Traveling Light: A Packing List for Five Days in Mexico City

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have a love-hate relationship with packing.

I love planning outfit combinations and picturing all that I am going to do at a destination, but I don’t really love the actual packing part. I’ve made a great effort to consolidate all of my travel items to one or two places in my house (and I always keep my liquids bag and makeup case pretty much packed and ready), but it still takes a fair amount of time to gather and fold/roll all of my clothing and pack it into my suitcase along with my shoes and accessories.

It should be exciting, but the reality is that the actual packing process gets rather boring after you’ve done it so many times. It must be done of course, and for a recent trip to Mexico City, I surprised myself by adding lots of color (well, for me) into my bag.

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Looking for more packing list inspiration? Discover what's in my suitcase each season: Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter

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Mexico City is vibrant and has near-perfect weather year-round. Locals are stylish and embrace color and texture in their wardrobes, and I wanted to do the same without shopping for something new. To keep my outfits feeling like me, I packed color in small doses: muted earth tones and darker florals.

If you do add an item to your wardrobe for a trip to Mexico City, avoid bringing anything too precious (or anything with a heel), because you’ll run the risk of spilling salsa on it or stepping in something you shouldn’t have. Even though it can get warm during the day and you will see some women and men in shorts, they are not worn nearly as often in Mexico City as they are in the rest of the world and you may receive some unwanted attention. Just my two cents: leave the shorts at home.

The weather in the city can change by thirty degrees or so over the course of a day; I brought along two light layers that could be easily wrapped around my waist or carried as the sun warmed the day. None of the places we visited during our trip had air conditioning, and while none of them really needed it, I found myself reaching for the tank tops I brought along to avoid sweat stains. It’s much more comfortable in CDMX than in Florida, but things can still get a little sticky.

My itinerary for this trip included two outings that required “special” clothing: a day trip to Teotihuacan and a celebratory dinner at Pujol. While I did pack workout-style clothing and a fancier dress to wear on these occasions, I didn’t pack special shoes for them. For five days away I limited myself to two pairs: street sneakers and a simple neutral flat, which was really all I needed to keep my feet safe and comfortable.

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Shopping wasn’t a major plot point for me on this trip, but I did add a couple of things to my wardrobe while in Mexico City: a bandana and a watch. I realized far too late that I left mine at home – an inexpensive watch is a must on a trip to a city where pickpocketing commonly occurs; a phone is easy to swipe right out of your hand, so it’s nice to have the time available right on your wrist.

Excluding those two items, here’s everything I packed and wore in Mexico City:

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MY SPRINGTIME MEXICO CITY PACKING LIST

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MEXICO CITY OUTFITS

These aren’t all of the outfits I wore over five days, but they should give you a good idea of some possible outfit combinations. I wore everything in my suitcase except my white T-shirt, and I was only able to re-wear my pants and jeans during our visit because my tops ended up pretty sweaty.

If you told me to get packing because we’re leaving for Mexico City in twenty minutes, I’m happy to say I would pack the same things all over again!

Teotihuacan

I touched on why I chose this outfit in my Teotihuacan post but wanted to share the details of my outfit here. Comfort and safety were my top priority, and a sweatshirt was just as essential in the chilly morning as the sweat-wicking fabric of my leggings and shirt were in the afternoon.

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Sightseeing

I wore this outfit on the plane to Mexico and felt so chic despite sitting for so long. Raw silk is one of my favorite fabrics because it drapes like silk but is durable like cotton. The fabric on these pants is sturdy and stretchy, and while I definitely felt warm at certain parts of the day, I never felt rumpled.

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Cool, comfortable, and perfectly CDMX. Here I’ve layered an Airism Tank underneath my white tank to help keep me cool and wick sweat away from my skin while also preventing it from transferring to my tee. As for this skirt, it does wrinkle (hello, linen), but it keeps my legs from getting too sweaty.

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I made Michael snap my photo in front of this person’s garage because it reminded me of this photo we recently took in New Orleans. This outfit is basic, yet it feels right at home in any large city.

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Upscale Restaurant

You’ve already seen this outfit in my Pujol post, but that’s alright. I normally don’t go for polyester fabrics (they’re terrible for the environment) but I thrifted this dress on a whim on Poshmark and it fits like a dream. The beauty of a bold pattern is that it requires little in the way of accessories. I just added my favorite brass asymmetrical earrings, threw on shoes, and was ready faster than any of these other outfits. Fancy dressing is deceptive, right?

*item is no longer available from the retailer and I've linked a similar product

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MY THOUGHTS ON PACKING FOR MEXICO CITY

Packing for any destination that experiences a wide daily temperature range is always a challenge, but can be made easier by establishing a cohesive wardrobe before you even book your trip. When traveling to any major city, I recommend leaving your nicest clothes and shoes at home; the city streets are busy, and the probability of dropping a taco in your lap is higher in Mexico City (at least, for me it is!).

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Questions for you

What is your go-to travel outfit?

Do you have any favorite tips for keeping your clothes clean while traveling?

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Enjoyed this post? You may also like:

• Three Days in Mexico City Packing List
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• Five Days in Mexico City
• Visiting Teotihuacan with a Local
• Lucha Libre in Mexico City
• Mexico City Food Guide, Part One
• Mexico City Food Guide, Part Two
• Dining at Pujol
• Five Days in Puerto Vallarta
• Puerto Vallarta Packing List
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