9:45p Land AUS
AA 4979 · see Travel tab for confirmation
ATX & CDMX
9
Days
2
Cities
3
Flights
The route — live map
Still to book
Contramar · Wed 2pURGENT
WhatsApp +52 55 5514 9217 — OpenTable shows empty even when tables exist.
Tattoo · Thu or FriURGENT
DM @daggamx or @nomadttt to lock a slot.
Deep Dish · Satseetickets, on sale since May
Mothership · Sun 5p + Mon 7pRoast Battle + Open Mic
Lucha libre · FriTicketmaster MX / cmll.com
Quintonil or Pujol · Thureserve
Korrect Fitness · Mon drop-in512-593-5437 / ClassPass
Fri Jul 24Austin · arrive
Anchor: Cabana Club party (friend-of-a-friend hosting)
→ ~15 min drive to East Austin
Drop bags
1123 ¾ Gunter St #2, East Austin
→ straight out, no dinner window tonight
Cabana Club party
Friend-of-a-friend hosting — venue TBD.
Sat Jul 25Austin
Anchor: dinner + drinks + Deep Dish
11a–3p Franklin Barbecue
900 E 11th St
Or pre-order a 5lb pack to skip the line.
→ ~10 min drive to campus
3–5p Blanton Museum — Ellsworth Kelly "Austin"
200 E MLK Jr Blvd
Open til 8p — your only late-night window for it this trip.
→ ~15 min drive/Uber to East 2nd
6:00p Kemuri Tatsu-ya BOOKED
2713 E 2nd St · party of 3 (Alexandra)
→ ~10 min Uber to downtown
9:30p Here Nor There BOOKED
612 Brazos St · party of 3 (Alexandra)
Hidden entrance: from the Driskill, north half a block, gate on left between the red wall and the graffiti wall. Entry code arrives by email.
→ ~20 min drive to east side industrial strip
~11:30p Deep Dish (extended set)
The Concourse Project, 8509 Burleson Rd
Runs til 2a · 21+ · cashless venue.
Sun Jul 26Austin
Anchor: time with friends — keep this one loose, they're off work
Barton Springs Pool
68°F, no reservation needed, open til 10p.
5:00p Roast Battle
Comedy Mothership, Fat Man room
→ ~10 min to Congress Ave Bridge
~8:15p Bats at Congress Ave Bridge
Peak season, free.
Alt: Barbs B Q in Lockhart, 11a–3p, Fri/Sat/Sun only — 40 min drive.
Mon Jul 27Austin · solo
Anchor: Kill Tony
Korrect Fitness call to book
4401 Freidrich Ln #301 (formerly Onnit Gym)
Class + sauna + cold plunge. Call 512-593-5437.
→ same building
ONNIT store
Suite 302 · Mon–Fri 8–5
→ ~15 min drive
Lunch: LeRoy & Lewis BBQ
5621 Emerald Forest Dr
Open Monday — Franklin, Nixta, and Birdie's all closed today.
→ ~15 min drive downtown
5–7p Shakespeare's Pub
314 E 6th
Kill Tony signups — the whole scene starts here.
→ ~5 min walk
7:00p Mothership Open Mic BUY THIS
Little Boy room
8:00p KILL TONY — standby line
Be there 6:30p. Lottery closed May 14; unredeemed tickets void 30 min after showtime and go to standby — Monday no-shows are common.
Tue Jul 28Austin → CDMX
Anchor: arrive Mexico City
11a–3p Franklin (last shot)
Only if the flight timing allows.
→ AUS → MEX, AM 1685, 2:00p–3:20p (see Travel tab)
3:20p Land MEX, check in
Sinaloa 179, Roma Norte
→ ~15 min Uber to Col. Guerrero
6:30p Salón Los Ángeles
Lerdo 206, Col. Guerrero
1937 danzón/mambo ballroom. Tues + Sun only, closes 10p. No reservation, cash cover at the door.
→ ~15–20 min Uber to Juárez
10:30p Handshake Speakeasy BOOKED
Amberes 65, Juárez · party of 1
#2 bar in the world. 90-minute table, credit card hold on the reservation.
Wed Jul 29CDMX
Anchor: Noche de Museos — last Wednesday of the month, 50+ museums open til 10p, free/reduced, walk-in
2:00p Contramar URGENT — book ahead
Lunch only, no dinner service. Book via WhatsApp +52 55 5514 9217 — OpenTable shows empty even when tables exist.
→ ~15–20 min Uber to Chapultepec
Annie Leibovitz "Fútbol"
Museo Nacional de Antropología
Alt: Museo Tamayo.
Night, option A
Shawn James · Foro Indie Rocks!
Folk-blues, small Roma room, Passline.
Night, option B
Zona Rosa — Calle Amberes
Late
Rayo (open Weds) or Limantour (no reservations — go early).
Thu Jul 30CDMX
Anchor: Hardcore Art Book Fair, LagoAlgo, Bosque de Chapultepec — free
Hardcore Art Book Fair
115 exhibitors, 26 countries — riso, fanzines, vinyl, independent publishing.
Tattoo window URGENT — book ahead
Dagga (@daggamx, Álvaro Obregón 66) or Nomad (@nomadttt, Colima 220)
End of trip on purpose: no pools, no sauna, no sun on healing ink.
9:00p Dinner — Quintonil or Pujol reserve
Máximo Bistrot is an easy fallback.
Fri Jul 31CDMX
Anchor: Lucha libre, Arena México, 8:30p "Viernes Espectacular"
8:30p Lucha libre — Arena México
Ticketmaster MX or cmll.com, ~$350–700 MXN. Arrive 45 min early.
Day
Book fair, round two.
Tattoo window
If Thursday didn't happen.
Late
Fünk (Condesa) or Patrick Miller (Fri only) — nothing fills before midnight.
3:00a Taquería Orinoco
Roma Norte · open til 3:30a
Sat Aug 1CDMX → LA
Anchor: home, then the concert
7:00a Flight MEX → LAX
Lands 10:00a — see Travel tab for confirmation.
→ ~25–35 min drive to Long Beach
7:00p Lil Wayne / 2 Chainz / The Game
F&M Bank Amphitheater, Long Beach
Ticket already held.
On the bench — if plans change
Casa Barragán + Casa Gilardi · Parque Quetzalcóatl (Senosiain, tours 10:30/13:00, ~$1,600 MXN, 1hr out in Naucalpan) · MASA gallery + Archivo Diseño · Teotihuacán by car w/ lunch at La Gruta (in a cave) · Museo Casa Kahlo (closed Tues) · Xochimilco trajineras
Flight
LAX → AUS
American Eagle (SkyWest) · Fri, Jul 24
Departs4:31 PM LAX
Arrives9:44 PM AUS
ConfirmationODEWJZ
Fare$225.40
Stay
East Austin Guesthouse
1123 ¾ Gunter St #2, Austin, TX 78702
Check-inFri Jul 24, after 3 PM
CheckoutTue Jul 28, by 11 AM
ConfirmationHMTJNTSYJC
Total paid$556.92
Host: John763-439-9177
Flight
AUS → MEX
Aeromexico AM 1685 · Nonstop · Tue, Jul 28
Departs2:00 PM AUS
Arrives3:20 PM MEX
ConfirmationSKXPTE
Seat19D
Fare$335.08
SkyMiles #9482635910
Stay
Very Nice Loft at Roma
Sinaloa 179, Roma Norte, Mexico City
Check-inTue Jul 28, after 3 PM
CheckoutSat Aug 1, by 11 AM
ConfirmationHMJNY8YPHM
Total paid$456.52
Rating4.94 · 535 reviews
Host: Cecilia (Superhost)no phone on file
Flight
MEX → LAX
Delta DL 7994 (Aeromexico codeshare) · Nonstop · Sat, Aug 1
Departs7:00 AM MEX
Arrives10:00 AM LAX
ConfirmationGTRY5D
FareMX$7,680 (~$439)
SkyMiles #9482635910
Concert
Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz & The Game
F&M Bank Amphitheater, Long Beach · Sat, Aug 1
Doors7:00 PM
Buffer after landing~9 hours
LAX → venue~25–35 min drive, not booked
Ticketnot tracked here — check email/wallet
Airbnb 24/7 support: 844-234-2500
Weather
Austin · 95–98°F
Jul 24–28 · humid, lows near 75°F (seasonal average)
Mexico City · ~73°F
Jul 28–Aug 1 · rainy afternoons, cool nights (seasonal average)
Packing list
- Lightweight, breathable clothes (Austin heat)
- Swimsuit — Barton Springs & CDMX pool
- Light rain layer / packable umbrella
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunscreen + refillable water bottle
- Passport (Mexico) + Chase Sapphire Reserve card
- Portable charger, headphones
- Concert outfit for Aug 1 night
Budget snapshot
| Flights (3 legs) | $999 |
| Austin lodging | $557 |
| Mexico City lodging | $457 |
| Food & drink (est.) | $750 |
| Local transport (est.) | $180 |
| Activities & entries (est.) | $150 |
| Total | ~$3,093 |
Important numbers
American Airlines800-433-7300
Aeromexico800-237-6639
Delta800-221-1212
Airbnb 24/7 support844-234-2500
Austin host (John)763-439-9177
CDMX host (Cecilia)no phone on file — message via Airbnb app
US Embassy Mexico City+52 55 2579-2000
Chase Sapphire ReserveVisa ···4685
Chase card lost/stolen800-935-9935
Delta SkyMiles #9482635910
Time zonesAustin CDT · CDMX 1 hr behind (no DST)
No foreign transaction fees on the Reserve — fine to let Mexico charges run in local currency. Pay cash/card for these fares rather than redeeming points; the redemption rate isn't worth it here.
Currency converter
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Your Chase Sapphire Reserve, abroad
Purchases$0 foreign transaction fee
ATM cash withdrawalsAvoid — cash advance fee
Pulling cash out of an ATM on this card counts as a cash advance: 5% or $10 (whichever's greater), plus ~27–30% APR starting immediately — no grace period. Fine for swiping at restaurants/hotels (genuinely $0 fee), just don't use it at an ATM. If you need pesos, a fee-free debit card or exchanging a small amount of cash is much cheaper.
At Mexican card terminals and ATMs, you'll sometimes be asked "charge in USD or MXN?" — always choose MXN (local currency). Accepting USD triggers dynamic currency conversion, which uses a worse exchange rate than your card's own conversion.
Your T-Mobile phone, abroad
Most current T-Mobile postpaid plans (Magenta, Go5G, and similar) include unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico automatically — no roaming charges, no setup, no add-on needed. High-speed data is capped at your plan's normal high-speed allotment, then continues at reduced speed rather than cutting off.
If you're on an older "Simple Choice" legacy plan, this may not apply the same way — worth a quick check in the T-Mobile app before you fly.
Cash & ATMs in CDMX
Only withdraw from ATMs attached to a real bank branch (BBVA, Santander, Banorte, HSBC) — skip freestanding Euronet/Intercam machines and anything in the airport, both charge steep fees and bad rates. Pull about 5,000 MXN once, early in the trip, and put everything else on the Sapphire Reserve.
Altitude & pacing
CDMX sits at 7,350 ft. Alcohol and exertion both hit harder the first couple of days — pace the mezcal, drink more water than feels necessary, and don't schedule anything strenuous for day one.
Weather pattern
Rainy season in CDMX typically means clear mornings and afternoon storms starting 3–5p. Front-load outdoor plans (markets, walking, Chapultepec) earlier in the day and treat evenings as the default indoor/dinner window.
CDMX nightlife rhythm
Dinner runs 9–10p, bars fill 10–11p, and clubs stay empty until close to midnight — showing up "on time" by US standards means showing up early and alone. Plan the night backward from a midnight-or-later peak.
Entry checklist — Mexico
- Passport valid 6+ months past Aug 1 arrival — check the expiration date now
- No visa needed for US citizens, tourist stays under 180 days
- FMM tourist card — bundled into your Aeromexico/Delta ticket automatically for air travel, nothing to file yourself
- Keep the FMM slip with your passport during the trip — you'll need both to exit the country