Mexico travel guide

Getting there

Mexico City and Cancún are the main international airports, with many more flights to Guadalajara, Monterrey, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. Land borders connect with the United States, Guatemala and Belize, and cruise ships call at Cozumel and Pacific ports.

Best time to visit: Nov–Apr – dry season across most of the country.

Tougher months: No bad time – but September-October has the highest hurricane risk on the coasts, and summer afternoons bring heavy showers in the centre.

Weather by month in Mexico City

• 22°J
• 24°F
• 26°M
• 27°A●
• 27°M●
• 25°J●●
• 24°J●●●
• 24°A●●●
• 23°S●●
• 23°O●
• 23°N
• 22°D

Average daytime highs in °C; dots show how rainy the month is (one dot dry, three dots wet).

Time zone: America/Bahia_Banderas, America/Cancun, America/Chihuahua, America/Ciudad_Juarez. Compare with your local time.

Visas: in our passport dataset, 63 of 198 other passports can enter Mexico without arranging a visa first (visa-free or visa on arrival), 3 need an e-visa or electronic authorisation, and 132 need a visa in advance. Check your passport.

Background: Visa policy of Mexico (Wikipedia).

Official advisory: Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution (U.S. Department of State, updated 2026-05-29). Read the advisory.

Source and more: Mexico travel facts on RoamSun

Stay

Most trips to Mexico are based around Mexico City, Oaxaca or Yucatán Peninsula. Pick a base for your main interest, then add day trips rather than moving hotels every night.

Typical daily budget: about US$35–55 for a backpacker and US$90–170 mid-range, per person.

Source: RoamSun Mexico page · Browse hotel guides

Connect

Plug types: A, B. Voltage: 127 V. Check your own devices on the plug and currency checker.

Calling code: +52.

Mobile data: read the travel eSIM setup guide before you fly so the plan is installed and ready on landing.

Source: Advinne eSIM guide · RoamSun

Do

• Mexico City (Central · capital): A megacity of Aztec ruins, world-class museums, grand plazas and an extraordinary food scene.
• Oaxaca (South · culture & food): A colonial city famous for mole, mezcal, crafts markets and nearby Monte Albán.
• Yucatán Peninsula (Southeast · Maya & cenotes): Mérida's colonial charm, Maya ruins and countless cenotes.
• Tulum & the Riviera Maya (Caribbean coast · beaches): White-sand beaches, clifftop Maya ruins and access to the reef.
• San Cristóbal de las Casas (Chiapas · highlands): A mountain town surrounded by Indigenous villages, near the jungle ruins of Palenque.
• Guanajuato (Central · colonial silver city): A colourful, UNESCO-listed city of tunnels, alleys and student life.
• Copper Canyon (Chihuahua · canyons): A vast canyon system home to the Rarámuri people, reached by scenic train.
• Baja California Sur (Northwest · desert & sea): Whale watching, Los Cabos' coastline and the desert islands of La Paz.

Things to do

• Climb Teotihuacan's pyramids. Walk the Avenue of the Dead to the Pyramid of the Sun outside Mexico City.
• Swim in a cenote. Dive into crystal-clear sinkholes in the Yucatán jungle, sacred to the ancient Maya.
• Explore Chichén Itzá. Stand before El Castillo, the iconic stepped pyramid that marks the equinox with a serpent of shadow.
• Celebrate Día de Muertos. Join candlelit vigils, marigold altars and parades honouring the dead in Oaxaca or Mexico City.
• Eat tacos al pastor. Grab spit-roasted pork tacos at a late-night street stand in Mexico City.
• Taste mezcal in Oaxaca. Visit village distilleries and sample smoky agave spirits beside the Oaxaca valley's ruins.
• Wander San Miguel de Allende. Stroll cobbled streets of pastel colonial houses beneath the pink Parroquia church.
• Ride the Copper Canyon railway. Take the Chepe train through canyons, some deeper than the Grand Canyon, in the Sierra Tarahumara.

Source: full Mexico guide on RoamSun

Eat and drink

• Tacos al pastor – spit-roasted pork tacos with pineapple
• Mole – rich sauce of chillies, spices and chocolate
• Cochinita pibil – slow-roasted Yucatán pork
• Tamales – corn dough steamed in husks

Source: RoamSun Mexico guide

Talk

Twenty basic Spanish phrases with a simple sound guide. Say them slowly; a smile does the rest.

Basic phrases: pronunciation is approximate and the list has not yet been reviewed by a native speaker. Capital letters mark the stressed syllable where that applies. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Money and safety

Currency: Mexican peso (MXN). Currency and plug checker.

Tipping: 10–15% in restaurants.

Emergency numbers: 911 police, fire & ambulance.

• The currency is the Mexican peso; pay in pesos rather than US dollars for better rates.
• Cards are accepted widely in cities and tourist areas, but carry cash for markets, small towns and street food.
• Popular tourist areas are generally safe, but crime levels vary widely by state – check your government's latest travel advice by region.
• Avoid driving at night on highways and use toll roads (cuotas) where possible.

Source: RoamSun Mexico facts