Photo: Courtesy INAH
When you visit the circular pyramid at Cuicuilco, it seems impossible that this remarkable Mexico City site, hemmed in by a shopping center and residential towers, was once the ceremonial center of a civilization that predates the Aztecs by more than a millennium.
Yet here, where worshippers once honored Huehueteotl, the ancient fire god, small groups of visitors can enjoy official Mexico City walking tours led by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH)
For expats and long-term residents who think they’ve seen everything Mexico has to offer, the INAH tour program presents a unique opportunity to experience some of the country’s lesser-known archaeological heritage. And with Mexico preparing to host matches at three stadiums during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the timing couldn’t be better for cultural tourism to take center stage.
Official Mexico City Walking Tours
The institute’s cultural walks, known as Paseos Culturales, trace their origins to 1957, when an INAH archaeologist began sharing the organization’s research findings with colleagues and students. What started as informal academic excursions has evolved into a public program offering approximately 130 official Mexico City walking tours per year in the downtown area alone, with additional expeditions to sites throughout the country.
The process works like this: historians and archaeologists propose walking itineraries to the INAH, selecting locations that showcase Mexico’s cultural heritage. Once approved, tours open to the public at roughly 260 pesos (approximately $15 USD). Each excursion is led by academic specialists who bring decades of research expertise to their narration.
According to tour guides, the program’s mission centers on sharing Mexico’s living heritage with content that reflects the latest archaeological research and discoveries. Program coordinator Mónica de Alba has noted that public interest has grown substantially in recent years, with residents increasingly recognizing the depth of cultural offerings available in their own city.
INAH’s Hidden Gems
While places like Teotihuacán and Chichén Itzá remain Mexico’s most-visited archaeological destinations, the official Mexico City walking tour program deliberately focuses on lesser-known sites. The October schedule, for example, incorporates Day of the Dead traditions with visits to places like Xochimilco, where participants take moonlit boat tours through the ancient canal system and chinampas, the floating gardens that predate the Spanish conquest.
Other recent excursions have explored the Ecatepec neighborhood on Mexico City’s outskirts, where open-air markets, street food vendors, and religious festivals maintain traditions that connect directly to pre-Hispanic practices. A tour timed to coincide with the feast of Our Lady of Mercy took participants through La Merced market, one of the city’s oldest commercial districts.
Historian Jesús López del Río, who leads tours examining human sacrifice practices among Mesoamerican civilizations, has emphasized that these walks allow the general public to connect with societies separated by vast distances of time and space. Understanding the pre-Hispanic past, he notes, extends beyond famous achievements like Mayan mathematics or Aztec engineering: it requires grasping how these civilizations understood and related to their world.
For expats interested in exploring Mexico’s archaeological heritage through the INAH tour program, reservations are required. Upcoming official Mexico City walking tours and booking information are available by visiting the official Paseos Culturales website at www.paseosculturales.inah.gob.mx. Tours fill quickly, particularly for popular destinations.