Before you start reading this itinerary, I would encourage you to google how far a flight it is from your location to Mexico City (CDMX). It’s probably a shorter flight than you think! From Austin, Texas (my home base), it’s only about 2 and a half hours. It’s wild to think a city as incredible as Mexico City has been this close to me all along and I’m just now getting around to exploring it.

The trip I’m about to detail took 6 days:

• Day 1: EARLY morning travel and exploring the Roma/Condesa Neighborhood
• Day 2: Xochimilco floating market
• Day 3: Coyoacan and Frida Khalo Museum
• Day 4: Chapultepec Castle and Park, National Museum of Anthropology, Ballet Folklórico de México
• Day 5: Teotihuacan and Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Day 6: Travel back home

Day 1: Travel and exploring the Roma/Condesa Neighborhood

Our flight left at the crack of dawn Sunday morning, which meant we arrived in CDMX around 10am. We took it pretty easy that day, wandering around the Roma/Condesa neighborhood. I would highly recommend staying in this neighborhood when you visit! The area is very walkable, full of little shops, cafes, and boutique hotels. It’s like an urban metropolis built within a jungle. There is so much foliage! Plants weave themselves into every nook and cranny of every building.

We stayed at the Maria Condesa Boutique Hotel. We had some mixed feelings about the hotel, so it’s a little hard to recommend. When we arrived, there was a woman in the lobby upset that the hotel hadn’t had hot water for 3 days. My group all looked at each other pretty concerned… luckily, the hot water was fixed the same day we arrived. In our hotel room, we had nearly ZERO water pressure. It was actually a little difficult to shower. But my friends in the room next to us had outstanding water pressure! However, their room’s air conditioner wasn’t working very well, but ours worked perfectly. In the end, the hotel didn’t affect our trip at all, so it was fine. It was safe and quiet and that’s all we needed.

This hotel WAS awesome for a couple of reasons. When you book a hotel, make sure you can get these things:

• A hotel van that will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. They’ll charge a little bit, but the airport is pretty far from the Roma/Condesa neighborhood. They greeted us with name placards at baggage claim.
• Free breakfast! Our hotel had complementary breakfast every morning and it was so good! Fresh fruit, fresh squeezed juice, and basically any breakfast you wanted made to order.
• Transportation to Teotihuacan. Our hotel charged $150 USD (split between 4 of us) for a car to Teotihuacan. They drove us there, wait for us while we walked round, then drove us back when we were ready. This was clutch, because Teotihuacan is about an hours drive outside the city. I’m not sure what it would be like trying to get an Uber back to the city from there… we were definitely grateful for our driver!

We dropped our bags at the hotel when we arrived and walked to Huset for brunch. it was such an adorable outdoor garden spot. I highly recommend it!

Day 2: Xochimilco Floating Market

On our first full day, we woke up, made our way to the rooftop for breakfast (the weather in March is absolutely fantastic in Mexico City), then walked around the neighborhood some more. We walked through a market, explored a few little coffee shops, and then made it our lunch destination – Contramar. This was the one restaurant we made a reservation for before we left the States. It’s an incredibly popular seafood restaurant in Roma and it did not disappoint.

From lunch, we took an uber to Xochimilco. The front desk of our hotel helped us pinpoint the best location to pick up the boats. The Uber cost about $20 USD to get us out there and took about 50 minutes.

We were dropped off at Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas and you can see the boats right from the road. The boat drivers are there all waiting around their boats, so just approach one and say hello! We had a Spanish speaker with us, so it was pretty easy to get going. You can also book various tours through travel companies, but it’s definitely more expensive that way. We paid $60 USD for the boat (for all of us) and gave our guide a $10 USD tip at the end.

The canals of Xochimilco are a UNESCO World Heritage site, stretching more than 100 square miles. I genuinely cannot remember how long our ride was, but I want to say it was 2-3 hours. As your boat navigates the canals, you can stop at various fun things. You can stop and get out at various market stalls and vendors (or restrooms), or you can wait for vendor boats to come to you! We purchased some drinks and elote from boats long the canal. I also purchased an awesome woven poncho with an axolotl on it.

The axolotl has become an incredibly popular little creature with its introduction to Minecraft in 2021. I was extremely excited to see axolotl at Xochimilco because the canals of Xochimilco are their only native habitat. They are a critically endangered species, due to non-native species being introduced into the canals and the draining of what used to be large lakes in the area. Along the canals, you’ll find people who have small conservation outposts. You can hop out of your boat and tour them for a few pesos.

We Ubered back to our hotel, freshened up a bit, then head out to La Xampa. We had some delicious food and fun drinks.

We opted for churros for dessert and MAN were they delicious. There are several El Moro Churreria locations around CDMX, so just head to whichever one is closest to you. You get to choose your dipping sauce. We went with chocolate and caramel. We also got some delicious hot chocolates. Highly recommend!

Day 3: Coyoacan and Frida Kahlo Museum

On the third day, we took an Uber to Coyoacan, a neighborhood just a quick ride from Roma/Condesa. We did three things in Coyoacan – shopped, ate, and visited the Frida Kahlo museum.

There are several huge markets in Coyoacan. Vendor after vendor sell everything from handmade goods to food to clothes… everything!

We had a timed ticket for the Frida Kahlo Museum, so after a quick shopping session, we pretty much went straight to La Casa Azul. You have to purchase your ticket ahead of time for the day and time you want to visit (the museum is closed on Mondays, so keep that in mind). When you arrive, you’ll find your entry time on poles outside. Just jump in line behind your time and wait for the line to start moving.

The tour isn’t too long. It’s self paced through the house. You walk from room to room, reading the placards, and end in the courtyard.

Honestly, visiting the Frida Kahlo museum was an emotional experience for me. As an artist myself and someone who has studied art and art history, I was super excited to see this piece of history. What I didn’t expect were the emotions that would come over me as I stood in Frida’s house, as I looked at her gardens the same way she would have, as I looked into the mirror above her bed where she painted her self portraits. It was overwhelming and I found myself needing to take a few minutes to process it all.

If you’re not an art person, I would highly recommend reading up on Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera before visiting to get the most out of your trip. Learning about Frida Kahlo’s life and the symbolism in her artwork will make you appreciate being in her home so much more.

After the museum, we walked around the central plaza. It was a week day, so it was pretty quiet around.

We made our way to lunch at Los Danzantes. This was an exceptional meal – highly recommend this spot if you visit Coyoacan. After the meal, we snagged some ice cream before Ubering back to our hotel.

We had a chill evening this night and just hung out at Hule, one of the many many coffee shops in CDMX.

Day 4: Chapultepec Castle and Park, National Museum of Anthropology, Ballet Folklórico de México

An unexpected highlight of the trip for me was the National Museum of Anthropology! The museum is packed with ruins – stuff I’d only seen on TV. It made me super excited to visit Teotihuacan the next day.

The National Museum of Anthropology is located at Chapultepec Park. We meandered through the beautiful HUGE park, discovering lakes, bookstores, and walking trails. The highlight was definitely walking up to Chapultepec Castle. The path up is smooth, but it’s definitely an incline. Please monitor yourself and take breaks as needed on the way up!

Once you get there, the views are absolutely amazing. You can see everything!

That night, we attended the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico by Amalia Hernandez at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It was quite the experience!

First, we purchased our tickets on TicketMaster and we encountered (falsely) some issues getting our tickets. When we purchased the tickets online, the confirmation page TicketMaster sent us said that was NOT the ticket. We had to take the confirmation page to a TicketMaster location to pick up the actual tickets. However, the location of the TicketMaster was impossible to find, and when we did find it, they didn’t know what to do, so, defeated, we just went to the Palacio de Bellas Artes and showed the the confirmation pages and they gave us the tickets no problem at all. Learn from us and just go straight to the Palacio. Don’t worry about exchanging anything.

Second, there was one moment in the Ballet Folklorico that we were not prepared for and it was totally jarring. There’s a pretty in-your-face depiction of blackface. The costumes of the ballet Folklorico are beyond extravagant and beautiful. Dancers used huge heads while dancing to help tell the story and distinguish the characters. The show is stunning, truly. However, there was one moment where a dancer came out with a huge black head, exaggerated goofy facial features, and buffoon-ish dancing. I just was completely taken out of the show from then on. I know it put a damper on the whole night for my group, honestly.

That being said, the Ballet Folklorico has been a fixture in Mexico since its founding in 1952. It’s referred to as “a living museum that transmits the cultural traditions of Mexico throughout the world” and I think that’s a good description of it! It’s a beautiful display of talent (from dancing to music to costume/set design to choreography).

Day 5: Teotihuacan and Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Teotihuacan is about an hour from the Roma/Condesa neighborhood. Like I mentioned earlier, we arranged for a van to drive us to and from Teotihuacan through our hotel. Teotihuacan is pretty far out in a more remote area, so I was definitely grateful to have reliable transportation. It is a very popular tourist spot, so maybe it’s easy to catch an Uber, but it was really comforting knowing our driver was a quick phone call away.

We had the option of booking transportation only, or transportation and a guided tour. We opted for transportation only and it was totally fine. The complex is large, but not SO large that you wouldn’t be able to easily navigate it on your own. Most of the pyramids are blocked off, so you just kind of walk up and down this central roadway and view them from afar. There is one spot you can still walk up, so definitely do that and snag some photos.

If you visit during the summer, make sure you wear sunscreen and wear a hat! There is NO shade out there and you would cook pretty quickly. There are restrooms and plenty of stalls selling water. There isn’t food, from what I can remember, so just plan ahead for a good dinner after (we went to Lardo back in Roma/Condesa and it was awesome).

On our way back to the hotel from Teotihuacan, we did a quick pit stop at the Basilica. The Basilica completed in 1709 on the site where the Virgin of Guadalupe (Virgin Mary) is said to have appeared.

To cap off the trip, we ate dinner at Lardo. We didn’t have a reservation, so we just waited it out. It was pretty crowded, but we got in eventually. The space is absolutely beautiful! Lardo serves Mediterranean food and I remember really enjoying everything. We played a fun game here and tried to spend over $200 USD on the meal for the 4 of us. We couldn’t do it! Our final bill was $125 USD. We did order every dessert on the menu though. That’s what vacation is all about.

On our last morning, our plane left EARLY in the morning. Luckily, our hotel was fine with us requesting a ride to the airport at 3am (or whatever crazy time we left). Just a reminder to make sure you have ample connection time when you return to the US from abroad. Remember that reentry can take a long time and if you have bags, you have to collect them, then check them again. Book yourself plenty of time to ensure you end your trip on a stress-free note.

Final notes on CDMX…

Safety | I know some people will wonder if it’s safe to travel in Mexico. I’m not from Mexico, I’ve only been here this ONE time, and obviously, “Mexico” isn’t just one place. Based on my one experience, here’s what I know. Everyone in Mexico City we talked to, from Uber drivers to restaurant staff to market stall owners, was extremely kind. Like, over the top friendly and polite. We did have a Spanish speaker in our group, which made things easier, but I don’t think we would have been taken advantage of in any significant way without her there. The only slightly sketchy thing we encountered was when we were driving out to Xochimilco. Some guys on motor bikes were coming up to the car windows at traffic lights, telling our driver the road was closed up ahead. But never fear! They knew a way around! Follow them! Our driver told us people do that all the time and it’s a way for them to sell expensive guided tours to popular tourist attractions. That’s why it’s important you book a hotel that will organize transportation to and from your excursions for you! I never felt unsafe at any point in our trip.

Currency | The conversion rate for USD to Pesos is currently about 1 to 17. That means $1 is equal to 17 Pesos. Your money goes a LONG way, even in metropolis of CDMX. There were four of us traveling for 5 full days, eating, drinking, being fancy girls on vacation, and when all was said and done (not including hotel and airfare, of course) we each spent about $280 USD. That includes all the Ubers we took, all the food we ate, alcohol we drank, admission fees and tickets and tours… $280 a person. I could go out to a restaurant in Austin tonight and drop $280. We used credit cards 90% of the time, but did have some pesos on hand, mostly for tips. We just exchanged USD at the airport, because it was easy and convenient.

Driving | Driving yourself? Just don’t. Outside of our hotel-organized transportation, we used Uber 100% of the time. We didn’t taxi. Uber was everywhere and super convenient whenever we needed it. And paying through the app meant we didn’t have to deal with pesos or anything.

Elevation and Air Quality | Mexico City has an elevation of 7,349 feet. That’s nothing to joke about! While I didn’t feel affected by it, I could see how some that are more sensitive to elevation changes might be a bit more fatigued while exploring this city. Something that DID impact my travel group was air quality. We found ourselves with a bit of a scratchy throat and dry cough for most of the trip. (I actually was fine, which was interesting… I think my childhood in California’s Central Valley prepared me for poor air conditions)