Mexico City is ready for its close-up. 

While many Canadians flee colder winter weather and land in the popular coastal areas of Mexico to bask in the sunny climate and enjoy the scenic beaches, more travellers are opting to take a more adventurous turn to their holiday and explore the country’s bustling capital. And with trade tariff uncertainty, there’s little doubt this destination will only get more popular with Canadians.

With Michelin restaurants and bars, plenty of museums, cultural attractions and nightlife — plus no end of excursions and experiences for adventure-seeking explorers — Mexico City is having a moment as a favourite warm-weather destination for Canadians.

Whether you’re a foodie who wants to dive into the street food scene or Michelin meals, an art aficionado looking for cultural attractions, or an adventure seeker who wants to take on some totally out-of-the-box experiences, there really truly is something for everyone here, on every budget.

Here’s how to spend a perfect three days in Mexico City.   

Day 1 

Explore the park

Just over double the size of New York City’s Central Park, Bosque de Chapultepec (or Chapultepec Park) is an iconic must-visit green space. Owing to its sheer size, you can easily spend the day here exploring the attractions: zoo, museums, botanical gardens, monumental fountains, and art galleries.

There are open-air markets where you can pick up authentic souvenirs, clothes, and other trinkets, and on the weekends, there are even free concerts.

Dive into history

Within Chapultepec Park, a must-visit is the Los Pinos Cultural Complex, or just colloquially referred to as “Los Pinos.” The site was the official residence of the former Mexican president until relatively recently, 2018, when it was turned over to the Mexican people and reinvented as a museum and art gallery.

Built by architect Jose Pablo Martinez del Rio in 1856, the site is completely free to visit, and you can wander the manicured gardens, presidential board rooms, cinema room and living rooms. Many of the rooms now showcase modern art by contemporary Mexican artists.

A grand 18th-century castle with sweeping panoramic views inside the park, Chapultepec Castle takes visitors on an epic history lesson through the ages of Mexican monarchies, war, and scandal.

Not to be missed are the interior chambers housing the bedrooms and dining rooms, and the upstairs hall in the Alcázar wing lined with stained-glass windows, installed in 1901. The National Museum of History is housed within the palace grounds. Give yourself a few hours to breathe it all in here.

Get a bird’s-eye view

Just a stone’s throw away from Los Pinos, hop on the recently opened Cablebús line 3 (cable car), an eco-friendly and innovative transit line that connects inner-city regions in Mexico City with an elevated, detached gondola system.

A steal at MX$7 for a return trip (approximately 50 cents CAD), you can ride the cable car for the entire 5.5 km span, linking Los Pinos and Vasco de Quiroga through six stations that traverse the iconic Chapultepec Forest.

Passing above bustling neighbourhoods, the gondola stops at Mexico’s largest cemetery, Panteón Dolores, and the newly opened Cineteca Nacional. At approximately 20 minutes in each direction, it’s also just a lovely way to kick back, relax and take in the soaring views while giving your feet a rest. Although this transit line was built as a solution for commuters, it’s definitely an underrated gem for visitors and tourists are welcome.

Check into hotel

We stayed at the stately JW Mexico City Polanco, which offers an unparalleled location overlooking the famed Chapultepec Park and is an easy walk to some of the city’s most visited sites, including the Museum of Anthropology, National Auditorium, Zócalo central square, and the Palace of Fine Arts.

With a rooftop pool and close proximity to the high-end shopping on Avenida Presidente Masaryk, as well as funky cocktail bars and restaurants, the landmark hotel is a calming urban oasis and stellar home base for your adventures around the city.

The hotel itself also offers a stellar food and beverage program, including “Mapa Culinario” at Sendero, a six-course tasting menu that takes you on a culinary journey through the most authentic flavours of Latin America.

Day 2 

Savour a pastry or two

A small panadería that has taken on epic status among pastry lovers, Rosetta is worth the lineup to get your hands on its flaky and buttery creations.

Standouts include the polenta cake with orange, guava roll, and lemon and ricotta cheese roll. Or try something completely different with its grape foccacia with green and red grapes, featuring hints of rosemary and fennel.

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Sightseeing on two wheels

For a one-two punch of gastronomy and exercise, put your pedal to the metal with a private biking and taco tour. This one in Polanco takes you through one of the city’s most iconic neighbourhoods, combining a guided cycling experience with stops at up to seven of the best local tacquerias.

Drop by Selene, where they’ve been serving up one of the best al pastors in the city for more than 35 years, as well as a Cochinita Pibil, a classic dish from Merida Yucatan.

The beauty of this tour is that it takes you to the real hidden gems for street food that tourists may otherwise not try (some are truly hole-in-the-wall and local joints).

Get ready to rumble

Lucha libre wrestling dates back to the French occupation of Mexico in 1863 and has undoubtedly become an integral part of the culture. While today’s wildly entertaining wrestling matches look rather different than the early Greco-Roman style grappling — think WWE on steroids and adding in a healthy dose of audience participation and micheladas — this should be on every visitor’s bucket list to enjoy.

For the full experience, hop on a guided Lucha libre tour near the stadium where, for around C$60, you’ll have a mezcal tasting and full taco dinner (vegetarian and vegan options available) at an authentic tacqueria while learning about the origins of Mexican wrestling. You’ll then head over to the arena for the theatrical and aerobic show, which runs for around two hours and will have you cheering and jeering like a local.

If you opt for a tour, the cost includes a souvenir luchadore mask, your match ticket, and a handy card with translated NSFW phrases commonly yelled by fans. Don’t sleep on the hefty beer-based micheladas.

Day 3 

Get lost in Roma Norte

One of the most aesthetically pleasing and boho neighbourhoods in the city, head over to Roma Norte to explore, dine, and shop. Laid out on a grid, start off your morning with coffee and people watching in Plaza Rio de Janeiro, the centrepiece of which is a full-scale bronze replica of Michelangelo’s “David.”

For lunch, hit up the three-storey Mercado Roma, a massive food hall with more than 55 stands bursting with beer and cocktails, traditional Mexican food offerings and to-go sauces and pastries. Here, up-and-coming chefs try out new recipes, and there are tons of indie and untraditional treats and snacks that are a delight for the eyes and the tummy. There’s plenty of open air seating outside and communal tables in an interior courtyard to enjoy your offerings.

Shopping in Roma Norte is a must. Here, colonial mansions are turned into high-end clothes and consignment boutiques, and secondhand stores are bursting with homewares and colourful finds.

Try Vintage Hoe for up-cycled and kitschy finds. Concert T-shirt fans can find pristine goods within the three-storey Goodbye Folk. Roma Norte also holds weekly flea markets on Saturdays – Mercado de Cuauhtémoc is held in the Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez, just on the border of the Doctores neighborhood. Happy shopping!

Hit up a speakeasy

It’s no wonder why Mexico City is considered a major contender in the cocktail scene. Crowned number one at the 2024 World’s Best 50 Bars awards, Handshake Speakeasy is leading the way in innovative cocktails in the region.

A hidden bar with a 1920s prohibition theme, you can get adventurous and try the utter Mushroom Old Fashioned (bourbon, brown butter, mushroom, maple, enoki mushrooms), or famous Mexi-Thai that combines tequila with kaffir lime, coconut basil oil, and tomato.

Another must-try for cocktail lovers is the speakeasy Hanky Panky, hidden behind a back door in a simple-looking tacqueria. A standout on the menu for Canadians has to be the True North, the bar’s way of celebrating Canada’s “beautiful landscapes while taking a stroll with friends.” The mezcal and apricot liquor clarified cocktail is topped with a pickled grape. Let’s just call it the cherry on top of the perfect trip exploring Mexico City.

The author of this piece was partially hosted by Marriott.