Mexico City Day Trips: Which to Take

Mexico City has an Aztec temple beside its cathedral, Frida Kahlo's house and the canals of Xochimilco in the south, and ancient cities an hour or two away by road. Here is what each of our five involves, and which to pick if you only have one day.

One day: Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe, back at your hotel in the afternoon. A second day: Coyoacán, the Blue House and a boat on the canals of Xochimilco.

The five, side by side

Trip	Length	Leaves	Price
Teotihuacan and the Basilica of Guadalupe Private Day Trip from Mexico City	8h	07:00	from €280
Mexico City: Private Day Tour of Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo's Blue House and Xochimilco	8h	07:00	from €410
Mexico City: Private Tour of the Historic Centre and Bellas Artes	4h	07:00	from €140
Puebla and Cholula Private Day Trip from Mexico City	11h	07:00	from €410
Tula and Tepotzotlán Private Day Trip from Mexico City	9h	07:00	from €370

Prices are starting prices and depend on the size of your group.

How to choose

You want the pyramids

Teotihuacan and Guadalupe. Eight hours from 07:00: the Basilica of Guadalupe on the way out of the city, then three hours at Teotihuacan, along the Avenue of the Dead between the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. There is little shade, so bring a hat and water. Whether you can climb the pyramids changes from time to time; your driver will know on the day.

You want Frida Kahlo and the canals

Coyoacán, the Blue House and Xochimilco. Eight hours, all in the south of the city: the stone mosaic on the university library, the squares of Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo's house and studio, and two hours on a painted trajinera. The museum is closed on Mondays and sells tickets for a set time on its own website, so book yours before the day.

You only have half a day

The historic centre. Four hours, at 07:00 or 13:00: the Zócalo and the Metropolitan Cathedral, the excavated Templo Mayor, the marble Palacio de Bellas Artes and Paseo de la Reforma. Most of it is on foot, with the car waiting nearby.

You want a colonial city

Puebla and Cholula. Eleven hours, the longest day here, with about four and a half of them on the motorway past the volcanoes: the Great Pyramid of Cholula with its church on top, the painted church of Tonantzintla, Puebla's cathedral and the gold-leaf Rosary Chapel, and mole poblano for lunch.

You want somewhere quieter than Teotihuacan

Tula and Tepotzotlán. Nine hours north: the stone warriors of the Toltec capital standing on their pyramid, then the gilded Jesuit church and the museum of the colonial era at Tepotzotlán. About three hours of driving in all.

Four things worth knowing before you book

Tickets are paid on the day

The price covers the private vehicle, the driver, fuel, tolls and parking. Entrances to the sites and museums, the trajinera at Xochimilco and lunch are paid on the day.

Watch out for Mondays

Templo Mayor, the Frida Kahlo Museum and the museum at Tepotzotlán are closed on Mondays. Teotihuacan is open every day, so on a Monday it is the better choice.

Private costs less than you think for a group

A coach seat is cheap for one person and stops being cheap at four. Our prices are by group size, not per seat: up to four of you share one car at one price, and the price only steps up when you need a van. And you are not waiting for forty strangers at every stop.

You can change your mind

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pick-up, refunded in full. If the date stops working, message us and we will do our best to move you to another day.