14 spots for a perfect weekend in Mexico City

Photo by Wikimedia Commons.

Mexico City is a fascinating metropolis, packed with museums, historical sites, restaurants, bars and every kind of entertainment you can imagine. This super cool destination is huge and if you only have a couple of days to visit it, you’ll probably feel overwhelmed by its tremendous cultural offer. There will never be enough time to visit all the amazing sites Mexico’s capital has to offer, but here are some tips if you want to get the most out of your weekend in this amazing place.

Editor’s note: These spots are all taken directly from travelstoke®, a new app from Matador that connects you with fellow travelers and locals, and helps you build trip itineraries with spots that integrate seamlessly into Google Maps and Uber. Download the app to add any of the spots below directly to your future trips.

Day 1

Start your day early in Centro Histórico, visiting three of the most interesting sites in the heart of the city:

Murales en Palacio Nacional

 Murales en Palacio NacionalCiudad de México, MexicoAt National Palace you can admire some amazing murals from renowned and very famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. “Epopeya del Pueblo Mexicano” painted on one of the main staircases is simply extraordinary.

Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral

 Mexico City Metropolitan CathedralCiudad de México, MexicoThe Metropolitan Cathedral was built in the mid-16th century and is the largest cathedral in Latin America. It’s considered one of the most beautiful religious complexes on the continent, both for the beauty and originality of its architectural design, and for the artistic treasures that it houses.

Templo Mayor Museum

 Templo Mayor MuseumEjido del Centro, MexicoIn this place was situated the main temple of the Aztecs. Today we can still observe some vestiges and the museum houses an important collection of pre-Hispanic art.

Don’t leave Centro Histórico just yet. Take your time to walk and explore everything that surrounds Madero Street.

Calle Madero

 Calle MaderoCiudad de México, MexicoTo walk through this pedestrian street is a must in Mexico City’s downtown. Full of shops, historic buildings and a couple of beautiful temples, it’s a great promenade that connects the Palace of Fine Arts with the Zócalo (main square).

And have a midday snack in El Moro, one of the most traditional restaurants around. Try some hot chocolate and don’t forget to order some churros.

El Moro

 El MoroCiudad de México, MexicoYou have to eat a churro and drink a cup of hot chocolate in this place, the most famous in the city. It’s simply delicious!

Just a couple blocks north from El Moro, you’ll find a couple examples of Mexico’s most amazing architecture.

National Art Museum

 National Art MuseumCentro, MexicoThis amazing museum has over 3,000 pieces of art, mainly paintings made from the 16th century to the first half of the 20th century. It is located in one of the most beautiful buildings in Mexico City’s downtown.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

 Palacio de Bellas ArtesEjido del Centro, MexicoThe Palace of Fine Arts is the maximum house of art in Mexico. In its interior we can admire spectacular murals of artists like Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Rufino Tamayo and Siqueiros. It houses some of the best temporary exhibitions that come to the country, as well as great music, dance and theater shows.

Finish this first day dining and watching the sunset from a rooftop restaurant.

La Azotea

 La AzoteaCiudad de México, MexicoEnjoy the beautiful view to the Alameda Central from this restaurant-bar terrace.

Day 2

There’s no better place to start a Sunday stroll in Mexico City than Paseo de la Reforma and its surrounding avenues. All of them are closed to traffic on Sunday mornings.

Paseo de la Reforma

 Paseo de la ReformaCiudad de México, MexicoThis is one of the most emblematic streets in the city. I recommend to walk it from Avenida Insurgentes to the Estela de Luz. Here you will find restaurants, hotels, shops, bookshops and one of the most important icons of the city: the Angel of Independence. The “Sunday bike ride” is amazing and the street is closed from 8am to 2pm, so hundreds of persons can enjoy the avenue without cars and ride their bicycles with friends, family and pets.

Paseo de la Reforma will lead you directly to the city’s main urban forest. Take your time to wander around the multiple paths and museums of Chapultepec.

Chapultepec Forest

 Wander around Chapultepec ForestCiudad de México, MexicoThis is an amazing place to visit and the entrance is free. You can wander around and see the old baths of Moctezuma, attend a free cultural activity at Casa de Lago or just admire and take pictures if the beautiful view with the lake.

Chapultepec Castle

 Chapultepec CastleCiudad de México, MexicoThis beautiful palace houses the National Museum of History which exhibits different collections of treasures that have seen the history of Mexico, such as furniture, paintings, clothing, coins, etc. The castle is located on top of a hill so the panoramic views from its gardens and terraces are amazing.

Museo de Arte Moderno

 Museo de Arte ModernoCiudad de México, MexicoThis museum houses extraordinary temporary exhibitions of modern art, both by Mexican and international artists. If you’re around Bosque de Chapultepec, is a good site to visit.

Museo Nacional de Antropología

 Museo Nacional de AntropologíaCiudad de México, MexicoThis museum has the most important collection of anthropological and ethnographic pieces of pre-Hispanic cultures in Mexico. Its exhibition is so large that it can be overwhelming, so take a good time to visit it or focus on the areas of the most popular cultures like Mayan, Aztec (or Mexica) and Teotihuacan. It’s better to come on weekdays.

Once you’re done with Chapultepec, grab a taxi and finish the day relaxing in the beautiful Colonia Roma.

Orizaba Street

 Orizaba streetCiudad de México, MexicoStreet full of options to eat, drink, see art and have a wonderful time in trendy Colonia Roma.