Mexico City Itinerary: The Best 4 Days in Mexico City

Updated: September 18, 2026

I’ve been visiting Mexico my entire life. I have a lot of family members from different parts of the country, so I’m well-versed in the food and culture.

But this was my first time in Mexico City (CDMX—Ciudad de México), and boy, did I take advantage! I probably ate about 72 tacos in 4 days, but who’s counting?

My first impression of the city is that it’s enormous, making “big cities” like Chicago (my hometown) and NYC look like babies.

So, I planned well, researched, and organized a busy but incredible four days in Mexico City. Here’s my exact itinerary. I hope this helps with your planning.

4 Days in Mexico City

First, I wanted to answer some of the most common questions I got during this trip.

Is Mexico City safe?

It’s like any big city. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and some areas shouldn’t be visited at all. Below, I’ll discuss the safer areas to stay and explore.

From my experience, the city is welcoming and friendly, and we felt safe the entire time. Just don’t flaunt jewels and money, and you should be fine–this goes for any country.

No one will be hassling you because you’re not from there. However, they will try to sell you their merchandise on the street or get you to eat at their restaurant.

This is a common practice everywhere in Mexico (or Italy or Spain, etc.), and they do it to everyone, not just visitors.

Mexico City is one of Mexico’s most visited cities, so you’ll hear a lot of English and see many tourists. Crimes weren’t my concern; earthquakes were.

Do I need to know Spanish?

Knowing basic phrases in the country’s primary language is always a good idea. Locals will appreciate the effort and try to help.

Honestly, I’m not the best person to answer this question since I’m fluent in Spanish. However, I heard a lot of Mexicans speak English to tourists. If all else fails, you can just point to things.

How’s the weather in November/December?

We visited at the end of November/beginning of December and had fantastic weather the entire time. Sunny, 70ºF+ days with no rain. Layers and a light coat were enough.

Is Mexico City expensive to visit?

Mexico’s currency is pesos, and thanks to the exchange rate, we get a lot of pesos for our dollar. CDMX isn’t as cheap as some other less-explored Mexican cities, but it’s still one of the most affordable places to visit.

Like many other countries, you can make it as affordable as possible. We chose to Uber everywhere and paid more for transportation than we would have if we’d walked or taken the bus.

However, we didn’t eat at pricey restaurants and instead filled up on tacos and pastries, and that’s what we call balance.

Mexico City Itinerary

Mexico City is massive and has so much to offer. Are 4 days enough? Absolutely not. But with good planning, you can still hit many “must-see” spots. Below is our itinerary. Take what you love and plan around it.

DAY 1: EXPLORE CDMX NEIGHBORHOODS

→Arrive at CDMX airport and take an Uber to your hotel or Airbnb in Roma Norte or La Condesa. Those two are some of the coolest (and safest) neighborhoods and good options for first-time visitors. Read recommendations for specific hotels below. With traffic, Uber will take around 45 minutes to reach either area. Not much is planned because you’ve just flown in and have missed part of the day (and are probably tired from travel).

→Depending on where you’re staying, explore that area. CDMX is pretty spread out, but you can walk from Roma Norte to Condesa in 1.2 miles if you have the energy and daylight. These neighborhoods have great restaurants, markets, bars, cool facades, colorful doors, and many parks.

→I read that Polanco is also a good neighborhood for visitors to explore, as is the Historic Center.

→Eat all the tacos and churros.

DAY 2: CDMX MUSEUMS AND BOATS

→Visit the Frida Kahlo Museum/The Blue House. Book ahead to skip the awful line. Note: It will still be crowded inside. I’m not big on museums, but I did enjoy the dress exhibition. Also, we went later in the day, so the shadows were horrible for photos.

→Check out Coyoacán Market. It’s within walking distance of the museum. You’ll find food stalls, art, souvenirs, and more.

→We didn’t make it to Xochimilco to tour the canals on the fun-looking boats, but this would be an excellent day to do so because the Frida Museum is going in that direction. Option 1: Take an Uber to the boats and haggle your way to a reasonable price to do the tour. I read that the boat guys will try to charge you more. It’s kind of like the gondoliers in Venice. Option 2: Book a tour so you don’t have to haggle. This tour combines all of the above: the Frida Museum, the Coyoacán area, and the Xochimilco canals in one day with a guide.

→Explore the beautiful neighborhood of Chimalistac. This area is between the museum and Xochimilco. It’s one of the wealthiest areas in CDMX. We even saw several guards standing in front of homes, protecting the rich’s wealth. There are cobblestone streets, colorful rows, and stunning facades–all my favorite things! I took tons of photos of this neighborhood, as you will see.

DAY 3: DAY TRIP TO THE Teotihuacan PYRAMIDS

→After familiarizing yourself with the city, it’s time to take a quick day trip to see the Teotihuacan Pyramids. These pyramids are 1 hour outside of CDMX. Option 1: Do the trip yourself. Take an Uber to the Autobuses del Norte bus station, buy a round-trip coach bus ticket, and get dropped off and picked up at the front entrance. Option 2: Book a tour! Here are some well-rated ones to choose from.

• This tour lets you choose between morning and afternoon departures to suit your schedule. It comes with a guide and round-trip transportation. Book from $49 with free cancellation. 

• Or check out this small-group tour that makes a morning trip to the pyramids, where you can be one of the first people of the day to explore these ruins. The tour includes transportation from your hotel, a guide, a stop at a cute coffee shop before the tour, and lunch at a local spot afterward. The group size is 15 people max. 

• With this tour from Mexico City, you can enjoy incredible views on an unforgettable hot air balloon flight over the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Finish the tour with a Mexican buffet breakfast. Or this tour flies you over the pyramids and includes a tour of the pyramids on the ground. My sister just did this and loved it. 

• This tour is super popular and includes a hot air balloon flight over the pyramids and ends with breakfast in a cave! One of the most booked tours on my site. And it has over 7,000 5-star reviews. 

→We went with option 1 since we’re familiar with bus travel in Mexico and typically prefer to do things on our own time. It’s a simple route and cheaper than booking a tour, so if you’re feeling adventurous, give it a try. Our total for 2 was $30 for the Uber, bus, and entrance. I felt completely safe on the bus, though I try not to speak English so I don’t draw attention to myself (this is true in any country).

This first photo shows the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the world’s biggest structures of its kind. To reach the top, you’ll need to climb 248 uneven steps. 

This is Jorge at the halfway mark of the Pyramid of the Sun.

The view below is from the Pyramid of the Moon, the second-largest in Teotihuacan. 

I took this photo of J while standing on the Pyramid of the Moon.

DAY 4: CDMX HISTORIC CENTER AND MARKETS

→Head to the historic center of CDMX to *enjoy* the crowds and explore the area. I didn’t spend much time here, but I recommend you visit Don Porfirio for a fantastic view. You can’t just go for photos; you’ll need to purchase something from the menu.

→While in the neighborhood, you’ll also be close to Chinatown (Barrio Chino), which has its appeal.

→You’ll also be within walking distance to La Ciudadela market, where you’ll find beautiful Mexican crafts, art, jewelry, souvenirs, and more. CDMX has many markets, but La Ciudadela is one of the most popular.

→Make sure you schedule enough time to eat more churros and tacos and check out some of the bars before your flight home!

Where to Stay in Mexico City (CDMX)

CASA MANNACH– This hotel is more of a chic apartment building but offers luggage storage. It’s located in Hipódromo Condesa, an area of La Condesa, and is close to Roma. You’ll be right by a dog park. WIN! The building is beautiful, and the service was excellent. I enjoyed our clean stay and would book it again in a heartbeat. Check availability here.

More well-rated hotels in ideal locations: