Holiday Gift Guide: Atlas Obscura Books and Calendars
On this culinary adventure in and around Mexico City, immerse yourself in the complex cultural identity of a metropolis where pre-Hispanic, colonial, and contemporary influences collide. We’ll explore mouthwatering local gastronomy, celebrating the harmony as well as the dissonance that define this layered city, which thrums with the activity of a large population of regional migrants and modern transplants alike. We’ll experience moments when the city’s numerous identities are expressed and aligned perfectly—for instance, enjoying a street snack of tacos al pastor while taking in a hidden Diego Rivera mural. But we’ll also be looking for the fractures, zooming in on specific influences: a heady Aztec brew, or a colonial-era mole recipe, or the unique, pre-Hispanic floating farms still in use today. We’ll also be sure to head out of the center city with a visit to the floating boats and green oasis of Xochimilco. From street food to contemporary Mexican dining trends, traditional restaurants to meals in local homes, our focus throughout will be food and the people who make it. On the ever-present periphery of our taste buds will be the history, art, architecture, landscape, agriculture, and street life that brings everything together.
Our partner, Culinary Backstreets: In order to create and curate this unique experience, we’ve partnered closely with Culinary Backstreets, a global guide to local eats that publishes restaurant reviews and features on local culinary culture. They bring these stories to life on culinary tours and special events, offered in 12 cities around the world, and have extensive international experience with all things gastronomical.
Arrive in Mexico City and check into our group’s hotel. Take some time to settle in and wander the neighborhood before we meet this evening for our welcome dinner at Limosneros. Chefs Marcos Fulcheri and Carlo Méndez will work with pre-Hispanic ingredients, colonial techniques, and modern creative twists to create an unforgettable meal. In a private room, we’ll share our first of many meals, and get a glimpse into what the week will hold.
Boutique Hotel, Mexico City
Welcome dinner
After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll be spending the day in downtown’s Centro Histórico, exploring our trip’s themes through food, history, and culture. Today will be a crash course in the history of Mexico City, with visits to the “obscure side” of major monuments and historic remnants hidden from view, including Aztec temples, a mural by Diego Rivera, and former sacrificial sites. For lunch, we’ll be dropping by a family-run Oaxacan grocery/restaurant in the heart of one of the city’s oldest commercial districts, once home to large communities of newly arrived Jewish and Lebanese merchants. In the evening, we’ll set out on a taco tour, hitting a number of nighttime taco stands, including an al pastor spot housed in an auto repair shop. Along with classic tacos, we’ll also have the chance to taste ones made with brains, bulls' eyes, and intestines. Afterwards, turn in for some well-earned rest, or explore some of the local nightlife on your own.
Boutique Hotel, Mexico City
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head to a bustling local market awash in produce, flowers, food, and crafts to learn about the ingredients that serve as the building blocks of Mexican cuisine. We’ll get a taste of what’s in season and also dabble in a light sampling of food specialties from around the market. After touring the market, we’ll make a private visit to the nearby home and workshop of the famous Linares family. This family is considered to be the most important producer of Mexican folk art, and during our visit, we’ll learn about the mesmerizing cultural traditions they are trying to preserve. In the evening, we’ll possibly attend a Lucha Libre wrestling match followed by a visit to Mexico City’s vibrant "mariachi square" for live music, dancing, and a festive evening together.
Boutique Hotel, Mexico City
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Note: Lucha Libre takes place on Saturday evenings. The days of the week during each set of dates will determine whether or not we'll be able to attend a match during the trip.
Today, we’ll head to Milpa Alta, a center of mole production on the outskirts of Mexico City. We’ll be delving deep into all things mole, learning about ingredients, production techniques, regional varieties, and how this food represents the colonial heritage of Mexico. On our way to Milpa Alta, we’ll stop by the home of a local villager to learn about the artisanal production of pulque, a pre-Hispanic drink made from the sap of the agave-like maguey plant. During the afternoon, we’ll visit private homes and markets to gain a better sense of daily life and the food that shapes and defines it, and finish our visit with a late lunch starring (what else?) mole. Back in the city this evening, take some time to rest and relax from the long day, and have dinner at your leisure (if you’re still hungry, that is).
Boutique Hotel, Mexico City
Breakfast, Lunch
Our final morning, we’ll head out on an action-packed exploration of Xochimilco, a highlight of the region and treasure of Aztec-era living culture. Unlike many pre-Hispanic-era monuments that are entombed in museums, Xochimilco is a living place with working farms and much to see, eat, and drink, all linked to pre-Hispanic Mexico. For lunch, we’ll have a meal onboard a traditional flat-bottomed boat as we float along Aztec-era canals that have been in use for more than 2,000 years. Our meal will be prepared by locals using products from the chinampas, the area’s famous “floating farms,” one of which we’ll have the chance to visit. Back on land, we’ll check out a local market and get a taste of pre-Hispanic Mexico (think: tlacoyos) before heading to the enchanting Dolores Olmedo Museum. For those seeking spirits, tonight might be a good opportunity to explore the city's bustling bar scene and track down some world-renowned mezcal.
Boutique Hotel, Mexico City
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, depart for home or onto your next destination—or, if you'd like, spend a few more days exploring Mexico City. Our guide will be happy to provide additional recommendations.
The total cost of this trip is $2,465. For those traveling by themselves, single accommodations can be provided, subject to availability, at an additional cost of $335. Please contact us to request a single room.
Travelers should feel comfortable walking two to four miles each day and remaining on their feet for long periods of time. Keep in mind that Mexico City is a bustling and crowded place!
For flights in and out of Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez), we suggest you arrive by 3 p.m. on Day 1 and depart anytime on Day 6. We are happy to book you extra nights at the group's hotel and provide suggestions for things to do and see in the city on your own.
