Mexico City: Xochimilco Trajinera, Coyoacán & UNAM Murals

Three neighborhoods, one day: how Mexico City's artists shaped the south

You spend the morning at UNAM's UNESCO campus viewing Rivera murals, then drift for an hour through Xochimilco's canals on a traditional trajinera boat with food and drink available. Afternoon moves to Coyoacán's artist neighborhood, with optional entry to Frida Kahlo's Blue House. Transport, guide, and boat ride are included. The day ends back at your collection point.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. National Autonomous University of Mexico1h
2. Floating Gardens of Xochimilco1h · entry included
3. Coyoacán3h
4. Frida Kahlo Museum1h

Visit Coyoacan, Xochimilco, and UNAM

• Explore Coyoacan neighborhood
• See Frida Kahlo Museum building
• Ride trajinera in Xochimilco canals
• Visit National Autonomous University of Mexico

The experience

What do you actually see when you stand in front of the house where Frida Kahlo painted her self-portraits? The tour moves through three distinct parts of Mexico City's south, starting at UNAM, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where the Olympic Stadium and Central Library carry murals by Diego Rivera and Juan O'Gorman across their entire facades. These buildings are UNESCO-listed, and the campus itself sprawls across a volcanic plateau in a way that makes the scale of the place hard to grasp from photos alone.

After UNAM, you board a trajinera (a flat-bottomed canoe painted in bright colors), for an hour-long drift through the Floating Gardens of Xochimilco. The boats were originally used to move food and passengers through Mexico City's canal system centuries ago, and the rhythm of the ride is deliberately slow. You can order typical Mexican dishes from vendors in smaller boats: mole, roasted corn, quesadillas, pulque (a pre-Hispanic fermented drink). If you want live music, mariachi groups float past and can be hired on the spot, though that's extra.

Coyoacán comes last, and it's where the day settles into something quieter. The neighborhood is where artists and historical figures actually lived, not a museum recreation of their lives, but the streets and plazas they moved through. The Church of San Juan el Bautista sits in the center, and there's a café culture that still exists. If you've booked the option that includes Frida Kahlo Museum entry, you visit La Casa Azul (the Blue House), where Kahlo was born and where she and Diego Rivera lived. The house is preserved as it was, and a guide walks you through the rooms and the work that happened inside them.

The whole day runs with an air-conditioned vehicle and a certified guide who handles the logistics: pickups from collection points, timing between stops, the trajinera booking. You're not arranging transport between neighborhoods or figuring out which boat to board. The guide does that. If you're traveling with small children, strollers work, and infants can sit on an adult's lap or use a specialized seat.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with certified guide.
• transfer from collection points.
• one-hour trajinera boat ride through Xochimilco's floating gardens.
• access to UNAM campus and its murals.
• walking tour of Coyoacán neighborhood.
• optional entry to Frida Kahlo Museum (only with the "Frida Kahlo Museum Tickets" booking option). Food, drinks, and mariachi music are available for purchase during the tour.

Options for this experience

3 options

Guide in English or Spanish08:30

Guide in English or Spanish08:30

Guide in English or Spanish11:30

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 11:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 21

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Y&D Travel

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see three important parts of Mexico City's south (a UNESCO campus, the canals, and an artist neighborhood) without arranging your own transport or timing between stops. The guide handles the logistics, which is what makes fitting all three into one day possible.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

Is the Frida Kahlo Museum included in all ticket options?

No. Museum entry is only included if you book the option labeled "Frida Kahlo Museum Tickets." The standard option visits Coyoacán but not the interior of the Blue House.

How long is the trajinera ride?

About one hour. You can order food and drinks from vendors during the ride, and hire mariachi musicians if you wish (music is an additional cost).

What's included in the tour?

Air-conditioned vehicle, certified guide, transfer from collection points, and the trajinera boat ride. Food and drinks at Xochimilco are not included unless you order them separately.

Can I bring a stroller or car seat?

Yes. Strollers work for the walking portions, and specialized infant seats are available. Infants can also sit on an adult's lap.

Is lunch included?

No. You can purchase food and drinks from vendors on the trajinera boat and in Coyoacán, but meals are not part of the tour package.

Is this tour suitable for people with limited mobility?

The tour involves walking through neighborhoods and boarding a boat. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need alternatives for any portion.