4 Day itinerary in Mexico City
I think you should spend at least 4 days in Mexico City, but if you can, aim for a week! Here is a super compact itinerary where I am listing all the main attractions and activities. I think it is impossible to see it all in such a short time, so try to choose what you prefer to see and adjust it to your taste.
You can change the order of the days you do them, extended them or try to merge them, depending on how much time you have available
I recommend staying in Roma Neighbourhood, So you can explore Condesa and Roma in the evenings and nights
Day 1 – Historic city centre
Avoid this on Mondays, as museums are close
- Monumento a la Revolución ★
- Museo Mural Diego Rivera ★★★
- Museo de Arte Popular ★★
- Alameda Central ★
- Palacio de Bellas Artes ★★★
- Palacio Postal ★★
- Walk on Tacuba street
- Museo Nacional de Arte
- Eat at Cafe Tacuba
- Stop for a drink at La Opera (just a drink, food is not good. See the bullets from the revolution)
- Museo del Perfume
- Walk República de brasil
- Plaza de Santo Domingo
- Escuela Nacional de Medicina
- Walk back to Justo Sierra
- Colegio de San Ildefonso ★★★
- Walk to del Carmen, then Moneda and get into Lic Verdad
- X Teresa ★★★
- Walk back to Moneda towards the Zocalo
- Templo Mayor ★★★
- Walk behind the Cathedral and get into the house of Spain
- Templo de Ehecatl ★★★
- Cathedral★★★
- Zocalo ★★★
- Palacio Nacional ★★★
- Get into the “Gran Hotel Ciudad de México” and go to the rooftop bar
- Walk back to Madero and head back towards Bellas Artes
- Palacio de Cultura Citibanamex
- Casa de los Azulejos ★★ (have a look at the restaurant)
- Get into “Torre Latinoamericana” and go to the rooftop restaurant for a snack and drink, ideally see the sunset there ★★
- Walk or take the bus to Plaza Garibaldi (mariachi plaza)
- Salon Tenampa (Traditional Mariachi cantina)★★
- Or head to see some Luchas at “Arena Mexico” (on Fridays)
Day 2 – Polanco and Chapultepec
Avoid this on Mondays, as museums are close
- Museo Jumex (Contemporary Art )★★★
- Museo Soumaya ★
- Stroll around Polanco towards Chapultepec
- Museo de Antropología ★★★
- Walk in Chapultepec Park
- Tamayo Museum ★★
- Modern Art Museum★★★
- Chapultepec Castle ★★★
- End with a drink and food at “Cantina El Mirador”
Day 3 – South boroughs
Ideally on Saturday! Best way to move from palace to place is by Uber
- Morning head to Xochimilco “Trajineras”
- You can bring your food and drinks or get them there
- I recommend “Embarcadero Cuemanco”
- Get a tour that includes visiting “Isla de las muñecas” ★★★
- Nice to see also Ajolotes
- UNAM
- Museo Universitario Arte Contemporaneo ★★
- Walk on the “Espacio Escultórico”★★★
- Jardin Botanico UNAM (you might need an uber or check the University Bus “Pumabus” or take the Metrobus)
- Walk the main Campus – Library, Rectoria and Olympic Stadium ( You can take the metrobus one stop from CCU to Ciudad Universitaria)★★
- San Angel
- If Saturday visit “Bazar de Sabado” in Plaza San Jacinto ★★★
- Museo Estudio Diego River y Frida Kahlo – Walk or take uber ★★
- Coyoacan
- Frida Khalo house museum ★★★ (book before you go)
- Museo Casa Leon Trostsky ★
- Walk in the main square (Jardin Centenario)
- Finish with a drink and dinner in any of the many restaurants
Day 4 – Teotihuacan
- Day trip to Teotihuacan (hire a tour our take an uber)★★★
- Try to eat at “La gruta“
- On the way back stop at Basilica de Guadalupe
- End the day having drinks and dinner at Roma or Condesa
Map with all the above attritions
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/embed?mid=1N987fjUK6rChQ27wtOFObAnNK8I&ehbc=2E312F
Mexico City – where to stay
Condesa and Roma. The fist point is where to stay. If you are there for only a few days I will recommend Condesa or Roma . Both are neighbourhoods with many restaurants, bar, galleries and shops. It is nice to go out there for dinner and it is very easy to get around.
Condesa ir a bit more “fancy” and Roma a bit more “Hipster”. I prefer Roma and it is cheaper! Stay east of Avenida Cuauhtémoc, as to the west is a very traditional working class neighbourhood, that is gentrifying, but I do not recommend it.
If you are staying longer, you can go a bit north and south of Condesa and Roma. I recommend staying close to Avenida Insurgentes, as it has a “Metro bus” a kind of guided bus that is efficient, but can get crowded. The souther you go is an “upper middle class” area and the north a “working class” areas
Other options:
City Centre. I do not recommend it, as there is not much going there in the evenings, except in weekends. If you are in Mexico City for just a few days and rather explore the sites than going out in the evening and you like historic sites and museums, then it is a good option.
Polanco. This is a “fancy” neighbourhood, If you want to go out shopping top brands and eat in sophisticated places, then this is the place to be. It is close to Chapultepec, a big park with the main museums.
Coyoacan. This was a traditional town that is now within the city. Artists, politicians, bohemians, academics and such like from the 30’s till 70’s lived here, and some still do. It has a very “hippie” vibe and is less fancy than Condesa and Roma, with less options to go out, but still a nice place to explore. You will fin Frida Khalos’s and Trostky’s house her.
List of attractions and places to eat in Mexico City
There are a lot of options in Mexico City. This lists highlights the main attractions by theme
Map of traditional Cantinas
| Museums |
| Contemporary Art Tamayo museum Xteresa Diego river house Museo Jumex UNAM -MUAC University Museum Contemporary Art Modern Art Museo Frida Kahlo Modern art museum Diego Rivera Estudio -Anahuacalli Diego Rivera’s and Frida Kahlo’s Studio UNAM -Espacio Escultórico Diego Rivera Mural Museum History Museo Antropología Bellas artes – Murals Chapultepec castle Templo Mayor San Idelfonso – Murals Palacio Nacional-Murals |
| Attractions and Neighbourhoods |
| Traditional stuff Luchas -Arena México Mariachis -Garibaldi Punts – Xochimilco Basilica de Guadalupe Areas to explore Condesa Roma National University -UNAM San Ángel Coyoacán Crafts Markets Bazar del Sabado Ciudadela |
| Food |
| Cantinas – This are the traditional bars, you eat great Mexican food in a unique atmosphere. (see map below) Cantinas Centro Historico All items La Unica de Motolinia Bar Gante Bar Mancera MATA Comedor Cantina Salón Tenampa La Opera La Faena El Gallo de Oro Cantina La Peninsular Cantina Salón España Cantina “Tio Pepe” Restaurante Danubio Cantinas Sur All items La Coyoacana Cantina la Jalisciense La Tlalpeña La Bipo Frontón 1946 cantina El Hijo del Cuervo La Cervecería de Barrio Corazón de Maguey La Jacinta La Invencible El Gallo De Oro Cantinas CDMX All items El Mirador de Chapultepec Cantina Salón Ríos El Leon de Oro Covadonga Restaurante Bar Montejo La Riviera del Sur La Polar Pulquerias All items LA NUCLEAR Pulquería Las Duelistas Pulquería La Hija De Los Apaches Pulqueria los Insurgentes La Paloma Azul Pulquería La Antigua Roma Food Markets Mercado San Juan Coyoacan Market Mercado Parián Condesa Mercado del Carmen Mercado Roma Floreria Mercado Jamaica Medellín Market |
Map with Cantinas, Pulquerias and Markets
More Food
Restaurants
There are hundreds of good restaurants in Mexico City, check the cantinas on the map above and here is a selection of places that I like to visit:
Mercado Roma – Modern and hipster market of good food. has branches of very traditional and famous restaurants as well as new and fusion food.
El Cardenal – I have only eaten there from breakfast, the queues on weekends can take more than an hour. There are several branches
Cafe Tacuba – Traditional Mexican restaurant Azul – Very nice building in the historic city centre. Good modern version of traditional food
Danubio – Great seafood, a mix of Spanish and Mexican.
San Angel in – An old “hacienda” house, a combination of French/international and Mexican. The place is nice, but a bit fancy
Los Arcos – a chain of seafood from Mazatlán. I like it a lot. There are many branches
Azul – Very nice building in the historic city centre. Good modern version of traditional food
TACOS:
el borrego viudo – Super spicy food, is busier late in the night after a night out
Tizoncito – Is a chain there are all around the city. They are always a good option
El califa –
El chupacabras –
El hidalguense- I have never been, but heard is very good “barbacoa”. Here is a list of recommended places. I buy it from a street stall outside my parents house, hence I don’t usually go to there.
https://www.chilango.com/comida/mejor-barbacoa-cdmx/
Churros
El moro – there are many branches around the city