There are so many things that draw visitors to Mexico City—the food, the architecture, the ancient history, and the modern-day art scene are just a few. This city has something for everyone, but for upscale travelers with resources, Mexico City can provide a level of service and hospitality that is tough to beat anywhere else in Latin America. However, the more popular Mexico City gets as a destination the more difficult it has become to avoid the crowds and have a truly unique, luxury experience.
I’ve been a tour guide in Mexico City for the past 10 years and curated some amazing one-off boutique experiences as well as full itineraries for my clients. For luxury Mexico City travel, here are a few of the top activities that I think will give you the most bang for your buck in Mexico’s capital.
Helicopter Rides Over CDMX
The capital can be hard to fully take in from any angle, but luxury helicopter services give visitors a birds-eye view of the city and all its expansive glory. Rides will take you down the city’s world-famous Reforma avenue, up above its leafy, upscale neighborhoods like Polanco and Las Lomas, and provide breathtaking vistas of the massive Chapultepec park.
Plus see the city’s grand architecture, like the Soumaya museum or the Chapultepec castle, from an entirely different angle. Did you know that helipads atop skyscrapers are no longer allowed in places like New York because of icy conditions? Not in Mexico City, up above the clouds you will see the touchdown landings for the city’s rich and powerful scattered through its financial districts. This makes a great activity for a special occasion or anniversary.
Private Dinners From Talented Chefs
Most Mexico City visitors are here to eat, and private chef-crafted dinners, either in one of the city’s famous restaurants or in the privacy of your own space, are a great way to taste the flavor of the metropolis without the crowds.
Private dinners are especially great for big groups who are likely to have a hard time getting reservations otherwise. From tasting menus to celebrations of birthdays or weddings, many of my day tour clients have arranged private dinners and been thrilled with the opportunity to have a relaxing evening in, with the same great food as eating out.
After-Hours Visits to Your Favorite Museums
Mexico City’s popularity in the past decade has meant that several of its top museums are booked solid months in advance. Those that aren’t, are often packed with tourists on the weekends. But what if you could have to place to yourself? Now several important museums like the Anthropology Museum and Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul offer private, after-hours visits where you wander among the collection at your own leisurely pace.
You and your partner can have an intimate evening alone with the artifacts or your 20-person family group won’t have to worry about not being able to hear the guide above the crowd. Some locations even offer a light drink or food service after at the finish of the tour.
VIP Stadium Seats
Soccer is king is Mexico City and we have one of the five largest stadiums in the world, Estadio Azteca, built for the 1968 Olympics. It is the previous host to two (and soon to be three) World Cup games. In the south of the city is the Autonomous University’s stadium, Estadio Olímpico Universitario, home to Mexico’s famous college team, the Pumas.
Both locations are stellar sports-watching experiences, but you can make catching a game even more VIP but renting a private box or suite at either. You can search Stadibox or Oasis apps to reserve online.
Premium Tequila or Mezcal Tastings
Mexico’s two most popular spirits, mezcal and tequila, make great private tasting experiences. Local experts with years of expertise can walk a group or a couple through a series of 4 or 5 tastings paired with Mexican snacks. Mezcal is the more interesting choice, since this spirit has a much wider range in region, flavor profiles, and types of agave. Even the people who tell me that they don’t like how “smoky” mezcal is, I try to encourage trying some small-batch bottles because they are just so unique.
Tequila is a little more standardized in the commercial world, but even among tequila brands there are starting to pop up small, artisan producers who are thinking about the spirit in a more boutique way. Do a tasting and get ahead of the trend.
Meet the Artisans
Have a particular interest in how artisans create their work? How about a private visit to a local textile workshop where fabrics are hand-dyed and lovingly crafted into interior décor pieces? Or a seat at the jeweler’s bench while they explain how the create their wares? Or what about an afternoon in the papel picado workshop which rescued this dying art form from an untimely demise?
Even though Mexico City is a pulsing urban space, there are still many tradition crafts and trades to discover. A personal, bi-lingual guide can help you to ask the questions you have always wanted to know about Mexico’s many art forms.
Hot Air Balloon Rides
A morning drifting over the pyramids in a hot air balloon makes a great place to pop the question or just enjoy the silence and the sunrise. Several hot air balloon companies work out of Mexico City and offer a range of prices and styles.
For the ultimate luxury, a private balloon is the way to go, with a champagne toast in the air. After your ride, a hearty breakfast and warm cup of Mexican chocolate at one of Mexico City’s top restaurants is the perfect cap for the morning. A helicopter ride over the pyramids is another possibility.
Art Collections and Gallery Visits
Many of the city’s top art galleries and collections welcome private groups into their spaces. Attend a personal one-on-one with gallery curators and even the artists themselves in some of the city’s biggest name galleries.
For the most availability to helps to avoid the first weeks of February when the galleries and showrooms are bustling with visitors to Zona Maco, one of the Americas most important art shows. But Zona Maco is a good time to see the inside of some spaces that would normally not be open to the public and see art from across the continent.
Food and Spirits Tours
From tacos to tasting menus, private food and spirits tours are a great way to taste the city and leave the reservations and planning to someone else. I work hand in hand with my clients to help develop the exact food tour they are looking for – whether its a cocktail crawl or deep dive into pre-Colombian cooking.
Private tours are a good way accommodate time constraints, dietary restrictions, and special interests, all with the knowledge that you have an expert guide who know the city and can give you history and context along the way.
Well-known luxury hotel chains like Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton generally have concierge on staff that can arrange private on-site dinners or connect guests with local guides.
If you are looking for luxury options as a visitor to Mexico City please get in touch. We are happy to help you craft a truly boutique itinerary or several amazing luxury Mexico City travel experiences while you are in the country’s monstrous capital.
