Visiting Mexico City most people only come for a few days or a weekend. Spending a weekend here gives you enough time to get to know everything important and gives you inspiration on why to come back to this wonderful city. You're going to love Mexico City after experiencing Mexico city with our weekend itinerary at the end of this article.
FRIDAY
Starting your weekend, you're probably going to get here at noon or in the afternoon. A good weekend trip always starts with a good lunch to get all the energy you need to start exploring after leaving your bags in a hotel or Airbnb.
LUNCH:
Your adventure in Mexico City is going to start on the well-known avenue Reforma. Here you're going to have your lunch in the Zona Rosa. This area is wonderful during the day, it has a lot of movement and many good & affordable restaurants.
Our recommendations:
*Ventura, traditional coffee shop with full menus ($)
Or
*Taquearte, taco chain with very good tacos al pastor and suadero ($)
Now that you have more energy, it's time to tour the city you've longed to meet.
IN THE AFTERNOON:
From the zona rosa, you will walk directly to the Reforma, which takes you about 5 minutes. Here you can take a right turn to see the Angel of Independence and the Diana Cazadora. It's only going to take you about 20 minutes to walk and come back.
Walking to the right you will reach the palm tree Glorietta and a shopping center, in case you want to go shopping and enjoy your afternoon here. The first day of a city tour should always be something light so that you have energy for the days that are to come.
DINNER:
Dinner, staying in the same area you got to know already, is very good in one of the many Korean restaurants around Zona Rosa. If you prefer something fancier you can head towards la Roma for dinner in one of the parks with its various fancy restaurants. They are a little expensive, but the atmosphere is worth it. To get there you will only cross the metro station of insurgents and on the other side, you enter into Roma right away.
Our recommends:
*Korean BBQ buffet at the table ($$)
Or
*Beautiful Potato, authentic American diner ($$)
Now that you had the chance to enjoy a filling dinner, it's time for the Mexico city nightlife.
At night:
Obviously, there are many stories about the dangers of walking at night in Mexico City and many of those are true. In the areas we show you where you don't have to worry – just take your precautions like anywhere else and you'll be fine.
Since you are close to the Zona Rosa spend the night here in one of several bars and nightclubs with good music and a LGBTQ+ friendly atmosphere.
In Roma, there are many good bars too, with rooftops or a nice atmosphere and interior design to enjoy.
Our Tip:
The secret tip for a fun night is in the 'Hija del Apache' in Roma, here they offer the best Pulque in the city, with salsa bands and a dancefloor. Just don't be surprised if you don't see anything special outside. The place is rustic but the atmosphere is worth it.
SATURDAY
BREAKFAST:
After a crazy (or quieter) night, it's time to get up early and enjoy the city.
You will start by taking an uber from your hotel or Airbnb to the historic center for a tasty breakfast.
Our recommendations:
*El Cardenal, a traditional restaurant with food from the region ($$)
Or
*Los Especiales, tacos de Canasta ($)
With such good food in the stomach, you are ready to tour the historic center. You're going to start your walk in the zocalo of Mexico city (the main square). It is just a short walk away.
IN THE MORNING:
Directly in the zocalo, you can see the national palace, the cathedral, and next (and below the cathedral) the ruins of Templo Mayor. Here you can spend a few minutes take some photos and get to know the place. You will most likely see an art installation or a protest in this place – it is very normal, enjoy it. From the zocalo, you will take the direction towards 'Bellas Artes' on the street 'Calle Madero', the busiest pedestrian area in the City that will take you directly to 'Bellas Artes'. Here you can stroll through the Alameda, enjoy the park and enter the palace of fine arts to see its architecture (without paying entrance).
Our Tip:
Go up to the Terrace of the Cafe that is inside the Sears to take some good photos of the palace.
From here you can walk on Reforma to reach the Monument of the Revolution. It's a 15min walk or 5 min with uber. There are also a large variety of restaurants here for lunch.
LUNCH:
Our Recommendation:
* Cha Cha Cha Terrace: Good view and food($$)
Or
* La Matra-K: 3Bs Italian food ($$)
ON THE AFTERNOON:
After enjoying your lunch it is time to take an uber and go to Chapultepec park which is about 15min by uber to get to the main entrance of the park.
Attention: THE PARK IS CLOSED ON MONDAYS!
This park has in the middle the castle of Chapultepec with a very beautiful view of the whole city. Inside the castle is the Museum of Spanish History of Mexico. To enter the museum and its terraces they charge 50 pesos (2 dollars). It is worth entering, taking some beautiful photos, and spending about 30 minutes walking through the halls of the museum.
Here you can see the famous mural of the Niños Heroes, which is a painting of the legend of boys who were in this castle in military school and during the invasion protected the castle and one of them jumped from above, tangled in the Mexican flag so that the Spanish could not take it. If you are very interested in the history of Mexico you can hire one of the local guides right on site. For an hour tour, they charge about 200 pesos (10 dollars).
After spending some time here, you are going to walk through the park until you get to a bridge (it has the CDMX letters to take a picture) and turn right. Along this path, you will directly get to the museum of anthropology that is known for containing the Aztec calendar. Here you are also charged 50 pesos to enter and you can take a quick walk or hire a guide if you have a greater interest.
DINNER:
For this dinner, we recommend you go to Condesa. This very nice and quiet neighborhood is perfect to spend a few hours, eat and have a drink at any hour of the day. It is also especially beautiful and safe at night.
Our recommends:
· Lardos: Nice terrace and tasty food ($$$)
or
· El Kisquito: traditional and affordable food ($)
AT NIGHT:
If you are not tired of your day you can spend the night in one of the Bars of Condesa before returning to your hotel. There are several parks such as the Fuente de Cibeles, with restaurants and bars around them.
SUNDAY
On the last day, you have left it is time to enjoy the quiet places in Mexico City, full of history. You are going to start your day by taking an uber to Coyoacan that's going to take you about 30 minutes to get there. Coyoacan looks like a magical town next to Mexico City although it still belongs to it – it is yet another neighborhood with very beautiful parks and a very relaxing atmosphere.
BREAKFAST:
Our recommendations:
· The Coyoacan market: a lot of very good positions and it is safe ($)
OR
· Los Danzantes: traditional food and breakfast menu ($$)
IN THE MORNING:
This day after breakfast you will have a chance to get to know Coyoacan, stroll through the park with the Coyote fountain, visit the handicraft market in the Coyoacan zocalo and buy a coffee at Café Jarocho.
Our Tip for coffee lovers:
Buy freshly ground coffee at Jarocho coffee to take home. Half a kilo costs 70 pesos approx.
After getting to know the whole neighborhood and taking some nice photos start walking to the Frida Kahlo Museum which is a few minutes from the center. The Casa Azul where Frida Kahlo lived with her family before marrying Diego Rivera, contains her early work just like the furniture, her bed, etc.
If you want to get to know a big part of Mexican culture you should visit here.
Attention:
It is worth buying tickets in advance online to skip long lines!
Inside the museum, you can easily spend an hour, and if you like the atmosphere in the inside patio of the Casa Azul there is a café to stay and relax for a while.
AFTERNOON:
If you have to return to your hometown today it is time to grab a light lunch in Coyoacan or near your hotel and then make your way and return. If you have more time here there are still some tips where you can go in that half-day that you have left:
· You can go to Xochimilco and take a tour in the trajineras
· You can go to the nurseries of Coyoacan to enjoy the plants and nature
· You can go to San Angel and visit its handicraft market
I hope you liked our perfect weekend in Mexico City. If you have further questions or want us to plan a trip for you, contact us by mail or on our social media.