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LGBTQ+ History Walk: Mexico City's Hidden Rainbow
4.6
55 Ratings
Ciudad de México
Uncover the hidden stories of Mexico’s LGBT+ history on our exclusive tour. From Aztec temples to the Spanish Inquisition, join us for a captivating three and a half hour walk through the city’s historic center.
Uncover the hidden stories of Mexico’s LGBT+ history on our exclusive tour. From Aztec temples to the Spanish Inquisition, join us for a captivating three and a half hour walk through the city’s historic center.
Duration:
3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Librería Porrúa - A rooftop balcony with views of the Palace of the Royal Duty, Frida Kahlo’s Hideaway Rooms, and the ruins of the Great Aztec Temple.
- Museo del Templo Mayor - The Templo Mayor, meaning “Great Temple” in Spanish, was the principal temple of the Mexica (formerly Aztec) people in their capital city.
- **Catedral Metropolitana de…
- Librería Porrúa - A rooftop balcony with views of the Palace of the Royal Duty, Frida Kahlo’s Hideaway Rooms, and the ruins of the Great Aztec Temple.
- Museo del Templo Mayor - The Templo Mayor, meaning “Great Temple” in Spanish, was the principal temple of the Mexica (formerly Aztec) people in their capital city.
- Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Mexico - The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven serves as the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico.
- Zocalo - The central plaza, known as the heart of both the city and the country, has been a gathering place since the 16th century.
- National Palace - The National Palace (Spanish: Palacio Nacional) is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico and has been the official residence of the President of Mexico since 2018.
- Centro Cultural Espana en Mexico - The Centro Cultural de España (Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico) is situated at 18 Guatemala Street in the historic center of Mexico City. In the late 1990s, this old mansion, located just behind the Cathedral, was in ruins until the Mexico City government transferred it to the Spanish government. After restoration, the new Centro Cultural de España was inaugurated by the King of Spain and the President of Mexico in 2002.
- Ex Old Customs - The Old Customs Building is positioned on the east side of Santo Domingo Plaza, between Republica de Venezuela and Luis Gonzalez Obregon Streets, just north of Mexico City’s main plaza.
- Plaza de Santo Domingo - Plaza Santo Domingo is bordered to the west by the Portal de Evangelistas, a Tuscan colonnade with round arches. Scribes with typewriters and antique printing machines operate in this Portal.
- Antiguo Palacio de la Santa Inquisición - The Spanish Inquisition was the civilian institution responsible for executing convicted homosexuals between 1521 and 1821.
- Santo Domingo - The Church of Santo Domingo is located on the north side, facing the Santo Domingo plaza. It marks the starting point of El Camino Real, a trading route from Old Mexico to New Mexico, and served as a safe haven for gay male couples.
What's Included
- Digital LGBT+ map of the Historic Center and extra resources
- Local guide
- Downloadable PDF copy of e-book RAINBOW MEXICO: Bridging Forgotten Pasts and Vibrant Futures
- Bottled water
- Tea and coffee
- Digital LGBT+ map of the Historic Center and extra resources
- Local guide
- Downloadable PDF copy of e-book RAINBOW MEXICO: Bridging Forgotten Pasts and Vibrant Futures
- Bottled water
- Tea and coffee
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
It connects the overlooked past with the lively future of Mexico City’s hidden rainbow history!
Join an enlightening journey through the rich LGBTQ+ history of Mexico City with the exclusive “Gay Side of History, Plazas and Temples” tour.
This is not just any walk - it’s a time-traveling experience that will transform your understanding of Mexican…
It connects the overlooked past with the lively future of Mexico City’s hidden rainbow history!
Join an enlightening journey through the rich LGBTQ+ history of Mexico City with the exclusive “Gay Side of History, Plazas and Temples” tour.
This is not just any walk - it’s a time-traveling experience that will transform your understanding of Mexican culture and history!
- Minimum age is 18 years
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- You will walk for 1 mile in 3 hours.
Location
República de Argentina 15
República de Argentina
We meet outside Number 15, República de Argentina Street, curbside, right at the door marked with #15. It is the main door and it is not at the corner. It is at the heart of Mexico City's Historic Center.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(55 Ratings)
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Alon
Feb 25, 2026
Nice tour - Nice tour, Carlos is knowledgeable and likes to teach. Showed me around the area and explained about the bars and history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bc_travel_reviews
Oct 20, 2025
Gay Plazas reccomended! - This was a great walk. Carlos balanced the history of Mexico City through a queer lens with great anecdotes, fun facts and genuine enthusiasm. Highly reccomended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anne_j
Oct 19, 2025
Fantastic!!!! Sign up now! - Had an amazing tour with Carlos, who is a walking encyclopedia of history and cultural knowledge. He's a great storyteller and I learned so much that I need to take a siesta to relax and try to process it all! I enjoyed learning about Mexico and the country, which Carlos clearly loves, and how it began and grew with respect to world events and gay influence - and much more. Note: I am ally (not LGBTQ+) and this is one of my favorite tours I have ever taken, and definitely one of the most educational! Just book it!
Review provided by Viator
Hwe2953ux
Oct 9, 2025
Looking forward to more tours! - Carlos led us on two amazing tours over two days-- the gay plazas tour and the african walking tour (not listed here in the dropdown). Starting with a super informative and grounding introduction to the history of the United Mexican States, to the lasting impacts of that history on society and culture today. The tours were engaging and time flew by! My friends and I are coming back to take more tours to continue our exposure and learning!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rob
Oct 4, 2025
Awesome history lesson - My husband and I really loved meeting Carlos. He is an amazing teacher and a walking encyclopedia of gay, Mexican, and world history. I even learned so much about the US that we were never taught in school. A very worthwhile tour. Five stars
Review provided by Tripadvisor
D4306wxsaraht
Feb 26, 2025
Carlos fan club - Carlos is a great storyteller, the tour is paced really well -- breaks at cantinas are well-incorporated into the whole experience (and tasty!). Priced a little high but well worth the investment!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lindamaybear
Mar 12, 2025
Highly recommend! - Carlos was such a fantastic and knowledgable guide! The tour is very well thought out with lots of fun reveals and great use of location. Over the tour he gives not only an overview of how LGBTQ+ life was perceived and experienced, but also wove the story of Mexico itself. We learned as much about the development of the Mexican empire, economy, and architecture as we did LGBTQ+ life!
I would have preferred more up-front clarity abut the length and scope of the tour. I was under the impression the tour would go until about 1/1:30 but it ended at 2. It also was unclear from the description what year range would be covered by the tour content, we went from the formation of the Mexica empire through the 19th century.
We definitely recommend this experience to anyone considering it, you'll get both a foundational and unique perspective on Mexico's history and be left with an excitement for more!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brock_g
Nov 20, 2025
Ghosted by operator - The operator cancelled the tour 1 hour before it was meant to start. We were already on our way to the tour and the last minute cancellation made it difficult to arrange something else for our day. The operator gave no reason for cancelling nor did they answer our calls or messages to confirm the cancellation was accurate.
This is very poor business management and incredibly disrespectful to your customers.
Review provided by Viator
Q2226xodantem
Dec 22, 2025
Lots of Gay Few Women and No Trans - The tour was not interesting. He talked about the Catholic Regime and how so many people were ruled by fear. It was not a “lax tour” it was filled with heavy topics such as politics, religion, and discriminatory propaganda. The guide was very pompous about his knowledge and shamed and wrong answers to questions. It made me not want to participate. The tour was only about 8 blocks of walking. And to travel that little in such a long time period made it difficult to pay attention. There was very few talk and discussions about women and no mention about transgender individuals. It really should just go over the history of gay men and there acceptance in society
Review provided by Tripadvisor
412ronim
Dec 15, 2025
Walking tour cancellation and no refund - Our walking tour was cancelled due to protests in the city center and they never refunded us even though they guaranteed they would. They owe me $180 and ghosted me on WhatsApp, email and will not return my calls. I’ve tried to contact them and they are ignoring me. This is not a trustworthy tour company!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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