Generally, Mexico City is a safe place to travel. CDMX is artsy, colorful, and full of incredible eats. With some local help, we created this guide to staying safe in Mexico City.
For everything from safety tips to restaurant recommendations, work with a local to plan your trip. They'll introduce you to a side of Mexico City that most tourists miss. Learn more.
Given the pandemic, when will Mexico City be safe for travel? Can travelers even go to Mexico right now?
Here's the latest:
Read on to learn more about safety in Mexico City. Below, we cover everything from tap water to neighborhood tips.
When it comes to picking a place to stay, benefit from personal recs. Our trip planners in CDMX say that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort or security to find authentic things to do in Mexico City. The central districts are vibrant and safe.
These include the neighborhoods of Roma, Juarez, Polanco, San Rafael, and Condesa. Well-traveled and central, these spots are safe day or night.
The safety of Mexico City’s Centro Historico (Historic Downtown) is debated. Most locals advise staying away from Centro after dark, especially alleyways and the neighborhoods of Merced and Tepito. However, this area is fantastic to visit during the day—you'll find many of Mexico City's coolest places to visit here.
When it comes to safety, no one understands the situation like the people who live there. So benefit from local advice! Locals provided these safety tips:
Like any city, Mexico City has its fair share of pickpockets and common scams, especially in crowded areas like the metro. Don't miss out on local advice—locals tell us that these are some of the more common scams in CDMX:
Although rare, Mexico City sometimes experiences kidnappings. Rest assured, Mexico City takes safety seriously—the city has an incredibly high police-to-civilian ratio at 1:100, helped by 11,000 security cameras around the city itself.
Solo travel is a rising trend worldwide, and exploring Mexico City on your own can be a fantastic experience.
Some scams are geared specifically toward solo travelers.
Do research about specific cultural customs—blending in pays off in terms of safety.
For the most part, Mexico’s war on drugs is occurring far away from Mexico City.
Bottled water is generally more reliable and clean than Mexico City’s tap water or soft drinks.
Watch your drinks being made—if you don’t feel drinking comfortable what went into your cup, go somewhere else.
Watch how your food is made, especially with street food vendors. Food poisoning typically is not deliberate but can happen when ingredients aren’t stored properly.
For more info, check out these Mexico City travel FAQs.
National Emergency Number: 411 or 911
Green Angels Tourist Assistance: 078
Public Ministry Agency: 5200-9000
Calling from Mexico: (01-55) 5080-2000
Calling from the U.S.: 011-52-55-5080-2000
After hours emergencies: 01-52-55-5080-2000, press 0 for the duty officer