Guanajuato Mexico Travel
Your Ultimate Guide to Guanajuato Mexico
Guanajuato mexico GUIDE CONTENTS
Location | Getting There | Where to Stay | Things to Do | Tours | Safety Tips | FAQ
Guanajuato Mexico: At a Glance
Beauty and culture abounds in Guanajuato, one of the most unique states in Mexico.
Though not as well known as some other Mexico travel destinations, those in the know flock to Guanajuato state to escape the crowds, stroll the colorful colonial streets in two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and drink wine at the small production vineyards.
Guanajuato Mexico: Know before you go
- ✈️ Airport: Guanajuato International Airport (code: BJX)
⏰ Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (GMT-5)
- 💰 Currency: Mexican Peso
- 🗣 Language: Spanish, though English is common, and you may even hear some indigenous languages
- 🎫 Mexico Visa: The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa for Mexico — this includes Americans, Canadians, Japanese and most Europeans. Head here to see if you need a Mexico travel visa.
- 🔌 Electricity Socket: You’ll mostly find Type A (two-prong) and Type B (three-prong) — the same as used in the United States. For visitors from other countries, you’ll need this universal travel adaptor.
- 📲 Mexico SIM Card: Wondering, Do I need a SIM card for Mexico? The answer is yes, every traveler will want a one for the reasons explained in this article all about the best Mexico SIM cards.
- 🚙 Car Rentals: The Mexico rental car process can be a bit daunting, and many people are apprehensive to drive in a foreign country. I get it! Check out this guide to Renting a Car in Mexico for info on the process.
What’s the best time to visit Guanajuato Mexico?
Guanajuato and all Central Mexico has what is known as the Eternal Spring climate. This means you can expect mild springtime temperatures all year, and it’s never super hot or super cold.
The best time to visit Guanajuato Mexico is from October to March, during the dry season. The rainy season is from April to September, and it can rain quite a bit.
🎭 Guanajuato CERVANTINO Festival
The Festival Internacional Cervantino is a performing and visual arts festival that takes place in Guanajuato City during the first three weeks in October. Immediately following, there’s a lively celebration of Day of the Dead in Guanajuato.
🌺💀🌺 day of the Dead in Guanajuato
Día de los Muertos is one of Mexico’s most festive times and time-honored holidays.
Besides the lively Oaxaca City Día de Muertos celebration and Mexico City Day of the Dead parade, Guanajuato City and San Miguel de Allende both have festive celebrations worth experiencing. Day of the Dead takes place on November 1-2 each year.
Where is Guanajuato Mexico located?
Guanajuato state is located northwest of Mexico City. The most popular places in Guanajuato state are the capital, Guanajuato City, and San Miguel de Allende, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites and colorful colonial cities.
Besides these, there’s Dolores Hidalgo, Jalpa de Cánovas and Mineral de Pozos, three pueblos magicos (magical towns), and Cañada de la Virgen archeological site.
Guanajuato Map
What’s the best airport for Guanajuato Mexico?
Guanajuato International Airport, AKA Leon Del Bajío International Airport, is the best airport to use for Guanajuato Mexico travel. It is located in Silao, Guanajuato, about 30 minutes from Guanajuato City, and 1.5 hours from San Miguel de Allende in normal traffic.
↳BOOK NOW to reserve your Guanajuato City airport shuttle.
What’s the best way to get to San Miguel de Allende?
Though a bit far, Guanajuato Airport is the closest airport to San Miguel de Allende. The safest, most-stress free, easiest and best way to get from Guanajuato Airport to your hotel in San Miguel de Allende is via private shuttle. ↳BOOK NOW! You can also rent a car, take a bus, or Uber.
🚕💨 Heading from Guanajuato City to San Miguel de Allende? ↳BOOK NOW to reserve your private shuttle.
Best places to visit in Guanajuato Mexico
The vast majority of visitors stay in San Miguel de Allende (or, SMA for short). From here, you’re just 1-2 hours by rental car from Guanajuato City, Dolores Hidalgo and Santiago de Queretaro City, in neighboring Queretaro state.
Though the main Guanajuato airport is in the city of Silao, Guanajuato, very few visitors stay there.
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Popular with Mexico expats, this is considered the most beautiful city in Mexico. While that’s up for debate, you will feel like you’re walking around in a painting as you make your way through the cobblestone streets of SMA.
Is San Miguel de Allende worth visiting? This is a great destination for travelers seeking a slow pace. San Miguel is perfect for strolling the beautiful streets, people-watching in a cafe, sitting in the park, and having a nice dinner with good wine in the evenings.
Guanajuato City, Mexico
Guanajuato City is the capital of Guanajuato state. It’s been popular with national tourism for decades, but is on the international traveler radar thanks to social media and YouTube spotlighting this colorful city.
Is Guanajuato worth visiting? Absolutely! Guanajuato is a gorgeous place, even just to spend one day. Downtown is quaint and charming, yet colorful and lively — and a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Best things to do in Guanajuato Mexico
There is a seemingly endless amount of things to do in Guanajuato Mexico, one of the best places to visit in Mexico. The majority of them are in or near San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato City, the main tourism hubs, but for those who venture off the beaten path, there’s even more to Guanajuato.
Click on the links or any image below to learn more:
Best Guanajuato tours
Tours in Guanajuato are a great way to see the main cities and their surrounding areas — and unless you’re planning to rent a car in Guanajuato, this is the best way to get around because taxi fees add up quickly!
🚙💨 Note: If you do want to have a car in Guanajuato, make sure to check out this guide to Renting a Car in Mexico.
Below, you’ll find the most popular and best tours in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato City and the surrounding areas — including the Cañada de la Virgen archeological site, local wineries and vineyards and more.
Is Guanajuato safe for travelers?
According to experts, you are statistically quite safe while visiting Guanajuato if you stick to the popular places like San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato City, and the Guanajuato pueblos magicos (magic towns) of Dolores Hidalgo and Mineral de Pozos.
Millions of Americans go to Mexico on vacation every year, so if we play the numbers game, the number of incidents is very small… When I’m asked if Mexico is a safe place to go travel on vacation, my response is yes.
—Carlos Barron, FBI Veteran (source: Forbes)
That’s not to say bad things still don’t happen in those parts of Guanajuato; they do. As with traveling anywhere, follow general travel safety like not walking home alone at night, watching your alcohol consumption and staying aware of yourself and surroundings.
For an added safety measure, pack these travel safety items, dress in a way so your Mexico outfits blend in with the locals, and buy a Mexico SIM card.
What’s the best travel insurance for Mexico?
This is a question I get a lot as a Mexico travel writer and Mexico expat. To determine which Mexico travel insurance is best for you, consider factors like the policy’s total cost, your deductible, the coverage you need, your medical benefits, etc.
🏆 In general, I only ever recommend three companies to purchase Mexico travel insurance from:
- World Nomads — For general travelers and adventure travelers.
- SafetyWing — For general travelers and digital nomads in Mexico.
- Travel Insurance Master — Mexico travel insurance search tool, for those who want to compare policies.
- 👉 Click on any of the links above to get a FREE quote on your policy!
Guanajuato Mexico Travel: Frequently Asked Questions
Can you drink the water in Mexico?
No — Unfiltered Mexico tap water is not safe for human consumption. However, you will need to keep drinking water and to stay extra hydrated, as Mexico is quite close to the Equator. In fact, dehydration is one of the most common ways people get sick in Mexico.
So what can you do?
- If you’re renting a home with a kitchen, you can boil the water before drinking it.
- You can keep buying bottled water — Though this gets expensive, and is horrible for the planet!
- Use the Water-To-Go Filterable Bottle. This refillable bottle not only keeps you hydrated, but also filters your water so you don’t get sick in Mexico, and is good for the planet ♻️ Get 15% OFF with code SOLO15!
The Water-To-Go Bottle has a built-in, three-stage filtration system that removes 99.9999% of all water-borne contaminants. These include bacteria, microplastics, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals and more. I personally own one, as you can drink Mexico water from any source (even the tap), and be completely safe.
What’s the Guanajuato weather like?
Guanajuato state, located in Central Mexico, has what is called the Eternal Spring climate. This means you can expect mild springtime temperatures all year, and it’s never super hot or super cold.
The Guanajuato rainy season lasts from about April to September, and it can rain quite a bit, so try to visit from October to March, during the dry season.
☀️ Guanajuato weather
Is Guanajuato expensive?
It Depends — Guanajuato City is one of the budget-friendly or even cheap Mexico travel destinations. However, San Miguel de Allende is one of the most expensive travel destinations in Mexico.
Located only one hour from one another, you can visit both, splurging in SMA and enjoying the lower prices in Guanajuato City.
Is Guanajuato worth visiting?
Yes — Guanajuato is a unique Mexico destination that many types of travelers will love.
Nature enthusiasts will adore horseback riding just outside of the cities, there’s also vineyards and wineries near San Miguel de Allende, which is one of the top foodie destinations in Mexico, so don’t miss taking a SMA food tour.
How many days do I need in Guanajuato Mexico?
With five full days, you could see all the Guanajuato state highlights at a nice pace. This includes Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo, as well as all the must see Guanajuato sites in each city and some of the surrounding areas.
🗣 Mexico Language
Mexico Fun Fact: There’s actually no official language of Mexico!
Spanish is the most widely-spoken, so some mistakenly say Spanish is the official language of Mexico. However, the government actually recognizes 68 national languages, including the Nahuatl Aztec language, and the Maya language.
💰 Mexico Currency
Mexican Peso — Exchange rates vary, but have hovered around $18-21 pesos to $1 USD for about the last decade. You will find some places that take U.S. dollars, but usually at an unfavorable rate, so stick to using pesos in Mexico.
☀️ Mexico Weather
Mexico is a big country — the 7th largest on Earth, in fact! It’s hard to generalize the weather in Mexico, because it will vary greatly by where you’re traveling.
In general, temperatures are mostly mild everywhere all year long, though summers on the coast are hot and humid, and winters in Central and Northern Mexico are on the colder side. Throughout the whole country, the rainy season runs from (about) April through September.
✈️ Mexico Busy Season & Slow Season
• Mexico Busy Season: The busy season in Mexico runs October to March, as this is the dry season and you’ll get the best weather. December is the busiest month for tourism in Mexico.
• Mexico Slow Season: If you don’t mind some rain, you’ll often find the best travel deal during the Mexico slow season of April to September. Do keep in mind that June 1-November 1 is Hurricane Season, and Mexico beaches are all susceptible.
• Mexico Shoulder Season: The shoulder season is that magical time when prices are still low and the weather is good. The Mexico shoulder season is from about mid-October to November and January to early-April.
🧳 Download your FREE Mexico Packing Checklist here!
Check out this Ultimate Packing List for Mexico — so you know what to pack and what NOT to pack for Mexico! This article offers advice on packing for Mexico cities, and packing for a Mexico beach vacation.
Beyond what Mexico outfits and clothing you’ll want to bring, here are a few extra things to consider:
• Filterable Water Bottle: Mexico is close to the Equator, so you’ll need to stay extra hydrated. In fact, dehydration is one of the most common ways people get sick in Mexico.
A filterable, refillable water bottle not only keeps you hydrated, but also filters your water so you don’t get sick in Mexico.
The Water-To-Go Bottle has a built-in, three-stage filtration system that removes 99.9999% of all water-borne contaminants. These include bacteria, microplastics, viruses, heavy metals and chemicals.
• Mexico SIM Card: Want to be able to use your phone in Mexico?! Of course you do! Pick up a TELCEL Mexico SIM card before your trip, and swap it out on the plane while you’re waiting to exit, so you have phone and data service the second you arrive in Mexico.
• Anti-Hangover Meds: Planning to party hardy?! Make sure you’re not wasting any of your precious travel time with a hangover. Liquid I.V. has about 70,000 reviews on Amazon, and is considered the best defense against a hangover.
• Sun Hat: No matter if you’re headed to the beach or a city, you’ll want to wear a hat to shield yourself from the strong Mexican sun. This cute sun hat is the perfect stylish and practical accessory for your Mexico vacation.
• Sunscreen: As you’ll want to reapply a few times throughout the day, a light, Mineral-Based Sunscreen is ideal.
Headed to the beach? Do your part to practice responsible tourism in Mexico by only using an eco-friendly reef safe sunscreen while swimming. You can even ditch the sunscreen altogether and opt for a long sleeve swimsuit (AKA rash guard) instead.
• Bug Repellent: Mosquitoes are common throughout Mexico — especially on the beaches! REPEL Insect Repellent is an eco-friendly brand that’s DEET-free and plant based, with a pleasant lemon and eucalyptus scent. Don’t want to use a spray? Pick up some Mosquito Repellent Bracelets.
The vast majority of travelers do not need a visa for Mexico — this includes Americans, Canadians, and most Europeans. Head here to see if you need a Mexico travel visa.
🤔 What is the mexico FMM?
When you go through Customs & Immigration to enter the country, you’ll receive your Forma Migratoria Multiple, or FMM Tourist Card (sometimes listed as FMT). If you’re coming by plane or cruise ship, there is no charge; for those driving across the border, the FMM costs about $30USD.
In most circumstances, all visitors get a 180-day (six month) visa — so you can legally stay up to six months!
🚨 Have your FMM on you at all times
Keep in mind that though it’s called an FMM card, it’s actually just a small piece of paper. Keep your FMM on you at all times in your wallet, as this proves your legal status in Mexico. It’s rare, but if an officer stops you, they can ask to see your FMM.
🎫 Don’t lose your FMM!
You need to have your FMM on you at all times, as proof of your legal status in the country.
Be sure to keep track of your FMM, as you’ll have to give it back to an Immigration officer at the airport, cruise port, or land crossing when you’re leaving the country.
If you lose your FMM, there is a $600 peso ($30 USD) cost to replace it, and some paperwork you’ll need to fill out before you can leave the country.
If you’re flying home, plan to arrive at the airport about one hour earlier than you normally would to do the paperwork and pay the fine.
As this question doesn’t have a yes/no answer (I wish it did!), I do my best to answer it in depth in this article, Is Mexico Safe for Travelers Right Now? However, for the most part, Mexico is actually statistically quite safe for all travelers — including solo travelers.
Check my Solo Female Mexico Travel page for more info.
💃 Mexico solo travel guides
Mexico is a big country, and it has plenty of amazing solo female travel destinations — like the ones featured in this article, Mexico Solo Travel: 20 Safe Destinations for Female Travelers.
In it, you’ll get recommendations of places to visit in Mexico, from solo travelers who have actually been to them.
🎧 solo travel podcasts
• Ep. 34 | Planning your first Mexico solo trip
• Ep. 40 | Tips for safe solo travel in Mexico
• Ep. 53 | 30 Solo female travel tips, Pt. 1
To answer the question, Is it safe to drive in Mexico? — YES, it’s considered safe to rent a car and drive in Mexico.
As the country is quite large, road trips are a great way to see a lot in a little time, and especially popular in the Yucatan Peninsula and Baja California Peninsula.
The one caveat to Mexico driving safety is that you’ll be in a foreign country, unfamiliar with their laws and customs. Head here for a complete guide to Renting A Car in Mexico: Everything You Need to Know, where you’ll also get 10 useful Mexico driving tips!
🚙💨 Looking for the best Mexico car rental company? Discover Cars works with both local Mexican companies and international companies to get you the best rates. Not only do I recommend them — I also use them!
As a general rule, you’ll want to know at least a few words of Spanish when visiting anywhere in Mexico. This is both a sign of respect, and will also help you have a better, smoother trip.
If you stick to the more touristic places in Mexico, you should be fine with basic Spanish. For those planning to venture off the beaten path, be advised most people in pueblos (small towns) speak little to no English.
🗣 Here are some options:
- Brush up on your Spanish: Use a language-learning program like Rocket Spanish, so you’re confident, and conversational, before your trip.
- Download the Google Translate App: For this to work at all times, you’ll need a Mexico SIM card with data — as the app won’t work when you’re off-WiFi.
- Travel with a Mexico phrasebook: This Lonely Planet Spanish Phrasebook is an Amazon best seller, and a great non-digital language assistant!
- Save this infographic an image on your phone. This way, you have access to these common words, phrases and questions, even when you’re off-WiFi.
