Vibrant, colourful and diverse are appropriate descriptors for the largest city in North America. Yes, Mexico City is a big city - with 20 million whopping inhabitants!

From history, art and culture, to Mexico City's main attractions, to soaking up the different neighbourhoods, parks and markets, to it's street food and nightlife - there's a lot to explore!

Keep reading to see our Mexico City 3-day itinerary and daily breakdown with travel recommendations, it includes a day trip to the City of Gods, the iconic Teotihuacan pyramids.

Mexico City was the first stop on our 3-week trip around Mexico. It was also our first time visiting Mexico and we were eager to begin our trip by exploring the capital. For more info about our grand Mexican adventure, click here. 

In Mexico City, we learnt it's not just at the pyramids where you can dive into Mexican history and culture. Mexico City itself has plenty of interesting museums, churches and cultural hotspots. Our highlights were visiting the Frida Kahlo museum Casa Azul and the Anthropology museum, as well as the historical monuments and Aztec ruins found in the historic centre.

We also recommend checking out the vibrant local markets and the atmosphere in colourful neighbourhoods like Coyoacán, Roma and Condesa. In addition, another Mexico City must-see is the Bosque de Chapultepec, the Mexican equivalent of Central Park.

And let's not forget the food - Mexico City is a foodie's paradise! With countless food markets to eat your way around and food vendors on every corner, I promise you will not go hungry. And then there's the endless range of restaurants to choose from. The flavour profile of Mexico City is exciting, delicious and infinite. You will remember this place for its tastes alone.

Mexico City 3-Day Itinerary

Day 1. Explore the main attractions around the city centre: 

• Bosque de Chapultepec
• Anthropology museum
• Lunch in the trendy food hall Barrio Alameda
• City centre & the Historic centre
• Barrio Chino 
• Museo de Bellas Artes
• Templo Mayor
• Zócalo plaza
• Metropolitan Cathedral

Day 2. A day trip to the Teotihuacan pyramids, which also includes important historical and cultural spots - oh and tequila!:

• Tlatelolco & the Plaza de las Tres Culturas
• Tequila tasting
• Teotihuacan (Pyramids)
• Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

And at night, head to the lively neighbourhood of Roma, starting with dinner at the trendy gourmet food market Mercadoroma, and then choose from the many clubs and bars to dance the night away.

Day 3. Soak up the art & culture as well as the local atmosphere in the different neighbourhoods 

• Frida Kahlo museum Casa Azul
• In Coyoacán grab lunch & check out the markets and squares 
• Sumaya Museum
• Walk through the upmarket Polanco neighbourhood
• Dinner in the hip Condesa neighbourhood

Travelling to Mexico City & Getting around

It's good to know, Mexican immigration did not ask for any COVID vaccinations and masks were not mandatory on the flights. However, we had to fill in an immigration form with basic information. 

There is Uber in Mexico City but we jumped into an airport taxi as we found many were available just as you exit the airport. The taxi took about 20 minutes to arrive in the city centre, and it cost around 350 MXN pesos (approx £15). 

Explore the main attractions around the city centre

Perhaps you are like me, and enjoy your first day in a new destination to be an exploratory one? Yes, we like to mostly walk around to get our bearings and soak up the new environment. 

Breakfast in Anzures

We started the day with a traditional breakfast at Otro Cafe in the Anzures neighbourhood. The area has lovely shady trees and cute Cafés.

Otro Cafe offers great coffee, fresh juices and a generous range of breakfast and brunch options. I had the Huevos Rancheros - quesadillas with ranchero sauce, eggs, beans, cilantro and cotija cheese.

Bosque de Chapultepec

I highly recommend going for a walk through Bosque de Chapultepec, which translates to Grasshopper Park. It's a majestic park with beautiful trees and flowers, as well as art monuments, museums, fountains, lakes, different park areas, and even a castle! We also noticed many cheeky cats who have made the park their home.

There are many entrances to enter the park as well as walking routes. The park is very big - 1,695 acres! - so plan to spend at least an hour or two strolling around. 

Inside the park, there are also many food vendors and market stalls which are great to grab a snack or a drink.

Anthropology museum

We accidentally stumbled upon the Anthropology museum when looking at the map around the Bosque de Chapultepec, and decided to check it out. And we were so happy we did, it ended up being a top highlight from our time in Mexico City!

The Anthropology museum building is grand and has different rooms dedicated to the ancient history of Mexico, such as the Aztecs, Mayans and indigenous communities. The displays of art, archaeological and anthropological artefacts from Mexico's Pre-Columbian heritage are extensive and impressive.

I especially enjoyed the garden areas with ancient ruins and temples. You forget for a minute that you are in the middle of modern Mexico City. Being there transports you back in time, to another world.

Yes, the museum is a must-visit and we are so happy we came across it.

Lunch in Barrio Alameda

Under a Mexican friend's recommendation, we had lunch at Barrio Alameda. It's one of Mexico City's trendiest food halls, with independent shops and boutiques. Check out their Instagram page here.

Barrio Alameda is right in the heart of the city centre, we arrived there by taking a taxi from the Anthropology museum.

We sat on the terrace, ordering a lunch menu and cold beer. We enjoyed people-watching and the stream of street musicians kept us entertained. Barrio Alameda indeed has a nice atmosphere with mostly locals on their lunch break eating around us. I bet at night time it’s a lot of fun too.

I ordered the Chicken Flautas con Mole, a classic Mexican dish every foodie should try. They use long and thin fried tacos, stuffed with juicy chicken and bathed in mole, a sauce made with a blend of dried chiles, spices, seeds, and a delicious touch of Mexican chocolate.

The historic centre and the city centre

I loved just walking around the streets in the centre and popping into the many different shops. 

When in the historic centre make sure to go check out the Templo Mayor, they are Aztec ruins and a well-preserved Aztec pyramid (although not complete). It was the main temple of the Mexica people in their capital city of Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. The excavation is very impressive and worth seeing!

Barrio Chino (China Town) is downtown too, near the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The neighbourhood is small but fun to check out, it's located on two blocks of Dolores Street and consists of several restaurants and businesses. 

Museo de Bellas Artes

The Museo de Bellas Artes is the main fine arts museum in Mexico City. Unfortunately, we couldn't go in as it was closing when we arrived, at 5 pm. However, it’s an impressive building to even just walk by and take photos.

After a long day, we stayed in that night and ordered Uber eats. I must confess, eating Tacos Negros de Pastor in bed was an ideal way to end a day. Uber eats is a good hack for when you are jet-lagged!

Visit the Teotihuacan pyramids

 

If you're visiting Mexico City, then planning a visit to the City of Gods, the iconic Teotihuacan pyramids is a must. But how do you go about it? The easiest answer is to book a day tour. Read how to here. 

 

The archaeological site is extremely impressive. It’s hard to imagine how much more impressive it must have been in its full glory when most of the pyramids were red and decorated intricately. 

Did you know Teotihuacan was one of the largest cities in the ancient world, with over 150,000 inhabitants at its peak? Wow, it's mind blowing when you think about it.

Experience Mexico City's nightlife

Roma is the place to be

Back in Mexico City, and a 3-hour nap later, we were ready to hit the town. In all honesty, we were very much dazed, confused and jet-lagged. It might have been 10 pm in Mexico but it was 4 am British time, and we felt it. But it was our chance to see what Saturday night looked like in Mexico City. I forcefully got Danny out of bed and off we went into the night.

We took a quick Uber ride to the area of Roma. The neighbourhood very much seems to be the place to be on a Saturday night. It boasts a selection of fun bars and clubs, which must be checked out if you want a true insight into Mexico City's nightlife.

We started the night at the trendy gourmet food market: Mercado Roma. By nearly 11 pm most food stands were closing for the night, but up on the rooftop area, there's a fun bar which serves late-night food. It had a DJ and a great atmosphere. 

I felt right in my element, singing reggeaton loudly while eating tacos and sipping on mezcal - heaven right?

After dinner, we danced the night away at Mama Rumba, a super fun and busy Cuban bar. They had amazing live Salsa bands performing on a big stage.  

Visit Casa Azul & walk around Coyoacán

"The highest temperature Mexico City gets to is 35 Celsius degrees. And today it’s scheduled to get up to 36C. I kid you not, today might be the hottest day in history." Diary entry Sunday, June 5th 2022

On day 3 we awoke sleepy, hungover, hot, and grouchy. But excited. We were off to the Frida Kahlo museum Casa Azul. 

The Frida Khalo Museum - Casa Azul 

Visiting Frida’s house was a great experience, where we got to get an intimate look into Frida's life. Surprisingly, the house is relatively small and an hour is enough for your visit - I did imagine it to be a longer visit. I was also surprised Frida’s bedroom was petite and with just a single bed.

It felt very special to be able to be in such an intimate place for the artist. It is easy to imagine Frida having her coffee while journaling in the garden, making tea in the kitchen or chatting (or arguing) with Diego in his bedroom.

Coyoacán

The unexpected highlight of the day was exploring the neighbourhood around Casa Azul, Coyoacán. It’s a fabulous area of Mexico City known for its cobbled streets, art galleries, colourful buildings and artisan markets. 

A must is visiting the Mercado de Coyoacan, just a few blocks from the Frida Kahlo Museum. It’s a mix between a local market and a tourist market with tightly-packed alleyways of local goods as well as many food vendors and sit-down restaurants. 

We saw many locals grabbing lunch on plastic stools, endless food stands, fruit, toys, colourful textiles, different spices and smells, and piñatas hanging from the ceiling. It's a fantastic sensory overload.

When we visited Coyoacán It was market day, which meant the market extended out to the streets and up to the plazas. I recommend going there when the market is on, it was so much fun seeing all the different stands, and the atmosphere was buzzing.

We did not see many foreigners and most people seemed like locals who came out to enjoy their Sunday with their families. 

We wandered to Plaza Hidalgo, a big shady square with tall trees, more food vendors, bars, and restaurants. We plotted ourselves at the local corner bar for the next hours to people-watch, and drink beers, classmates, micheladas, and margaritas.

We got the impression Plaza Hidalgo is where the locals come to hang out and watch live shows from comedians and musicians. 

There are many colourful houses and street art to be found while wandering Coyoacan. Take the side streets and you’re bound to find some impressive murals dotted around.

Lunch in Coyoacán

With so many museums, parks, plazas, churches and mercados to see, you will work up an appetite while visiting Coyoacan Mexico! We spotted a restaurant just down the road from Casa Azul and sat down on wooden chairs in the shady side street. They brought chips, bean dip, and sauces.

I ordered Cochinita Pibil tacos, a traditional Yucatec Mayan slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatán Peninsula. They were lovely and went down well with a michelada - a good hangover cure!

I mistakenly dipped my chip into the salsa dip, just to quickly find out with tears rolling down my cheeks, that the dip was a hot - and the hottest - sauce. Lesson learnt the hard (hot) way: fact-check what is dip and what is hot sauce before dipping.

Sumaya Museum, Polanco & Condesa

We took an Uber from Coyoacán to the Sumaya Museum, unfortunately arriving just as it was closing. However, the museum is worth checking out just for its architecture alone. It has become an iconic symbol of Mexico City and a real catalyst for urban and community regeneration.

From the museum we walked to Polanco, a neighbourhood we had heard was the Beverly Hills of Mexico City. 

In Polanco, the houses were grand, gated, and modern, and the streets were clean and European looking. The shopping malls hosted high-end brands like Channel and Louis Vuitton.

It was fascinating, and also quite surreal, to see the contrast of neighbourhoods and lifestyles inside Mexico City. For instance, comparing Polanco to the areas we drove by when heading to the pyramids, clearly shows the divide between the poor and rich is a big, big gap.

Dinner in Condesa

Named one of the best neighbourhoods in Mexico City, Condesa is another area. It has many bars, restaurants, parks and trees, creating a great vibe. 

When I return to Mexico City, I would like to stay there as the atmosphere is safe and lively.

We tried an Argentinian steak house with enjoyable red wine. A relaxed ending to our time in Mexico City.

Bedtime was an early one as the next day we were off to Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca, on the Pacific Coast. It was time for the next stage of our Mexican Adventure. Click here to read 5 musts when visiting Puerto Escondido.

Money roundup

So how much did we spend for 4 nights and 3 days in Mexico City? This is the approx total spend for two people:

• Hotel: £302
• Pyramids Tour: £70
• Frida museum: £22
• Anthropology museum: £6
• Food, transport and daily spending: £300

= £700

This means we spent around £350 (8057.09 MXN) each for four nights in Mexico City.

I'm sure you could do it cheaper, or more expensive. We choose a mid-range hotel and ate out three times a day, but at relatively fair-priced places. We also Ubered and mostly took taxis to get around.

It’s also good to know that tipping is commonplace in Mexico and tipping 10% at least is normal for every service.

Travel information ✈️

3-week Itinerary

We travelled around Mexico for nearly 3 weeks. We divided the trip into 4 parts, with 4 nights in each location, to explore the different sides of the country:

1. Mexico City (Central Zone)
2. Puerto Escondido (Pacific coast)
3. Chiapas - San Cristobal de las Casas (Central South)
4. Tulum (Caribbean coast)

How to get to Mexico - International flights

We booked our flights to Mexico from Europe in February 2022 to fly on the 2^nd of June 2022, so we didn’t book too far in advance.

I flew with British Airways, directly from Heathrow to Mexico City, and on the way back I flew directly from Cancun to Heathrow. The flights were about 10 hours each way, and in total were around £900.

My partner Danny flew directly from Amsterdam to Mexico City. On the way, he had a layover in Mexico City from Cancun, and then he flew back to Amsterdam from Mexico City. His flights were around £800 in total.

Transport inside Mexico

Taxis: Uber is in Mexico City and it's a cheaper and safe way to travel. 

Flights: Internal flights are cheap and a good way to travel around Mexico as the country is very big. We used Skyscanner to find the flights and then booked them on the airlines' websites, such as Volaris or Aerobus. 

Accommodation in Mexico City

We booked all our hotels through Booking.com, using our phones and taking advantage of the lower "mobile prices" - it's a great traveller's tip to try out!

In Mexico City, we stayed at the hotel Ayenda Anzures House. The hotel's an impressive-looking large colonial-style house in the neighbourhood of Anzures, close to trendy neighbourhoods like Roma and Polanco as well as close to the centre and the main park, Bosque de Chapultepec.

We had a large room and a bathroom with a giant bathtub and our balcony, which was my favourite feature. The hotel felt very safe with 24/7 reception.

The receptionist told us the house had belonged to a past Mexican president, it felt like we were staying in an important place in history. However, we found the shower leaked and there were a few small details which showed the true age of the building. But overall it was a comfortable, cute, and convenient stay.

Total price for 4 nights for 2 people: MXN 6,992.90. Approx £303. 

Address: Shakespeare 142, Mexico City, 11590, Mexico. Phone: +52 5576568654

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