Best Things to Do in Mexico City: Teotihuacan Hot Air Balloons, Lucha Libre and Xochimilco
- The Anonymous Hungry Hippopotamus
- Mar 26, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 24
Mexico City rewards curiosity. Beyond its museums, architecture, markets, and extraordinary food scene, it offers experiences that reveal entirely different sides of Mexican culture. Some take place thousands of feet above ancient pyramids. Others unfold on centuries-old canals crowded with music and celebration. Still others happen beneath arena lights in front of roaring crowds.
Of all the activities I experienced during my time in CDMX, these three left the strongest impression.
Teotihuacan: Hot Air Balloon Ride
Without question, the highlight of my trip was a hot air balloon flight over Teotihuacan.
This may sound surprising coming from someone who is afraid of heights.
Long before sunrise, we left Mexico City and drove northeast toward the ancient city. When we arrived, darkness still covered the landscape. The only visible light came from bursts of flame shooting into the predawn sky.
At first, I couldn't see much beyond those flames.
Then the sun began to rise.
What had looked like an empty field slowly revealed itself to be filled with dozens of collapsed balloons spread across the ground.
They looked almost lifeless.
Then the burners ignited.
One by one, the balloons awakened.
As hot air rushed into their envelopes, they slowly rose from the earth until the entire field became a sea of color floating beneath the first light of day.
For someone already nervous about the flight ahead, it was impossible not to be captivated by the spectacle.
Soon it was our turn.
We climbed into the basket and looked up into the enormous canopy above us. Excitement and apprehension battled for dominance.
Then, almost imperceptibly, we lifted off.
There was no sudden jolt. No dramatic sensation of leaving the ground.
Instead, we simply floated upward.
Within minutes, we were drifting silently above the Valley of Mexico as the rising sun illuminated the landscape below.
Ahead stood the ancient city of Teotihuacan.
Founded nearly two thousand years ago, Teotihuacan was once one of the largest cities in the world. At its height, it may have been home to more than 100,000 inhabitants and exerted influence across much of Mesoamerica.
From above, the scale becomes easier to appreciate.
The broad Avenue of the Dead stretched across the landscape below us while the massive Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon rose from the ancient city grid.
To my surprise, fear never truly arrived.
There was one brief moment when it seemed as though we might pass uncomfortably close to the top of a pyramid and my heart rate certainly increased.
A few seconds later, we had cleared it effortlessly.
What remained for the rest of the flight was awe.
For forty-five unforgettable minutes, we floated above one of the most important archaeological sites in the Americas while the morning light transformed the landscape below.
Back on the ground, the celebration continued with breakfast, mariachi music, and the shared excitement of everyone who had just experienced something extraordinary.
If you're considering a hot air balloon flight over Teotihuacan, do it.
Even someone afraid of heights can fall in love with this experience. If you're still on the fence, watch this compilation video of our ballooning adventure that was gifted to us by the tour company. The experience really was a breath of fresh air (both figuratively and literally.)
Xochimilco
If Teotihuacan offers serenity and perspective, Xochimilco offers energy. Lots of it.
The canals of Xochimilco are the last major remnants of the vast waterway system built by the Aztecs centuries before the arrival of the Spanish. Today, they remain one of Mexico City's most beloved cultural traditions.
The experience centers around brightly painted wooden boats known as trajineras.
From photographs, you might imagine a peaceful glide through quiet canals.
The reality is far more entertaining.
The waterways are crowded with boats carrying families, friends, musicians, food vendors, tourists, and celebrations of every imaginable kind.
Imagine a floating festival. Or perhaps a cultural boat party complete with traffic jams.
Getting out of our dock required a surprising amount of maneuvering as boats squeezed past one another in every direction.
Eventually, we escaped the congestion and began cruising through the canals.
One of the joys of Xochimilco is that the experience constantly comes to you.
Vendors paddle alongside selling handicrafts, souvenirs, snacks, drinks, and full meals prepared right on their boats.
Need a michelada? Someone will appear.
Craving tacos? Someone else has them.
Looking for a souvenir? A vendor will likely pull alongside within minutes.
My favorite moment came when a boat full of mariachi musicians approached.
The musicians stepped aboard our trajinera and transformed the canal into a private concert.
As the music echoed across the water and neighboring boats drifted past beneath brightly colored banners, it became clear why Xochimilco remains such an important part of Mexico City's cultural identity.
It isn't simply a tourist attraction. It's a living tradition.
Lucha Libre
My final recommendation takes place far from ancient pyramids and historic canals.
Instead, it unfolds beneath the bright lights of Arena México.
Lucha libre, which translates as "free fight," occupies a unique place in Mexican culture. Part sport, part theater, and part spectacle, it has captivated audiences for more than a century.
One unique and constant aspect of lucha libre is that the fighters all wear masks, at least initially. Some remove their masks at some point in their career, while others wait until retirement to remove them and unveil their identity.
The first thing most people notice is the masks.
Each luchador's mask represents an identity, a persona, and often an entire mythology. For some wrestlers, revealing their face is one of the most significant moments of their career.
The masks create mystery.
The wrestlers create the drama.
Even without understanding the storylines, I found myself quickly becoming invested. Every wrestler seemed to have a loyal following. The crowd knew exactly whom to cheer, whom to boo, and when to erupt into collective excitement.
Inside the ring, the action combined athleticism, choreography, comedy, and acrobatics. One moment featured a technical wrestling exchange. The next involved a wrestler launching himself through the air toward an opponent outside the ring. The energy was contagious. I arrived knowing very little about lucha libre and left thoroughly entertained.
You don't need to stay for every match. You don't even need to know the competitors.
Grab a michelada, pick up some tacos before the show, and spend an evening immersed in one of Mexico's most beloved traditions.
Three experiences, three completely different versions of Mexico City. From five thousand feet above one of the most important archaeological sites in the Americas, to a festive boat traffic jam on canals that have existed since the Aztecs, to an arena full of people who have been cheering these same masked characters for over a century — CDMX kept revealing itself in ways I hadn't planned for. That is the city's defining quality: it always has one more thing to show you, and the things it shows you are never what you expected.
The final post in this Mexico City series covers the meal I planned the entire trip around — a dinner at Pujol, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world, and an encounter with a mole that had been continuously maintained for nearly nine years. That review is here.
Practical Information
Hot Air Balloon over Teotihuacan: Book through a licensed operato. Flights depart before sunrise; expect a 4:00–4:30am pickup from your hotel. Flights last approximately 45 minutes. Prices range from $150–300 USD per person and typically include breakfast with mariachi music after landing. Not available during heavy rainy season or high winds. Book at least two weeks in advance.
Xochimilco: Take the Metro to Tasqueña station, then the Tren Ligero (light rail) to the Xochimilco terminal. Trajinera boats are rented by the hour — two to three hours is a comfortable amount of time. Weekends are livelier and more crowded; weekdays are quieter and more relaxed. Bring cash for the vendors who will paddle alongside selling food, drinks, flowers, and souvenirs.
Lucha Libre at Arena México: Tuesday and Friday nights are the main event nights. Tickets are available at the box office or online at cmll.com. Arrive early to buy tacos and elotes from the vendors outside the arena — this is mandatory. General admission is inexpensive; ringside seats cost more and put you close enough to feel the action.
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