Crime & Women's Safety in Mexico City

If you are in the bubble (condesa, roma, polanco, Juárez) it’s pretty safe. Venturing out to other neighborhoods increases in possibilities of being robbed. The areas with high violence and danger are Ecatepec, Iztapalapa and Neza.

Touristic places are pretty safe, but I always recommend a local guide to know how safe is a place. As a woman, traveling alone could be a little bit dangerous, but if you travel with a friend you can be more relaxed.

Mexico City is not the safest place for a woman travelling alone. It's huge and can be somewhat chaotic. You need to take care during the day and more so after dark. Some areas of the city are less safe than others and it's best to ask for local advice if you feel unsure about any places you might be going. That said, you can have a wonderful time if you exercise caution.

It depends the area where you are, there are safer places than others. Touristic places are safe and there are policeman also. If you travel alone, I suggest to take care of your belongings. And don’t be alone after 9;00 pm in isolated places. I have woman friends from Europe that have travel to Mexico City alone and everything has been ok.

Mexico City is pretty safe as long as you don't do anything stupid like going to Tepito (a very sketchy market/neighborhood) alone or decide to walk there at midnight. Touristy areas like Coyoacan, La Roma, Condesa, Polanco, etc. are very walkable and very safe, even at night, since there are a lot of restaurants and bars and just people hanging out. I'd be comfortable taking Metrobus there, but I'd prefer to do uber, especially at night. That being said, I wouldn't uber alone at night in other parts of the city, as there have been cases of harassment or even rape in the recent years. I would watch my personal belongings at all times (without being paranoid, personally I've never been mugged) and I wouldn't leave them unattended in public areas. People are super friendly and I'd say a lot of people speak English, especially young people. Beware that the public transportation doesn't always have timetables, and there are green combi buses which are pretty packed and feel unsafe for me, so I'd never use those and I only rely on the subway, metrobus, RTP, bikes and uber or didi.

Mexico City is beautiful, however in terms of security, I do not recommend that you walk down the street at night and take precautions when taking unofficial taxis, tourist places are safe, they are always well located and safe

Family travel experience

Mexico City is a beautiful city. Me and my mom went originally to see the basilica and other religious sites, I got to meet my online friend of 4 years who spoke Spanish and was extremely helpful with getting around. It even inspired me to start learning Spanish myself! It was an experience I learned from and gained a new perspective on life. I don’t regret it at all, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever go back. The Food: I was very unimpressed by the food, which was highly disappointing considering everyone boasting about how amazing the food was! Most of it was bland, which sounds crazy talking about Mexican food. We tried eating everywhere, from busy vendors on the side of the road, to fancy restaurants, to small hole-the-wall eateries: it was all very underwhelming and extremely lackluster. The mangos were bomb though, even though they were out of season. The Safety: I didn’t feel particularly safe or unsafe. It was my first time experiencing being a minority in a foreign country. There were constant stares, whispers, and overall attention. It felt uncomfortable and got tiring very quickly. People even asked to take pictures with us at the basilica! Which was so surprising considering Mexico City is very large and very diverse. There were some moments where I did feel absolutely unsafe, like walking down wrong streets, and outside of the basilica where someone had just died of an overdose. The Atmosphere: The atmosphere was one of my favorite things about Mexico City, it was awesome to see people always walking their dogs or just out and about. I feel like there’s not much of that in American cities, everyone is always in a rush where as here it didn’t seem like that was the case. The people were friendly from what I could tell with my limited Spanish. Do be aware of scamming

Solo travel experience

I decided to ring in 2024 with an impromptu trip to Mexico City, that included 22 hour layovers in Guatemala on the way in and out. So basically I got 3 trips in one! I stayed at El Barrio Central which is conveniently located in the historic center. My hostel mates were awesome, and we actually did a bunch of fun & group activities (Museum of Archaeology, Karaoke, free walking tours of different neighborhoods). The hostel hostel several daily activities for guests to gather and get too know each other. There were a couple days I decided to venture out on my own and I felt completely safe at all times. Mexico City is very inexpensive, especially coming from the U.S. There were plenty of food options. I ate at Cocuyos multiple times during my stay as it was right next door to my hostel and open until 5am. There was also a fantastic torta stand there next block over with the cheapest and fattest tortas I came across while there. I explored mostly on foot, but public transit was convenient. An Uber ride from the airport (40 min) was only about $11 (USD).

Solo travel experience

I spent a month in Mexico, alone. The capital is a real jungle, so it's good to know where you can move without fear (Roma Norte, Condesa, Polanco, Coyoacán) and which places are better to avoid. I recommend using Uber, not walking alone at night, common sense, marking tourist places on your map and not walking with your phone in your hand. Mexico is a beautiful city with countless museums, exhibitions, amazing food and very friendly people. The Yucatan Peninsula is a Caribbean paradise, with lots of tourists and beautiful places - divine cenotes, great diving spots, historical ruins and wonderful restaurants.

Solo travel experience

I spent seven days and was able to successfully move here. I highly recommend visiting Teotihuacan (pyramids of the sun and moon, a full day trip), the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (an incredible history museum, with really interesting exhibits of all the different indigenous Mexican groups), Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo's house, incredible), Xochimilco (canals with floating boats). There is a lot to do in Mexico City, the Coyoacán and Condesa districts are really interesting. I don't recommend taking taxis in Mexico (use Uber) or approaching the Tepito district. Be careful with your things if you use the metro.