Coyoacán and Frida Kahlo Museum plus Xochimilco and National University
Location : Mexico City, Mexico
Duration : 11 hours (approx.)
Save by booking two popular Mexico City tours with this Super Saver featuring some of Mexico City’s best sites. Discover the colonial beauty of Coyoacán, stroll through North America's oldest university and gain insight into Frida Kahlo’s life and artwork at her former home of Casa Azul. Then, drift through the waterways of Xochimilco, a UNESCO site, and enjoy snacks aboard a ‘trajinera’ boat. You’ll come away with unique experiences and knowledge of Aztec history and colonial architecture.
Highlights
- Mexico City Super Saver, combining two popular guided tours at a discounted price
- Explore the cobblestone streets of Coyoacán and the National Autonomous University of Mexico
- See murals by Diego Rivera and Juan O'Gorman at the UNESCO-listed Central Campus, and visit San Juan Bautista
- Wander through the Frida Kahlo Museum, and learn about the artist’s colorful life and famous works
- Float on a boat called a trajinera down the canals of Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage site
- Learn about the history of Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo and Xochimilco from an expert guide
- Museum entry, boat ride and round-trip transport from central meeting points included
What You Can Expect
After meeting your guide in downtown Mexico City, your full-day tour kicks off at Coyoacán, which dates back to pre-Hispanic times. Admire 16th-century mansions along cobblestone streets, and learn about one of Mexico City’s oldest neighborhoods from your informative guide. Today, the area has blossomed into a cultural nexus for intellectuals and artists.
Visit the National Autonomous University of Mexico, built in 1551, and check out the UNESCO-listed Central Campus, a collaboration that came together in 1952 involving more than 60 engineers, architects and artists, including muralists Diego Rivera and Juan O´Gorman.
Next, head over to Jardín Hidalgo, and enjoy a lunch break here (own expense) in the garden area boasting restaurants, studios and craft stalls. Next, enter the church of San Juan Bautista with your guide and admire the paintings inside.
A fan of Frida Kahlo? At Coyoacán Casa Azul (Blue House), or the Frida Kahlo Museum, immerse yourself in the tumultuous life and iconic artwork of this beloved artist. It is here where Kahlo lived and loved with her husband, Diego Rivera. Enjoy an hour of free time in the museum.
Xochimilco
Your Mexico City sightseeing adventure continues at Xochimilco, located 17 miles (28 km) south of Mexico City, a waterway network of floating gardens of flowers. An ecological reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site, this valley was a lake during Aztec times. To get around the scarcity of arable soil back then, the people developed chinampas, islands with floating reed mats with soil.
Spend about an hour drifting peacefully along the canals and admiring the chinampas from your colorful, flat-bottomed boat called a trajinera. Hear festive music from other boats, occupied by families and visitors celebrating weddings, birthdays and other happy occasions.
As your boatman moves the vessel along by pulling a pole through the water, pass other painted vessels transporting passengers and check out boat-vendors selling fresh food. Enjoy an array of dishes and drinks for purchase, including roasted corn, mole, mixiote (barbequed meat), tacos, carnitas, quesadillas, pulque (milk-colored alcoholic beverage) and micheladas (Mexican beer-based cocktail).
Your day tour ends with drop-off back at the central meeting points.
