Want to see something super creepy? Go here…read more We went a couple days before Halloween/Dia de Los Muertos, thinking it would be a fun outing. It was! You arrive at the canals of Xochimilco, an ancient town that was once it's own city and was used as a major production of produce and agriculture. You can rent the gondola-like boats that will take you through the canals, you'll see small farmsteads still operating, boats selling house plants and tacos, pigs tied up being taking to slaughter (so sad), mariachi bands on boats singing to boats passing by, and finally, down one canal, there is, Isla de las Munecas, ominously waiting for you, dark grey, green and black hues settle into a backdrop of languid vines and drooping trees, and thousands, I mean thousands of dolls tied and fixed to trees, sides of a barn, along fence lines and on top of poles. These dolls have a deep significance that goes back many years. Story has it that a little girl drowned near the island and a man named Julian felt putting up the dolls would please her soul. Soon he felt the spirits of other girls were present so he continued to put up more dolls throughout his small island. Something like 40 years went by and hundreds and hundreds of dolls were put up to please the many spirits he felt connected to the tiny island. Sadly and equally odd, he was found drowned in the same place as the little girl was found many years before... Now another man runs the eerie island and for a few pesos he allows you to walk around and take pictures, he'll also give a short speech about the island's history in front of his rustic makeshift alter. Definitely an interesting place to visit, the whole set up of canals of Xochimilco are a great example of Mexican DF culture, colorful and vibrant, and at the same time still with austere seriousness.

Xochimilco is such a fun and unique experience-super lively, busy, and full of food and music…read moreeverywhere. We took an uber from Mexico City to Xochimilco which is about 1 hour or so. I recommend going into the area and getting a certified boat. The trajinera prices are per boat, not per person. As of April 2026, it's about $750 pesos per hour. I'd suggest doing at least 2 hours so you can really enjoy it without rushing. While you're on the canals, you'll be approached by mariachis, locals selling food and drinks, and honestly just about anything you can think of. You can also bring your own food and drinks onto the boat, plus a speaker if you want to set the vibe. Definitely a more fun experience if you go with a group of people! Also, your best bet is to visit Coyoacan while in the area, it's about 30 mins.

Historic fun riding on pontoon rafts called trajineras on ancient man made river beds in the heart…read moreof Mexico City. In the times of the ancient civilization these man made canals were used to keep water flow to grow crops and was a vital source for water in the region. Fast forward to modern day where the locals now offer scenic tours featuring great food and music while casually riding on the river. This is a must do tour while visiting Mexico City and even better to do at night I hear. Be sure to get yourself a Michelada to keep you cool in the warm days if partaking! Super fun all around but do watch out for the Mariachis as they can be pushy and demanding

Area in close walking distance to the Frida Kahlo Museum, and the renowned churro place…read more We left the hotel early, got dropped off with one hour before our ticket admitting us in so we walked to a Panera that Doc spotted on the ride there. We entered a church, had lunch in the area and did some shopping. Doc bought a bracelet I liked from a vendor and a T-shirt from a man across the street from the museum for me. I bought some bracelets and pouches from a man on the street. He could speak English and said his family was Aztec. He made the bracelets and his grandmother made the pouches. Many locals with their dogs and tourists were enjoying the nice warm weather. We saw people being blessed with special smoke or sage. Many shops and eateries on nice streets. There was one two story restaurant that looked very pretty and romantic with couples eating on the outdoor balcony.

Fun, lively area! Came on a Sunday and there were tons of people outs and about…read more Pros: -many restaurants to choose from -vendors galore where you can buy souvenirs -there are a few free Wi-Fi spots in this area -we saw performers dancing near the church Cons: -none

When in Mexico City, don't let anyone tell you that this unique, scenic, traditional, loud,…read morecrowded, boisterous adventure is too "touristy." Yes, it's (overly) glitzy at times, possibly too popular/busy, especially on holidays/weekends, but it's sooooooo MEXICAN!! Take the day trip from the city, either on your own (helps to speak SOME Spanish) or with a group and go with the FLOW!! We took an Uber from the Centro Historico and made our way to where we needed to be. Well, we actually got lost a few times, but managed to find this location (there are several launching points...) and managed to get a reasonably good deal for a two hour "ecological" tour, which meant we had some quality time in the lesser congested areas, and even saw some beautiful birds!! Our guide was super informative, and we really saw quite a bit in the two hours we were out there. We didn't do much eating and drinking, but saw many others taking advantage of the holiday season to have BIG fiestas on the water!! Xochimilco is definitely an EXPERIENCE... Andale!! In spite of the crowds, glitz, possible price gouging (it'll probably happen, get over it, it's how they make a living!!) it's WELL worth it!!

Xochimilco is a historic canal district in Mexico City, famous for its colorful boats (trajineras)…read morethat offer festive tours through the waterways. Xochimilco is a popular destination for tourists visiting Mexico City, even though it's a hike from the center of the city (you'll likely spend an hour getting to Xochimilco). We didn't visit on our first trip to Mexico City, but we did make a quick stop to tour the Xochimilco canals on our second visit to CDMX a few weeks ago. We visited with a tour group, which I recommend. I've heard it can be difficult to arrange things on your own. I believe it. When we visited, the market at this portion of Xochimilco had just been torn down (they are rebuilding it in time for the World Cup next summer), and it made for a confusing site. Without our guide, we definitely wouldn't have known where to go. There are lots of ways to experience and enjoy Xochimilco. For a lot of people, it's a party. You can eat, drink, and listen to mariachi music. I've heard it can be quite an experience and people can turn this into a party. You can also have a more historical- or ecological-focused experience, which is what we did (several groups focus on this kind of visit, including some that take you out at sunrise to experience it). Our tour guide taught us the history of Xochimilco (the waterways here were a main transportation venue from the pre-Hispanic period until the 20th century) and some of the ways people are trying to focus on improving the environment in the area (bringing back agriculture/chinampas and attempting to preserve habitat for the axolotl - Google it, it's amazing). If you're hoping for a particular experience, I highly recommend checking with a tour guide who can help you pick the portion of Xochimilco and ensure you get the experience you're most interested in. It's an interesting place, but given its distance from the city center, I wouldn't say it's a must visit for first time tourists to the city.

From the owner: combinamos el bosque con la cercanía de la ciudad, único , casa estilo tutor, laberinto a base de…read morearbustos, salones para eventos sociales, jardines, campamento, alimentos, estacionamiento, sanitarios, seguridad y más

Alberto was an amazing guide and we learned so much on this trip! I highly recommend this tour!read more

Worst tour and customer service we have experienced in over 50 years of travel and 100+ countries…read morewe have visited. We wanted to visit Cacaxtla ruins in Tlaxcala and Vibe Adventures offered a relatively expensive tour, but that covered what we wanted to see. We booked the tour a couple of months in advance and everything was going as expected for our December 30th, 2025 tour to Cacaxtla and other sites in Tlaxcala. Our driver (top service) and our guide showed up in time at our hotel for our group of 9 people. We got on the van and maybe 20 minutes into the drive and on our way to Tlaxcala, the guide casually told us that Cacaxtla was closed because the ceiling protecting the archaeological site had collapsed a couple of weeks before and it had not been repaired. She offered to take us to visit some other sites in Puebla, which we had already visited before. We had no other option. Vibe Adventures never bothered to contact us to inform us that the archaeological site was closed. They ruined our trip for which we paid a lot of money. Upon our return to our hotel we check on Internet, on the Government official web site, social media, etc. No mention whatsoever of the collapsed ceiling. There are two possible explanations: 1. The accident was true (even if the site was shown as open in social media and official web page and no mention was made of any kind of mishap) and Vibe Adventures did not bother to contact us and mention that the tour we had booked was unavailable, or 2. The guide lied to us and came up with this story because for some unknown reason she did not want to go to Cacaxtla. We sent an email to Vibe Adventures requesting an explanation. We never heard back from them, which leads us to assume that this was just a scam. So far we have no idea what happened. Everything seems to indicate that Cacaxtla was open and the guide simply did not want to take us there. We will definitely never use Vibe Adventures services again. Perhaps, after going public with our terrible experience, they will finally have the courtesy as to reply with an explanation, perhaps a refund.

What a dream to have visited Xochimilco! We got trajineras at around 10am. It wasn't packed yet so…read morewe got in right away and rented the trajinera for three horas at $600 hourly . We rented a speaker for 550 pesos hourly. I'm sure we could have negotiated but we choose not too. We thought it was a good price. There are people selling food, snacks and Miches in little boats! We bought food , traditional tlacoyos which were yummy. We got a bunch of quesadillas as well for 1200 total. It was about 10 of us which is about 7 US dollars for each and we were stuffed! Great experience except when having to stop at a restroom. 10 pesos to use and no running water which was uncomfortable. The bathroom was not a great sight. I'm so happy I got to get on a trajinera!

For a DIY day trip to Xochimilco's canals, you can get there by using public transportation (though…read morethe journey is long and may require a few transfers), or taking an Uber. If you're not going to Xochimilco on a guided tour, you'll need to hire your own trajinera, or boat. The current going rate for a boat is 600 pesos per hour. Embarcadero Cuemanco is where we went. Apparently Nuevo Navitas is more of a party scene, which I didn't realize, but then we got the whole it's closed scam and our uber driver started taking us somewhere else which is apparently an even bigger scam. If you go to Embarcadero Cuemanco you can ask them to stop at the axolotyl place, it was cool to see the little lizards and they had bathrooms (10 pesos) too. A really nice way to spend a few hours!

Sooo you told your friends you were going to Mexico City, and everyone wanted you to bring them…read moreback a souvenir. Never fear, Plaza de la Ciudadela is here for you! This admittedly tourist-driven market is a one-stop shop for any souvenirs, clothing, or art you might want to take back home. We just ended up buying a simple (fairly cheap) souvenir shot glass for a friend while here. However, even after our official shopping obligation was done, it was a lot of fun to just wander through the stalls and admire the arts and crafts on display. There are even some vendors selling various food items if that's the kind of souvenir you're into (I sure am!). I really appreciated how the vendors were not very pushy about forcing their wares on you, or in your face about luring you into their stores to take a look--this is always my least favorite part of shopping at markets in most countries. This, no doubt, contributed to the pleasantness of my experience here. There was a free dance performance by students from a local dance school while I was here, so that was fun to watch for a little while. There's also a restaurant in the middle of the market if you need some fuel to get you through your shopping spree.

If your travels take you to Mexico City, and you won't get the opportunity to visit other regions…read moreof this wonderfully diverse country, be sure to take some time out of your busy touring schedule (I'd say at least 2-3 hours or more) to explore every nook and cranny of this awesome crafts market. Even if you don't buy a thing (impossible!!) you'll feel like you've taken a whirlwind tour of some of the most beautiful and artistically productive areas of the country... I love the colors, the feel of "discovering" a great bargain or a unique piece of craftwork. It may seem like there's a lot of repetition here (and there is...) but if you take the time, and really check out all the hidden nooks and crannies, you're bound to find a true, one of a kind gem (or twelve...)!! I could spend a week in here!! There's a cafe mid way through the market, and restrooms toward the back. Don't miss the non-craft (foods, spices, etc.) vendors around the perimeter, don't waste too much time trying to bargain/heckle, as most of the prices are super reasonable (though some vendors will give you great deals for volume buying) and one of your purchases before leaving CDMX might just be another suitcase (or three!) to bring home all your WONDERFUL finds here at the Ciudadela Market!! ANIMO!!! Shop here, DON'T wait til you're leaving at the airport, and see lesser-quality work for 3x the price!!