A Points Expert's Ultimate Guide to Mexico City
Rachel Lipson of The Point shares her favorite spots in one of the world's most dynamic cities—plus how we finally booked our spring break trip two whole months in advance.
In exciting personal news, we booked our spring break trip—not at the very last minute as is custom for the Stephens family, but an entire two months out. (Please clap!)
We used points, first finding the best flight option on Point.me/amex, then following the instructions to transfer points from Amex to Flying Blue, the Air France and KLM loyalty program. Admittedly, I’m a Certified Points Dummy, but I subscribe to The Point | Rachel Lipson—a straightforward and savvy roadmap for traveling with points, and I paid special attention to this post about the one thing you need to do before booking with points. A shockingly short time later, we now have tickets for Mexico City.
In equally exciting and serendipitous news, Rachel just published The Ultimate Guide to Mexico City on Saltete, with nearly 100 places to eat, drink, see, and shop. I read about her trips to Mexico’s capital city on The Point and just love her taste in art, architecture, bakeries, and boutiques. I bought the guide and already started saving all the spots I plan to visit.
“We travel the world looking for cities as dynamic as Mexico City, “ she told me. “It’s a metropolis of 20 million people, yet in the quiet, trendy neighborhoods, it can feel like a leafy street in Brooklyn. From the art and architecture to the culture and food, Mexico City belongs on your short list of the best cities in the world: New York, Paris, Rome—and CDMX.”
Below, Rachel shares four of her can’t-miss spots in Mexico City, and if you’ve been to CDMX and have one place you can’t stop talking about, please share in the comments!
In Polanco, they sell some of the most beautiful handmade artifacts from around Mexico. We got a wooden spoon rest we bought confiscated at airport security, so this will be our first stop next time we return ;)
Casa Barragán and Casa Gilardi
Casa Estudio Luis Barragán, the architect’s former home and studio in a quiet Miguel Hidalgo neighborhood, is a UNESCO-listed modernist masterpiece with serene rooms, bold color, and a sunlit garden. Reserve well in advance.
Casa Gilardi, one of Luis Barragán’s last works, is a private home famous for its bold color, light, and that dreamy indoor pool framed by bright walls. You visit on a guided tour.
“A library like you have never seen before. You will be tempted to skip it because it’s a little bit out of the way, but go anyway. The design is unbelievable. You will not regret it!”
Incredible how the point tranfer strategy cuts through the complexity. Been stalling on using my stash of Amex points for a while now and the Flying Blue route seems way more straighforward than I thought. Casa Barragán's use of light and color is somethingI've read about but never really grasped until seeing it in context like this.
Thank you Regan! I am so glad The Point has been helpful for you and can't wait to hear about your trip to Mexico City!!