MexicoCity
3
Day Itinerary •
Mexico
Three days in Mexico City give you the full sweep of the most extraordinary capital in the Americas. The Aztec foundations of Tenochtitlan visible beneath the Zocalo, the Diego Rivera murals in the National Palace, the Blue House of Frida Kahlo in Coyoacan, the ancient floating gardens of Xochimilco and the greatest pyramid city in the Americas at Teotihuacan are all within reach of a single base. This route covers the historic centre of Mexico City from the Templo Mayor and Bellas Artes to the extraordinary bohemian neighbourhood of Coyoacan and the pre-Columbian wonders of Teotihuacan. Three days that reveal why Mexico City is one of the finest destinations on earth.
Best Time To Visit
November to April
Getting There
Fly into AICM (MEX), served from all continents
Getting Around
Metro, Uber, local bus to Teotihuacan
Budget Per Day
Approx 45 to 170 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and public transport
DAY 1
CENTRO HISTORICO
MORNING
THE ZOCALO AND THE TEMPLO MAYOR, HEART OF THE AZTEC EMPIRE
The Zocalo is one of the largest public squares in the world, the historic centre of both the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan and modern Mexico City. The Templo Mayor, the great pyramid of the Aztec empire discovered beneath the city in 1978, rises from the ground metres from the cathedral. The extraordinary on-site museum contains the most important Aztec artefacts in the world. Entry approx 85 pesos. Drive/Travel: 10 min walk
MIDDAY
THE PALACIO NACIONAL AND THE DIEGO RIVERA MURALS
The National Palace on the east side of the Zocalo contains Diego Rivera's extraordinary mural cycle depicting the entire history of Mexico from the Aztec empire to the Revolution. Painted between 1929 and 1951, the murals cover 1,200 square metres of wall space and are the finest work of the most important muralist in Latin American history. Entry free. Drive/Travel: 10 min walk
AFTERNOON
PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES AND THE ALAMEDA CENTRAL
The Palacio de Bellas Artes is the finest Art Nouveau and Art Deco building in Latin America, its extraordinary Tiffany glass curtain depicting the Valley of Mexico and its interior containing murals by Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros. The exterior dome of Italian marble and Hungarian tile is extraordinary from the Alameda Central gardens below. Entry to murals approx 90 pesos.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The underground ruins of the Aztec sacred precinct extend far beyond the visible Templo Mayor site. The extraordinary Calle de Argentina excavations two blocks north reveal Aztec temples, skulls and ceramics visible through glass panels set into the pavement of the modern street. The scale of what lies beneath modern Mexico City is astonishing. Entirely free to observe from the street level.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: El Cardenal, Centro The finest traditional Mexican breakfast in the city. Extraordinary tamales and atole. | Lunch: Limosneros, Centro Outstanding modern Mexican cuisine in a 17th-century colonial mansion. Outstanding mole negro. | Dinner: Bar La Opera, Centro Historic 1876 cantina with a bullet hole in the ceiling from Pancho Villa. Outstanding enchiladas.
DAY 2
COYOACAN
MORNING
THE FRIDA KAHLO MUSEUM, THE BLUE HOUSE OF COYOACAN
The Casa Azul in Coyoacan where Frida Kahlo was born, lived and died is the finest artist's house museum in Latin America. The extraordinary cobalt blue building contains her studio, her collections of pre-Columbian art, her corsets and prosthetics, and the most intimate portrait of an artist's life available anywhere in Mexico. Entry approx 270 pesos. Book online weeks ahead. Drive/Travel: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
COYOACAN MARKET AND THE LEON TROTSKY MUSEUM
The Mercado de Coyoacan is the finest neighbourhood market in Mexico City, extraordinary for tostadas, tlayudas and the finest ceviche in the city. The adjacent Casa de Leon Trotsky, where the Russian revolutionary was assassinated with an ice axe in 1940, is the most extraordinary political history museum in Mexico. The bullet-scarred study is extraordinary. Entry approx 45 pesos. Drive/Travel: 30 min by Metro
AFTERNOON
XOCHIMILCO AND THE ANCIENT FLOATING GARDENS OF THE AZTECS
The chinampas of Xochimilco are the last surviving floating gardens of the Aztec agricultural system, a UNESCO World Heritage network of canals and artificial islands in the southern lake district. A trajinera boat through the extraordinary canal system passes flower farms, pre-Columbian plant nurseries and weekend family parties. Boat hire approx 400 pesos per hour.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The island of Isla de las Munecas on the Xochimilco canals is one of the most extraordinary and unsettling places in Mexico City, a chinampa island covered in hundreds of deteriorating dolls hung from trees by their owner Julian Santana Barrera over 50 years as an offering to a drowned girl. Santana himself drowned in the same spot in 2001. Accessible by trajinera from Embarcadero Cuemanco. Approx 500 pesos for the boat.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Tostadas Coyoacan, market The finest tostadas de tinga and de pata in the city at the extraordinary market stalls. | Lunch: Los Danzantes, Coyoacan Outstanding Oaxacan cuisine on the finest plaza in the neighbourhood. Extraordinary mezcal list. | Dinner: El Hijo del Cuervo, Coyoacan The finest mezcal bar in Coyoacan with outstanding botanas and live trova music.
DAY 3
TEOTIHUACAN AND CHAPULTEPEC
MORNING
TEOTIHUACAN, THE GREATEST PYRAMID CITY IN THE AMERICAS
Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas at its peak, covering 83 square kilometres and housing 200,000 people. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third largest pyramid in the world. The Pyramid of the Moon and the extraordinary Avenue of the Dead stretch for 5km through the archaeological zone. Sunrise at the Pyramid of the Sun is extraordinary. Entry approx 90 pesos. Drive/Travel: 1 hour bus back to city
MIDDAY
CHAPULTEPEC CASTLE AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
The Castillo de Chapultepec on its hill above the forest is the only royal castle in North America, residence of Maximilian I and subsequent Mexican presidents. The National Museum of Anthropology below is the finest archaeological museum in the Americas, containing the Aztec Sun Stone, the jade mask of Pakal and extraordinary collections from every major pre-Columbian culture. Entry approx 90 pesos. Drive/Travel: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
ROMA AND CONDESA, THE FINEST NEIGHBOURHOODS IN MEXICO CITY
The tree-lined boulevards of Roma Norte and La Condesa are the most extraordinary neighbourhoods in modern Mexico City, their Art Deco apartment buildings and independent coffee shops and restaurants representing the finest urban culture in Latin America. The Parque Mexico in Condesa is extraordinary at sunset. The Mercado de Mediodia in Roma has the finest afternoon tacos in the city. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The tunnel system beneath Teotihuacan, discovered by archaeologist Sergio Gomez in 2003 and still being excavated, runs 103 metres below the Temple of the Feathered Serpent and contains extraordinary liquid mercury pools, rubber balls and miniature landscapes that appear to represent the underworld. The findings fundamentally changed understanding of Teotihuacan society. The surface evidence of the tunnel entrance is visible to the right of the Feathered Serpent pyramid. Entry included in site ticket.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bus food to Teotihuacan Buy tamales at the Autobuses del Norte terminal before the 7am departure. | Lunch: El Mural de los Poblanos, Museo de Antropologia Outstanding traditional Mexican food in the museum restaurant. Extraordinary chiles en nogada. | Dinner: Contramar, Roma The finest seafood restaurant in Mexico City. The red and green tuna tostada is legendary. Book weeks ahead.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Centro Historico, All Nights Stay in the historic centre for maximum access. Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico or Downtown Mexico. Approx 80 to 200 USD. Roma Norte option Closer to Condesa and Coyoacan. Red Tree House or Casa Goliana. Approx 40 to 120 USD. Budget Option Hostel Mundo Joven Centro or Casa de los Amigos. Approx 15 to 40 USD per night.
Top Tips
1. Book Frida Kahlo Museum online weeks ahead. Walk-up tickets sell out completely by 9am every day.
2. Teotihuacan at 7am opening: the Pyramid of the Sun at sunrise with no crowds is extraordinary.
3. Never hail taxis on the street in Mexico City. Always use Uber or InDriver for all journeys.
4. The Metro is safe and extraordinary value during the day. Avoid rush hour on Lines 1, 2 and
3.
5. Altitude sickness at 2,240m is real. Drink no alcohol on Day 1 and walk slowly. Drink plenty of water.
6. Contramar requires a reservation weeks ahead. Worth every effort. Order the tuna tostada and the whole fish.
Total Budget
43 to 165 USD/day