Palacio de Bellas Artes lit up at dusk

Mexico City · Dec 17–21, 2026

CDMX

Dom·Claudia·Chris·Nguyen

Four nights in Roma Norte. The plan, the map, and where to eat, drink and go, all in one place.

–days to go

Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0

Three tacos al pastor with cilantro and onion
Tacos al pastorCity Foodsters · CC BY 2.0
A packed crowd around the ring at Arena México
Lucha libreWotancito · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cobalt-blue walls and green shutters in Frida Kahlo's courtyard
Casa AzulRod Waddington · CC BY-SA 2.0
Painted trajinera boats lined up on a Xochimilco canal
XochimilcoWotancito · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan under a blue sky
TeotihuacanMalkowo · CC BY 4.0
1

The plan

The basics: flights, where we're staying, and what the city's like in December.

Home base

ULIV Cibeles

2-bedroom with a balcony

Sinaloa 43, Roma Norte

Right by the Cibeles fountain, in the middle of Roma Norte. A lot of the best food on this page is a short walk away, and the map measures everything from here.

Open in Maps Uber home

Getting there

Thu, Dec 17

TIJ → MEX

10:54 am → 4:25 pm

Chris & Nguyen's flight on Aeroméxico, landing at Terminal 2. Dom & Claudia may take the same one.

From the airport to Roma Norte is roughly 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic, so we should be home around 6.

Getting home

Mon, Dec 21

MEX → TIJ

11:55 am → 1:52 pm

Chris & Nguyen's flight on Aeroméxico, leaving from Terminal 2. Dom & Claudia might stay longer; still deciding.

Leaving Roma by about 9:30 am gives room for Monday-morning traffic and check-in.

The crew

Dom & Claudia
Chris & Nguyen

Four of us fit in one Uber, which makes getting around easy.

Weather

Dry and sunny

December afternoons are around 72°F (22°C), and nights drop to around 45°F (7°C). Bring a jacket.

Clock

CDMX time

Mexico City is 2 hours ahead of Tijuana in December. It's also 7,350 feet up, so drink water and go easy on night one.

2

Day by day

A loose shape for each day, not a schedule. Tap any place to see it on the map.

  1. Thu · Dec 17

    Llegada

    Land at 4:25 pm, drop bags around 6, and take a slow first lap around Roma Norte. Keep night one easy; the altitude makes drinks hit harder.

  2. Fri · Dec 18

    Centro + lucha

    The historic center by day: the Zócalo, Templo Mayor, Bellas Artes and the view from Torre Latino. Churros at El Moro, then lucha libre at Arena México at night.

  3. Sat · Dec 19

    Coyoacán or the pyramids

    Pick one: Frida's Casa Azul plus Coyoacán's plazas and market, or an early start out to Teotihuacan. Then back to Roma for dinner and a bar night.

  4. Sun · Dec 20

    Chapultepec Sunday

    Reforma closes to cars on Sunday mornings. Barbacoa for breakfast, then the Anthropology Museum or the Castle, and a long lunch at Contramar. A lot of places close early on Sundays, so plan dinner.

  5. Mon · Dec 21

    Hasta luego

    Chris & Nguyen fly at 11:55 am, so it's pan dulce near home and out the door by about 9:30. If Dom & Claudia stay on: most museums are closed on Mondays, so it's a good day for souvenirs and one last round of tacos.

Las Posadas, the neighborhood Christmas parties, run every night from Dec 16 to 24, so the whole trip falls inside them.

3

What are we feeling?

Pick a mood and a time, and the list and map narrow down. Walking times are from our place.

4

Book ahead

Things that sell out or need a reservation. Tick them off as they get done.

  • Timed entry, and it sells out weeks ahead. For Saturday if we pick Coyoacán. Official tickets

  • The Friday show usually starts at 8:30 pm. CMLL schedule and tickets

  • Saturday or Sunday works well. OpenTable

  • Propio, Lina, Rosetta or Máximo. Pujol and Quintonil book up months out, so check those now if we want one.

  • Reservations recommended, especially on a Saturday.

  • If we cross at CBX: passports, the bridge ticket and boarding passes. Non-Mexican passports also need an FMM tourist permit, which can be done online ahead or at the CBX counter. CBX · FMM form

  • Cash for taco stands, markets and tips.

  • Only if we pick the pyramids on Saturday. Flights go up at sunrise.

  • Usually Wednesday nights and Sundays at Bellas Artes, so Sunday the 20th could work. Schedule

  • Guided visits by appointment only. Book a visit

Ticks are saved on this phone or computer only, not shared with the group.

5

Know before you go

The practical stuff, plus enough Spanish to order tacos.

Money

Pay in pesos. Cards work at most restaurants and bars, but taco stands and markets are cash. Use ATMs inside banks.

Tip 10 to 15% at sit-down places (check whether service is already on the bill).

Getting around

Uber and DiDi are cheap, and the four of us fit in one car. Roma, Condesa and Juárez are very walkable.

At the airport, use an authorized taxi booth inside the terminal or the app's pickup zone.

Water & altitude

Don't drink tap water. Water and ice at restaurants are purified, so drinks are fine.

At 7,350 feet you'll get winded and tipsy faster than usual. Hydrate.

Meal times

Lunch (la comida) is the big meal, around 2 to 5 pm. Dinner runs late.

Sunday nights are quiet, and most museums close on Mondays.

December here

Las Posadas run Dec 16 to 24: neighborhood parties with ponche (warm fruit punch), piñatas and tamales.

Poinsettias are native to Mexico, where they're called nochebuenas. Expect them everywhere.

Staying sharp

Keep phones tucked away on crowded streets and in the Metro, take an Uber at night, and stick to busy streets. The emergency number is 911.

Taco talk

Al pastor
Spit-roasted, marinated pork, shaved off a trompo with a slice of pineapple
Suadero
Tender beef slow-cooked in its own fat. Very CDMX.
Campechano
A mix, usually beef with chorizo or crispy pork
Gringa
Al pastor and melted cheese in a flour tortilla
Costra
A crispy shell of griddled cheese wrapped around the meat
Con todo
"With everything": onion and cilantro
De canasta
"Basket" tacos, steamed and soft. A cheap breakfast.
Barbacoa
Lamb slow-cooked in a pit, mostly on weekends
Cochinita pibil
Yucatecan pork marinated in achiote and citrus
Gaonera
Thin-sliced beef filet with lime and salt

Handy phrases

La cuenta, por favorThe check, please
¿Aceptan tarjeta?Do you take cards?
Para llevarTo go
¿Pica mucho?Is it very spicy?
Una mesa para cuatroA table for four
Otra rondaAnother round
¡Salud!Cheers!
6

The lists

Where the places above came from. The write-ups on this page are our own short summaries, so follow these for the full reviews.

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