A Grand Impression - Things to do in Mexico

Soft evening light kisses centuries-old stonework as the strains of a mariachi band drifts by on a warm breeze. Close by, a world of verdant jungles, aquamarine waters, colonial alleys and ancient pyramids unfolds. Wondering atmospheric colonial cities in just one of many, many things to do on a holiday to Mexico – we’d like to further introduce you to this diverse and vibrant land.

Ancient stone pyramid of Chichen Itza rises above a grassy plaza under a bright blue sky, showcasing the grandeur of Maya civilization.

The Soul of the Capital – Mexico City & Ancient Beginnings

Begin in the sprawling mosaic of capital Mexico City. One of the top things to do in Mexico is explore its cobblestone plazas, grand cathedrals and modern art; among them you can discover the soaring spires of the Metropolitan Cathedral and the evocative quarters of Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul in leafy Coyoacan, grounding the experience in art, history and human stories.

Sunrise brings extraordinary beauty of Teotihuacan. Admiring the Pyramid of the Sun and walking the Avenue of the Dead, you’ll feel the ghosts of one of history’s great metropolises stirring in the cool morning air. For a truly authentic thing to do in Mexico, visit a family cooperative to learn about traditional uses of obsidian, maguey fibre, and pulque before lunch featuring regional dishes like nopales and slow-braised barbacoa.

Come October, the city transforms. The streets pulse with colour and memory as the Day of the Dead, Dia de las Muertos, parade rolls through, a layered pageant of remembrance; music, alters, candlelight, and the vibrant dance of life and death.

Two mariachi musicians perform with guitar and accordion, wearing traditional charro attire and sombreros, celebrating Mexico’s vibrant culture.

Colonial Charms & Artisan Magic – San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato

Northwest-wards is San Miguel de Allende: a kaleidoscope of pink spires, colonial courtyards and cobbled streets. Here, in an airy studio, local artisan Guadalupe Trejo welcomes you to the world of papier-mâché: making alebrijes, catrinas, winged hearts and symbolic masks, each shaped by legend and painted with folklore. Under her guidance, you can tick traditional crafts off your ‘things to do in Mexico’ list, creating your own keepsake before retiring to a rooftop to relax under a warm desert sky.

In the hills, Guanajuato is a city built on the wealth of mined silver, now alive with pastel-coloured houses clinging to the walls of a ravine. A twilight ‘callejoneada’ stroll, with costumed musicians weaving tales through the streets, brings history alive under the glow of lampposts.

Cobbled street lined with colourful colonial buildings leads toward the iconic cathedral of San Miguel de Allende beneath a bright Mexican sky.

Culture & Spirit – Guadalajara, Agave Fields, & Indigenous Mexico

Westward lies Guadalajara, a city whose plazas hum with life and history. As dusk gathers, the night explodes with sound: strings, horns, dancers, laughter. This is the rhythm of Mexico, soundtracked by live mariachi!

Beyond the city, lowlands lined with agave unfold around the town of Tequila. Here is one of the big things to do in Mexico – step into a distillery, breath in the earthy scent of roasting pinas, watch tequila being born, and then savour its warm and smoky flavours with a tasting. A walk on cobbled streets, a lunch of local fare: this is the agave heart of Mexico, fierce and fragrant.

In the highlands and mountains, you can meet people living traditional lives: small farms in the Sierra Norte Mountains, families in villages where generations have kept ancestral ways alive. Savouring a home-cooked lunch, you’ll listen to stories rooted in land, language and community.

A rancher on horseback rides down a dirt path through vast blue agave fields, with a dog following behind beneath hazy hills in rural Mexico.

Ruins, Rainforest & Waterfalls – From Canyon to Cenote

As you turn southwards, nature climbs its way to the top of the list of things to do in Mexico. Nestled amongst verdant jungle, Sumidero Canyon looms: towering limestone walls rising over 1,000 metres above the river. As your boat glides between sheer walls look closely and you might glimpse crocodiles basking and spider monkeys darting through the canopy.

Then onward to the lowlands of the Maya, into the timeless green of forest and ruin. In Palenque National Park, dawn brings howler monkeys’ calls and the slow unveiling of ancient temples. After the hush of history, a rush of water, the cascading rapids and turquoise pools of Cascadas de Agua Azul, a thundering waterfalls encircled by lush rainforest.

Young spider monkey hangs from tree branches in a lush tropical forest, framed by bright green leaves and dappled sunlight overhead.

Across Ancient Kingdoms to the Caribbean Coast

Leaving the emerald hush of the rainforest behind, the landscape opens into the wide savannahs of Tabasco, leading you to the pastel-hued splendour of San Francisco de Campeche. Within its UNESCO-listed walls, coral-stone ramparts and restored mansions create an atmosphere thick with history.

From here, press inland to Uxmal, where the Pyramid of the Magician rises in soft morning light waiting for the secrets of its remarkable acoustics and celestial alignments to be unveiled. Travel on to Merida, a city alive with markets brimming with colour, fragrant food stalls and elegant 19^th-century boulevards. Not far away is UNESCO World Heritage Site Chichen Itza, arguably the most iconic thing to do in Mexico, best explored at a contemplative pace before continuing into a Maya village for a home-cooked lunch and stories of modern life rooted in ancient tradition.

From here, the Caribbean beckons, the beaches of Playa del Carmen and the cool, crystalline embrace of Cenote Azul, a tranquil finale of turquoise water, sun-warmed limestone and time spent enjoying the cooling breezes and rush of the sea.