Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City has become a very popular travel destination and for good reason. Nestled in the middle of Mexico, Mexico City (or CDMX, as you’ll see it referred to, standing for Ciudad de México) is truly a gem with its moderate temperatures, lush greenery, affordability, and some of the top bars in the world. Since it’s only a 3 hour flight from Atlanta, we’ve been able to master the long weekend trip itinerary, jumping down there whenever we’re craving al pastor tacos.

Of the million reasons to visit CDMX, the food is at the very top for me. Mexico City’s selection of food is special – you can have some of the best tacos of your life on the street for lunch then sit down at a Michelin-starred restaurant for dinner. Even some of those unassuming street taco spots have Michelin stars. One thing to definitely keep in mind for any upcoming trip you take to CDMX: get your restaurant and bar reservations very well in advance. They fill up fast!

If you, too, are considering a long weekend in one of my favorite cities, here’s the itinerary of our trip in October 2024. It was *chef’s kiss* if I do say myself!

a Long Weekend in mexico city:

Getting there: We flew from Atlanta on Thursday evening, getting us to the hotel in ~4 hours door-to-door (note the CDMX time zone: CST). The airport is not a far drive into the city, and taxi stands are easy to navigate while you’re there. Once you come out of the terminal, look for taxi signs and secure a ride at one of the stands. More than likely, you will pay for the ride with them, give you your receipt, then they will take you to the car themselves. CDMX airport can be very busy but everyone is so nice and helpful!! While in the city, we tend to Uber or walk everywhere.

Where we stayed: Andaz Condesa

Polanco seems to get a lot of air time (it’s the more affluent of areas), but we much prefer the Condesa or Roma Norte neighborhoods, with Condesa being our favorite. Both neighborhoods are incredibly charming, unique, and full of locals. Something you’ll notice about the architecture of these neighborhoods is that it feels super similar to Europe, due to its rich history of being built up by Europeans over the centuries. You’ll see dogs everywhere in these neighborhoods as well. So if you’re a dog lover, this is the place to be!

The Andaz, specifically, was an awesome pick for this trip as we worked a lot of the day on Friday. The Andaz rooms are spacious and the hotel itself offered lots of spaces to work (with strong wifi – a remote work necessity!). With multiple bars and restaurants, including the Wooftop Beer Garden and Cabuya rooftop restaurant, this dog- and family-friendly hotel will be a go-to for us on future trips as well.

Friday:

• Exploring: Parque Mexico; Condesa & Roma Norte neighborhoods
• Lunch: Tacos Hola El Güero
• Shopping: Proyecto Rufina
• Pre-Dinner Drinks: Hanky Panky (an awesome speakeasy that’s been featured as a top bar in the world! reservations required); Salón Rosetta (this is the upstairs bar of the delicious restaurant)
• Dinner Reservations: Huset
• Post-Dinner Drinks: Supra Rooftop (for great nighttime views of the city!)
• Dancing: Departamento

Saturday:

• Exploring: We booked this food bike tour with Food Hood Tours and it was FANTASTIC. Our guide, Simon, was a young local who absolutely loves food as well as Mexican history. We had the best time learning from him. Over the course of 5 hours, he guided us around restaurants and markets around the city, incorporating history tidbits throughout. It was the best way to see so much more of the city.
• Where we explored & what we ate on the tour:
  • Pan de muerte at Maque Condesa
  • Tamales at Tamales Doña Emi
  • Fresh juice + blue corn quesadillas and tlacoyos at Mercado Medellín
  • Biked through Bosque de Chapultepec (and had a quiet moment in the Cincalco cavern)
  • Churros at Churreria el Moro
  • Micheladas and cochinita pibil tacos from food trucks
• Pre-Dinner Drinks: Handshake (another cool speakeasy on the top bar list – get reservations!)
• Dinner: Taqueria Orinoco (with many locations across the city, this taco spot is a must while in CDMX – you can’t go wrong with any menu selection!)
• Post-Dinner Drinks: Tokyo Music Bar (we lucked out with spots at the bar early in the evening, but may be good to get reservations here as well)

You can check out all 100+ of our recommendations on our Google Maps of the city or in my Mexico City highlight on Instagram! Have a Q about CDMX? Slide into my DMs!