Ten Days in CDMX: Culture, History, Chaos, and Tacos
“I drank to drown my sorrows, but the damned things learned how to swim.” Frida Kahlo
9/22/202510 min read
We’ve been to Mexico many times before, and most Americans have as well… but have they really? After these 10 days in Mexico City, we can confidently say we have finally truly been to Mexico.
For most American travelers, including ourselves, every trip has involved staying in beach resorts. The resorts would pick you up at the airport, drive you to their location, and you would stay there for the next 5-7 nights. Beautiful beaches, accommodations, and first-class service define these stays. We are guilty of that as well and have experienced that type of Mexico in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya. We have nothing against those kinds of trips, and we love doing them too. But to truly experience Mexico, you need to step away from the resorts and explore its heart—Mexico City!
Mexico City is massive and offers a little of everything. As the largest city in North America, it’s chaos at its finest. The city awakens early and is always bustling. Every time we left the hotel, there was an adventure waiting.
Historical Context
Mexico City is built on the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest in 1521, the capital was relocated and rebuilt. Many colonial-era buildings now stand in the Historic Center, including the Cathedral Metropolitana, which was built over the site of the original Aztec sacred precinct. Palacio Nacional features murals by Diego Rivera that depict Mexican history from pre-Hispanic societies through colonialism, revolution, and modern Mexico.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in the Historic City Center at the Hilton Hotel Umbral, Curio Collection. This area isn't like the Instagram-famous neighborhoods of Condesa or Roma. Just like large cities in the US such as Chicago or NYC, there are homeless people and beggars here. Because our hotel is close to government buildings and the National Palace, there were police everywhere, with groups in full riot gear just blocks from us. People gathered in the central square every day. Traffic was crazy. The city definitely felt alive in this area, and we loved it. If you prefer peace and quiet, you might want to choose another neighborhood. But if you want history right outside your door, we recommend this hotel without hesitation. Alberto, the hotel concierge, was fantastic—he had plenty of tips and helped us make reservations at some of the best local restaurants.
Note that if you are staying over a Sunday, the street in front of Hotel Umbral is closed to walkers, runners, and bikers. These are the most peaceful mornings. People usually don’t start coming out until after church. Almost nothing is open except laundromats and a charming antique market that pops up around a quiet park.
What We Did
Here are some of the tours and sights we saw during our 10 days:
Guru Free Walking Tour of Historic City. On our first day, we scheduled a morning walking tour around the city center. We had a fantastic guide who shared history, stories, and hidden corners that we would never have found otherwise.
In the afternoon, we scheduled another Guru Walking tour, but this one was for Tacos. This took us out of the historical center and into some other neighborhoods. We tried three different street Taquerias and sampled many types of tacos. https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/33313-taco-tour-street-flavor-safely
Take a tour to the Teotihuacan Pyramids and visit the Basilica of Guadalupe with Rafael. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes. Distances can be long, and stairs may be steep. Reach out to us so we can link you up with this great tour guide.
Hot Springs Trip - Tolantongo Caves are located in the state of Hidalgo. It is about a four-hour drive to and from the site. It is a long day, but worth it for the waterfalls, caves, and lush scenery. Make sure you are in good shape for walking on uneven ground. We recommend booking this trip as a private one so you don’t get crammed into a van with a bunch of other strangers. You will be in the van for about 8 hours, so you need to be comfortable.
Lucha Libre wrestling. They have this numerous times throughout the week. We chose the show on Saturday night because it was at the downtown arena, which is the oldest venue. Many tour companies sell tickets that include tacos ahead of time but they are expensive. For this event, you can go straight to Ticketmaster and buy your tickets directly at a fraction of the cost. The events begin around 7:30 pm. Big fun for families. It is easy to see it is staged but the show is alive and full of energy.
Parque Delta. A beautiful modern mall with excellent shopping and eatery options you might expect in any large city.
The food in Mexico City is fantastic. Most of the time, we just ate street tacos for a few pesos, and they were amazing and everything we expected. We also had a couple of nice meals that were arranged by Alberto, our hotel concierge. The first one was at the Balcon del Zócalo, which had a rooftop terrace overlooking the Plaza de la Constitución, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Palace. The other restaurant we enjoyed was Azul Histórico, which served gourmet-style traditional Mexican cuisine. Both of these restaurants were on the pricier side, but definitely worth it.
Overall Recommendation
Mexico City rewards those who explore with curiosity. It's loud, busy, colorful, and alive. It isn't always comfortable, but it is almost always unforgettable. If you stay in the Historic Center, you step into history with every walk. If you enjoy food, art, architecture, and people-watching, there's no better place.
We would stay here again without question. It feels like Mexico in its full richness, not just the highlights. If you are interested in visiting Mexico City, reach out to us and we can help coordinate tours for you and introduce you to some of our favorite people in the city.
We’ve been to Mexico many times before, and most Americans have as well… but have they really? After these 10 days in Mexico City, we can confidently say we have finally truly been to Mexico.
For most American travelers, including ourselves, every trip has involved staying in beach resorts. The resorts would pick you up at the airport, drive you to their location, and you would stay there for the next 5-7 nights. Beautiful beaches, accommodations, and first-class service define these stays. We are guilty of that as well and have experienced that type of Mexico in Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, and the Riviera Maya. We have nothing against those kinds of trips, and we love doing them too. But to truly experience Mexico, you need to step away from the resorts and explore its heart—Mexico City!
Mexico City is massive and offers a little of everything. As the largest city in North America, it’s chaos at its finest. The city awakens early and is always bustling. Every time we left the hotel, there was an adventure waiting.
Historical Context
Mexico City is built on the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. After the Spanish conquest in 1521, the capital was relocated and rebuilt. Many colonial-era buildings now stand in the Historic Center, including the Cathedral Metropolitana, which was built over the site of the original Aztec sacred precinct. Palacio Nacional features murals by Diego Rivera that depict Mexican history from pre-Hispanic societies through colonialism, revolution, and modern Mexico.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in the Historic City Center at the Hilton Hotel Umbral, Curio Collection. This area isn't like the Instagram-famous neighborhoods of Condesa or Roma. Just like large cities in the US such as Chicago or NYC, there are homeless people and beggars here. Because our hotel is close to government buildings and the National Palace, there were police everywhere, with groups in full riot gear just blocks from us. People gathered in the central square every day. Traffic was crazy. The city definitely felt alive in this area, and we loved it. If you prefer peace and quiet, you might want to choose another neighborhood. But if you want history right outside your door, we recommend this hotel without hesitation. Alberto, the hotel concierge, was fantastic—he had plenty of tips and helped us make reservations at some of the best local restaurants.
Note that if you are staying over a Sunday, the street in front of Hotel Umbral is closed to walkers, runners, and bikers. These are the most peaceful mornings. People usually don’t start coming out until after church. Almost nothing is open except laundromats and a charming antique market that pops up around a quiet park.
What We Did
Here are some of the tours and sights we saw during our 10 days:
Guru Free Walking Tour of Historic City. On our first day, we scheduled a morning walking tour around the city center. We had a fantastic guide who shared history, stories, and hidden corners that we would never have found otherwise.
In the afternoon, we scheduled another Guru Walking tour, but this one was for Tacos. This took us out of the historical center and into some other neighborhoods. We tried three different street Taquerias and sampled many types of tacos. https://www.guruwalk.com/walks/33313-taco-tour-street-flavor-safely
Take a tour to the Teotihuacan Pyramids and visit the Basilica of Guadalupe with Rafael. Be sure to bring comfortable walking shoes. Distances can be long, and stairs may be steep. Reach out to us so we can link you up with this great tour guide.
Hot Springs Trip - Tolantongo Caves are located in the state of Hidalgo. It is about a four-hour drive to and from the site. It is a long day, but worth it for the waterfalls, caves, and lush scenery. Make sure you are in good shape for walking on uneven ground. We recommend booking this trip as a private one so you don’t get crammed into a van with a bunch of other strangers. You will be in the van for about 8 hours, so you need to be comfortable.
Lucha Libre wrestling. They have this numerous times throughout the week. We chose the show on Saturday night because it was at the downtown arena, which is the oldest venue. Many tour companies sell tickets that include tacos ahead of time but they are expensive. For this event, you can go straight to Ticketmaster and buy your tickets directly at a fraction of the cost. The events begin around 7:30 pm. Big fun for families. It is easy to see it is staged but the show is alive and full of energy.
Parque Delta. A beautiful modern mall with excellent shopping and eatery options you might expect in any large city.
The food in Mexico City is fantastic. Most of the time, we just ate street tacos for a few pesos, and they were amazing and everything we expected. We also had a couple of nice meals that were arranged by Alberto, our hotel concierge. The first one was at the Balcon del Zócalo, which had a rooftop terrace overlooking the Plaza de la Constitución, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Palace. The other restaurant we enjoyed was Azul Histórico, which served gourmet-style traditional Mexican cuisine. Both of these restaurants were on the pricier side, but definitely worth it.
Overall Recommendation
Mexico City rewards those who explore with curiosity. It's loud, busy, colorful, and alive. It isn't always comfortable, but it is almost always unforgettable. If you stay in the Historic Center, you step into history with every walk. If you enjoy food, art, architecture, and people-watching, there's no better place.
We would stay here again without question. It feels like Mexico in its full richness, not just the highlights. If you are interested in visiting Mexico City, reach out to us and we can help coordinate tours for you and introduce you to some of our favorite people in the city.
