Mexico city is a huge city with a population of over 9 million people. There is so much to see and discover from history, culture, food, day trips, tours and more. We stayed for 4 nights and 3 days and below are our recommendations for how to spend 3 days in Mexico City. We hope you enjoy our Mexico city guide.
If you are planning your trip to Mexico city, you might also enjoy our KNOW-BEFORE-YOU-GO-Guide to Mexico city where we answer the most frequently asked questions.
Day 1
Historic centre walking tour
Start your trip with a walking tour of the Historic centre, learn about the history of Mexico City and see sites like Plaza Manuel Tolsa, Museu National de Arte, Ventana Arqueologica, Mexico City Metropolitan Museum, Palacio Postal, Church of San Francisco de Asis, Temple mayor, Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Check out all of these sites on our pinned-for-you map of Mexico city here.
Lunch @ House of Tiles
Enjoy lunch lunch at House of Tiles. The building is magical and there is a pianist playing all day. You can enjoy enchiladas for approx 200 Mexican pesos. After, visit some of the free museums including The Museo Archivo de la FotografÃa and Centro Cultural de España en México.
Take a taco tour
That evening, take a free taco tour via free tours to learn all about tacos. Get a deep understanding of how they are made, how the locals eat them, how to spot the good street tacos and more. It’s a great way to set you up to enjoy Mexico cities best tacos for the rest of your trip. If you would rather a more in-depth tour or a tour of taco restaurants rather than street food, Viator and GetYourGuide offer a range of great taco tours for you to explore.
Day 2
Explore Coyoacán
Spend most of the day exploring the wonderful Coyoacán.
This was a highlight for us, the district is extremely charming and colourful. Known as the home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Coyoacán offers so much more than just those museums.
If you do plan to visit the Frida Kahlo museum, book online in advance. Tickets sell out 1-2 weeks in advance and you cannot buy them at the location. Tickets cost 320 Mexican pesos. You can also go with a tour guide who will combine the museum tour with a tour of the greater area. There are lots of tours available via Viator and Get Your Guide. Check the reviews and make sure the tour includes a ticket into the museum, not just looking at the outside.
Enjoy your day lapping up the history, explore the beautiful streets and art and eating wonderful food. We highly recommend stopping off at Cafe el Jarocho to try their famous Mocha and eat lunch at Centario 107 for their volcano fillet steak tacos and amazing
Enjoy more tacos
Finish the day enjoying tacos. We liked to pick 2-3 spots at night and walk between them, getting a taco or two at each spot. It was a great way to try new places, stop in cute bars in between and take in the evening atmosphere.
Check out our Mexico cities best tacos blog here.
Have a margarita to end the night
If you are looking for a great Margarita, head to Bar Felix, an upscale spot with an amazing cocktail selection. If you fancy a bit of Jazz and a cocktail, head to Jazzatlan, an intimate bar with live Jazz every night.
Fun fact: if you are a Margarita fan like Slaney, Margaritas are not as accessible in Mexico City as you may think (or at least as we assumed). They are available but usually quite expensive, approx 180-200 Mexican Pesos
Find both of these cocktail venues on our Pinned-For-You-Map of Mexico City
Day 3:
More exploring
We did toss up between Xochimilco and exploring Chapultepec Park and the Polanco area. We went with Chapultepec Park and the Polanco area but we will discuss both from the research we did. If you do have the time, we would suggest doing both.
Chapultepec park
Chapultepec Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world, It is a historic green oasis in Mexico City. Within the park you have a range of museums, a zoo, an amazing castle with views over the city, botanical gardens and more. You can explore the park by foot or by e-bike (approx 120 mexican pesos per day).
Head to the Chapultepec castle and explore the beautiful building and amazing views across the city. Entrance fee is approx 900 mexican pesos. You can’t bring food or water in so hydrate before. There is a bit of a walk uphill to get to the entrance. The castle is situated at quite a steep part of Mexico City so take caution with the altitude but the views, history and architecture are amazing.
After the castle, head towards the affluent Polanco, walking through the botanical gardens on the way.
Polanco is a prestigious neighborhood in Mexico City, known for its upscale shops, gourmet restaurants, and luxurious residences. It's a hub of business, culture, and fashion, characterized by its tree-lined streets and modern architecture. Polanco also boasts cultural attractions like museums and galleries, making it a vibrant and cosmopolitan area.
In Polanco, explore the luxury shops and streets. It is a completely different experience to the rest of the city. Grab a casual lunch at El Turix, this was a great taco experience clearly loved by locals (and us). You stand outside and keep ordering as you please. They only have conchinita pibil (pork), a delicious braised pork but offer in it 5 different forms. We tried everything (multiple times) and the panuchus were the clear winner. Tacos cost 26 Mexican pesos and nothing costs more than 50 Mexican pesos.
Check out our full list of Mexico Cities best tacos
Discover Mexico Cities museums
Close by are a range of museums to explore after lunch including the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa, Museo Rufino Tamayo and Museum Jumex. If you decide on the Museo Nacional de AntropologÃa know that you could spend hours and hours wandering around.
Experience one of the cities best cocktails and finish the day with more delicious food
When all "museumed" out, head for a cocktail at Limantour Polanco one of Mexico cities most renowned cocktail bars.
If you want to stay around the area, there are a range of high end restaurants to explore. If you still have more space for tacos, head back to La Condesa or Roma to continue making your way through or list of the best tacos in Mexico City.
Xochimilco
If you have more time or would prefer to visit Xochimilco over Chapultepec Park and the Polanco area then this is the accumulated information we found out via researching and speaking to locals.
Xochimilco, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico City that offers tourists a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Known for its iconic trajineras (colorful boats) navigating ancient canals, Xochimilco preserves Aztec-era chinampas (floating gardens).
Visitors can rent trajineras for leisurely rides enjoying traditional music, food and scenic views. It is like a floating market. The boat cost approx 500 mexican pesos per hour and is approx 1.5 hours in a taxi outside of the Roma North/ La Condesa area.
Over the years, Xochimilco has become a little bit hectic with tourism. Although a wonderful experience steeped in history, you can also expect to be among (or part of) hens, stags and booze cruises.
For us as a couple starting our Mexico trip with limited time in Mexico city, we decided not to go. If we were with a group of friends or had more time in Mexico city we would have loved to experience it.
You can book via Viator or Get your Guide. You can also just rock up and rent your own boat or try and group up with others. You can choose between a simple cruise on the water, buying food a drinks from the locals rowing past or book a tour that includes booze. You can really choose your own journey for Xochimilco.
We hope you enjoyed your 3 Day Mexico City Guide. For more information about Mexico City, check out our KNOW-BEFORE-YOU-GO-GUIDE to Mexico city where we answer all the frequently asked questions.
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