Another option is to combine 1 and 2. So 3 days in Mexico City and then 3 in Guanajuato and San Miguel.

Have never been to Mexico City, but Quintana Roo is amazing, so I would pick #3 but I like beaches and turquoise water. Knock out Palenque and probably Merida. They are worthwhile but not in 7 days, too far apart. I'd stay near the coast and maybe a night or two in Valladolid, a charming colonial city and good base for nearby Chichen Itza and also Ek Balam ruins (you can climb at Ek Balam) and maybe visit Rio Lagartos to see the flamingos.

While I love Guanajuato & Morelia with a week I'd concentrate on Mexico City & Area.

Palenque is like 7-8hrs from Tulum thats a bit far. Is it worth making the track so far?

I have a pair of tickets on hold at the moment. One to Mexico City with 6 full days and another to Cancun with 7-8 days.

The Yucatán is tough to beat for a quick trip - everything from cenotes to Maya sites to gorgeous beaches within easy reach. My photos with trip links are below in case you're interested. Have a great trip, whatever you decide!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

I agree with hopefulist that you could easily plan a lovely week-long trip to the Yucatan. You could see Tulum, Chitchen Itza, Merida, and maybe Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. You'll need to make some tough decisions to fit everything in, but it's definitely do-able. There've been several recent threads about a trip like this, so do a search to get some great ideas.

As you've already discovered, Palenque is a bit too far from the Yucatan to be a reasonable part of the same trip in a week's time. It is stunning, but you would lose a lot of time getting there, and forego many interesting places to do so.

To see Palenque, you could fly into/out of Tuxtla Gutierrez (the airport is half-way to delightful San Cristobal de las Casas). Spend some time in and around San Cristobal, go to Palenque for its ruins and the lovely waterfalls between SC and P (Agua Azul, Agua Clara, Misol Ha), maybe visit some of the scenic areas near Tuxtla.... Easily a week's worth.

Hope that helps!

I'd take the fourth option you listed, Mexico City and Guanajuato. Fly into MC and out of Leon BTX. Mexico City is pretty much inexhaustible, and Guanajuato gets my vote for most beautiful Mexican city.

Guanajuato was recently chose as the most colorful city in the World!
Clean, neat with fabulous architecture I'm spending the month of January there.
But just a week Hands down my choice is Mexico City. With the Pyramids, the wonderful museums, history etc it is the perfect week.

fyi, you can also see Palenque from Tulum by flying Viva Aerobus from Cancun to Villahermosa (1.5 hr flight), and taking an ADO van directly from Villaherma airport to Palenque (2hrs). Can do this trip one afternoon, and see Palaneque ruins, which are very close to the town, the next morning. That afternoon take ADO van back to Villahermosa Airport and fly out (can easily fly Villahermosa to home, through Mexicto City).

I've done that, easy trip. Easy to make it a part of a Yucatan/Q Roo week on the way home, if you really want to see Palenque. But you do need o build itinerary around the flight to Villahermosa from Cancun becasue VIva Aerobus only flies that route twice a wk.

Also on your Mayan route, if you truly want to see Palenque, I'd skip Merida on that trip. In March the temps are steadily climbing in Merida and hang out at about 90 degrees during the day, up to 95 degrees towards end of the month. 90 degrees and humid, sweaty. Much better there in cooler months, Nov. - Feb.

On your route #2, I would skip San Miguel (Guanajuato is similar but better, IMO) and go to Guanajuato, then 3.5 hr bus to and Morelia (sty there for only one night, nice cathedral and square but better time spent in other two places on this itinerary) and ADD PATZQUARO and the villages around the lake there. Nothing like Patzquaro anywhere in MX, or anywhere else.

Pn #1 itinerary, I woudl do Mexico City for 3 days and Puebla for 3 days (with Cholula in there also), adding extra day if possible to Mexico City, Teotihuacatan is a day trip from Mexico City, it is right outside the city, an hr by bus.

Not sure why you'd want to add Xalapa in that itinerary, as it is in Veracruz, in opposit direction from Mexico City that PUebla is. hoose either PUebla or Xalapa, along w/Mexico CIty. And stop there w/two of those, no more for one wk.

Palenque/San Cristóbal would be a great combination, too - there are photos and blogs for that neck of the woods in my link above, too.

Fly into Mexico City. 3 - 4 nights there, with an easy day trip to Teotihuacan. Then bus to Queretaro for 1 - 2 nights - pretty and interesting city and it breaks up the trip. Then bus to Guanajuato for 2 nights. Fly home from BJX.

I would do the Yucatan--one can certainly see a country and skip its capital city. Mexico City air is some of the dirtiest and least healthy on the entire planet.

I would opt for Yucatan peninsula or Chiapas including Palenque--you can get a wide range of natural and cultural experiences there, including architecture, history, etc.

Incas and Mayans were entirely different civilizations--comparing them would be like saying that since you've been to Rome there'd be no reason to visit the pyramids and temples in Egypt.

Or, better yet, fly into MX, bus to Puebla, 2 nights there, on to Oaxaca for the duration. Fly out of Oaxaca.

You might want to take a look at some of my trip reports; one is on Puebla, and the other on Guadalajara and Zacatecas. They're pretty far down the list. We also were in Guanjuato, SMA and Queretaro, but never wrote a report. Here are the pictures:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/sets/72157623007139404/

Thanks everyone. Decided to stick to Mexico Coty for this trip. Booked the flight for 3/14-3/20. 6 full days. Planning to spend 4 in Mexico City (day trips to Teotihuacan and Friedas village) and 2 days in Puebla and Chalula. March weather looks good for Mexico City, no?

Any other recos? Day trips? Oaxaca seemed too far.

You already have enough day trips planned - 2 of you4 four days in MX City (one to Teotihuacn and one to Coyoacan) and on one pf your two days in Puebla you will go to Cholula.

You chose a nice itinerary for 6 days. HAve fun. Repost back!

thanks! Looking forward to it.

would recommend Puebla over Taxco as a side-trip?

Yes, I would and I have been to both of them. UNLESS your goal is to shop til you drop for the finest handcrafted silver in all of Mexico. In that case, Taxco over Puebla, although honestly I am VERY into MX silver jewelry and collect the vintage stuff, but Taxco is overwhelming even for me, a collector, in the amt. of silver shops available.

Pubela offers much more variety of experinces than Taxco. eThe architecture available in Puebla (esp the multiple lachurches and cathedral) are hands down better. The food is better in Puebla and the food history is phenomenal in PUebla. And it has the artist barrio, and the market and the traditional Puebla fine pottery and the antiques market. And the Calle de Dulces. And the MX train museum (phenomenal) and is close (30 min. to Cholula and the volcano.

OH, and don't think Puebla does not have good silversmithing. I highly recommenmd this shop for wonderful stones and silversmithing combined. I have bought many pieces there. The artisans are fantastic and the prices very good. High quality and very unique. You won't ever see another piece like the one you buy, it is all one of a kind, NO MOLDS used.

http://manosdelatierrapuebla.com.mx/index.html

We spent a week in Mexico City last March and found that there was more than enough to do. We went to Pueblo and Cholula on a day trip. The colonial churches were amazing.

We were especially interested in the art of Freda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, so visited her home, their studios, and many of the Rivera murals. We hadn't planned to visit Leon Trotsky's house; but based on comments on this forum, we decided to go there. I am so glad we didn't miss it.

I know the Xochimilco canal boats are touristy but we found them fun. While we didn't go on a Sunday, they say there are lots of locals and music.

The food was excellent, and we never felt concerned about our safety. The weather was great, with one afternoon thunderstorm. Temperatures were in the 70's during the day. We could have spent much more time there. We will go back!

thank you for all the amazing feedback. We have it nailed down; we arrive into Mexico City at 11:30am on Wed., 3/20. We spend the rest of the day plus 3 additional days in Mexico CIty. On Sun., 3/24 we take a bus to Puebla. We spend 2 full days in Puebla with a half day trip to Cholula. We depart out of the Puebla airport at 7am on 3/26.

Enjoy! Looking forward to your trip report....

Excellent that you timed it to have a Sunday in PUbela, when the antiques market (Los Sapos) and the wonderful Mercado Jardin Analco will be going on. Get to both of those.