Mexico City Deep Tour Through La Merced And Iconic Markets

Pedro was a knowledgeable patient and interesting guide. We got to see a side of Mexico City that we never would have on our own. He was terrific.

This was a FANTASTIC tour. My guide, Pablo, was great. He was knowledgeable, spoke perfect English (my Spanish is terrible!), told me a lot about the markets, neighborhood, culture, and food. We ate and drank many different things including some indigenous foods. I really enjoyed our conversations about the U.S. and Mexican cultures. I was the only person on the tour so that made it even more special.

I booked this tour as I wanted to visit Mexico City's big market, but assumed I'd find it difficult to navigate; my assumption was correct so I was pleased to have booked a tour. I chose this tour as I wanted to see not only the main market but also the sorcery/witchcraft market - I would never have found this on my own. The tour exceeded my expectations, as we were taken to many more places: local streets & sights only a local would know about, a traditional/historic bar. We tried a range of local food: tacos, the best mole I'd had, interesting morsels you wouldn't find in Europe;) Our guide (who had set up the tour) was interesting & engaging, clearly loved local food & letting others experience it. I'd overbooked tours to make the most of my time in MCDX & this was my favourite one (you must of course also see wrestling/lucha Libra). Note that I chose a pick-up option, as it was best for my hotel location.

We had a great time with our tour guide, Gala. She was extremely knowledgeable, communicative and patient with us. We highly recommend her for this tour.

If you're tired of tourist trap experiences in Mexico City, this is exactly what you're looking for. Our market and tacos tour took us completely off the typical visitor path and into the neighborhoods where locals actually shop, eat, and live. We wandered through bustling markets where vendors greeted our guide by name, tried tacos at family run stands that have been perfecting their recipes for generations, and got real context on the food, the culture, and the city. No staged photo ops, no overpriced souvenir stops, just genuine CDMX. Our guide, Pablo, was knowledgeable, warm, and clearly passionate about sharing the real version of their city. We left full, happy, and with a much deeper appreciation for Mexican food culture than any guidebook could give us. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to experience Mexico City the way locals do. Worth every peso.

We had a really great time on this tour. The markets were both fascinating, and I wouldn't have felt comfortable going without a guide (not to mention would have gotten lost). I really enjoyed seeing all the different food stalls, particularly the dried spices and herbs in Sonoma market. We got to try crickets, which was very fun. The best part was our guide Gala, who knew a ton of history, fun facts about the markets and the city, and about Mexico City's art scene. We learned so much, and the time just flew by. A really unique look at the city and interesting history we wouldn't have learned anywhere else, highly recommend. Also, we needed to adjust our start time at the last minute, literally the night before the tour, and they were able to accommodate us, which was great.

Great walk through of the markets with many stops to sample amazing food and the best tacos. Pablo was a great guide, local and knowledgeable.

We spent 2 amazing days with our Bondabu guide. Pablo was the best- very knowledgeable and also a wonderful person. We spent a day with him at Teotihuacán and had a lovely experience. We learned a lot and Pablo pointed out many interesting spots. On another day Pablo took us on the Deep Mexico tour. I couldn't imagine doing this type of tour without a guide. La Merced market is so big and we would have been overwhelmed on our own. Pablo chose great vendors where we tried many tacos, drinks and even some insects. We saw some great murals also. All in all, we felt as though we saw Mexico City through the eyes of a local who loves his city. Highly recommend.!

If you walked through the Anthropological Museum, viewed the murals at Palacio de Bellas Artes, scooped out the Zocalo, the Churches, La Condessa, Polanco, Roma Norte and seek a real adventure and some great street food ( as they say) then this tour is for you. It's the perfect alternative tour. Ernesto and his colleague Pablo took us off the beaten path to spots in the La Merced Market and taco stands you will never find on your own. They provided keen insight into the history, art and people of Mexico with patient, humor and fun. It was obvious that they loved CDMX and wanted to share this amazing city. I have done adventure tours in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America and these guides were the best. I can't wait to get back to Mexico City and do another tour or two with Bondabu.

This deep tour through La Merced and Mexico City’s iconic markets with Ernesto was a thrilling dive into authentic CDMX flavors and culture. Led by the passionate Ernesto—whose deep love for Mexico was contagious—we navigated the chaotic energy of Mercado de la Merced, savoring exotic fruits, rich pre-Hispanic moles, tacos, refreshing micheladas , plus intriguing stalls at mystical Mercado Sonora with its sorcery herbs and Santa Muerte altars, all while admiring vibrant murals. Pure magic for foodies; wear comfy shoes and come hungry! - Cher

The highlight of our CDMX trip was our Deep Mexico tour with Ernesto and Pablo. It gave us an opportunity to explore and better understand parts of the city we never could have on our own. Both our guides were a delight to spend a day with, knowledgeable and friendly. This is a tour for an adventurous soul, be prepared to walk a lot! Well worth it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to break out of the tourist bubble.

We love doing market tours - its such a wonderful way of immersing yourself in the country or place you are visiting. We've done tours all over - from Sevilla to Mazatlan. We just returned from CDMX where we experienced one of the best market tours of all! We spent a few hours wandering through different markets, tasting incredible food, and also looking at street art, murals and religious iconography. It was a total immersion into the art, culture, gastronomy, culture and history of CDMX. Our guide, Ernesto, was engaging, knowledgeable and wonderful company. His love for the city was obvious - and the city loves him back. We truly felt we got to experience Mexico City, and be a part of it for a few hours. I cannot recommend this tour more highly. You will not regret this! Wear comfortable shoes, eat a light breakfast and get ready for an amazing experience!

We booked a Mexico City food tour with Bondabu and it exceeded all expectations. First of all there was delicious food, but it was not about the food. This was not a generic tour at all, it felt carefully designed and deeply connected to the city. We walked through La Merced, stopping at classic street food stalls, taco stands, art spots, hidden monuments, crazy markets, cantinas and much more amazing spots. The guide explained everything with a contagious passion, making the experience both fun and educational. The pacing was perfect, the group was small, and every stop felt intentional. It’s the kind of street food tour in Mexico City that gives you real context, not just food. A great option for first-time visitors and repeat travelers who want a deeper look at the city. Highly recommend it.

Had the best tour of our lives yesterday thanks to Bondabu. Our market tour day was packed with info, history, and some great food and drink stops along the way. Guide was extremely knowledgeable and answered all of our questions, from street art, to history, to architecture. Would highly recommend this tour while in Mexico City, we'll remember it fondly always.

Our guide, Pablo, led us confidently through the iconic markets of Mexico City, including some very interesting history and more current stories about the markets and vendors. We met some great vendors having a small group (just the two of us) and did not feel overwhelmed by the crowds. I recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in learning more about traditional foods and experiencing life as a local. We tried some delicious food and drinks, leaving with bellies full!

It is any interesting trip. The local markets are impressive in both the size and variety of merchandise and food. It is about 5 hours of walking with stops for food. The different types of tacos we tried at different food stalls are the best we ever have. Our tour guide, Pablo, is excellent. He is knowledgeable and friendly. He also assisted us to find a good pickup location for our Uber ride and make sure everyone in the tour group get into our Uber ride.

Had the best time with Pablo. Felt more like hanging out with a friend than going on a tour. Saw sooo many cool and historical things. Food and drinks were great. 100% recommend

Make yourself a favor and book this!! This experience was by far the most interesting, tasty and fun we had in our week in Mexico City.

Andy was our tour guide. Although he arrived around 10 minutes late to the rendezvous point at the hotel, he took us through an incredible and unforgettable stroll to Mercado La Merced (which was nothing like I've seen before), then Mercado La Sonora, some tacos after, and then a long stroll until we reached the Zócalo. That's where we had to say goodbye, because we had other plans. Andy was very knowledgeable of the Mercados and other places, murals and locations we were able to visit. Muchísimas gracias, Andy! Buena suerte en todas tus metas y síguele dando duro a esa batería.

Outstanding experience through the most amazing places which i could have never found on my own. Best tacos in México City!!!

Absolutely wonderful experience. We went to places we would never find on our own. Amazing food and drinks. Guide was a star!!!!

I had a solo trip in August 2025 and decided to book this tour to see a different side of Mexico City that a tourist wouldn't typically see, or be willing to see. Andres was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide who took us through the Sonora and Merced, with a few stop for michelada and street food. It was an eye opening tour and would recommend it for anyone who is willing to be adventurous going beyond the typical touristy areas.

Such an amazing experience! If you’re looking to be off the beaten path, this is it. Andres was a great guide that kept things moving quickly and didn’t bog down things with information overkill. Really just had a great time walking around and observing it all.

This a terrific tour for people looking to experience the non-touristy, traditional hustle and bustle of the Merced District and the Mercados. Our guide Pablo helped us navigate the depths of the Mercado Sonora and the Mercado Merced and we hardly saw any other tourists. We thoroughly enjoyed being led through the Mercado labyrinths. We loved experiencing the sights, colors, sounds and smells of local life. There is definitely a challenge level navigating through crowds so this is for good, confident walkers. We also enjoyed the stops for a michelada, juice, tastings of pre-Spanish era foods (that was a challenge!) and then 2-3 taco stops after. Pablo was open to customizing the time and stops for us and that was appreciated. We definitely felt immersed in the local culture and out of our element, which we wanted to experience. So this tour is definitely for the adventurous! Also, there were a couple of mistakes on the tour length and ending location on the Viator website, but because Pablo reached out the day before we were able to resolve the issues, but you should definitely doublecheck with your guide beforehand.

The deep Mexico tour was awesome. We experienced so much local culture, tried amazing foods, and ate all of the street tacos. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to experience Mexico City off the beaten path. Also, shout out to Pablo, our awesome guide!

This tour was by far the best and most unforgettable experience in my time in Mexico City! For great food and deep exploration, this is your tour.

What an amazing tour. Walking through some of the most interesting areas in Mexico city can not be described in words. It is a must for any adventurous travelers. Our guide and the food were the cherries on the top. I would do this exact tour again and wouldn't change a thing.

Through a recommendation we went on the Deep Mexico tour with Pablo. Our tour started with a quick stop to look at some street art and learn about Mexico City’s history with murals. We then visited the Sonora and La Merced Markets, which were large and filled with many different goods. It was quite interesting to learn the history of the markets, stop at various vendors to learn about the various items sold, and even get to sample some delicious foods. Throughout the tour, we were able to try different moles, Pinole, pre-Hispanic foods, and fresh pineapple juice. Stops also included wonderful tacos, a michelada, and a beer at a cantina. Our stop at another market featured murals painted by students of Diego Rivera. We greatly appreciated learning about the different murals and how accessible they are to the public. We wrapped up the day with a walk around the Historic Center and a drink. This was a great way to see the markets without getting lost as they are quite large, and it was such a fun way to spend the day! Pablo was a great guide with such a wealth of knowledge. I highly recommend this tour or any tour with Bondabu!

A fantastic tour and tour guide! We loved Pablo and the whole experience. Tried various food, met interesting people and had quite an adventure!

Pablo was our tour guide. He is so knowledgeable about the history of Mexico. My 13 year old son said he learned more in 5 hours than at school over the past two years. Pablo was patient with us, we walked slow sometimes and helped us to learn some Spanish. I highly recommend the Deep Mexico tour and make sure to request Pablo as your guide. You will NOT be disappointed!!

Pablo was an incredible guide! He has an amazing knowledge of the city and Mexican History, He made my trip to Mexico City very enjoyable, Would definitely recommend

Incredible!! Amazing look at the real scene of Mexico!!!! With all the new options and companies it’s hard to find such a commited crazy and respectful crew that will show you their origins and talk about a rich, real, complex and beautiful city. Waiting to try their Ecuador experiences!!!! Super thankful!!! 💯💯💯

Excelent tour! The highlight of my trip to Mexico! Couldn't think of a better way to be introduce to Mexico City. My favorite thing was the mole tasting and the Micheladas...

Put on your hiking shoes! I could never have toured La Sonora and La Merced by myself. My tour guide Pablo shared the history of the markets and the context of the public art and architecture throughout the Centro Historico. Definitely an adventure not to be missed!

This was by far the best tour I have ever been on. Mind blowing facts,amazing company,perfect food. Take this tour, you wont regret. 10 stars!!!!

Had a good time exploring with our guide Cesar. He did a good job taking us through the busy streets and markets explaining interesting facts and answering all the questions we had. Would recommend for anyone interested in seeing this area of Mexico.

Had the pleasure of joining one of Bondabu's Deep Mexico tour in Mexico City. I've done my fair share of tours and such across the world but this tour was incredibly special! Nothing like your usual walking tour, Ernesto is a friendly and knowledgable guide who took us to some incredible spots, places that we would never have found on our own! If you're wanting to experience the real Mexico City - look no further. His passion and spirit really made the tour come alive - I wasn’t bored for a second! We genuinely had the best time, the food was unbelievable and the experience was one I already know will be the highlight of my trip! Couldn't recommend enough - thank you 🤩

I only happened upon this tour by chance, and I could not be more happy that I did. It really provided an opportunity to experience an authentic and personalized version of mexico city. We were able to see and learn about some of the most amazing hidden gems as well as eat/drink at a variety of stalls and taquerias. The food was probably the best we have eaten in the whole of Mexico! I would wholeheartedly recommend this tour to anyone. Even if you had a list of the places we were able to visit, you would simply never have the same experience (not just because they would all be so difficult to find!) The real difference was the genuine care and passion of the guide in creating a personalized experience. He was able to achieve this by having formed true and meaningful bonds and relationships with the vendors we visited- really amazing to be apart of. It truly was an incredible experience, by far the best thing we did in Mexico City. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Our experience with Ernesto was top-tier. He took us on a private tour of all the big markets in Mexico, accompanied with food and beverages included in the cost of the tour. I would highly recommend anybody looking to get a deeper dive into Mexican culture and explore Mexico City deeper than what the tourism has to offer is our first day here in Mexico City and gonna be a great day to kick off our trip. Thank you, Ernesto!

This was the most amazing tour of La Merced! Ernesto was so knowledgeable of the markets, and we ate the most delicious foods in all of the city. Book with Ernesto over any other tour company because he has real passion and knowledge of Mexico City!!

Absolutely fantastic tour. We were taken to some hidden gems of taquerias that we never would have experienced without the tour. Also got a great look at a number of different markets that we would have quickly got lost in without the help of Ernesto. It was a truly authentic look at Mexico City, led by a deeply knowledgeable and professional team. Highly recommend, it will be the highlight of your trip to Mexico City

This may be off the beaten path but my group of 5 adults were underwhelmed by the guide and overwhelmed by the amount of endless zigzagging through several markets. We expected more info about the history of the markets, history of the local food and just really anything. The Merced was the highlight and I could have stayed just in this market and toured several vendors and maybe sit for 20 minutes to savor the surroundings. Instead, we sampled mole and one taco while feeling rushed to the next taco place in a street corner. This was after winding through a market with so many caged animals. Nope, no, nope - Pick another tour.

My husband and I loved the Tour. We visited the Markets and got a deep immersive cultural tour that was awesome. There was a lot of history (the more questions you ask, the more information you will get), beautiful murals, architecture. Now the food: The food was delicious from the crickets to the tacos to the different type of Micheleda rim toppings. I would have taken some home, but I didn't know if it could come through US customs (later we found out it could). Now, the food was delicious, but as a warning, My husband and I both got Montezuma's Revenge. In 20/20 hindsight, when I saw all the meats in the market just left out with any refrigeration, I should have thought not to eat them. If I went to another city's Tour in a "developing country" I would do the cultural tour again and consume all of the Vegetarian food, but stay away from the meat. Again, I would HIGHLY recommend this tour, but be cautious of eating food that may be suspect.

Cesar was the best tour guide and our entire group enjoyed every minute of it! The tacos were amazing, the micheladas and beers were refreshing and Cesar was very knowledgeable. We would’ve never known where to go or what anything was if we didn’t have Cesar. Would definitely recommend!

An amazing experience all together! Not only the places we visited felt absolutely safe and interesting, but the guide was so good in really allowing us to understand the impact and importance in the culture of the city and country’s culture. I would emphatically recommend this to everyone who wants to see the real Mexico beyond any tourist trap.

Cristobal was an amazing guide. So knowledgeable and passionate about his city and culture. He went out of his way to show us things we were interested in

This is the best tour I've ever had! Ricardo was so friendly, knowledgeable and passionate - it was such a pleasure to visit the La Merced area under his guide. Though not touristy at all, this area is so colorful, diverse and full of the hustle and bustleI of CDMX, so definitely check this tour out if you would like some special experience at the city. learned so much about the local's life and the city's history in depth that I won't be able to know elsewhere. We also stopped at different spots for taco/food/drinks/mole/pulque. Thank you so much Ricardo and I hope to attend another tour hosted by Bondabu if I visit CDMX again in the future.

This was a fantastic day of peeking behind the curtain and being introduced to parts of Mexico City that I don't think many tourists get to see. Ernesto was a fantastic guide who really knows the history, places, people and stories that make for a "Wow!" experience. Also, the food. Plenty to eat, drink and enjoy along the way. Loved it!

Worth the time, the walk and every penny. This is what we look for when travelling, that extra mile into what locals eat, drinks, and do, specially in this emormous city, where it would take forever to discover it was handy, informative and fun.