Tip the Wheezing Organ GrinderFind an organillero in khaki uniform cranking a barely-in-tune hand organ, and drop a coin in the hat. Tradition says you always pay the man with the wheezy box.CultureEasy15 min
Ambush a Bicycle Taco BasketFlag down a tacos de canasta vendor pedalling a cloth-covered basket and order the steamed potato or chicharrón ones. No kitchen, no stall, just soft tacos and trust.Food & DrinkEasy20 min
Brave a Glass of PulqueDuck into an old neighbourhood pulquería and try the viscous fermented agave drink the locals swear is good for you. Order a fruity 'curado' if the texture defeats your courage.Local DetailMedium40 min
Crunch Some GrasshoppersAt Mercado de San Juan, snack on a fistful of lime-and-chili chapulines. Go pro with escamoles, the buttery ant larvae locals call 'Mexican caviar'. It's protein with extra legs.WeirdBold30 min
Get Cleansed at the Witch MarketWander the brujería aisles of Mercado de Sonora, past love potions and candles, and let a vendor whack you with herbs for a spiritual cleansing. Magic and faith, side by side.Hidden GemMedium45 min
Heckle a Masked WrestlerCatch a lucha libre night and learn the crowd's cheeky chants while caped técnicos and rudos fly off the ropes. Buy a cheap mask so nobody can prove you yelled it.SocialEasy1 hr 30 min
Crash the Punk Swap MeetOn a Saturday, hit El Tianguis Cultural del Chopo, the weekly street market where the city's metalheads, punks and goths trade records and patches. Wear black or wear nothing of note.ActiveEasy1 hr
Get Lost on Bookseller StreetBrowse the dusty secondhand bookshops on Calle Donceles downtown, where teetering stacks of paperbacks go for pocket change. Buy one you can't read as a souvenir of optimism.Rainy DayEasy35 min
Drink Your Corn From a CupAfter dark, find an esquites cart and order corn kernels swimming in broth, mayo, cheese and chili. Eat it with the little spoon while standing on a curb like a true capitalino.Food & DrinkEasy15 min
Pass as a CapitalinoDitch the shorts, taste before you reach for the salsa, and greet every person in a room individually. Master 'provecho' at the right moment and locals will assume you live here.FamilyEasy30 min
Run the Dawn Loop at Chapultepec (El Sope)Bosque de Chapultepec opens at 5am, and chilangos are already lapping the lit, ovoid track they call El Sope. Slot in behind a training group and run the city's lungs before the traffic wakes up.ActiveMedium45 min
Run Car-Free Paseo de la Reforma on a SundayEvery Sunday from 8am the Muévete en Bici program closes Paseo de la Reforma to cars, and up to 100,000 locals roll, jog, and skate past the Angel of Independence. Borrow an Ecobici or just run the open lanes and own the avenue.ActiveEasy1 hr
Lap Parque México in a kiddie carIn the Art Deco loop of Parque México, families rent antique electric kiddie cars and three-wheel bikes for a wobbly spin past the duck pond. Hand over a few pesos, point the kids at the Fuente de los Cántaros, and let them drive.FamilyEasy40 min
Board a Trajinera and Drift the Aztec Canals of XochimilcoPick the most outrageously painted flat-bottomed boat on the Aztec canals and drift the UNESCO floating gardens while vendors paddle up with esquites. Go late morning so the kids get mariachis and animal sightings, not a floating party.FamilyEasy1 hr 30 min
Touch everything at PapalotePapalote Museo del Niño runs on one rule, touch play and learn, with nearly 300 hands-on exhibits inside Ricardo Legorreta's tiled towers in Chapultepec. Aim for a Tuesday through Thursday when admission is half off and let small hands break the no-touching habit.FamilyEasy1 hr 30 min