I would appreciate comments on the itinerary I have planned for a 11 day trip to Mexico at the end of January. After studying loads of Fodors threads, I've decided that we'd like to visit Mexico City and the Yucatan. Regarding the Yucatan, we are not interested in the beaches and would prefer to concentrate on Merida and the Mayan towns on the western side of the peninsula. Below is our tentative itinerary.

Arrival in Mexico City late Friday morning after 2 loooong flights
4 nights in Mexico City – (would like to do one day trip to Puebla)
Fly to Merida, rent car, drive to Uxmal
2 nights in Uxmal, visit Uxmal and Puuc towns
Drive to Chichen Itza
2 nights in Chichen Itza
drive to Merida on Saturday (I know that the weekend is the highlight in Merida)
3 nights in Merida - Fly out of Merida

I'd like to add a day in Mexico City, but I'm not sure how to cut down the time in Yucatan. I don't want to cut any time from Merida, so the only possibility is to cut down on one night either in Uxmal or Chichen Itza, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. I have the impression that a half a day visit is enough in Chichen Itza and that there aren’t many other attractions near it. If this is so, then I can cut down to one night there. Or, perhaps I'd be better off with a day trip to one of these places instead of staying overnight.

Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated.

If you drive from Uxmal to Chichen, see the light show (if you desire), visit the ruins first thing in the morning, you could be in Merida by late afternoon. Otherwise, your itinerary sounds good. Buen viaje!

Thanks trvlmaven:

Does the light show at Chichen take place every night? Am I correct in thinking that there is one at Uxmal also? Is one better than the other?

Both Uxmal and Chichen Itza have light shows and you can rent headphones that translate from the Spanish.

We visited Uxmal and Ruta Puuc sites on our trip last month and also stayed overnight at Chichen Itza (did not visit the ruins as we had already been).

I would definitely recommend Ek Balam just north of Valladolid, near Chichen. We went there last year, hardly any visitors at all and you can climb the temple, which you cannot do at Uxmal or CI.

Yes, as stated, they both have light shows. I've only been to Uxmal. If you know some Spanish, it is interesting to listen to both narrations (they are just a few seconds delayed). An interesting day trip from Merida is to head up to Progresso, then east to the Flamingo viewing spot, on to a small ruin, Xcambo. We then stopped in Telchac Puerto and had an excellent grilled grouper lunch. Back in Merida by late afternoon.

maven:

Did you do that trip to Progresso by car, public transportation, or a guided tour?

Good itinerary - I would definitely get to the Chichen Itza site early. It gets hot & crowded.

Looks like a good trip. I'd second the recommendation of Ek Balam.

We drove rental car. Progresso is only about 90 minutes from Merida. We parked and walked around, did a little shopping from the vendors on the Embarcadero. I bought the Roja map book years ago(amazon.com) and have used it for all of my trips. I just photocopy the pages where I'll be going. The "loop" I described had us back in Merida in time for cocktails and dominoes (always our priority).

maven -

Did you stay in Merida with a car, or did you stay on the outskirts of town? I have heard that driving in Merida is no fun.

we stayed at Casa Esperanza--a beautiful B&B about 5 blocks from the Zocalo. We parked on the street--which we were nervous about, but there were no problems. Yes, driving in Merida is tricky--but getting out was not. One-way streets downtown, so you have to plan ahead. The Cruz Roja mapbook is excellent.

Maven -

I plan to use a rented car for a few days BEFORE we get to Merida, and then return it.

Don't miss Hacienda Katanchal outside Merida in addition to Progresso. The "delight" in Merida is really the nightlife, but I suppose you could get to some of the sites outside Merida hiring taxis/drivers. Some of our favorite restaurants were Mison Fray Diego, Los Alemendros. Enjoy your trip!

Hi sssteve -

I think your itinerary is perfect. However, if you need an extra day in Mexico City, I think there's a way of doing it without sacrificing too much. You could arrive at Uxmal by early afternoon, visit the site all afternoon, stay there overnight, and visit some Puuc towns the next morning, and then drive to Chichen Itza, arriving in time for drinks and the light show.

And if you could possibly add a day, I would fly from Mexico City to Campeche, stay there overnight, and drive to Uxmal the next day. Campeche is beautiful, and so is the drive on the back roads via Hopolchen to Uxmal. Long, but beautiful.

Some recommendations -

When you're in Mexico City, do not miss Teotihuacan. It's really easy to take the Metro to the Norte Bus Station and grab a bus to the site. Buses to the site leave from the far left area of the station.

There are good restaurants on Rio Lerma, just north of Reforma. In the area, the Hotel Maria Cristina's garden bar is a very relaxing place for a pre-or post-dinner drink.

In Uxmal, there's a pretty big hotel just across the parking lot from the site. I did not stay there, but their lunch was good for a buffet, and they have a nice inviting pool. Uxmal is really beautiful.

In Chichen Itza, we stayed at the Hacienda Chichen and loved it. Beautiful house, gardens, and pool. Excellent restaurant. Easy walking distance to the site. At the risk of getting flamed, I will confess that I did not enjoy the light show.

We enjoyed taking the slow scenic road between Chichen Itza and Merida. But beware of topes! These are the Everest-like speed bumps that herald your arrival in the various villages you will drive through. Of course these bumps are to keep motorists from plowing down pedestrians, but yowza!

In Merida, we stayed at the Casa del Balam and loved it. In fact, it was a highlight of our visit to Merida. It's about 4 blocks north of the zocalo. It's also extremely convenient to most car rental places, so dropping the car off will be a snap.

You have a long time in Merida. Besides the hotel, we particularly enjoyed the museum at the Palacio Canton on the Paseo Montejo and the characterful market area to the southeast of the zocalo.

Have fun!

Robertino -

Thanks for all that advice. I thought that it would be more efficient to cut a half a day from Chichen rather than Uxmal because of the Puuc towns. It seemed to me that there are less "extra" activities (beyond the main attraction)in the Chichen area which warranted 2 nights there (except for Vallodilad) than in the Uxmal area. Am I right or wrong?

Now, I'm going to check out Campeche.

Sure, sssteve, you could definitely do it that way too. It's kind of a long drive from Uxmal to Chichen Itza. If you got to Chichen in the afternoon, you'd have that half day, plus the next morning and part of the afternoon. Yup, that's plenty. Then you'd drive to Merida in the late afternoon. Do not drive at night.

Also, I may have been having a bad day or something when I was there, but I did not like Valladolid at all.

Where are you staying in Mexico City? I can recommend the Hotel Marco Polo in the Zona Rosa, with some reservations. It was super convenient - about 3 blocks from the Insurgentes metro station. Plenty of restaurants, including the Fonda del Refugio, which was very good. The hotel was nice enough - big quiet room, nice marble bathroom. The staff wasn't so great, however, and lots of people do not like the Zona Rosa. The Polanco neighborhood is way more upscale, with some excellent hotels, but I thought the area was a little soulless. Downtown near the zocalo is great, but I don't think there's a whole lot to do there at night. I could be wrong on that one. The Condesa area is very nice, too, with great nightlife, and a very good looking hotel called La Casona that I probably will stay in when I go back.

Robertino:

I have also heard that Valladolid is disappointing and it's not high on my list of priorities. If we have a few hours spare, we'll visit.

Regarding where to stay in Mexico City, I'm not sure which area will be best for us. I've been leaning toward the Zocalo area, although I keep hearing that it's dead at night. We do enjoy good restaurants, but we don't usually take part in any wild night life, and we're not going for the shopping.

I'd appreciate hearing some more opinions about which area to stay in in Mexico City.

Guess it depends what you're looking for. I've stayed on the Zocalo twice, at the Majestic. The area is extemely colorful during the day -- marching bands, flag ceremonies, "Aztec" dancers, street vendors, etc. It has several important tourist sites, the Templo Mayor, its museum, the National Palace and the Cathedral. There are several good restaurants in the area. I understand there are also some hip clubs patronized by young Mexicans. I am past "the nightlife and the boogie" stage and have no firsthand knowledge in that (or interest).

As to Valladolid -- it doesn't have many, or maybe any must-see sights -- but it is something much rarer, a relatively unspoiled Mexican city with a decent hotel and restaurant. Interesting market, etc. Very convenient to Ek Balam, it is also a good base for visiting Chichen Itza if you want to avoid the Mayaland tourist hotels. They are beautiful and good at what they do, but what they do is mass tourism.

If sipping a margarita or Montejo beer in a quiet bar will satisfy your desires for nightlife, I don't think you'd go wrong in either the Zocalo or Valladolid.

I am also past "the nightlife and the boogie" stage. What time do they roll up the sidewalks in the Zocalo area?

As for nightlife, we enjoy sipping a nice cold beer in a quiet bar.

As for Chichen Itza, I think we'll only spend one night there. Better near the ruins or in Valladolid? What's the driving time to the ruins?

Also, is there any problem driving from Valladolid to the ruins for the light show? Everybody says not to drive at night!

SSS --

Valladolid is only about 25 miles from Chichen Itza, so the drive is not long. However, if you are set on seeing the light show, I'd stay at CI. Better not to drive at night.

However -- we saw the light show at Uxmal, and while it was of some interest it was also kind of hokey. We passed on the one at CI.

They don't really roll up the sidewalks around the Zocalo -- we used to return from a restaurant around 9:30 or 10 and there were still people around. Might get a little rough later at night, though.

As far as CI or Valladolid, one's a resort, the other a provincial city. Mayaland can be hectic at lunch, with bus groups and "entertainment" on hand. It's calmer at night though, and there are a few dining options. Valladolid offers a chance to get away from all that. Your call.