10 Things to Do in Mexico City at Night

Just like New York, Mexico City is known as the city that never sleeps, so you'll find plenty of things to do at night, here are some of them.

Andressa García

Andressa García

11 min read

10 Things to Do in Mexico City at Night

Mexico by night | ©Carlos Adampol Galindo

It's normal to want to focus on daytime activities when preparing for every trip, but I assure you that many of the best things to see and do in Mexico City are night-time plans. From taking a night tour and sampling delicious street food to attending a wrestling show, Mexico City's nightlife scene is vast.

Historic monuments and modern buildings come alive in the moonlight. With these features, it's not a bad idea to take a night walk through the historic centre at night. The Metropolitan Cathedral, the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Plaza de la Constitución are places you can appreciate best at night.

1. Take night walks in the Centro Histórico CDMX

Alameda Central| ©Dan
Alameda Central| ©Dan

In the middle of these tours, which are some of the best tours in Mexico City, you will have the opportunity to visit the Historic Centre of the city, to see how the city comes alive with the night illumination. You can start your tour at the Alameda Central, which has a very prominent illumination that will allow you to appreciate its fountains and other details around it.

Another place you can't miss is Paseo de la Reforma, where I recommend you to stroll along the busy avenue by bike or on foot, in the quiet of the night. It is also a good idea to visit the Monumento a la Revolución, which is another place that dazzles with its illumination. In general, it is a good plan to take a night tour around the city, to see the most incredible places when the sun goes down.

Interesting details

  • Price: you don't have to pay anything for these tours because all the places you will visit are public areas.
  • Duration: I recommend you dedicate at least 3 hours to enjoy a large part of the city.
  • Means of transport: you can do the tour on foot, by bike or however you like.
  • Advantages of this option: you will visit the sites of your choice at your own pace.
  • Disadvantages of this option: everything you spend on the tour is on your own. You will not have a tour guide to accompany you during the tour.

Take one of the best tours of Mexico City

2. Tour the city by night in an open-top bus

Mexico by night| ©Jonathan Dias
Mexico by night| ©Jonathan Dias

During this tour you will have the opportunity to enjoy the vibrant nightlife of Mexico City in an original way. You'll board an open-top bus from where you'll be able to see the city in its entirety. Your tour guide will take you to see the most emblematic points of the city, including the Independence Monument and the Diana Cazadora fountain.

You will also have the opportunity to admire a visit to the Palacio de Bellas Artes building, which is one of the most emblematic constructions in the city centre. One of the things you will like the most about this tour in this kind of Mexico City sightseeing bus is that you will be able to admire the best panoramic views of the city from a comfortable place.

Interesting details

  • Price: you will have to pay around 5,50 euros per person to take part in this tour.
  • Duration: the whole trip takes about an hour and a half.
  • Means of transport: the activity is completed in an open-top bus.
  • Advantages of this option: commentary is included throughout the tour. Also included is the trip in a tourist bus with all the amenities.
  • Disadvantages of this option: This tour does not include snacks, meals or drinks.

Hop on the tourist bus and tour Mexico City

3. Enjoy a Mexican wrestling show

Wrestling in Mexico| ©Emilio Olivares
Wrestling in Mexico| ©Emilio Olivares

Without a doubt one of the best night-time activities you can experience in the city is to sign up for a wrestling show in Mexico City, specifically at the Arena Mexico stadium, which is considered to be the cathedral of the sport in the country. This adventure begins at the Zocalo Capital Bus Stop, where you'll board an open-top bus that will take you on a panoramic tour of Mexico City.

After passing by some of the most emblematic places of the capital, such as the Monumento a la Revolución, the Alameda Central, the Glorieta de Colón and the Parroquia de la Santa Veracruz, you will finally arrive at the Arena México stadium, where you can enjoy the wrestling show, which is no less than a traditional Olympic sport in Mexico, characterised by its jumps and acrobatics outside the ring.

Details of interest

  • Price: you will have to pay around 40 euros to participate in this tour with wrestling show included.
  • Duration: the whole activity will take approximately 4 hours.
  • Means of transport: the whole trip is completed by bus.
  • Advantages of this option: you will have safe bus transport throughout the activity. An audio guide will inform you about traditional Mexican wrestling. A central preferential entrance to the Arena Mexico stadium is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: meals and drinks are not included.

Go see a wrestling show in CDMX

4. Dinner at the Bellini revolving restaurant

At the Bellini restaurant| ©Hernán García Crespo
At the Bellini restaurant| ©Hernán García Crespo

If you have already done a good gastronomic tour in Mexico City, you will surely like to visit one of the most famous restaurants in the city. Inside this place, you will have the opportunity to experience an unforgettable evening with panoramic views of the whole city. This is the Bellini revolving restaurant, which is located in the World Trade Center.

During the experience you will be able to enjoy a very good three-course dinner while the restaurant slowly rotates. With this incredible movement, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a 360-degree view of the illuminated city at dusk. At the end of the activity, the driver will take you back to your hotel or accommodation.

Interesting details

  • Price: you will have to pay around 75 euros to enjoy this experience.
  • Duration: it will take you about 3 hours to complete the activity.
  • Means of transport: the whole experience is completed by car, minibus or bus.
  • Advantages of this option: transfer to and from the hotel or accommodation is included. Three-course dinner and a drink at the Bellini revolving restaurant is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Not wheelchair accessible. Extra expenses outside the dinner are not included.

Join a gastronomic tour in Mexico City

5. Tour Mexico City by night and bike

Streets of Mexico| ©uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs
Streets of Mexico| ©uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs

A great way to experience the city in a completely new way is to take a night-time tour on a bicycle. During the tour you will be able to admire the most emblematic places of the city under the starlight, while your tour guide shows you some of the best areas of the city.

On this, which is one of the best bike tours in Mexico City, you will get to know the most popular neighbourhoods of the region, such as Reforma, Roma, Condesa and Centro. You will also get some ideas about other interesting places to visit during the rest of your stay in the city from your own guide.

Interesting details

  • Price: you will have to pay around 44 euros per person to enjoy this activity.
  • Duration: it will take you around 3 hours to complete the tour, although you can do it at your own pace.
  • Means of transport: the whole trip is completed by bicycle with lights.
  • Advantages of this option: the rental of the bike of your choice is included. You will be offered helmets and lights for the bikes. You will be offered a bottle of water or cold beer if you prefer, to keep you hydrated. Personal accident insurance is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: This tour does not include tips. Extra drinks are also not included.

Sign up for a bike tour in CDMX

6. Admire a show by the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico

Palacio de Bellas Artes by night| ©Sir_Lee_
Palacio de Bellas Artes by night| ©Sir_Lee_

Your tour guide will take you from your hotel or accommodation to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, where you will enjoy a ballet show. You are sure to enjoy the choreography because it is usually full of energy, joy and movement. The Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández is renowned worldwide for its contribution to the recognition of Mexican folk dances from different periods and corners of the country.

During this show, which is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Mexico City, you will be able to enjoy traditional dances from Oaxaca to Veracruz, passing through Chiapas, Guerrero and Jalisco. You'll love this celebration of Mexican music and cultural roots.

Details of interest

  • Price: you will have to pay around 108 euros per person.
  • Duration: the show takes about 3 hours.
  • Means of transport: the transfer will be on board a comfortable minibus.
  • Advantages of this option: the transfer to and from your hotel or accommodation is included. Tickets to the show are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Personal expenses are not included. Meals, drinks and snacks are not included.

Sign up for one of the best activities in CDMX

7. Take an excursion from Mexico City to the Firefly Sanctuary in Tlaxcala

Firefly Sanctuary| ©Omar Godinez
Firefly Sanctuary| ©Omar Godinez

Believe it or not, one of the best night time activities is to join an excursion from Mexico City to enjoy nature and the unique experience of visiting the firefly sanctuary in Tlaxcala. During the activity you will immerse yourself in the Mexican countryside to walk along wooden trails while admiring the firefly dance.

This phenomenon is unique and only takes place for a few months of the year, between June and August, so it's one of those activities that I would include among the best things to see and do in Mexico City in July. In the middle of the tour, you will be able to walk along the path through the forest and the local ecosystem, but you will also be able to enjoy three hours recognising the local nature and enjoying the beautiful dance of the fireflies.

Details of interest

  • Price: you will have to pay around 88 euros per person to enjoy this experience.
  • Duration: the tour lasts approximately 9 hours.
  • Means of transport: the whole trip is done by bus from Mexico City.
  • Advantages of this option: Transport to and from Mexico City is included. The entrance fee is included. You will be accompanied by a certified guide. You will be offered a snack, which can vary between combinations such as tamale and atole or coffee and bread.
  • Disadvantages of this option: meals and drinks are not included. No flash cameras or other light emitting devices are allowed.

Sign up for a tour from Mexico City

8. Be frightened by the spectacle of the legend of La Llorona in Xochimilco

Xochimilco| ©Anne and David
Xochimilco| ©Anne and David

This is undoubtedly a unique show in Xochimilco, as during the event you will have the opportunity to discover the story of La Llorona, one of the most traditional characters of Mexican culture. The show consists of a performance that combines theatre, dance and music.

Your guide will pick you up at your hotel or accommodation in Mexico City to take you to the neighbourhood of Xochimilco, where you will enjoy a magical ride in a trajinera (watercraft) along the canals until you reach the venue of the event, which you will experience from this aquatic vehicle. As the show unfolds, you'll get to know the character's story in detail.

But you will also have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional Mexican music, with instruments such as the marimba, the harp and the guitar, which are mixed with the sounds of the ancient instruments made of bone and clay. It is definitely a tour that I recommend you to include among the best things to do in October, when the Halloween season is in fashion.

Interesting details

  • Price: you will have to pay around 92 euros per person to enjoy this tour.
  • Duration: It will take you about two hours to complete the tour.
  • Means of transport: the tour is completed by minibus or bus and also by trajineras.
  • Advantages of this option: transport by minibus or bus is offered, including hotel pick-up. Trajinera tickets through the canals of Xochimilco are included. Entrance to the show of the legend of the Llorona is included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the tour does not include dinner, snacks and drinks.

9. Sign up for a bar crawl in Centro Historico

Tasting Mezcal| ©Quate Kakaguate
Tasting Mezcal| ©Quate Kakaguate

This bar crawl experience in Mexico City's historic district will give you a deep insight into Mexican culture. Your guide will take you and your group to visit various bars in the city, where you can enjoy a traditional alcoholic beverage such as tequila, mezcal, pulque and Mexican beer.

At each bar, you'll also enjoy typical Mexican entertainment, ranging from live music to drag queen shows and mariachi bands. During the five-stop tour, you can enjoy the different flavours of drinks and listen to the music and songs that represent Mexican culture.

Interesting details

  • Price: you will have to pay around 88 euros to enjoy this activity.
  • Duration: it will take you between 4 and 5 hours to complete the tour.
  • Means of transport: you'll do the whole adventure in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus.
  • Advantages of this option: Mexican beer, mezcal, tequila and Pulque shots are included.
  • Disadvantages of this option: snacks and tacos, as well as soft drinks, are at your own expense.

10. Get to know the tradition of the Day of the Dead in Xochimilco with dinner

Day of the Dead| ©Pablo Leautaud
Day of the Dead| ©Pablo Leautaud

If you plan to visit Mexico City between the end of October and the beginning of November, you can't miss the Day of the Dead tradition. And to enjoy this tradition, there is nothing better than a night tour through Xochimilco. During this experience, you will get to know the most amazing stories related to the beings from beyond the grave while you navigate in the traditional trajineras through the canals of Xochimilco.

This tour starts at Valentín Gómez Farías street in the afternoon, to start the night tour. You will then travel to the southern part of the Mexican capital to board the typical trajineras.

While on board, you will learn various stories related to the Day of the Dead in Mexico City. Your guide will tell you all about who La Catrina was and how this popular character came to be, as well as a couple of other stories about this day. Meanwhile, you can enjoy a delicious buffet dinner on board, including local specialities such as pan de muerto, mole, quesadillas and chapulines.

Details of interest

  • Price: you will have to pay around 120 euros to experience this tour in Xochimilco.
  • Duration: it will take you about 5 hours to complete this tour.
  • Means of transport: the whole tour is completed by minibus or bus and trajineras.
  • Advantages of this option: You will be accompanied by an expert tour guide. The tickets to get on the trajineras are included. A buffet dinner with typical dishes is included. You will be offered hot chocolate and a shot of handmade tequila. A bottle of mineral water is offered during the tour.
  • Disadvantages of this option: Additional snacks, meals or drinks are not included in the package.