Things to Do in Guanajuato

Guanajuato is built in a narrow ravine in the Sierra Gorda highlands — which is why most traffic runs through tunnels carved from former silver mine shafts beneath the city. The colonial centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a tangle of coloured buildings, alleyways, plazas, and staircases that can only be navigated on foot. It is one of the most visually distinctive cities in Mexico.

Museums and landmarks

Sight	Entry Fee	Hours	Notes
Museo de las Momias	~MXN $100	Daily 9:00–18:00	~100 mummified bodies
Alhóndiga de Granaditas	~MXN $70	Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00	Independence museum, murals
Teatro Juárez	~MXN $50 (tour)	Tour times vary	Porfirian neoclassical exterior, Moorish interior
Casa Museo Diego Rivera	~MXN $40	Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00	Muralist’s birthplace
Museo Iconográfico del Quijote	~MXN $40	Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00	Don Quixote art from around the world
Basílica de Nuestra Señora	Free	Daily 7:00–20:00	17th-century, houses the city’s patron saint

All prices approximate, as of 2026.

Alhóndiga de Granaditas — built as a grain warehouse in 1809 and immediately pressed into service as a fortress during the War of Independence. On 28 September 1810, a miner named El Pípila strapped a stone slab to his back, crawled to the door under musket fire, and set it alight — a pivotal moment in Mexican independence. The building is now a regional museum with pre-Hispanic artefacts, mining history, and murals by José Chávez Morado covering the Independence War. Entry approximately MXN $70. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

Teatro Juárez — the 1903 theatre is one of the finest examples of Porfirian architecture in Mexico. The neoclassical exterior has bronze Muse statues on the roofline; the Moorish-revival interior has gilded columns, Arabian arches, and a painted ceiling. Tours available when no performance is scheduled (approximately MXN $50). It is the main venue for the Festival Cervantino each October.

Museo de las Momias — Guanajuato’s most famous and most unsettling attraction. Approximately 100 naturally mummified bodies, exhumed from the municipal cemetery in the 19th and 20th centuries when families could not pay burial taxes. The preservation results from the local mineral-rich soil and dry climate — the detail on the bodies is extraordinary and disturbing. Entry approximately MXN $100. Not appropriate for young children. Allow 45 minutes.

Casa Museo Diego Rivera (Positos 47) — the birthplace of the muralist, now a small museum with early works, family photographs, and period furniture. Entry approximately MXN $40. Allow 30 minutes.

Pípila viewpoint

The viewpoint above the city centre gives the best panorama of Guanajuato’s stacked coloured buildings filling the ravine. The statue of El Pípila (holding the torch he used to set the Alhóndiga door alight) stands at the summit. Reach it by funicular (approximately MXN $50 return, station near the Teatro Juárez) or a steep 15-minute walk up the stone staircases from the centre. Sunset is the best time — the buildings glow orange and pink.

The underground tunnels

The city’s road network runs mostly underground through converted mine shafts and flood channels. Buses and taxis use the subterranean tunnel system. Walking through the tunnels is possible (the pedestrian walkways along the edges are narrow but safe). The contrast of emerging from the underground tunnels into the bright plazas above is part of Guanajuato’s character.

Callejón del Beso

The “Alley of the Kiss” — 68 cm wide at its narrowest point, with opposing balconies nearly touching. Local legend says couples who kiss on the third step receive seven years of happiness. It is busy with tourists but the surrounding callejones (alleyways) are worth exploring regardless — Guanajuato has dozens of narrow passages winding between coloured buildings, most of them empty and atmospheric.

Valenciana silver mine (5 km north)

The Mina de Valencia operated from 1558 to the early 19th century and at its peak supplied approximately 40% of the world’s silver. Guided tours descend 45 metres underground in a cage elevator through the original mine shafts. Entry approximately MXN $80. The adjacent Iglesia de la Valenciana (18th century) is one of the finest churrigueresque churches in Mexico — the ornate gilt facade and interior were funded by the mine’s wealth. Free entry. Accessible by local bus (approximately MXN $10) or taxi (approximately MXN $60–80) from the centre.

Callejoneadas

Evening walking tours led by groups of student musicians (estudiantinas) dressed in Renaissance costumes, singing and playing through the city’s alleyways. The tradition comes from the Spanish tuna (student music groups). Tours typically start at the Jardín de la Unión around 8 pm, last 1.5–2 hours, and participants are given a wineskin to drink from as they walk. Approximately MXN $100–150 per person. Touristy but genuinely fun — the narrow callejones at night with music and candlelight are atmospheric.

Festival Internacional Cervantino (October)

One of the largest arts and cultural festivals in Latin America, running for 3 weeks each October. Theatre, music, dance, and film performances across the city’s theatres, plazas, and alleyways. Free outdoor performances complement the ticketed shows. The festival originated in performances of Cervantes’s entremeses (short plays) in the city’s narrow alleyways. During the Cervantino, accommodation books out months ahead — reserve early and expect prices to double.

Practical tips

• Navigation: Get a free map from the tourist office on Plaza de la Paz. The city is deliberately confusing — the fun is in getting slightly lost in the callejones.
• Altitude: At 2,000 m, temperatures are mild (18–25°C by day) but nights can be cool (5–10°C in winter). Bring layers.
• Walking: The city is entirely walkable but hilly — comfortable shoes with good grip for the cobblestones and staircases.
• No Uber: Taxis are metered and reasonably priced. There is no Uber service in Guanajuato.

More Guanajuato Guides

• Back to Guanajuato Guide
• Day Trips in Guanajuato
• Food to Try in Guanajuato

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See Also

• San Miguel de Allende Travel Guide — 1 hour east, the other Bajío colonial city most visitors combine with Guanajuato
• Pueblos Mágicos — Mexico’s heritage town network, of which Guanajuato and nearby Dolores Hidalgo are members
• San Miguel de Allende vs Guanajuato — which colonial Bajío city to choose
• Mexico Budget Costs — how Guanajuato compares with more tourist-heavy cities on price