Mexico City-1 Day

Headed to Mexico City for work early October. I think I can swing a vacation day which would give me one entire day and night to sightsee.

Do I take a day your to the pyramids or stay out in Mexico City? Suggestions?

So much to see in Mexico City proper. I would do a tour of the city...the plaza, presidential palace, Chapultepec Park, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, UNAM, all the religious and pre-Columbian sites. If you had 2 days, I would definitely include the pyramids.

Consider visiting La Casa Azul, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's house: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_Kahlo_Museum You could prepare by going to the exhibit of Frida's work at the Bronx Botanical Garden. I've never been to her house, or Mexico City for that matter, but dream of going there.

Unless you are particularly interested in the pyramids, I would stay in Mexico City. There is so much to see and it's such a geographically large city that it can take time to get places. Other posters have given some great suggestions. Also in the Zocalo is the Templo Mayor if you want a taste of the pyramids without leaving the city. If you are interested in Diego Rivera and don't have time to go down to Coyocan to Frieda's house, check out the Diego Rivera murals in the Secretary of Education building right near the Zocalo. The building and murals are pretty amazing and it's a nice quiet respite from the chaos of downtown.

Lots of great info available online but if you want more, feel free to ask here or PM me. We lived there for three years until a year ago. fabulous city!

Eriens pretty much summed it up. See Mexico City if you only have one day and do it via an organized, or private, tour as highlights are scattered and the traffic is horrendous.

erins said:
So much to see in Mexico City proper. I would do a tour of the city...the plaza, presidential palace, Chapultepec Park, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, UNAM, all the religious and pre-Columbian sites. If you had 2 days, I would definitely include the pyramids.

Awesome info. Thanks so much. There is a 6am tour of the pyramids that gets back around 1 or 2pm so I could cram everything into ine day but I think I'll be exhausted and I have to work the rest of the week. We may end at 4pm on the last day so I'll also have one free evening- should I do one of the night tours?

If you have any suggestions for a private car/ driver/ tour guide, I usually prefer that to large bus tours. I am interested in the murals, historical sites, shopping, and seeing a few food markets.

Also, don't underestimate the effect of the altitude. I had numerous visitors who really felt it the first couple of days.

Oh, no. I didn't realize this. I have borderline high blood pressure and mild asthma. I'm sure this will slow me down considerably. Now I'm a little nervous rather than excited!

conandrob240 said:
Oh, no. I didn't realize this. I have borderline high blood pressure and mild asthma. I'm sure this will slow me down considerably. Now I'm a little nervous rather than excited!

You might talk to your doctor about taking Diamox to help with the effects of altitude. I have no problem with altitude when I'm awake, but I have extreme periodic breathing at night (http://www.altitude.org/sleep_at_high_altitude.php) that prevents me from getting a good night's sleep. I just spent a month in Santa Fe -- about the same elevation -- and never really adapted. But I'm an extreme case.

For an over-the-counter option, Santa Fe residents swear by ChlorOxygen.

http://www.amazon.com/ChlorOxygen-Herbs-Etc-60-Softgel/dp/B000UMFDSW/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_y

I wouldn't stress too much about the altitude. Most of my visitors felt a bit worn out but still managed to enjoy sightseeing. You might consider the open air Turibus (http://gomexico.about.com/od/mexicocity/qt/turibus.htm). I usually prefer solo sightseeing and off the beaten track stuff but if you have a short window and want to compensate for the potential fatigue of altitude, it's not a bad way to get around.

If I decide to just make my own tour using Hop in Hop off bus, any safety issues for a middle-aged female traveling alone around the city

I wouldn't think you would have any problems. Obviously take the same precautions you would take in a touristy area anywhere in the world (keep wallet/purse inaccessible to pick pockets, be aware of surroundings, etc...). I did a lot of stuff on my own (am female) when we first moved to Mexico City and never felt unsafe. There are certainly some dicey neighborhoods but that is true of most big cities in the world.

Most important tip in traveling to Mexico: DO NOT throw away the tiny piece of paper you receive at immigration. You need it to exit the country and if you don't have it you have to wait on long line and pay a fine and many people miss their flights.

It's really a great city.

Great. Thanks. I assumed it was probably like NYC crime wise/safety wise so I'll be fine. I might just do the hop on hop off for convenience since it is such a short time I have there

Also, any time in October, the city is getting ready for day of the dead and the decorations and items for sale around town are interesting. Many of the mercados (permanent covered markets) sell wonderful items such as sugar skulls and miniatures for alters. I recall seeing a great number at the Mercado Medellin in Roma one October.

I've heard the air pollution is pretty bad. Maybe consult with your doc regarding asthma before you go?

I'm a Mexican, but grew up outside of Mexico City, and these are my top recommendations which I hope you find useful:

1. Take the turi-bus, its a sightseeing bus that is very cheap. Its sponsored by the government to promote tourism, and they have day and night routes. They take you to the main spots in the city. This could probably take 1/2 day.

2. Visit the historic downtown area (Centro Historico). You may want to have lunch at some cool and traditional food spots like "Azul Historico". The cathedral is also nearby.

3. Pyramids are cool, but there's nothing else to do around them once you saw them. If you like history, you must visit the "Museo Nacional de Antropologia", its probably the best museum in Mexico.

4. As for food, the best restaurants in Mexico City nowadays are "Pujol" and "Quintonil". They are quite an experience and probably are cheap compared to must 5 star places in NYC. I try to visit them every time I go there. Make reservations!

tips: safety is still an issue, don't take 'street' taxis (not even locals do), hang alone very late or wear very fancy stuff.

Good advice by Norardz. I will add that if you wear contacts you might want to think about wearing your glasses. The pollution can be irritating although it is much better than it once was.

Also, it can get chilly at night, given the altitude.