15 Fun Things to Do in Mexico City with Kids + Tips

Looking for things to do in Mexico City with kids? You’re in the right place.

Mexico City is by far the largest city in North America with almost 9 million people in the city centre, (22 million in the greater city area.) Its beautiful buildings, unique neighbourhoods, foodie scene and fascinating history make it a very unique place to visit as a family.

I lived in Mexico City, and am happy to see it starting to get the attention it deserves. Tourism to Mexico’s capital city has been rising every year, with many influencers starting to draw attention to its uniqueness, and cosmopolitan charm.

It’s a huge, but diverse and culturally interesting city with so many things to do as a family.

As a former local in Mexico City, I’m going to walk you through the activities that are fun (and safe) with kids in Mexico City – which is, by far one of the best cities to visit in Mexico.

Things to Do in Mexico City with Kids

Here are the best things to do in Mexico City as a family. Whether you’re here on business or exploring Mexico, you’ll be amazed by the family-friendly options that Mexico’s capital has to offer

1. Get a view of the city from Mirador Torre Latino

Head to the 44th floor of the Torre Latino (Latin American Tower) to get a view of Mexico City.

This was one of the first things I did when I first moved to Mexico City, and it was a really nice way to kick off staying there by becoming acquainted with it.

The city is so expansive, and surrounded by mountains – the Torre Latino is one of the best places to see it all from.

Sometimes the view during the day is a bit smoggy. It’s best to go on a clear day. You also have the option for going at night to see the lit-up city.

In addition to the observation deck, there are also two museums inside the tower. You can combine your tower observation ticket with the museums, a city tour, and even a stuffed animal (of the tower mascot) for kids.

Overall, I’d budget to spend 1-2 hours here, depending on if you check out the museums as well.

You can save a few bucks on your Torre Latino tickets by buying them in advance on the Mirador Torre Latino website.

2. Visit the Museo de Anthropologia

The Museum of Anthropology (Museo de Anthropologica) is a large and extensive museum – mostly indoor, but with some outdoor sections too.

Whenever I had visitors who came to see me in Mexico City, this was one of the number one places I always took them to.

The museum is located in the upscale Polanco neighbourhood, which also has a children’s museum, a forest, fountains and other things to do (more of which you’ll see below.) So it’s also a good neighbourhood to stay in as well.

From the museum, you can walk over to the Chapultepec Forest where the Children’s Museum in about 10 minutes.

Grab your Anthropology Museum ticket here

3. Chapultepec Forest (Bosque de Chapultepec)

Chapultepec Forest is a must while visiting Mexico City with kids, for a few reasons:

• Its the largest city park in all of Latin America at 1,700 acres – twice the size of Central Park in New York
• Chapultec Forest is where the Chapultec Zoo is located, but the whole area is much more than just a zoo and a park. It also contains the only royal castle in the Americas, children’s playgrounds, plus there’s a children’s museum nearby

You could spend all day at Chapultec Forest, and have plenty of things to do.

You can also rent a paddleboat in Chapultec Lake. There are lots of wildlife-friendly ducks and squirrels which will likely approach you, hoping you have food.

There are a few things to keep in mind before visiting though, especially with kids:

• There are bathrooms in the park, but you have to pay to enter. I recommend bringing extra toilet paper, and change to pay for the washrooms
• Wear good shoes, as the forest is huge and there’s LOTS of walking. (Especially if you want to climb the hill to the castle and go inside)
• There are bike rentals available if you want to explore Chapultec Forest quicker

Admission to the park is free; it only costs money to rent a bike, or go inside the castle.

Pro Tip: Polanco is about a 30-minute drive from the Centro Historico (city centre) and its a toss-up between which area is better to stay in for a family, as they both have so much to do. However, regardless of which you choose, Polanco and Centro Historico can easily be accessed from each other via the metro in Mexico City

4. Visit Chapultepec Castle

Chapultepec Caslte is located within Chapultepec Park, near the entrance gates to the park. It is the only royal castle in the America’s and was built in the 1700s.

It really feels like a castle too, from the inside and outside – gorgeous stained glass, living quarters that look just the way they did hundreds of years ago, and beautiful courtyards. Plus, since its so high up, you get a pretty view of the city.

The castle is located atop a hill near the entrance gates to the park. Buy your tickets in person before making your ascent, as it’s a tough climb and they do not sell tickets at the top.

Getting to the top of the hill where the castle is may be a bit challenging. I probably would only visit the castle with older children, because of the steep uphill walk (may be challenging with a stroller unless you’re very strong.)

No food or drinks are sold past the entrance gates, but you will see many vendors selling snacks, drinks and toys just beyond the gate. I suggest grabbing a snack before you go up, and then buying from the vendors after you get down.

5. Spend a day at Six Flags Mexico City

Yes, Mexico City has its own Six Flags – located in the southwest corner of the city. It is the most visited theme park in all of Latin America.

Get Your Guide offers a package that includes hotel pick up and transportation to the park and admission for about $150 total per person (adults and kids.)

Just on their own, single-day tickets to Six Flags in Mexico cost 799 pesos (equivalent to about $40 USD.) Pregnant women and people who measure under 3 foot 9″ receive a discount.

If you want to make your way to the park independently, you can buy tickets on their website here (they’re non-refundable, so be sure of the date you want to go.)

Book your Six Flags Mexico City package through Get Your Guide here

6. Spend an afternoon at the Children’s Museum (Papalote Museo del Niño)

Papalote Museo del Nino is a fun interactive children’s museum located towards the city’s west end – not far from the Bosque de Chapultepec and the Anthropology Museum.

You could spend a whole day in the children’s museum and not even finish everything, so I would allocate a good few hours to it if you have children between 2-10 years old.

It has hands-on exhibits, and there are make-believe areas for 2-5-year-olds, a 3-D exhibit, a small aquarium, sensory play, a slide and much more.

You can rent out a stroller there if you don’t have one. It is staffed with quite a bit of supervision, and they often prevent areas from getting overcrowded.

You can buy tickets on the website for the children’s museum.

Pro Tip: There is a large food court with quite a few options outside the children’s museum; you have to leave the museum to get to the food court, but you are allowed to re-enter with your ticket. The food court has some local options, but also some chains like Subway, Domino’s and Burger King.

7. Ride a boat on the canals of Xochimilico

Xochimilco is known for its bright, colourfully painted wooden boats on the canals in the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The wooden boats are called trajineras (pronounced “tra-heen-eras”) and can hold up to 12 people, but you’re welcome to rent one for your family alone – I’ve seen people rent a boat for just 2 people. (The price is by boat, not by person.)

Riding the Xochimilco trajineras is normally a party activity and very popular for college students who are looking for a fun way to party. I used to do this activity with my friends when I was an exchange student in Mexico.

However, riding on these colourful wooden boats in the canal is still a worthwhile experience for anyone, including families. It’s become a bucket list item in Mexico City – visited by both Mexicans, and international tourists. Weekends are busy for all the above.

If you go mid-week, there’s less likely to be a party atmosphere or many other boats, and you can have a quieter experience.

They charge per hour, regardless of how many people are in the boat. The most you’d pay falls around 600 Mexican pesos (which is around $30 USD per hour.)

How to visit Xochimilco

• Xochimilco is about 22 km (miles) from Mexico City. Get there by bus, train or Uber. Take the metro to the end of the blue line, La Tasqueña.
• There are different Xochimilco ‘ports’ to leave from, so you’ll need to choose in advance which one as it affects how you get there.
• Embarcadero Nativitas is a quiet port compared to others, has signs in English, and is well-reviewed. They even have a Facebook page you can check out here
• Read this excellent blog post (in Spanish) about things to do in Xochimilco with kids (you can auto-translate the page into your language if you don’t read Spanish)
• Bring lots of cash with you, as there are vendors on the rivers selling snacks, or even live bands for a private concert on your boat
• Another option is to book a private tour to have everything taken care of for you. I recommend this 3-hour xochimilco tour, because others are quite long and may be a long day for young kids especially.

Book your 3-hour Xochimilco Boat Ride here

8. Explore the Coyoacan neighbourhood

Coyoacan is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Mexico City, and a must while you’re visiting. I would spend at least 3-4 hours here in an afternoon on your Mexico City itinerary.

Coyocan is a charming area with cobbled squares, colourful buildings, colonial architecture, museums, bistros, markets and street food. Give yourself time to simply walk around, taking it in.

A few things to check out while in Coyoacan:

• La Casa Azul is a deep blue building that was once the home of artist Frida Khalo.
• The Cruz de Piedra, a well-shaded park with gardens, benches
• The Jardín Centenario, which is large extensive and well-shaded park with fountains. Check out the coyote fountain!
• The Coyoacan Market, which has been running since 1921
• On the weekends, there are street performers in Coyoacan; many of which focus on family-friendly performances that appeal to kids
• Many great restaurants – Centenario 107 for all-day breakfast, El Jardín de Anatolia for Middle-Eastern fusion, and countless authentic Mexican cuisine – La Casa de los Tacos, Corazón de Maguey, and Tostadas Coyoacan

Pro Tip: All of the above are about a 5-15 minute walk from each other, at the most. The neighbourhood is very walkable, quaint and lively in the evenings.

9. Shop for souvenirs at La Ciudadela

Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela, also known as “La ciudadela” is a large open-air market. They sell folk art, local handicrafts, jewelry – many things that would make a special souvenir from Mexico.

The market is open from 10am to 7pm every day, and the closest metro station is Juarez.

The market has their own Facebook page that you can check for updates.

10. Eat at Bellini’s

Bellini’s is an upscale restaurant in the downtown core of Mexico City. It’s been running for over 30 years.

It serves great food with an unbeatable surrounding view of Mexico City. It’s open all day, but I used to love coming here at night when you can see how far the city lights extended into the horizon.

Bellini’s is located inside a building called The World Trade Center, which has many other stores and things to do as well.

I often used to see a movie at the Cinemex before or after eating at Bellini’s which is in the same building.

Pro Tip: Bellini’s is popular for a ‘date’ atmosphere or special occasions – my Mexican boyfriend used to bring me here often. However, its also family-friendly and kids under 10 eat free from their set menu. You can make a reservation and check out the Bellini’s menu here.

11. Get outside at Parque Alfonzo Espara Olteo

Parque Alfonzo Espara Olteooften called “la Alameda” by locals, is a large extensive park of 22,000 square metres, about x south of where the Bosque Chapultepec is. It’s a great place to let them run free in a safe environment.

There’s a playground structure, fountains, a basketball court, a large amphitheatre where there is occasionally entertainment, and classes for kids. There’s lots of mature trees and shade and benches to rest on.

There’s also lots of restaurants and food in the area of this park – a Walmart Express, sushi, pizza, and lots of Mexican places.

11. Spend a day exploring Teotihuacan

You can’t go to Mexico City without visiting the pyramids of Teotihuacan, which are over 2,000 years old.

Teotihuacan is about 50 km (31 miles) from the heart of Mexico City and visiting there is a full-day excursion; between getting there and back (up to 2 hours round trip) plus exploring the two different pyramids and the mazes – but it’s highly worth it.

There are two different pyramids, with stairs that you can climb and get a view of the surrounding archeological site – its amazing.

There are also other structures within the site; walls and mazes, old buildings, and some dessert vegetation like cactuses (I found this fascinating because it was the first time I’d ever seen a cactus.)

You can book a tour to Teotihuacan; there are countless options that will transport you and other tourists there from the city (there’s even a newer kid-friendly specific tour that has good reviews.) Or, you could drive or take public transit.

The climb to the top of the pyramids is a tiring one, but not undoable with a medium fitness level. The stairs are wide enough that a small child could do it, but I would recommend holding their hand and having them use the rail provided.

Eating at Teotihuacan

• There’s a restaurant about 650 feet from the pyramids called La Gruta, and it has kid’s meals, and a kids play area! Be sure to reserve on their website if you’re heading there on a weekend
• There were panhandlers selling cactuses as food, refreshments and snacks at the pyramids. So, you can bring a lunch and have a picnic, or buy food on-site.

Book your special Teotihuacan tour for kids (7 hours long, and roughly $100 per person) here

12. Have a fun day out at KidZania

KidZania is a chain of semi-outdoor theme parks for kids. There are two in Mexico City (Santa Fe and Cuiculco) as well as a few other Mexican cities and throughout the world as well.

At the Mexico City Kizanias, you can find things like:

• go-karts
• simulated experiences
• make-believe
• interactive play.
• very well done and visual sets
• entertainment and activities for all ages, 1-16.

The cost to get into Kidzania is a bit pricey compared to other Mexican attractions – the equivalent of almost $25 for a kid (aged 1-16) and another $11 for each adult.

Depending on where you’re staying, the Mexico City location closest to you is the Santa Fe location, which is in central west Mexico City. You can buy tickets on their website for the date you want to visit.

13. Spend an afternoon at ¡Kataplum! amusement park

There’s an amusement park called ¡Kataplum! in south Mexico City.

¡Kataplum! is located on the roof of Parque Las Antenas shopping mall. There are thrill rides, rides for smaller kids, live entertainment, restaurants to eat at, and games and virtual reality.

¡Kataplum! is generally a well-liked place with good ratings.

Some things to keep in mind:

• It would take about an hour to drive here, or take the metro from the heart of Mexico City. The closest metro is Metro Periférico Oteo
• You’re not allowed to bring food in; there is food on-site, and in the shopping mall attached to it

The exact address is Av. Canal de Garay 3278, La Esperanza, Iztapalapa, 09910 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México. You can buy tickets online in advance.

14. Take a day trip

Mexico City is a great hub for visiting some other very worthwhile places in this part of Mexico.

Most tourists to Mexico tend to go to the Yucatan, which is a beautiful area, but there are so many gems near the capital of Mexico City.

Here are some day trip options from Mexico City which may be worthwhile:

• Puebla, a city of almost 300 unique-looking churches. 2 hours from Mexico City. Include Cholula while visiting Puebla; a small town nearby that also has a beautiful architecture and a family-friendly atmosphere (these are the main two places that I would definitely add to your Mexico Itinerary)
• Waters of Tolantongo, for families who love being in the water. Almost 4 hours from Mexico City. All ages are allowed, but keep in mind, the day tour I linked to is a long day – 14 hours.
• Taxco – the city of silver, about 3 hours from Mexico City. I’m a big fan of Taxco -read my post on things to do there

You can drive to any of these places, but there are also buses that travel there. I took the bus many times in Mexico City; and never had any problems. With kids, it may be preferable to use a modern bus line like ADO to get around -you can even opt for first-class seats, which would cost for example $20 to get to Puebla. (2 hour trip.) You can check their website to see schedules and prices to get to different places from Mexico City.

15. Grab a bite to eat, and a book at the Cafebrería El Péndulo bookstore

Cafebrería is a made-up word specifically for this café that combines the two words “cafe” and “libraria” (bookstore). Cafebrería is both a cafe and a large extensive bookstore.

You can have lunch, drinks, or some sweet baked goods on-site, and spend some time browsing books – in both English and Spanish.

They host events quite often, many of which cater to children. Check Cafebrería’s calendar of events here.

Pro Tip: There are actually a few different Cafebrería El Pendulo locations in Mexico City – Polanco, Roma, etc. The one closest to where you’re staying is likely the Polanco location because its near other attractions in Mexico City. It’s located at Alejandro Dumas 81, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México.

16. (Bonus) Visit the Museo de Jugetes (Museum of Toys)

The Toy Museum seems like an obvious choice when visiting Mexico City, but there’s a few things to keep in mind about it.

It’s in an old building that doesn’t seem the best maintained. The neighbourhood its in also isn’t great.

There are some interesting things to look at, and it can really tell a story of the city through the toys. I probably wouldn’t make my way here with very young children, but it might be something unique and interesting to do with older kids.

Where to Stay in Mexico City with Kids

I recommend staying either near the zocalo, in coyocan OR in the Museum of Anthropology area so that you are within walking distance of most things you want to do as a family. Transportation in Mexico City can be tricky sometimes, so being able to just walk is a bonus

• Budget: Hotel Catedral comfy and chic hotel in Mexico City’s historic centre. Its often less than $100 per night. Offers a buffet breakfast, bike rentals, and rooms with a view
• Mid-Range: Ana Polanco Apartments self-serve and family-friendly apartments in Polanco, the area near parks, anthropology museum and the zoo
• Luxury: Gran Hotel Ciudad de México Zócalo stunning hotel with a beautiful glass-ceiling atrium, buffet breakfast, terrace, and a stone’s throw from the metro station in the zocalo area

Tips for Familly Travel in Mexico City

✅ It’s not safe or recommended to drink any water from the tap. Always boil it first if you’re planning to drink it. I never in all my time living there had any problems from eating out.

✅ The public transportation in Mexico isn’t the best. The metro can be quite busy, and the public buses are very crowded sometimes with no AC. Stay in the zocalo to reduce how often you need to rely on public transit, and plan trips out in advance to make it less overwhelming

✅ Eat in a Taqueria while you’re there. Mexican tacos are pretty different from what we’ve come to know as tacos in US and Canada. they’re more like quesadillas in real life. but they are good

✅ You will see a lot of street food and snacks. Plastic bags full of fresh orange juice, fresh fruits like mango, and churros. The churros in Mexico are unlike what I’ve seen anywhere else – they’re often filled with your choosing of flavour (usually caramel, blueberry or chocolate.)

✅ Vips is a Mexican chain restaurant with a reliable menu, plus kids’ meals. There are Mexican favourites as well as some familiar North American dishes. There are several Vips locations in Mexico City.

Mexico City with Kids FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about visiting Mexico City as a family

Is Mexico City worth visiting with kids?

Mexico City wouldn’t be the first place I’d choose to bring my kids in Mexico, but it is absolutely an amazing city with some very unique experiences for families. For families there on business, or seasoned travellers that want to go somewhere – Mexico City is absolutely worth a visit.

What is a fun fact about Mexico City for kids?

You can share with your kids that Mexico City is the largest city in all of North America; its also the oldest city in the Americas. It used to be an island in the middle of the lake until they turned it into a city. The population of X lives in Mexico City.

Which part of Mexico is best for families?

As a family travelling to Mexico, you have your pick. Mexico is a big country and there are many different parts that are great for families. Yucatan is often a favourite, because of its relaxed beach towns, proximity to the ocean and for being one of the safest areas in Mexico. There is a worldschooling hub in Guanajuato city, and many other places – Oaxaca, Mexico City, Mazatlan that are great for families.

Final Thoughts on Mexico City with Kids

By now you know all the things there are to do in Mexico City with kids. It’s a large, exciting and interesting city. There’s so much to do, regardless of the age group you’re travelling with.

Mexicans are warm, friendly and helpful. I speak Spanish (and pretty much stuck to Spanish all the time in Mexico) but most locals that work in tourist attractions, including kids attractions, often know enough English to help you. Buen viaje!