Mexico City Itinerary
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Mexico City is the most populous city in North America and provides a seemingly endless amount of world-class attractions.
4 Day Mexico City Itinerary: (Jump To)
About Mexico City
Mexico City is the most populous city in North America. The capital city is located in the high plateau region in the center of the country. The high elevation creates a temperate climate with a consistent daily high temperature in the mid to upper 70s F (low 20s C).
Is Mexico City Safe?
It’s an absolute tragedy that many Americans have the preconception that Mexico is dangerous. There was not a single moment through all of Mexico City, including walking at night where I felt even slightly uncomfortable.
A relatively inexpensive flight from Los Angeles connecting in Dallas landed us in Mexico City around 5 pm. Uber is widely available and very affordable throughout the city. We Ubered to Hotel Suites Amberes where we were staying for our long weekend trip.
Explore the Beverly Hills of Mexico City
After settling in, we headed to the Polanco neighborhood for dinner. The area is one of the most affluent in the city with high-end shopping and fancy restaurants. It’s often referred to as the Beverly Hills of Mexico. The streets are well maintained with trees dwarfed by tall steel and glass buildings.
We decided on dinner at La Casa de Toño, mostly because it sounded like it might be Spanish for Tony’s House, but also because it was on a list of recommendations from Bon Appétit magazine. The restaurant is a small local chain with near-perfect locally-inspired food at very cheap prices.
After dinner, we walked to the Soumaya Museum, home to an enormous collection of European art. The museum was closed when we arrived, but the curved modern building lit with purple light is an architectural star of the city. Behind the museum is Plaza Carso a modern mall worthy of a short visit.
Visit The Best Theme Park in Mexico City
The next morning we took an Uber to the outskirts of the city to visit Six Flags Mexico. We easily enjoyed everything in the park that we wanted to in just a few hours. (Full park review).
Tour a Rare North American Castle
Returning to the city we set our sights on the Chapultepec Castle. Located on a high point in Chapultepec Park the hilltop palace was built in the late 18th century. Originally a home for Spanish colonialists, through the centuries it served many purposes before arriving at its current state as a museum.
Officially the Museo Nacional de Historia, the collection inside the castle (aside from some impressive murals), is less exciting than the chance to tour the only castle in North America that was an actual home to royals. The hilltop view of the city from the checkered castle patio is not to be missed.
Visit One of Mexico City’s Best Museums
Down the hill and across the park is the world-renowned Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology). Some of the most famous and important pieces from Precolumbian America are on display. Huge reconstructed temples can be viewed in the outdoor parts of the museum. Inside you’ll find impressive pieces like Moctezuma II’s feather headdress and the original Aztec sunstone.
We returned to our hotel and regrouped. Before sunset, we took a quick walk to see the Angel of Independence. The 100-year-old column is at the center of a busy traffic circle. It was built to commemorate the war for Mexican independence. It stands as an iconic landmark of the city.
What To Do at Night in Mexico City
Our hotel was situated perfectly in the Zona Rosa neighborhood. The area is home to LGBTQ+ nightlife including clubs and bars. The bars became lively early and were packed by 11 pm. Drinks were inexpensive and the locals and other travelers in the bar were open and friendly.
Day Trip to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
The next morning took us to the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco for a boat ride on an ancient system of canals south of the city center. (read all about it here).
Where To Shop in Mexico City
The afternoon was spent in Coyoacán, the city’s historic center. Plaza Hidalgo was our home base. The square and park are filled with local families enjoying the weekend, tourists, and street musicians.
Adjacent to the square is one of the oldest churches in Mexico, Parroquia San Juan Bautista, built in 1520. For lunch, we found a large open-plan food market where we perused stacks of produce before deciding on a vendor on the outskirts of the market for some street tacos.
We next visited the giant craft market, Mercado Artesanal Mexicano. Inside locals have tiny booths selling crafts, clothing, and other wares. This is the place to pick up a local souvenir at an affordable price. Haggling is expected. It’s easy to get lost in the experience while navigating the narrow walkways.
Explore the Roma Neighborhood in Mexico City
For dinner, we picked a Spanish restaurant in the neighborhood made famous by the 2018 Alfonso Cuarón masterpiece film, Roma. We absolutely fell in love with the neighborhood as we walked through the lush green plazas and past the beautiful homes. Unsurprisingly the city has classified the area as Barrio Mágico (magical neighborhood). When we reached the restaurant, we discovered it was unexpectedly closed that evening.
On the way to the restaurant, we walked by Cabrera 7, a bar and grill with outdoor seating on a plaza. It was an easy choice to return there for dinner. I enjoyed a magnificent mole on our street-side table. The interior of the restaurant was decorated with Day of the Dead calaca skeletons with an attitude.
Day Trip To the Pyramids at Teotihuacan
Our last full day in Mexico City started with a morning trip to Teotihuacan, home to some of the largest Mesoamerican pyramid ruins in the world (read about the day trip here).
Explore the Plaza de la Constitucio in Mexico City
In the afternoon we explored the area around Zócalo and the Plaza de la Constitucion. The main central square of the city is home to the National Palace where much of the Mexican government is headquartered.
The Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral shares the square. The grand church was built in parts over 250 years. The interior of the church is free to enter. Inside are numerous majestic altarpieces and priceless religious art.
In the late 1970s, an effort to excavate the ruins of the 14th-century Templo Mayor escalated when construction workers found an 8.5-ton monolith with an embossed depiction of a figure from Aztec religion. By the end of the excavation, 13 buildings were demolished revealing an impressive ancient temple ruin. Located right next to the cathedral, the ruins can be toured as part of the Templo Mayor Museum.
We spent the evening shopping in the neighborhood around our hotel. A freak and brief downpour conveniently had us seeking shelter in Churrería El Moro, home to chewy Mexican-style churros and chocolate dipping sauce.
Visit a Giant Flea Market
The next morning, After checking out of our hotel, we stowed our luggage and Ubered to Mercado Sonora. This was on all the must-see lists I read before visiting, so I was very excited we were able to make time to visit. It is another enormous sprawling market filled, this time, with mostly junk. It reminded me of a disorganized Party City. I’m not sure what I missed, but the Mercado Artesanal Mexicano from the day before was about a million times more interesting and worthwhile.
Go To the Top of One of Mexico’s First Skyscrapers
We had just enough time to make a final stop at the Torre Latinoamericana, a skyscraper in Zócalo. It is one of the first skyscrapers in Mexico and the very first built in an earthquake-prone zone anywhere in the world. The top of the tower has an observation deck with great views of the city.
Right around the corner is the Palacio de Correos de México, the main post office of Mexico City. Known for its lavish interior, We made our way there and quickly explored the lobby as we waited for our Uber driver to take us to the airport for our late afternoon flight back to Los Angeles.
If you’d like to consider another Mexican destination, we recommend Puerto Vallarta!
Things To See in Mexico City:
Polanco neighborhood
Soumaya Museum
Six Flags Mexico
Chapultepec Castle
Museo Nacional de Historia
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Angel of Independence
Zona Rosa neighborhood
Floating Gardens of Xochimilco
Coyoacán
Parroquia San Juan Bautista
Mercado Artesanal Mexicano
Roma Neighborhood
Cabrera 7 (bar and grill)
Teotihuacan
Zócalo
Plaza de la Constitucion
Templo Mayor Museum
Churrería El Moro
Mercado Sonora
Torre Latinoamericana
Palacio de Correos de México
