Attractions in Mexico City

The Palacio Nacional stretches 200 metres along the east side of the Zócalo and serves as the seat of the federal executive. Its highlight is Diego Rivera's epic mural cycle depicting Mexican history.

The Zócalo, officially Plaza de la Constitución, is one of the world's largest public squares and the ceremonial heart of Mexico. Flanked by the National Palace, the Cathedral, and the Templo Mayor ruins.

The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Catholicism, receiving over 10 million visitors annually.

The Basilica de Guadalupe is the most visited Catholic shrine in the Americas, drawing over 10 million pilgrims annually. The modern basilica (1976) houses the tilma bearing the miraculous image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, while the adjacent Tepeyac Hill marks the site of her 1531 apparition.

Chapultepec Castle perches atop a 2,325-metre hill in the heart of Mexico City's largest park. It is the only royal castle in the Americas.

Teotihuacán is one of the ancient world's greatest cities — a ceremonial metropolis that at its peak housed 100,000 people. The colossal Pyramid of the Sun (the third-largest pyramid on Earth), the Pyramid of the Moon and the Avenue of the Dead create a staggering landscape of pre-Columbian ambition.

Ciudad Universitaria is the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007. Its mid-century architecture is adorned with some of Mexico's most important public murals.

Torre Latinoamericana was Latin America's tallest building when completed in 1956. Its 44th-floor observation deck offers sweeping views of the historic centre, mountains, and volcanoes.

The Monumento a la Revolución is a massive Art Deco arch in the centre of Plaza de la República. Originally designed as the Federal Legislative Palace, it was repurposed after the Revolution.

The Biblioteca Vasconcelos is one of the world's most visually striking libraries. A cathedral-like steel-and-glass hall soars above suspended bookshelves that appear to float in mid-air, while a massive whale skeleton (a Gabriel Orozco sculpture) hangs from the ceiling.

The Monumento a la Revolución is an Art Deco triumphal arch that was originally intended as the dome of a legislative palace before the Revolution intervened. A panoramic glass elevator now carries visitors to the lantern at the top, offering sunset views across the Reforma skyline.

The Palacio de Correos (Postal Palace) is Mexico City's most opulent public building — a Venetian-Gothic confection of wrought iron, carved stone and burnished bronze completed in 1907. Designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari, the building still functions as a working post office.

The House of Tiles is an 18th-century palace completely clad in blue-and-white Talavera tiles from Puebla. Now home to a Sanborns restaurant, its courtyard and Orozco mural are free to admire.

The Palacio Postal (Main Post Office) is a lavishly decorated Beaux-Arts and Art Nouveau building completed in 1907, still functioning as a working post office.

The Palacio de Minería is a towering Neoclassical palace on Calle Tacuba designed by Manuel Tolsá — the same architect responsible for the equestrian statue on the Paseo de la Reforma. Its grand staircase, chapel and columned courtyard are among the finest examples of late-colonial architecture in the Americas.

The Metropolitan Cathedral is the largest and oldest cathedral in the Americas, built between 1573 and 1813 on the site of an Aztec temple. Its facade blends Baroque, Neoclassical, and Churrigueresque styles.

The Ángel de la Independencia is a 36-metre-tall victory column topped by a gilded winged Nike figure, standing at a major roundabout on Paseo de la Reforma. It is Mexico's most iconic civic monument.