Your expert guide to what to see in Guanajuato
Guanajuato, the capital city of Guanajuato state is a wonderful place to visit as long as you have fully taken on board just how hilly it can be. The historic city center, located as it is, at the bottom of a ravine is flat but the rest of the city is built up the ravine walls making it incredibly beautiful but also tricky if you don’t have strong legs!
In this article we’ll take a look at the best things to do and see in Guanajuato & the best day trips to take as well as considering the best places to stay in the city.
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How to get to Guanajuato
✈️ The closest airport is the Guanajuato airport, located near the city of Leon (a 40 minute drive). Querétaro airport is 2.5 hours away.
→ Check your flight options now
🚗 The roads into Guanajuato are good. Once you’re in the city that you will want to park in your hotel grounds and walk around though. It’s not a city for driving (If you’re planning day trips then a car is an excellent idea).
→ Check rental car options now
🚌 There is good long-distance bus provision in Mexico generally and getting to/from Guanajuato is no different (It’s a 5 hr bus ride from Mexico City, in case you’re wondering).
→ Check bus timetables on Busbud
Getting around Guanajuato
In town you’ll be doing a lot of walking. There is also a tour bus that leaves from Plaza de la Paz that is popular with visitors. Taxis serve the city but the historic centre is very walkable.
👣 There are plenty of tour guides just waiting to help you explore their beautiful city and the surrounding region. I use GetYourGuide and Viator to book my own tours.
Where to stay in Guanajuato
If you’re going to visit during the Festival Cervantino or around Día de los Muertos, be sure to book your accommodation well in advance.
🪜 Before you figure out where to stay you need to know that Guanajuato is one of the steepest places I’ve ever visited. If you don’t enjoy steps and hill walking, book somewhere down in the historic center. If you love views and getting a good work out, go nuts and book at the top of the ravine, the views are amazing.
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended Centro hotel: Hotel Posada Santa Fé – this well priced 4⭐️ hotel is perfectly located 200m from Plaza La Paz (which means no hills). Staying here means staying in a beautifully restored traditional Mexican building while enjoying extremely comfortable surroundings including a gorgeous roof top terrace.
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: San Bernabé Tres – a gorgeous small boutique hotel situated just outside the central downtown area. People describe staying here as ‘coming home’.
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended hotel: Maria Cristina Hotel – Just 15 minutes walk outside of town is this luxurious hotel with 2 pools and a sauna. It’s a perfect escape for anyone who likes to relax in nature after a hard day’s sightseeing.
🗺 And if these aren’t what you’re looking for, you can use my interactive hotel finder to choose something more to your liking.
Brief history of Guanajuato
🐸 Because, when you explore any colonial city in Mexico, gorgeous as it is, always remember why it’s there and consider who & what came first. This Hispanic city was founded specifically to steal resources and essentially meant enslaving the local population and shoving them down the mines.
Guanajuato is a city of acute historical importance in Mexico. The modern city of Guanajuato was founded in 1559 by the conquering Spaniards. They had no interest in creating a sensible, liveable city, they just wanted access to the incredibly rich, recently discovered, mines in the region. So basically, the Spanish built a bunch of houses on the side of the mountains, next to the river with nary a thought for future generations. And, of course, they built over any pre-hispanic settlements there may have been.
🐸 While the pre-Guanajuato settlement was no pre-Mérida T’ho, it certainly wasn’t an uninhabited area. The original people referred to the region as Kuanasi-Uato, ‘Place of Frogs’ because there were apparently rocks in the shape of frogs. The name got distorted by the Spanish and became Guanajuato.
Let’s move forward a few hundred years now to the early 19th century. The Mexican War of Independence began in 1810 with the Grito de Independencia (Cry for Independence) in the town of Dolores Hidalgo, not far from Guanajuato. Guanajuato itself was the site of the first victory for the Mexican rebels against the Spanish, also in 1810. The then newly built Alhóndiga (granary) was converted into a fortress by 300 Spanish and loyalist troops when Miguel Hidalgo led 20,000 rebels through the streets of Guanajuato. According to legend, a local guy, Juan José de los Reyes Martinez Amaro, popularly known as Pípila, put a stone slab on his back to protect himself from Spanish arrows and hot oil and approached the Alhóndiga and kicked the door down, allowing the rebels to enter and kill all the Spanish within.
What to see and do in Guanajuato
⭐️ Guanajuato City is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the nearby silver mines.
According to the UNESCO website, the city’s “past can be seen in its ‘subterranean streets’ and the ‘Boca del Inferno’, a mineshaft that plunges a breathtaking 600 m. The town’s fine Baroque and neoclassical buildings, resulting from the prosperity of the mines, have influenced buildings throughout central Mexico. The churches of La Compañía and La Valenciana are considered to be among the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Central and South America. Guanajuato was also witness to events which changed the history of the country.”
A note on festivals in Guanajuato
🎭 Festival Internacional Cervantino – This is one of the most significant cultural events in all of Latin America and people flock to the city from around the world to be a part of it every October. If you’re lucky enough to be in Guanajuato for this festival you’ll see the city fill with music, theater and dance performances. (🚽 for an awesome story about how Don Quijote helped install toilets in Guanajuato, check out my article about the best time of year to visit Guanajuato)
☠️ Día de los Muertos – Right on the tail of the Cervantino Festival comes Day of the Dead, Mexico’s most popular festival. The official dates are 31 October – 2 November but you can be sure that there will be at least a week’s worth of celebrating in the streets in the lead up to the celebration.
🎥 Festival Internacional de Cine (the Guanajuato International Film Festival – also known as GIFF). Young Latin American film makers get to show their wares at this world renowned film festival every July.
📚 Read the MexicoCassie article on how to figure out the best time of year to visit Guanajuato
Stroll around Guanajuato
Enjoy strolling through the narrow streets of this beautiful, old colonial city. There are thought to be well over 3,000 alleys!
Take a walking tour
👣 If you have the time and energy, a walking tour is always a good way to get to grips with a city. There are plenty of great options in Guanajuato. We, for example, did a foodie walking tour, which took us everywhere in the city, showed us all the main sites AND fed us to bursting point .
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour: Mummies, Mines and Tunnels – I love this 4 hour walking tour that takes you around the main sites of the city but note it’s only available in Spanish.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour in English: Private Guide – with a private 2hr guided visit you’ll be able to explore everything in English.
Or explore alone
Begin on Plaza de la Paz. If you’re interested in churches then take a moment to admire the famous 17th century church, the Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato. Apparently there is an 8th century statue of Mary inside this 17th century church.
Next, walk down Luís Gonzales Obragón and take a left onto Del Truco, reputedly the prettiest road in all of Guanajuato. You’ll want to get yourself back onto Luís Gonzales Obragón though as this road will take you to the Jardín de la Unión, the Teatro Juarez and plenty of interesting shops.
Don’t miss Calle de Sopena (fun to explore for shops and cafes).
Focus on the Callejoneadas of Guanajuato
The callejoneadas are a local tradition of musicians who act as guides and take groups through the city at night, singing traditional Mexican songs, joking and telling stories. The performers are called “estudiantinas” and they take their groups to the most famous places in the city as they perform. They are often dressed in regional clothing (photo above).
In the 19th century when Guanajuato was an important mining city the university students would perform in musical groups at celebrations of the mine workers.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour: Callejoneada tour – you simply can’t come to Guanajuato and not join a Callejoneada tour as this is one of the most popular things to do. Join a musical group and roam the alleys of the city while your guide sings and tells popular local stories.
🎭 If you don’t want to pay to follow a callejoneada you could always hang around outside Teatro Juarez after dark as there is always something going on here. You’ll find people singing, doing comedy shows, getting crowds together. Just sit on the steps and wait!
It would be impossible to explore Guanajuato without checking out the Calles Subterreneas – a nod to Guanajuato’s mining past remains in these roads that run under the city. While the underground tunnels themselves aren’t super interesting, I absolutely love the arches and entrances to them.
Plaza Allende – if you feel like a walk, this plaza is an easy walk from the main central area and the enormous statue of Don Quixote, in my opinion is worth seeing.
Plaza Baratillo – this is my favourite plaza in all of Guanajuato and not just for the incredible tamales we found here. The plaza is a delight, with a fountain in the middle, narrow streets heading off it and great restaurants to be found.
Don’t miss in Guanajuato
Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss)
This is one of the most famous tourist points in all of Guanajuato. It is the narrowest spot between two houses in Guanajuato (168cm at the base). People like to come here to be photographed kissing on the step between the two houses.
Focus on the Callejón del Beso
There’s a legend about a boy and a girl (yawn) falling in love, being banned from loving each other (‘cos that always works) and finding a way to kiss across the alleyway.
The dad locked his daughter in her room preferring to marry her off to some old and rich Spaniard rather than let her follow her heart. Her love interest rented/bought the house opposite so they could kiss across the almost touching balconies
Of course, the patriarchy won out and the girl’s dad found out (double yawn) and shot them dead /stabbed her/the boy threw himself out the window.
Anyhoo, that’s the story (more or less verbatim 😉).
It’s a pretty spot, for sure. I absolutely am glad I saw it. I’m also glad I got to take a silly photo with my friends in the absence of a lover.
Do note that the lines to take your photo here can stretch down the road during high season.
El Pipila Monument (Monumento al Pípila)
You may recall Pípila, the guy I mentioned earlier. He is a bit of a local legend and as such, there is an extremely large monument to him overlooking the city. You can either walk up many, many steps to get to the monument, or you can take the funicular. I opted to walk up and I’m thrilled that I did as the views over the city as you get higher and higher, are just spectacular and there are some awesome murals commemorating the city’s history along the way.
Even if you don’t climb and choose to take the funicular you won’t miss out on spectacular views as the view from the mirador over the colorful buildings and colonial architecture of Guanajuato is great. It’s the best way to really see the whole city.
📌 Don’t forget to read the inscription at the base of the iconic monument: “Aún hay otras Alhóndigas por incendiar”. Pípila is a hero because he set fire to the Alhóndiga, allowing the rebels to win the first battle of the War of Independence. The inscription translates as “there remain other Alhóndigas to burn down”. Damn right there are. Lest we forget.
Universidad de Guanajuato
The University of Guanajuato is famously beautiful and people love to hang out on the steps and take more Guanajuato Instagram shots. Note that the presence of this university in Guanajuato does mean that there is a large student population, which in my opinion is a great thing as it means a lively atmosphere.
Museums in Guanajuato
There are some truly excellent museums in Guanajuato to check out.
Mummy Museum, Guanajuato (Museo de las Momias)
Guanajuato’s Mummy Museum is incredibly famous and actually was nominated as a contender for ‘best museum in Mexico’ for an article I wrote about Mexican museums.
This is a museum full of preserved bodies. Surprisingly there’s very little in the way of explanation but the mummies are actually not very old. The oldest was dug up in 1865 and some even are from the 1960s. It’s super weird to see mummies wearing boxers and modern stripy socks, that’s for sure, especially for me with my degree in Egyptology. The bodies were kept in airtight crypts and as such, mummified very fast. Once their families stopped paying for their space they were disinterred and discovered to have mummified.
I will say that an effort has been made to not just have a weird and macabre room full of bodies. The display is sensitively curated, visitors are reminded not to take the experience lightly and there are interesting quotes around the museum that are designed to make people think.
Open: Mon – Thurs 9 am – 6 pm and Fri- Sun 9 am – 6.30 pm
Museo de la Alhondiga de Granaditas
This museum was originally a granary. A year after its completion in 1809, this incredible building became a landmark of the War of Independence.
If you look up when walking around the building, you’ll see the names of the leaders of the revolution high up on top. I learned that the names are there to commemorate those who were killed and executed (yes, both). Their heads were hung from the building as a warning to others.
Inside is a fascinating mix of history and murals that was one of my favourite experiences in Guanajuato.
Open: Tues – Sat 10 am – 5.30 pm and Sun 10 am – 2-30 pm
Teatro Juárez
Teatro Juárez is apparently the second most beautiful building in Mexico after the Palacio de Bellas Artes in CDMX. This 19th-century building is truly magnificent. It was built by Antonio Rivas Mercado and was completed in 1897. It was inaugurated by Porfirio Dias in 1903. From the columned facade to the stained glass window bar to the intricate red and gold theatre, everything will have you exclaiming in wonder.
Open: Tues – Sun 10 am – 1.45 pm and 5 pm – 7.45 pm
Museo Casa Diego Rivera
I was so very excited to learn that Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato. I was a bit surprised to see so little of his work actually in the city. This is apparently because he was considered a persona non grata for many years due to his communist sympathies.
The ground floor is a recreation of the house as it would have been when he was a small child. The rest of the museum is a gallery of Rivera’s works and some sketches of larger works that are in CDMX.
Well worth a poke around if you’re at all interested in Diego Rivera.
Open: Tues – Sun 10 am – 7 pm
Museo Iconográfico del Quijote – This museum is essentially two floors of art inspired by Don Quixote.
Open: Tues – Sun 9.30 am – 7 pm
Museo Palacio de los Poderes – This small museum was once the seat of political power for the state of Guanajuato.
Open: Thurs – Sat 9 am – 5 pm and Sun 9.30 am – 4 pm
Museo de Sitio Ex Convento Dieguino – This is just a room or two below the Iglesia de San Diego San Diego. I didn’t go in but I did search it out as I had read somewhere that it was possible to look down through the glass roof and check out the remaining frescoes that way. So that’s what I did. Saved me a bit of time!
Where and how to eat in Guanajuato
Well, honestly, a good reason to visit Guanajuato is the food. It’s a city to make your stomach happy.
I always say that walking tour is always a good idea in any city you visit but if you can, a tour that also includes learning about the city’s culinary scene is an even better option. You get to eat your way around the place while learning something about the history, customs and cuisine.
🌮 Focus on taking a street food tour in Guanajuato
My friends and I had an absolutely great time exploring with Mexico Street Food Tours (disclosure: my ticket was free but all my friends paid full price).
We were shown all around the city, which made it super easy to then explore on our own later on. The tour is brilliantly designed to take in all sorts of deliciousness interspersed with history, culture and walking.
The tour began with three breakfasts: in a traditional bakery, a gordita stand and a fresh juice stand. Then we were shown around the city, taking in the various plazas, learning about the history of the city. We walked through the tunnels, went up to check out the views from the Pípila Monument and then headed to the Callejon de Beso.
Interspersed with all the walking we ate: the best street tamales I’ve ever had in my life, tacos in the market and excellent ice cream in town.
Mercado Hidalgo
In this clean market, you’ll find many options for eating well and cheaply as well as stalls selling souvenirs and more. Next door is Mercado de Gavira, a food market with many restaurant stalls selling traditional foods.
Guanajuato restaurants
Guanajuato has no shortage of excellent restaurants. Restaurants come and go, these are the few I loved that are still there.
🍽 Casa Valadez – with seriously high ratings on Google, this place is as good as it claims to be but because it’s so centrally located, be warned that there may be lines out the door for a table. We went for brunch and everyone was very happy with their meal.
🍽 Casa del Rector – reservations here are an absolute must. Head here for stunning sunset views over the city from the rooftop bar. We, a group of nine, showed up without a reservation and were extremely lucky to be able to blag our way upstairs. The views are great here, the bar is absolutely beautiful and the drinks were very nice. Highly recommended.
🍽 Cafe Tal – if you adore great quality coffee then Cafe Tal has to be on your list of places to visit. I think, with no hyperbole, that the $8 peso cup of black coffee I bought here might be the best coffee I’ve ever had in my life. It was creamy and rich and just perfect. I’m still thinking about and wishing I’d had more.
🍽 Santo Cafe – if you’ve done any reading about Guanajuato at all or done any photo searching then you’ve probably seen photos of the cafe on the bridge across the road. That’s Santo Cafe. Be sure to reserve if you want to sit on the terrace overlooking the street as there are very few tables.
➕ Street snacking – if you see street sellers with flat trolleys covered in small green beans, they’re fresh chickpeas and I HIGHLY recommend getting a bag.
Day trips from Guanajuato
Central Mexico is a gorgeous place to explore if you have time and Guanajuato is a good place to use as a base for this. The best option is to rent a car and explore on your own but if you can’t, it is possible to do some exploring using buses or, better yet, with official tours.
→ Check car rental prices and options now
→ Check the bus timetables on Busbud
→ Use GetYourGuide & Viator to find day trips that appeal to you
San Miguel de Allende
One of Mexico’s most popular cities to visit is just a short drive from Guanajuato (1hr30 in a car). In San Miguel de Allende, explore the beautiful historic center, marvel at the cathedral and if you have time explore the Charco de Ingenio (the Botanical Gardens), my favourite thing to do in San Miguel.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended day trip: San Miguel de Allende and Dolores de Hidalgo – explore around the two cities plus Atotonilco on this fabulous full day private tour. See the main sights, visit musuems and lean about the Mexican War of Independence from your local guide.
Dolores de Hidalgo
Dolores de Hidalgo, Cuna de la Independencia is one of my favourite small towns in all of Mexico. Just 1 hour by car from Guanajuato, who wouldn’t want to visit the “Cradle of Mexican Independence”?
There is a lively historic center to explore here as well as the city’s other claim to fame: weird ice creams.
📚 Read more about visiting Dolores Hidalgo
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended day trip: San Miguel de Allende and Dolores de Hidalgo – explore around the two cities plus Atotonilco on this fabulous full day private tour. See the main sights, visit museums and lean about the Mexican War of Independence from your local guide.
Mineral de Pozos
It’s an extremely worthwhile two hour drive to the incredible town of Mineral de Pozos. Here you you can visit old mines, see the famous 400 year old hornos (smelting ovens), check out the lavender farm and enjoy relaxing on the small town plaza. This town, once a booming mining town is today something of a ghost town.
📚 Read more about visiting Mineral de Pozos
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended day trip: visit the mines & abandoned farms of Mineral de Pozos – this full day tour takes in 3 different mines (including one that isn’t open unless you’re on a tour).
Guanajuato Presa de la Olla
Some 20 minutes away from town is the Presa de la Olla, the city dam. It was constructed in the 18th century after people got really fed up with constant flooding in Guanajuato. Today, people like to visit the dam and its surrounding parks. The dam was created and the river that flowed through Guanajuato was diverted into pipes running under the city and out the other side.
Guanajuato Mines
As I mentioned above, Guanajuato is the city it is because of its mines. Silver was discovered in the area in 1548 and it drew the invading Spaniards in pdq.
It is possible to visit the mines around the city. I believe that Bocamina de San Ramón and Bocamina de San Cayetano are both open to visitors and can be reached by a bus from the corner of Alhóndiga and Calle 28 de Septiembre.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour: Private mines tour to 3 mines, San Gabriel de Barrera, Bocamina San Ramón & San Juan de Rayas
Horse riding through Guanajuato’s mountains
Ride gentle horses through the mountains near the town of Cubilete. Enjoy a traditional meal eaten outside and have your bilingual cowboy guides perform their traditional charro music as you ride.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour: Hose riding with live music & food
Visit the vineyards around Guanajuato
The lush vegetation in Estado de Guanajuato makes it a perfect region for viticulture. There are more than 500 vineyards here, some of which are major players on the world wine scene, producing not only some of the best wines in Latin America but in all the world!
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended tour: private wine tour – not only does this tour take you to two excellent vineyards for wine and cheese tastings but it also includes time in Atotonilco and Dolores Hidalgo, providing culture & history along with the booze!
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