Mexico City Itinerary: 4 Days, 3 Nights

Mexico City is absolutely worth the hype. The energy is inexplicable. I genuinely can’t fully put it into words… you just have to go and understand. We went in October for a wedding and stayed 4 days / 3 nights. Because the wedding took up two full days, we managed to squeeze in a couple excursions, but we didn’t even scratch the surface. Which is perfect because now I have an excuse to go back.

The Vibe

CDMX is a magical city. The food is unreal, the people are warm, and the buildings have so much character it’s like walking through a living museum… except with tacos. The city has this effortless cool that makes you want to stay longer than planned. It truly pulls you and leaves you with no desire to want to return home.

Where We Stayed: ULIV Cibeles

We stayed at ULIV Cibeles, which is an apartment-style hotel—aka the sweet spot when you want the convenience of a hotel but also want to feel like you live there (even if it’s just for three nights). Location wise it was perfect. Centrally located in Roma Norte, it was within a 15-minute walk of Cibeles Fountain, Paseo de la Reforma, and Angel of Independence Monument. Uber rides were never more than 15 minutes away from places we needed to go.

Excursions We Did In Between Wedding Activities

1. Walking Street Food Tour (10/10): This was hands down one of the best things we did. We learned a lot about Mexican culture, ate authentic Mexican tacos (think cactus toppings and homemade tortillas), munched on a couple of insects (wild I know!), drank some really good Tequila, and enjoyed the historical/religious/spiritual component of the tour.
2. Teotihuacan Pyramids + Hot Air Balloon Ride: This excursion started at an unholy hour. We woke up at 4AM for the bus transfer to Teotihuacan for a hot air balloon ride over the pyramids. And let me tell you: it’s one of those experiences where you’re tired, question your decision the entire way to the location, but the second you’re there realize it was worth the hassle. Afterwards, we had breakfast at La Cueva Teotihuacán. While the cave itself was cool, the food wasn’t as great.

Where We Ate

• El Cardenal (Breakfast) — 10/10. If you do nothing else in CDMX, at least give yourself one breakfast here. It was perfect.
• SoHo House — 10/10. International membership required. It’s one of the newer houses to open and let me tell you- they left no stone left unturned. From the architecture design to the food, it really was a 10/10 experience for us.
• Samos Mexico City — Views 10/10, Dinner 0/10. Listen. Go for a cocktail and the views. Go for the aesthetic. But don’t expect a good dinner. The menu was boring and standard American cuisine, not to mention the few things we did order weren’t good.
• Carajillo — Food 3/10, Service 10/10. The service? Amazing. The food? Fine-ish. FYI the menu was only in Spanish. However, I would only go for dinner and call to ask if the entertainment is offered nightly or weekends only (it turns into a club/party atmosphere- think Kiki On the River Miami). We went during lunch, and apparently that’s not the best time to go.

Things We Didn’t Get to Do But Plan to For Our Return

Because the wedding took up two full days, we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do—and CDMX has way too much to offer for a “quick” trip.

Excursions + Experiences

• Tolantongo Tour (thermal springs)
• Lucha Libre fights
• Xochimilco boat party
• Frida Kahlo Museum
• Mezcal + taco walking tour
• Hanky Panky speakeasy

Restaurants

• Ling Ling by Hakkasan
• Handshake Speakeasy (yes, the one—#1 bar in the world)
• Porfirios

Final Thoughts

Mexico City is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve been missing out. It’s vibrant, beautiful, flavorful, and full of personality. If you’re going for a wedding weekend or an event that’ll eat up your time, just know you’ll probably need a return trip, because the city deserves more than the leftover hours between events.