A Perfect 24 Hours in Mexico City

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Greetings, Internet Stranger! I’m Stella Jane, author of the travel guide Get Lost, and welcome to 24 hours in Mexico City! Mexico City doesn’t always appear on the list of world’s great cities. People talk about Paris, London, New York, Tokyo, Sydney, but not always Mexico City, even though it is the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world.

So some people may be surprised that you can spend many perfect 24 hours in Mexico City, enjoying the Mexico City nightlife and fine arts. And if you’ll give Mexico City a try, I think you’ll find that it’s one of the most exciting and delicious places in the world.

Get started by reserving your spot on this tour right here where you can watch three grown men in shiny masks jump on each other for fun and profit. Then come along with me, and we will both fall prey to Mexico City’s charms.

24 Hours in Mexico City

Morning: Explore Historic Mexico City

So here’s your first bit of proof that Mexico City is one of the world’s great metropolises. This capital was founded in the year 1325 by the Mexica people, which means it is rich in fascinating history.

In fact, it would take a lifetime to learn all about Mexico City’s history. But we don’t have a lifetime, Internet Stranger! We only have 24 hours in Mexico City. So let’s not waste any more time while I share with you…

Approximately top 5: 24 Hours in Mexico City

One small tip before we get started–if you’d rather have a little in person help during your 24 hours in Mexico City, I recommend this walking tour. It’s very affordable, and you’ll see the exteriors of the main attractions of Mexico City like the Templo Mayor and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. You can explore the interiors in more detail on your own.

You can book the tour by clicking here.

1) the palacio de bellas artes

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is a stunning cultural center with an unmistakable golden-orange dome on the top. In the evening, you can find performances here from anything to the Ballet Folklorica of Mexico to a production of the opera Lucia di Lammermoor. (Listings are available here.)

But if you are going in the morning of your 24 hours in Mexico City, you are going for one thing only. You want to see the famous Mexican murals decorating its lovely art deco walls. Expect to spend about an hour inside enjoying the fascinating architectural features and mind-bending paintings.

2) Palacio de Bellas Artes murals

The murals on the interior of the Palacio are mostly done by the three most famous Mexican muralists: David Siqueiros, Jose Clemente Orozco, and of course the most celebrated: Diego Rivera. To me the most striking mural was this work above by David Siqueiros, entitled “The New Democracy”. A mural can be difficult to look at because it’s so large and full of detail.

This mural is particularly difficult to look at because the woman’s body is contorted in such an uncomfortable looking position. (One of the most recognizable features of Siqueiros’s work is the distorted way in which he paints the female form.)

But I think art is supposed to make us uncomfortable, so I was glad to have the experience of being confronted by this painting.

24 Hour Tip

There are a lot of tour groups that go through this building, so don’t accidentally get sucked up into one like I did. It was all in Spanish and I thought it was a free tour provided by the Palacio, but it was not. At a certain point someone will ask you for identification that you belong with the group.

You won’t be able to provide it, and then someone will shoo you away in a language you don’t entirely understand.

3) Templo Mayor Museum

The Templo Mayor was the major religious site for the Aztecs who lived in Mexico City before the Spanish arrived. They believed that this place was the center of the universe. Maybe they were right! I can think of worse places to be the center of the universe, like the Greyhound bus station in Richmond, Virginia.

You are so lucky because, though the Spanish covered over the Aztec ruins, they were rediscovered by accident in the 1970s and are now available for all to see. Oh, the 70s! First you give us Travolta and the Bee Gees, and now you give us these wonders.

24 Hour Tip

The admission fee includes both a walk around the excavated ruins and admission to the Museo del Templo Mayor. I recommend that you pick up an English audio guide and take it for a stroll around the imposing ruins first. Be on the look for random cacti as you explore!

4) templo mayor museum

It’s getting to be about halfway through our 24 hours in Mexico City. So once you’ve had enough cacti hunting or sun exposure, head inside the museum for more than…

THREE FUN FACTS ABOUT TENOCHTITLAN

A) What is Tenochtitlan?

Tenochtitlan is quite simply the Aztec name for Mexico City. The same city used to be the Aztec capital before it became the Spanish capital of Mexico. The museum has models inside, like the one above, that show you what this elaborate imperial city must have looked like.

B) New phone, who dis?

One of the most important gods to the Aztecs was this dotty-looking fellow, Tlaloc, who was the rain god. Anyone who has ever experienced scorching Mexican sunshine can probably guess why the Aztecs wanted to keep Tlaloc happy.

They made many offerings to him, including the sacrifice of children because the tears of the children were thought to be reminiscent of the rain. That may literally be the saddest thing I have ever heard. I’m honestly not sure I can continue writing this blog post because that’s so sad.

C) And who is this cheerful fellow?

On a much lighter note (because it’s not possible to be on a darker note than child sacrifice), the Aztecs only used five colors in their art: red, yellow, blue, white, and black. Those were the only pigments they had access to.

I enjoyed trying to see the traces of color on the Aztec artifacts, like the white on this representation of Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the dead. Perhaps the color is meant to distract you from the fact that you can literally see his internal organs.

5) dulceria celaya

Before you check out tales of child sacrifice and skeleton gods, it will be about the time on our 24 hours in Mexico City for a snack. In between the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Templo Mayor, I recommend stopping at the Dulceria de Celaya on 39 Av. Cinco de Mayo and picking up a gourmet sweet.

I opted for a lime peel stuffed with coconut. It was so sweet and sticky and the lime peel added just that perfect touch of acidity to cut the sugar in the coconut. (Are you supposed to eat the lime peel? I don’t know. Did I eat the lime peel? Absolutely.)

24 Hours in Mexico City

Afternoon: Palacio National

We spent the morning learning about Mexico City’s culture and history. Now we will spend the rest of our 24 hours in Mexico City learning a little more about its present. But first…lunch!

Approximately top 5: palacio national

1) Lunch Time!

After boning up on Mexico City’s history, why not chow down at a historic restaurant? Sadly, this lovely restaurant that I visited in Mexico City is now closed, so I suggest visiting El Cardinal instead, which is pretty similar.

I was dying to try the specialty of the house, which is chile en nogada, a large poblano chile filled with ground meat, fruit, and spices, and topped with a walnut cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. My only problem is that the portion was so tiny. Is this a restaurant for birds????

If you asked me before sitting down to lunch if I wanted to eat a pepper the size of a fat baby ready to be sacrificed to the rain god, swimming in rivers of walnut cream sauce, and inexplicably topped with pomegranates, I would have said, “No thank you, Internet Stranger! Why don’t you get a real job?”

But in actuality, this dish is amazing. For some reason the sweetness of the sauce and the spice of the meat come together in perfect harmony, just like the lime and the coconut.

I managed to make myself eat dessert just so I could review it on this blog. (You know, for Science!) I ordered one of my favorite desserts in the world: arroz con leche. This dish is like a milkier version of rice pudding.

I liked that it wasn’t too sweet and tasted of real cinnamon, but after the wonders of Jumbo the Poblano that I ate for lunch, I’m not sure any dessert would have been that exciting.

2) Palacio Nacional Interiors

The Palacio Nacional is where the President of Mexico and the Mexican Treasury have their officers, but that’s not why we are stopping here! The President of Mexico has a lot more on his mind than talking to you, Internet Stranger! We are here for some more of that sweet Mexican mural action.

The Palacio Nacional happens to be the location of an amazing collection of Diego Rivera murals depicting Mexican history from pre-Columbian civilization to the arrival of the Spanish to THE PROLETARIAT TRIUMPHANT!!! (Rivera was a communist.)

3) diego rivera murals

This takes us to the beginning of Mexican history, when the Mesoamericans were ruling enormous empires with an iron fist and an iron mask on their faces. Having seen a couple of the ancient pyramids in person, I think Rivera did a wonderful job depicting their grandeur.

But now the Spanish arrive with their smug faces and blond hair and turn the native peoples into slaves. Once again, I love how you need to really examine every aspect of the mural to get the full story. If you just look at the foreground, you’ll miss what’s happening to the Americans in the background.

24 hour treasure

So my favorite mural is meant to be post-revolutionary Mexico. The rich are doing the kind of decadent things that the indolent and wealthy do while the working man is preparing for LA REVOLUCION! Before seeing this mural, I had never even once wondered how to say Das Kapital in Spanish.

And now I guess everyone who has ever existed in Mexican history, from mythological figures to priests to revolutionaries has come together to sing a big song on the staircase. (The slogan “Tierra y Libertad” was a slogan of the revolutionaries during the Mexican Revolution.)

4) go on a cat hunt

So I like Diego Rivera, but I love cats. There were so many cats prowling the grounds of the Palacio Nacional I didn’t know what to do with myself. See!

Why are they there? Do they work for the treasury? I really must know!

24 Hour Tip

You don’t need money to enter this building, but you do need a form of photo ID to leave with the guards. Did I use my work ID, which is in no way, shape, or form a government-issued document? Yes. Did the guard tell me I was cute and let me use the ID? Yes.

Can I guarantee that they will let you in using a work ID? No. Bring something official because for all I know, you might not be the guard’s type.

24 Hours in Mexico City

Evening: Lucha Libre Time

I was dying to experience some of Mexico City’s nightlife during my 24 hours in Mexico City, but I was a little reluctant to go out by myself. In fact, I usually don’t like going out at night by myself unless it’s to a performance or restaurant. Bars and clubs are just strange and uncomfortable as a solo female traveler, especially since my least favorite thing in the whole world is strangers trying to touch me.

That’s why I recommend taking this nighttime tour of Mexico City including lucha libre and mezcal. You can hit some bars, listen to some music, and see some men in silly costumes smack each other around, and all in the company of friendly strangers who will not try to touch you. (This is not the exact same tour I took, but it’s very similar.)

You can book the tour by clicking here.

Then you’ll be ready to head out on a night of fun!

Approximately top 5: mexico city party edition

1) Torre latinoamericana

Before you head off on the tour, stop for a drink at the Torre Latinoamericana skyscraper. This is a perfect place to try a popular Mexican beer, like the refreshing Modelo Especial. This beer is widely available in the US, but somehow it just tasted better to me because I was in Mexico. Also I was drinking it while watching this view.

Yup, that’s the roof of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, where we were at the beginning of our 24 hours in Mexico City. Your drink can also be accompanied by this sunset:

I think some of us were tempted to spend the rest of our 24 hours in Mexico City here! But we still had three more stops coming up.

2) Mariachi at Plaza Garibaldi

Now it was time for the mariachi portion of the evening, so we headed for Plaza Garibaldi. This is the most famous square for listening to mariachi music in the city, but I don’t recommend going alone there at night because you’ll be swamped by people trying to take your money. Even with a group and a guide, we had quite a few people try to talk to us as we made our way to the cantina.

Fun Fact: Our guide said that the word mariachi comes from the French word for “marriage” because they used to play mariachi music at weddings.

3) mezcal madness

Once we got inside, however, our problems were over. We ordered our drinks, and we really had a choice between tequila and mezcal. Our guide recommended mezcal, which has a smokier flavor than tequila, more like whiskey. You drink it with an orange slice and chili salt rather than a lime and salt like you do with tequila.

I’d never tried mezcal before, so I decided to give it a shot. As a whiskey lover, I have to say that I love mezcal as much as whiskey now, and since my trip to Mexico I usually order a mezcal drink if I see it on the menu. It tastes great with the orange slice!

As we drank, the cantina’s band came over and serenaded us with their trumpets, guitars, and singing. I don’t know that I would have ever thought to make a band with just trumpets, strings, and voices, but altogether the mariachi music has a festive vibe you just can’t help but enjoy.

4) lucha libre!

Our last stop was heading on the bus to see the Mexican wrestling, aka lucha libre. This was maybe the craziest thing I have ever seen. The marquee match that evening was Mascara Dorada vs Mephisto.

Mascara Dorada means Gold Mask, and I believe Mephisto is a reference to the Devil figure, Mephistopheles, so I was assuming that Mascara Dorado was the “good guy” and Mephisto was meant to be the “bad guy”.

But before the big showdown, there were lots of little fights, including one between a group of ladies. Go feminism? I don’t know anything about lucha libre, but I like to try to figure out the rules of sporting events by watching them and not doing research, so here goes:

Sometimes in lucha libre, guys just pump their fists and cheer to get the crowd going. Then usually their opponent gets up from the floor and attacks them behind their back.

There are girls who work for the lucha libre. Their only job seems to be to walk next to the fighters in bikinis and wiggle. (Sorry for those of you hoping I took a picture of that. I was inspired by the Diego Rivera murals to stop participating in the exploitation of the proletariat.)

Sometimes in lucha libre, you climb up on top of the ropes and scream a lot until the crowd yells, “JUST JUMP ON HIM ALREADY!” Then you try to jump on your opponent. But sometimes that doesn’t work and you fall on your face, which is funny.

Not-So-Fun-Fact: Our guide told us that little people (aka people with dwarfism) are really popular in lucha libre. That confused me because I thought little people were only used as entertainment in Martin Scorcese films or the land of Westeros. Again, I do not think Diego Rivera would approve of this.

I still have no idea how you win lucha libre. I guess you just get tired and stop getting up after your opponent throws you down and jumps on your head one to many times.

24 Hour Treasure

I liked the lucha libre competition. However, I LOVED the Pink Power Ranger mask I bought for about 12 bucks from one of the mask shops outside the match. Sometimes I wear it around my apartment for no reason.

24 Hour Tip

Those are all the secrets of the tour that I can share with you for now. You’ll have to book the tour for yourself to enjoy this experience.

Check rates and availability right here!

After the match is over, your guide will either put you in a taxi, or take you back to your meeting point, whichever is closer to the hotel. Your 24 hours in Mexico City have finally come to a close.

24 Hours in Mexico City

Where to Stay?

Location is everything when you’re trying to find the right hotel in Mexico City. My recommendation for Mexico’s capital would be Casa Lomah. It’s a B&B right in downtown Mexico City with a super friendly staff. The area felt very safe even at night.

Best of all, a delicious breakfast was included everyday. I like staying at bed and breakfasts because as a solo traveler you can make friends. When I stayed there, the other guests were all French speakers like me, so I truly lucked out!

If you want a great deal on this hotel, click here.

And if you’d rather explore tons of great deals on hotels in Mexico City, just click here. This search engine will help you find the perfect place to stay for your 24 hours in Mexico City. With plenty of options to choose from, I’m sure you’ll find something for your schedule and budget.

That’s a Perfect 24 Hours in Mexico City

What would you do during 24 hours in Mexico City? Have you ever been attacked by masked wrestlers outside of a lucha libre ring? And is there anything sadder than child sacrifice? Please email me at stellajane@aroundtheworldin24hours.com and let me know!

Final Note: Remember, just because my posts are about how to spend 24 hours in a city, that doesn’t mean you should ONLY spend 24 hours in a city. If you want to know how I put my travel itineraries together, just click here.

You can also try the best Chichen Itza tours from Merida. You can also add a what to do Merida day. You can also try one day in Mexico City. You can also try a from Mexico City to Teotihuacan day trip.