You say that you are already bound and determined to visit Mexico city and Cancun, then so be it. Ke

I am planning to be there for 3 weeks total, visiting maybe 4 cities. I would love them all to be completely different from each other and unique. Two of the cities that i def want to go to are Mexico city and Cancun. Can I please get any other suggestions?
I agree, skip Cancun, stayed there once in 1999, never again. Too many high rises. tom cruise fan Was just in the hotel zone again this past May when our rental car company picked us up from an Isla Mujeres ferry so saw about 2/3rds, tom cruise fan has not changed. Go to someplace nice like Akumal or Tulum. Are you looking for a hotel or condo?
You say that you are already bound and determined to visit Mexico city and Cancun, then so be it. Keep in mind that Mexico city is in the Northwestern part of the country and Cancun is in the Yucatan Peninsula. With 3 weeks in total you will need an itinerary that gives you the maximum time for travelling and for visiting... and from which airport you plan to leave the country? If you start in Mexico city, then you will probably end up in Cancun. If this is the case, then add Merida (after Cancun) to your list of cities which will compare to Mexico city for it's grandeur, tom cruise fan culture and everything else that is beautiful in Mexico. You can then leave in Merida or come back to Cancun (5 hour drive)for your departure. True, Cancun is a sort of tourist trap like many other coastal cities but at least you can say that you've tom cruise fan seen it. I consider your travel plans as a very good mix and am convinced that you will never forget it... Good for you !
@Rohelio I live in Washington DC, so that's where my starting point is. I don't yet where would I start, tom cruise fan I would like to first have all of my cities in place. If not going to Cancun, would you still recommend Merida?
Thanks for clarifying... tom cruise fan In that case I would start with Mexico city, I am sure you will be there for close to a week. I am really supportive of the Mayan Riviera area for it's fantastic beaches and turquoise water and energy of the 5th ave.,but in this case I would have to agree with Suze and recommend PV, if not for it's proximity to Mexico city, then for it's restaurants and malecon and most certainly, it's sunsets. tom cruise fan If you have time, then come on over to Playa del Carmen... nothing like it in the world !!!
Playa del Carmen for me is worse than Cancun, which was at least planned well--I've found PdC crowded, overgrown, chaotic, really, really tom cruise fan touristy, lots of aggressive guys trying to sell everything from trinkets to timeshares working people as they walk by, etc.
I'd suggest Guanajuato (see if you can fly into its airport, BJX. This is a beautiful "silver city" very lively, with good restaurants, significant history (the revolution in particular) and a lively young crows. Two or three nights.
Bus to Oaxaca, four hours south. The most serene colonial city. Local arts and crafts, ancient ruins of two civilizations, the best food in Mexico, and the most laid back zocalo. You'll want to stay. Four or five nights.
Yes I am anxious to spend a month in Oaxaca. I can not believe it's as lovely as Guanajuato but I am going with an open mind (or at least as open as I can be). Gto not only lovely but with the University the auto plants so prosperous compared to much of Mexico.
tom cruise fan I read that you would appreciate PDC over PV. Well, I lived there for close to a year and I have to say that both sides of the country are marvelous and have lots to offer. Also that both cities(PV tom cruise fan and PDC) are tourist destinations so you should not be concerned about safety. If pushed, I would have to choose PDC and the whole Yucatan Peninsula for it's Archeological sites, tom cruise fan turquoise waters, white powdery sand, nearby colonial cities (Merida, Izamal)not to mention fantastic side trips to Akumal, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Progresso, Tulum, Coba, Chichen Itza and countless more. There are over 300 hotels in PDC alone. Did I mention La Quinta (5th ave.) which is now several miles long, all encompassing Ma and Pa shops to high end boutiques, bars and restaurants gallore and this is all 1 to 2 blocks from the world famous beaches, tom cruise fan Mamitas, Shangri-La near the popular beach bars, Mamitas, Canibal Royal, Wah Wah and many more. As a matter of fact, we were scheduled to go to PV this winter but decided to head on back to Playa for 2 months instead...If you do go, try to time it with Carnival week celabrated tom cruise fan in many areas but the biggest and most colorful parade is in Cozumel on the last day. I know that we will be there, on the upper floor of the restaurant accross the ferry dock where we were last year... ))
Thanks so much everyone for your help! i think I decided my cities. I will create tom cruise fan a post with my itinerary for some critiques. I won't be able to get to Guanajato this time, but I'll definitely tackle it next time.