Mexico City walking route: Zócalo to Chapultepec Forest
Explore Mexico City's rich cultural heritage across its most iconic landmarks. This route spans 818.2 km through the capital, taking you from the historic Zócalo and Templo Mayor showcasing Aztec ruins, to the scenic waterways of Xochimilco with its traditional chinampas farming, and concluding at Chapultepec Forest with its royal palace and museums.
- Mode
- Places
- Start
- Templo Mayor
- End
- Limosneros
- Stops
- 7
- Video author
- travmap
- Updated
Stops on this route
- Templo Mayor — Seven-layered Aztec temple complex built over 200 years before Spanish conquest, buried underground and rediscovered in the 1970s. Major pre-Columbian archaeological site.
- Chinampa Farm — Traditional man-made island farmland in Xochimilco producing vegetables and flowers using ancient Aztec agricultural techniques still practiced today.
- Zócalo — The symbolic center of Mexico City and the country, where the Aztecs founded the city in the 1300s. Historic plaza surrounded by colonial architecture.
- Xochimilco — Ancient lake system in southern Mexico City with canals and man-made islands (chinampas) used for farming thousands of years ago. UNESCO World Heritage site and nature reserve.
- Chapultepec — Aztec hill of the grasshoppers with Spanish colonial palace, the only occupied royal residence in the Americas. Site of final Mexican-American War battle.
- Xaman — Contemporary cocktail bar in central Mexico City specializing in pre-Columbian ingredients and traditional recipes from before 1492.
- Limosneros — Upscale Mexico City restaurant serving traditional pre-Hispanic cuisine including edible insects like beetles and ant eggs prepared with modern culinary techniques.
Useful for your trip
- Tip
- Visit the Zócalo, the symbolic center of Mexico City and the place where the city was founded.
- Tip
- Explore Templo Mayor to see seven layers of Aztec civilizations built over 200 years before Spanish arrival, rediscovered in the 1970s.
- Food
- Visit Xochimilco in the far south of the city to take trajineras (flat-bottomed boats) through canals and eat quesadillas with blue corn tortillas, pumpkin flowers, and mushrooms made from local ingredients.
- Tip
- Visit chinampa farms in Xochimilco, man-made islands thousands of years old that use traditional farming techniques, to see how local food is produced.
- Tip
- Explore El Bosque de Chapultepec (Hill of the Grasshoppers), an Aztec site later used as a Spanish viceroy residence and the only occupied royal residence in the Americas.
- Timing
- Plan to visit Chapultepec before 5 PM as the place closes at that time.
- Food
- Visit Xaman restaurant to drink cocktails made with pre-Columbian ingredients (before 1492), such as the Chamuco and El Crudandero, which contain crickets.
- Food
- Try Limosneros restaurant for insect-based dishes including Cocopaches (Puebla beetles on ricotta) and ant eggs with black beans and smoked cinnamon.
- Transport
- Use Uber in Mexico City by applying code 'UberVagabrothersUE' for your first free ride.
- Tip
- Check Mexico City Tourism Trust resources online at en.mxcity.mx for travel inspiration and planning.
Video on this route
Why YOU should VISIT MEXICO CITY NOW! | Travel Documentary