Frida's Footsteps: A Deliciously Quirky Mexico Itinerary that includes Mercado de Coyoacan

Your Perfect 5-Day Mexico Itinerary That Includes Mercado de Coyoacan (Without Breaking Your Spirit or Bank Account)

The perfect Mexico itinerary that includes Mercado de Coyoacan isn’t about military-precision scheduling – this is Mexico, after all, where time stretches like melted cheese on a quesadilla. Whether you’re planning extended trips to Mexico City or a quick getaway, flexibility remains key. But a framework helps, especially for Americans accustomed to maximizing vacation days with the efficiency of German engineers, which is why planning a trip to Mexico City requires balancing structure with spontaneity.

Day 1: Land, Breathe, Adjust

Arrival at Mexico City International Airport presents your first authentic Mexican experience: deciding how to reach Coyoacan without getting fleeced. Official airport taxis run about $20-25, while Ubers hover around $15-18. The metro costs a ridiculously cheap $0.50 but involves multiple transfers and isn’t recommended with luggage that weighs more than your childhood dog.

Accommodation options in Coyoacan span from hostels to boutique hotels. Budget travelers can bunk at Hostal Cuija Coyoacan for $25-40 per night, where the Wi-Fi works about as reliably as campaign promises. Mid-range options include Holiday Inn Mexico Coyoacan ($80-110/night), which lacks character but compensates with functional plumbing. Luxury seekers should look at Histórico Central Mexico City ($150-200/night), where the thread count of the sheets exceeds the age of most nearby buildings.

Spend your first afternoon gently strolling through Jardín Centenario and Plaza Hidalgo, where locals gather to gossip and judge tourists’ footwear choices. The altitude here is no joke – at 7,350 feet above sea level, Mexico City sits higher than Denver, making even seasoned hikers pant like they’ve just attempted a CrossFit class. Drink water obsessively and save the mezcal sampling for tomorrow.

For dinner, El Jardín del Pulpo offers seafood that somehow tastes fresh despite being served hundreds of miles from any ocean. Budget $15-25 per person and try the pulpo en ajo (garlic octopus) that’s tender enough to cut with stern language.

Day 2: Frida, Food, and First Market Immersion

Rise early for your pilgrimage to Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo’s cobalt-blue home-turned-museum. The $14 entry fee feels like highway robbery until you’re standing in her actual bedroom, staring at the mirror she used to paint her self-portraits while bedridden. Book tickets weeks in advance online or risk experiencing the special Mexican emotion of “watching-others-enter-while-you-cannot.” Arrive at opening (10am) to briefly imagine you’re alone with Frida before tour groups descend like locusts on a cornfield.

Now comes the main event of any Mexico itinerary that includes Mercado de Coyoacan: lunch at the market itself. Head straight to Tostadas Coyoacan, where seafood tostadas ($5-8) are piled so high with ceviche they require engineering skills to eat. Alternatively, El Charro serves quesadillas ($3-5) stuffed with huitlacoche – corn fungus that looks like something requiring medical attention but tastes like mushrooms that went to graduate school.

Spend the afternoon exploring the market’s craft section, where haggling is expected but should be conducted with the cheerful respect of a tennis match, not the aggression of a hockey brawl. Start at 70% of the asking price and work toward an amount that allows both parties to maintain dignity. Colorful alebrijes (fantastical wooden animals) range from $10-100 depending on size and detail, while textiles run $15-50.

As the day cools, seek out Que Bo! chocolate shop near the market for artisanal Mexican chocolates infused with mezcal, chili, or passion fruit ($5-15). They make Hershey’s taste like it was made with crayons and disappointment.

Day 3: Cultural Immersion Beyond Coyoacan

Dedicate your morning to the Museo Nacional de Antropología ($5 entry), where the Aztec calendar stone makes you realize your Apple Watch’s time-keeping abilities are actually quite limited. This museum ranks among the best things to do in Mexico City for culture enthusiasts. The Maya artifacts include jewelry so intricate it makes modern pieces look like they were assembled during a power outage.

Lunch options represent the extremes of Mexico City’s culinary spectrum. Splurge at Pujol, where Chef Enrique Olvera elevates street food to art ($150 tasting menu), or enjoy Contramar’s perfect grilled fish ($20-30) in a bustling atmosphere where lunches stretch into early evenings.

Afterward, row a boat on Chapultepec Park’s lake ($5/30 minutes) while pretending you’re in a telenovela, dramatic gestures included. Return to Coyoacan for dinner at Los Danzantes ($30-40/person), where the duck in mole sauce arrives with such ceremony you half-expect it to introduce itself.

Day 4: Revolution and Return to Market

The Leon Trotsky Museum ($3 entry) offers the rare opportunity to see where a Communist revolutionary was assassinated with an ice pick – a murder method that lacks subtlety but demonstrates commitment. The modest home-turned-fortress contains Trotsky’s original glasses on the desk where he was working when attacked, somehow both mundane and macabre.

Swing by Ciudad Universitaria to see UNAM Central Library’s mosaic-covered exterior (free), which makes American university libraries look like they’re not even trying. Then return to Mercado de Coyoacan for a late lunch of tinga de pollo tortas ($4) – sandwiches stuffed with shredded chicken in chipotle sauce that would make Subway executives weep with inadequacy.

Spend your evening wandering through Roma and Condesa neighborhoods, Mexico City’s equivalent to Portland, Oregon, where bearded mixologists stir artisanal cocktails and every other storefront houses either a yoga studio or a place selling $8 juice. These trendy areas showcase some of the most modern things to do in Mexico City beyond traditional attractions.

Day 5: Ancient Pyramids and Final Market Feast

Journey to Teotihuacan, where pyramids built around 200 BCE make the Alamo seem practically brand new. Tour operators charge $50-70 including transportation, or DIY adventurers can take public transit for about $10 round trip plus $5 entry. Climb the Pyramid of the Sun early, before the combination of heat, altitude, and steep steps transforms tourists into wheezing, regretful puddles.

Return for your final visit to Mercado de Coyoacan, this time with souvenir shopping intent. Buy a molinillo (traditional wooden chocolate whisk, $5-10) that looks like it belongs in a wizard’s kitchen, or splurge on hand-embroidered textiles ($15-50) that put mass-produced “ethnic” home decor to shame.

For your farewell dinner, seek out Fonda Mi Lupita’s pozole ($6-8), a hominy stew that somehow manages to be both comfort food and culinary adventure. This traditional dish originated in Oaxaca, making planning a trip to Oaxaca City essential for authentic Mexican cuisine experiences. Load it with all the accompaniments – radishes, avocado, lime, oregano, and chicharrón – creating a soup so texturally complex it deserves its own TED Talk.

Market Navigation for the Directionally Challenged

Mercado de Coyoacan operates from 8am to 6pm daily, but locals know certain unwritten rules. Weekday mornings offer breathing room and vendor attention, while Sundays bring maximum atmosphere and minimum personal space. The food section occupies the northern half, craft vendors cluster centrally, and household goods fill the southern edge.

Mexico City’s metro costs $0.25 per journey – cheaper than the gum you’ll buy to mask your street food breath. While generally safe during daylight hours, keep valuables secured and avoid rush hour unless you enjoy intimate physical contact with strangers. When staying in Coyoacan, most major attractions lie within a 20-minute walking radius, with tree-lined streets that make the journey as pleasant as the destinations.

Food Worth Flying For

At Mercado de Coyoacan, seek out Tostadas Coyoacan (stall #181-182) where seafood tostadas achieve the perfect balance between crisp base and tender toppings. For dessert, Las Frutas tables offer mangoes sprinkled with chile, lime, and salt – a combination that sounds wrong until it’s magnificently right.

The market’s juice stands create concoctions that make American smoothie chains seem unimaginative and overpriced. Try guanabana (soursop) mixed with strawberry ($1-2) for a flavor that doesn’t exist in the American palate vocabulary. Follow the locals’ lead on food safety – if a stall has a line of Mexicans, it’s probably both delicious and unlikely to require medication afterward.

Beyond the market, Coyoacan’s hidden food gems include El Jarocho coffee shop, where the café de olla (cinnamon-spiced coffee, $1.50) delivers a more authentic jolt than any venti-half-caf-extra-hot-no-foam situation. For late-night cravings, La Bipolar serves chilaquiles until midnight – the perfect drunk food you didn’t know you needed.