1

Looks good to me, I would not back track =MC-Puebla-MC - Oaxaca......Try to be in Merida on a Sunday, main plaza with music,dancing,food and crafts booths....have fun

2

I agree, stay in Puebla overnight, the centro is very pleasant. If you like great scenery, sit on the right side on the trips between Mexico City and Puebla, and again between Puebla and Oaxaca.

If you have two extra days, I would add an overnight in Campeche, between Palenque and Merida; and consider another overnight stop in Valladolid (are you flying out of Merida or Cancun?)

3

I'd stay an extra night at least in Palenque and take a tour - to the waterfalls, or out to Bonampak/Yaxchilan, or just relax in the jungly atmosphere and revisit the ruins.

4

Why not just wait and see if something appeals to you and requires a second day? ... having a little wiggle room in your schedule makes sense... you could spend 50 years in Mexico City alone, and not see all the museums for example.

5

Given your interest in museums, be sure to visit downtown Puebla's excellent "Museo Amparo". You might also enjoy Caxcaxla's ruins, which have good views and Meso-America's best preserved murals.That's in Tlaxcala state but can be visited as day excursion from the nearby City of Puebla. Those murals were apparently painted by Mayan people who migrated to Central Mexico about a thousand years ago. If you wanted to do so, you could profitably spend 2 or 3 nights in Puebla, instead of just one.

When during the year will you make this trip? I personally would allocate my days differently in winter (Dec-March) than I would for summer trip. As lowland destinations, Palenque and Merida are very hot during most of the year.

"I am interested in history, museums, crafts and nature. Night life is of no importance." You could pursue your interests enjoyably for months without ever leaving the highland areas. So, if this is, by chance, going to be a summer trip, consider possibly spending all of you days up above 3,000 feet/1,000 meters elevation. That would mean dropping Palenque and Merida from the plan.

6

Without second guseeing your itinerary, I would modify it as follows:

Borrow two, maybe three, days from D.F. to allow another night in Puebla, at least one more night in Palenque and one more night in Mérida. Puebla and Mérida have a lot to see and do and another day in Palenque allows you to take the day-long tour to the remote ruins of Yaxchilan and Bonampak (plus it reduces the overly fast pace of the trip). If you can't take a day from D.F. then I'd recommend deleting Palenque altogether and saving it for another time.

7

Thanks a lot to everybody - great advice.
I think I shall spend at least one night in Puebla and add one night to Palenque and do all the things you kindly recommended.
I am travelling in March-April and it is very likely to be a once in a lifetime trip, so I think I have to make my peace with hot weather... I do not really want to miss Palenque and Merida.
CascadeBob, I am not sure I should reduce my days in D.F: it has so much to see. Why do you think I should drop couple of days there?

8

I only suggested dropping days in D.F. in order to add days elsewhere. I agree that there is much to do in D.F. and if you decide to stay the full 7 nights you won't be disappointed.

9

I second post #3! Try to get a tour to go to the Cascadas de Agua Azul. I didn't have the chance to go there during my trip in Chiapas but it's definitely on my 'places to go' list.