7 days: Mexico City and Guadalajara
Day 1: Arrival, Historical City Centre and Condesa
We arrived in Mexico City at 8:30 am, which meant we had the whole day ahead! When you are ready to leave the airport, make sure you get an official cab. You can pay at the counter before you leave the airport. Just provide your destination. We were hosted by friends, but there are so many hotels in the city centre to choose from. Hotel Marlowe is a good option.
Once you’re ready, take a walk (if you are walking distance) or order an Uber to Zocalo, the main square in the centre of Mexico. From there, explore the area around. Spots not to miss are: Plaza de la Costitucion, National Palace, Catedral Metropolitana, and Templo Mayor. If you have the time, make sure to see the murales by Diego Rivera in the National Palace (open every day until 5 pm) that depict the history of the city.
I also recommended a walking tour in the city centre. We used this walking tour of the historical centre that lasted about 3 hours.
If you getting hungry, a good option is to walk over the Mercado de De San Juan, but fair warning it closes at 6 pm and many food stands start closing some time before that, so make sure you plan well if you’d like to go.
At 6 pm, make sure to climb to the observatory deck of Torre Latina to catch a beautiful sunset on the city skyline. You can book your ticket ahead here. Fun fact, Torre Latina is one of the safest building you can find yourself in in case of earthquake!
For the evening, take an uber and make your way to Condesa, one of the best neighbourhoods for nightlife. There are so many places to chose from here! Some options are the rooftop at Hotel Condesa or Gin Gin Condesa. There are also some great taco spots here like El Kaliman or El Pescadito, but they close earlier so plan accordingly!
View from the Observatory Deck in the Torre Latina
Day 2: Teotihuacan
Your second day will be spent entirely on the Teotihuacan archeological site! So set up your alarm crazy early, grab a hoody and catch a hot air balloon ride for a bird eye view of the pyramids. There are many tours to choose from here. I would recommend this tour that includes a bike or walking tour of the pyramids after you are done with the hot air balloon. Remember that is chilly early in the morning and even more when you are up in the air, so make sure to wear a hoody and long trousers on the balloon.
By the time you return to Mexico City, you will be quite tired physically and mentally from the early rise, all the walking and all the things you would have experienced or learnt. It is a great time then to grab a nice dinner in the city and relax. There are many options to choose from but a great restaurant is Ling Ling that offers one of the most breathtaking views of the city. If you prefer something more lowkey, you can try Los Cocuyos where you can try 15 different types of tacos (fair warning - they are all meat).
Day 3: Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Coyoacan and Lucha Libre
Many itineraries pair Coyoacan with the Xochimilco boat tour in the morning. This is definitely a viable option, but after having done some research and spoken to our local friends, we decided that it is too touristic and unless you have a big group of friends and you bring your own refreshments, it is not as worth it. Therefore we took another route.
We took an Uber to the Biblioteca Vasconcelos. This is off the beaten path, but it is a truly gorgeous building that is totally worth a quick tour. We then continued our walking tour down to the Monumento a la Revolucion, all the way to the Angel of Independence. This is a lovely walk and why not grab some fruit along the way to fuel you up.
For lunch, we took another Uber and made our way to Coyoacan, starting with the Coyoacan Market for lunch. There are so many options for you to try. Here is our list for inspiration! We started trying a couple of tostadas each (the octopus was the winner), then we tried the Quesadillas with Chapulines (crickets), Mole Enchiladas, and we finished with the Pozole (the most famous soup in Mexico City). Wash everything down with one of the many delicious fruit juices they offer (passion fruit is great!).
Walk everything off, making your way to the Fuente de los Coyotes. You will pass a few handicraft markets on the way, so feel free to explore and shop as you wish. At 4 pm, we had our entrance slot for the Frida Kahlo Museum. Make sure to book your tickets in advance here, because they sell out very fast! Plan around 1.5 hours in this museum.
In the evening, we caught a Lucha Libre show at the Arena Mexico. It was a great experience and highly recommended it for a different night. You can get tickets here.
Day 4: Chapultepec and Polanco
Start your fourth day by grabbing a typical Mexican breakfast at Dona Blanca. We tried the Huevos Huastecos and the Huevos Pedro and they were both delicious.
When you are full and satisfied, make your way to the Chapultepec Castle. It is a massive building with different exhibitions that walk you through the history of the City. It is worth getting a guided tour here if you want to learn without getting overwhelmed. This tour covers the Castle as well as the next stop, the Museum of Anthropology.
Budget 2 to 2.5 hours in the Museum of Anthropology. It is organised around the main communities living in Mexico. The highlights are for sure the Aztec Sun Stone, the Aztec God of the Dead, and a tiny Obsidian Monkey Jar, that is easy to miss but it is actually the most valuable piece in the Museum.
After you have absorbed all the culture you can fit in, make your way to Polanco for your evening time. You can walk there if you still have energy, but if you are too tired feel free to jump on a Uber. Start with the Museo Soumaya. This Museum has a beautiful structure outside and inside. The exhibition is fairly small (30 art pieces) and won’t take a lot of walking. Best of all, it is free!
For dinner, you have again many options. Some suggestions are Pujol, Colmillo or Senora Takana for some fine dining on your last night in Mexico City!
Day 5: Arrival at Guadalajara and City Centre
Arrive at Guadalajara and make your way to your hotel. Again, use an official taxi at the airport. We stayed in the city centre, but we actually don’t recommend it. We suggest you book a hotel in Colonia Americana.
Start your exploration of Guadalajara with a great Walk Guadalajara! tour. It lasts a couple of hours and it takes you through the main highlights of the City Centre. It is a great way to learn the history of the city and do some great sightseeing.
If you are lucky with the weather, you can spend the evening at Plaza de los Mariachis. Grab a bite, a cerveza and listen to some fun music.
While you are in Guadalajara make sure you try the Torta Ahogada, a typical sandwich drenched in sauce (there are vegetarian options with cheese. A great spot is Torta Ahogadas Las Famosas, which you will pass by on your walking tour.
Day 6: Touring Tequila
There are so many options for day tours that you can do from Guadalajara, Tlaquepaque which is a major centre for decorative arts and crafts, or Lake Chapala, nestled in the Sierra Madre Mountains. If you have more time, we recommend including these stops too.
We chose instead to visit Tequila. It is possible to reach it by train or bus, but unfortunately, the tickets were sold out and so we booked a private tour in English through this company. We visited two Tequllerias, Don Valente and Casa Cuervo. I don’t recommend actually buying any tequila there, as you can buy great one in any liquor store in Mexico City, but it is interesting to learn the process of tequila making, the different types of tequila, and even the technique to drink it properly. The town of Tequila itself is also quite pretty to walk around quickly.
For the evening, make your way with an Uber to Colonia Americana (unless that’s where your base is) for the best eating and drinking in the city. There are so many great options and you can find a list of recommendations here. We are at Cortazar, which is a great spot for food, drinks and ambiance in general. The owner was very lovely to us.
Day 7: Goodbye Guadalajara
Our departure flight was quite early on, so we didn’t have time to do much, except have a delicious Torta Ahogada for breakfast. If you have more time in Guadalajara, for sure check out one of the other day trips mentioned above. We definitely wished we have more time in Guadalajara, but there was also no room to cut down Mexico City. A longer vacation is the only solution :)
