7 museos

The idea. Seven museums in walking distance of each other, in and around the Historic Centre —a way of using one day well instead of crossing the city four times. The Centro holds a density of museums that few capitals match, and most of them are within fifteen minutes of each other on foot.

How to build the route. Start at the archaeology —the Templo Mayor, beside the Cathedral, is the excavated heart of Tenochtitlan— then move west along Madero towards the Palacio de Bellas Artes for the murals of Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros in a single room. The Museo Nacional de Arte, the Museo del Estanquillo and the Museo de Arte Popular fall naturally on the same walk, and the Palacio de Cultura Banamex in the Palacio de Iturbide is free.

The rules that make it work. Do not attempt seven in one day: four is the realistic maximum before everything blurs. Almost every museum in the city closes on Monday, so build the route for Tuesday to Sunday. Sunday is free for Mexican residents, which means full rooms. Buy a ticket for each museum as you arrive —there is no single pass— and expect a separate small charge to use a camera.

Practical notes. Wear shoes you can walk five kilometres in, and plan one sit-down meal into the middle of the day: the Centro's best cantinas are on the same streets as its museums.