Mexico, North America

Mexico City in March

Jacaranda season: the city goes purple from roughly late February into April, varying year to year. One of the great urban blooms anywhere.

BestWarm and dry, highs near 79F (26C)

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

The straight answer

March is one of the best months of the year to visit Mexico City. Jacaranda season: the city goes purple from roughly late February into April, varying year to year. One of the great urban blooms anywhere.

Weather: Warm and dry, highs near 79F (26C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 3 of 5

What March is like in Mexico City

March is warm, dry and purple. Highs sit near 79F (26C), and jacaranda trees bloom across Reforma, Roma and Condesa, usually at their peak this month, though timing varies by year. Crowds and prices are moderate. Everything is open, and the long, sunny days make it easy to walk the city's leafy neighborhoods.

March is one of the best months for almost everyone: first-timers, photographers, couples and families on spring break. When Semana Santa falls in late March, some small shops close for the week. The only reason to pick another month is if you want Dia de Muertos, which means late October.

Make the most of March

What is especially good about Mexico City this month.

Jacaranda season

Purple trees line the streets of Roma and Condesa. It is one of the great city blooms anywhere, and it is free on every block.

The last of the monarchs

Early March can still catch butterflies in the sanctuaries before they head north.

Warm evenings on terraces

Nights finally feel mild enough for rooftop dinners and outdoor cantinas.

What to pack for March

Sunscreen and a hat
A light jacket for cooler nights
Comfortable walking shoes for long neighborhood strolls
A camera for the jacarandas

Our timing tip

Walk Roma and Condesa in the early morning light for the best jacaranda photos, before traffic and crowds arrive.

Book Mexico City for March.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Mexico City
Opens a hotel search for Mexico City in March, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for March
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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.
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Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Mexico City
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Mexico City for March. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in March

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 March, quick answers

Is March a good time to visit Mexico City?

What is the weather like in Mexico City in March?

Warm and dry, highs near 79F (26C).

Is Mexico City crowded in March?

Crowds in Mexico City are moderate in March; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.

What is happening in Mexico City in March?

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).