Though it has been almost two months since I visited Mexico City with my family, the post-trip depression is definitely still hitting.
Mexico City was somewhere I’d always wanted to visit because many of my extended family members had already visited and told me great things. I was curious about what a trip there would look like, but it was never enough for me to act on it. It wasn’t until a surplus of TikToks began appearing on my For You Page with itineraries and hauls from the city that I decided I wanted to go. This was in 2025. At that point, I had enough money and had gone on enough travels that I could plan that trip without my parents, but I did not want to do it alone, so I set out to convince my older brother to go with me.
It took a lot of convincing until one random day in April of this year, my brother sent me an Instagram Reel that read “Mexico City is calling,” and we finally began planning!
Every day that passed, I became more and more excited for the trip. Every social media platform feed I opened was filled with recommendations, itineraries, tips, hauls, and vlogs about Mexico City.
While the trip itself was not long (only four days and three nights), I think I was able to make the most of it. I want to share my experience, not only to reminisce on my time in Mexico City, but also to hopefully inspire others to take the trip and provide you with some recommendations.
Day 1
Because I was already in Mexico before the trip, we decided to take the bus from Aguascalientes to the Mexico City bus terminal. The 8 AM 6-hour bus ride was bearable after drinking coffee and napping for part of the way.
The first thing we did once we arrived at the bus terminal was find somewhere to eat. Conveniently, we found a restaurant within walking distance of where we were dropped off. It was a hole-in-the-wall kind of restaurant; we were the only ones there.
From there, we took a cab to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We admired the place where the Virgin of Guadalupe was first spotted, the portrait that resides in the Cathedral, and the surrounding architecture. It had always been a dream of mine to see the portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe in person, as I grew up seeing pictures and hearing the story of how the cathedral first came to be.
We had dinner that day at La Casa de Toño, a restaurant that did not disappoint. Following our dinner, our sweet treat for the night was at Churreria El Moro.
Day 2
Day 2 was my favorite because it reminded me that itineraries aren’t set in stone; we’re allowed to go with the flow.
Our first stop was the iconic Monumento a la Independencia, the Angel of Independence, which, just a few weeks before our trip, was surrounded by over 700 thousand people celebrating Mexico’s victory against Ecuador in the FIFA World Cup.
After walking around the Paseo de la Reforma, we walked to one of my favorite places of the trip: Cafebreria El Pendulo, a bookstore and brunch restaurant in one. Not only was the food amazing, but the vibes and book selection were great, too.
My favorite location of the trip was our next stop: the National Museum of Anthropology, found in Chapultepec Park. Even before going inside, I felt a sense of peace as Voladores de Papantla and other dancers performed traditional pre-Hispanic rituals.
Once inside, I realized the museum was huge. If I had taken my time to view every piece of artwork, I would’ve been there all day. Even so, we spent around three hours just roaming around.
During those three hours, I was in awe the entire time. I learned so much about my culture and the history of Mexico. It was especially incredible to see the Aztec Sun Stone in person, along with the other Mexica sculptures surrounding the building. To see the artwork and craft preserved after so many years was amazing. I will need to return when I visit Mexico City again.
After leaving the museum, we walked around Chapultepec Park and visited the Castle during the last hour it was open, as it was free to the public. While my time inside wasn’t enough to take in much of the beauty of the architecture and history, the view from the castle to the rest of the city was incredible too.
We could not leave Mexico City without eating street food, so the tacos next to where we stayed were our dinner for the night. Those were the best Al Pastor Tacos I’ve ever had.
Day 3
On our last full day, we dedicated it to visiting the ancient site of Teotihuacan and the pyramids built by early civilizations: the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. At Teotihuacan, we took a guided tour that let us explore the area’s culture before seeing the actual pyramids.
On this tour, we learned about the Agave plant and its many uses, including making clothing, sweeteners, and tequila and mezcal. We sampled different ways agave can be mixed with other native ingredients to make drinks like Pulque and Licor de Cacao.
We also learned about the rocks and minerals around Teotihuacan, like obsidian, a rock that was used to make tools and other items during the pre-Hispanic period. We even got to touch the stones and a blade made with the same rock!
We also learned how chocolate is made, from the cacao seed to the sweetened chocolate bars we know and love.
Before heading to the pyramids, we not only went inside a cave, but also ate in another cave-turned restaurant, where I tried the traditional Mexican dish Tlayuda for the first time.
To get between the tour locations, we rode an ATV quad bike, which was a really fun experience as I was one of the designated drivers.
Once we were in the zone of the pyramids, the energy completely shifted. Like in the Museum of Anthropology, I felt at peace. We walked around the site before heading to the Pyramid of the Moon.
At the Pyramid of the Moon, we were able to climb halfway up. I spent 25 minutes at the halfway point, sitting by the edge of the pyramid, admiring the rest of the site and the other pyramid from afar. While it was a hot day, the breeze I caught while sitting down was so relaxing.
I did not want to leave. I wanted to stay there for longer, as it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders when I climbed the pyramid.
As we walked to the Pyramid of the Sun, I admired the creation of the people who came before me, truly in awe.
Our day was not over yet because after the pyramid, we went to the Historic Downtown Zocalo to see the presidential palace and the cathedral. While we didn’t stay there for long because the streets were very crowded, we did admire the architecture inside the cathedral. There were massive wood-carved altars covered in real gold leaf and many decorative pieces and statues that were beautiful.
Finally, we visited the Palacio de Bellas Artes museum, which was also free for entry due to their “Night in the Museum” event. We were able to view the exhibitions available for display, one of them being by a Chicana curator. It was especially moving to see an exhibition about the struggles of Chicanos in Mexico because Chicanos often face criticism from native Mexicans for “not being Mexican enough.”
Day 4
Because our last day was a short one, we were only able to go to the Monumento de la Revolución and the Vasconcelos Library to admire the architecture and explore some more. We also had the chance to go to a local artesanal market.
As soon as I got on the bus back home, I began to think back on the time we had. I am truly grateful for the opportunity I had to explore such a rich cultural city through my lens. Reflecting now as I write this, I still think it was an amazing trip.
This trip will definitely not be my last time going there; the city is big, and there is so much more to explore.