Travel Walking Mexico

What it is. A walking-tour experience that starts in Polanco and takes the city on foot —the only way to actually see it. Mexico City rewards walking more than almost any capital of its size, but only in the right neighbourhoods and at the right hours, which is what a guide is for.

Which districts walk well. The Historic Centre, between the Zócalo and the Alameda, where almost everything of consequence is within fifteen minutes; Roma and Condesa, which were designed around tree-lined avenues and parks; Coyoacán and San Ángel, with cobbled streets and colonial houses; Polanco and the edge of Chapultepec, where this route begins; and Paseo de la Reforma, which is closed to traffic on Sunday mornings and becomes the best walk in the city.

What to plan for. The altitude is the thing visitors underestimate: at over 2,200 metres you tire faster and the sun burns harder, so the morning or the late afternoon are the hours to walk, with a hat, water and sunscreen. Pavements are uneven and kerbs are high —flat shoes, not sandals. Afternoon rain is near-daily from June to September, usually between 16:00 and 19:00.

Practical notes. Confirm the meeting point, duration and language when you book, and ask whether transport between districts is included —some routes combine walking with a metro leg, which is the sensible way to cover two neighbourhoods in one morning.