Mexico City Itinerary
The best part of living in Texas? Being able to go back to CDMX for a weekend! It's my Jakarta-Bandung away from home ;) Weekend trip should include a taco tour, shopping spree at local artisan markets, and the bakery pilgrimage I'll always come back for.
Few important things to note:
Book ahead for Frida Kahlo Museum tickets sell out 4–6 weeks in advance on the museum's official site. Must buy direct, not through resellers.
Reservations highly recommended for $$$ restos. Contramar takes reservations and is worth one. Rosetta Panaderia and Odette usually have a line every morning, but it's so yum.
Stay in Roma Norte or Condesa. Both are walkable, safe, full of cafés, and put you 10–15 min from everything on this list. Roma Norte if you want more shopping; Condesa if you want quieter and leafier.
Altitude is high, normal to feel woozy on the first day. Drink lots of fluids!
WHAT
sightseeing, dining, shopping, street food
WHERE
Roma, Condesa, Centro, Chapultepec, Coyoacán
DURATION
3 days
Day 1 - Full Day
Sightseeing
Centro Historico
Constitution Plaza - historic buildings you can walk easily to the Bellas Artes, main plaza of the city with lots of vendors and shops. I like to come to this area to look for gold/silver jewelry on Av 5 de Mayo.
Casa de los Azulejos - palace turned restaurant. Famous for its blue tiles on the outer façade.
Biblioteca Vasconcelos - amazing architecture, one of a kind multi-layered library. Open to the public.
Taco tour - i highly recommend taking a food tour or taco tour on your first day. I booked mine via Viator (Guide: Tomas). We learned a lot, saw places we never would have found on our own, and the pace was perfect.
Chapultepec Park - end the afternoon/evening with a stroll around this massive park. Optional to visit the castle at the top. Otherwise walking around the lake is just as nice, lots of vendors and chill at a cute library.
Day 2 - Full Day
Frida Museum - slight drive from Roma/Condesa, but you could spend half the day in this area after. Reservations needed!
Coyoacan Market - great market with lots of jewelry, gifts, and art.
Jardín Centenario & Plaza Hidalgo - postcard Coyoacan. Sit with an elote, browse the artisan stands.
Explore Polanco - CDMX upscale neighborhood with tons of gourmet restaurants and Museums. Walkable and green. I loved visiting a few local perfumeries around here.
Day 3 - Full Day
Bakery hopping and explore Museums
Wind down at a library-cafe (cafebreria) few locations around Polanco and Roma
Dining
Contramar Roma Norte, $$$. The long-lunch institution. Tuna tostadas, pescado a la talla, rosé all afternoon. Reservations essential.
Em Roma Norte, $$$$. The newest darling — small, intimate, Michelin two-star tasting menu. The chef's table for two is the move if you can get it.
Pujol Polanco, $$$$. Enrique Olvera's flagship. The mole madre (aged 2,500+ days and counting) is the dish you came for. Book 2+ months out.
Máximo Bistrot Roma Norte, $$$. Eduardo García, French technique with Mexican ingredients. Cult cheeseburger.
Expendio di Maiz Roma Norte (cash only) $$. Elevated taquería — surprise omakase style, vegetarian and seafood options. Small space, walk-in only.
Orinoco Roma Norte + Polanco, $$. The late-night taco move — mainly pork but there is one beef option. Awesome salsa and crispy potatoes, open late.
Propio - told by locals that this is their favorite restaurant! Bookmarked but never been.
Bakeries and Cafe
Panadería Rosetta Roma Norte. THE one. Guava roll, cardamom bun, concha de nata. Get there before 10am expect a line. Enjoy it at a park nearby.
El Moro Churreria Churros at Centro Histórico (and locations in Roma, Condesa, Polanco). Churros con chocolate, open 24 hours at the original. Late-night post-dinner ritual.
Odette Condesa. The kouign amann is famous for a reason, it is flawlessly caramelized edges, perfect lamination. The Ferrero croissant is the dark horse. Smaller and calmer than Rosetta.
Mamá Carmela Condesa. The croissant specialist locals get evangelical about. Lamination is genuinely world-class, and the suizo de chocolate (flaky pastry with custard) and chocolate concha both have followings of their own. They sell out. go before noon.
Postales de Café Condesa (Av. Mazatlán 30). Beans from all over the world, a barista doing actual fermentation experiments on espresso (kefir, fruits, secret stuff).
The Coffee Roma Sud (other loc available). Brazilian-import chain styled like a minimalist Japanese café: all-white, clean lines, iPad ordering.
(Updated January 2026)