Mexico, North America

Mexico City in February

Pleasant and quiet, with the art world's big fair week bringing a stylish, hotel-filling bump. Late winter haze can dull the volcano views.

GoodDry, highs near 75F (24C), chilly mornings

Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City — Mexico CityPhoto: Xavier Quetzalcoatl Contreras Castillo, CC BY-SA 3.0

The straight answer

February is a good month to visit Mexico City. Pleasant and quiet, with the art world's big fair week bringing a stylish, hotel-filling bump. Late winter haze can dull the volcano views.

Weather: Dry, highs near 75F (24C), chilly mornings
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What February is like in Mexico City

February is dry and pleasant. Highs sit near 75F (24C), mornings are chilly, and afternoons are sunny. Late winter haze can dull the views of the volcanoes. Crowds are light, except during the big art fair week, when stylish visitors fill the hotels. Toward the end of the month, the first jacarandas may start to bloom, depending on the year.

February suits art lovers, food travelers and families on a winter break who like cool mornings and warm afternoons. It is a good time for the monarch sanctuaries too. If purple jacarandas are the main goal, March is a safer bet. If you want warm evenings, go in April.

Make the most of February

What is especially good about Mexico City this month.

Art fair week

The city's big art fair week fills galleries and hotels with collectors and gallery crawls. Book rooms early if your dates overlap.

Monarchs at their peak

The butterfly sanctuaries west of the city are still full, and a long day trip or an overnight is well worth it.

First jacarandas, some years

In warm years, jacarandas begin to bloom late in the month along Reforma and in Roma.

What to pack for February

Layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons
A light jacket for evenings
Sunscreen and sunglasses
A reusable water bottle for the altitude

Our timing tip

Buy timed Casa Azul tickets online a couple of weeks ahead, and pick a morning slot before Coyoacan fills up.

Book Mexico City for February.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Mexico City
Opens a hotel search for Mexico City in February, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for February
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Vacation rentals in Mexico City
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Mexico City
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Mexico City for February. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in February

Jacaranda bloom

Roughly late February through early April, varies year to year

Imported flowering trees paint Reforma, Roma, and Condesa purple. The city's most photogenic weeks, and a free show on every block.

Monarch butterfly season

Late November through early March, in sanctuaries a few hours west of the city

Millions of monarchs winter in the mountain fir forests, reachable as a long day trip or an overnight. Mid-winter visits catch the densest clusters.

Things to do in Mexico City

Full guide

Museo Nacional de Antropologia

The Aztec Sun Stone, the Maya rooms, and hall after hall of the pre-Hispanic Americas. Give it a full morning; it is closed Mondays like most museums here.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Centro Historico and the Zocalo

The cathedral, the Templo Mayor excavation, and Diego Rivera's murals at the Palacio Nacional and San Ildefonso, all within a few blocks of one of the world's largest city squares.

Tickets and tours →

Teotihuacan

The immense pyramid city about an hour northeast. Arrive at opening ahead of the heat and the buses, or splurge on a dawn hot-air balloon flight over the site.

Tickets and tours →

Chapultepec Park and Castle

Twice the size of Central Park, with the castle's hilltop views, museums, and boating lakes. Sundays are joyful, family-packed chaos.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Coyoacan and the Frida Kahlo Museum

The Casa Azul sells out days or weeks ahead; buy timed tickets online early, then give the rest of the day to Coyoacan's plazas and markets.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Xochimilco

Float the canals of the old lake system on a painted trajinera with mariachis rowing past. Go with a group, go at midday, and negotiate the boat price before boarding.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Do the Centro Historico early on a weekday morning: by afternoon, and especially on weekends, the pedestrian streets around the Zocalo run at carnival density.
Book the two sellout tickets first, the Casa Azul and any famous tasting-menu restaurant; everything else in this city can be decided the same day.
Reach Teotihuacan at opening. The site is vast enough to absorb crowds, but shade is scarce and tour buses stack up from mid morning.
Use rainy-season afternoons on purpose: the 4pm downpour is the best museum ticket in town, and the streets after rain are the clearest-aired, prettiest version of the city.

Know before you go

Mexico City has no off season: museums, restaurants, and sights run all year. The planning facts are weekly and holiday rhythms, not seasonal shutdowns.
Most museums, including Anthropology and the Casa Azul, close on Mondays. Teotihuacan is open daily, which makes Monday the natural pyramid day.
Semana Santa, the week before Easter, and the December 12 to January 6 holiday corridor send locals out of town: traffic lightens, big sights stay open, but a noticeable share of small restaurants and shops takes the week off.
Around Dia de Muertos and Independence Day, downtown streets close for parades and the Zocalo hosts massive events: thrilling to join, worth routing around if crowds are not your thing.

Mexico City in February, quick answers

Is February a good time to visit Mexico City?

February is a good month to visit Mexico City. Pleasant and quiet, with the art world's big fair week bringing a stylish, hotel-filling bump. Late winter haze can dull the volcano views.

What is the weather like in Mexico City in February?

Dry, highs near 75F (24C), chilly mornings.

Is Mexico City crowded in February?

February is one of the quieter months in Mexico City; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Mexico City in February?

Jacaranda bloom (roughly late february through early april, varies year to year); Monarch butterfly season (late november through early march, in sanctuaries a few hours west of the city).