Posted: 6/1/2023 | June 1st, 2023

I love Mexico City. It’s dynamic, diverse, bustling, and filled with incredible museums and restaurants.

There’s so much to do here. It takes a long time to peel back the layers of this onion and get to the essence of the city. We run week long tours to the city and that only gets you a good overview of it all!

However, with so much to see and do, I always suggest that first-time visitors here take a walking tour (or three) during their trip. History, food, nightlife, markets — there are all kinds of tours that can introduce you to the city with the help of an expert local guide.

Here’s my list of the best walking tours in Mexico City:

While those may be the best free and paid tours in town, Mexico City has a lot more to offer, no matter your interests. Here are seven other insightful and educational tours:

1. Food Tour of Polanco

The upscale neighborhood of Polanco is a great district for eating. You can find everything from excellent street food to elevated and creative takes on Mexico City staples. This three-hour food tour is a super introduction to the neighborhood. In between munching tacos, grazing on Oaxacan specialties, and feasting on tortilla soup, you’ll learn about the history and the culture of the area from the local guide. This tour does a great job of giving you a wide range of food.

Tours start at 1,590 MXN.

2. Mexico City at Night

The Mexico City at Night tour is two hours of strolling the historical center streets and stopping to gawk at the lit-up architecture while learning about the history and culture of the area. Some of the popular sites you’ll see at night include the Zócalo, the city’s main cathedral, Templo Mayor, and the Torre Latinoamericano, a 44-floor skyscraper that is like the Mexico City version of the Empire State Building. It’s a great tour to get a taste of the night food scene in the city.

Tours start at 394 MXN.

3. Volcano Hiking Tours

If you want to get out of the city for the day, book a day trip to go hiking up a volcano. You’ll be shuttled to La Joya where you’ll walk the trails, learning about the flora and fauna of the area as you go. You’ll even see legendary Paso de Cortés, the spot where Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes and his army passed through on their way to the Aztec city of Tenochititian in 1519. Tours last a full 11-12 hours.

Tours start at 1,180 MXN.

4. Lucha Libre Tour

Lucha Libre is the term for professional wrestling in Latin America and, on this tour, you’ll learn all about this popular sport. The four-hour experience starts with a two-hour walking tour where your guide explains lucha libre culture. After that, you’ll spend a couple hours at an actual lucha libre event. During the match you’ll get to drink tequila and munch on chips and guacamole. And you’ll leave with your very own lucha libre mask. It’s one of my favorite experiences in the city.

Tours start at 1,590 MXN.

5. Poray Street Art Bike Tour

This three-hour guided tour takes you to some off-the-radar parts of town to marvel at the city’s best street art. You’ll learn about the history of the street street art scene, the political significance of most of the art, and discover out of the way neighborhoods you might not normally have visited. The tour also has some authentic street food stops so you get eat along the way. Street art is big here and this is the best way to see a lot of it.

Tours start at 525 MXN.

A massive, sprawling city, Mexico City is an incredible destination that is really just one of the new hotspots in the world. Tourism here is growing by leaps and bounds.

Taking a tour will get you insider tips and give you a local perspective on the culture and people of the city in a way that would be impossible if you just walked around on your own.

And, while these are some of the top walking tour options in town, for even more, check out the online marketplace Get Your Guide, where you can find and book tours offered by local operators.