just be careful as you’d be in any mayor city on this planet.
go and see the pyramids in teotihuacan, it’s a must!!! you will have to take the metro and then a bus (about an hours drive), ask in your hotel, they should know or in any travellers guide thre should be the info.
in mexico city itself i really liked the frida kahlo house/museum.
the city centre (zocalo) itself is a must.
if you are into museums: the museo de antropologia, of course!
and what i did with my dad: take the “turibus”. you can go all day on the bus, get off and on where you like and get a nice overview of mexico city. wasn’t expensive either and the transport was good.

Actually, go to La Museo National de Antropologia even if you aren’t normally into museums.

As far as sites to see, there are so many that I can’t name them all. There are however websites like www.virtualtourist.com that might help you out in what to go do.

As far as safety goes, just make sure if you have a purse keep it near to you, maybe even take a kind that you can wear looped over your shoulder/across your chest.

I’m sure you’ll have fun!

The places I’d recommend going are El Zocalo (the city square) and El Centro Historico (historical distric) in the downtown on weekdays. Plaza Hidalgo in Coyoacan on the weekend, many vendors selling arts, crafts, clothing, etc… and lots of beautiful buildings. Frida Kahlo’s house is also in Coyoacan. San Angel is sanother place to go on the weekend, lots of artisans sell their works there and it’s a beautiful, cobble-stoned little villa. The gardens of Xochimilco in the south, there’s floating gardens and you can be taken out on a Chalupa (ferry boat). In Chapultepec there are many museums, parks, and attractions. I’d recommend El Castilo de Chapultepec (Chapultec Castle), El Museo Nacional de Antropologia, and El Parque Zoologico de Chapultepec. The pyramids of Teotihuacan could be a potential day trip. You’d need to take a bus from one of the bus stations though. Costs about twenty bucks round trip and the bus stations are all near subway lines.

As long as you don’t go walking around aimlessly looking like a tourist, you should be fine. This means no big backpacks, being discreet with cameras, not wearing shorts or sandals (only tourists wear shorts and sandals), and no giant sombreros. I wouldn’t wear bright colors either. Just try to blend.

There are three main ways to travel that I recommend to travelers, El Metro (the subway), el metrobus (the “subway” bus on Insurgentes), and taxis. Personally I think the subway is the safest bet, it will take you very near to all of these destinations, it is very cheap, is fast and clean, is populated with lots of people, and won’t rip you off or take you on a wild goose chase like some taxistas would. The metrobus is the fastest way to get to San Angel. The only place mentioned where you would need to take a taxi or a bus is Xochimilco, but it isn’t very far from the subway. When taking a taxi, look for a few things and you’ll be fine. First, the lcence plate should have an “L” or an “S” as the first character on it. If it has a licence plate like a regular car, don’t chance it. Make sure there are the appropriate decals in the windows (with fair rates, etc), and that the driver’s licence is displayed on the dash of the car (with the driver’s photo).

When taking a taxi from the airport, take one with the plane logo on them, these are the only taxis sancioned by the airport. When taking a taxi to the airport, call ahead and have one sent to you. It’s more expensive but worth it.

Buses are very economical and go everywhere, but if you’re not carefuk they will take you to the middle of nowhere too. Buses are also hailed like taxis. I wouldn’t take one unless you have to.

Yeah, I think a phrasebook would be okay. I’d also pick up “La Guia Roji” which is a book of all the maps of the city and a tourist guide. Try to find the locations within the book and simply having this with you on a taxi will show the driver that you know where you’re going.

This site will give you more ideas too:

http://www.tourbymexico.com/df/df.htm

Have fun and good luck!!!!

P.S. Someone mentioned the turibus. Absolutley yes!!!

as far as things to see, everyone who answered really has given you the best sites. if you like antique-ing or finding unique things, there is also a great flea market, but I could not tell you how to get there now. I’m sure it would be in the guidebooks.

I don’t speak much spanish, and I was able to make-do there. The younger people there seem to speak english as well, but don’t count on that because the majority of people did not seem to.

As far as safety, just keep your wits about you. Don’t go out alone, especially at night. If you go to a bar, know how you’re going to get there and get back to your hotel. I was driving around with some other young people from the hostel one night, and we got stopped by the police. It was a very scary experience. Someone in the group had to bribe them with $20 to get them to let us go. In a month there, that was the only time I feared for my safety.

I don’t mean to scare you though, you will have a great time!!

I second bangoskank’s answer. I will remark on not wearing shorts or sandals (i would add tank-tops and basically anything that shows skin) and avoiding hats, sun-glasses and huge backpacks as well unless you do not mind people staring at you.

Teohtihuacan is an absolute must. It is a place that has been poorly-marketed as a touristic spot but in my opinion it is one of the most impressive ancient cities in the world. As it has been said, it is a day trip and should be well-planned. I would recommend either doing it in your first or your last day here, during a week-day. If possible, make some time to visit one of the small towns near Teohtihuacan. Mexican small towns offer a completely different experience from Mexico city.

Another obligatory visit is downtown. Sites to see are museo del Templo mayor, Zócalo, Plaza de Santo Domingo, museo de San Ildefonso, Bellas artes/La Alameda, museo nacional de arte. You can reach all these sites by foot. I would dedicate a full day to this, maybe more if you like spending quality time in museums.

Third day i would dedicate it to Chapultepec. The castle, museo de arte moderno, museo de antropología, the park and zoo.

Fourth day you might spend it in Coyoacán, San Angel and Ciudad Universitaria. Again, lots of museums to see here. Mexico city is a museum town.

From here, it is pretty much open to personal preference. I would not include Xochimilco since you would spend a lot of time just going and coming from there, it is more of a group/party experience and to be honest, because it is in decadence. You can have a coffee in some joint in la Condesa, la Roma or Zona Rosa. Or you can hang around a tianguis (street market). Or you could just tour on bus over Insurgentes, Reforma, Tlalpan or Periférico to see what the city looks like. I would rather do any of those over Xochimilco but like i said, it is a matter of personal interest and preference.

Finding places to eat is not a problem. Wherever you go you will find fast-food, restaurants and small locals with typical mexican food and snacks. If you like the cheap everyday experience you can also find small stands in the middle of the street selling tacos, tortas, quesadillas and other stuff.

As for night life places, Insurgentes avenue is full of options for all tastes and budgets. Garibaldi is another option although safety issues might arise. In any case it would be a good advice to hit the town at night with a trusted local friend who knows the place to avoid being ripped-off and help you in case you drink one too many shots. There are also plenty of theatre and concert options if that is your thing.

As for places to buy souvenirs you have the mercado de la Ciudadela (south-downtown, take the subway here) to buy mexican crafts. Insurgentes also has plenty of malls and stores. Ghandi (in front of Bellas artes palace) is a good place to buy books, cd’s, dvd’s and artsy small gifts. Sanborns is another option for gifts. There are three or four in downtown and a handful of them all around Insurgentes. Again, you can always find something funny or odd in the streets. Commerce in the street is high here.

Traffic is terrible at most times and in most of the city so the subway is your best choice to move from site to site. If you are a “locals experience” type of tourist then you must use the small busses or micro buses. They are small, crowded and uncomfortable but they are a good experience on what the “real”, everyday city and people are like.

As for the language, it would really help your visit if you spoke a little more than just basic spanish. The odds of finding a random passer-by fluent in english are not high. With that said, people here is very friendly and will do their best to provide help even if they do not understand a thing of what you are saying. Of course, the best option would be touring around with a local friend if possible.

Hope this helps.

I loved Mexico City. We saw the latest Harry Potter movie there in English with Spanish subtitles – that provided a new twist and challenged us.

Most of the people you meet will not speak English – but as clpotts said, young people often do.

I learned as much as I could from tapes in advance and took a dictionary. My husband was so proud the day he went to a nearby dominos and ordered what he wanted (which was not a usual item) in Spanish and made himself understood – after a long time. The kids there did not speak english. English is spoken by hotel staff. Especially at the sheraton next to the US embassy (No I did not stay there).

Currently there is the world’s largest Frida Kahlo display at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in honor of her 100th birthday. I wish I could go. Failing that – her house in Coyoacan is worth a visit – as is the video they show there.

Mostly we hopped on busses to get where we wanted to go – and for teotihuacan we went by tour van hired through the hotel. There is a great open air mercado for crafts not far from the big yellow horse scultpure on Reforma (the main drag)

The zocalo is great – Diego Rivera art in one ofthe buildings. the pyramid recently discovered UNDER the main square and the cathedral is fascinating. all the churches are amazing. Catedral especially as well as Guadalupe. If you go to Guadalupe it should be with knowledge of what it is. (I don’t know your faith tradition, but knowing about it makes the experience more interesting) It is not a short distance but any bus going to Villas will get you there. Getting back takes some manuvering to find the bus route again as the return bus is on a different route (Mysterios is the road I think) Great shops, terrific people. American food especially near the US ,embassy. Other places to eat for a meal are Sanborn’s and Vips. Those two are just normal chain restaurants.

I always carried change for the people sitting on the streets begging – especially the children. Being from the United States and aware of how rich I am compared to the people of Mexico made it hard to pass them up. It is amazing just how far your dollar will go there. (Learn the money fast so you can figure it up) Some bathrooms require a fee to use them so change in your pocket helps. Just be as careful as you would need to be in any very very crowded urban area and be careful who you ask for help. Even the 3 or 4 different kind of police in that city can be problematic. I just asked and figured out if what I was told fit with what I expected the answer to be.

We are quite a bit older than you so the bar scene was not where we went, so I have no experience there. I do recall one sunday morning trying to figure out how to get into the church near the hotel and waiting for services – I probably looked like a streetwalker. I was stopped by a lot of policemen before I finally found the door for the church (It was not a tourist place and the door was not the main door.) It took a loooooong time. Very unnerving.

I loved the place and would go back in a heartbeat. I am not a world traveler, so this was my most foreign experience. The crowds around the street markets near the Zocalo can be a bit overwhelming, but the experience is worth it. Try to find a place that sells churros. I only found one. I really want a churro!!! We were there for 12 days and never ran out of things to see.

We went to Teotihuacan, a combination tequila factory/rock polishing/silver factory near Teotihuacan, San Angel, Dolores Olmeda Patina house, (the last two very quiet places – not in the city and probably not for the young!), Coyoacan by bus – for the sunday market and Frida Kahlo house, Museo Antropologia (Highly recommmended – especially after a trip to the pyramids) zocalo, all the buildings we could visit in the zocalo. we joined one of the street protests and march for an end to the kidnapping of children (huge march). the outdoor shops off the zocalo as well as those outside and around the cathedral. I walked into most of the churches because they are quite different from what we see in the US. Guadalupe and all its buildings and the shops around it. the outdoor craft market a few blocks from the yellow horse for some jewelry. Chapultepec, the pyramid under the zocalo (I cannot remember the name)Alameda, the museum near it that holds the huge diego rivera mural and the earthquake memorial in the alameda. the palacio de belles artes and the production Folklorico. we walked a lot of places and saw so much. The streets are just packed with sites. Kids are on leashes for safety – kidnapping is a big fear. I wish some of the kids in my big library where I work were on leashes!!!!

I hope you have a great time! Think of us (my spouse and I) and absorb for the next person who wants to know about the experience. OH, one more thing. When we needed a taxi, we asked the hotel person to get it for us. Tip all of them.

Have a wonderful trip!

3 more things now that i’ve read all the answers.
teotihuacan is closed on mondays i think. (as are all museums???) i might be wrong, check that in a tourist guide or in your hotel. avoid going to teotihuacan on the weekend, too many people!!! and i mean TOOOOO MAAAANYYYYY PEEEEEOPLE! you are stuck in “traffic” just to climb the pyramids, and that with the heat!!! just go any other day!

U2’s “One” – video was completely shot in Berlin, Germany. The angel of Liberty there looks quite similar to the one in mexico city. so don’t get to excited about this one. :-)

restaurants like Sanborns, Vips and Tocs are good, offer food at reasonable prices, but are hardly a mexican experience. they are just too “american”, if you understand what i mean. apart from that, i can assure you that you can drink the water and have ice in your coke in any of these restaurants. i know in every guide this is a strict thing and at first i was very careful about this in mexico (i’ve been living here for 8 years now), but restaurants of this standard don’t take water out of the tap to make their ice cubes, they buy those in huge packs and they are made of drinking water. and just a simple glass of water comes out of those “garafones”, those huge water bottles and that water is also clean and for drinking only.

eating on the streets is a more mexican experience, but here oh yes, there might be some bad experience afterwards. my husband (who is mexican) always says, watch out how many people are eating tehre. that’s a measure to go by. lots of people is good. the place is knows, the food is prepared and eaten and so on.

a bit pricey but OOOOH soooo lovely and so mexican: “cafe tacuba” where not only coffee but all kind of mexican food is served. it’s on tacuba street near the city centre. really really recommended!!!

I agree the pyramids in teotihuacan, it’s a must!!! I too really liked the frida kahlo house/museum.
the city centre, markets, the museo de antropologia.
There is a lot of beggers EVERYWHERE, I have a problems saying no so; sometimes it is hard. If you want safty pin your pockets closed so you will not get pickpocketed, also those fanny packs work well so your important things are in your sight.
If you go to a discotec, at times they have cock fights I did not like that. I have fun on your trip.

Mexico City is absolutely safe during the day… don’t worry. Try hard to get somewhat comfortable with Spanish before you go. Mexico isn’t like Western Europe as far as the average person’s ability to speak English.

As far as sights go everyone else has recommended the highlights. I have to put in one more push for UNAM. Read about the school itself before leaving to really get the full effect of the visit. It’s an awesome place.

Also try to visit Los Pinos. You have to be part of a tour group and guides only spoke Spanish, but the tours had just been open for about a month so this may have changed. It’s somewhat of a hassle but it’s worth it. Remember: most Mexicans have never been inside this place so be one of the first foreigners to check it out, too. Bonus points for visiting the Volkswagen Mexico-built Popemobile.

Have a great trip!

many good suggestions so far. i stayed in a hotel in colonia roma neighborhood. lots of good places to drink coffee and relax. good walking neighborhood. you could definitely go to all of those attractions like the pyramids, the museums, and have a great time, but remember the pace in mexico is slow so make sure to take your time and go with the flow and relax. also, remember most attractions are closed on mondays and most businesses and attractions open in the late morning. also, i’m not into wrestling or lucha libre, but i went to a match and it was one of the highlights of my stay. lots of fun!

If you like art, the museum of modern art is amazing.

Go to the palace in the Zocalo to see the enormous mural by Diego Rivera depicting the history of Mexico and its people.

Insurgentes (also the name of a metro stop) is a good market for finding souvenirs.

If you’re there on a Saturday, go to Coyoacan and the Plaza San Angel for the incredible Saturday market. Beautiful crafts from all over the country, and an amazing brunch in a courtyard off the plaza.

Only two bad things have happened to me in Mexico City in about a dozen visits:

1) Riding the subway at rush hour, when you’re packed in like (pick your metaphor), my friend and I were physically molested and couldn’t move to get away. Literally, hands up skirts.

2. My friend and I were in a restaurant and her purse was slung over her chair. Someone asked us where the bathroom was, and the next time we looked, her purse had been stolen.