the celebration a group of pilgrims carrying a figure of the virgin to the basilica of Guadalupe.
You must keep in mind that in this celebration the protagonist is the faith for the virgin, so even if you visit just out of curiosity, you must have respect for the beliefs of most of those who attend.
Candlemas Day
Another iconic holiday celebrated annually in CDMX is Candlemas Day, also known as the Presentation of the Child Jesus.
The inhabitants of Mexico City have the custom of attending church to bless the candles, this symbolizes the light that illuminates the path of the faithful towards faith.
In addition to this, you can enjoy parades to be consecrated with the Baby Jesus, also a tamaliza (eating all tamales) is made.
To better enjoy this festivity we recommend you to attend with guides or Mexican friends that will integrate you to the festivity.
How much money do you need for a weekend in CDMX?
The first thing you should know is that the money you spend will depend on the activities you want to do, if the season is high or low and where you decide to stay.
The estimated price for a good (but not luxury) experience is 1,500 pesos per person per day, not including airfare.
If you want to include airfare, your budget increases to approximately 6,000 pesos per person.
How to choose your airline ticket?
The best way to get good prices is to start looking for airline tickets several months in advance, this way you will get lower fares and you can even get promotions. It is important to be clear that always in high season the price of tickets, lodging, food and entertainment are more expensive than in low season, therefore, if possible it is better to travel in spring to Mexico City.
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Lodging
If you want to reduce expenses and at the same time get a lodging that will give you in return a quiet stay, you should get a 3 star hotel or even an airbnb, which would cost approximately 1,000 pesos per person for a whole weekend.
Food
If you want to save money and at the same time get to know and enjoy Mexican gastronomy, in the historic center of the city there are plenty of options, such as taquerias, fondas and cafeterias, so you will spend around 100 to 200 pesos for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
It is important to mention that the typical places serve dishes with a lot of spice, so if you are not used to it, we recommend you to take an antihistamine or stomach analgesic.
Transportation costs
If you are in Mexico City you should know that there are several means of transportation in the capital city, both public and private options. So if you want to get around in Mexico City and you don’t rent a car, you can use the subway, metrobus, ecobici, apps and walking.
The ticket price for both metro and metrobus is 6 pesos, and even the metrobus has a station that connects directly with the services offered by ecobici. These services always respect the schedule, so you just have to be informed about them to live a better experience.
In the case that you are willing to spend a little more among the most popular private services is the Uber and Cabify, the costs of these depend purely on the distance, schedule and service requests, it is recommended to use this option when public transportation services are not available and is that they are quite safe but also expensive compared to the public.
Normally in high season, traffic increases in Mexico City so the best option is bicycles and the best of all is that you exercise, help the environment and spend less than in a cab.
Cost of tourist sites
In addition to knowing what is the best time to visit Mexico City, the cost of tourist sites is also an important factor, the first thing you should know is that normally when you visit CDMX in high season everything increases, including tourist sites, so if you want to save, it is best to travel to the capital city of Mexico in low season.
On the other hand, we recommend you to allocate at least 1,500 pesos of your budget for the tourist sites you want to visit in Mexico City.
Tips if you travel to Mexico City
Now that you know what is the best time to visit Mexico City, you have to keep in mind that if you are visiting Mexico City you must comply with the cultural etiquette, that’s why we will tell you some tips that will make you live a better experience:
- The first thing you should do is embrace the culture and always remember that you are a foreigner.
- If you want to save money, it is always good to use the subway as a means of transportation, which is quite close to many important areas of the city, such as the airport.
- It is important to always be aware of where you will eat in the street, there are dozens of places with cheap local food, but not all of them are hygienic.
- Mexico City is relatively safe, you should only investigate which are the least dangerous areas and always be aware of the time, do not walk through dark or little traveled places or use jewelry or luxury electronic items, much less in high season, remember that at that time there are not only many locals but also foreigners.
- It is always good to have an itinerary
- If you are a foreigner do not pay in dollars, the exchange rate will always be lower than the real value.
Now that you know what is the best time to visit Mexico City? Tell us, do you have everything ready to start a new adventure in CDMX?
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