MEXICO CITY
LANGUAGE
| spanish
CURRENCY
| mexican peso
CAPITAL
| mexico city
The high-altitude, densely populated capital of Mexico, Mexico City is home to colorful colonial and baroque architecture, inviting museums, and inventive cuisine. Visit the former home of Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera or take a spin through history on the Templo Mayor of Teotihuacan.
POPULATION
| 8.85 mil
INSIDER TIP
UBER (the ride sharing app) is referenced several times in this post. I have found that UBER is the cheapest, most comfortable, and safest transportation option in Mexico City. UBER fares in Mexico City are substantially cheaper than similar distances in other cities worldwide. Drivers are extremely courteous and even open the door for you.
Get a free ride with this link.
WHAT TO PACK
WHERE TO STAY
LUXURY
Las Alcobas
MID RANGE
Hotel Villa Condesa
BUDGET
AirBnB
LUXURY
The Four Seasons
MID RANGE
Zocalo Central
BUDGET
Room Mate Valentina
WHAT TO EAT
DINNER
Quintonil
LUNCH
El Pescadito
SNACK
Churreria El Moro
LUNCH / DINNER
Rosetta
LUNCH
Contramar
COFFEE / SNACK
Panaderia Rosetta
WHAT TO DO
MUSEUM
Frida Kahlo Museum
CULTURE
El Zocalo
SHOP
La Ciudadela
CULTURE
Teotihuacan
PARK
Chapultepec
MUSEUM
Museo Soumaya
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
DAY ONE
Welcome to CDMX! Drop your luggage, grab a snack and uber over to Museo Frida Kahlo. If you book your tickets online you can avoid the long lines.
Getting hungry? Head over to the Roma neighborhood and stop by Contramar for a delicious seafood based lunch by chef Gabriela Camara. Sip on a margarita, nibble on raw-tuna tostadas, and enjoy some quality people watching.
Work off your lunch by strolling the neighborhood and getting your fill of charming colonial architecture. After lunch, catch an uber or take the metro to the Zocalo or main plaza of Mexico City, formerly the ceremonial center of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. The Zocalo is bordered by the Catedral Metropolitana, the National Palace, and Federal District Buildings.
Check out the cathedral and peruse the lively streets surrounding el zocalo. When you're ready for an afternoon pick me up, stop at Churreria El Moro in el Centro for tasty churros, cajeta (caramel), and leche condensada (sweetened condensed milk). Once recharged, get your artesanal shopping fix done at the expansive Ciudadela market.Enjoy aisles and aisles of Mexican textiles, pottery, ceramics, silver, leather goods, and more.
Head back to your hotel and recharge for a bit before dinner. Make sure you have a reservation, but head to Quintonil around 8pm, ranked number 12 in the world in 2016 (still surprisingly affordable). Do yourself a favor and order the tasting menu.
DAY TWO
After breakfast, head via bus or uber to the Terminal Central del Norte bus station. Walk to the far left of the station and purchase a roundtrip bus ticket to Teotihuacan. Board the bus at the slot indicated on your ticket. Sit back and enjoy the 45 min ride to Teotihuacan aka The City of the Gods.
The bus will drop you at Gate #3. Right at the entrance to the parking lot purchase your ticket for the site. Head in and take your time exploring the various temples and climbing to the top of the Templo Mayor.
To return to the city, catch the bus at the same point it dropped you off at Gate #3 (just on the opposite side of the street this time). Head to the Condesa neighborhood because it's Taco Time. Get in line at El Pescadito and get prepared for some delicious seafood tacos at ridiculously cheap prices (30 pesos/taco = roughly $1.75).
Next stop is the lauded architectural wonder, El Museo Soumaya for a quick look at some European art. Peruse the galleries and take a look at the complex 28 curved steel coumns supporting the rotated rhomboid shape of the museum.
The above image was pulled from ArchDaily
Rest for a bit. Tonight dinner is at Rosetta, chef-owner Elena Reygada's Italian/Mexican restaurant with a focus on fresh, seasonal flavors (You can make a reservation online). The restaurant is housed in a grand Colonia Roma townhouse designed by the Chef's architect husband.
If you still have energy, walk over to La Clandestina, a small divey bar with lots of character, serving up every kind of mezcal you could dream of. Follow the mezcal lovers motto: "Para todo mal, mezcal. Para todo bien, tambien. Y si no tiene remedio, tómate litro y medio." (For everything bad, mezcal. For everything good, the same. And if that doesn't help, drink a liter and a half.)
DAY THREE
Our first stop this morning is back at Rosetta. No not the restaurant but the Panadería.Grab a seat at the bar and order a cappucino and take your pick from the wealth of pastries, breads, and small sandwiches available.
Now off to Chapultepec, commonly referred to as "Bosque de Chapultepec," the largest city park in the Western Hemisphere. Spend some time walking the park, checking out the craft fairs, or stopping in a museum or the zoo if you're up for it. When you're ready for a view, follow the path up to Chapultepec Castle, built in the colonial era and now home to the National Museum of History.
Finish the day off with a casual, late lunch at Azul Condesa. Don't worry, you can order the guacamole with or without the grasshoppers. After lunch, take one last stroll before heading to your hotel to collect your bags and uber to the airport.
