For the best of Gay Mexico City, including the best hotels, where to eat, our top 10 things to do, and how to find the best gay nightlife, read on for our complete LGBTQ+ travel guide to Mexico's incredible capital city.
Breakfast Tequila post Hot Air Balloon Flight
Overview – Culture. Awe-inspiring food. Sexy nightlife. Fantastic hotels. Gay Mexico City has it all. This thriving megalopolis located in Central Mexico is home to over 30 million people and a huge LGBTQ+ population. Gay life is centered in and around the Zona Rosa or "Pink Zone."
Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?
– Frida Kahlo
For orientation, the gay village is steps away from busy Paseo de la Reforma and the Angel of Independence Monument. The Monument is also where the annual Gay Pride parade begins the last Saturday in June. Other gay popular neighborhoods to live and stay include bohemian Roma and Condesa and upscale Polanco.
Wings on Paseo de la Reforma
Things to do – For our curated list of the Top 10 Things to Do in Mexico City, read our full review here. After an extended months long stay on our first trip together, we compiled a 'must do' list of our favorite places. We also made an accompanying YouTube video if you would like to see some of these ideas first hand. Take me to Top 10 Things to do in Mexico City.
Hot Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacán Pyramids
DESTINATION HIGHLIGHT
As mentioned above and for our most memorable experience in Mexico City, we cannot recommend highly enough the hot air balloon flight over the pyramids of Teotihuacán, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. After a morning pickup at your hotel, you'll arrive in plenty of time for coffee and refreshments and to watch your captain prepare your balloon for flight. After sunrise, dozens of balloons take to the sky in a well orchestrated symphony. Marvel at the colorful houses below and the stunning Valley of Mexico as you float toward the Pyramid of the Sun. After landing, enjoy a glass of bubbly before breakfast back at the launch site. Next, you can decide to explore the ruins by foot or return to your hotel. Both options are available and both include return transportation. We strongly recommend using Volare with the most modern fleet in Mexico. To reserve your flight with Volare, including transportation, you have two options: Book with Viator or book with Get Your Guide. We chose the latter for our trip as it was a few dollars less expensive at the time of booking.
Historic Center & Latin America Tower
When to go – While most travel sites will tell you to go from March to May for the best weather (i.e. warm and dry), we wouldn't hesitate to visit year round. For reference, dry season stretches from October through May with June through September known as the rainy season. When we first moved to Mexico, we lived in Mexico City during the month of September and found the daily afternoon rains short and welcome. On our most recent visit in February, we could wear short sleeves by day with temperatures rising into the mid-70's. Nights allowed us to eat outside with a light sweater.
Independence Day Celebrations in the Zócalo
For the most popular holidays and gay events, Mexico City is an incredible place to be for Gay Pride held the last Saturday in June, Mexican Independence Day on September 16th, and for Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead celebrations from late October through early November. There are also a number of gay festivals and circuit parties like Pervert, BearMex, and Sunland held throughout the year.
If you are combining your trip to Mexico City with a beach vacation in Gay Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Puerto Vallarta, or Zipolite, the weather is near perfect on both coasts from December to April with daytime temps in the 80's and lower humidity. This is high season along with super high season around New Year and Easter which should be booked many months in advance! We prefer shoulder or even low season for fewer crowds even if there are periodic rain showers. Rainy season lasts from May through October. Also, the highest risk of hurricanes in the Cancun-Riviera Maya region are from September to October.
Sofitel Mexico City Reforma
Where to stay – In terms of the best hotels in Mexico City, the gay traveler is spoiled for choice from luxury 5-star properties to small gay-owned bed and breakfasts. Click here to read our full review of our favorites. Take me to the 5 Gay Popular Hotels in Mexico City.
Our Favorite Brunch Spot in Roma
Where to eat and drink – To start your day on the right foot, Panadería Rosetta is our favorite 'go to' coffee, breakfast and brunch spot in gay popular Roma. The team here are super friendly and provide excellent service.
Panadería Rosetta
Pan Dulce
Guava Roll
Pet-friendly Dining
Breakfast at the Counter
For our favorite things on the menu, you have to try the guava or cinnamon rolls. We also enjoy the seasonal fruit, yogurt and granola as well as the baguette, turkey ham, goat cheese, and hazelnut pesto. If you are still craving something sweet, don't miss the vanilla soft serve in a fresh croissant.
Soul La Roma Tacos
For tacos, margaritas and even a Caesar salad (which is Mexican not Italian given it was created in Tijuana!), we like trendy Soul La Roma.
Blanco Colima
Table Views
Beet Salad Appetizer
Gorgeous Bar
For a fancy lunch or dinner, you will love the music, atmosphere, food and cocktails at Blanco Colima. Also located in Roma on the famous gastronomic corridor of Colima Street, the seasonal ingredients and menu will certainly impress.
La Capital Restaurant
Guacamole & Chips
If you decide to stay at gay-owned Casa Comtesse in Condesa, a house favorite is La Capital Restaurant for an exceptional dining experience. With an open dining room, bar, and kitchen, Chef Oscar Sanchez serves up signature Mexican cuisine with a twist. We are blown away by the artful presentation of guacamole and chips, tortilla soup, and even cauliflower dressed table-side with a mouthwatering mole sauce. Everything you put in your mouth here will be divine.
Blow Bar Gay Nightclub
Where to find gay nightlife – For the best gay bars and clubs in Mexico City, read our full review here. Take me to Mexico City Gay Nightlife.
Mexico City International Airport (airport code: MEX)
Zona Rosa (Amberes y Paseo de la Reforma)
Getting here – Most if not all international travelers will arrive by air to Mexico City via Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (airport code: MEX), which is the primary international airport serving Greater Mexico City. We find the airport relatively easy to navigate even if it is overwhelmingly busy at times. An Uber is easy to catch outside of baggage claim, and the approximately 30-minute trip to the Zona Rosa will cost around 200 pesos or $12 dollars.
Terrazza Priority Pass Lounge
Salad and Fruit Bar
Our Picture on a Coffee
Grand Elite Priority Pass Lounge
Fajitas at Grand Elite Lounge
For those of you with a Priority Pass, which we receive membership complimentary through our Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Credit Card, there are a number of top notch airport lounges with great food and drinks and some of the best service you find at any airport lounge in the world. Our favorite is the Grand Elite Lounge and their sister lounge Terrazza. Both are pet-friendly, and they will even drive you via golf cart to your gate! They not only aim to please but exceed your expectations.
Hilton Hotel Terminal 1
Finally, if you need in-airport accommodations for a long layover or cancelled flight, the Hilton Mexico City Airport is located within Terminal 1, so it's super convenient.
In addition to Mexico City International Airport, we have flown domestically into Toluca Airport (airport code: TLC) which re-opened to commercial air travel. While small, gleaming due to a remodel, and typically with rock bottom airfare, Toluca is about an hour or more depending on traffic to the Zona Rosa. There is also Felipe Ángeles International Airport (airport code: NLU) which opened on March 21, 2022, but flight availability and connections are so far not as good as with Mexico City International Airport (airport code: MEX), so we highly suggest using MEX for that reason.
INM for Tourists
INM for Residents
The Lounge by U.S. Gates
Inside The Lounge
Pro tip – Mexico City requires an immigration form known as the FMM to be completed for international arrivals and saved for your return flight. On departure, if you lost your immigration form, stop by INM for tourists only at Door 10 on the ground level. For temporary and permanent residents, you must complete the required check out procedure after security in the shopping area past gate 25. The INM kiosk is located before the walkway to the U.S. gates (29-36). There is also yet another albeit smaller Priority Pass Lounge by gate 32.
Other Services
Banking – There are national and international bank ATMs available at Mexico City International Airport. We recommend getting Mexican Pesos (MXN) here on arrival. For reference, $1 US Dollar (USD) is worth just under 20 pesos (it’s recently been fluctuating between 17-20 as of the publication date of this article). If you are in the Zona Rosa, you will find plenty of ATMs within steps of the Angel of Independence, including national and international banks like HSBC, Santander and Scotiabank among others.
Always DECLINE to SAVE!!!!
Pro tips – Always pay in local currency when you travel (both in cash and on your credit card). If you pay in USD at a restaurant or shop for example, the posted foreign exchange rate is always 5-10%+ less than the interbank rate your bank or credit card company would charge. In other words, you will pay extra for the convenience of paying in USD. Again, always pay in local currency to save.
When withdrawing money from ATMs in Mexico (and now throughout the world), one thing to note (which we learned the hard way) is knowing to always decline the conversion offered by ATM to save. If you accept the conversion, you are agreeing to an additional 5-12% fee on top of the ATM use charge. That’s INSANE! Also, we initially thought declining the conversion would cancel the transaction, BUT it does not. It simply saves you the extra markup. For extra savings, look into the Schwab Checking Account that reimburses all foreign ATM fees. We’ve saved thousands in ATM fees over the years with this account!
Travel Insurance – Don’t forget to add global travel medical insurance that covers you while traveling outside of your home country. We recommend Safety Wing. You can buy it even if you are already abroad. Most health coverage in the U.S. for example does not cover you in Mexico, thus it’s extremely important to protect yourself from out of pocket costs due to a medical emergency. We learned this the hard way which you can watch here. To learn more about Safety Wing, click here.
Car Rental – Should your travel plans call for hiring a car, we use rentalcars.com to search the best prices among the major car rental companies. With flexible rentals, no hidden fees, and price match guarantee, we feel confident booking with them. Just make sure to book with your Chase Sapphire Reserve for extra protection.
Hot Air Balloon Flight over Teotihuacán Pyramids
Travel Experiences – Discover authentic, unforgettable experiences and explore the world with Get Your Guide. They offer top-rated tours and activities in Mexico City. We have used Get Your Guide for numerous adventures around the world.
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Hi gorgeous, and welcome to our LGBTQ+ travel blog! We're Andy and Trai, a gay couple traveling the world with PRIDE 🌈 …and our rescue dog, Pattie!
After meeting in San Francisco in 2018 and later moving to Chicago, we decided to quit our jobs in 2021, sell everything, and become Two Gay Expats. For over two years, we explored the best of gay Mexico while waiting for our house, Casa Cangrejo, to be completed in Tulum. We got married at The Beach Tulum in 2020 and became Mexican permanent residents in 2022.
Today, we continue to travel around Mexico and the world to show you our favorite places. If you'd like to follow our adventures, subscribe on YouTube and join us on Instagram.
