Mexico City + Oaxaca Guide
Mexico City + Oaxaca Guide
Discovering these two great cities by way of walking, art, and tacos.
For years, friends have been saying how much I would love Mexico City and Oaxaca. Both places have everything I look for in a getaway: charming neighborhoods, lots of art, world-famous food scenes, and plenty of – you guessed it – walking. I gathered recommendations from several friends and meticulously cross-referenced them with Yolo Intel's Black Book, which was like a bible for checking prior to almost every move (Thank you, Yolanda!). The biggest challenge was how we would be able to narrow down and juggle all the countless food experiences into our days. In the end, we settled on five nights in Mexico City (CDMX) and three in Oaxaca.
In Mexico City, we opted to stay in Condesa, a cool little neighborhood with beautiful art deco buildings, leafy streets and pocket parks. Our base was the stylish Condesa DF hotel (ask for Room 302 - it has a great balcony overlooking purple jacaranda trees!). We bounced from museum to museum, taking in the brightly-colored architecture of the city along the way. And of course, eating tacos. Lots and lots of tacos.
Below are the highlights. I’ve written up the complete itinerary at the end of this post.
Touring the sites of Luis Barragán
We took a private tour of Casa Gilardi, an iconic masterpiece by influential Mexican architect Luis Barragán, followed by a peek inside his former home and studio. Known for creating serene, perfectly proportioned buildings that feel like an escape from the crazy city, Barragán's style is a brilliant blend of modernism and traditional Mexican elements. The walls and courtyards, painted in bold shades of pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows, took my breath away. Both sites require reservations, but it is SO worth it. We just happened to be there during April’s partial eclipse. The brightly colored walls as the backdrop for the 10 minutes of eeriness were unforgettable.
Eating Our Way Through Narvarte
On our first night, we dove right into the city's street food scene and took a food tour through the Narvarte neighborhood. Our guide, Lucia, shared insider tips and fun facts as we ate our way down Av. Universidad. My faves included charcoal-grilled "volcanoes" (roasted peppers and oozy cheese atop crispy tostadas) at La Costilla and watching the taquerios (taco chefs) at El Vilsito Taqueria expertly shave pork from towering spits topped with pineapples – the whole thing looked like a Christmas tree. But the true hit of our tour was our stop at Tony's Tacos, a hut in the middle of the street manned by a hardworking woman named Ary. She shared her secret - the "circle of joy" where three types of meat juices mingle to create the ultimate suadero tacos.
Frida's Casa Azul
Though very touristy, a visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum is a must. La Casa Azul (The Blue House) is the iconic bright blue stucco house where Kahlo was born and later lived with Diego Rivera until her death; the house is a work of art in itself. Seeing so many of her personal objects laid out gave me a better sense of her, not just as an artist but as a person. Her paint-splattered easels, books, childhood toys, and multiple back braces and clothes were all on display, as if she still lived there.
Seven Perfect Course at Pujol, Mexico City
The showstopper meal in CDMX was a multi-course dinner at Pujol, which totally lived up to the hype. We devoured the “Mole Madre, Mole Neuvo” – the superstar of the night was a single plate with just two types of mole, one that had been continuously cooking for 3327 days! I learned that mole is made with something similar to sourdough starter, and it just keeps going for years as ingredients get added to it. Jaw drop.
Lunch (Times Two) at Levadura de Olla, Oaxaca
Levadura de Olla was on everyone's rec list, and for good reason! Our lunch was a standout. The roasted corn veggie tamable was seriously the best thing I have ever tasted. Ever! (Really, I mean it.) The corn was just so…corn-y. I could have happily eaten every meal here. We went twice in our short visit. I am still dreaming of the tomato salad….
Excursion day in Teotitlan Del Valle
The highlight of Oaxaca was the day we spent with Ishamel, a fantastic driver and guide arranged by our hotel. If I had to pick one favorite outing of the whole trip, it was undoubtedly our visit to Casa Don Juan Zapotec Weaving, where we spent hours immersed in the fascinating process of rug-making – from shearing the wool to creating natural dyes using ingredients like cochineal bugs and cactus to boiling the yarn to the weaving itself. John Carlos, the owner, walked us through each step of the craft. A-MAZ-ING.
Our next stop that day was the chaotic Mercado de Tlacolula, a bustling local market where we stopped for – you guessed it – more tacos! This time, barbacoa tacos, which means super slow cooked, so the meat falls apart. We then visited Mujeres Del Barro Rojo, a proud, women-owned business in Tlapazola which sold red clay ceramics (I wished we had more room in my luggage).
The final stop was a rustic, family-run Mezcal farm, which was a fascinating glimpse into the world of Mezcal production. I had no idea what a slow and tedious process it was.
Aerobics/Dance Class in a Parque El Llano
It had been a while since I had worked out, so I started our last full day with a run. I happened to stumble upon a park where an aerobics class was starting up, and the instructor motioned for me to join. When in Rome, right? It was ridiculously hard to keep up with the moves but so much fun. Old school aerobics mixed with salsa in the middle of a small city park! Una día perfecto!
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MEXICO CITY
DAY 1 / Getting the lay of the land
Walk around Condesa neighborhood
Lunch: Maizjo - No-frills taco stand up counter in Condesa
Dinner: Navarte at Night Food tour with Eat Mexico highlights of the night:
La Costilla - Get the Volcano - tortilla with roasted peppers and cheese - Excellent.
El Vilsito Taqueria - El pastor tacos. So much fun to watch multiple spits happening at once.
Tony’s Taco - Barbacoa Tacos simmering in “The Circle of Joy”
DAY 2 / Museum and lots of walking
Frida Kalho House - Get tickets ahead of time!.
Walked around Meroma neighborhood
Lunch: Fugaz. Don't miss the tostada topped with vinegary little fish and the charred broccoli in spicy pepita sauce.
Cocktails: Clandestina - Mezcal bar. Cucumber Cocktail, made with Mezcal, rosemary, ginger, and lemon.
Dinner: Meroma - The menu changes often, but, if they’re on the menu, start with the fried artichokes.
DAY 3 / Historic Center Day
Sunday was devoted to the Centro Histórico, which, to be honest, was insanely crowded and a bit overwhelming. My tip would be to go early to see the main square and cathedral.
Bruch: De Huevos MX -A trendy little spot all about eggs in Condesa
Dinner: Lardo was booked, so we found ourselves at a local Argentinian place in the neighborhood. It wasn’t the best food of the trip, but we felt like locals, which is the best part of visiting any foreign country, right?
DAY 4 / Architecture Day:
Casa Gilardi - This is an absolute must, the highlight of CDMX, it’s one of Architect Luis Barragan’s most significant commissions. You must reserve via email in advance!
The Museum Luis Barragan - Home and studio of Barragan. Only a few people at a time are allowed in. We managed to do it without a reservation, but you really should reserve, just to be safe.
Lunch: Contramer - Simple perfection! Order the very photogenic “pescado a la talla”, a butterflied fish cooked with red salsa on one side and green salsa on the other. The tuna tostadas are also a must! Only open for lunch and reservations are a must, but if it’s booked, try Entremer, a spot with the same menu where it’s easier to snag a table.
DAY 5 / Museum overload day
Museo Nacional de Antropologia – (give yourself several hours!)
Museo Jumex - A contemporary Museum in the Polanco neighborhood, where we saw a Damien Hirst exhibition.
Museo Soumaya - Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim’s private art collection housed in a striking, curvy building made of aluminum hexagonal tiles. Worth checking out!
Lunch: Aqua y Sel - A little fancier than we wanted, but so civilized and a much-needed break after walking around so many museums. The esquites with shrimp was a stand out.
Dinner: Pujol. Seven extraordinary courses. Thank me later.
Pro tip: Mexico City is big and sprawling. Many streets are deceivingly long. Ubers are super cheap and much safer than taxis. A company called Didi is the Uber equivalent in Oaxaca.
OAXACA
DAY 6 / Travel day
Hotel Otro Oaxaca. A very new hipster hotel with lots of kinks to work out. Because our first room was on the ground floor, we asked to move because people could see right in and we wouldn't have been able to open the window. They upgraded us to a 4 story townhouse! Private pool on our own roof.
Lunch: Levadura de Olla - excellent! (see above) We stumbled upon this while waiting for our hotel room; we realized this was on everyone’s list. And for good reason!! I could have had every meal here.
Cocktails: Bodega VERSUS. Frida, a very nice bartender, felt like she was my new bff.
Dinner: Ancestral Cocina Tradicional—Traditional Oaxacan food in a rustic outdoor setting with lots of tealights and good vibes.
DAY 7 / Excursion Day, Oaxaca
Best day!! Our driver Ishamel was fabulous.
Árbol del Tule The widest tree in the world is this 2,000 year old cypress tree in the center of Santa María del Tule. We stopped because it was on the way. Not necessary, and a little touristy, but fun.
Casa Don Juan Zapotec Weaving. We spent a few hours here, learning how rugs are made. The owner, John Carlos, brought us through the entire process. He showed us how natural dyes are made with cochineal bugs who first eat cactus juice and then are smushed into vibrant shades of reds and purples. Totally amazing.
Mecado di Tlacolula Chaotic, endless market, where We had fantastic tacos al pastor from a stand. This isn’t a tourist market, it's just how the locals shop. Had we been in an airbnb with a kitchen, I would have definitely stocked up here!
Mujeres Del Barro Rojo, - A woman-owned pottery collective, where a very proud ceramist showed us how red clay is used to create things. I bought a plate and some Mezcal cups.
Mezcal Ancestral La Herencia De Lucas - Very rustic, family run Mezcal farm.
DAY 9 / Aerobics and Museum Day, Oaxaca
Morning run and Aerobics Class in Parque El Llano.
Institute of Graphic Arts - The largest design + art library in Latin America. We spent hours looking up Barragan, Kahlo, and others. More than 50,000 books!
Museo Textil de Oaxaca - Filled with Textile art from around the area
Museo de los Pintores Oaxaquenos - Oaxaca art housed in a former convent
Lunch: Le Vedura (again!)
Mezcal Tasting: Mezcal behind closed doors. This was not a cocktail bar experience; it was a very serious, focused lesson. (Phil loved it.)
Dinner: Le Popular. Fun, very low key, good vibes. More tacos, but a great way to end our stay.
DAY 10 / Travel Day
Fly back to NY
I wish I spoke to you a few weeks ago - we scheduled my first trip to Meixco and decided (sue to to the heat at this time of year) to go to Sayulita (North of PV) - but you make a great case for Mexico City! Next time. Can't wait to read your other tips!