With its buzzing historic center and out-of-this-world food scene, Mexico City is quick to capture the hearts and imagination of visitors. The ideal Mexico City itinerary—3 to 4 days—offers a deep dive into UNESCO sites, distinct neighborhoods, and still leaves time for a day trip to see the jaw-dropping pyramids of Teotihuacan just outside the city.
If you’re like many who’ve never been, you might be surprised at the sophistication of this city, the oldest in North America and one-time ancient Aztec capital.
As long as you stick to the areas most travelers frequent, you’ll feel one hundred percent safe.
In that respect, it’s not so different than other major cities like London, Paris, New York or San Francisco.
It even makes a great destination for solo female travelers; we met several from Singapore, NYC, and Washington, DC happily eating their way through this magical place!
Contents
- The Best Mexico City Itinerary: 3 Days
- Your 3 Days in Mexico City are a Wrap
The Best Mexico City Itinerary: 3 Days
With three days in Mexico city, spend one day sightseeing museums and UNESCO sites in the historic center, one day day tripping to Teotihuacan, and one day exploring sites in the Condesa and Roma neighborhoods.
With a fourth day—or as another option for one of your three days—head to the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacán and then to the nearby Coyoacán Market for the best tostadas in Mexico City.
Insider Tip: Most of these museums may be closed on Mondays and some on Sundays. Be sure to plan accordingly and check museum websites before heading out!
Just remember that Mexico City is huge. After all, it’s home to 22 million people!
Plan on a half hour Uber ride—if you’re not in rush hour traffic—between the Zocolo, sights in Condesa, and Coyoacán in this itinerary.
To avoid extra drive time, I’ve grouped close together sites by day to maximize things within walking distance.
Day 1: Walking Tour of Zócolo and Centro Historico
The Zócolo is essentially Mexico City’s “main square” and it’s been that way since Aztec days!
In fact, it’s also the main place where ceremonies took place when it was the city of Tenochtitlan back in 1325 CE!
My suggested itinerary for Day 1 is a very full day of walking the Centro Historico (Historic Center) but I’ve grouped sites in the easiest way to see them.
If you’d like to be more selective, the two sites you cannot miss here today are the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Templo Mayor so be sure you don’t wear out before you get to those!
See map below for recommended order for sightseeing these attractions.
Map of Points of Interest in Mexico City’s Centro Historico
How to use this map: This map is an image. Click the map to open an interactive version of the map. From there, if you click “open in my maps”, you can add this to your Google maps. Just click the tiny transparent star to the right of the map description to save it in “your places.” Go to “your places” next and there it is!
1. Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral—also known as the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven—is hard to miss at the center of the Zócolo on the Plaza de la Constitución.
It took nearly 250 years to construct it in sections, beginning in 1573 until completion in 1813.
Pop into the cathedral for a quick visit to admire its three altars, sixteen chapels and Renaissance and Gothic Sacristy.
Gold abounds here!
Where to stay in Mexico City
Option 1: Centro Historico
For easy access to the main sights (but with more crowds and noise), stay in the historic center.
Enjoy breakfast on the rooftop for views galore when you stay in beautiful 19th century Zocalo Central Hotel. Decompress in the on-site steam room after walking the city!
Check price and availability at Zocalo Central Hotel here.
Option 2: Condesa
We loved our stay in the Condesa neighborhood, with its upscale Bohemian vibe, stellar restaurant scene, and parklike setting. (Be aware it’s a 30 minute drive to Centro Historic, however.)
With a bar, garden, and shared kitchen, Casa Comtesse Hotel has a lovely 1940s feel that fits right into the neighborhood. Includes a delicious breakfast each morning and free mezcal tasting.
Check price and availability at Casa Comtesse Hotel here.
Other Areas to Consider
Roma—near Condesa—is also a popular choice. It has a hipster feel with its lively bar scene and vibrant architecture but it’s just a bit further than Condesa to museums and the anthropology museum. If you’re looking for nightlife, stay in Roma. Check stays in Roma here.
Coyoacan—where the famous Frida Kahlo museum is located—is a less popular tourist choice and it’s also far from attractions near Condesa. Yet, we loved the cobbled, traditional, old-fashioned feel and artisan markets here.
I’d stay here next time to feel off-the-beaten path (but you’re going to up your drive time if you do). Check stays in Coyoacan here.
2. Templo Mayor
As you wander the Zócolo, ponder this: You are standing near the very heart of Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital of the Mexica people, indigenous rulers of the Aztec empire.
In those days, this area was an abundant pine forest with multiple saltwater lakes; the city of Tenochtitlan was built on an island here and was home to up to 200,000 people.
The Templo Mayor or “main temple” was dedicated to both the god of war and the god of rain and agriculture. It was rebuilt six times!
As you walk this area, you’ll first see a series of models designed to give you a sense of the scale and vastness of the temple. Keep walking to see some of the actual ruins.
You can also visit the Templo Mayor Museum nearby (closed Mondays) for a deep dive into the archaeology, flora and fauna, trade, ritual and sacrifice at Templo Mayor.
Day Tours in Mexico City that Travelers LOVE
• Enjoy a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids at Teotihuacan. See below (Day 2) for more detail. Check price and availability on the hot air balloon day out here.
• Take a walking food tour in the historic center. It’s a great way to eat safer street tacos while learning about specialties from a local in the know. (Foodies are happy to know they can also sign up for food tours in the Roma and Polanco, too! It’s always a day well-spent.) Get info on a food tour here.
• Head to Xochimilco for cruising the floating gardens in brightly colored gondolas. You can also combine your tour with a visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum! Check price and availability on the Xochimilco tour here.
3. Colegio de San Ildefonso
Colegio de San Ildefonso is a minor sight you won’t find on most Mexico City itineraries. If you’re pressed for time, skip this one but we absolutely loved it.
This museum and cultural center is considered to be the birthplace of Mexico’s muralism movement and it is otherworldly beautiful.
We ended up here because we hadn’t secured advance tickets to the National Palace (see below…don’t be us!) and the ticket agent directed us here to see the famous Diego Rivera mural.
This museum reminded me in a funny sort of way of our time in The Bargetto in Florence, Italy; it’s another more off the beaten track museum.
And that means that instead of standing in lines and crowds to see famous sites, you’ll have it all to yourself which is fantastico.
The vivid colors. The architecture. The murals. Honestly, I can’t say enough about it. Plus, it costs under $5 USD to visit.
And if you’re ready for a coffee break after visiting, head just around the corner to the nearby bookstore, Librería Porrúa and take the elevator up to the rooftop outdoor cafe.
If you’ve never ordered a carajillo before, now’s your chance to sip this standout Mexican coffee cocktail while taking in the epic views here.
Served shaken or stirred and sometimes poured at your table, cold or hot, it’s a combination of espresso and Licor 43 and quickly became our new bad habit.
There’s allegedly 43 ingredients in Licor 43 and it’s. just. delicious!
Read more on Mexico Travel:
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• 23 Beautiful places to visit in the Yucatan
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• Review of Rancho La Puerta Spa in Tecate
4. National Palace
Mexico City’s National Palace (Palacio Nacional) has been a palace for rulers since Aztec times. And even today, it is the official residence of the President of Mexico.
If you’re an art lover, don’t miss this place as we did!
As I noted earlier, advance tickets are required. You can only visit on a pre-booked guided tour.
If you speak Spanish, you might get lucky with a spontaneous on-site tour booking in Spanish, but English tours are more limited so reserve ahead.
If you can. Because I’m not exactly sure if you can!
As of this writing, it appears the National Palace has not yet updated their website from when they offered Zoom only tours, perhaps during COVID.
Your best bet may be to go to the physical ticket office located directly across from the palace on your first day in the city to check availability on later days.
Not ideal…I know. Please leave a comment if you find a link to reserving tours in advance to help other travelers. It’s a head scratcher!
In any case, in addition to lots of sculpture, the National Palace is famous for its Diego Rivera murals.
You’l wind your way into countless rooms and up and down stone staircases as you take in jaw-dropping floor to ceiling murals by Rivera depicting the history of Mexico.
5. Pasteleria Ideal
Pasteleria Ideal has been selling baked confections since 1927! And it’s an experience so if you’re in the neighborhood, you’ve got to drop by.
This place is full of locals, apparently stocking up for huge gatherings.
The way it works is you grab a big plastic platter and a set of tongs and then wander the huge space, piling your platter high with goodies as the spirit moves you.
Based on the number of massive platters I saw piled high with confections, I feel like most Mexicans are having way more fun than me.
6. Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)
Aside from Tempo Mayoral, Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most spectacular site here in the historical district and you absolutely must go!
It’s an art and architectural treasure like you just won’t find elsewhere.
The exterior of the building is built in Art Nouveau and Neoclassical styles but the inside of this magical place is mainly Art Deco.
If you’re short on time, make your way directly up to the top floor to gasp at the incredible floor to ceiling murals here by Diego Rivera, Siqueros, and others.
Also, the Palacio de Bellas Arte hosts performances of the beautiful Ballet Folklorico, a traditional style of indigenous dance where dancers wear long colorful skirts.
Many visitors say it’s a highlight of their time in Mexico City.
Just be aware that performances are only on Wednesdays (at the time of this writing.)
You can get advance tickets to Ballet Folklorico here. No need to secure advance tickets to the museum itself.
How to get around Mexico City
Buses are completely safe but Ubers are faster and cheap!
We used Uber all over Mexico City, including from the airport, where the guy at the airport information booth told us Uber was not available. Actually, you just head to the arrivals area at the airport and call your Uber from there no problem!
It’s likely to cost under $8 USD for a 30 minute ride anywhere you want to go…unless you hit rush hour traffic, in which case it might cost a bit more, but not much!
Most Uber drivers we met did not speak English but that’s the great thing about Uber. You manage the whole transaction from the app.
Hailing taxis on the street is not recommended for safety. If you’d like to take a taxi, go directly to a taxi stand or ask a restaurant to call one for you specifically.
Again, we only took Ubers so can really only speak to this experience…which we highly recommend!
7. House of Tiles
The House of Tiles or “Casa de los Azulejos” is an 18th century Baroque palace with a beautiful tile colored facade made up of striking blue and white tiles from Puebla that cover three sides of the building.
Originally built in the 16th century, the house is actually made up of two mansions that were separated by an alley originally.
If you’re following my map of sites in the historic district, it’s easy to find for a quick photo of the outside.
8. Palacio Postal
This is another must-see for architecture lovers!
Palacio Postal, or “Correo Mayor”, i.e. the main post office, is still a working post office. It’s been here since 1902, despite experiencing regular earthquakes ever since.
It’s hard to describe—or classify—the unique style of architecture. It’s a mix of Art Nouveau, Moorish, Baroque, Spanish Renaissance Revival and so much more.
You’ve got to see it to believe it!
Where to Eat in Centro
• El Cardenal is perfect for a traditional breakfast. Try the chilaquiles!
• Café de Tacuba has a great vibe with good food and drinks. This place is more than 100 years old. In fact, Diego Rivera got married here for the first time (pre-Frida Kahlo).
• Azul Histórico is everyone’s favorite spot in El Centro. Head to the open air courtyard of this fancy hotel for drinks and an appetizer. Or dinner. If there’s a wait, bide your time at the rooftop bar.
Tips for Not Getting Sick
Full disclosure: I had 24 hours of sickness after eating street tacos. Steve who ate more adventurously than I did was fine.
I had great hopes for the Travelan supplement I read about based on stellar reviews but it let me down.
Trust me: You’re going to want to eat all the things in Mexico City so my best advice is to take daily probiotics, beginning well before you arrive.
When you’re choosing where to eat, look for taquerias that have more than one person working if possible.
Look for local workers queuing up. (They don’t want to get sick either and are in the know.) Eat at times when others are eating at normal mealtimes to avoid food sitting out for long periods.
Be sure that hot foods are hot and all those delicious agua frescas are served icy and not sitting in the sun.
I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice…but what really helped me recover quickly once I was ill was activated charcoal.
Last tip: Join a food tour to taste the best of Mexico City with confidence. Guides know which street vendors are safe!
For example, this half-day walking food tour will take you to an Aztec market, a classic cantina, a street food stall and rexceptional restaurants to learn about the history of Mexico’s gastronomy.
Check price and availability on the half-day food walking tour in the historic center here.
Day 2: Day Trip to Teotihuacan to See the Pyramids
If you only have a few days in Mexico City, is it really worth spending one of your days on a full day tour out of the city?
The resounding answer is YES! It would be criminal to be this close to an archaeological site of such magnificence and miss it.
I was last here when I was 12 before my most recent visit.
My parents packed our family into a VW pop-top camper and headed out from Ohio for a five week camping trip through Mexico. It was amazing to return all these years later!
This ancient Mesoamerican city originally included 13 pyramids and stretched eight square miles with 125,000 residents at its zenith (1 CE to 500 CE). It was the largest city in the Americas!
It’s particularly significant for its multi-family residential compounds and well-preserved murals, such as the jaguar (which is actually a puma) at Avenue of the Dead.
In a three hour visit to Teotihuacan, you can expect to see just two percent of this unique and vast area.
The main pyramids you’ll see are the pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. There’s actually a cave under the Pyramid of the Sun which is believed to have a ritual significance. Sacrifices to the Gods were made here.
It’s safe and easy to visit Teotihuacan on your own either by bus or Uber, but I highly recommend a guided tour like the one we took to fully appreciate what you’re seeing.
Our full-day tour was led by a pair of local anthropologists who grew up in this area and shared deep knowledge about the lives, art, cultural and religious practice of those that lived here which really enhanced our visit.
Afterwards, the tour concluded with a delicious mole lunch at their grandmother’s house and a tasting of several varieties of their homemade pulque, a fermented alcoholic drink extracted from Agave.
See Teotihuacan by Hot Air Balloon!
Have you ever seen pyramids from a hot air balloon? Now’s your chance.
This is one of the best-loved ways to see Teotihuacan. You’ll be picked up at your hotel for a 30 to 50 minute ride in a shared balloon and can add on an optional three hour visit to the pyramids afterwards. Breakfast is included.
Guest review: “Great company, very professional. The flight itself was a memory of a lifetime. We passed so close to the pyramids it felt we could touch them.” — Tim N., Dec 2022
Check price and availability on the hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan here.
Day 3: Anthropology Museum + Chapultepec Park
After your “rest” day on a tour of Teotihuacan, you’re ready for a bit more walking, right?
This is the perfect day to explore sights near Condesa in the fabulous Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec)!
If you’re staying in Condesa, as we did, it’s just a short walk to this gorgeous 1,700 acre park with nine museums, a zoo, and an amusement park. Otherwise, you’ll grab the bus or Uber here. You could spend weeks exploring this place!
But since you likely have just a day, you’ll need to focus. The #1 thing to see here is…
The Anthropology Museum
Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropología cannot be missed on your visit. In fact, if you’re “not really a museum person” and plan to skip other museums, make this your only exception!
Again, you could easily spend a whole day in this awe-inspiring museum. It contains the world’s largest collection of ancient Mexico art, with 23 exhibition halls.
But if you’d like to limit your visit to just two to three hours hours, be sure to at least walk through the (1) Maya exhibit, (2) the Teotihuacan exhibit—it will bring your visit to the pyramids yesterday alive—and the (3) Mexica exhibit.
But the Oaxaca exhibits are also very impressive!
Whatever you do, don’t miss seeing the famous Sun Stone. It’s like visiting the Louvre Museum in Paris and skipping the Mona Lisa.
The Sun Stone is a large gladiatorial sacrifical altar—a “temalacatl”—where fights were staged between warriors in the tlacaxipehualizli ceremony.
Can you see the face of Xiuhtecuhtli below? He’s emerging from a hole in the earth, holding a pair of human hearts.
If you’re ready for a bite to eat after your tour of the anthropology museum, consider heading to the restaurant in the museum’s outdoor courtyard. It was a peaceful place for a delicious meal.
Chapultepec Park (Bosque de Chapultepec)
Chapultepec Park is one of the largest parks in Mexico City. It’s leafy, green and gorgeous!
In fact, it’s been around since pre-Columbian days when it was a retreat for Aztec rulers.
If you’re walking here from the museum, you’ll first wander past dozens of street stands selling snacks, candies, and anything else you can imagine.
You’ll see plenty of local families out for a stroll.
It’s quite the scene! But five minutes more and you’ll emerge at the lovely and crowd-free Chapultepec Lake. The Museum of Modern Art is nearby as well. You’ll find the zoo on the other side of the lake.
But there’s at least one more place you should see before leaving the park…
Chapultepec Castle
It’s perhaps a 20 minute walk further in the park until you see Chapultepec Castle towering above you.
This fortress was the home of several legendary Mexico leaders. Fun fact: Chapultepec means “on the hill of the grasshopper” in Nahuati (language of the Aztecs).
You can tour the castle for a small fee but the best reason to climb the hill to the castle is for the stunning viewpoint here.
Where to eat in Condesa/Roma
There are so many delicious places to eat in drink in this area! And none of them will break the bank. You can eat extremely well here at four and five star restaurants for under $100 USD per couple.
• Contramar—This is the hot spot in Mexico City! You’ll definitely need a reservation to get in for dinner so plan ahead.
Check out their instagram at the link above. (You can even reserve on Insta!) Try the red and green grilled snapper and the tuna tostadas. Don’t miss the strawberry meringue cake for the finale.
• Casa Virginia — This European-Mexican restaurant in a beautiful 20th century home feels fresh, sophisticated. It’s a favorite of locals in the hood here. Everything we had here (fish, soup, ratatouille) was yum!
• La Capital — We ate here on our first night and were wowed. It’s traditional Mexican recipes with contemporary cooking techniques.
And you must order the chocolate Mexican martini (not the exact name but ask for the cocktail they light on fire)!
Bakers Durango is the best bakery here. Try El Parnita for a micheladas brunch. And head to Loose Blues for an amazing breakfast.
Optional Day 4: Frida Kahlo Museum & Coyoacán Neighborhood
If you’re not visiting Teotihuacan on Day 2 or have an extra day in Mexico City, head to the Coyoacán!
The Coyoacán is about a 30 to 45 minute drive south of the historic district (depending on traffic), which is why it makes sense to dedicate a day to seeing the Frida Kahlo Museum and other sights here.
It just adds too much drive time, in my opinion, to fit in a visit to the museum here on a day where you’ll be visiting sights in the historic district or the Anthropology museum.
We spent our first three days in Mexico City following the itinerary above, then visited San Miguel de Allende for four nights, and spent our last day before flying home from Mexico City in the Coyoacán, which worked well.
Frida Kahlo Museum
Frida Kahlo is celebrated the world over as a standard bearer for courage in the face of adversity, her love of indigenous Mexican culture, and is basically one of the most inspiring feminists ever.
And her famous art reflects all of this with vivid color, raw personal subject matter, and brave determination.
She suffered from polio as a child, only to nearly die in a bus accident as a teenager. In fact, she had 30 operations over her lifetime.
And yet, she completed more than 200 paintings and sketches—often depicting her physical and emotional pain—including many self-portraits from her wheelchair and bed.
She’s also well-known for her tumultuous long-term relationship with the famous artist Diego River. What a power couple.
For many years, they were married and lived together in the Blue House (“Casa Azul”), which today serves as the Frida Kahlo Museum.
The museum is small but the experience is poignant.
It will only take an hour or two of your time to tour it but you absolutely must reserve advance tickets as there are no in-person tickets available for purchase. The museum is closed Mondays.
If you’re already in Mexico City and didn’t reserve tickets ahead of time, you can also get them here last minute (for a surcharge; buying direct ahead of time from the museum site is cheaper).
Mercado de Coyoacán
Walking the Coyoacán is a great way to spend a few hours before or after your visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum. It has a very different feel than, say, the Condesa, Roma, or upscale Polanco areas of Mexico City.
It’s a traditional, old-fashioned neighborhood with shaded streets, great eateries, and an artisan influence. There are far fewer tourists here (except for at the Frida Kahlo Museum!)
And just a 10 minute walk from the museum is the fabulous Mercado de Coyoacán.
If you’ve never been to one of Mexico’s open markets, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss.
There’s more than a dozen mercados like this throughout the city—we picked up some dried chilis and mole spices as gifts in Mercado Medellin in Condesa—but this is the one famous for the best tostadas in Mexico City!
It’s a city block long and filled with fruits, vegetables, ice cream and more.
But what you’re after here is tostadas! Head directly to the huge yellow and orange sign for “Tostadas Coyoacan” at the very center of the market.
You’ll choose from dozens of tostadas assembled for you hot and fresh in minutes. The agua frescas here are also delicious. And the servers here seem to speak English for an added bonus.
Just don’t be taken in by the other yellow and orange signs for similar tostadas next to Tostadas Coyoacan. These imitations are not the real thing. You’re looking for Tostadas Coyoacan!
Your 3 Days in Mexico City are a Wrap
From street tacos to five star restaurants…from ancient Aztec history to world-class museums, Mexico City is a unique and unforgettable city to experience.
And three days here just scratches the surface. I found everyone I encountered warm and welcoming and look forward to returning again and again. I hope you will too!
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