Best 4 days itinerary of what to do in Mexico City

Arriving in Mexico and soaking up the atmosphere of Mexico City, that's what we did !

This city is rich in history, colour and cultural concentration...

In this itinerary you will find suggestions of places and monuments not to be missed !

Palacio Bellas Artes

Castillo de Chapultepec

To understand the history and colonization of Mexico !

Building built in the 16th century under the order of the Viceroy of the new Spain as a secondary residence, this place is full of history and especially through the wars.

Indeed, it was built on the ruins of the residence of the Aztec emperor Moctezuma during the colonisation.

The city of Mexico acquired the establishment in 1806. But with the War of Independence (1810-1821) the castle was abandoned. During the war between the United States and Mexico (1846-1848) the castle was bombed and taken over by the Americans.

From 1864 onwards, the castle was restored to its present appearance under the reign of Maximilian of Habsburg, who undertook major works.

In 1939 it became the National History Museum.

You will be able to appreciate on this place :

Beautiful gardens
The architecture of the castle
Luxurious furniture and tapestries
Paintings (religious, social scenes)
Works by painters
Historical documents and flags of the time
Collection of weapons, coins, clothes...

➡ Price of the entrance : 4€ per person

➡ Duration : 2-3 hours

Jardin Botanico

To discover the country's plant biodiversity !

Not far from Chapultepec Castle, don't hesitate to make a stop at the Botanical Garden.

This one will allows you to walk around for an hour and learn about the country's plant biodiversity for free.

Zocalo

Next, we head for the historic centre of the city, which is very rich in history.

The "Zocalo" which means "Square" for the Mexicans is the heart of this city where is located the old Aztec city destroyed by the Spanish conquest.

You will find in this square :

The Metropolitana cathedral which is the biggest in Latin America.

➡ Price : Free

➡ Duration : 10-15 minutes

Credit Photo : Getty

Templo Mayor which was the temple of the ancient capital of the Aztecs. There is an entrance fee to access the ruins as well as the museum area.

➡ Price : 4€ per person

➡ Duration 1 hour

Credit Photo : iStock

Traditional mayan dances : Right next to the church and the entrance to the temple mayor, you can watch traditional Aztec dance performances. If you're inclined, you can even get purified with the "Chaman" ritual which is steam that is blown around you.

Credit Photo : Cat Cardenas Viator

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Moving a little further away, but still in the historic center, we advise you to pass by this not to be missed place : the Palacio Bellas Artes. It is the first opera house in Mexico City and it is just beautiful ! Very photogenic place, you can immortalize this moment.

➡ Price : Free (it is not possible to enter the palace)

Palacio Postal

The Palacio Postal or Palacio de Correos de Mexico is an historical place and still functions today as the headquarters of the central post office of Mexico City. The interior is breathtaking !

➡ Price : Free (possible to enter)

Credit Photo : MMATT

Finally, moving away a bit from the center, we recommend these 2 activities :

Frida Kahlo Museum : The Frida Kahlo Museum or "La Casa Azul" will allow you to enter the intimate world of one of the most recognized Latin American artists, Frida Kahlo. Walk through the corridors, rooms, studios and gardens where the artist lived, first in her youth and then in her last days. It contains an important part of his artistic legacy. Unfortunately, we were not able to do the museum as there was no ticket office on site and places were sold out. The museum is located in the Coyoacan district (one of the most traditional and beautiful areas of Mexico City), which we visited at the same time and which we loved !

Be careful, if you want to do this museum don't do like us ! We advise you to book your tickets in advance on the museum's website (below) at least 1 week in advance if not more, 2 to 3 weeks depending on the tourist period.

Don't be fooled by other resale sites, the prices are exorbitant (x2 compared to the base price) !

➡ Price : 12,50€ per person.

➡ Website : https://www.boletosfridakahlo.org/

Credit Photo : Museo Frida Kahlo linternaute

Mercado de Coyoacán to discover one of the most typical markets of Mexico City ! It's such a colourful market. You can find typical mexican food, sit and eat like the locals in the heart of the market, buy fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, souvenirs... etc. It was really nice to walk around inside, we loved the atmosphere.