The ultimate 5 day itinerary for Mexico City
5 days in Mexico City is a perfect amount of time to really see the city’s big name attractions and take in a couple of day trips too. Fewer than 5 days and you’ll feel rushed and like you’re missing out on adventures, experiences and fun. Mexico City is one of the most vibrant and cultural cities in the world and with this great 5 day itinerary I promise you you’re going to have the absolute best time.
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If you only have 3 days in Mexico City, I do have a great itinerary for you but it is a little more rushed and you don’t get to see quite as much. Before we get to your 5 day itinerary though, let’s look at some important Mexico City information.
🗺 The most important things to keep in mind when considering a trip to Mexico City is how enormous it is and that planning is your friend. This is not a city where you ‘wing it’. Being intentional will help you fit the most in and feel the most comfortable.
🎟 This is a city where you make your plan, you book tickets to the places you most want to see and you reserve tables at highly sought after restaurants should you be into fine dining. If you don’t make a plan, you won’t get the most out of the city.
You’ll see that my itinerary is intentional and based on sticking to specific areas of the city.
🛝 If you’re visiting Mexico City with kids, check out this kid friendly itinerary.
Is Mexico City safe?
✅ This is a question I get asked regularly and although I’ve never ever felt unsafe in Mexico City, whether there with my kids, alone or groups of friends, I do understand why people ask.
✅ The main tourist areas—Centro Historico, Roma Norte, Polanco, Condesa and Coyoacán—are all safe for visitors. You’ll see a good mix of tourists and local families enjoying life and all Mexico City has to offer.
❌ There are pickpockets in Mexico City, as in any big city. Be smart; don’t take your eyes off your possessions.
❌ Earthquakes are a reality of life in Mexico City but they’re by no means common. If there is an earthquake an alarm will sound. All hotels in Mexico City are required to be able to cope with earthquakes.
🌬 Air quality in Mexico City can be a problem. Some people do suffer with itchy eyes and dry throats due to poor air quality. The end of the year (Sept – Dec) has more clear days as the rains have cleared out much of the pollution. If you’re just visiting for a few days it won’t be a problem.
Where to stay in Mexico City
Note that Mexico City is also called CDMX (the acronym for Ciudad de México) or DF (Distrito Federal).
Obviously, the city is huge and absolutely full of hotels just crying out for you to pick them. These are my four favourites:
🏨 In the Centro Historico – Gran Hotel Ciudad de México: this 4⭐️ hotel is one of the most magnificently beautiful hotels in Mexico City (see photo above). I highly recommend staying in this perfectly located, gorgeous historic hotel that offers views over zocalo, the cathedral and National Palace.
🏨 Paseo Reforma – Sofitel Reforma: if it’s city views you’re after then you can’t beat this 5 ⭐️ chic hotel located by the Ángel de la Independencia on Paseo Reforma. The large & comfortable rooms are beautifully furnished and the staff are wonderfully attentive but it’s the views over the city, particularly from the indoor pool, restaurant and bar that give this hotel its edge for me.
🏨 In Polanco – Camino Royal, Polanco: located in the heart of one of CDMX’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, this 5⭐️ hotel is extremely well priced for the facilities it offers and its great location by the Anthropology Museum. Enjoy spacious luxury in the hotel’s rooms, garden, outdoor pool and numerous restaurant offerings. The breakfast buffet gets great reviews too.
🏨 Reforma – LaiLa Hotel, Reforma: this budget 4⭐️ hotel is well located if you want to explore the Bosque de Chapultepec while still being close to the centro historico. The rooms are clean and modern and it’s located on a road packed with great restaurant options. I often stay here when I’m in the city.
or if you don’t think any of these hotels will work for you, you can also use my helpful interactive hotel finder maps to figure out where you want to stay in CentroHistorico, Coyoacán, Polanco, La Condesa and Roma Norte.
Getting around Mexico City
Walking in Mexico City
🚶🏽♂️It’s perfectly possible to walk around Mexico City all day if you’ve planned your day well. There’s always so much to see and marvel at – from the incredible colonial architecture to the modern street art and installations, from street food stands, street vendors & pop-up markets to the sculptures and statues everywhere.
⭐️ It’s also always possible to book a walking tour if you find them useful to get your bearings when you first arrive in a new city.
Public transportation in Mexico City
🚆 The metro is pretty good in Mexico City. There are women and children only carriages, which are great for safety but, of course, men can’t travel in them. Apart from rush hour this is a good and cheap way to get around the city. Buses are cheap but are often extremely crowded and can be a very slow way of getting around Mexico City.
Uber in Mexico City
🚖 Uber & Didi both run in Mexico City and both work just great. In my opinion they are a better option than regular cabs as they don’t require cash or a knowledge of the city. Who enjoys haggling for a ride when they don’t know the distance or real price? Not me. Download Uber or Didi and save yourself the hassle of cabs.
✈️ Use Uber to order a ride from the airport. It’s permitted and super hassle free. Your app will tell you where to wait for your driver.
5 day Itinerary, Mexico City
Day 1 – Exploring Centro Histórico (Mexico City’s historic center)
We’ll begin our first day on the city’s main square (plaza), the enormous and impressive zocalo (official name Plaza de la Constitución). Here you’ll find the striking Metropolitan Cathedral (which is free to enter) and the Palacio Nacional (which is also free to enter and houses some fabulous Rivera murals but was closed to visitors at time of writing).
Visit the Museo del Templo Mayor
This fabulous museum is dedicated to the main temple of the Mexica people, the original inhabitants of this region. Before entering the museum you actually walk through the archaeological site of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, and a temple dedicated to Tlaloc (god of rain) and Huitzilopochtli (solar god of war).
→ Book your tickets in advance
➕ Also by the Zocalo are: the Jose Luís Cuevas Museum, & Ex-Teresa Arte Actual, which is a brilliantly weird art gallery in an old church. The fun thing about this is that the building has subsided to the point of being really slanted. If you have the time and energy, these are worth a moment of your time.
Lunch in the Gran Hotel
After you’re finished exploring the museum and zocalo, I recommend taking a break for a drink and a spot of lunch on the terrace of the Gran Hotel, which is on the other side of the zocalo. The views from here are magnificent as is the interior of the hotel.
Walk to the Alameda
Walk to the Alameda area via Ave. Francisco I. Madera. Along here you’ll find both shops & interesting (lesser known) museums and galleries that I always love checking out.
Museo de Estanquillo has some fabulous exhibitions and also a lovely roof terrace with a cafe. Palacio de Cultura Banamex is a free exhibition centre that always shows a fascinating side to Mexico’s artistic scene. And on the right hand side is the Instagram famous Casa de los Azulejos (House of Tiles), where everyone likes to take a photo.
Museum time
The Alameda is surrounded by excellent museums, the most famous of which is of course the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which I highly recommend visiting.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Even if you don’t go inside the Palace of Fine Arts, take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous and truly iconic building. Inside you’ll find murals by some of Mexico’s finest muralists, Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros and more. It’s an utterly spectacular collection in one of my favourite art galleries in all the world. I also have it on good authority that the restaurant here has reopened and is excellent although I haven’t eaten there myself.
Torre Latinoamericana
There is a small museum here but more importantly, from the observation deck on the 44th floor, right at the top of the tower you have one of the best views over the city. You can see all the way to zocalo and the mountains surrounding the city.
Evening
Tonight choose your restaurant or entertainment near your hotel.
Day 2 – Coyoacán (& Xochimilco canals)
Decide today whether you want to explore Coyoacán under your own steam or whether it is worth joining it up with a tour of the ancient Xochimilco canals.
For day 2 I have split the information into 2 parts –
Coyoacán – an old and gorgeous neighbourhood, in fact it’s one of my favorite neighborhoods in the whole city. The main draw is Frida Kahlo’s famous museum, Casa Azul. There is plenty to keep you amused here for a day if you decide to visit alone and miss the Xochimilco experience.
Xochimilco – another old neighbourhood, this time the draw is sailing slowly around the Aztec canals in a traditional boat. It is possible to visit alone using public transport but it is far, far easier to take a tour.
What to do in Coyoacán
Start your day at the Museo Frida Kahlo / La Casa Azul – This famous museum is housed in Kahlo’s former home. Known as the “Blue House”, it is entirely dedicated to the life and work of Kahlo and is really a special place to visit (sadly, this is one of only two photos I have of it the museum. I can’t find any photos from when we visited).
Due to its immense popularity, you absolutely must buy tickets online and in advance. I highly recommend getting there as the doors open to see the museum with as few people in it as possible.
The ticket for Frida’s house includes entrance to Museo Anahuacalli, home to Diego Rivera’s vast collection of pre-hispanic works (and one of my personal favourite museums in Mexico City) so if you are interested in seeing his amazing collection, take an uber (there is sometimes a bus running between the two museums but I’ve never managed to catch it) there and back. It’s absolutely worth it.
A ticket on the official website costs $320 pesos (approx €15 or $16 USD) but they’re notoriously hard to come by if you haven’t planned a long way in advance. If the official website is sold out then you’re likely to be able to find tickets on the Tiqets or GetYourGuide websites.
Mercado Coyoacán – Have lunch in this bustling local market – this is my favourite place in the whole world to eat tostadas and I make sure to eat here every time I’m in CDMX. It’s also an interesting market to explore generally.
Plaza Hidalgo and Jardín Centenario – on the walk here there areee plenty of shops to check out. These two squares are the beating heart of Coyoacán and a great place to stroll around, enjoying the atmosphere and people-watching. Be sure not to miss the iconic Coyote Fountain.
Mercado Artesanal Mexicano: at the far end of Plaza Hidalgo this is the perfect place to pick up some souvenirs.
+ Leon Trotsky’s House: If you have energy enough for more, then consider visiting Trotsky’s House, on the edge of Coyoacán.
What to do in Xochimilco
🛶 Xochimilco is a dream destination when you visit Mexico City thanks to its ancient canals, its trajineras, (colourful boats) and the chinampas (artificial islands) where you can meet some of the local wildlife, including the native axolotls. Everyone will love taking a peaceful ride through the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the floating gardens of Xochimilco.
📖 Read more about visiting Xochimilco in my full article
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended Xochimilco tour – a full day tour of Coyoacán, UNAM murals and Xochimilco.
🚈 🚕 To take the train to Xochimilco, get yourself to Tasqueña metro station. From here, there is a train called the Tren Ligero which starts in Tasqueña and finishes in Xochimilco. This takes about an hour. From Coyoacán it’s also possible to take a taxi since it’s really not that far (although of course traffic isn’t great generally in CDMX).
Once you arrive in Xochimilco you’ll be greeted by a throng of people all trying to get you to take a boat ride with them. You can either choose one at random (because, really, the boats are much of a muchness) or you can ignore them all and follow your map to the embarcadero of your choice where you’ll pay and be given a boat.
Day 3 – Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park)
Although you might not expect a park to be one of the city’s main attractions, it really is. Chapultepec is one of the largest city parks in the world and is the second largest park in Latin America and it’s actually just over twice the size of Central Park! Bosque de Chapultepec is also one of the most beautiful parks in the city.
🦗 Chapultepec translates from Nahuatl as “at the grasshopper hill”, a name which came to the Aztecs from the Toltecs, the people who lived in the region before the Aztecs. There are even remains of a Toltec altar in the park. Chapultepec was an important location during the Aztec period when it was seen as a sacred place and used as a repository for the remains of rulers. Later it became a retreat for the Aztec rulers. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan took its water from the springs in the area, something that continued for years after the Spanish invasion. In the fifteenth century Aztec ruler, Emperor Montezuma Xocoyotzin, built a palace and altar in the area, on the hill in the park.
The park itself is enormous and magnificent, and its also home to 13 museums including the Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle) & the world famous Anthropology Museum – both of which I recommend you visit on your third day in Mexico City.
Anthropology Museum (Museo Nacional de Antropología)
I’ve been to this museum three times and yes, it’s astounding. It was also the first museum in all of Mexico (founded in 1825). It is a huge place that can be pretty overwhelming as it is home to collections from across Mexico’s history and geographic locations. Be sure to leave at least half a day to explore this giant of a museum. It’s one of the best museums in all of Mexico.
→ Buy your tickets in advance (and try to avoid going on a Sunday as it’ll be very busy since it’s free for Mexicans on Sundays)
When you’re done here, head into the park where you can grab a snack at Libraría Porrúra (a cool bookshop with a café) or find some fun street snacks in the park.
Castillo de Chapultepec / Carcamo de Dolores
Amble through the park (and up, since it’s on the top of a hill) to the Castillo de Chapultepec. If you’re really feeling tired and like you’re over seeing museums by now, let me just assure you that the views alone from up here are worth the visit. But if you can’t face it, fair enough!
→ Book your tickets (this is a GetYourGuide link because although it says there’s an official site to buy tickets it doesn’t appear to work. And yes, tickets do sell out so I recommend buying in advance).
A good alternative to the Castillo if you’re feeling too tired for the hill, is the Carcamo de Dolores, an important hydraulic structure covered in murals by Diego Rivera (ticket is included in the Natural History museum ticket. See photo under Day 3 heading for a view of this)
➡️ Check out what else there is to do in the park (including the numerous other museums) in my dedicated Bosque de Chapultepec article.
Evening activity
Why not book a lucha libre & taco tour as your evening activity? Or if you’re not into watching grown men throw each other around (😉), how about experiencing the folklore ballet at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, or a night full of mariachi music?
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended lucha libre tour includes tacos, beer, & a lucha libre show with a knowledgeable guide at your side to ensure you eat the best tacos and understand what you’re watching.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended folklore ballet tour includes pick up & drop off and your ballet tickets.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended mariachi tour includes tacos, tequila, a mariachi show and exploring Plaza Garibaldi, the famous mariachi hangout in CDMX (and where I first learned to love tequila and mariachi in 2009 on my first trip to Mexico).
Day 4 – Day trip to the pyramids at San Juan de Teotihuacán
It’s time for another day drip, I recommend visiting the pyramids outside Mexico City but if you didn’t yet visit Xochimilco, that’s also a good option for today.
50km north of the city, is a vast archaeological complex where you’ll find the world famous Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Museum of Teotihuacan Cultuer.
It is possible to get yourself to the pyramids but having done it on public transport myself, I highly recommend taking a tour. You’ll save yourselves a lot of stress.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended guided tour to Teotichucan – this half day tour includes pick up from your hotel in CDMX, transport on a comfortable bus and a tour around the pyramid site with an expert guide.
🎈MexicoCassie highly recommended adventure option – as an added bonus you can even take a magical early morning hot air balloon ride over the pyramids.
Day 5 – Final day exploring
On your final day in the beautiful Mexico City, I recommend taking a stroll along Avenida Paseo de la Reforma so you can see the Ángel de la Independencia. If you’re feeling fit & strong, walk along until you reach the Alameda where you’ll find a selection of excellent museums & galleries to choose from. As you walk, be sure to keep an eye on the sculptures you pass, my favourites are those by Mexican artist, Leonora Carrington.
In the photo above you can see the Sofitel Reforma hotel on the left. The photo on the right (below if you’re on a mobile) was taken from the top of this hotel
My recommendation is to not miss the Museo Mural de Diego Rivera, a small museum dedicated to the incredible and enormous work by Diego Rivera, “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park” (Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central).
If you’re feeling up for it then you also have: Museo Memoria y Tolerancia, Museo de Arte Popular, Museo Kaluz, Museo de Pulque, Museo Franz Mayer, and the Museo Nacional de Arte nearby.
☕️ Note: Everyone will tell you that you simply must have churros & chocolate at Churrería el Moro. The original restaurant is nearby and if you like churros, sure go for it but it’s not going to make or break your experience. In recent years new branches of the restaurant have opened up across the city. Instead, If churros aren’t your thing I’d recommend either the newly reopened restaurant in the Palacio de Bellas Artes or taking a wander through China Town if you’re hungry.
Monumento a la Revolucion
From here I want you to end your sightseeing with a short walk to one of my most favourite places in all of Mexico City: the Monumento a la Revolucion: I think this is the most incredible building & monument.
First of all you’ll walk through the small but extremely informative Mexican revolution museum. Once you’re done, you ascend in an elevator to the main observation deck for fabulous views over the city. There’s even a small cafe here (one of my family’s favourite places to stop for a coffee in the city) so, grab a table and take a break here before climbing even higher up the monument.
Be sure to leave time for the small but weirdly excellent gift shop here. It’s my favourite museum gift shop in all of Mexico.
A quick note on what & where to eat & drink in Mexico City
👑 The food scene in Mexico City is out of this world. Whether you’re aiming to mainly eat street food or to find the best restaurants in the city, you will be amazed by the quality of food. Some of the best restaurants in the world are located in Mexico City – in fact 4 of the top 100 restaurants in the world (in 2024) are in Mexico City.
🌮 However, to eat amazing food you don’t need to scour the lists of the best restaurants; I promise you that the taco joint down the road from your hotel is going to be excellent, and the food stalls selling esquites will blow your mind. There’s a great breakfast / brunch culture going on in barrios such as Polanco, Roma Norte, Condesa and Coyoacán.
These are my absolute favourite spots in Mexico City. ¡Provecho!
🌮 MexicoCassie’s favourite tacos – Cariñito Tacos (Río Lerma)
🌮 MexicoCassie’s favourite tostadas – Tostadas Coyoacán (the yellow stalls in the Coyoacán market)
🥞 MexicoCassie’s favourite brunch spot – Yerba Santa Restaurante (Río Pánuco 198, Cuauhtémoc)
🍚 MexicoCassie’s favourite (cheap) Thai restaurant – Pad Thai (Av Sonora 49, Roma Nte)
🍸 MexicoCassie’s favourite bar – the bookshop/bar/restaurant, Cafebreria El Pendulo (Hamburgo 126) photo above
☕️ MexicoCassie’s favourite coffee shop – Café El Jarocho (Ignacio Allende 134, Coyoacán)
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