We took this trip in September 2010. Five of us traveled together from Los Angeles for 7 nights/8 days in Central Mexico. The total cost per person was about $350 + meals. We could eat quite well for about $10-15pp including a margarita at each meal.
Day 1: arrived in Mexico City & checked into a 3-bedroom apartment($125) found on VRBO.com in an area 10 minutes north of Zocalo. Walked around downtown checking out the major sites and murals.
Day 2: Anthropology Museum and a couple of other museums in the same area. Explored Condesa area. Used city buses.
Day 3: Took the metro to Cayoacan & San Angel areas to trace the footsteps of Diego Rivera and Frida Khalo.
Day 4: 3-hour bus ride to Queretaro. Stayed at a 2-bedroom suite at a hotel 10 minutes outside of downtown. Walked around.
Day 5: 30-minute bus ride to San Miguel de Allende. Stayed at a 2-bedroom suite in a hotel right next to the main square. Explored the town on foot.
Day 6: 1.5-hour bus ride to Guanajuato. Stayed at a three bedroom house on top of the hills. Walked around town.
Day 7: 3-hour bus ride to Guadalajara. Checked into a hotel in downtown. Cab to Tlaquepaque area for arts & crafts shopping and dining. Walked around downtown.
Day 8: flew back to LAX.
Small Wide World 