Amazing 5 Day Mexico City Itinerary! Visit the most popular spots!

This amazing 5 day Mexico City itinerary will have you visit the most popular spots so you can experience Mexico’s rich and beautiful culture, learn about it’s fascinating (yet complicated) history, and indulge on the legendary tacos and Mezcal that this Ancient capital is world renown for.

When I first put this itinerary together it was with a first time visitor in mind (my wife). She had never been to CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico) and wanted to visit the historic Aztec capital for herself. I had previously visited twice (both times to watch Mexico vs USA in World Cup qualifying matches). However, I wanted to see some new sights since on both my trips I ended up doing the same things!

With that context in mind, we discussed our “must see” list together and then I added some side quests to make our journey that much more interesting. Each day would be a unique adventure. This 5 day Mexico City itinerary can be done in the order we did it, in reverse, or any combination. Bottom line is you’ll get to see the best of this stunning metropolis!

Where to Stay? – In Polanco

Yes it’s a fancy and upscale area but our anniversary was just around the corner and we wanted to splurge a bit. The currency exchange rate was 20 Mexican pesos to 1 US Dollar, so it wasn’t a bad deal at all. I promise you won’t break the bank even while staying in one of Mexico’s City’s richest neighborhoods.

This ritzy district is home to some of the best restaurants and bars. And not just in Mexico but in the world. Pujol, Quintonil, and Limantour can all be found here. High end boutiques, art galleries, and the Museo Soumaya which is owned by one of the wealthiest men in the world (Carlos Slim) all reside in Polanco.

But aside from the glitz and glamour, it’s location and safety reputation make it one of the best areas to stay in. These were keys to us as we wanted to be close to as many sites as possible but also didn’t want to have to worry about getting mugged right outside our hotel.

InterContinental Presidente Mexico City

We chose the InterContinental Presidente Mexico City property for it’s location, prestige, and room views. Man o man do their rooms have some super sweet views. The pic below is from our standard room. If you upgrade to a suite, the windows are almost floor to ceiling for an even more exceptional experience.

The service you’ll receive here is top notch and they have a 1st class concierge team. They can (and will) arrange all of your activities. Everything from tours, private drivers, tickets, you name it. They are on top of it and well connected to all the tourist sites and current events happening. This would come in handy on our trip as we had to rely on their services a couple of times. The staff really does go above and beyond to make you feel special here.

Our hotel was located just outside of Chapultepec Park. It was very close to the Castillo de Chapultepec and the Museum of Anthropology which were on our bucket list. It was also a 5 minute walk to the beautiful Paseo de la Reforma Avenue so this helped with game planning. Our day one site seeing revolved around our proximity to these places. The plan was simple and straight forward. Check into hotel, freshen up, and hit the ground running!

5 Day Mexico City itinerary Day 1 – Tacos, Chapultepec Castle, Museum of Anthropology, Zocalo

Yes you read that list right. Tacos is absolutely the very first thing you should get into when visiting Mexico City. And not just any tacos, I’m talking about street tacos to be more precise! I’ll have plenty to say about the taco scene but first just a couple of tidbits about the castle, museum, and Zocalo. The first 2 close at 5pm and the latter is open all day and night. But keep in mind that the churches and several businesses around Zocalo close early. It’s also not a safe area in the evening there. Just something to ponder when playing around with the itinerary.

One other key note that I probably should have mentioned earlier in this post, arrange for a guide prior to your arrival. Either booking your own or through your hotel. Trust me when I say this will make your vacation so much more pleasant. Our personal guide (Marcos) was recommended by a friend who had visited a couple of months earlier in the year. We communicated with him on the phone and booked his services prior to our visit. The dude was solid and I will recommend him to you as well. I’ll post his contact info and social media at the end of this post.

Tacos 🤤

Back to the itinerary and tacos. After meeting us at our hotel and getting into his ride, Marcos started to tell us about the area we were in and it’s history, and about the castle we were about to visit when I stopped him. “Con permiso Marcos, pero antes de empezar el tour, necesito tacos de la calle”, I told him sort of abruptly. For my non-Spanish speakers, I basically told him “hold up Marcos, before we start the tour, I need street tacos”. Without missing a beat he tells us “I know just the place.” The little taco stand he pulled over for us to eat at hit the spot perfectly! I think I ate like 6 of them, no joke. They were that good. Now we were ready to tour the castle.

Castillo de Chapultepec

This castle on the highest hill of Chapultepec Park was the only royal palace in North America. It’s a remarkable structure with fascinating stories to go with it. We had done some reading on it before the trip and used Marcos to fill in the gaps. We couldn’t’ wait to see it for ourselves.

The path leading to the castle is very well kept and we were quite impressed by the way the Paseo de La Reforma connected to the grounds. It is said that this straight boulevard was modeled after the great ones in Europe. Hard to argue with that once you see it.

You’ll also see a beautiful monument paying tribute to the Niños Héroes (Boy Heroes). These cadets bravely died defending Mexico City during the Mexican-American war in 1847. After a fierce battle in which the Mexican side was losing, the order was given to retreat but 6 proud military cadets refused the order and fought to the death. Pretty gritty stuff that is still honored in Mexico to this day. There is even a civil holiday dedicated to them and their service.

Once you pass the monument you’ll head up a little ways to the ticketing station. I would recommend you buy your tickets online ahead of time and skip the lines. You can buy them on your own, arrange for the hotel to get them, or have your guide get them before your visit.

Chapultepec Hill

As mentioned before, this castle is nestled at the very top of the hill so get ready to walk (wear comfortable shoes!) uphill. It’s a pretty good climb but there are benches, statues, and nice views along the scenic path. Just remember to take it slow. Mexico City is after all, the 8th highest capitol city in the world at 7,350 feet above sea level. You will definitely feel it’s affect especially if you are traveling from a coastal city or one with low altitude.

The Castle – More of a Palace

Once you arrive at the top and go through the palace gates, you’ll notice right way that this castle is really more of a palace. But what a splendid palace/castle it is! The gardens and courtyards around the main structures were beautifully maintained and the 360 degree views were fantastic. Marcos led the way to the main rooms and explained to us what we were looking at. He told us stories of a bygone era that this historic palace was a part of and we listened intently as our cameras snapped away.

We spent a couple of hours here and in my opinion it was just the right amount of time. I absolutely recommend this place as a must see site when visiting CDMX. Check out the slide show gallery below.

Museum of Anthropology

A 20 minute walk (or short car ride) from the castle is the National Museum of Anthropology. Mexico’s most important, largest, and most visited museum is another must visit site. So many artifacts, collections, and exhibits from Mexico’s pre-Columbian era to be seen here. Marcos sub contracted a specialist in this subject to guide us for this portion of the tour.

While we listened and learned about that time period and marveled at the ancient artwork and sculptures, we couldn’t help but take note of how cruel the Spanish were when they encountered the Aztec (and other Indians of that time). I can only describe it as cruelty for the sake of cruelty. Pure disrespect for the temples and people of that time. If they didn’t outright destroy the statues they encountered, they defaced them.

Aside from that, some of the pieces really are impressive and the ingenuity used to build them and their ancient civilizations gives you an appreciation for how advanced they were in some areas. There is so much to see here and this place really deserves several hours to properly view all of the sections. We honestly could have spent half a day at this museum, it’s that good. And we aren’t the museum type either!

Zocalo – Attempt number one 😂

After leaving the museum our guide took us down Reforma boulevard to see the Angel of Independence. He then drove us close to the Zocalo to park his car in Chinatown. Yes CDMX has a chinatown (I didn’t know either, lol).

Marcos wanted us to make a stop at this post office in the area and at first we were like, bruh, why? But then we got there and it all made sense. OMG, this has to be the most beautiful and charming post office you’ll ever see. Have a look for yourself.

I have to give Marcos props for these surprise spots. I had not heard or read about this post office or Chinatown when researching things to see in CDMX. These wouldn’t be the only surprises from him on this trip.

From the post office he took us to this 17th century building that is now a restaurant. La Casa de los Azulejos is definitely a throwback place and worth a stop if you’re in the area. Not only is it super old but it also feels old (like a step back in time when you’re inside). The building is even leaning due to the ground that Mexico City was built over.

Tapped Out

Stepping out of the blue tiles restaurant, Marcos took us to Bellas Artes since it was literally a couple of minutes walk. I went inside to buy ballet folklorico tickets for Sunday’s perfomance. But by this time, we were beat fam. We had been up since 4 am, the altitude had gotten to us, and we ran out of steam. It was now 6 pm and we knew we had the Pyramids the following day which would entail a lot more walking. We told our guide, “no mas amigo”, and we called it a day. Back to the hotel for dinner, a drink or two, then lights out.

Dinner Night 1- Chapulin

I couldn’t wrap up day one without talking about dinner time. True to my travel edict (when in Rome, do as the Romans), I had to keep it real and eat & drink like the locals here. That meant Mezcal (boy do chilangos love their mezcal) and grasshoppers 😲. But before we got to that part, we had a few beers to unwind at the executive lounge in our hotel. Liquid courage always helps. Plus we had some new views to admire.

We had dinner at the appropriately named Chapulin restaurant. The name literally means grasshopper so you know it will be on the menu. This place was absolutely fantastic and the food was delicious. I know, I know, you want to know about what it’s like eating freaking grasshoppers. Well I’ll be honest with you, there are 3 phases you will go through. First dread, then you’re like F it here goes, and finally you’ll be like “damn these things are good!

I’d say they are crunchy, tangy, and had a little spice to them. I think that’s how they were prepared for us. Or that could have been the Mezcal working on us. Either way, we were surprised at how good they were. TBH we were expecting the worst. Goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, or a bug.

5 Day Mexico City itinerary Day 2 – Teotihuacan Pyramids, La Gruta, and Lucha Libre!

Depending on how you want to experience the pyramids determines what time you should start heading out from Mexico City. Teotihuacan is roughly 75 minutes away from the capital so if you wanted to ride the hot air balloons you need to be on the road by 5:30 am as they go up at 7. We were doing a regular tour so we left our hotel at 8:00 am. The archaeological zone opens at 9 so you want to get there close to opening time. One other note, don’t visit on Sunday as it is extremely busy because it is free to enter for Mexican nationals.

Marcos picked us up promptly and we made a quick stop along the way at some small ruins. We spent about 20 minutes there and in hindsight I would have passed on making the detour. I had tunnel vision. Visiting the pyramids had been a life long dream of mine and I wanted to make a bee line for them. As we got closer I grew more restless. Like a little kid heading to Disneyworld for the first time, I was anxious.

When we exited the freeway and the pyramids came into view from a distance I was besides myself. “Look babe! Look! They’re right there!”, I excitedly exclaimed to my wife. She was more restrained but also delighted to finally visit this ancient wonder of the world. And then Marcos chimed in, “I’m going to take y’all to one more spot before we enter the Pyramid grounds.” Nooooooooo. They’re right there! I thought to myself.

Artisan shop and Mezcal tasting

So to be fair to our guide, we rather enjoyed this little pit stop just outside the Pyramid zone. We learned about the art of making Mezcal, quilt making, and stone artwork. My favorite part was the Mezcal tasting. Nothing like catching a sweet buzz before 10am. Inside there is a big gift shop, which of course my wife enjoyed and then we took the obligatory picture in serape and mariachi hat 🤣.

Teotihuacan archaeological site

Finally! As we entered the site, Marco led us to some smaller ruins that were near the entrance. There we learned about the techniques and colors used by these ancient people. It was a nice slow build to the main event. We listened intently to the stories and took in the new knowledge while snapping away to capture every single moment and structure.

As we moved towards the main area and onto the Avenue of the Dead, the pyramid of the moon comes into the frame and WOW. No matter how many PBS and National Geographic documentaries you’ve watched about these pyramids, there is nothing like seeing them up close and personal. Mesmerizing is how I would describe what it feels like to see the pyramids in person for the first time.

You have to understand, my wife and I are students of history and since we were kids, these pyramids had captured our imagination. To finally be here walking alongside these wonders of the old world was surreal. Built around 100 AD, this ancient city will have you in awe as you move from structure to structure and make the long walk from the Pyramid of the Moon to the Pyramid of the Sun at the other end.

Things to know before visiting the pyramids.

• Wear comfortable shoes! No flip flops or “cute” heels or sandals or you will regret it.
• Use sunblock and/or wear hats and long sleeve shirts. Sun is strong out there.
• Carry a small backpack for waters.
• Get there as close to opening time as possible. I don’t care if you’re not a morning person. The big tour tour buses start arriving around 11’ish and don’t stop. Don’t be crying about too many tourists if your butt gets there at noon.
• You won’t be able to climb any of the pyramids due to stupid covid restrictions (as of this July 2022 writing). There are rumors that they may never allow climbing anymore. It’s a shame too. Here are some pics of what your climb would look like staring up the pyramids.

La Gruta

After hours of walking and discovery at the pyramids, it was time to eat. We had made reservations a week in advance on Open Table (and you should too) and were ready to experience this much talked about restaurant. This thing is inside of a freaking cave! We loved the concept and the proximity to the pyramids (about 200 yards from Gate 5 of the Teotihuacan Archaeological Zone, behind the Pyramid of the Sun).

We arrived on time and were led down to our table inside the cave. The layout and vibe was festive and we were ready to try out some of the local cuisine. The food here is authentic as it gets. My wife was eager to eat the local fare and dove right in head first. She messed around and ordered some kind of Nopal (cactus) dish and I sat there in shock. 26 years married to this woman and she has never ever ordered anything with nopales. Maybe it was that strong cocktail they gave her as an appetizer?

I played it safe and ordered the local barbacoa. My wife ate about four bites of her dish. It turns out she isn’t about that Nopales life, lol. My dish was good and I felt bad telling her it was good. So as you can see amigos, there is a limit to when in Rome. My wife’s ordering mishap was a one off. We would still highly recommend this restaurant to those visiting the pyramids. You’ll even get a candle at the end of your meal to make an offering.

Lucha Libre

After our late lunch we headed back to our hotel for a nap to recharge. This was a real nap, not like the fiasco in Las Vegas nap from our last trip, lol. We both properly set our alarms and knocked out. The first bout was set for 8:30 and we wanted to be in our seats by 8 pm. I was super pumped about attending and my wife could not believe I was taking her to a wrestling event. She had never even been to an American wrestling match. I assured her that this was much better.

Alarms went of, we got dressed, and headed to the lobby to ask the concierge about a ride to the Arena Mexico coliseum. It had started to rain a little and she starts asking us about our transportation plans. I tell her that I’m planning on using Uber to go and come back and she tells us that the area around the Arena is not too safe and she recommends we use one of the hotel chauffer’s to wait for us and bring us back.

Of course my wife thinks this is a great idea and I’m like, “babe, that’s like $100 for the dude to take us, wait for wrestling to finish, then bring us back”. But to no avail, she was sold on the hotel driver idea. So we climb into this fancy souped up hotel SUV and we’re on our way to the hood to watch some lucha libre.

Arena Mexico

Okay so the Arena Mexico is in a rougher part of CDMX but it’s not like we were heading to a Brazilian favela or anything like it. Plus as you can see from my pic above, there are plenty of police at the entrance. Our driver dropped us off at the entrance and stated he would be parked right across the street when we got out. We made our way to the ticket window to buy our tickets. So this is where I should have taken my own advice about buying tickets in advance of your trip.

There are ticket scalpers that hang around the box office that are annoying AF. Had I bought my tickets ahead of time I could have avoided all that silliness. It wasn’t that big a deal but if it can be avoided, just do it. Once we got our tickets we were searched by security and were allowed in. The whole thing was relatively smooth for the most part.

Once inside we found our seats first then went to the souvenir shop and concession stand. You have to get a mask, it’s a must! My wife was just shaking her head as I tried them on. Boom! Found one that was a perfect fit and it happened to match what I was wearing that night, lol.

So what’s it like?

2 hours of nonstop over the top showmanship combined with some great athleticism. It’s a riot from the very beginning and doesn’t slow down. It doesn’t take long for the crowd to choose a favorite or decide who the bad guy (or girl) is. Once that happens, the crowd is in full effect and the insults start flying! I mean I heard some wild ass shit talking all around us. Some wonderful gems like:

• “Matenlo! Matenlo!” – Kill him kill him
• “Quitale el calzon!” – Take his underwear off
• “Desgreñarla” – Take her hair out!

And this is just a small sample of what I heard the women screaming! 🤣

The wrestlers for their part fed into it and encouraged the desmadre. They would quickly add fuel to the fire by flipping off the crowd or spouting their own mierda back at them. The whole scene was a laugh riot. There was a kid wrestler in one match who got in the action and then they put his little ass in a headlock and the crowd went wild. In other match they had some midgets jumping into the fray and they got some beatdowns. There’s also some female on female wrestling to round out the matches.

Dinner Night 2 – More Street Tacos

As promised, our driver was literally across the street waiting for us when we left the arena. Not going to lie, felt pretty cool having a private hotel chauffer driving you around and waiting to take you wherever you want. By now we had a nice buzz going and were ready to eat. That could mean only one thing, Tacos al Pastor! The official taco of Mexico City, lol. I told the driver we’d like to eat them and he said “I know just the place”. Of course he did. They know all the taco joints!

He took us to this street taco restaurant and we weren’t the only ones with tacos on the mind. It was 11pm on a Friday night and the people were arriving for their fix. Either coming from an event or fueling up for a night that was about to start. I wish I would have taken a pic of the name so I could recommend it but the Bohemia’s were hitting and the Pastor Trompo had all my attention. Tacos were excellent!

5 Day Mexico City itinerary Day 3 – Coyoacan, Frida Kahlo Caza Azul, Bazar Sábado in San Ángel, Xochimilco

It was now Saturday or better known in our itinerary as Frida Kahlo Day! Marcos had prebought our tickets to the world famous Caza Azul a week before our arrival. Our reserved time slot was for 11 am so the plan this day was to tour Coyoacan until it was time for us to get in line at the Frida Kahlo house.

Coyoacan

Bohemian Coyoacan is probably the most chill and quaint neighborhood you’ll find in CDMX. It is full of colonial charm with it’s cobblestone streets and tree lined plazas. It’s a very old part of town with a distinctive history that is worth reading about prior to visiting. We found it to be perfect and to our liking. I honestly could have stayed in this area as well and been just fine.

We walked around the Jardín Centenario park as Marcos pointed out certain buildings, houses, and streets and told us important historic facts about them. Getting a tour of this area is a great way to pass the time while you’re waiting for your Frida Kahlo museum slot. Grab an ice cream cone or some food at one of the many street side cafes in the area. Or just sit on a plaza bench and enjoy all the sights around you.

Frida Kahlo Caza Azul

It was now time to get in line at the blue house. And as I’ve said before, buy your tickets online prior to landing in Mexico City. I don’t even think you can get into Frida Kahlo’s house the same day without reserved tickets. We seen several people get turned away that just showed up thinking they could buy tickets same day and get in. As our guide told us and we witnessed ourselves, there is ALWAYS a line to get in.

Once inside you’ll have to pay a few pesos for permission to take pictures (no flash allowed). Then the only other rule they have is a limit on how many people can be in a room which they monitor and enforce. There is no time limit for you to move from room to room. You can stay for as long as you want in each one.

First Visit Impression

The place is way bigger than we thought. It’s not a house, it’s a compound! The house/museum layout is very easy to navigate and the rooms were well preserved to give you a snapshot of how Frida lived. Every room has either paintings, drawings, sketches, and/or pictures taken by her or of her. Frida lived both a fabulous & eccentric life, and a very tragic one was well. This is all captured in her paintings as she wrestled with her situation. See my favorite pics and rooms in this slideshow below.

My favorite paintings and pics

My favorite rooms

Frida Kahlo house final thoughts and verdict

Absolute must visit! There is a wing dedicated to her clothes that I left out and a gift shop as well. My wife enjoyed those sections, lol. The courtyard is also very beautiful and relaxing with even more art pieces that she collected. All in all La Caza Azul was everything we thought it would be and more.

Bazar Sábado in San Ángel

A 15 minute drive from Frida’s house is the San Angel Bazaar that was recommended to us by the hotel concierge. Apparently it gets popping only on Saturdays and since it was Saturday we wanted to check it out. Marcos dropped us off at the entrance and then went to find a parking spot. This Bazaar is one giant outdoor artist and artisan market. Throw in the live music playing in the plaza and street food all around and you have the makings of a good time.

We only stayed about an hour just browsing and walking around the area which was pretty spread out. If arts and crafts is your thing then you will be delighted as all can be here. Lots of talented people displaying their work. Most take credit cards but I recommend having some pesos on you as well.

Xochimilco!

It was now time to get the party started on the waterways of the world heritage site Xochimilco. This working class neighborhood is home to the famous trajineras (gondola like boats) that traverse the many canals that form a transportation system to various parts of the borough. But for us and the thousands of visitors that come here, it’s a place to sing, drink, listen to mariachis, and eat!

Launch area and picking a trajinera

There are several launch areas for the trajineras and it really depends on who you use to book them that determines where you’ll take off from. Our guide Marcos took care of everything and took us to one of the main launch sites. There are 3 things you need to do at the launch site prior to selecting your trajinera.

• Use the restroom.
• Make sure you have pesos! There are lots of food and drink vendors on the water and some don’t take credit cards. There are also people selling arts and crafts.
• Buy your beer and liquor here before boarding your boat. You can buy more once on the waterways but it’s way more expensive.

Selecting your floating garden (trajinera) is a matter of personal choice. Structurally they are all basically built the same, it’s just the name, decorations, and color schemes that are different. After picking your favorite and loading your ice chest/beverages, you are set! Your rowers will get you onto the main waterway where the fun is just about to begin.

The trajinera experience

One of a kind is how I would describe it. Boats coming and going at a slow pace with parties of different sizes. There is music being played everywhere from personal speakers and from trios and mariachis that are available for hire (they will literally jump from their boat to yours or rope the boats together and glide with you while they play). Singing and dancing can be heard and seen in every direction and the smell of delicious food is all around.

You already know I had to get the mariachi’s to play for my amazing wife. After I selected several songs, I asked Marcos to pick one of his favorites for them to play. He obliged and my wife and I turned to the front of the boat to watch the mariachi’s play it. A couple of notes in and we hear this beautiful baritone voice coming from the back. It was freaking Marcos belting out the song. My man was putting his heart into this song. Wife and I were stunned. I told you earlier he was full of surprises.

Restrooms while floating and other things to know

You were probably wondering where one uses the restroom while you’re on the waterways? At people’s houses is how. Lol. Okay let me explain. All along the waterways are homes that back up to them. Lots of them have restrooms outside with signs that say available for public use (for a fee of course). You just let your rower know that you need to go and they know where to anchor the boat.

Food is available for you to bring onboard prior to launch or you can buy from any one of the vendors floating along the canals. Same goes for cerveza, candy, and everything else. There’s a whole food and beverage ecosystem on the water!

La Isla de las Muñecas is a creepy island with dolls hanging from literally everywhere. Trees, fences, etc. There is a lot of legend and folklore around it and it’s become a tourist destination on it’s own. Check with your rower to see if he will take you as some won’t due to either superstition or religion.

Dinner night 3 – La Bikina

We thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant and bar. Awesome vibe, live entertainment, great drinks and food, and a very cool interior with murals in every room. It’s also located in Polanco so it was close to our hotel. It’s a 2 story building with various sections (main dining, bar, outside dining, and upstairs VIP club). The main area was booked so we sat in their covered patio section. After serving us our drinks in these awesome day of the dead glasses, the mariachi made their entrance and began to play.

The food here is top tier and they have 200 kinds of Mezcal!! Two freaking hundred. And we honestly felt they wanted us to try all of them too. Great place to end your evening or get it started.

5 Day Mexico City itinerary Day 4 – Zocalo, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Lorenzo Boturini Street

This was our last full day in Mexico City and we were going to make it count. This day would get off to a very late start. We had no scheduled events and no Marcos either. It was father’s day and we were going to be on our own. We slept in, ate a very late breakfast, and checked out of the Intercontinental hotel.

As is my usual custom when staying in a big city, I booked a hotel very close to the airport for our last night. This way we wouldn’t have to worry about traffic in the morning. Our flight was leaving at 10 am and I wanted to be there by 7:30. We had a driver from the Intercontinental take us to our new hotel (Holiday Inn Express Airport) and worked out a deal with him to wait until we checked in and dropped off our luggage so he could drop us off at the Zocalo.

Zocalo – Attempt number two 😄

This time we made it with no issues and full of energy. We were ready, lol. I couldn’t wait to see my wife’s reaction when she first stepped foot on the gigantic plaza. It’s pretty shocking for a first time visitor. The wide open space and enormous Mexican Flag towering above takes some getting used to and is quite imposing. “That’s the biggest flag I have ever seen!” were her first words.

After walking around the square and taking photos, we started to make our way towards the main cathedral when a crowd formed to the right that caught our eye. As we got closer we could hear the rhythmic sound of drums and saw white smoke coming from that direction. It turned out there was some kind of Indian dance/ceremony going on. We stayed and watched for a while before moving on.

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

I’ll never stop being impressed by the cathedrals that the Spanish built all over the world. Truly magnificent structures of incredible beauty with great attention to detail. We’ve been fortunate to have visited great cathedrals in Spain (Avila and Segovia), Lima, Quito, Bogota, and CDMX and I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite.

It’s difficult to describe how gorgeous the interior of these building are so I’d rather just show you in a slideshow.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

We left the cathedral and found 5 de Mayo avenue. This avenue takes you straight to the exquisite cultural center known as the Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts). It’s only a 10-11 minute walk from the Zocalo so you pretty much have to see both when you visit the historic district. If you recall earlier in the post, Marcos had taken us to Bellas Artes when we tapped out.

The weather was crappy then and my pictures were dreary. This day was partly sunny which made a world of a difference. I was determined to get a great picture of the palace to make it my feature shot for this blog post. I think I succeeded. 😁

Cafe Don Porfirio inside Sears Building

To get the best views of the palace you have to go directly across the street to the Sears building. Go inside and take the elevator up to Cafe Don Porfirio’s rooftop terrace. You’ll have to buy a coffee or pastry and wait about 10-15 minutes. But it is well worth the wait as your reward is stunning views of Bellas Artes.

Lorenzo Boturini Street

We had built up quite an appetite by now and wanted to grab a bite to eat before heading back to our hotel to change. We had tickets for the ballet folklorico at Bellas Artes that evening and didn’t want to cut it too close. I summoned an Uber using our hotel address but once inside the vehicle I asked the driver if he could take us to get some al pastor tacos on that street with all the pastor restaurants.

Yes that was the best description I could come up with, lol. He says, “I think I know what you’re talking about”.

Once he pulled up to the block, I knew I was at the right spot! This was the street where the Netflix show Taco Chronicles (season 1) filmed their Al Pastor episode. Oh, it was on now. We couldn’t wait to feast on the best tacos in all of Mexico City! Only one slight problem. It was barely 2:30 pm and most of the joints were not open and just starting to stack the carne on the trompos. We were at Tacos LOS GUEROS DE BOTURINI and they wouldn’t open until 4:00 pm so made our way to the next block.

So which place has the best tacos al pastor? My wife and decided to take the taste test.

We made a pact to eat 2 tacos and drink one beer at as many taco places as we could handle. Sounds ambitious and aggressive right? Well it was crazy too, lol.

Our first spot would be Taqueria Gabachos. Perfect start to our quest!

Next stop would be El Pastorcito. Really good!

Our third stop is Tacos Rays – Another winner. I had to cut back to one taco, lol. It was at this place that we decided not to go to the ballet folklorico. We were really enjoying our time doing this quest and didn’t want to stop. We gave them away to a couple who was eating next to us. They were more than happy to receive them.

Stop four would be Tacos Los Gueros – Loved this place! It was my wife’s favorite.

Last and final stop on our Best Tacos Al Pastor quest, Los Originales de Don Ray. Outstanding.

Final verdict – They were all winners in our eyes and taste buds 🤤. I think I need a redo though, lol.

5 Day Mexico City itinerary Day 5 – Flying home

And that was a wrap for us. My wife had her first Mexico City experience and the 3rd time was the charm for me to finally visit the pyramids. We came, seen, and experienced just about everything we set out to do. And for the things we missed this time, well that just means we need to make another trip out here 😉. Until next time Mexico Lindo y Querido!

Helpful Links for your CDMX trip!

Chapultepec Castle

Anthropology Museum

Arena Mexico Lucha Libre

Frida Kahlo Museum

Bellas Artes

Our guide Marcos Coronado! – Can also be reached at +52 5548794130