Top 10 things to do in Mexico City
Mexico City is an absolute MUST if you are a foodie or art-lover, but as the fourth largest city in the world, trust us, there is something for everyone. This has been on our bucket list for a long time, and it did not disappoint!
Here’s our list of top ten favorite experiences in Mexico City! We cannot wait to take TROVE Travelers there this Fall with our special Día de los Muertos Experience.
1. Begin your day at Pandería Rosetta
Everything at this adorable bakery is truly wonderful, but you HAVE to try the guava pastry (“rol de guayaba”). Subtly sweet ricotta cheese and flavorful guava compote pairs deliciously with perfectly flaky pastry to make this one of our favorite breakfast treats we’ve ever tried. Since we know you’ll want to go back a second time (we did!), you’ll also have to try the flavor-packed cardamom bun and the chocolate-vanilla concha, a traditional Mexican sweet roll with a cookie crust.
2. Stroll through El Bazaar Sábado
Nestled in the western foothills of Mexico City sits the charming San Ángel neighborhood, a quiet sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of the city. On Saturdays, however, the area’s main gathering place, Plaza San Jacinto, comes to life with the beautiful Bazaar Sabado. Joyful xylophone music was echoing through the rows of beautiful market stands, and drew us to the center of the market where we stopped to sip on an agua fresca and take it all in.
This was one of our favorite stops on our Mexico City trip and we found two wonderful makers who we are featuring in our Fall Experience – Beatriz Attolini who makes artisanal salts and spices and Kutzi who specializes in premium Mexican delicacies like the Tamarind con Chamoy and Marzipan set we’ve included.
3. Sip and sight see at Café Don Porfirio
Not everyone knows about this secret café hidden on the 8th floor of the Sears Tower, but it offers one of the best views in Mexico City. Ride the escalators through the home section of Sears, then grab a coffee, tea or pastry at this cafe, and take a seat on the rooftop terrace for an idyllic aerial view of El Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City’s iconic domed palace with gorgeously elegant architecture. This picture-perfect view is SO worth the visit.
4. See the life and home of Frida Kahlo
Feminist icon Frido Kahlo became famous for her bold artistic vision, and we knew we had to pay a visit to La Casa Azul (The Blue House) to pay homage to this legend. Established in her childhood home, it gives you a really intimate look into her life. They preserved her final painting and set up, so you can see her self-portrait mirror, paints, wheelchair, and research books just as they were left. We recommend grabbing tickets ahead of time online to cut down your wait time.
5. Visit Diego Rivera’s Studio
Frida and her husband, the artistically talented Diego Rivera, lived together in this unique home. The residence was commissioned by the couple by an architect friend and is split into two residences that are famously connected by a foot bridge. After Frida’s death, Diego lived there full-time. Now, his art studio is perfectly preserved and visitors from all over come to see where the genius worked and lived. The architecture of the home is incredible on its own, but we also loved seeing Diego’s giant studio and imagining him painting his larger-than-life murals there.
6. Taste your way through the city
Mexico City is a haven for foodies, boasting some of the finest restaurants in the world, such as Pujol, an innovative fine dining experience that was ranked 12th in 2019’s list of the world’s best restaurants. However, one of the best ways to first introduce yourselves to the city is to take a food walking tour with experts that know the tastiest spots in the city like the back of their hand.
We took the Gourmet San Juan Market & Street Food tour, which was an incredible three-hour walking tour with 12 different spots. We tasted our way through the market, trying everything from delicious mole to fresh crab tostadas to tlacoyo (thick corn tortillas) with queso and pickled cactus made by an adorable abuelita on the street. That was Erika’s personal fav!
7. But, of course, the main dish: Tacos!
Any good trip to Mexico City needs to consist of eating more tacos than you can count, and we were up for the challenge! Each restaurant has their own individual take on the quintessential dish, which made for a unique experience each meal. You HAVE to make a stop at Tacos Don Juan, which is better known as the Godfather of Tacos. Everything on the menu was unbelievable, but the cerdo en mole verde and bistec y tocino y queso were out of this world.
We also loved the tacos al pastor at Taqueria El Califa. It was incredibly reasonably priced for an entire feast: $28 for nine tacos, a torta and two crateres (melted Oxaca cheese in a homemade tortilla shell with delicious toppings meat and vegetable toppings). And, for dessert: fig cheesecake. Yum!
8. Take in the sunset at Balcón del Zócalo
This rooftop restaurant offers a flawless menu of fresh delicacies, but more importantly boasts incredible views of the nearby Palacio Nacional and historic city center. We highly recommend trying to snag a reservation during sunset, because the view at Balcón del Zócalo is one of the prettiest you’ll experience on your trip.
9. Appreciate Monumento a la Revolución (with a drink in hand!)
One of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks in the city is Monumento a la Revolución, a 220-foot tall arch honoring the heroes of the Mexican Revolution with an intriguing back story. In 1906, construction began on a new government building, but the project was abandoned when the Mexican Revolution began. All that remained was the metal arch (the building’s intended entrance), so architect Carlos Obregón Santacilia decided to transform it into the monument it is today.
So, grab a drink at the adorable restaurant Terazza Cha Cha Cha, located right across from the memorial, and take it all in. We recommend their most popular drink: the Cantarito, complete with Tequila Don Julio Blanco, a bit of soda, grapefruit, orange, lime and lemon. So, so yummy!
10. Soar over the Pyramids of Teotihuacan
About 30 miles northeast of modern-day Mexico City is Teotihuacan, an ancient city of pyramids named by the Aztecs to mean “the place where the gods were created”. It has a rich history and mind-blowing architecture, making it an essential day trip on a visit to Mexico City. Due to COVID, visitors are unable to climb the pyramids, but it is still well-worth a visit. We took an incredible hot air balloon tour at sunrise and got a magical aerial view of the vast city and flew right over the impressively massive Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. This was hands-down one of our favorite moments of the trip!
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We’re so excited for our holiday trip to Mexico City. Be sure to grab your Fall Experience by September 30th to celebrate Día de los Muertos with us! We’ve got an incredible lineup of LIVE, exclusive classes and tons of delicious treats, tools and decorations to help us celebrate this incredible holiday!