Most people know Mexico via Cancun, Cabo, Cozumel, Acapulco, etc. The highly charged tourist hotspots with little legal constraints, spring-breakers and stunning beaches. I am guilty to have visited these touristy spots way before I made it to Mexico City. That has now changed. A Capital that can rival Madrid, Lisbon, Cairo and Rome. A bustling metropolis of 20 million people with a diverse culture and vibe that starkly contrasts the blasphemy of Donald Trump and anti-immigration supporters. This place is worthy.
You don't need more than 3 days in Mexico City. If you want to see the pyramids, add a fourth. The city itself is not a tourist mecca, but more of an immersion into the Mexican way of life.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Angel of independence, walk along La Reforma st checking different statues, shops. Last sunday of the month, the street is closed to pedestrian only traffic and amateur running races. Anthropology Museum, and its surrounding park. Chapultepec castle is near by and quite a hike. Zocalo and the historical plaza, followed by a stroll through Madero's busy pedestrian street for shopping and food. At the end is the Sears buidling, where the top floor coffee shop has a stunning view of the Bellas Artes Muesum.
Day 2: Frida Kahlo Museum, Trostsky museum. Spend some time enjoying coyacan's food markets and plaza. Head to Mexican wrestling Lucha Libre.
Day 3: Spend the day roaming the bohemian Roma Norte and Roma Sur. Later check the Soumaya museum and walk around Condesa and Palanco for upscale flair of Mexico's elite. This last day has some room to fit in missed items from action packed day 1.
Airport: Keep all immigration documents they give you, which includes a small piece of paper that many lose and end up having to pay a $25 penalty before they leave back home. Exchange money, preferably at a bank or currency exchange in town, but if you need some pesos, get them from the booths after you leave the arrival gate, not the ones you see before. Also, hire a cab from one of the nearby booths, its pre-pay according to destination and you won't have to haggle with the driver.
What to see: To get the touristy stuff out of the way, visit the Museum of Anthropology, very impressive, alot of statues and stone carvings celebrating the Mayan and Aztec empires. Spend 3-4 hours and get an English speaking guide so you know what your looking at. Entry is cheap, $3. Usually there is a line, but better to get tickets online before you go.
Frida Kahlo Museum and Trotsky's house in Coyacan are impressive, but don't go if you don't like her art or his politics. If you go, spend 4 hours between both. But remember the line at Kahlo's museum is long. If you are lucky, the website might let you by tickets. Continuous error messages are the norm. When done head to the center plaza in Coyacan enjoy the atmosphere filled with street vendors, shops, restaurants and bars. There is a food market not too far from there.
The Soumaya museum is awesome, and worth spending some time there. The architecture is stunning from the outside matched by the relics and replicas in the inside (Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Rodin, to name a few).
Historical Center (Zocalo) is awesome and most impressive of all the Spanish speaking countries, which pretty much have the exact same layout, but not to the scale and grandeur of Mexico. Absorb the wonderful architecture, visit the church and the palace. Murals of Diego Rivera and an Aztex temple are close by and worth a stop.
Chapultepec Castle, quite a hike with good views of Mexico City. the Castle is a house, and not that impressive of a museum. In my opinion, can be skipped.
Palace Des Belles Artes, beautiful building with fine arts. The building facade is better than the art works inside.
Angel of independence and other statues on La Reforma st. Do not miss out on Mexican wrestling, you can buy tickets at ticket master booths across the city. Do not be cheap, get the most expensive ($20) seats and enjoy the show.
Transportation: Use Uber, incredibly cheap, half hour journeys cost $8 USD. Learn the subway system, very efficient way of getting around a city with stand still traffic.
Where to eat: Food stands, get your hands on street tacos, tortas, chorizo and tamales when you get a chance.
Historical center / Zocolo: Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales. You will see a huge line of locals for the steamed tacos and fresh guacamole. For Dinner head to Azul Historico for amazing ambiance and great food. Every month, they dedicate part of the menu for cuisine specific to a region of Mexcio. Coffee at Sears tower for a view of Bellas artes. For good views of the historical center head to El Balcon or Zocalo coffee shop. For a great food market, head to mercado de San Juan. You need to be specific when looking for directions, its off the beaten path, and there are 3 other San Juan markets. You are looking for Gastronomica (food market) and it's helpful to say Ernesto Pugibet market.
Biko in Palanco is pricey, rated 2nd best in Mexico and one of the world's top 50, not worth it in my opinion.
For authentic Mexican food head to Taqueria Alvaro in Roma Norte for a flair of cheap eats. Mercado Roma is a gourmet food market with pretty good food, but doesn't beat the street food and local eats. For good Churros, head to El Churero. Check out the neighboring Argentinian and Uruguayan steak houses.
Coyacan: the Coyacan food market is great, with options ranging from steak to seafood and everything in between. A la carte menus galore at the many food stalls making up this eclectic market.
Where to party: For a burning man experience in the heart of the city, do not leave without checking out Patrick Miller. It's so different that it got a nod from Vice. Not far from it is P-109, fantastic place with great music in the second story of an apartment building. Rhodesia and Pata Negra are not as good, but worth checking out. For a more normal / laid back scene check out Pan y Circo, Departmento, aurora and Limantour, all are awesome and packed with locals.
Where to stay: I would stick with Roma Norte in the heart of the city and close to most neighborhoods you wanna check out. It's easy to get stuck in traffic and you want to minimize your commute time. Tip: look for a hotel / Airbnb not far from an underground station.
Safety: You think I might rant about lack of safety or I saw drug smuggling deals happen all over the city. Wrong! The city is very safe in all the neighborhoods we visited. Can't vouch for other areas. But the city is significantly safer than what people lead you to believe. Don't worry.
