Are you headed to Mexico City for your Mexico guided tours and wondering what to pack? I get this question a lot from friends and family coming to visit. It’s amazing how many visitors come to our fair city thinking that it’s going to be hot and muggy like Cancun, just to learn that the climate of Mexico’s capital is nothing like that at all! At 7,300 feet above sea level, Mexico City is a high desert basin surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. Most of the year our climate is mild with little humidity, people often compare it to San Diego.
The Dry Season (October to April)
We have two seasons here. From October to May is our dry season, you can expect almost no rain at all during these months. October and November are stunning, around 70 and sunny most days, getting down into the 50s at night. December and January start to cool off, average daytime temperatures are still around 70, but nights can dip down into the 40s. It’s rare for the temperature here to dip below 40 degrees, even in our coldest months.
However, that doesn’t mean if you come from a cold climate you should just bring T-shirts and flip-flops (actually don’t wear flip-flops anywhere in the city, it’s dirty and SUPER touristy). That’s because most buildings in Mexico have neither heating nor air conditioning, so when it’s cold outside it’s chilly inside as well, even more so when the sun goes down. For these first four months of the dry season, it’s best to bring socks, closed-toed shoes, sweaters, and a light jacket.
Starting in February the city starts to warm up, but February can be tricky so be prepared for any kind of weather. March, April, and until about mid-May we are solidly in our warmest months, with temperatures during the day getting up into the mid-80s and evenings staying up in the 60s, sometimes warmer.
This is my favorite time to be in the city and probably the only time I would wear a dress out in the evening or sandals on my feet. This time of year is also when the pollution is at its worst because there is no rain to wash any of it out of the atmosphere. That means people who are sensitive to pollution might not love it here during that time.
The Rainy Season (May to September)
The rainy season in Mexico City is no joke. Most days between May to mid-October it rains every single day and depending on the year, it can be overcast for days. That rain can be 15 minutes or 15 hours, a sprinkle or a flood. During the day our temperature usually hovers around 70 degrees, but in contrast to more tropical climates, when it rains here it cools down tremendously, sometimes dropping 10 to 15 degrees in a few hours. During the rainy season in Mexico City ALWAYS have an umbrella with you. Tourists often tell me “my weather app said it wasn’t going to rain” — ALWAYS assume it will rain, no matter what your weather app says.
That means bringing at least two pairs of good walking shoes during this time of year, so if one gets soaked you will have another, even rain boots could be a good option. Always dress in layers, evenings during the rainy season are some of the coldest times of the year in Mexico City. For these months you will definitely need a sweater, fleece, or light jacket if you want to enjoy all of that great outdoor seating at restaurants. Bring socks.
Other Things to Consider
Plastic water bottles are one of travel’s biggest polluters! Bring a refillable water bottle and if you don’t see an immediate place to refill it at your hotel ask the staff — read my post on water safety if you are nervous. If altitude affects you and you are coming from close to sea level consider bringing altitude meds to avoid the negative effects of the change. For most people, all they feel are tired or get a possible headache, but people with heart problems might have a harder time.
Cash is best exchanged at the airport in Mexico City (which sounds odd but I swear it’s true) so change your money there if you have to have cash immediately. The best option, however, is to take money out of an ATM at the airport or in the city, and when you are asked if you want to accept or decline the conversion rate, decline. Your bank will always give you a better exchange rate than the ATM. While you are in the city, try to hold on to your change (coins, smaller bills), it is like gold in Mexico City where no one seems to be able to even break a 100 peso bill.
If you are splurging on some big dinners out definitely bring nice, dressy clothes or something chic and stylish. While you can get away with dressing casually in high-end restaurants, most locals will look the part. Fancy bars are the same. Mexico City is more like New York than Oaxaca, dress accordingly. If you plan to dig deep into markets and less touristy neighborhoods bring a bag with a zipper and shoulder strap, better to take precautions than have something happen. If you are going to the canals in the south of the city or out to the pyramids expect it to be a few degrees hotter with more intense sun than the center of the city, so wear sunscreen and maybe bring a hat.
If you are staying in an Airbnb in an older building you might want to bring one of those two-prong-to-three-prong adaptors, but if you don’t want to mess with it, you can also purchase one in every hardware store on every corner.
What Not to Bring (If you don’t want to stick out)
Most people in Mexico City never wear shorts, not even in the hottest months here. Wearing a sundress and sandals or anything else beachy (a bathing suit top, a giant floppy hat) will immediately alert people to the fact that you are not from around here, which is fine if you don’t care, but if you do… Don’t wear flip-flops in the city (see above). Unless you are going to a beach destination later in your trip it’s probably not worth it to bring a swimsuit, we have very few days when it would be warm enough to swim in a hotel pool (with the month of April being the possible exception). If you get cold easily, perhaps a stocking cap for evenings during the rainy season would also be a good idea.
Click here to subscribe via RSS