Mexico City 7-day itinerary

Start at the Zócalo, flanked by the Palacio Nacional (free, passport required) with Diego Rivera's epic murals, and the Catedral Metropolitana, which is visibly sinking into the soft lakebed below. Walk to the Templo Mayor (MXN 85) — Aztec ruins excavated in 1978 in the heart of the city. Breakfast at Café El Popular (MXN 80–120), open 24 hours since 1948.

Metro to Chapultepec for the finest museum in the Americas — the Museo Nacional de Antropología (MXN 85). The Aztec Sun Stone, Olmec heads, Maya jade death masks, and reconstructed tombs are extraordinary. The ground floor covers archaeology; the upper floor has ethnography. Allow 3 hours minimum. Lunch at the museum café or walk to Polanco for birria at Tacos Orinoco.

Take the Metro to Insurgentes and walk into Roma Norte. Dinner at Contramar (reserve ahead) for their two-toned grilled fish or keep it casual with tacos al pastor at El Vilsito (MXN 15–25 each, opens at 10pm). Drinks on Álvaro Obregón — Baltra Bar for mezcal cocktails (MXN 120–180) or Licorería Limantour, one of the world's top-ranked cocktail bars.

Metro to Coyoacán for the Casa Azul — Frida Kahlo's home, now a museum (MXN 250, pre-book). Her studio, bedroom, and kitchen garden are deeply personal. Walk the cobblestone streets to Jardín Centenario, past colonial churches and street vendors selling café de olla (MXN 25–35). Visit the Leon Trotsky Museum (MXN 60) two blocks away — his study still has bullet holes.

Tren Ligero to Xochimilco for a trajinera ride on the ancient Aztec canals. Boats hold 15–20 people (MXN 500–700/hour, split costs). Floating vendors sell elote, fruit, micheladas, and tamales. Mariachi bands paddle alongside for tips. The atmosphere on weekends is pure Mexican celebration. Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas is the best boarding point.

Evening in Coyoacán's market — tostadas de tinga, quesadillas, churros, and esquites for MXN 20–50 each. For sit-down, Mercado de Coyoacán has excellent seafood stalls. End at a traditional cantina like La Coyoacana — free botanas (snacks) with every drink, live music, and a genuinely local crowd. Mezcal starts at MXN 50–70 per pour.

Mercado de San Juan (Metro Salto del Agua) is the gourmet heart of CDMX. Exotic meats, aged cheeses, fresh seafood, and artisanal mole. Breakfast on tlayudas (MXN 60–80) and basket tacos (MXN 10 each) from outside vendors. Walk through the surrounding Centro streets — every block specialises in something different. The taco stands near Metro Balderas are legendary for suadero tacos.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (MXN 85) is Mexico's premier cultural venue — an art deco masterpiece housing murals by Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros on the upper floors. The Alameda Central park next door is the oldest public park in the Americas, dating to 1592. Walk to the Museo de Arte Popular (MXN 60) for extraordinary folk art — alebrijes, textiles, and ceramics from every state.

Metro to Garibaldi for the Plaza de los Mariachis — dozens of mariachi groups in full traje de charro performing for hire. You can pay a group to play a song (MXN 100–200 per song) or just absorb the atmosphere. Dinner at the Mercado San Camilito inside the plaza — tequila and birria. Then walk to nearby Bar La Ópera — a 19th-century cantina where Pancho Villa supposedly shot a bullet into the ceiling.

Metro to Universidad for the UNAM campus — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Biblioteca Central is covered in a monumental mosaic by Juan O'Gorman. David Alfaro Siqueiros' mural on the Rectoría building is equally stunning. Visit MUAC (MXN 40), Mexico's top contemporary art museum. The campus feels like an open-air gallery — murals cover entire building facades.

Head south to Tlalpan — a colonial-era village swallowed by the city but retaining its cobblestone charm. The main plaza has cafes, a gorgeous parish church, and the weekend Mercado de Tlalpan with excellent traditional food (mains MXN 50–80). Walk through the Jardín Botánico of UNAM (free) in the volcanic Pedregal lava fields — an otherworldly landscape of black rock and cacti.

Walk to San Ángel — a leafy colonial neighbourhood with grand haciendas and the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo (MXN 40). If it is Saturday, the Bazar Sábado craft market has high-quality artisan goods. Dinner at San Ángel Inn (splurge, mains MXN 300–500) or La Barraca Valenciana for paella (MXN 180–250). Return to Roma for nightcaps.

Walk through Polanco — CDMX's most upscale district with galleries, designer boutiques, and Parque Lincoln. The Museo Soumaya (free entry, always) is housed in a shimmering aluminium-skinned building and holds Carlos Slim's private collection — European masters, Rodin sculptures, and Mexican art. The top-floor Dalí collection is unexpectedly impressive.

Return to Chapultepec for what you missed — Chapultepec Castle (MXN 85) sits atop a hill with city views and houses the Museo Nacional de Historia. Walk the second section of the Bosque for the Cárcamo de Dolores (Rivera underwater mural, free) and the peaceful lakes. Lunch at one of the park's food stalls — esquites, elote, and hot dogs for MXN 20–40.

Colonia Juárez is the new nightlife frontier — sleek cocktail bars, mezcalerías, and Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurants. Dinner at Loup Bar for creative small plates (MXN 120–200) or Yuban for Oaxacan fine dining (MXN 200–350). Drinks at Handshake Speakeasy (ring the doorbell, often ranked in the world's top 10 bars, cocktails MXN 200–280) or Parker & Lenox for a more relaxed mezcal session.

Take the bus from Terminal Norte (Autobuses Teotihuacán, MXN 120 return, 1 hour). Arrive by 9am before the heat and crowds. The Pyramid of the Sun is the third-largest pyramid in the world — the climb is steep but the view from the top across the Avenue of the Dead is life-changing. Walk the entire Avenue to the Pyramid of the Moon for perspective on this ancient city that once held 125,000 people.

Visit the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcóatl) — the most ornately carved structure on site with serpent heads emerging from the stone. The on-site museum is small but well-curated. Browse the obsidian workshops outside the gates — artisans carve beautiful pieces from volcanic glass. Negotiate prices (MXN 50–200 for a carved figurine). Grab lunch at one of the outdoor restaurants near Gate 1.

Bus back to Terminal Norte (last bus around 6pm, confirm times). Metro to Condesa for a farewell-worthy dinner. Walk the circular Avenida Amsterdam — one of the most beautiful residential streets in the city. Dinner at Azul Condesa for refined Mexican cuisine (mains MXN 180–300) or grab tacos at Taquería Los Cocuyos near Garibaldi (MXN 12–20 per taco). End with mezcal on a Roma rooftop.

This under-the-radar neighbourhood has the Kiosco Morisco — a stunning Moorish pavilion from a 19th-century world's fair, now in a quiet plaza. Walk to the Museo del Chopo (MXN 30), a gothic iron-frame building housing alternative art. Breakfast at Panadería Rosetta on Roma's Calle Colima (MXN 50–80) for Mexico's finest artisan bread — the concha de guayaba and pan de muerto-style pastries are extraordinary.

Metro to La Merced for the largest traditional market in Latin America — a sensory explosion of produce, mole, dried chillies, piñatas, and prepared food. Eat your way through the food stalls — quesadillas (MXN 15–25), huaraches (MXN 30–40), and fresh juices (MXN 20). The flower market section is a riot of colour. Walk to nearby Mercado de Sonora for curiosities and traditional herbal medicine.

For your final night, return to what CDMX does best — tacos and mezcal. Start with suadero tacos at Tacos Los Güeros on Insurgentes (MXN 12–18 each, the crispy beef fat is addictive). Walk to Bósforo in Centro for mezcal (100+ varieties from MXN 60) in a candlelit bar with jazz. Or end at La Clandestina in Condesa for smoky drinks and a last walk down tree-lined streets.