A City Within the City

This is a one-of-a-kind way to remember your time in Mexico—through stories, architecture and candid portraits of you taken at Ciudad Universitaria, the main campus of UNAM and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The walk weaves through striking modernist buildings, cultural landmarks and quiet garden paths of black volcanic stone, all designed in the 1950s as a bold statement of post-revolutionary Mexico. You’ll stop at the Central Library to see Juan O’Gorman’s iconic mural—one of Latin America’s most important public artworks—then move through lush landscapes toward MUAC, Mexico’s leading contemporary art museum. Along the way, your hosts—Marie and Manuel—will capture you in a series of natural, well-composed photos that reflect the light, texture, and character of this rarely-touristed part of the city. The experience starts with food a top-rated local restaurant. You’ll receive a curated digital photo gallery as a lasting record of the places you saw—and how you moved through them.

Marie and Manuel are sharp, intuitive, welcoming photographers and guides who know Ciudad Universitaria from the inside out. As they walk you through the murals, gardens, and monumental architecture of this UNESCO site, they’ll also be composing portraits of you in Mexico City—candid, grounded, and deeply tied to place. Ciudad Universitaria is both beautiful and symbolic. Built on a lava field and designed by Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral, the campus was a cultural declaration: modernist in form, Mexican in spirit. It’s home to works by David Alfaro Siqueiros and José Chávez Morado, and has shaped figures like Octavio Paz, Mario Molina, and Alfonso Cuarón. It remains a working campus for over 300,000 students—where art, politics, and daily life continue to collide. Most travelers miss visiting it. You won’t. This is a walk through modern Mexico’s intellectual and artistic story—with the bonus of beautifully composed images you’ll actually want to keep.

Marie Fernández is a Mexican photographer who grew up in Mexico City. From 2017 to 2019, she studied photography in Paris and graduated as a photojournalist and documentary photographer. She is currently a member of the Women Photographers History collective. Manuel is also a Mexican photographer from the city. He has worked with international media such as The New York Times and is currently contributing to The New Yorker. In 2024, he held his first solo exhibition, hosted by the U.S. Congress at the Capitol Building and funded by Amnesty International and the Open Society Foundations. In this experience, they combine their photography skills with their passion for welcoming people to their home city and helping visitors experience the best it has to offer. With Marie and Manuel, you won’t just receive a collection of beautiful portraits from your time in Mexico City—you’ll also get to know the city more intimately and feel at home.

Wear comfortable shoes for walking, and dress in something you’ll feel good being photographed in.