The BEST 48 Hours in Mexico City: What to Actually Do, Eat and Drink
Mexico City is wild. It’s loud, it’s intensely alive, and it operates at a rhythm that can easily overwhelm you the second you step off the plane. When my friend Alex and I landed here, our goal was simple: to walk the streets, sit at the right tables, and test absolutely everything we could to map out the best restaurants, bars, tours and experiences in Mexico City (Can’t complain on the mission right?).
The truth is, having only 48 hours in Mexico City forces you to make hard choices. The options are endless, and trying to figure out what is actually worth your time can be difficult. But after spending days on the ground, eating at every relevant (and not relevant too) spot, talking to the locals, and testing the best experiences, we put together a route that we genuinely enjoyed. It is a curated mix of our personal favorites and the cultural must-do spots you just can’t skip.
Given what we do, our compass always points towards the table. So naturally, if you are wondering how to do Mexico City in 2 days, our itinerary focuses heavily on the most incredible gastronomic and cultural experiences the capital has to offer. This is exactly what we did, what we loved, and what we highly recommend.
Day 1: Afternoon Arrival and Eating Through Roma Norte
When you land in the afternoon, the temptation is to drop your bags at the hotel and take a nap. Don’t. You only have 48 hours, so you need to hit the ground running. We left our luggage and went straight to Roma Norte to start making things happen.
The Perfect Intro: A Local Food Tour
The fastest way to break the ice with a new destination is by sitting at a table. Obviously, our very first move was joining the Mexico City Foodie Adventure . I know, it sounds like a shameless plug. But the truth is, every city is a completely different beast, and walking the streets with a local expert is the only way to actually grasp its rhythm.
As said, our backdrop was Roma Norte. If you haven’t been, it’s this perfect, leafy mix of old and modern, cool but traditional, and undeniably the culinary epicenter of the capital. Walking past its art deco facades, you realize this is a neighborhood where things happen.
People usually assume a trip to Mexico is just about eating tacos. Don’t get me wrong, we had our fair share, starting with a staple barbacoa and skipping the massive queue at a Michelin-recognized fusion taquería. But a great host pushes you to taste more. We dove into ancestral recipes that instantly make you understand why Mexican cuisine is a UNESCO patrimony. We stood on the sidewalk eating hot tortillas, tried local drinks, shared plates, and made room for dessert. It gives you the exact cultural context you need, making it the perfect transition from the airport chaos to the real city.
Looking specifically for tacos?
We’ve got you covered. Check out our curated guide to the Best Michelin Tacos in CDMX to see which spots are actually worth the hype.
A Nightcap at Tlecan (50 Best Bars)
After the food tour, you will be full, but the night is still young. You could call it a day, but if you want to make the most out of your 48 hours in Mexico City, you have to keep the momentum going. We took a short walk over to Tlecan.
Yes, it is featured on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, and yes, you will probably have to wait in line (unless booking experiences that include it). But once you step inside, you realize it is not trying to be a flashy, superficial lounge. It is intimate, rooted, and carries a strong native vibe perfectly adapted to the nightlife of a trendy neighborhood.
It is dark, smelling faintly of smoke and earth, with an absolute focus on artisanal Mexican spirits. The service is top-tier; the bartenders operate at the highest level, pouring proper drinks and sharing real knowledge about the agave. We leaned against the bar, ordered a couple of straight mezcals (as i said, the night was still young!).
We both absolutely loved it. It’s not necessarily the kind of place you’d go to every single night if you actually lived in the neighborhood, but as a local experience, it delivers exactly what it promises: an exquisite bar to feel the real local vibe, hang out with friends, and just let the first day sink in.
If you are looking for where to drink in Mexico City and want a grounded, top-tier experience, this is the exact spot.
Day 2: Cacao, Corn & Agave
Saturday is about going deep into the ingredients that built this country.
Morning: Ancestral Cacao Workshop
You cannot understand Mexican food without understanding cacao. We started the morning early with a hands-on workshop focused entirely on ancestral techniques. No sweet chocolate bars! This was surprisingly physical. Alex and I stood side-by-side, grinding roasted cacao beans by hand on traditional volcanic stone boards.
It feels a lot like kneading a heavy dough. It actually takes strength, precision, and a specific technique to get it right. We spent the session getting our hands dirty, testing the raw bitterness of the beans, and understanding the complex historical roots of the ingredient. Honestly, it is just an incredibly fun and interesting thing to do with a friend, and it sets a completely different, much more grounded tone for the rest of the day.
Lunch at Expendio de Maíz
By noon, we walked over to Expendio de Maíz. As its name indicates, this place is a true tribute to corn, showcasing it in all its types and in every possible dish it can be used in. We sat on the sidewalk, taking in the smell of the wood fire, ready for a completely different experience.
There is no menu here; they simply bring out plates for you to try. We loved it as a unique change of pace. There is a profound beauty, and a deep respect in watching them transform a single ingredient into so many different, complex flavors. It holds a Michelin star, and it is incredibly well-deserved.
Afternoon Walk & The Mexican Drinks Journey
You will need a walk after that lunch. We spent the early afternoon walking through the neighborhood, and at 3 pm we headed to our next stop: a proper mezcal tasting. We didn’t just drink; we looked at the actual agave plants and mapped out the geography of where and how each variety is grown to understand the process.
By 17:00 hs, we made a mandatory pit stop at Pulquería La Nuclear. There is nothing fancy about this place; it is humble, deeply authentic, and exactly the kind of spot you want to stumble into. We went in to try pulque: a thick, fermented agave drink. The waiters here are an absolute 10/10, serving up batches that come straight from Hidalgo, meaning it is incredibly fresh. I went with the guava flavor (my instant favorite), while Alex ordered the coconut. Both great!
Evening: Mezcal Cocktail Masterclass at Mux
This time, we didn’t want to just sit and be served for the rest of the night. So at 19:00 hs, we headed to Mux for a cocktail masterclass. Jumping behind the bar to figure out how to make a proper mezcal Paloma completely flipped the vibe of the night
I will be the first to admit that I am not exactly a natural-born bartender, but that made it even better. It was ridiculously fun. You get your hands dirty, laugh at your own messed-up ratios, and completely break the usual tourist routine. It is less about perfection and more about sharing the moment, setting the relaxed mood you need to close out the second day in Mexico City.
Day 3: Coyoacán Market & Taco Cooking Class
Sunday is about heading south to change the pace.
Morning: Coyoacán Market & Colonial Walk
We spent the first half of the day at the Coyoacán Market. If you are still building your list of what to eat in Mexico City, a traditional market is where you get the honest answers. It is loud, chaotic, and completely packed with people. We navigated through the tight aisles, surrounded by the heavy smell of toasted chilies and fresh fruit.
For lunch, we didn’t look for a formal restaurant. We found a crowded stall, grabbed a couple of plastic stools, and ordered a massive round of tostadas and fresh juices. You just sit there, sharing the pretty limited space with locals, passing plates, and watching the neighborhood operate at its own rhythm.
By 14:00 hs, we needed to move. We spent the afternoon walking through the quiet, tree-lined colonial streets of the area. It feels like a completely different town compared to Roma Norte, and honestly, we needed the long walk just to explore the architecture and try to walk off all the food we had been eating over the past two days in CDMX.
The Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico City (Must-Do)
We generally try to avoid the massive crowds, but the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City is the one cultural absolute you cannot skip. To be honest, neither of us are deep art experts. But walking through the Blue House is different. It is genuinely special.
You can actually feel her presence in the rooms, not in a spooky way, but in a very holistic, intensely artistic sense. It is completely immersing yourself in a specific historical era. Standing exactly where she lived, worked, and hosted dinners gives you a very intimate, unfiltered connection to an absolute icon of Mexican culture.
The Grand Finale: A Cooking Class in Mexico City
We wanted to end the trip by putting everything we had learned over the weekend into practice. The best way to close out an experience like this isn’t just by sitting down for another meal, but by actually making it, leaving with real recipes and new skills you can take back home. After all, that is what real travel is about.
So, we booked an express, 1.5-hour Taco cooking class in Mexico City right before heading to the airport to continue our trip through the rest of the country.
Tacos might seem like the simplest street food in the world, but actually pressing the masa and cooking a proper corn tortilla from scratch has a real local science to it. We spent the session figuring it out, laughing at the ones that completely fell apart, and then sat down at the table to eat exactly what we just made. It was fast, hands-on, and honestly, the most grounded way to close out what have been the best 48 hours in Mexico City you could have experienced.
Bonus track: The Lucha Libre experience
If you find yourself with an open evening, or if you simply want to swap a night at the bar for pure, unadulterated Mexican chaos, getting tickets for a Lucha Libre show at Arena México is mandatory.
Alex and I spent the entire walk back to the hotel feeling exactly like Jack Black in Nacho Libre. We were absolutely convinced we could take someone in the ring. (Spoiler: we definitely couldn’t).
Ready for Your 48 Hours in Mexico City?
This CDMX itinerary is exactly what we recommend if you want to skip the generic lists and actually experience the capital. Mexico City is absolutely incredible, and as you probably know by now, we are constantly walking the streets and sitting at new tables to craft new experiences for you.
We are always building what’s next, but you don’t have to wait to start making things happen. If you are heading there soon, you can already join us at the table. Get the absolute best of the neighborhood with our Sherpa Food Tour in Roma Norte, or dive deep into the local culture with our Gourmet Taco Tour.
More things are coming soon to CDMX, but for now, pull up a chair. We always save you a seat.
