Your expert guide to the best time to visit Guanajuato
A visit to the gorgeous city of Guanajuato is an absolute must for anyone who enjoys Mexico and wants to explore a thriving modern city with oodles of history and culture. Guanajuato is pretty great to visit all year around thanks to its fabulous spring-like climate but depending on a person’s needs and desires, of course there is always a *best* time to visit Guanajuato city.
The two questions you really need to answer before figuring out when is your best time to visit Guanajuato are as follows:
⭐️ Does the weather matter to you?
⭐️ Do you want to visit Guanajuato during its busy festival period or are you looking to visit when it’s peaceful and calm?
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This article will help you figure out your best time to visit Guanajuato.
Where is Guanajuato?
🧭 Guanajuato is the state capital of the Estado de Guanajuato in central Mexico.
✈️ The closest airport for Guanajuato is Leon, just a forty-minute drive away from Guanajuato (check airport transfer options).
🚌 It’s 4.5 hr bus ride or drive from Mexico City.
Where to stay in Guanajuato
If you’re going to visit during a festival, 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. When I visited with my gang of travel buddies, we booked an awesome house up at the top of the one of the ravines. This meant a lot of huffing and puffing our way up and down a lot of steps and hillsides at least twice a day (Yes, there are cabs. We know). Anyway, point is, 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.
Best time to visit Guanajuato: weather
Guanajuato has a delightfully mild climate all year long thanks to its altitude and location. GTO (the city name is often abbreviated thus) is located on the Mesa Central in central Mexico. The city spreads over steep hillsides at the junction of three ravines. It is just over 2,000 meters (6,725 feet) above sea level.
You’ll see below that the city’s average temperatures barely budge all year. We see a minimum temperature of around 7℃ (45℉) and an annual maximum temperature of around 30℃ (86℉), really a perfect all-year-long spring climate.
🌸 March – May. Generally dry and sunny (10 – 31℃ / 50 – 88℉ )
🔆🌦 June – August. Sunny but often afternoon rainstorms (14 – 30℃ / 58 – 86℉ ) – this is rainy season
🍂 September – November. Mostly dry and sunny (9 – 27℃ / 48 – 80℉ )
❄️ December – February. This is the coldest period. Crisp and dry (7 – 22℃ / 45 – 72℉)
High season is dry season
Peak season for Guanajuato runs pretty much six months of the year, from October to March thanks to the almost guaranteed dry, sunny days. These six months, therefore, are more expensive to visit than the other half of the year.
July is the wettest month in Guanajuato. The rains are rarely terrible in this semi-arid climate but if you prefer to avoid both the chance of rain and peak season, consider visiting either side of high season – shoulder season as it’s known (November and February).
Personally, I think that Guanajuato is a great place to visit and it really is the most beautiful city so my preference would be to visit when it’s quiet, probably towards the end of the winter months.
Best time to visit Guanajuato: festivals
Whether you want to embrace Guanajuato’s festivals or avoid them, it’s important to know when they are.
Handily, the two primary festivals fall in the month of October: Cervantino Festival and Día de los Muertos.
Top Tip: If you’re planning on visiting Guanajuato for either (or both) of these festivals you’ll need to be super organised, buying your festival tickets early and snaring accommodation before prices rise on the remaining hotels and apartments.
Cervantino Festival (El 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. If you’re lucky enough to be in Guanajuato for this festival you’ll see the city fill with music, theater and dance performances.
October 2025 will see the 53rd Cervantino Festival held in Guanajuato
Festival tickets go on sale in March
⭐️ Preparations for the festival begin in August so from then on, the city feels geared up for fun and excitement.
🚽 How did Cervantes, a Spanish writer impact Guanajuato’s sanitary systems?
Until the mid-1970s parts of Guanajuato didn’t have access to running water, a sewage system or even electricity. Families would come down the mountain and into town to collect water from the public water taps and then carry it back up to their houses. Toilets were just a room at the back of the house, there wasn’t even a hole in the ground for many. People would go to the bathroom on the floor and then some lucky family member would have to sweep up the waste and carry it into the hills for disposal.
All this changed thanks to Cervantes, the author of the famous Don Quixote.
Yes. You read that right. A book written in Spain in 1605 had a direct impact on the twentieth-century sanitation system.
So basically, Guanajuato is home to an incredibly beautiful and famous university. From 1953, Enrique Rueales had his students act out short plays by Cervantes during an event he called “Entremeses de Miguel de Cervantes”. This is how the Cervantino festival came about.
Over the years, the students’ plays grew in popularity, other acts started joining in and people starting visiting the city specifically to see the performances.
And then the city officials realised that they should probably do something about the lack of sewage, running water and electricity. They also started with the whole painting of the houses in bright and bold colours as a deliberate effort to attract more visitors.
So Guanajuato, apparently the world’s most colourful city, is colourful directly due to Cervantes and a university professor (oh yeah, and the sewage system got fixed).
Día de los Muertos
Right on the tail of the Cervantino Festival comes Day of the Dead, Mexico’s most popular festival.
Dates: 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.
☠️ What happens in Guanajuato for Día de los Muertos?
A lot of the excitement for visitors to Mexico over Día de los Muertos comes from wandering the streets and seeing ofrendas (altars) in shops, restaurants and on the streets. Do not miss the monumental altar built by the university students on the steps of the University of Guanajuato every year to commemorate academic figures from the university.
In Guanajuato you’ll also see tapetes de arena (sand paintings) – like the mandala, these represent impermanence. They are are made to honour and welcome spirits home.
Of course, don’t miss the Día de los Muertos evening parade and if you speak Spanish, join a callejoneada macabre for a nighttime tour of the city.
Other festivals in Guanajuato
🍦 Spring Break – not super important to Guanajuato but still, a great alternative to joining the hoards on the beaches.
Dates: Spring Break is in March/April
🐰 Easter celebrations/Semana Santa – Easter Sunday is 20 April 2025. Semana Santa is the week leading up to Easter Sunday. During this week there may be some businesses closed and some religious celebrations visible but life pretty much carries on as normal for most people. Schools are closed so many Mexican families head to the beach.
🎥 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.
Dates: July 2025
📣 Día de la Independencia – Hear the Grito de Dolores. There are parades and ceremonies in every city in Mexico but given Guanajuato’s links to the start of the War of Independence, this is one of the most interesting places to hear the Cry of Dolores.
The first ever cry was actually a call to arms by the priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. He rang his church bell and cried out, “¡Viva Mexico!” thus triggering the Mexican War of Independence. Every year in every town this cry is re-enacted from the Palacio de Gobierno (or the Palacio Nacional in CDMX). The names of those who fell during the war are called out and the speech ends with “Viva Mexico!” called three times and the National Anthem. It’s really a very special event to witness.
Date: Hear the cry on the evening of the September 15 and see parades on September 16
⭐️ So hopefully now you’ve figured out the best time to visit Guanajuato. Basically this boils down to whether you’re up for festivals and crowds as part of your Guanajuato experience.
What to do in Guanajuato
OK, you’ve decided when to visit Guanajuato based on the weather and the festivals you’re either excited for or actively avoiding, so what are the best things to do in Guanajuato, the things you can’t miss out on? Well, this is what we’ll be chatting about next.
Did you know that Guanajuato is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Modern Guanajuato was founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, and in the 18th century, became the world’s leading silver-extraction centre. This past can be seen in its subterranean streets and the ‘Boca del Inferno’, a mineshaft that plunges a breathtaking 600 m.
Best things to do & see in Guanajuato
👣 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.
🚌 And if you don’t want to walk, there’s always the sightseeing bus that leaves from Plaza de la Paz.
⭐️ 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.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended evening tour: Callejoneada tour – you can’t come to Guanajuato and not join a Callejoneada tour as this is one of the most popular things to do here. Join a musical group and roam the alleys of the city while your guide sings and tells popular local stories.
Individual sites you can’t miss
These are dealt with in more detail in my ‘what to do in Guanajuato’ article so here I’ll share just a brief rundown of the main sites.
🩹 Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum)
This is a museum full of preserved bodies from the last few centuries. The oldest was dug up in 1865 and some even are from the 1960s. For such an odd concept I can assure you that while this a little weird, it’s not distastefully done at all.
⭐️ Monumental al Pípila
This is a statue of a hero from the War of Independence that sits above the city. You can walk up, drive up or take the funicular. The views over the city are magnificent (photo higher up).
Don’t forget to read the inscription at the base of the iconic monument: “Aún hay otras Alhóndigas por incendiar” The inscription translates as “there remain other Alhóndigas to burn down”. Damn right there are. Lest we forget.
💋 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.
🎭 Teatro de Juaréz and the callejoneadas (street performers)
This 19th-century building is truly magnificent. It was built by Antonio Rivas Mercado and was completed in 1897 & 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 (and right next door is the famous Iglesia de San Diego).
🎓 University – 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.
🛍 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.
🎨 Museo Casa Diego Rivera – Diego Rivera was born ini Guanajuato and his family home has been turned into a museum of his life and work.
There is much more to do & see in Guanajuato than mentioned here – do check out my full guide to the city for a fuller rundown.
Day trips from Guanajuato City
Guanajuato is a great city in which to base yourself if you want to explore around of Central Mexico.
It’s possible to take day trips under your own steam if you rent a car or are willing to use public transport or you can take tours. All 3 are possible.
→ Check bus timetables on Busbud
→ I use GetYourGuide & Viator to find the tours I want when I’m travelling.
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.
➡️ Consider this excellent day tour to San Miguel de Allende and Dolores de Hidalgo
Dolores Hidalgo
Dolores 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
➡️ Consider this excellent day tour to San Miguel de Allende and Dolores de Hidalgo
Mineral de Pozos
A two hour drive to the incredible town of Mineral de Pozos where you can visit old mines that will blow you away. Don’t miss this.
📚 Read more about visiting Mineral de Pozos
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
More Mexico adventures
🏔 Copper Canyon series
How to book your trip through the Copper Canyon
How to make the most of a trip to the Copper Canyon Adventure Park
Visiting Bahuichivo & Ceroachui
🚗 Mexico road trip ideas
An epic southern Mexico road trip through Campeche, Tabasco & Chiapas
Lesser known Yucatán adventures – 10 days
Yucatán road trip – 2 weeks
🥾 Mexico adventures – other
Everything you need to know about seeing the monarch butterflies in Mexico
Exploring the Pueblos Mancomunados from Oaxaca
Getting deep into Queretaro’s magical Sierra Gorda region
Wine tasting in Baja California
Visiting the ghost town of Mineral de Pozos (Guanajuato)
8 Comments
Lisa · 07/02/2020 at 9:39 pm
Wow such an amazing city. I love the small streets with stairs and street art. And totally agree the mummy museum looks fascinating but weird!
Viktoria · 10/02/2020 at 12:13 am
Sign me up for that food tour! Honestly, Mexico is such a great place to travel. I’ve been there more than ten times myself and I absolutely loveeeee it! Thanks for putting Guanajuato on my map!
Cassie · 10/02/2020 at 8:09 am
Definitely recommend it.
Cassie · 02/03/2020 at 8:21 am
Hope you get there soonest. It’s so wonderful.
John · 08/10/2020 at 11:23 pm
Amazing article, Cassie! My brother is going to join us in a few weeks there and I will forward this to him for sure. I’d like to add there are a few great Facebook Groups serving the Guanajuato visitor / expat community. The first is geared for those visiting or living in Guanajuato, the other group is a constantly updated list of activities and events in Guanajuato – art, music, dance, food… everything.
expat community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gtomx/
events and activities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1587748181247376/
John · 08/10/2020 at 11:27 pm
Great article, Cassie! My brother is joining us down there in a bit and I’ll forward this to him for sure. I’d like to add there are a few great Facebook Groups serving the Guanajuato expat community. The first is geared for those visiting or living in Guanajuato, the other group is a constantly updated list of activities and events in Guanajuato – art, music, dance, food… everything.
expat community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/gtomx/
events and activities: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1587748181247376/
Cassie · 10/10/2020 at 9:38 am
Thanks for commenting and sharing the group info. Hope you have a great time with your brother in town.
Will · 08/06/2021 at 4:54 pm
Thorough article, Ms Cassie. We were there for the month of Feb 3 years ago and did a bunch of these things. Additionally, we took buses to surrounding towns of interest 1-2 hours away and came home the same day. Fair Spanish is not necessary UNLESS YOU REALLY NEED SOMETHING. Fortunately, we never did and got by on my very minimal Spanish, but there is not a lot of English like there probably is in Baja. Dunno, never been there,.