CHAPULTEPEC PRIVATE TOURS

Your English-speaking local expert will be waiting for you at your hotel or Airbnb lobby in Mexico City with a great smile at 9:00 a.m. We can adjust the pickup time depending on where you’re staying, but we recommend this time since the Anthropology Museum opens at 10 a.m. and we want to be among the first in.

We know your time is valuable, but heads up — the city can have traffic along the way. Since this is your private tour, we won’t make any additional stops unless you want to. On the way, your local expert shares stories about Mexico City, Mexican traditions and local life, along with the history of the Anthropology Museum. The van carries plenty of cold water for you.

Our first stop is Mexico City’s most important museum, showcasing the history of the country’s ancient cultures. The National Anthropology Museum opened in 1964, with rooms dedicated to different cultures of Mexico — Maya, Mexica, Olmec and more — displaying pieces discovered across the country.

Your guide shows you the museum’s highlights and walks you through Mexico’s history over the centuries. Note that water and food aren’t allowed inside; if you bring a backpack, you’ll need to leave it in the museum’s lockers, a complimentary service.

After walking through Mexico’s ancient past, we continue to a museum dedicated to Mexico’s colonial history: Chapultepec Castle. Getting there means walking through part of Chapultepec Park — often compared to Central Park in New York, though this one is bigger. The path to the museum climbs the Chapultepec hill (its name means “grasshopper hill”); an elevator is available for wheelchair users or anyone with mobility concerns.

At the top, you’ll find a beautiful colonial castle with rooms that once belonged to Porfirio Díaz, one of Mexico’s most important presidents, who lived here during his government. It’s now a museum of Mexico’s colonial era — you’ll be immersed in period rooms and gardens, with a 360° view of the city and Chapultepec Park.

After all that walking, it’s time for lunch — and the best place to eat like a true Mexican is a cantina. Cantinas traditionally didn’t allow women inside and served complimentary food with every drink order; over time that tradition evolved, and most cantinas today welcome everyone and have full food menus.

The cantina we take you to has evolved with the times, offering a menu of Mexican classics and a few international dishes — chamorro tacos, shrimp tacos, salted fish and more. Your guide walks you through the menu so you can pick your meal.

To close out this experience, you’ll visit one of the city’s most beautiful bars — Samos, on the 38th floor of the Ritz-Carlton at the new Reforma UNO tower. Enjoy a drink while admiring an elevated view of the city, with a different perspective of Chapultepec Park and Reforma Avenue.

Everything is done at your pace and you can stay in each place as long as you want. Your guide, fluent in English and certified by the INAH, gives an extensive narrative about the culture and loves answering questions.

When you’re ready, we head back to your hotel or Airbnb — traffic into the city can add about an hour to the ride, depending on where you’re staying. The tour is planned to be back around 5:00 p.m., but since everything runs at your pace, the exact return time is up to you. You’re free to head back early or skip any activity you don’t want to do.