“Mexico City? Why would you want to go there? It’s dirty and dangerous.” I hear that every time I tell some unknowing person where I’m going. I’ve traveled solo and with a companion to Mexico City and have never found either of those issues to be true. You need at least 3 days in Mexico City to get a real sense of it.

Oh, Mexico City! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways….

First, you already know you need to eat scrumptious Mexican food, drink tequila, and bargain for both artisan treasure and tacky souvenirs. But Mexico City is so much more than that.

Home to 26 million people, the Mexico City metropolis is one of the largest cities in the world. It was built on the dried-out bed of Lake Texcoco and is encircled on three sides by mountains and volcanoes.

The downtown area is bustling with pre-Hispanic history and culture. You can feel the frenetic energy at every corner, from the striking colonial architecture, the vibrant street art, the traditional cantinas, the eclectic markets, and the world-class museums. Cosmopolitan folklore, bohemian, or kitschy, this exciting city has it all!

With tourists flocking to Mexico’s two coasts, Mexico City is something of a special secret to those of us who love it. The city is made up of several diverse neighborhoods that you can explore.

Here’s a guide to where to stay in Mexico City neighborhoods.

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It’s literally impossible to run out of things to do in Mexico City! Here’s a list of what to do in 3 days in Mexico City.

1 Zócalo

The Zócalo (“base”) is the popular name for Plaza de la Constitucion, the central and most important square in Mexico City. During Aztec rule, it was the main ceremonial center. It’s one of the largest city squares in the world and is the heart of Mexico City. This is my favorite place to stroll or chill out in the city. It’s always filled with people milling around the square or the shops across the street. On holidays and festival days, the square plays host to all manner of ritual dancers and performers.

2 Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan (“place where gods were born”) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located 30 miles northeast in the Valley of Mexico. Construction of this important archeological site began around 300 BC and it was the largest Pre-Columbian city in the Americas, reaching a total population of 150,000 in its heyday. It’s known for the Aztec practice of human sacrifice.

The Pyramid of the Sun, located on the east side of the Avenue of the Dead, is the third-largest pyramid in the world and offers a stunning view of the Pyramid of the Moon at the summit. I first climbed the Pyramid of the Sun when I was 24 years old….in heels, no less! That’s where I first heard and became familiar with the word “loco” as numerous Spanish speaking climbers passed me, some staring, some pointing me out. I wasn’t totally loco, though; I did take the shoes off to descend the pyramid. Ah, to be young and invincible foolish.

NOTE: I’ve been advised that it is no longer permittable to climb this pyramid. Bummer!

An exciting way to see the pyramids and entire site on a hot air balloon!

3 Xochimilco

The canals and floating gardens of Xochimilco is one of the historic treasures of Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on an outlying borough of Mexico City, the brightly painted trajineras – wooden pole boats – are Mexico’s version of Venice. The boats are slowly guided through the flower-laden canals and man-made islands, sometimes passing boats with mariachis or vendors selling food, blankets, or tchotchkes. The canals are one of the last vestiges of the extensive network of ancient waterways remaining in the sprawling megalopolis.

4 Palacio de Bellas Artes

The beautiful white marble Art Deco Palacio de Bellas Artes is the cultural focus of Mexico City. It hosts some of the most notable exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, and photography. It’s also the site for artistic events in dance, theatre and music. The popular Ballet Folklórico de México, a two-hour extravaganza of costumes, music, and dance originating from all over the country is regularly performed here.

5 Frida Kahlo Museum

Always a fan of Mexican folk art, I became enamored with Frida Kahlo’s incredible story of overcoming horrendous injuries and anguish from a bus crash after surviving my own similar ordeal. Her home, known as Casa Azul (Blue House), is filled with her life – her paintings, furnishings, mementos, jewelry, and an entire wing dedicated to her exquisite clothing. The woman had style and spirit.

6 Lucha Libre

Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Undertaker…. move aside. The Arena México is where it’s at for stunts, drama and every kind of freestyle wrestling trick. The participants’ ostentatious personalities are displayed by their equally flamboyant masks, and rippling muscles are openly displayed in their colorful spandex costumes. Masks of every type are sold outside the arena and a few guests (that would be moi) even don them as they cheer at the raucous pop-culture spectacle. Like American wrestling, the matches are obviously choreographed, but that doesn’t take away from the fun and encourages audience participation.

7 Bario Chino

I never knew Mexico City had a Chinatown! A small sub-neighborhood near the Centro Historico, I think this was the most fun Chinatown that I’ve ever been to. Considered one of the smallest Chinatowns in the world, covering only one block running down Calle Dolores, it was shoulder-to-shoulder packed with people, but so festive and everyone was friendly and polite. I found out later that we were there on Chinese New Year!

Dating back to the early 20^th century, the neighborhood is located on two blocks of Dolores Street and consists of a number of restaurants and shops selling products associated with Chinese culture and traditions, and of course, food.

And best of all, I looked for and found panaderia – colorful steamed bread (more like cake) from one of the street vendors. Naturally, I chose one to match my dress, because that’s what I do. It had thick, melted chocolate inside and was utterly yummy.

8 Chapultepec

Chapultepec, or the “Bosque de Chapultepec” is one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere. It’s the premier ecological space in the sprawling urban Mexico City and is considered to be the first of the city’s “lungs” because of its trees that replenish oxygen to the region. The park area was once a retreat for Aztec rulers. On the grounds is Chapultepec Castle, which was at one time the imperial palace and now hosts the National History Museum. Performances in the park include the traditional papantla flyers – four flamboyantly dressed men who launched into the air tied to a 66 foot-high pole.

9 Templo Mayor

The UNESCO architectural site is part of the Historic Center of Mexico City just to the northeast of the Zocalo. It was one of the main temples of the Aztecs in their capital city of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). The excavations are ongoing, and there is a museum on site.

10 El Huequito

Just a few steps from Chinatown is a must-try eatery called El Huequito.  You can order street food from this vendor, or go inside where they have several tables where you can order and eat your food. The big draw here is the El Pastor Especial – a taco piled with pork slices from a roasted spit, guacamole, andother toppings. It’s as tasty as can be and was as big as my head and SO delicious!

11 Basílica de Guadalupe

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary – the patron saint of Mexico City – this sanctuary plays an important part in Mexico’s religious past and is the second most-visited Catholic shrine in the world, behind the Vatican in Rome. The history of the shrine is shrouded in mystery and miracles. Since my first visit, I’ve been fascinated by the pilgrimages of the devout, often crawling on their knees across the vast cobbled square to pray to the Virgin, whom they believe can cure any sickness.

12 Red Tree House

This fun, quirky, unique boutique hotel is my favorite place to stay in Mexico City! In fact, I will stay nowhere else. Located on a quiet side street in the trendy Condesa neighborhood, an area filled with parks, cafes, and restaurants, you will not find a friendlier, more helpful staff anywhere in Mexico. Maybe the world. That’s how much I love it! The décor is splendidly colorful and whimsical, yet tastefully applied. I’ve stayed in three different types of rooms. One was a standard, attractively decorated room in the main building; the second was in an expansive contemporary room in their guest house, just across the street.

But it’s the third that captured my heart. It’s actually called “The Treehouse.” It’s compact but perfect for a solo traveler. The penthouse room has double French doors leading onto a sunny private terrace overlooking a stunningly colorful courtyard.

Staying at the Red Tree House is like staying with friends. Guests gather together for breakfast at communal tables, and the B&B hosts a nightly wine hour for guests to relax, mingle, and exchange travel tips before heading out for dinner.

13 Gran Hotel Cuidad de Mexico

Dating back to 1526, the art nouveau structure Gran Hotel Ciudad de México was formerly the residence of Rodrigo de Albornoz, the Royal Accountant. In 1895, it then transitioned into a department store, El Centro Mercantil, Mexico’s first shopping center and the most important department store in Latin America during that time.

The elegant lobby features a curving staircase that is a replica of the one at Paris’s Le Bon Marché, an antique iron elevator, and the pièce de résistance – the jaw-dropping Tiffany-styled stained-glass ceiling, which was imported from France in 1908 and is one of the four largest in of its kind in the world.

14 Mercado de Sonora

Mercado de Sonora (Sonora Market) is a city marketplace about a 30-minute walk from the zocalo. It was established in the 1950s and is different (and infamous) from than other city markets in that it contains aisle after aisle of medicinal plants, love potions, magic, the occult, and live animals.

This wasn’t our favorite market for many reasons. We didn’t find any unique handicrafts. In the front are a ton of cheap plastic toys; in the middle on one side is an area containing small cages with all sorts of animals – it smells and is just plain sad to see the animals kept in this fashion; towards the back is the “occult” area. We’d been told there would be voodoo dolls and religious statues “crying blood tears” but we saw nothing of the kind. Just potions and figurines from religious to occult.

Unless you have a lot of time to spare and are looking for someplace to walk, I’d suggest skipping this one.

Here are some excellent travel tips for 1st-time visitors to Mexico City.

If you can spend more than 3 days in Mexico City….lucky you! Here are some other places to visit.

DAY TRIPS

Puebla

Mexico’s 4th largest and one of its oldest cities is a two-hour drive from Mexico City. The city square is dominated by a massive two-tower cathedral with a tiled dome roof inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica. The square is surrounded by attractive colonial-era churches, pastel buildings with flowers spilling over second-floor balconies, outdoor cafes, and vibrant artisan markets. Puebla’s gastronomy is arguably considered to be the best in Mexico, with dishes like mole poblano, s rich, thick, chili-chocolate flavor sauce, originating here. The city’s relaxed, friendly atmosphere attracts visitors from both Mexico and abroad.

Cholula

Six miles from Puebla is the tiny town of Cholula, one of the country’s “Pueblo Mágico” — a nationwide tourism program that seeks to highlight small towns with exceptional character.  Cholula is best known for containing Pyramide Tepanapa.  The pyramid was built in the second century B.C. and is the world’s largest pyramid by volume – a third larger than the Great Pyramid at Giza. Take a deep breath and climb the seemingly endless stairs to get to the top where you will be rewarded for your efforts with a panoramic view of the entire region. The town also claims to have 365 churches, one for each day of the year.

Tepoztlán

Like Cholula, Tepoztlán is also Pueblo Mágico. Reputed to be the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec feathered serpent god, the town is situated in a highland mountain valley, surrounded by towering craggy cliffs. The charming multi-colored town is a favorite weekend getaway from Mexico City (46 miles south). Tepoztlán features a well-preserved 16th-century Dominican monastery, Zocalo de Tepoztlán – central town square, a traditional mercado, and cocina prehispanica artesanal – a market selling local traditional street food. Visitors can hike a steep trail to El Tepozteco, an Aztec pyramid sitting on the cliff above the town.

Did you notice that I didn’t mention very much food?  Click here for where to eat in Mexico City.

Also, don’t worry about wifi….there are plenty of digital nomad cafes in Mexico City!

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About the Author

Patti Morrow is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and the southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of the “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials” and she was named one of the “Top 35 Travel Blogs” in the world.

She is also the star of the upcoming TV series “Destination Takeover” which is scheduled to premiere in the next few months.

Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled extensively through six continents looking for fabulous destinations, exotic beaches, and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer tribe.