Templo Mayor and Metropolitan Cathedral: audio guide for your visit

Open the audio guide

72-hour pass for US$6, no subscription. 2 stops to listen to for free, no sign-up.

What to see: The essentials

17 stops in about 1 h 50 min, in the order you walk.

La plaza y el Recinto Sagrado de Tenochtitlan
La fachada principal de la Catedral
Las torres y las campanas con nombre
Las piedras de mil setecientos noventa
La nave central y sus cincuenta y una bóvedas
El Altar de los Reyes: la cueva dorada
El suelo que se hunde: la corrección de la Catedral
El Huey Teocalli: el ombligo del universo mexica
Tláloc y Huitzilopochtli: dos montes en una pirámide
Al pie de la escalinata: donde apareció Coyolxauhqui
La Casa de las Águilas y el techo que se cayó
El museo y Tlaltecuhtli en el vestíbulo
Sala cuatro: Huitzilopochtli, el guerrero águila y Mictlantecuhtli
El monolito de Coyolxauhqui en el museo
Sala ocho: la conquista y la ofrenda colonial de mil setecientos noventa
El Huei Tzompantli: el hallazgo de la calle Guatemala
Dos ciudades en un solo suelo

Tours

Pick one for the time you have. The audio guide takes you one stop at a time.

The essentials 1 h 50 min · 17 stops
Only the Cathedral 1 h · 13 stops
Templo Mayor and its museum 1 h 55 min · 18 stops
Full tour 3 h 15 min · 33 stops

Before you go

Getting there

The Templo Mayor and the Cathedral stand beside the Zócalo, in the heart of the Centro Histórico.

Zócalo/Tenochtitlan station (Line 2): about 5 minutes on foot.
Allende (Line 2) or Pino Suárez (Lines 1 and 2) stations: about 10 minutes.
By car: there is hardly anywhere to park; it is better to come by Metro or taxi.

The entrance to the Museo del Templo Mayor is on Seminario street, next to the Cathedral. The Cathedral can be seen from anywhere in the Zócalo.

Hours and tickets

The Museo del Templo Mayor is open Tuesday to Sunday, normally from 9:00 to 17:00. It is closed on Mondays. There is one ticket for the museum and the archaeological zone, bought at the ticket office.

On Sundays admission is free for Mexican nationals and foreign residents, and it is usually busier.

The Metropolitan Cathedral is open most days and entry to the church is free, but hours change with Masses and access to some chapels is sometimes restricted.

Prices and hours change: check them on the INAH website and the Cathedral's.

When to go

Tuesday to Friday mornings are the quietest. The Templo Mayor is best visited at 9:00, before the school groups arrive.

There are Masses all day in the Cathedral, and the Sunday one is the busiest. That is a good reason to go on another day, or to enter quietly and with care.

The Zócalo hosts concerts, fairs and marches. If there is an event, there may be barriers and the Metro may close its station: use another exit.

Allow 2 hours for the museum and the archaeological zone, and 45 minutes for the Cathedral.

What to bring

Comfortable shoes, water, a hat and sunscreen: the Templo Mayor archaeological zone is open-air and in the sun. A small bag is enough.

To enter the Cathedral, cover your shoulders and knees. Bring some cash for tips and small purchases. Download the audio before you set out.

Facilities

The museum has restrooms, a shop and a cloakroom. Restrooms are scarce at the Cathedral, so use those in the museum. For food, the streets of the Centro have plenty of options, such as Café El Popular, and some terraces with a view of the Zócalo and the Cathedral.

Accessibility

The Zócalo esplanade is flat. The museum has lifts and the archaeological zone is toured on walkways, with some level changes that can be hard in a wheelchair. The Cathedral has a ramp at the main entrance, but some side chapels have steps.

Ask at the ticket office and at the Cathedral entrance which areas are accessible.

Site rules

In the museum and the archaeological zone you can photograph without flash for personal use; tripods and professional gear need permission. Do not touch the pieces or cross the ropes.

In the Cathedral, keep quiet and do not use flash. Do not photograph anyone who is praying, or during Mass. Cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your cap when you enter.

Safety and tips

Five centuries of history overlap here. Look at the stones: under your feet lie the remains of Tenochtitlan.

Look at the museum's scale model first and then the open zone: that way you understand what the sacred precinct was like.
The Cathedral sinks unevenly into the soft soil of the old lake bed. Inside you can see it in the columns and the floor.
The sellers of «limpias» (cleansing rituals) with smoke and feathers charge for them. If you are not interested, say no firmly and keep walking.
Look after your phone and wallet in the Zócalo crowds.