Your ultimate 5-day itinerary for Mexico City
If you haven’t yet put together an itinerary for Mexico City, don’t worry! The city is huge, but it is possible to see all the main sights, cultural attractions and things to do in just a few days. Luckily, Mexico City is a vibrant metropolis where you can have a great time on any budget, from museums to taquerías. Here’s your ultimate three-day itinerary, with options for a four- or five-day trip if you’ve got the time. Ready to explore?
Before you go…
Decide whether you’re interested in the Frida Kahlo Museum, located in the Coyoacán district. This museum has become very popular recently, so it’s important to book a ticket in advance. To book a ticket for a specific time slot and avoid queuing (not recommended during peak season), visit the museum’s website.
You’ll see that admission costs around 12 USD (230 pesos, 250 pesos at weekends), which is far more than at other museums in Mexico City. It’s up to you to decide whether this fits your budget, because, as you’ll see, travelling in Mexico City is very cheap by Latin American standards. You don’t have to spend much to have fun! At most other museums, the admission price is about half that, or even free.
Find the best hostels in Mexico City
When it comes to choosing accommodation , there’s a wide range of options for backpackers in Mexico City . Do you want to stay in the cultural heart of the Historic Centre (Centro Histórico) or in the laid-back Art Deco neighbourhood of Condesa?
- Selina Mexico City Downtown: This is where I stayed! It’s a huge hostel in the Centro Histórico, which used to be a historic hotel. Selina has plenty of dorms and private rooms, as well as large communal areas, a communal kitchen and a co-working space that you can book separately.
- Massiosare El Hostel: This hostel is also located in Mexico City’s historic centre. It’s known for its exceptional cleanliness, great location and friendly staff. There are private rooms and dorms, and the prices are very affordable. They also have two cats!
- Hostel Home: This youth hostel in the residential neighbourhood of Roma focuses on making guests feel ‘at home’. It was the first backpacker hostel in Mexico City and prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere for all kinds of backpackers.
- B&B Distrito Condesa: This B&B in the Condesa neighbourhood isn’t your typical hostel, but it’s a good choice if you need a bit of space and privacy during your trip. There’s an outdoor terrace and a free breakfast every day. Every room is a private room with an en-suite bathroom, so it might be worth spending a little extra if you’ve been on the road for a while.
- Casa San Ildefonso: The hostel is situated in the Centro Histórico, just a block away from the Templo Mayor and the Zócalo, so you can reach many of the city’s main attractions from here. The hostel is housed in a historic building and prides itself on enriching your journey through Mexico.
📷 Selina Mexico City Downtown
The neighbourhoods of Mexico City
- The Historic Centre (Centro) is also known as Downtown. Here, you’ll find yourself near the Zócalo, which is considered the heart of the city. This area is also home to many historic buildings and museums.
- Condesa, Roma and Roma Norte are mainly residential areas with large parks where many people walk their dogs. These neighbourhoods are also popular with expats and digital nomads, so there are more cafés, wide pavements, nice restaurants with English menus and a relaxed atmosphere.
- Coyoacán is just outside the city centre, but there’s a metro station nearby. This neighbourhood has an authentic Mexican feel, with a large food market and the famous Frida Kahlo Museum. There’s also a public square, a cathedral and a burgeoning bar street. It’s safe and you won’t have any trouble walking around on your own.
Day 1: A historical introduction to the city
- Start your day with a visit to the Zócalo. It is the heart of the city and home to the imposing Sagrario Metropolitano, a huge stone cathedral. Stroll across the square and watch the families, street vendors and buskers.
- Next, you should visit the nearby Templo Mayor. It’s an archaeological museum right in the centre of this vast capital city! Here, you can learn all about the region’s Aztec history. As you stroll through the streets of the Zócalo, you might come across other covered archaeological sites. It’s amazing to see that more and more of Mexico City’s history is being uncovered.
- Head to the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This is one of the most iconic buildings in Mexico City, with a beautiful, colourful roof. Inside is a famous art museum, and the artworks vary from room to room. If you don’t fancy visiting the museum, you can also admire the building from the outside, especially at different times of day.
- From Bellas Artes, head towards Barrio Chino. Barrio Chino means ‘Chinatown’ in Spanish, and here you’ll find a main street lined with Chinese-style restaurants and shops. There are plenty of street vendors selling Chinese snacks and handicrafts.
- For lunch, head to Taquería Tlaquepaque, an excellent taqueria that’s very popular with locals in the area. Here you’ll find tacos, tortas and lovely fresh juices served in huge goblets. You can’t go wrong with this menu!
- Visit the Mercado de San Juan 78 Arcos De Belén. You might be feeling a bit tired by now, but it’s time to shop till you drop. At this huge market in the city centre, you can buy interesting foods and spices and marvel at everything that’s authentically Mexican.
- Your friends will want to know if you’ve had the chance to see a ‘Lucha Libre’ match at the Arena Mexico, so book your Lucha Libre tickets in advance or with the help of the hostel staff. Lucha Libre is a dramatic and entertaining spectacle that’s popular with Mexicans and visitors alike. The show features different types of wrestlers, and as you’ll discover, it’s always the bad guys versus the good guys.
- If you’ve still got time in the evening, head back towards Barrio Chino after the show and have a drink at the “Tio Pepe” cantina, one of the oldest cantinas in the city. This bar feels like a step back in time (and it is!), and you might even notice that the toilets used to be for men only. In fact, until just a few decades ago, women weren’t welcome in the bar at all!
Day 2: Chapultepec Park and Condesa
- Take the metro from Mexico City to Chapultepec. When you get off, head out into the greenery!
- Look for the Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park): this is the city’s largest park and it’s absolutely stunning. Inside, you’ll find a castle, a lake and much more. Start by visiting Chapultepec Castle, followed by the Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art). Here you’ll get a taste of modern Mexican and Latin American art across a range of styles.
- Explore the Jardín Botánico del Bosque de Chapultepec. Even if you’re not a big fan of plants, it’s interesting to see how this botanical garden – with its focus on succulents, sustainability and design – has been laid out.
- Head towards Chapultepec Lake. Walk around it and follow the crowds to the “CDMX Letras” to take a famous photo with the letters “CDMX” for “Ciudad de México”
- Tortas for lunch! If you’re already feeling peckish, head to the Área de Comida de Chapultepec to enjoy some tortas – Mexican sandwiches. Delicious!
- Leave the park and walk through the rainbow-coloured tunnel at the Centro de Cultura Digital (Centre for Digital Culture). You can visit it between 11 am and 7 pm.
- Take a stroll through Roma Norte: this is a residential neighbourhood that’s becoming increasingly popular with expats and travellers. Most of the restaurants are English-speaking, and you can enjoy an espresso in cool cafés such as Drip Cafe Especial.
- Head to Condesa. This beautiful neighbourhood is characterised by two parks, Parque España and Parque México. There are plenty of tree-lined paths here, and people often walk their dogs here.
- At Nevería Roxy, a vintage-style ice-cream parlour, you can enjoy an ice cream made with Mexican fruits such as guava to cool off.
- Take a stroll through this lovely neighbourhood and pop into El Péndulo, a bookshop-cum-café that enchants everyone who steps inside.
- Have a meal at El Tizoncito, a taqueria with a brilliant menu and reasonable prices; as soon as you’ve taken your seat, the waiter will bring you a tower of toto-pos (maize crisps) with a variety of salsas. It’s a brilliant deal!
Day 3: Coyoacán markets and museums
- Take the Metro to the Coyoacán district. The station is called “Coyoacán” and is on Metro Line 3. To reach the sights in Coyoacán, it’s a safe and easy 15-minute walk from the metro to your first stop.
- Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum! Join the queue and have your ticket printed out to show to the cashiers. Inside the museum, be sure to explore every building, including the special exhibition on Frida Kahlo’s clothing and the story behind each garment. There’s also a film that’s shown continuously, which makes for a great learning experience.
- Visit the Mercado de Coyoacán, where you can have lunch and stock up on snacks at a fantastic market. From clothes to fruit to tostadas, you’ll find everything your heart desires here. Try a tostada and admire the huge bowls of fillings, ranging from vegetarian options to seafood and meat. This is a local speciality that you can share with friends.
- There are plenty of other things to see in Coyoacán, making it a lovely place to spend a relaxing day. Stroll past or visit the grand Parroquia San Juan Bautista (the famous church), then relax in the park and watch the world go by.
- There’s also the Jardín Centenario and the Mexican arts and crafts market next to Plaza Hidalgo for anyone who fancies a spot of shopping. Always try to haggle for a bargain!
- If you’ve got a bit of time before dinner, pop along to the Mercado de Comida de Coyoacán, which is open until 8 pm. Here you’ll find several friendly food stallholders offering all sorts of tacos, tostadas, tamales, soups and much more.
If you’ve got a bit of time before your next destination, why not take a four- or five-day trip around Mexico City? We’ve got plenty of suggestions for what you could do next…
Day 4: Boat trip on the canals
On a four-day trip to Mexico City, a boat trip in Xochimilco is a unique and fun experience (and do practise pronouncing that funny name!) Xochimilco is a canal district of Mexico City outside the city centre, whose main attraction is a gondola ride.
To get to Xochimilco, take a taxi, a car or a shared ride. A good time to leave the city centre for Xochimilco is around 11 am, as the journey can take up to 60 minutes. A boat trip in Xochimilco is ideal for one or two friends and is most fun in a large group. So ask at your hostel if anyone fancies joining you. The more, the merrier!
Once you’ve found a boatman (which isn’t difficult, as everyone visiting the area wants to find a boatman, and the boatmen want to find passengers), get ready for a fun-filled day. Make sure you have enough cash with you, as it’s best to pick up a few snacks along the way.
As you cruise through the canals, you’ll pass boats with vendors selling Mexican snacks such as tacos, tamales and pulque (a slimy agave drink – some people love it, others can’t stand the texture). You’ll also pass mariachi bands in costume, and you can pay them to sing a traditional song for your boat!
Most boat trips in Xochimilco last 2–3 hours. If you’d like to stop at one of the riverside restaurants, your driver will wait for you. Be sure to take plenty of photos of this Mexican experience!
If you’re taking a taxi back into the city, you should have dinner at the Mercado Roma in the Roma district. Here you can sample artisanal dishes from all over Mexico and enjoy them in a large, cosy hall. If you fancy some delicious tacos straight away, do visit the Orinoco Taqueria, a well-known spot. The taco al pastor is fantastic, and there’s plenty of Jamaican juice to quench your thirst.
Day 5: Visit the pyramids
On a five-day itinerary for Mexico City, it’s time to leave the city and visit the famous pyramids of Teotihuacan! Switch to explorer mode and discover this amazing World Heritage Site, home to the great stone pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.
- Pro tip: Go as early in the day as possible! Although it’s a vast historical site with plenty of space, most visitors only want to climb the two largest pyramids. Especially at weekends, you might find yourself lost in the crowds.
- Getting there: You can book one of the many guided tours (ask your hostel staff!) or take the public bus. To take the public bus, take the metro to Autobuses del Norte, wherever you’re staying, and look out for “el bus para Teotihuacan”.
- What to bring: It can get very hot in Teotihuacan for most of the year, so bring sun cream, a hat and a water bottle. It’s also a good idea to bring some snacks of your own in a rucksack if you don’t want to rely on what’s on sale at the park entrance.
If you’re returning by bus, you can find your way back to your hostel via the metro. If you’re returning on a tour, your tour driver may be able to drop you off at your accommodation if you’re good at negotiating.
On the last evening of your trip, treat yourself to a delicious dinner at El Pescadito in La Condesa, which serves seafood, or at La Pitahaya Vegana in Roma, where you can enjoy creative vegan Mexican cuisine. For dessert: you only live once, don’t you? Queue up at Churrería El Moro Parque México for another sweet churro. Now you’re a Mexico City expert!
I’d love to hear what you think of my ideas for a trip to Mexico City, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Trust your sense of adventure and set off on a journey of discovery! Let me know your favourite sights in the comments below.
📷 @albrb
Are you ready to go? Check out our hostels in Mexico City to find great, affordable accommodation.
About the author:
Becca Siegel is a travel writer based in Brooklyn, NY, USA. She runs the @halfhalftravel travel website and Instagram account with her boyfriend and travel partner, Dan. Becca has spent a lot of time abroad: she lived in China and Hong Kong for 2½ years and has recently been working in Europe and Latin America. 🌍 Favourite place in the world: Hong Kong. 🏡 Favourite hostel: Hostel Mamallena, Boquete, Panama 📷 Follow me on Instagram: @halfhalftravel
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🌟 The 11 best hostels in Mexico City
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