↑ ↓ to move ↵ to open esc to close
    Juan O'Gorman's mosaic-covered Biblioteca Central and the Torre I de Humanidades seen across Las Islas, Ciudad Universitaria, Ciudad de México

    Photo by Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Ciudad Universitaria

    Landmark Coyoacán, Ciudad de México Municipality of Coyoacán Valley of Mexico

    UNAM's 1950s campus on a lava field, a UNESCO site since 2007: O'Gorman's mosaic library, Siqueiros on the Rectoría, the Olympic stadium and MUAC.

    From Mexico City: 20 min by car (16 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    See everything nearby ↓

    Plan your visit to Ciudad Universitaria

    Where to stay near Ciudad Universitaria

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Ciudad Universitaria.

    Hotels in Ciudad Universitaria Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Ciudad Universitaria

    Look for tours of the area around Tepoztlán that stop at Ciudad Universitaria.

    Visit to Xochimilco, Coyoacán and Ciudad Universitaria ★ 3.5 (28) · From US$44
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Ciudad Universitaria

    • From Mexico City: about 20 min by road (~16 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
    Rent a car at MEX Flights to MEX

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Popular tours to Ciudad Universitaria

    Visit to Xochimilco, Coyoacán and Ciudad Universitaria ★ 3.5 (28) 7 h From US$44
    Private Tour to Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán and Xochimilco ★ 5.0 (1) 6 h From US$352
    CDMX Enjoy a unique tour of Xochimilco, Coyoacán, and UNAM ★ 4.7 (38) 10 h From US$43
    Xochimilco, Coyoacan and Frida Kahlo Museum Tour ★ 3.3 (36) 7–8 h From US$70
    Xochimilco, Casa Frida Kahlo (panoramic) Coyoacan and UNAM ★ 4.1 (24) 8 h From US$31

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Ciudad Universitaria

    Ciudad Universitaria, known to everyone as CU, is the main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), in the Coyoacán borough in the south of Mexico City. Until the 1950s the university's schools were scattered through old buildings in the historic centre. In 1943 the Pedregal de San Ángel, a field of lava left by the Xitle volcano some 2,000 years ago, was chosen for a single campus; the project was led by Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral, and more than sixty architects, two hundred supervisors and about ten thousand workers built it in under three years. It was dedicated on 20 November 1953 and classes began in March 1954. In 2007 UNESCO inscribed the original central campus, about 176 hectares with more than 50 buildings, as a World Heritage Site.

    What makes CU special is the way modern architecture, the volcanic landscape and Mexican muralism were designed together. Juan O'Gorman covered all four faces of the Biblioteca Central with a stone mosaic on the history of Mexican culture, now the campus's emblem; Siqueiros decorated the Rectoría tower; and Diego Rivera made the relief on the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, built in 1950–1952 with stands of excavated lava, main venue of the 1968 Olympics and home of the Pumas, with room for 72,000. Around the central lawn, known as Las Islas, faculty buildings rarely rise above three storeys and are linked by paths of volcanic stone.

    The southern part of the campus is the Centro Cultural Universitario, with the Sala Nezahualcóyotl concert hall, theatres, cinemas and the Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC). Nearby, inside the Pedregal ecological reserve, is the Espacio Escultórico, a 120-metre ring of 64 concrete prisms around raw lava created by Federico Silva, Helen Escobedo, Hersúa, Manuel Felguérez, Mathias Goeritz and Sebastián. Sunday is a good day to come, when families wander the gardens; the campus has no gates, and free Pumabús routes link the main sights.

    How to get to Ciudad Universitaria

    Drive from Mexico City: 20 min, 16 km

    By Metro: Line 3 (Universidad–Indios Verdes) has two stations at the campus: Copilco on the north side and the terminus Universidad on the west, where the free Pumabús routes start (route 3 goes to the cultural zone and MUAC). By Metrobús: Line 1 runs down Avenida Insurgentes through the middle of the campus, with stops at Ciudad Universitaria, by the Olympic Stadium, and Centro Cultural Universitario. Pumabús is free and runs Monday to Friday; cars can also drive in, with parking at the stadium and the cultural centre.

    Directions to Ciudad Universitaria on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Ciudad Universitaria Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Ciudad Universitaria. See prices →

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    From the nearest cities to Ciudad Universitaria

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Ciudad Universitaria: hours, prices and tips

    Hours
    MUAC: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10 am–6 pm, Thursday 10 am–8 pm, Saturday 11 am–8 pm, Sunday 11 am–6 pm; closed Monday. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing. The campus grounds have no gates. MUAC · checked Oct 2026
    Entry
    Walking the campus is free. MUAC costs 60 pesos (half price on Sundays and for students and teachers); free for under-12s, seniors with INAPAM and visitors with disabilities, and for everyone on Thursdays from 6 to 8 pm. Cards accepted except American Express. MUAC · checked Oct 2026
    Best time of day
    Sunday is when families come to wander the patios, gardens and paths of the campus. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
    Guide or tour
    No guide needed: the campus is open and the free Pumabús links Metro Universidad with the main areas on weekdays. Wikipedia · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    At MUAC, photos are allowed without flash; there is a cloakroom, and wheelchairs are available. MUAC · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Ciudad Universitaria: what to see and do

    See Juan O'Gorman's stone mosaic on all four sides of the Biblioteca Central, the emblem of UNAM.
    Look at Siqueiros's murals on the Rectoría tower and walk across Las Islas, the great central lawn.
    Visit the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, with its lava-stone stands and Diego Rivera's relief, or catch a Pumas match.
    See contemporary art at the MUAC in the Centro Cultural Universitario, then check what is on at the Sala Nezahualcóyotl.
    Walk to the Espacio Escultórico, a ring of 64 concrete prisms around a sea of raw lava in the ecological reserve.
    Look for the frontones of Alberto T. Arai, sports courts shaped like Mesoamerican pyramids.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Ciudad Universitaria

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Ciudad Universitaria.

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

    Look for tours of the area around Tepoztlán that stop at Ciudad Universitaria.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 40 km more to Ciudad Universitaria, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for Ciudad Universitaria.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Tepoztlán: download a map of the way to Ciudad Universitaria before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    When to go to Ciudad Universitaria mild

    Ciudad Universitaria shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 40 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán's cliffs rising behind a white colonial church, Morelos mild
    Morelos Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Ciudad Universitaria, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Ciudad Universitaria

    Near Ciudad Universitaria

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.