Day-by-day plan, $5
Mexico City in 5 days
For anyone going to Mexico City: all 5 days planned, 31 places in order.
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- Its places average 4.5 on Google24 rated places, 943,099 reviews
Walk the Centro's temples and murals, visit Teotihuacan's pyramids, eat well in Roma and Polanco, and end with a Friday night of lucha libre at Arena Mexico.
Day 1 is on us
5 days · 31 stops
What it's like in AprilApril is warm and dry in Mexico City, around 24°C (75°F) by day and 12°C (54°F) at night. Pack a light jacket and sun protection.
Day 1 · Free
Centro Histórico on an easy pace
Temple ruins, cathedral, murals, and a sunset deck
1 h 39 min
Photo: Ulisesmorales / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.012:24 PM · 1 h
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
ChurchGrand plaza and cathedral, taken slowly while acclimatizing
4.7(24,456)Googlefree
2 min
Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China / Wikimedia Commons · CC01:26 PM · 1 h 30 min
Templo Mayor Museum
MuseumHeart of Tenochtitlan, right beside the cathedral
4.8(35,275)GoogleMXN 95
11 min
Photo: Cafe De Tacuba Centro, S.A. De C.V. / Google3:07 PM · 1 h 15 min
Café De Tacuba
RestaurantCentury-old dining room with classic Mexican dishes
4.4(27,492)Google$$
4 min
Photo: Silvio D Molina Reyes / Google4:26 PM · 45 min
Avenida Francisco I. Madero
Pedestrian street linking the Zócalo to Bellas Artes
4.7(621)Googlefree
8 min
Photo: Xavier Quetzalcoatl Contreras Castillo / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.05:19 PM · 1 h
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Cultural centerArt Deco marble palace with world-class murals
4.8(196,476)GoogleMXN 90
3 min
Photo: J R Eta Rdz / Google19 min
Photo: Taquería Orinoco ( Roma Norte ) / Google8:00 PM · 1 h
Taquería Orinoco
Taco restaurantBenchmark al pastor sliced from the spit with pineapple
4.6(29,118)Google$
The rest of the plan
23 stops
Day 2
Chapultepec museums and Polanco
5 stops · Bosque de Chapultepec, Polanco, Reforma
Day 3
Teotihuacan, City of the Gods
6 stops · Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone
Day 4
Frida, Coyoacán and Xochimilco
6 stops · Coyoacán, Xochimilco
Day 5
Roma, Condesa and lucha libre
6 stops · Condesa, Roma Sur, Doctores
Get all 5 days
Everything below Day 1, plus offline maps and updates until you go.
- 5-day plan from a Roma or Condesa base
- Monday closures and timed tickets sorted
- Teotihuacan and Xochimilco at the right hours
- Offline maps in the app
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Sally can plan your ownRead Day 1 freeMexico City itinerary for 5 days: how the days work
This 5-day Mexico City itinerary is for a couple on a first trip, based in Roma Norte and getting around on foot and by Uber. It is built around the Centro Histórico's Templo Mayor and Bellas Artes, the Museo Nacional de Antropología, a day at Teotihuacan, Frida Kahlo's blue house in Coyoacán with a trajinera ride at Xochimilco, and a lucha libre night at Arena México.
How the five days fit together
- Day 1, the Centro Histórico at an easy pace: the Zócalo and the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Templo Mayor museum, lunch at Café de Tacuba, Calle Madero, the murals in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, sunset from the Torre Latinoamericana's 44th-floor deck, then tacos al pastor at Taquería Orinoco.
- Day 2, Chapultepec: the anthropology museum, Chapultepec Castle, lunch in Polanco, then the Angel of Independence on Reforma.
- Day 3, Teotihuacan: the Ciudadela, the Avenue of the Dead and the Pyramid of the Moon, then lunch in the cave at La Gruta.
- Day 4, Coyoacán and Xochimilco: the Frida Kahlo Museum, Jardín Centenario, tostadas at the Coyoacán market, a trajinera through the chinampas, and dinner at Páramo in Roma.
- Day 5, Roma and Condesa: Parque México and Avenida Ámsterdam, the Medellín market, a mezcal flight at La Clandestina, then lucha libre at Arena México.
Getting around from Roma Norte
The plan rides Uber after dark: back to Roma Norte after dinner on Day 1, home after Arena México, and back from Xochimilco before dark. Uber from Polanco to Reforma is cheap and quick. For Teotihuacan, leave at 7:30 AM by Uber or on a tour and arrange a driver for the return; the rule throughout is no street taxis. On Calle Madero, keep your phone in a front pocket.
What to book ahead
| What | How to book | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Frida Kahlo Museum | Online, weeks ahead; no on-site tickets | MXN 320; arrive 15 minutes before your slot |
| Pujol, Polanco | Reserve well ahead | Or swap for a casual Polanco taquería |
| Arena México lucha libre | cmll.com or the taquilla | The Friday Viernes Espectacular starts 8:30 PM; arrive by 8 |
| Museo Nacional de Antropología | Online, at INAH kiosks or the booth | MXN 95; go straight to the Mexica hall |
| Teotihuacan balloon | Optional | Dawn pickups run 4:30 to 5 AM from Roma |
Altitude, cash and closed days
Take Day 1 slowly: the plan walks the Centro while acclimatizing, warns that stairs will wind you, and keeps bottled water on hand. Carry cash for the Coyoacán market (small bills), the Medellín market and the trajinera. The Templo Mayor opens Tuesday to Sunday and Bellas Artes is shut Mondays, so Day 1 can't be a Monday, while the Arena México show is a Friday card. April is typically warm and dry, around 24°C (75°F) by day and 12°C (54°F) at night.
To stretch this to a week, the guide on how to plan a 7-day itinerary lays out the method step by step, and the trip cost calculator adds up the total per person and per day.
How this plan was made. Sally, Highlights' AI trip planner, wrote it from a brief written for this trip. Its stops are matched to their Google Maps listings (checked Nov 12, 2026), and the ratings, hours and addresses come from Google.
Questions
How many days do you need in Mexico City?
This plan uses five: one for the Centro Histórico, one for Chapultepec's museum and castle, a full day at Teotihuacan, one for Coyoacán and Xochimilco in the south, and one for Roma and Condesa ending at Arena México. Teotihuacan is the only day that leaves the city.
Can you climb the pyramids at Teotihuacan?
Not the Pyramid of the Sun, which the plan notes is closed to climbing. At the Pyramid of the Moon, access is limited to the first platform level, so confirm current access on INAH that morning. The plan arrives at opening, before the heat and crowds, with a hat, sunscreen and bottled water.
Do you need to book the Frida Kahlo Museum in advance?
Yes. Entry to Frida's cobalt home is only by a pre-booked time slot, sold online with no on-site tickets, so book weeks ahead. The plan's ticket costs MXN 320, and it arrives 15 minutes before a 10 AM slot, then walks to Jardín Centenario for coffee from Café El Jarocho.
How much is a trajinera ride in Xochimilco?
The plan's tip gives an official rate of MXN 750 per boat per hour, paid in cash, and budgets MXN 1,500 for a two-hour ride from Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas at 5 PM, through the floating gardens at golden hour. Arrange an Uber back before dark.
Where do you see lucha libre in Mexico City?
This plan ends at Arena México in Doctores for CMLL's Viernes Espectacular, the Friday showcase that starts at 8:30 PM; arrive by 8. Confirm the card and buy tickets at cmll.com or the taquilla, and take an Uber home afterward rather than a street taxi.
