s_rk

I only have a very short stopover in Mexico City - I get in Friday night, have all day Sat. and Sun., and then fly out Mon. at 2pm. I figure Friday will just be dinner, and Monday morning I want to visit the Barragan museum before heading to the airport. That leaves me Sat. and Sun. I'm trying to figure out if it's possible to fit in the following sites/areas in this timeframe (I assume probably not), and if not, what to cut, and how to organize the days:

Teotihuacan (can't imagine not seeing this!) - figure if I take a taxi and get there at sunrise, I can be back in Mexico City for lunch.

Anthropology Museum and maybe a quick stop at the nearby Rufino Tamayo Museum

Frida Kahlo Museum

Dolores Olmeda Museum/Xochimilco and the floating gardens

Zocalo area

Any suggestions?

Fra_Diavolo

We already did this for you. Click here

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...6&tid=35096759

to refresh your memory.

Anyway, the short answer to your question is to drop one of the five destinations. Try this:

Saturday Morning -- Teotihuacan

Sat Afternoon -- Zocalo area -- Templo Mayor and Museum, Diego Rivera murals.

Sunday Morning -- Anthropology Museum.

Sun Afternoon, subway to Viveros, walk to Frida Kahlo Museum.

At least, that is how I would do it. You will have a spare hour here or there, but not enough to squeeze in another major attraction. Spend it walking through a park or visiting a nearby, minor site.

Have a nice trip.

s_rk

Thanks again - your division of the days sounds totally reasonable. Would it be really remiss of me though to substitute going to Xochimilco Saturday afternoon and skipping the Zocalo area? There's something quite appealing about relaxing on the canals and seeing the Olmeda museum, especially after a very full morning at Teotihuacan. That said, there is obviously some overlap between the Olmeda and Kahlo museums . . .

Fra_Diavolo

You know, each time I go to Mexico City I plan to visit the canals at Xochimilco, but I haven't made it yet.

It does sound like a nice day, but I understand Sunday is the day to do it (most Mexican people).

The Frida Kahlo museum does not have much of her work, and what it does have is mostly second-rate -- there's an appalling portrait of Stalin. You visit the house to see how Frida and Diego lived, to get a sense of her as a person, and that comes across vividly. One of my favorite places.

Personally I love the Zocalo and can't imagine missing it. From the giant flag to the slowly sinking, gloomy old cathedral to raucous street life it just screams "Mexico" to me. This is not to mention the templo and the Rivera mural. But if the canals seem more your thing by all means follow your instincts. You can always see the Zocalo on your next trip -- or, here's an idea -- stay on the Zocalo (Hotel Majestic is good and inexpensive, right on the square. Ask for a room with a view.) You can take it in during your "down time." You can easily see the Rivera murals in half an hour, the Templo Mayor (with museum) in an hour or two. That might give you time to do both the canals and experience the Zocalo.

s_rk

Thanks again for all of your help. I was also wondering if it would be a bad idea to pair the Anthropology Museum with Teotihuacan in a day. Assuming I'll be back in Mexico City by lunchtime, I was thinking we could spend the rest of the day at the museum since it looks like it's open until 7pm (later than most other sites on our list). Would this just be too overwhelming? Finally, in terms of areas that are fun to walk around at night, what would you recommend?

gypsyluce

hi, on the sunday afternoon afetr the frida Khalo museum go to the centre of the coyoacan neighborhood, 2 lovely churches nearby, colonial arquitecture, a handicaft market, nice cafes etc. Or you could go to San Angel, also pretty and colonial.

s_rk

Is Coyoacan nice to walk around at night (after Frida's house closes at 6pm, but before dinner)?

artnuvo

walking fom viveros to the frida kahlo musuem can be a long walk-45 minutes-on some long fairly deserted streets, an eery feeling for us, and if your spanish is not good, it might take longer. get off the metro at viveros and take a red/white taxis which are safer than the green/white's. I found the san angel market square with its weekend art market disappointing tho there is supposed to be a good taco stand t here. Personally, I would avoid the street food if you don't want problems.

the pyramids is a 1 hour bus trip from termnal norte. 2 weeks ago the pyramid of the moon was open but not the sun, or vice versa, I forget which. you should give yourself a 1/2 day at the pyramids. there are several entrances/exits at which you can get return buses to the terminal norte metro.

Choose between the pyramids and xochimilco. The latter is really a weekend event when families visit.

given the traffic in mexico city it might be quicker to take the metro and a bus, than a taxi.

from the pyramids with a few metrochanges, if you are up to a lot more walking, you could visit either the antrhropology museum- alaerge complex with at least 8 large viewing areas--or the tamayo museum-a very nice musuem currently with a tamayo retrospective-check to see if it is still there--and/or the zocalo. If you have time stop at the Camino Real hotel near the museum and see the 80 x 100 Tamayo mural in one of their ground floor lounges.
Templo Mayor is within 2 blocks of the Zocalo as is the National Palace with Diego's murals. Viewing the Templo Mayor works requires at least 2 hours, not counting the small museum. About a 5 block walk from Templo Mayor is the Secretary of Education Buidling which has 3 floors of Diego murals. Or, you could get off at Bellas Artes and view Rivera, Siquieros, Orozoco murals in that art nouveau exhibition hall, Sunday and Wednesday performancs of the Ballet Folklorico for which your hotel can get you tickets at about a 3% markup for their service.
If you are at Bellas Artes walk 2 blocks to Cafe Tacuba on Tacuba Street about 100 feet from the Allende metro and eat the prix fixe 5-course menu at historical Cafe Tacuba with the locals--about $18. And by that time if its dark, walk over to the Sheraton, and get a tourist cab to your hotel.

s_rk

Thanks! So do you think it would actually be better to see the Anthropology Museum on Saturday afternoon/early evening (alotting at least 4 hours), and then start out Sunday with all of the Zocalo sites?

trebex

Are you going next weekend? I have exactly the same schedule, arriving Friday night, leaving Monday afternoon.

s_rk

Yes - I'll actually be coming from a conference with my husband in Acapulco, so we get into Mexico City Friday night, and leave for NY on Monday.

s_rk

sorry, to be clear, not this Friday, but the next.

emd

I do not go into Coyoacan by taking the metro to Viveros. I take the metro to Miguel de Quevado, then I catch a pesaro bus that goes down Quevado and get off at Tres Cruces, then walk 3 blocks to the main square of Coyoacan. Or just get a taxi M. de Quevado metro to the square. It is a well-lit main road, lots of people and buses.

Wlaking around the square in Coyoacan on weekends is fun. there will be live music playing (a group from the Andes and some folk singers last time I was there in Nov.) at the square, and there are vendors stands for all kinds of things, jewelry, hand-crafted goods, clothing, etc. There was a funny mime there in Nov., and he had a good-sized crowd. I also like the indoor market in Coyoacan, a few blocks from the square. Nice candy area, colorful veggie stands, an area w/birds for sale, baskets, etc. and it is very clean and a manageable size unlike some markets.

s_rk

Thanks - how late do all of these events (music, vendors, etc.) go until?

Fra_Diavolo

The reason I suggested Viveros is that the park itself is a pleasant place to walk. It's full of joggers and strollers. If I'm not mistaken, it is where Mexico City grows all the trees it needs to replace those which die around the city. Can't recall if the walk took 45 minutes, I thought it less, but we like walking and I may not have been counting.

s_rk

I guess it will depend on our time situation. We're also thinking of trying to see the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico Sunday night (8:30pm) - has anyone gone? Would you recommend it?
So far, I think the schedule we've settled on is:

Friday: arrive airport at 7:30, straight to The Red Tree House (hotel) in Condesa, dinner in Condesa
Saturday: Teotihuacan in morning (arrive via taxi by 7am), back in Mexico City for lunch around 12/12:30, afternoon at Anthropology Museum (stay until closing time at 7pm)
Sunday: morning in Zocalo, afternoon in Coyoacan (Frida's), Ballet Folklorico @ 8:30pm
Monday: 10am tour of Casa Barragan, straight to airport for 2pm flight

Restaurants that we're thinking about: Rojo Bistrot, Villa Maria, Los Danzantes, Aguila y Sol - any pros or cons for any of these?

Thanks again . . .

emd

AS long as you don't mind a lot of walking on SAt., that's ok. But realize it's a lot of walking on Sat. Teotihuacan is very spread out and so is the museum.

The square in Coyoacan will be lively while you are there on Sunday. I'd eat there, at one of the restaurants on the square.

Ballet Foklorico is a nice Sunday evening, and you'll get to see the great Tiffany curtain. Since you are an architecture fan, I think you'd like that.

gypsyluce

hi, the musicians, open market, mime artists etc in coyoacan stay around till after dark, till arounnd 8:30-9 usually. Another quite fast possibility to get there is to go by metro on blue line to general anaya and get a pesero there ( go out of station on right side, ie the trains facing south,the direction you were going in) or a taxi. The peseros are on the small road to the left of the exit.

s_rk

Thanks so much for all of the info/suggestions. One more question though - is there a specific Mexico City map book that anyone recommends? I have a couple of guidebooks that I like for the background info on sites, but they're totally lacking in terms of navigation . . .

Fra_Diavolo

I have the B and B City Streets map for Mexico City -- one of those laminated folding maps. It's served well over two trips. I'm sure most of the similar maps found in bookstores would do fine.