Mexico, North America

Mexico City in September

The wettest month, and patriotic month: Independence celebrations peak with the Grito on the night of September 15 and a military parade on the 16th.

TradeoffsRainy peak, highs near 73F (23C)

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

The straight answer

September is a month of real tradeoffs in Mexico City. The wettest month, and patriotic month: Independence celebrations peak with the Grito on the night of September 15 and a military parade on the 16th.

Weather: Rainy peak, highs near 73F (23C)
Crowds: 3 of 5
Prices: 2 of 5

What September is like in Mexico City

September is the wettest month. Highs sit near 73F (23C), and afternoon rain is heavy and frequent. It is also patriotic month: the Independence celebrations peak with the Grito on the night of September 15 and a military parade on the 16th. Downtown streets close and the Zocalo fills with huge crowds. Prices are fairly low otherwise.

September suits travelers who want to join the Independence celebrations, and budget travelers who do not mind rain. If you hate crowds, avoid downtown around the 15th and 16th. For drier weather, wait for late October or November, when the rains ease and Dia de Muertos begins.

Make the most of September

What is especially good about Mexico City this month.

The Grito on September 15

The president rings the bell and leads the Grito before a packed Zocalo. It is loud, joyful and very crowded.

Independence parade

A military parade fills downtown streets on September 16, with flags and food stalls everywhere.

Low-season deals

Outside the holiday, hotel prices dip and top restaurants are easier to book.

What to pack for September

A sturdy umbrella
A waterproof jacket
Quick-dry shoes
Something red, white or green for the Independence parties

Our timing tip

If you join the Grito, arrive at the Zocalo hours early, bring nothing valuable, and plan your walk home, since downtown streets close.

Book Mexico City for September.

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

What's on in September

Independence Day and the Grito

September 15 and 16

The president rings the bell and leads the Grito to a packed Zocalo on the night of the 15th, with a military parade on the 16th. Expect closures and joyful crowds downtown.

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.