Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.02 Days in Mexico City: Historic Center, Chapultepec & Roma Eats
A weekend sprint through Mexico City: day one in the historic center — the Zócalo, the Templo Mayor and Bellas Artes — day two among Chapultepec's museums and castle, with evenings in the Roma and Condesa food scene. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel — your style, pace and budget.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
6 stops · 4 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
2 days
Each day takes one part of Mexico City, kept close so you walk more than you ride. The map shows the whole route — pick a day to zoom in.
One of the world's largest public squares — the ceremonial heart of Mexico since Aztec times, ringed by the cathedral, the National Palace and the Templo Mayor.
The excavated Great Temple of the Aztecs plus an eight-hall museum of on-site offerings, including the Coyolxauhqui stone.
- Cross the square from the Zócalo to the Templo Mayor ruins — five minutes on foot, Aztec to colonial in one walk.
One of the Historic Center's most traditional restaurants, founded in 1912 in a colonial mansion blocks from the Zócalo, with live music.
The original 1935 churrería: freshly fried churros and thick hot chocolate, steps from Bellas Artes.
Mexico's 'art cathedral': Art Nouveau outside, Art Deco inside, with Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros murals and the Ballet Folklórico.
- Churros and thick hot chocolate at El Moro, steps from Bellas Artes — the classic pre-palace stop.
A downtown seafood and Spanish classic since 1936: the seven-course lunch, seafood soup and white-tablecloth service.
The grand dame of the Zócalo: an 1899 landmark with a soaring Tiffany stained-glass ceiling and one of the city's great rooftop views.
- Look up at the Tiffany stained-glass ceiling in the Art Nouveau lobby.
The hilltop castle holding the National History Museum: Maximiliano and Carlota's Alcazar rooms, the malachite room and Reforma views.
Rufino Tamayo's private collection — Picasso, Miró, Magritte — plus rotating international shows in a landmark building on Reforma.
The Polanco branch of the Monterrey-born late-night taquería: pastor tacos and campechanos at MXN 100–200 per person.
The country's greatest museum: the Aztec Sun Stone, Olmec colossal heads and Maya halls around a landmark courtyard. Give it a full morning.
- The Tamayo and the Anthropology Museum sit three minutes apart on Reforma — do them as one museum morning.
A casual Roma Norte oyster bar: oysters, aguachile and grilled octopus plus natural wines and seasonal cocktails.
Stay put: ~29 min by taxi back from the Anthropology Museum tonight, ~27 min by taxi to Chapultepec Castle in the morning.
Where to stay in Mexico City
Ranked for first-timer travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico
The grand dame of the Zócalo: an 1899 landmark with a soaring Tiffany stained-glass ceiling and one of the city's great rooftop views.
Hotel Geneve
A Zona Rosa institution since 1907; the lobby doubles as a museum of the neighborhood's golden age.
Hotel Zocalo Central
A 105-room boutique two blocks from the Zócalo with breakfast included and a rooftop looking straight at the cathedral.
Flights to Mexico City
Fly into MEX (MEX)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around Mexico City
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
The backbone of the city: the Metro, Metrobús bus rapid transit, the integrated MI fare card, the Cablebús gondolas and city buses. Everything runs on the rechargeable Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada.
- Metro
One of the largest subway systems in the Americas: 12 lines and nearly 200 stations reaching the Zócalo, Chapultepec, Coyoacán and most major sights. A single ride costs $5 MXN (about US$0.25).
Tip: Runs daily 5am to midnight. The first 2–3 cars are reserved for women and children during peak hours; ride outside 7–9am and 6–9pm to avoid the crush.
- Metrobús
Bus rapid transit on dedicated lanes: 7 lines and 283 stations covering areas the Metro misses. Standard fare is $6 MXN per ride, paid only with the MI card (contactless bank cards and Apple/Google Pay also work at turnstiles).
Tip: Line 4 connects the airport to downtown: the Quetzalcóatl route runs from Amajac on Paseo de la Reforma to airport terminals 1 and 2 for $30 MXN, daily 4:30am–midnight.
- Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (MI)
The single rechargeable card for the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, RTP buses and Ecobici — and often the only payment method accepted. Buy it for $15 MXN at vending machines in any Metrobús station.
Tip: Get one on your first day; you cannot pay cash on the Metro or Metrobús.
- Cablebús
The city's gondola lift system: 3 lines and 19 stations. Line 3 links the four sections of Bosque de Chapultepec out to Santa Fe, and Line 2 in Iztapalapa is the longest urban cable-car line in the world (10.55 km). Fare is $7 MXN with the MI card.
Tip: Ride Line 3 for aerial views over Chapultepec park — it's genuinely useful for tourists, not just commuters.
Rideshare
Uber, DiDi and Cabify all operate widely in Mexico City and are the go-to for visitors — generally safer and more convenient than hailing a street cab, especially at night.
- Uber
The most widely used rideshare app in the city, with UberX, Comfort and airport pickups. Fares are cheap by international standards.
Tip: Use Uber at night and for airport runs; agree nothing in advance — the app sets the price.
- DiDi
The main local rival to Uber, often slightly cheaper with frequent promos. Works the same way: app-set fares, card or cash payment.
Tip: Worth having as a backup when Uber surges during rain or rush hour.
- Cabify
A third rideshare option operating in Mexico City, popular with business travelers.
Tip: Useful when Uber and DiDi are both surging.
Bikes
Flat central neighborhoods make cycling easy: the Ecobici bike-share covers Roma, Condesa, Juárez, Polanco and Centro, and every Sunday Paseo de la Reforma closes to cars for the Muévete en Bici ride.
- Ecobici
The city's public bike-share, with hundreds of docking stations across the central neighborhoods. Bikes unlock with the same MI transit card.
Tip: Best for short hops between Roma, Condesa and Juárez — stations are densest there.
- Muévete en Bici (Sunday ciclovía)
Every Sunday, Paseo de la Reforma and other major avenues close to car traffic for the city's weekly bike ride — ride an Ecobici or your own bike through the empty boulevard.
Tip: Go before 10am for the emptiest streets; the closure typically runs until early afternoon.
Taxis
Taxis are everywhere, but visitors should use authorized sitio (radio) taxis or the official App CDMX rather than hailing cars off the street. No tip is expected in taxis; 10% is customary in restaurants.
- Sitio (authorized) taxis
Licensed taxi stands (sitios) at hotels, airports and busy corners; the fare is set or metered and the car is registered. Avoid hailing unmarked street cabs, especially at night.
Tip: Ask your hotel to call a sitio taxi, or walk to the nearest marked stand — never get into an unmarked car.
- App CDMX
The city government's official app, which includes hailing and paying for authorized taxis at regulated rates.
Tip: Download it before you arrive so you can pay official taxis by card without negotiating.
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