Mexico City (CDMX) is a charming city and a surprisingly wonderful place to visit with kids! Even if you just have a long weekend, you can cover a lot of ground using our packed itinerary for Mexico City with kids - Day 1! Our itinerary covers the best family-friendly activities in Mexico City plus some artwork and food that the adults will love! "Day 1" is Friday, and we go to Chapultepec Park (castles, zoo, + museums), the Polanco neighborhood, and Nico's for dinner!
Friday: Chapultepec Park, Polanco, + Nicos!
8am: Eat Breakfast. We stayed on Ave Reforma in one of the business districts. There are several big name hotels in the area, and we got a really good deal at the Ritz through Bill's work. So for our first morning, we had a big breakfast at our hotel buffet and ate on their beautiful patio! We knew it would be a long day of walking, so we started early and made sure to eat a big breakfast. If you want to leave the hotel for breakfast, there are also plenty of cafes in the area. Lardo is a Mexican-European cafe that's 15 minutes from the park and has really great reviews.
9am: Head to the Park. And now, off to one of the largest urban parks in Latin America (and twice the size of Central Park!) - Chapultepec Park! There are 3 distinct sections, but most of the attractions are in the first section "Primera Seccion". It's almost exclusively a walking situation, so you have to be strategic when planning your itinerary. (And depending on the ages of your kids, we usually double the time Google Maps tells us it takes.)
I'd suggest you enter the park at Estela de Luz! It's a beautiful entrance (see above) and good starting point. We walked from our hotel on Ave Reforma, and even the walk feels grand along the tree-lined parkways. It's also an easy Uber drop-off point if you're staying in another neighborhood.
Upon entering the park, you'll be greeted by so much greenery, outdoor art exhibits (the bat photography exhibit was awesome), fountains, and (depending on time of day) LOTS of snack and trinket vendors!
9:30am: Walk the Hill. Go straight (well, meander straight-ish) to the hill-top castle ('Castillo de Chapultepec'). You'll want to do the trek early, while it's still cool and the kids have peak energy. From Estela de Luz, just follow the signs for "Museo Nacional de Historia" to get to the base of the castle. There aren't signs specifically for the castle but instead for the museum inside the castle. You'll be able to see the castle as you approach, but make sure to follow the signs to avoid walking all around the base, as there is only one entrance.
We got our tickets in advance (here), but you can also buy them at the base of the hill. Whatever you do, just make sure you buy tickets before you walk up the hill, as the only ticket office is at the bottom and you don't want to do the climb twice (as it's not steep at any point, but it's a decent walk with decent increase in elevation)! The good news - there are plenty of good views and even little gardens and artwork along the way if you want an excuse to catch your breath. :)
Note: If you have a stroller, there is a monitored stroller parking area at the bottom and parking at the top of the hill too - you just can't bring it onto the actual castle grounds. If you read other blogs, there is a mention of a green tram that will take you up and down...I'd suggest not relying on that, as we never laid eyes on it. :)
9:30-10:30am: Explore the Castle. Explore the the castle!! It's truly breathtaking! There aren't any formal kids areas or activities, but beauty is everywhere, and there are spaces to explore inside and outside. Don't miss it! We mostly wandered, running up and down staircases and admiring the art, stained glass windows, chandeliers, and weapons - there is something for everyone! :) Eventually make your way to the gardens at the top in the back for pictures in the courtyard and then sweeping views of the city. If you keep hugging the outdoor patio, there is also a stretch of several preserved rooms you can peer into. Each room is maintained in the original style, so it feels like a giant dollhouse - ripe for design inspo too! Don't forget a stop at the little shop (obviously more expensive than buying on the street but easier too!) and then make your way back down the same hill. Anyway, do NOT skip the castle on your long weekend!
If you have extra time, there is a museum along the path down from the castle that is supposed to be cute - Museo de Caracol ("Snail" museum due to it's spiral shape). It's an older museum mostly in Spanish and full of dioramas showing Mexican history. We skipped due to time, so if you go, let us know what you thought... as we'll definitely be back in CDMX one day!
11am - 11:45am: Walk to the Zoo. Once you get to the bottom of the hill, you'll actually take the path that seems to wrap back alongside the castle path, but it's on lower ground. Keep walking, and the smaller path will open up to a larger one. You're heading to the zoo as your next destination, but there is a lot to see on the way. It's a decent walk (hence the time buffer here), but you'll mostly walk on large main pathways lined with vendors selling snacks and trinkets. If you want to buy anything BRING PESOS. There are ATMs but they are NOT easy to find (and some had bad reviews) - see my tips at the bottom for more on that.
11:45am - 12:30pm: Hang at the zoo! It's free to enter (although confusing because there is a ticket office at the entrance for extra activities - which are not required). And it's not a huge zoo, but there are a lot of cool exhibits and our kids kept saying this was one of their favorite stops, so we recommend.
The reason that we made 100% sure to get here was for one thing though - THE PANDA!! It's the only panda still alive (at time of this writing) that is not owned by China. So that is pretty cool. It's because the Mexican breeding program for pandas was one of the most successful in the world over the last few decades, but now unfortunately they are down to their last panda... so we couldn't leave without seeing him! Honestly the enclosure is not as nice as others we've seen around the world (we're kind of panda fake habitat experts at this point), but a panda is a panda!
Note that there are several quick lunch spots here and bathrooms (that still require pesos though), so take advantage if you need a quick break. And lastly... I must mention this... you might be tempted to pay extra to use the little kids' animal push carts at the entrance... we caved and let William ride in one, but it was a big pain to return it... as the zoo exit is in a different location than the entrance, and you must return it at the entrance (and they hold your ID in exchange). So although he loved it, we might have skipped it had we known! :)
12:30-1:30pm. Paddle Boats at the Lake. At this point, we'd originally planned to walk to Homiga Park on the other side of this section of Chapultepec (as it got great reviews in other blogs). But it was a long walk and the kids decided they'd rather try the paddle boats on the little lake next to the zoo - no regrets as it was definitely an 'experience'. We lasted a pretty short time due to the hot sun and the strength required for the paddling of these worn out boats. So make sure you have an adult in each boat (as it takes quite a bit of strength to paddle... as again, these boats are not brand new...), and get ready for an adventure - even if it's a short ride. :)
1:30-1:45pm. Walk to the Museum. Luckily it's a short walk from the lake over to the Museo Nacional de Antropología. You cross one big street at the edge of the park, and then you enter the museum grounds. You won't miss the entrance, as it's grand but there is also likely a big line. :/
1:45pm - 2:30pm. Visit the Museum of Anthropology! To be as efficient as possible (and ensure your spot at the most-visited museum in Mexico), get your tickets in advance. Also, backpacks, waterbottles, etc. aren't allowed in, so budget time to check those at the front area. They make it really easy, and it's conveniently right next to the ATM and the bathrooms too (that do NOT require pesos - horray!).
And now, you're ready to enter! It's a huge museum, so if you're short on time, I'd suggest just heading straight outside (in the middle of the building) and admiring the famous concrete umbrella structure - held up by a single column (which is even scarier when you think we're in an earthquake zone). It doubles as a fountain, and it's a great place to get some photos (but frankly hard to get the scale captured).
Now you're able to see exhibits in all directions (English map here), but if you want to follow in chronological order, start with the one on your right and make your way around the building counter-clockwise. (Side note - how cool is it that they organized the ENTIRE museum like this!?) But if you're short on time (which we always are)... just continue to head straight - all the way to the back (or #6 on the map). This exhibit in the back is called "Mexica" and is full of ancient artwork and information on the history of the Aztecs. It's very kid-friendly as it's packed with art, including a lot of sculptures and ancient structures - a lot to look at! The most famous piece in here is the Sun Stone (Aztec calendar), and you can't miss it as it garners quite a crowd around it. And if you're going to the Teotihuacan pyramids in the same trip, you can also stop by the exhibit of the same name (room #4 on the map), as you'll see the artifacts from the actual site that have been moved into the museum for safe-keeping - which is cool to tie information across days for the kiddos.
2:30pm: Uber to Cárcamo de Dolores. OK full disclosure, this is a bit of a hipster stop... but highly recommend. Luckily there is an Uber pick-up right near the Anthropology Museum, so it was easy to hop in and make a quick trip over to this really special spot. It's a little inconvenient (I did say it's hipster!), as the 'museum' has short hours and is in a more remote area of the park ("Section 2")... but to me it was 1000% worth it! So what is it?
Well... it's actually a small hydraulic water system building... which sounds like a strange stop to make, but it's gorgeous! Outside the small building, there is a super cool statue (dedicated to, of course, the god of water) in the pool out front. And once you enter, there is a small sound exhibit, but the main headline is actually an epic mural by Diego Rivera that was actually underwater (!!) until the plant was drained. Talk about a hidden gem! This place feels like a little secret, and the kids still remember the artwork... so even if this wasn't their most exciting stop, you should do it anyway for yourself!
3:15pm-3:45pm: Parque Lincoln (in Polanco). OK now you're getting back on the (very) beaten path - with an Uber to the popular fancy neighborhood of Polanco. You can get dropped off at any spot around Lincoln Park, as it's fun to walk around. It feels pretty 'American' (maybe because it's named after Abraham Lincoln and has an MLK statue lol). We got dropped at a cafe across the street and then entered the park where a little mini market was happening along the sidewalk. Our destination was the playground, Zona de Juegos Parque Lincoln, which we highly recommend! It's a huge gated playground with dozens of connected structures for kids of all ages. The playground itself is pretty standard-looking for a US/Euro playground, but it's nestled amongst the Polanco high rises so feels more exciting. :)
3:45-4:15pm: Aviary Our next stop after the playground was supposed to be the chocolate shop, but when we passed by the Parque Lincoln Aviary, we could not resist. It's a pretty small aviary with a circular walking path, but it's packed full of birds. The kids absolutely loved it, as most of the birds are not caged (yeah.... touching is possible so keep your eye on the kids lol) so you could walk up pretty close and watch them fly across the space. It's cheap and small enough that you could probably do this in 10 minutes, but we lingered a bit since the kids were having fun!
4:15-4:40pm: Walk around Polanco We wanted an excuse to see a bit of Polanco plus we weren't going to make it to the chocolate museum this trip, so we set our Google Maps to a specialty chocolate shop destination. It's a super short walk, which was actually perfect as it was nice to see the vibe of Polanco (Euro-type sidewalk cafes with a very international crowd), but the actual sidewalk space was limited, and the gallery shops were not totally child-friendly... so short walk was fine here. :) But our destination was "Que Bo!" and it's won several awards for its chocolate. The chocolates come in dozens of flavors and are visually pleasing - plus they can wrap them in a very sturdy and artsy little box, so it makes a great gift too. We went to a coffee shop next door for our daily espresso before grabbing an Uber to our final stop of the day!
5pm: Dinner at Nico's Alright so Mexico City has a lot of really fancy and internationally-recognized restaurants. But we were traveling with 4 kids plus it's really hard to get reservations (and you know we love to plan trips last-minute)... So I did a LOT of research to find this perfect spot... as you know food is life for me, and I was not going to waste our one night available for a cool dinner! And that's how I found Nico's! It was actually recommended by Enrique Olvera, who is one of the most famous chefs in the world and has super fancy restaurants in Mexico City. And if we can't go to his famous places (like Pujol), then we should at least go somewhere he loves! :) Nico's is a bit outside the busiest areas of the city, but it's a million times worth the short drive as it is truly the perfect trendy restaurant for families!
In terms of food, this is a Michelin listed restaurant and it delivers! The dishes are heaven for foodies, and the servers took time to explain each one - they even had a specific 'English translator' that came over when we arrived and walked us through the menu! Before we went, I did some online research to make sure we didn't miss any of the dishes, but don't stress too much as most of the menu changes seasonally and the research will only take you so far since it will change anyway. But I felt very taken care of by the servers - who were happy to tell us all about all the best options... so trust their guidance.
In terms of being kid-friendly (while still being a trendy adult restaurant) - the first tip is to get an early reservation. It's popular, so definitely make sure you book before your trip... and even a couple weeks out, you might not have a choice on time slots anway. We were able to get a reservation for 5pm. An early reservation is perfect as you're less likely to interrupt trendier diners with any kid antics (even though, of course, our kids are always angels lol). The other great thing about this place is that it's pretty loud and everyone is distracted by the glorious food and their friends and family. Noise really echos in here due to the design, which muffles any noises your kids might be making in their seats. Although we can speak from experience that it's not loud enough to prevent a 3-year-old from falling asleep... And to that point, it's a longer meal, but you won't feel out of place with a toy or two to distract the kids - pick from our favorite travel toys if you need inspiration.
Oh also, I LOVE taking pictures of cool bathrooms, so here is the vibe through the eyes of the potty... you're welcome... as we all know that if you're with kids and there is bathroom, you will see it.
We were full and happy (and dare I say... tired) after a long day, so we grabbed an Uber back to the hotel and called it a night - getting all rested up for next crazy day where we'll leave the city for the morning and return for an epic nighttime activity... We'll tell you all about it in the next post - stay tuned!
But in the meantime, book your trip to CDMX!! You will not regret it! And you might run into us... as we'll be back!! :)
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