Xochimilco

Granted, these colorful, gondola-like boat trips are of one of the classic tourist activities in Mexico City, and you'll need to summon all your hardcore negotiating skills when hailing a trajinera, but spending the afternoon cruising the ancient canals in this area by boat is a lot of fun. Many local families head here for long, lazy afternoon cruises, accompanied by hired mariachi groups who serenade them via boat. Beers and snacks can be hailed on the canal too, meaning you don't have to pack too much of a picnic.

Dolores Olmedo was one of Diego Rivera's greatest patrons and her home, an ex-hacienda near Xochimilco, houses her collection of his works through the years, along with those of other artists and craftsmen she supported during her lifetime. While the collections are magnificent, and a real window into the breadth of Rivera's talents and career, the expansive grounds themselves—gorgeous native gardens that are home to her beloved hairless Xoloescuintle dogs and a family of peacocks—are a heavenly respite from the city's busy streets. In October and November, the museum puts on an awesome Day of the Dead display, as Doña Lola always did when she was alive.