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Mexico City: A 4-Day Itinerary

Updated: Jun 26



There is no place like Mexico City. It is vibrant and chaotic, yet can feel incredibly still—it is a magical place. From its expansive, green parks to sprawling markets, thriving art scene to historic landmarks, and no-frills street food to upscale dining experiences, Mexico City is a place you'll want to revisit time and time again.


In March 2023, my best friend and I visited Mexico City for the first time. Our experience is one that we'll remember for a long time, and one that we revisit often in conversations. The city is so full of life with bustling urban parks, music playing on every corner, tree-lined neighborhoods, and more. But what stood out to us the most was the people—not only their warmth and friendliness, but also how they evidently value the things in life that really matter. There were a countless number of people outside with their loved ones or by themselves, being present in and enjoying the outdoors.


To help plan (or inspire) your trip to Mexico City, keep reading for our 4-day itinerary and watch my YouTube video! If you're interested in exploring more of Mexico, check out my blog post for a Puerto Vallarta itinerary.


Mexico City near Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México
Mexico City

Table of Contents

Skip ahead to specific places on our itinerary!



• Maque

• Baltra Bar



• Parque México (again)


Our 4-Day Itinerary in Mexico City

Day 1:

Panadería Rosetta: After our red-eye flight to Mexico City International Airport, we headed straight to Panadería Rosetta for breakfast. This popular bakery offers an extensive pastry menu, in addition to breakfast and lunch options—I recommend trying their guava cheese roll. We enjoyed the outdoor seating, especially after a long flight!


Panadería Rosetta in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Panadería Rosetta

Breakfast at Panadería Rosetta
Breakfast at Panadería Rosetta

Plaza Río de Janeiro: As we walked over to Plaza Río de Janeiro, we quickly noticed how green the city was with trees lining what seemed like every street. We sat at the park for a while, people-watching and dog-watching. On a weekday morning, there were several people outdoors by themselves, with others, and with their dogs (a lot of them)—it was so refreshing to see this slower pace of life.


Plaza Río de Janeiro in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Plaza Río de Janeiro

Plaza Río de Janeiro in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Plaza Río de Janeiro

Parque México: Mexico City has no shortage of urban parks that are densely draped in greenery. Parque México is one of the city's more popular parks—there are ample benches and walking paths, making it the perfect place to get outside. We enjoyed our visit here so much that we returned to the park a second time on our last day!


Parque México in Colonia Hipódromo, Mexico City
Parque México

Contramar: For lunch, we went to Contramar—a popular restaurant among both locals and tourists, that specializes in seafood. The dishes we had here were so good... I recommend trying their seafood tostadas.


Make a reservation here in advance.


Lunch at Contramar in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Lunch at Contramar

Lunch at Contramar in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Lunch at Contramar

Dessert at Contramar in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Dessert at Contramar

Check into Airbnb: After lunch, we checked in and settled into our Airbnb located in the Condesa neighborhood.


Airbnb in Condesa, Mexico City
Airbnb

Restaurante Rosetta: Restaurante Rosetta is an intimate restaurant that features Mexican-Italian cuisine, and is located inside of a mansion. I recommend trying their tagliatelle with sausage and chile de árbol.


Make a reservation here in advance.


Restaurante Rosetta in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Restaurante Rosetta

Dinner at Restaurante Rosetta in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Dinner at Restaurante Rosetta

Churrería El Moro: We ended our day at Churrería El Moro which specializes in churros—they have multiple stores located throughout the city. Their churros were perfectly warm, sweet, and crispy. Don't forget their chocolate dipping sauce!


Churrería El Moro in Mexico City
Churrería El Moro

Dessert at Churrería El Moro in Mexico City
Dessert at Churrería El Moro

Day 2:

Maque: After starting the morning with coffee at Blend Station, we walked to Maque for breakfast where we had one of the most memorable meals from our trip. Aside from the delicious chilaquiles that we shared, our outdoor dining experience could not have been more perfect—there was greenery surrounding us as well as musicians performing live, right by our table!


Breakfast at Maque in Hipódromo, Mexico City
Breakfast at Maque

Musicians performing outside of Maque in Hipódromo, Mexico City
Musicians performing outside of Maque

Bosque de Chapultepec y Castillo de Chapultepec: Bosque de Chapultepec is one of the largest urban parks in all of Latin America, and it is stunning. You can easily spend an entire day exploring the park's expansive green space and its attractions. For views of the city, I recommend visiting Castillo de Chapultepec—an 18th-century, hilltop castle housing the National Museum of History.


Bosque de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Bosque de Chapultepec

Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Castillo de Chapultepec

Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Castillo de Chapultepec

Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Castillo de Chapultepec

View from Castillo de Chapultepec in Mexico City
View from Castillo de Chapultepec

Market at Bosque de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Market at Bosque de Chapultepec

Lago de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Lago de Chapultepec

Lago de Chapultepec in Mexico City
Lago de Chapultepec


Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela: There are a number of artisanal markets in Mexico City that sell locally and regionally crafted goods. We visited Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela—a colorful market with over 350 vendors. This is the perfect place to purchase souvenirs to bring home, as well as to support local artists.


Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela in Mexico City
Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela

Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela in Mexico City
Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela

Taquería Los Cocuyos: After checking out Palacio de Bellas Artes and Palacio Postal, we headed over to Taquería Los Cocuyos for lunch—I recommend trying their tacos al pastor (marinated pork tacos).


Taquería Los Cocuyos in Mexico City
Taquería Los Cocuyos

Lunch at Taquería Los Cocuyos in Mexico City
Lunch at Taquería Los Cocuyos

Baltra Bar: Baltra Bar was ranked as one of the world's 50 best bars in 2023 and for good reason. This cozy bar offers an extensive drink menu with unique cocktails which were so good—the best we'd ever tried.


Make a reservation here in advance.


Baltra Bar in Mexico City
Baltra Bar

Restaurante Máximo: Restaurante Máximo offers an upscale dining experience in an airy, yet intimate setting. The highlights from our dinner were the raw oysters and octopus ceviche.


Make a reservation here in advance.


Dinner at Restaurante Máximo in Mexico City
Dinner at Restaurante Máximo

Dinner at Restaurante Máximo in Mexico City
Dinner at Restaurante Máximo

Day 3:

Hot Air Balloon Ride (Over the Teotihuacán Pyramids): We began our morning with a hot air balloon ride operated by Volare, which was an experience that I won't forget for a long time. From the hot air balloon, we saw the sun rise over the Teotihuacán Pyramids... it felt like a dream. The experience was well-organized from beginning to end—it took a collective effort to get all of the balloons up and back down safely. After the ride, we enjoyed a breakfast buffet (included as part of the booked experience) with live music and headed over to Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacán where we briefly explored the pyramids.


Make a reservation here in advance.


Hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán Pyramids in Mexico
Hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán Pyramids

Hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán Pyramids in Mexico
Hot air balloon ride over the Teotihuacán Pyramids

Breakfast buffet after hot air balloon ride in Mexico
Breakfast buffet after hot air balloon ride

Live music during breakfast in Mexico
Live music during breakfast

Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacán in Mexico
Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacán

Mendl Delicatessen: For an afternoon pick-me-up, grab coffee at Mendl Delicatessen—an open-air restaurant filled with plants.


Mendl Delicatessen in Condesa, Mexico City
Mendl Delicatessen

Museo Frida Kahlo: Museo Frida Kahlo (nicknamed "Casa Azul" or "Blue House" for its cobalt blue exterior) was the birthplace and home of artist Frida Kahlo, and is now a museum dedicated to her work and life. This museum felt incredibly intimate as we got a glimpse into her life through each room. The outdoor courtyard and garden was one of the highlights—with its open space and all of the plants, it felt like a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Make a reservation here in advance.


Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City
Museo Frida Kahlo

Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City
Museo Frida Kahlo

Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico City
Museo Frida Kahlo

Coyoacán: One of my favorite places that we visited was the Coyoacán neighborhood. After having lunch at El Jardín del Pulpo right outside Mercado de Coyoacán and then browsing through the busy market, we walked over to Jardín Allende where there were local vendors selling food and art. We met a sweet couple here selling homemade ice cream (their passionfruit ice cream was so refreshing).


Coyoacán has maintained its traditional charm with tree-lined, cobblestone streets and colorful, colonial architecture. We immediately noticed all of the people that were out in this lively neighborhood—it seemed like no one was on their phones (a rare sight where we live). Everyone was simply out enjoying the day.


Mercado de Coyoacán in Mexico City
Mercado de Coyoacán

Locals selling homemade ice cream at Jardín Allende in Coyoacán, Mexico City
Locals selling homemade ice cream at Jardín Allende

Coyoacán in Mexico City
Coyoacán

Coyoacán in Mexico City
Coyoacán

Coyoacán in Mexico City
Coyoacán

Day 4:

Paisa & Maisa Tortillería: We began our last day in the city with breakfast burritos at Paisa & Maisa Tortillería, which makes their own tortillas in-house.


Paisa & Maisa Tortillería in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Paisa & Maisa Tortillería

Breakfast at Paisa & Maisa Tortillería in Colonia Roma, Mexico City
Breakfast at Paisa & Maisa Tortillería

Parque México: We revisited Parque México on our last day and were so glad that we did. Just like our experience in the Coyoacán neighborhood, there were so many people out enjoying the day—spending time with their loved ones (including their adorable pups), sitting by themselves and reading a book, playing sports, and more.


Parque México in Mexico City
Parque México

Parque México in Mexico City
Parque México

Parque México in Mexico City
Parque México

Parque México in Mexico City
Parque México

Parque México in Mexico City
Parque México

Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México: Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México is one of the oldest and largest cathedrals in all of Latin America. Located in the city's main square Zócalo, this cathedral features an intricately carved exterior, an ornate altar, and towering ceilings.


Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México in Mexico City
Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México

Caldos de Gallina Luis: Before our flight back home, we had a late lunch at Caldos de Gallina Luis—a local favorite specializing in chicken soup. Their chicken broth with rice and chickpeas is incredibly flavorful, and comes with cilantro and onion to garnish (which we used a lot of).


Lunch at Caldos de Gallina Luis in Mexico City
Lunch at Caldos de Gallina Luis

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