CDMX is a hustling mass of humanity. But dig under the surface and you will find that it can be more fun than you could possibly have imagined. Here’s our 3-day Mexico City itinerary.
Mexico City sits on a 2,240 m high plateau in the centre of the country. Home to over 20 million people, it’s a huge conurbation with a vibrancy unlike any other.
Spending 3 days in Mexico City will introduce you to a city of bustling street stalls and craft markets; cool bars and energy where wandering kids and public demonstrations fill its every corner.
The historical centre is a grid of glorious Spanish architecture sitting on the still visible remains of an ancient Aztec city. In the suburbs, traditional village life has survived the sprawl of the city and just an hour away, the ruins of what was once the greatest city in the Americas, stands as a memory to Mexico’s distant past.
Its museums are some of the best in the world and its art galleries have a powerful political and historical message. The eclectic fusion of Mexican and Spanish cuisine make this Mexico City itinerary much more interesting and fun than you could possibly imagine. To top it all off, Mexico is excellent value.
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DAY 1 AM / ZOCALO AND CENTRO HISTORICO
Start your 3 days in Mexico City at the Plaza de la Constitución (otherwise known as Zocalo), the beating heart of the city and home to the cathedral, presidential palace and government offices. It is this square that was pulled apart in the James Bond film Spectre.
In the northeast of the square lies the centre of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlán and the remains of a temple. Stroll around the ruins before exploring the attached museum. Next visit the Palacio Nacional which houses the offices of the president and the murals of Diego Rivera which tell the story of Mexico’s history before the Spanish conquest. The bell that sits atop the cathedral was the same one that rang during the war of independence.
Head to the north of the square and into the Catedral Metropolitana, the largest cathedral in the Americas. Many locals pray at the wide range of gilded and wooden altars. Make sure you join a bell tower tour which takes you onto the roof of the cathedral and gives you super views over Zocalo and the city.
DAY 1 PM / THE ANTHROPOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Grab lunch at El Cardenal, a beautiful building with an excellent traditional menu, before jumping on the metro to Chapultepec (Linea 2). Exit the tube and make your way into the park, the largest in Mexico City. It’s a beautiful lively place for a stroll and a castle is perched on the hill but the real reason for coming here is the Anthropological Museum.
The Anthropological Museum is one of the greatest museums in the world. It has 12 sections charting different aspects of Mexican history. There is no way you can see it all but we recommend you check out the sections on Teotihuacán, Mexica (Aztecs) and Mayans, especially if you plan on exploring the Mayan Ruins in Mexico later. Make sure you head into the gardens out the back where replicas of the ruins have been constructed.
Hop back on the metro, exit at Bellas Artes and make your way to Plaza Garibaldi, a square with music dancing and plenty of bars; a great place to hang out for the evening.
DAY 2 AM / COYOACÁN
Day 2 of your Mexico CIty itinerary explores the village of Coyoacán. In spite of being overtaken by the ever-expanding city, it has retained its independence and charm. Jump on the metro to Viveros (Linea 3) then walk east via the local gardens (Viveros de Coyoacán) to the Frida Kahlo museum.
The museum is the ‘Blue House’ where the artist Frida Kahlo lived and is now packed with mementoes and paintings of her life, her often difficult marriage to Diego Rivera and her Marxist leanings. Prices have shot up in recent years and queues can be long so make sure you book online in advance.
Head into the village centre and stroll around Plaza Hidalgo, Jardin Centenario and the Juan Batista church. Markets and food stalls are packed into the surrounding streets. Sit down and grab lunch on the pavement with one of the many smiling cooks, try the delicious Mexican street corn.
DAY 2 PM / STREET FOOD & BAR HOPPING
In the afternoon walk up the Leon Trotsky museum. Trotsky lost his battle with Stalin to become leader of the Soviet Union, was exiled and condemned to death. He sought refuge in Mexico City and made his home in Coyoacán. This house, a museum to his life, remains as it was when he was finally hacked to death.
Hop back on the metro at Coyoacán metro (Linea 3) and head to Balderas (Linea 3). Exiting, explore the southern streets of Almeda and Centro Historico before spending the evening in the bars of pedestrianised San Jeronimo and Regina. Try a pre-dinner mezcal or tequila and a plate of grasshoppers before taking a seat at Zéfiro for a great meal.
DAY 3 AM / TEOTIHUACÁN
On the last day of your 3 days in Mexico City head out of town to the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon in the ancient Mexica city of Teotihuacán, once the greatest city in the Americas. You can join a tour, but they often spend little time at the sight and more time at shops and other curios. Better to take the metro to Autobuses del Norte (Linea 5), collect your tickets from Puerta 8 in the bus station and get the bus to Pyramides or Zona Arquelogico.
The bus takes 1 hour and drops you right at the entrance to the park. It helps to arrive early as the crowds and the heat pick up after 10:00. Start by climbing the 248 steps to the Pyramid of the Sun before the heat of the day kicks in. Then stroll the Avenue of the Dead for the shorter climb up the Pyramid of the Moon.
Pop into the museum at its base before exploring the Palace of Quetzlpapálotl with its ornately carved pillars and colourful murals. Exploring the entire site takes 2 to 3 hours, after which leave from gate 2, walk through the car park and catch the bus from the far side of the main road. You should not have to wait more than 20 minutes.
DAY 3 PM / PALACIO BELLAS MODERN ART & SUNSET DRINKS
Take the metro back to Bellas Artes (Linea 8) and head to old-style Café Tabuca for lunch. Spend the afternoon exploring art in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a simply stunning building with excellent political murals and interesting exhibitions. Head across the park to Museo Mural Diego Rivera which houses a 15m long mural, the pinnacle of Rivera’s work.
As the afternoon dies head up Torre Latinoamericana for a sunset drink and sweeping views over this massive city. For dinner try Azul Historico, great food with some fine mole in a beautiful courtyard twinkling under fairy lights. A perfect end to your 3-day Mexico City itinerary.
3 DAYS IN MEXICO CITY / WHERE TO STAY?
The best area to stay in Mexico City is Centro Historico. Many of the best sights are nearby and the metro lines offer good transport links to other destinations. But, for more options, here’s a great list of neighbourhoods in Mexico City.
The Gran Hotel Ciudad De Mexico is the top-rated hotel on TripAdvisor with stunning 1920s decor, check prices on booking.com or hotels.com.
Hotel Histórico Centre is rated as one of the best value places to stay in the centre of the city, check prices on booking.com or hotels.com – all stays come with a free walking tour.
GETTING AROUND MEXICO CITY
International flights land at Benito Juárez International Airport about 5km from the centre of town. Safe and reliable fixed price yellow door taxis take between 15 and 30 minutes and cost about 250 pesos. Otherwise, hop on the metro at Terminal Aérea (Line 5) and make your way into town.
Metro is by far the easiest way to get around Mexico City. It can, however, be very busy and crowded. Keep your eyes on your belongings and don’t leave your backpack on your back while riding the metro.
We found walking in all the areas which this itinerary covers safe. However, most locals eat at home in the evening so the streets can feel eerie and deserted.
You can find all the places we visited on the map below, colour coded by Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.
How to use this map / Click on the top left of the map to display the list of locations, then click on the locations to display further information. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab or the star to save to your Google Maps.
BEST TIME TO GO TO MEXICO CITY
Mexico City rainy season runs from May to October and the depth of winter can be cold. This makes March / April and November the best times to go for the weather and to avoid the crowds. Ideally, time your trip for the Day of the Dead festival on the first two days of November.
MORE READING FOR MEXICO TRIP
Mexico has a vibrancy and energy that hits you the minute you arrive. There’s plenty to explore in Yucatán near the biosphere reserve of Celestun, plus here are some more of our guides:
Aztec and Myan ruins in Mexico
How to develop your Mexico road trip
The best things to do in Mexico
Our tips for driving in Mexico
Great itinerary! I love Mexico. I didn’t get the chance to see any museums or pyramids when I went but there is really so much to see there!
It is indeed a vast and diverse country. Hope you get the chance to go back.
Very detailed and helpful. Though it seems like a whole lot of money for two people for three days but I guess it makes sense as it literally covers everything. And one can always opt for cheaper accommodation.
Yes we try to include every penny or cent we have spent. One can easily spend less by not eating in restaurants and staying in cheaper accommodation. Hopefully the breakdown helps you work out what you can save on.
Great itinerary you have. If I visit Mexico, mainly to see tourist spots, which that pyramides are instagram worthy, and must visit. And of course the authentic street food.
The city surprised me. I thought it was just going to be the start of a road trip, but ended up being much more than that.
Our boys would love to see the history of the Aztecs and the Mayans here. I hope someday we can take them- they love history and there’s nothing like seeing these things in person!
Yes, Mexico is packed with Aztec and Mayan ruins. Hopefully we will have a post out about them soon. Thanks for your comment.
This post is so well laid out. Everything is so easy to find and understand. I’ve always wanted to go to Mexico City and this posts makes that super easy to do!
I really hope you get the chance to go.
This is great! So many of my friends have recommended Mexico City, but I’ve been worried about how landlocked it is and if it would be too hot and arid. Your photos definitely makes me want to add it to my destination list. Mexico City seems so lively and full of culture and fun things to do!
Yes it surprised us too. It easily surpassed our expectations.
I love Mexican Culture and food. I was only in the city for a mere hour transferring from the airport to a bus terminal, but would love to go back. this is a great three day itinerary for sure.
Hope you get the chance to return, and not just on a transfer!
You make such detailed itineraries. Most of my travels are 3-5 days short and whenever Im in Mexico, I would definitely use this one.
Thanks a lot and hope you get the chance to go soon.
I wish Mexico were a safety country – but I won’t ever visit there again (got arrested once). There is so much beauty, food culture, etc. But it’s just not safe.
We found Mexico had some challenges when we were driving around the rural back roads, which we will detail in an upcoming post. But have to say we felt pretty safe in Mexico City.
Such a detailed and wonderful travel guide to Mexico city. Love your pictures and travel experience
Thanks a lot.
I plan to visit Mexico next year, so this article is a must read for me! While I’m thinking I might spend most of my days in the Yucatan region, Mexico city is also high on my list. Do you think it’s a good thing to combine both?
Our 2 week Mexico itinerary will be out in the next few weeks, so hopefully that will give you some ideas as at least half of it is in Yucatan. It is perfectly possible, and a good idea, to include Mexico City with Yucatan. After a few days in the city take an internal flight to Cancun and go from there. We will have details in upcoming posts.
We are yet to visit Mexico, but we certainly will do before long, and Mexico City will be top on the list of our places to visit. Your itinerary covers all the kinds of things we love to do on our travels. And it’s beautifully presented as always! So I will be saving this for our future travel planning. Great work 🙂
Thanks a lot. Hopefully it won’t be too long before you get there.
Your guide to Mexico is detailed yet concise. You seem to have traveled the city in a perfectly planned way. The photographs are beautiful. Great work here!
Thanks a lot. We try to put our itineraries together so that we see all the sights that interest us without retracing our steps necessarily. We try to make sure each day has a variety of activities (e.g. spreading the museums out) and not too much travel time. Hopefully it works, but if it does not we make sure we say in a ‘what we would do differently’ section.
This is a great post! Very informative, I am planning to visit Mexico but just worried if it’s safe. Your post makes me want to plan a trip right away.
We found the main areas of Mexico City perfectly safe. We felt a bit more nervous (although had not problems) on some of the rural backroads, which we will detail in and upcoming driving in Mexico post.
Mexico city is high on my list and thanks for sharing a detailed post on this place. Pyramids of the sun and the moons looks interesting and I was not knowing about these wonderful ancient architectures.
You’ll have a great time, it’s such an interesting city with so much to see and do. Enjoy your travels.
D.F. is one of my favorite cities in the world – especially the art scene is just amazing. The murals obviously inspired so many modern graffiti artists.
Totally agree, the city has such a great vibe and the art is incredible.
You convinced me at “pyramids and ancient” and the rest was just bonus after bonus!! <3
They’re pretty cool.
This makes me miss Mexico so much! I’ve been to Mexico thrice but I haven’t been in Mexico City but I only heard good things. Also, I really want to go to Teotihuacán as well. Chitzen Itza was a bit a let down for me.
I know what you mean about Chichen Itza, it’s certainly on the tourist trail. Highly recommend Mexico City, such a great place to hang out for a couple of days.
It’s true! Mexico City is a blast especially if you’ve got the time to spend and not rush around. I was there years ago and had an amazing time sightseeing and eating some amazing food.
Agreed, you could certainly spend longer if you had the time, plenty to do.
This is a great guide to Mexico City! I love Mexico and I really hope to return there very soon!
Thanks very much, glad you liked it.
Learnt a lot from this post. Only knew that Mexico City is the largest city in North America and is very different from the rest of North America. So glad to have come across this because there is no way I can spend more than 3 days there because of time crunch. Will be really helpful.
Great, glad you found it useful. Enjoy your trip!
Love the post, the pictures, and the cost breakdowns. As I grew up in the US, Mexico was one of those places I never thought about going to as it was just South, but posts like these really instill a desire to go as soon as possible. Such a colorful place and the food is banging!
Thanks, Ryan. I know what you mean, I grew up in Australia and only went to New Zealand a few years ago, thinking it was so close I’d get to it eventually. Glad you like it, thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely LOVE Mexico City! Have been a few times now for a 3-4 days at a time but don’t think any of the itineraries I followed have been as spot on as yours. Definitely agree with you that the Anthropological Museum is one of the best in the world as well, it was incredible!
Thanks, Rhiannon, so nice of you to say. Glad you like it. Look forward to hearing about your next trip to CDMX.
I dream to go to Mexico City! I have heard so many great things about it! Also, your pictures are just stunning!
They’re all true, it’s a great place.
This has been bookmarked and saved for my trip next year. I really want to visit the city. Great blog post.
Thanks so much, glad you found it useful.
I absolutely love Mexico city / boarderline obsessed. I live for the street food and museums are so incredible.
I have plans to go back in a few months.
Jealous you’re going back soon, have an awesome time!
I’ve been citing about Mexico, there are some speculations about how dangerous is it to visit Mexico but I really want to visit this palce. I love the culture and the people I will surely visit here one day.
There are definitely some areas in Mexico you need to be careful, but we had no problems in Mexico City at all. Highly recommend it.
This is very comprehensive guide to explore Mexico. I like the full details regarding timings, price, bookings, and locations of the itinerary described in the post.
Thanks a lot. Glad you found it useful. Appreciate the comments.