West Coast Weekend Getaways: Long Weekend in Mexico City, Mexico

Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologia)

Spend the first day absorbing the history of the city. Stop by the museum to see artifacts dating back to ancient Mayan civilization. This takes about 1.5 - 4 hours to do, depending on how long you spend in each section. You can purchase tickets the day of.

Parque Mexico

It’s a 22-acre park known for its Art Deco architecture, walking paths, playgrounds and dog runs. It is also a local hangout to watch street musicians and bands play. The park provides a peaceful retreat from the city’s hustle and bustle, as there is a central pond and plenty of shaded benches.

Historical city center

The city center is European-influenced with a Latin American twist, with plenty of sites to see — all within walking distance. The first stop should be the Templo Mayor Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Reminiscent of the current site of Pompeii in Naples, Italy, Templo Mayor was originally built to protect the ruins of the main temple of the old city. To walk through both the museum and architectural ruins takes about 1–2 hours. There are accessibility walkways throughout for those that need to avoid stairs.

If you want to see artsy architectural sites, then the National Palace, Torre Latinoamericana, the House of Tiles and Alameda Central should also be on your list. The National Palace is a government building that houses Mexico’s president’s office but also murals by the famous artist Diego Rievera. Torre Latinoamericana is the tallest skyscraper in Mexico, so no need to go inside but just look up! The House of Tiles is next door to the Torre Latinoamericana and is an 18th-century palace with a blue and white tile facade. Lastly, Alameda Central is the city’s oldest public park full of trees and fountains. It is a great place to sit and people/dog-watch after walking all morning.

Teotihuacan

This is a must-do on any trip to Mexico City. It is a vast archeological area about an hour outside the city. This massive complex of ruins was constructed as a large Mesoamerican settlement in 300 BC. There are two climbable pyramids that offer panoramic views, while the third larger pyramid is a very picturesque sight. Most tours take 2–4 hours and include pickup and drop-off.

We took our tour through Airbnb, where they picked us up from a nearby location at around 9am. We did a tour of the archaeological site, then did a Teotihuacan Cultural experience that included lunch (with tequila) in a cave, a fire dance show, a smoke shaman ceremony and a meditation experience in a pitch-black cave. We returned to the city around 5pm. Our tour guides were fantastic, and I would highly recommend the Teotihuacan VIP tour.

Angel of Independence

Surrounded by a busy roundabout, this monument commemorates Mexico’s independence and acts as a central. The area around the monument acts as a central gathering point for city events. While we were there, the world-famous Cow Parade art installation was being hosted by Mexico City, so artistically decorated cows lined the area. There was also a political rally going on. While another day we passed through, there was a marathon in the morning followed by a car-free period where locals and visitors could bike, walk, jog and skate through the streets without the disturbance of cars.

Chapultepec: Bosque de Chapultepec and Castillo de Chapultepec

Bosque de Chapultepec is the largest public park in the entire Western Hemisphere. It features many different things to do: a zoo, museums, farmers markets, concerts and more. Given its size, it will take about 2–3 hours to walk through. While you’re at the park, you may as well go visit Castillo de Chapultepec. It is not only a historic castle but also the National Museum of History. It is the only royal castle in North America, so a pretty unique experience. Plan for the walkthrough of the castle to take 1-1.5 hours.

Lucha Libre Show

There are plenty of different cultural experiences you can engage in while in Mexico City, but the most unique was the Lucha Libre experience. Lucha Libre is Mexican wrestling that is quite vibrant and theatrical as it is known for colorful masks, acrobatics and dramatic storylines. It is a lively event where certain wrestlers have chants. There are specific times to boo and curse (yes, you will be taught the curses), and engage in the fun. We did Airbnb’s Lucha + Tacos + Cerveza experience, which was an absolute blast. It was about three hours where we met up at a taqueria for tacos and cerveza before going to a tequila bar where we sampled tequila. Here we learned about the history of Lucha Libre, and got our own masks. Then we all headed over on the bus to the stadium and watched a few different matches. Our guide was so informative and made the night super fun. We then stopped and got stuffed churros at the end of the night, which was just the cherry on top.