Allis

My daughter and I will be in Mexico for 2 weeks starting with 3 nights in Mexico City, would love some help with where to go as I am struggling to put together an itinerary as we both want to go to many places so will have to prioritise (and do some more research). Here are some places we are thinking about but not sure what's possible in the limited time: Guanajuato, Puebla, Oaxaca, San Cristobal, Tulum (or any other suggestions for Yucatan Penninsula). Have we missed somewhere that is a must see in your opinion?

kja

You definitely have lots of wonderful options! FWIW, I thought the Moon Guide particularly helpful in planning my trip to Mexico.

Allis

THank you, I haven't used them before but it looks like they have some useful maps as I think i will need to get a better understanding of the distances.

hopefulist

My photos with blog and travelogue links are below - lots of recommendations for the Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas including San Cristóbal and Palenque. Happy planning!

Michael

There are the central Colonial towns: Guanajuato, SMA, Zacatecas, Queretaro.

Browsing through these sets might give you some more ideas:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623007252716/

Approach_Guides

Here are some recommendations:
- Mexico City is great -- from there you can daytrip to see two great pre-Maya sites: Teotihuacan and Tula.
- Puebla and Oaxaca for the food!
- Like @hopefulist recommended, we LOVED Palenque. You can do it in a daytrip or overnight. Accommodations are basic, but worth it to spend more time on the river and at the site.
- Tulum is wonderful - beach and the ruins (both Tulum and Chichen Itza are easily accessible)
Have a wonderful trip!

Allis

Thank you everyone. Michael I have looked at some of your great photographs which is why I thought about Guanajuato and will have a look at the rest. Thank goodness for summer holiday break as I will have some time to look through hopefulist blog etc and do some planning. Food is one of our things so Puebla and Oaxaca are now a must.

I hope you can give me your opinion on my itin which I will rough out in the next couple of days.

Can someone give me an idea how far it is from Tulum to Chichen Itza?

Many thanks.

kja

> Can someone give me an idea how far it is from Tulum to Chichen Itza?

By bus, 2.5 to 3 hours.

Fra_Diavolo

Two weeks is a lot of time, but Mexico is a lot of country. Since you seem interested in colonial cities, I would suggest you do either the MC, Puebla, Oaxaca, Palenque southern trip, or the MC, Cuernavaca, Queretaro, Guanajuato, SMdA, Zacatecas northern route.

Pay attention to the seasons, too. The mountains are pleasant in summer, the Yucatan an inferno.

oliolin

If you're going to the Yucatan Peninsula, plan some time to relax on the beaches - Either in Tulum (best beaches in Mexico!) or in Cancun (lots of resorts with nice beaches).

If you're interested in any water activities - snorkeling or diving or similar, Cozumel (40 min ferry from Playa del Carmen) has terrific reefs, and the area between Tulum and Cancun has plenty of beautiful cenotes (water-filled sinkholes or caves) that you can swim, snorkel or dive in.

I second the recommendation for Oaxaca for the truly excellent food ( Los Danzantes resto was our favorite, seconded by Casa Oaxaca's roof terrace), and the chocolate factories with the smells that spill out to the streets.

Allis

Gosh chocolate factories, it gets better and better. Thank you.

At this stage we are thinking about Mexico City - Oaxaca - Palenque - Tulum with side trips, Chichen Itza etc - Puelba - Mexico City. Will probably fly now from Tulum (if possible) or Cancun to Puelba so we can have more nights in each place.

I have just posted on a night out in Mexico City - any ideas?

Thanks everyone.

oliolin

Not sure about the best place for dancing, but here's a few ideas for restaurants. There should be dancing places nearby these, either in Polanco or Roma:

Villa Maria - My favorite so far - for the ridiculously huge frozen margaritas in a variety of delicious flavors, the live mariachi band, the good food and interesting desserts.

Maximo Bistrot local - A chef's table of modern mexican cuisine - mostly for the good food

Nueve Nueve - More upscale decor, good food, and a wide variety of mezcals

Pujol - heard it's supposed to be great, but was closed during our visit

Have fun!