For one of my closest friends’ birthday, we celebrated in Mexico City, Mexico, and had a TIME. I was honored to help curate the itinerary, especially for the birthday girl who had visited Mexico City before. Below I’m sharing 8 things to do in Mexico City for a dope birthday trip, based on my trip.
Eat as many tacos as possible 🌮
You can’t come to Mexico City and skip tacos, especially al pastor as it originated here (and it’s my fav). We went on this authentic taco tour through Airbnb Experiences which was amazing! Firstly, our guide Karen is knowledgeable in tacos, history, and culture in Mexico City, a fellow Gemini, and from Atlanta! We tried tacos from a few local places (listed below) and all of them were delicious. However, my favorite was the first location because I could customize it.
Taco Restaurants
- Tacos Hola El Güero: Open since 1968, this small taqueria serving guisado (stewed) tacos ranging from chicken, beef, and vegetarian options. You can also add a variety of topics (e.g. beans, rice, guacamole)
- Señor Taco: They serve pastor tacos (plus other tacos) and delicious horchata! The pastor is cooked shawarma-style, which is brought to Mexico City by Lebanese immigrants.
- El Pescadito Taquerias: When we arrived, this place was closing soon, but was still busy. You go to the cooks and tell them what type of seafood you want. After getting your taco, you can add toppings and sauces. I got the fried fish, which was huge, crunchy, and moist.
- Xel-Há Bar: Very popular with the locals, but interestingly used to be a men’s-only bar. This restaurant serves cantina food and we tried their taco cachondos.
You should also try tacos from Taquería Orinoco, which has multiple locations and closes late night. Although we didn’t go to one of their locations, we ordered tacos via UberEats and they were delicious!
Go on a hot air balloon ride 🎈
On my friend’s birthday, we woke up early for a hot air balloon ride which was 10/10! Another tour we booked through Airbnb experience (tour here) that was amazing. Everything was planned smoothly, from pickup to the balloon ride, breakfast in a cave, and seeing the pyramids.
Dinner at Blanco Colima 🍽️
We went here for our first dinner in Mexico City and truly set the tone for the trip. The ambiance, aesthetics, and architecture were beautiful. Plus, the food and drinks were incredible and the service was amazing—our waiter was very attentive. He even brought out complimentary carajillo and a birthday cake for my friend.
Relax at Las Grutas Tolantongo Hot Springs ♨️
We closed our trip by visiting Las Grutas Tolantongo Hot Springs, which was a great idea. I loved relaxing in the thermal pools and enjoying the scenery around the entire park. We explored the hot springs, caves (some of us went in), a river, and a waterfall.
We took this Airbnb experience and had a great time with the other girls on the tour. I’d only note that they pick up and drop off in specific areas in Mexico City.
Try the famous guava roll 🥐
A few bakeries in Mexico City sell rol de guayaba (guava roll), but the most famous place is Panadería Rosetta. There is typically a line, so keep that in mind when visiting, and I completely understand why. The guava roll is a circular puff pastry bread filled with guava and cream cheese.
Take trajinera ride through Xochimilco canals 🥳
Get ready for fun, games, drinks, music, and some history through this Airbnb experience. A unique Mexico City activity where you can try different snacks, like grasshoppers, and participate in a guacamole contest. We drank mezcal and tequila all while learning about the canals and community.
Enjoy brunch ☕
There’s no shortage of bakery and brunch spots in Mexico City, you seriously can’t go wrong. I had a solo brunch at Madre Cafe, which is known for its Carajillos—a coffee drink with liquor included. Think of it like an espresso martini, but better. I sat outside and enjoyed the greenery and people-watching while enjoying my delicious carajillo horchata and frutos rojos pancakes.
Deseo Cafe de Especialidad is another brunch spot with two locations. We went to their smaller location and loved how local it felt, plus the food and drinks were so good! I tried their horchata and French toast with bacon and loved both.
Order the Pescado a la Talla Contramar 🐟
One of Contramar‘s popular dishes, and I understand why. The Pescado a la Talla Contramar is split and coated in parsley and red chili sauces. It’s big enough to feed two people and comes with a side of tortillas and beans. Three of us split one because we weren’t that hungry, and ordered fries which tasted like McDonald’s fries.
