Guanajuato City, Mexico: travel guide
Colourful colonial city built in a ravine, with tunnels and alleys
A fairy-tale UNESCO colonial city built in a ravine, famous for its colorful alleyways, the Alley of the Kiss, the Mummy Museum, and the annual Cervantino festival.
About Guanajuato City
Guanajuato is a colonial silver-mining city packed into a steep ravine in the central highlands, with colourful houses climbing the hillsides and streets that run underground through old mining tunnels. It is one of the most photogenic cities in Mexico.
The Jardín de la Unión is the social heart of town, with the Teatro Juárez close by. Wander the narrow alleys, including the famous Callejón del Beso, ride up to the Monumento al Pípila for a sweeping view, and visit the university and the Mummy Museum. In the evenings, student musicians lead callejoneada singing walks, and the Cervantino festival fills the city each autumn.
Guanajuato suits culture lovers and walkers who do not mind hills. The climate is mild, and the dry months from October to May are the most pleasant.
- Country
- Mexico
- Currency
- MXN
- Time zone
- America/Mexico_City
- Nearest airport
- BJX
Last updated
Top places to visit in Guanajuato City
Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato
Museum · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h · entry $85 (≈ ₹440)
111 naturally mummified bodies exhumed 1865–1958 — the world's largest collection of natural human mummies. Fascinating and slightly macabre.
Callejón del Beso
Cultural · 4.7 rating · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
A 68cm-wide alley where lovers could kiss from opposite balconies — steeped in a tragic forbidden-love legend.
Teatro Juárez
Heritage · about 0.8 h · entry $45 (≈ ₹230)
Porfirian neoclassical theatre (1903) with a lavish Moorish interior on the Jardín de la Unión.
Monumento al Pípila
Viewpoint · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Hilltop statue of the independence hero, reached by funicular, with the city's best panorama.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato
Church · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Yellow Baroque basilica housing a jewelled wooden Virgin gifted by Charles I of Spain.
Universidad de Guanajuato
Heritage · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Iconic green-and-white building with a monumental stepped staircase, symbol of the city.
Museo Alhóndiga de Granaditas
Museum · about 1.3 h · entry $70 (≈ ₹360)
Fortress-granary and key 1810 independence battle site, now a regional history museum.
Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss)
Cultural · about 0.3 h · check the fee at the gate
The legendary narrow alley where balconies almost touch — a romance-legend landmark.
Callejoneada Start — Plaza de San Roque
Cultural · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Atmospheric plaza where estudiantina troubadours begin the nightly callejoneada.
Museo Casa Diego Rivera
Museum · about 0.8 h · entry $35 (≈ ₹180)
Birthplace of Diego Rivera, now a museum of his early works and period rooms.
Jardín de la Unión
Cultural · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Triangular tree-shaded plaza, the social heart of Guanajuato ringed by cafés.
Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera
Heritage · about 1.3 h · entry $40 (≈ ₹210)
18th-c. silver hacienda with themed European gardens on the city's edge.
Things to do
- Guanajuato Night Walking Tour Cultural · 2.5 h · from MXN 350 per person
- Callejoneada Musical Alley Walk Tour · 2 h · from MXN 180 per person
- Guanajuato Historic Centre Walking Tour Tour · 3 h · from MXN 350 per person
- Mummy Museum & Silver Mine Tour Tour · 3.5 h · from MXN 450 per person
- Cristo Rey & Dolores Hidalgo Day Trip Day Trip · 6 h · from MXN 750 per person
Where to stay in Guanajuato City
Hotels
- Hotel Villa María Cristina 5-star · MXN 3,200 to MXN 5,800 per night
- Hotel Edelmira 3-star · MXN 1,800 to MXN 3,500 per night
- Hotel Boutique 1850 4-star · MXN 2,200 to MXN 3,600 per night
- Hostel Casa del Tío 2-star · MXN 280 to MXN 850 per night
- Hostería del Frayle 3-star · MXN 1,200 to MXN 2,000 per night
Where to eat
- Mesón de los Poetas mexican, regional · about MXN 350 per person
- Los Campos Contemporary, Mexican · about MXN 450 per person
- Casa Valadez Mexican, International · about MXN 400 per person
- Truco 7 Mexican, Cafe · about MXN 150 per person
- Las Mercedes Mexican, Guanajuatense · about MXN 700 per person
- Santo Café Cafe, Breakfast · about MXN 140 per person
- Mestizo Contemporary, Mexican · about MXN 500 per person
- Café Tal Cafe · about MXN 90 per person
Getting to Guanajuato City
Airport: Guanajuato City (Bajío) (BJX)
Getting around
- Taxi
- Walking