8 Days in Mexico City: Travelogue and Money-Saving Tips

Day 1

We arrived late Saturday morning after an easy direct flight.

Thanks in large part to a broken-Spanish and -English conversation with our enthusiastic Uber driver, the hour-long ride to our Mexico City hotel was a delight. (Nod to a family plan on Super Duolingo and public school Spanish.)

For the first four nights, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express® México Reforma Hotel in the bustling, touristy Colonia Juarez neighborhood. Early check-in allowed us to rest a bit before we left for our first stop, Mercado San Juan, the largest exotic-food market in Mexico City. On the way–this, happily, is what happens–we grabbed some super-tasty tacos al pastor at a cluster of streetside food vendors just a few blocks from the hotel..Succulent marinated pork, made-to-order corn tortilla, fresh pico, choice of sauces…Joy. And just $1.50 each. Which is actually on the high side.

The market delivered as advertised: live scorpions and tarantulas, roasted grasshoppers and crickets, vials and jars of mystery bugs suspended in oil. (Chris and Sadie bought a couple of baggies of crickets for munching, but they were pretty dusty-tasting.) There were stands with exotic meats, like lion, wild boar, ostrich, and lizard, and several tapas-like counters and mezcal tastings, but we settled on Los Ireno, a quiet little seafood cafe tucked in a corner. Simple but delicious dishes, perfect with an ice-cold Pacifico beer.

Then, we wandered over to the nearby La Ciudadela Market, known for its handicrafts and artwork. There were dozens of booths with handmade crafts, antiques, and mass-produced tchotchkes–heavy on the latter, but still a good spot to grab a few gifts for folks back home.

Day 2

First stop, the Saturday-only Tianguis Cultural del Chopo outdoor market in Buenavista, conveniently located next to a major metro station. If you or your kids are even remotely interested in punk, metal, goth, or alternative music, this is 100-percent worth a visit. We spent a good few hours perusing the hundreds of stalls hawking concert shirts, spiked bracelets, dollhead change purses, leather everything, cassette tapes of underground Mexican hardcore and metal…Even if it isn’t your thing, the punk/metal community vibe there is genuine and heartening, and the people-watching is top-notch. Sadie bought several things for herself and her college roommate, Chris bought a couple of shirts and some of that underground metal, and then we took a quick taco break at a nearby stand–Yum–before circling back for a concert at the market from a solid all-female punk band.

The market abuts the Biblioteca Vansconcelos, a stunning contemporary edifice designed by architect Alberto Kalach. The library’s 600,000-plus volumes are displayed in the open on steel shelves connected by glass-floored catwalks hanging over the common area, which gives the sense of being immersed in the stacks. There’s a gorgeous Gabriel Orozco sculpture of a whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling and a lovely outdoor garden where groups of teens were recording dance videos.

We meant to visit at least one of the museums at the massive Bosque de Chapultepec–a stunning forested park twice the size of NYC’s Central Park, but rain began to fall shortly after we arrived, and we were gassed. So, we freshened up at the hotel and walked to the hipster-fied Roma Norte neighborhood-“the Williamsburg of Mexico City”-for dinner at a well-reviewed restaurant called Fugaz. Everything we ate was flavorful, fresh, and creative, and our two favorite dishes were vegetarian. The service was excellent, as was the playlist.

Day 3

On Sunday, we headed to the weekly La Lagunilla Market, one of the largest markets we’ve encountered in our travels. The place is scrappy, and It’s easy to lose your bearings among the maze of 2,000 vendors, outdoor and indoor, selling mass-produced and knockoff clothing, celebration dresses for quinceañeras and christenings, “the world’s largest shoe market,” electronics, household items, and dozens upon dozens of mom-and-pop food vendors packed with happy eaters.

We were eager to check out the handmade crafts, artwork, and vintage clothing, but we never found those sections during our couple of hours of wandering, and by then were too hot and listless to inquire using our entry-level Spanish. Between the hard-pitching vendors, motor-scooters weaving through the foot traffic, and mini-nightclubs blasting music that repeatedly triggered the “loud environment” alert on Trae’s Apple Watch, we hit sensory overload. But we’re glad we went, and we recommend checking it just to marvel at the scale and the intensity–and to grab some tacos for the walk.

Then, we strolled about 20 minutes to the Zocalo, the second-largest public plaza in the world–it holds nearly 100,000 people–where the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Templo Mayor are located. The Zocalo was teeming with tourists, street performers, and vendors, and we witnessed more than one spiritual cleansing with smoldering herbs.

The gothic cathedral is free to enter and quite a marvel, in scale and in its ornate detail, particularly the pipe organ, the chorus room, and the surprisingly affordable gift shop. Behind the cathedral sits the ruins of the Templo Mayor, the central temple of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlán, most of which was destroyed by the conquering Spaniards in the 16th Century. There is a modest entrance fee of 100 pesos–$5 US as of this writing–which is well worth paying to walk through the site and learn the history. We also took a quick look at the National Museum of World Cultures, which was free and worth a peek, mostly for the displays on indigenous Mexican cultures. Very touristy, but worth a few hours of your time between these sites and those that we missed–several other museums, highly rated restaurants, rooftop drinks.

For dinner, we hit Tacos La Chula, a large, bustling taqueria in Roma Norte with an open kitchen and a grand al-pastor setup out front. We skipped it the previous night on account of a staggeringly long line, but this time arrived before 8 pm and breezed in just before a line began to form. The tacos and huaraches ranged between ok and very good, but in general didn’t compare to the typical street stand. And the service was spotty. But we did love the chicharron de queso, a thin sheet of fried cheese rolled like a giant South Indian Dosa, especially the al pastor version, peppered with marinated pork. Sadie dug the Michelada, sort of a margarita with a rim and straw slathered with tamarind paste and an upside-down bottle of beer in the glass.

Day 4

Museums are closed on Mondays, so we walked around the fashionable Roma Norte and Condesa neighborhoods, known for their swank boutiques and trendy cafes. We were on the hunt for vintage clothing and, in general, found some stylish, well-curated shops, but the prices were pretty high. We’ve had much better luck with great finds and better prices in Berlin, Madrid, Bilbao, and just about any city in the US. Sadie and Trae did have some luck at a small chain store called Goodbye Folk, which has its own (very expensive) label but also a reasonably priced discount section.

On the walk back to the hotel, we stopped for a late lunch at Papa Guapa, in Roma Norte, a cute and kitschy retro-50s diner that specializes in baked potatoes loaded with various toppings. Tasty but not a must-do. We were so full afterwards that we skipped dinner and went for some quite-delicious ice cream near our hotel, unique flavors like Lavender Horchata and Maize.

Day 5

We checked out of our hotel and left for a day-long adventure with Daytrip, a service that allows you to book a private transfer–with an English-speaking driver–between points A and B, with the option to add one or more sightseeing stops along the way. You can stay at point B or return on the same or a different day. We wanted to hit a few spots on the outskirts and return to Mexico City, which is not the norm, but the Daytrip team generously accommodated our request. And our driver, Raul, was excellent–safe, personable, well-informed, and gracious.

Stop 1: The stunning pre-Columbian city of Teotihuacan, a massive archaeological site of temples and pyramids roughly an hour northeast of the city center. A broad dirt road, the Avenue of the Dead, bisects the city, linking the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Pyramid of the Sun, the latter two of which offer panoramic views from their summits. We had read that this is a must, and it is.

Stop 2: Tepotzotlán, a charming town just north of Mexico City, to visit the Museo Nacional del Virreinato which displays colonial art in a former Jesuit College. The courtyard gardens and the former orchard are quite beautiful, and the interior of the San Francisco Javier Temple is wildly ornate, densely ornamented floor-to-ceiling with religious figurines and gold-painted ornamental details. It was one of the most extravagantly decorated cathedrals we saw on our trip.

Stop 3: Xochimilco, a working-class borough in southern Mexico City, famous for the 110 miles of canals that traverse the area, the remnants of a transportation network created by the Aztecs. The system of canals and their many man-made islands (chinampas) were declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. Today, you can glide down the canals on colorfully decorated trajinera boats, steered by guides using a barge pole. The ride was relaxing and fun and pleasantly odd–installations of creepy babydolls and dollheads hanging from the foliage, waterfront home festooned with flowers, a variety of tropical birds, and just a great festive vibe among passengers on the slow-moving boats.

You can also grab food and drink from merchant boats who drift the canals–we had some quite-good quesadillas and large beers–but expect comparatively high prices and aggressive sales pitches. A nice experience, but you can spend far less by bringing takeout. It’s also important to know that the cost of the boat rental must be negotiated. Our Spanish was not up to the task, so we were grateful that Raul joined us on the ride and haggled on our behalf. We ended up paying around $35 for an hour, far less than we would have paid on our own.

To bring our wonderful Daytrip adventure to a close, Raul dropped us at our Airbnb in Coyoacan, a sweet little three-bedroom apartment tucked in a quiet gated alley off a cobblestone street.

Days 6 & 7

Day 6: Trae came down with what we think was Norovirus, so she was out of commission for the day. Chris and Sadie took the opportunity to do laundry at a nearby laundromat and get tattoos across the avenue at Alborada Tattoo Studio. If you feel that urge when you’re in Coyoacan, we highly recommend Alborada–skilled, friendly, very professional, and perhaps the most sanitary-conscious tattoo experience we’ve experienced. Grabbed some delightful empanadas and sweet pastries at a little shop on the return walk in the rain–wish we could remember the name.

Day 7, Trae was back in action, so we spent the morning perusing the famous
Mercado de Coyoacán, a fairly large indoor market that features fresh produce, spices, handicrafts, clothing, tourist tchotchkes, and many good options for a sit-down meal. We had a delicious breakfast at La Cocina de Mi Mama, which we had read about, including barbacoa tacos to die for.

We planned to go to the Frida Kahlo Museum but found out too late that tickets had been sold out for days (BOO!), so instead we checked out a couple of nearby cathedrals and the lovely Frida Kahlo Park. Then, an unexpected highlight, Museo Anahuacalli, a stunning modernist MesoAmerican temple of volcanic stone designed by muralist Diego Rivera to house his extensive collection of nearly 2,000 pre-Columbian figurines. Exploring the labyrinthine series of dimly lit rooms, each with a unique mosaic ceiling, was a thrill. We loved the main second-floor exhibition room featuring several Rivera works and a kinetic-sculpture installation; the rooftop terrace, which offers great views of the city; and the smartly designed grounds.

We were hungry when we got back to our AirBNB, so we wandered the neighborhood in search of street food and quickly stumbled into a lively triangular intersection across from the Escuela Nacional Preparatorio #6, where sits one hell of a torta stand. Each of our sandwiches–pork chop, Cubano, and al pastor–was moist, packed with flavor, and massive, allowing for leftovers the next day.

Day 8

Last day. We went to Panadería Lecaroz Coyoacán, across the street from the pretty Plaza Jardin Hidalgo, to grab a selection of yummy pastries for breakfast. We then made our way back to Bosque de Chapultepec to visit the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Nacional de Antropología. (We didn’t have time to see some of the other major attractions at the park–Chapultepec Castle, the zoo, the Rufino Tamayo Museum, and Moctezuma’s Baths.) The Modern Art Museum consists of two buildings connected by a sculpture garden, which made for a nice stroll The permanent collection features works of prominent Mexican artists, including Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, and Remedios Varo, a female painter who quickly became Sadie’s favorite (second to Frida). Satisfying collection, particularly the Varo paintings.

Two nice diversions on the ten-minute walk to the Anthropology Museum: First, a charming botanical garden filled with succulents, cacti, orchids, a well-turtled pond, and eight-foot bronze sculptures of crane flies perched on spindly legs in a shallow pool. Second, directly across from the museum, five men in traditional indigenous apparel sitting on a wheel atop a 100-foot steel pole, performing the Danza de los Voladores: four of them, suspended by ropes, slowly began to descend as the wheel turned. This was quite a sight!

The 23 exhibition halls of the Anthropology Museum are set around a large central courtyard and house the world’s largest collection of Mesoamerican artifacts. Highlights include the Stone of the Sun, giant Olmec stone heads from the jungles of Tabasco and Veracruz, and a room-sized replica of Pakal’s tomb at Palenque. We also lucked into Amazonia, a major exhibition of large-format black-and-white photographs by Sebastiao Salgado depicting indigenous peoples of the Amazon and the land that they inhabit. He happens to be one of our favorite photographers, so this was a very special treat! Hard to overstate how jaw-dropping and compelling this exhibit was.

After the museums, we meandered through the park to Condesa, where we had an early dinner at a small corner cafe. Every dish was a winner. Then, we took a bus ride back to Coyoacan to rest up for the next day’s flight home.

A Bit About Our Hotel

On account of writing this article, the Holiday Inn Express® México Reforma Hotel hosted us for the first half of our trip. The location of the hotel is excellent. It’s close to a bus line, within walking distance of Chapultepec Forest and the Roma Norte neighborhood. To our surprise, the complimentary breakfasts were some of the best hotel breakfasts we’ve ever had, with a selection of fresh fruits, cereals, pastry, toast, and juices, as well as traditional Mexican hot breakfast fare, like Chilaquiles. There is also a decent fitness center, a small business center, a friendly and helpful staff, and spacious and clean rooms. There is a ton of food within a few blocks, and immediately next door, a mall with food and beverage options at a discount to hotel guests.

10 Money-Saving Tips for Mexico City

1.UBERs are plentiful and cheap, but public transportation is cheaper yet, and excellent. If you plan to take the subway (Metro), the awesome electric trolleybuses, or a conventional bus, purchase a Movilidad Integrada CDMX card for about 75 cents and load it with credits. Each ride is about 25 cents. (25 cents!) The trolleybuses, which ride in dedicated lanes on main arteries, and the Metro in particular are impressively clean and efficient. Miss a trolleybus, you’ll wait just a minute or two for the next one. Consult Google Maps to determine the best route. Maps will also break down a trip by public transportation stops, so it’s easy to track your trip as you go.

Note: Seating on the accordioned trolleybuses is segmented into three sections. The first section, with pink seats, is women-only; the second is men-only; the third is universal.

2. Restaurant food is generally inexpensive, though there is plenty of high-end cuisine of all kinds to be found, but street carts and stands are abundant, reliably delicious, and much less expensive. It is not unusual to find generously loaded tacos for a dollar or less, tortas for $2-3. Hard to go wrong.

3. Because the water in Mexico City is not safe for many travelers, drink and brush your teeth with bottled water only. The hotel was great at leaving bottled water for us, but we also bought a big jug and refilled our own bottles with it so we didn’t have to keep buying bottles.

4. If you’re traveling with a student, have them bring their ID. Some museums offer free or discounted entry fees for students.

5. When booking your flight, compare full-fare prices with a combination fare that includes some miles, if you belong to the airline’s loyalty program. We ended up with very inexpensive tickets and didn’t use that many miles.

6. If you have an airline credit card, see what discounts are available, i.e., discounted snacks, Wi-Fi, rental cars, etc.

7. If you stay in a hotel, see if nearby establishments or tours offer discounts for hotel guests.

8. Book hotels that provide free breakfast–one less meal to pay for–or opt for a vacation rental and make one meal per day in the rental.

9. When you are purchasing tickets for activities or destinations, the prices can vary widely depending on the site you buy them from. I found that in CDMX, museum tickets were much cheaper when purchased directly from the museum’s site than from a travel provider like Viator or TripAdvisor.

10. CDMX offers free Wi-Fi in many areas of the city, but don’t rely on it for everything. Some US phone plans (like TMobile) include free calls to/from Mexico and Canada; if your plan does not, you’ll need to activate an international phone plan or use an eSIM, like Airalo, which is inexpensive. Note: your phone needs to be unlocked in order to use an eSIM.