Everything you need to know before your first visit to Mexico’s bustling capital city.

What surprises most first-time visitors is how wildly cosmopolitan and cool Mexico City is. There is indeed history in spades, from ancient temples to sculpture gardens on centuries-old university grounds, but there’s also a pulse of reinvention through new restaurants, parties, and art projects that keep the city forever fresh. You could spend a month there and barely nibble at its edges.

Mexico City is a world of a place with so many superlative and unique feats. It is North America’s largest metropolis with the region’s biggest urban park, for instance. It has influences from everywhere while being thoroughly rooted in Mexican traditions. The city’s azulejo-tiled buildings take me back to my travels in Europe, and the countless museums tickle my inner historian. As a boutique hotel lover, every mansion stay I spy in Roma makes me want to check in, and nothing pleases me more than charting a hunger-slaying course around its street food stalls.

Here’s my distilled guide to seeing the best of Mexico City—what to do, where to eat, the hotels worth checking into, and what to skip, so you can experience CDMX wholeheartedly.

Centro Histórico Walking Tour

WHERE: Centro Histórico

A walking tour of Mexico City’s Centro Histórico is the ideal way to experience its storied streets with context you simply wouldn’t get on your own. Wanting to go deeper than the blurbs I’d read, on my first Mexico City trip, I booked a “free” tip-based tour via Freetour.com, and it was the perfect informative yet relaxed introduction.

The tour typically winds through Zócalo, Latin America’s largest plaza (officially called Plaza de la Constitución), flanked by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Templo Mayor archeological site. At Palacio Nacional, Diego Rivera’s mural The History of Mexico vividly charts the country’s past. We also visited Palacio Postal, an ornate post office-cum-museum, and marveled at Palacio de Bellas Artes, which is home to Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros murals and is stunning both inside and out. You can, of course, visit these spots independently, but the added background makes each stop far more meaningful.

Binge on Museums

WHERE: Multiple Locations

Mexico City is a cultural buffet with more than 150 museums, one of the highest concentrations in the world. At Museo Nacional de Antropología, peruse over 20 rooms holding some of the most important Mesoamerican artifacts ever unearthed. History buffs should explore Museo Casa de León Trotsky for insights into the exiled Russian revolutionary who was assassinated in Coyoacán by Spanish Stalinist Ramón Mercader, and contemporary art fans should head to Museo Jumex to see works by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, all for free.

You don’t need to break the bank to feed your passion for history and art, as many Mexico City museums offer complimentary entry or free days. Museo Banco de México is always free of charge, as is the show-stopping Museo Soumaya with its twisting façade. It houses paintings by Claude Monet and Edgar Degas, two Impressionist artists whose work is well worth the visit.

Dedicate a Day to Bosque de Chapultepec

WHERE: Bosque de Chapultepec

Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park) is Mexico City’s sprawling green lung. At roughly 1,700 acres, it’s one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere, far surpassing the size of New York’s Central Park. Set aside an entire day if you want even a glimpse of what’s on offer, as the highlights alone could fill an itinerary. There is the hilltop Castillo de Chapultepec, once home to European royalty and Mexican presidents, serene lakes for boating, jogging tracks, and a family-frequented zoo with elephants, kangaroos, and jaguars, as well as several museums. These include Museo Tamayo, Museo de Arte Moderno, Museo Nacional de Historia at Chapultepec Castle, and Museo Nacional de Antropología.

INSIDER TIP: On Sundays, Mexican nationals and foreigners residing in Mexico may visit Castillo de Chapultepec without cost. You may be asked about your nationality or residence status at the gate near the castle entrance. There is no need to feel singled out if questioned — you’ll simply be directed toward the ticket office.

Savor Tacos of Every Variety, Including Michelin-Starred

WHERE: Multiple Locations

No visit to Mexico City is complete without working your way through its extraordinary taco scene. From late-night street stalls serving tacos al pastor shaved fresh off the trompo to sit-down spots earning international recognition, the city offers every price point and every flavor. Budget travelers will find that some of the best bites cost just a few pesos, making Mexico City one of the most rewarding destinations in the world for eating well without spending much.