Of the places you list, I visited ...

San Cristobal - loved it! Gorgeous setting, a variety of interesting little museums and things to see, fabulous market. I recommend making time to join a guided tour of some of the outlying villages.

Palenque - stunning ruins! The town itself isn't much IMO, but the ruins can easily take an entire day. Leave at least an hour for the excellent museum. From Palenque, you can also take a day-long tour of Misol Ha, Agua Clara, and Agua Azul - beautiful! (Consider taking dramamine for the bus ride from Palenque.)

Merida - very enjoyable! Try to time it so you are there on a Friday evening, Saturday, and/or Sunday, when there are outdoor markets and music and dancing, etc. Another don't miss museum (large, so give it at least 1.5 hours.) From Merida, consider visiting Uxmal and the Ruta Puuc. Uxmal can be seen on a day trip. It's magnificent and very different than Palenque or Chichen Itza. To see the other sites of the Ruta Puuc, it would be better to rent a car and spend overnight en route. These sites aren't generally as extensive or well-preserved as Uxmal, but they include some interesting ruins and you might be one of very, very few people visiting them.

Chichen Itza - impressive, and as suggested above, quite different in style from Palenque or Uxmal! Consider visiting it from Valladolid.

Hope that helps!

I live in the U.S. and have been traveling in Mexico for over 35 yrs., and finally bought a condo in Quintana Roo 2 yrs ago. Since then I have traveled even more throughout Mexico.

Where are you flying into Mexico from? For me, that would determine where I would start my trip into Mexico, as it depends on airfare from where you are departing from and going to in MX.

Also, what is your travel style? Do you want to see as much as you can, or do you like a more relaxed pace?

January is a great time to visit the Yucatan Peninsula. You could fly into Cancun or Merida (either from Mexico City or straight there from you departure home point, depending on where that is).

Merida is a very nice city, as kja points out above. Very clean, lots of wonderful and colorful colonial architecture, great food, stunning centro historico w/great museums and lots of activity in the plaza (including a Merida Domingo on Sundays where the streets around the main plaza are closed to cars and there are all kinds of food and crafts stands set up in the square-- and on Fri. and Sat. nights some streets on the side of the plaza are also blocked off for live music and dancing and open crafts markets). And as kja said, you can easily do a day tour to the Uxmal ruins from Merida.

I have been to both colonial cities, and I think Merida rivals Oaxaca, which I see was on your original itinerary. The charm of Oaxaca is stretched out into a valley surrounding the city w/lots of small villages, but Merida has as much colonial charm, as many indigenous crafts, great museums, and as much overall charm as Oaxaca, IMO. And like Oaxaca, where you can visit Monte Alban from the city,you can visit Uxmal from Merida. I would skip Oaxaca on this 1st trip and combine your visit to Chichen Itza w/a trip to Merida and to Uxmal as well.

At Chichen Itza, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend staying overnight very near the ruins the night before you visit the ruins. This is IMPERATIVE, so you can get into the ruins as soon as they open and be done w/your visit before the tour buses from Cancun, the Riviera Maya, and Merida get there.

In the last year I have done both scenarios. Last November my husband and I stayed at Mayaland right next to the ruins the night before our visit. It was wonderful. We had a lovely room and a great dinner and a lovely breakfast the next morning, complete w/colorul jungle birds and peacocks.

At 8 a.m. we walked from the Mayaland hotel right into a private entrance into the backside of the ruins (not the front gate which is a big deal; the back entrance we used is only for Mayaland guests). Mayaland provided a guide for us and he was great. We were virtually alone wour guide at the ruins from 8 a.m. until we were done, at aroound 10:30 to 11 a.m. Wonderful and nearly private experience.

Totally Different Trip: In July 2012 I drove from Valladolid to Chichen Itza with my son. Arrived at Chichen Itza at noon. It was a TOTAL ZOO. I've never seen so many people at any one site. It was not only the amt. of tour bus tourists, it was the wall to wall vendors who are allowed inside the site. They can set up on the perimeter of each of the ruins. So as you are walking around, you are walking on paths by table and after table, up against each other, of trinkets and people loudly hawking them. And they all had this totally obnoxious "jaguar call" trinket they were selling, and they were blowing these things loudly- it was a terrible cacophany of insanity.

My son and I left the site after 20 minutes. It was THAT bad.

SERIOUSLY, if my post gets one thing across to you, stay at Chichen Itza in a hotel the night before, and get into the site at 8 a.m. when it opens!

Mexico has a few good domestic budget airlines: VivaAerobus, Interjet, and Volaris. From Cancun in July 2012, I flew on VivaAerobus direct to Villahermosa (for around $50), and from the Villahermosa airport I took an ADO bus (really a large van) direct to Palenque- 2 hrs ($17). Palenque town is small and compact, it was a short walk to my hotel. Went to the ruins the next day. I loved the ruins at Palenque, and I have been to a lot of Mayan ruins. These are so differnet, they are carved out of the jungle, there is a very good museum on site, and there are waterfalls in the jungle site, just amazing. I did not go to the famus waterfalls (Agua Azul and Misol-Ha) but those are an option in the area.

From Palenque you can then easily take a nice 1st class ADO bus to San Cristobal (5 hrs, 196 pesos = $15 USD).

I love Puebla, but Merida is a lovely colonial city, and IMO you could skip Puebla in this trip.

Reading your post and knowing you have 16 days, and assuming you do not mind being on the move, and considering you do not want beach time and you like history and culture, I think you could possibly fly into Mexico City for 2 days, fly VivaAerobus from Mexico City to Merida for 2 days, (Uxmal/Puuc route on one of those days), ADO bus from Merida to Chichen Itza and stay in a hotel near the site for a night, see ruins next day (2 days). Then ADO bus from Chichen Itza to Cancun airport, and fly to Villahermosa. From Villashermosa airport take ADO bus to Palenque (1 Day). Palenque ruins (1 day) and from Palenque town on to San Cristobal (same day). San Cristobal (2 days). From San Cristobal you'd need to bus to Tuxla Guitierez airport (2 hrs) and fly back to Cancun or Mexico City (Either on VivaAerobus) to fly home.

Factor in travel days into the country/other travel time. Even with that, this gives you a few extra days to play with. However, you need to check the flight schedules as domestic airlines like VivaAerobus only flies certain days to/from Tuxla G., etc.

You could fly into Cancun at start of trip also.

Thanks to you both for your tips and suggestions.

emd3, to answer some of your questions, we will be flying from New York, and as you have guessed, we like to see as much as possible, especially cities, cultural sites, and historical places.

Once again, thanks for your help.

Also thanks for your suggestion of staying near the ruins at Chichen Itza. I plan on staying overnight so that I can visit early and miss the crowds. I also plan on seeing the light show the night before if available.

I have gone to all of those areas (except San Cristobal, I had to miss that planned trip from Cancun a few months ago due to a family illnes). Ask any questions, will try to help.

There are a limited number of hotels right at the grounds of Chichen Itza. The ones right there are all owned by one co. Mayaland was great, lovely property and you literally walk right into the grounds of Chichen Itza from a gate on the property, and many rooms have a great view of the Observatory at C.Itza. I think it was around $130 a night for us, and we had a room w/that view.

There is another less expensive hotel about a mile or so from the ruins called Dolores Alba. Nice budget hotel w/pool and across from a nice cenote. But you'd have to get to the ruins form there in the morning and evening (for light show night before). I am sure there is some kind of transportation available, but not sure what it is.

I've stayed twice at Hacienda Chichen Itza, lovely grounds with a nice big pool for cooling off after hiking around. Food was good and they usually have a trio of musicians playing.

I understand wanting to see as much as possible, but you have too many places on your itinerary.

8 separate places in only 16 days, by the time you subtract all the travel time (planes, bus, car) that doesn't really leave much time anywhere.

Thanks again, emd3. I just took a look at Mayaland and will try to go for that.

Suze, I know 8 places is too many, hence this post. Originally, I was looking at 23 days.

Right now, I'm thinking Mexico City - San Cristobal - Palenque - Merida - Chichen Itza - Cancun...

If you want Mayan ruins, Palenque plus nearby Yaxchilan and Bonampak have much better artistry than anything you'll see in the Yucatan, including Chichen Itza (a very worthy site in its own regard, but Palenque is just magical).

6 locations in 16 days is still too many. I would cut it down to 4 or 5 at maximum, especially given travel challenges in a country the size of Mexico.

I think Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza, San Cristobal, and Palenque are very doable in 16 days. It would be for me and I am not even a fast traveler. ADO buses and domestic flights are good in this area and for those places. You just have to adjust your schedule according to when VivaAerobus flies from Cancun (or Mexico City, depending on how you do the itinerary) to Tuxtla Guitierrez to get to San Cristobal, or to Villahermosa to get to Palenque, depending on how you set up the itinerary.

Not sure why you are adding Cancun, unless that is just for the Cancun airport to get to San Cristobal or Villahermosa (as you said you didn't care about beaches and there is not much more than that in Cancun).

Sorry, I should have clarified by saying Cancun Airport. It seems that Cancun has the most flights into and out of the US that's in proximity to Chichen Itza. I do not plan on spending any time in Cancun.

Merida has an international airport. Have you looked into a return flight from there?

When we combined Palenque and the Yucatan, we flew into Villhermosa, spent 4 nights near Palenque, then took a bus from Palenque to Campeche for one night, then rented a car and drove to Tulum.

I suspect that TQ1 has discovered the reality of the difference in price and the number of available flights for flying into Cancun vs. flying into Merida. It is often much cheaper to fly into Cancun from the east coast U.S. than it is to Merida, and there is a lot more flight time availability. At least that has been my experience. And it sounds like he/she wants to get to Mexico City also so might be looking at flying out of there at the end.

I have done these routes (except to San Cristobal but I researched that and had it booked, but had to cancel the trip) and I know the bus services and domestic flights available to/from the areas TQ wants to visit in his last post above. It is doable, and at a nice pace too if you keep moving - not at a frenzied pace at all, but keep moving. TQ will just need to get on the ADO bus website and on VivaAerobus and figure out the best specific itinerary to put this together.

I agree with the idea about looking at airport options. If you could arrive Mexico City and leave Cancun (for example) that would save some time and 'backtracking' on the ground.

Yes, I've looked at airport options, and it seems that the best flights in terms of price and availability are into and out of Mexico City and Cancun. I plan on flying into one and out of the other. Right now, it seems like the most lodging routing, given availability is to fly into Mexico City, then fly to Tuxtla Gutierrez, go by bus to San Cristobal then Palenque, then fly from Villahermosa to Merida, go by bus from Merida to Chichen Itza to Cancun, and fly out of Cancun. Does this routing sound reasonable?

Thanks again for all your help.

VivaAerobus, Volaris, and Interjet do not fly Villahermosa to Merida nonstop (and you certainly don't want to go through Mexico City), but AeroMexico does in fact fly that route nonstop once a day, which is great for you. A little pricey, but it gives you great flexibility.

Yes, your routing sounds very reasonable. (And it negates the problem of having limited days of availablity of flights from Cancun to Villahermosa or Tuxtal G., if you flew into Cancun and did your itinerary from Cancun to ending in Mexico City.) You will have a lot of flexibility with your routing and timing of when you want to go from place to place.

I believe you can take an ADO minibus (van) from Palenque town direct to the Villahermosa airport. I was able to take a van from Villahermosa airport direct to Palenque, instead of having to deal w/getting into Villahermosa city and then getting bus to Palenque. So you should be able to do the opposit of what I did, and go from Palenque direct to Villhermosa airport.

This will be an excellent trip.

Do you need hotel recommendations for Mexico City, Merida, San Cristobal, and Palenque?

and P.S. WE WANT A TRIP REPORT WHEN YOU GET BACK!!! Please.

There's a morning ADO bus that goes directly from Palenque to Merida. Pretty long bus ride. But, probably not that much longer than taking a bus to Villahermosa, clearing security and checking in, waiting for the flight, landing, claiming luggage etc.

Merida is only 1.5 hours or so from Chichen Itza--my inclination would be to stay in Merida and explore the ruins as a day trip.

Thanks emd3. I do plan on using the AeroMexico flight. Suggestions on hotels would be most appreciated - I normally stay at 4-star hotels but enjoy boutique properties as well. And most definitely on the trip report. Thanks again.

Look at the Boutique Hotel Quinta Chanabnal in Palenque--amazing place. Just gorgeous.

RAC, that hotel looks phenomenal! It is near the archeological site. TQ1, fyi, there are hotels nearer the site, sourrounded by jungle and within a km or 2 like the one RAC suggests, and there are hotels in Planeque town (about a 10 min. van ride down a straight rd. to the site). We stayed in town, and although there are some good places in the Canada area (nicely lush and green overgrowth in that area) of Palenque town, Palenque town for the most part is kind of pit. And there is not anything I would call "boutique hotel" or 4 star in the town.

I tend to do more budget travel when I travel alone in MX, which is the case on most of my trips. While researching Merida, and while staying there in the centro historico a few wks ago, I did take a look at "Luz en Yucatan." While it is relatively low in price for U.S. standards, remember that Merida is very inexpensive generally relative to other tourist destinations in MX. Luz en Yucatan calls itself boutique, and weighs in at about $100 a day for the large penthoue apartment that is very nice. The hotel is generally very nice. But it may not have as much service as you would want from a typical 4 star hotel.

http://www.luzenyucatan.com/

I think the nicer hotels than that (like the hotel Roses and Chocolate, which I was in bc I got some spa services there) are in the PAseo Montejo area, which is about a 20 min. walk from the Centro Historico. Paseo Montejo is a wide boulevard that is often called Merida's Champs Elysee, and is lined w/cool old historic mansions from the henequen/sisal era when Merida was a very wealthy city. Great for strolling, and if you go for an upscale hotel in Paseo Montejo, you can easily walk straight down to the Centro Historico or have a short cab ride. Roses and Chocolate is a real boutique hotel.

Check out the other 4 star hotes on Paseo Montejo Ave. I went into one for lunch, it was next to the Casa de Artesinia on Paseo Montejo, and it looked very impressive (lunch was great too).

http://www.rosasandxocolate.com/index.htm#Home

Mexico City has a plethora of 4 star hotels and boutiques. It depends on what area you want to be in. I like the Centro Historico for hotels, some like the Condessa or Roma, some like Polanco and area around Chapultepec park. The subway is so good and cabs are plentiful. It depends on whether you want to stroll around the neighborhood around your hotel and be able to go to bars and hotels by the hotel, or whether you want to be close to the vast majority of the historical sites and have easy access to them. Take a look at the neighborhoods above and see what appeals to you, then we can help w/hotels in that area.

San Cristobal - I have only researched good budget-type hotels, but I did see Hotel Bo while I researched, and it looked very impressive on the high end, and gets good reviews. It's remodeled old comonial style hotel, but very fresh and new, contemporary vibeI planned to check it out during my trip to San Cristobal in Oct. 2012, but since I had to cancel that trip, maybe you can do so and tell us about it. Restaurant gets good reviews also.

Click the little half icon for English on home page.

http://www.hotelbo.mx/index.html

The other high end boutique hotel in SAn Cristobal is the Casa de Alma Boutique and Spa. Definitely 4 star and people swoon over it, including some freinds of mine who were there a month ago, and the restaurant also. Much warmer atmosphere than Hotel Bo. All suites, runs about $140 to $300 a night depending on how great the suite is. If I was taking my husband to San Cristobal, this is where I'd stay w/him.
Ooolala, can we go NOW?

http://www.casadelalma.mx/

TQ1: If you or your companion enjoy good coffee, plan to bring back several pounds of different labels from Chiapas. Chiapas produces wonderful coffees. And as long as it is not opened, U.S customs does not care about it. I have gone to U.S Customs several times and disclosed that I have coffee and they just wave me through, so I don't even disclose it anymore.

I have brought back Chiapas coffee from Palenque in Chiapas, and many times from Quintanta Roo (I can get really good Chiapas coffee from a store in Playa del Carmen). IMO, it rivals some of the coffees from Hawaii, Costa Rica, and other great coffee producing areas of the world. In fact, for day to day Joe, Chiapas coffee is my favorite.

Thanks for all the suggestions, emd3. I will take a look at them over the weekend. I'll be sure to grab some coffee too.

I agree with the suggestion of doing Chichen Itza as a side trip from Merida. You can take an early Ado bus from Merida and be dropped at the CI gate prior to opening.
As said, once the tour buses and vendors arrive the place truly losses it's charm. You could get there early, see the ruins, go to one of the nearby hotels for lunch then leave. You could also take a swim there or go to a local cenote for a swim and head back to Merida late day.
In my mind, this availes you the oppurtunity to have extra time in Merida.