Colorful Chaos: Unmissable Things to Do in Guanajuato That Won't Involve Getting Lost (Much)

Essential Things To Do In Guanajuato Without Getting Hopelessly Lost

Finding things to do in Guanajuato isn’t the challenge—it’s finding them again afterward that proves troublesome. The city’s attractions range from the romantic to the macabre, often within the same twisted block. Each destination here comes with its own peculiar history and an unspoken acknowledgment that yes, you will take at least three wrong turns getting there.

Kiss in the World’s Narrowest Alley

The Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) represents Guanajuato’s architectural version of awkward intimacy. With buildings standing just 27 inches apart, this might be the only tourist attraction measured by the wingspan of a medium-build American. The balconies on the third floor face each other so closely that a person could pass items between them—or, as legend suggests, steal a forbidden kiss.

Local lore tells of star-crossed lovers who used these balconies to continue their romance against family wishes. Naturally, it ended tragically (all good Mexican legends do), but visitors can now smooch on the third step for a supposed seven years of good luck. Entrepreneurial locals sometimes charge $1-2 for photo opportunities, operating on the proud tradition of monetizing PDA. After your legally sanctioned romantic moment, neighboring streets offer excellent cafés where couples can hydrate after all that mythology-inspired kissing.

Visit the World’s Most Disturbed Museum Collection

Nothing says “vacation memories” quite like viewing 111 naturally mummified bodies at the Museo de las Momias. This macabre collection began accidentally when cemetery workers discovered that Guanajuato’s unusual soil composition and arid climate were preserving bodies instead of decomposing them. Rather than reburying these preserved remains, someone thought, “Museum potential!”

For $3.50, visitors can view these unfortunate souls who’ve been denied their eternal rest in favor of becoming tourist attractions. Open 9am-6pm daily, the museum displays bodies still wearing fragments of burial clothes, with facial expressions frozen in what appears to be existential horror—perhaps at the thought of becoming part of TripAdvisor’s “Things to Do in Guanajuato” list for centuries to come. Not recommended for young children or anyone who wants to sleep that night.

Join a Callejonada For Musical Misdirection

Callejonadas are essentially musical guided tours led by estudiantinas—student musical groups in traditional 16th-century costumes who lead visitors through the city’s winding alleyways while performing traditional songs. For $7-10 per person, you can follow these pied pipers Thursday through Sunday evenings, beginning typically at Teatro Juárez.

These 2-3 hour tours combine history, music, and the special thrill of having no idea where you are. Bring cash for drinks offered along the route and wear comfortable shoes—Guanajuato’s steep inclines turn casual evening strolls into impromptu cardio sessions. The estudiantinas often incorporate humorous skits about local legends, delivered in Spanish that’s just slow enough for visitors with high school language credits to catch every third word.

Take the Funicular to El Pípila Monument

For $3 round trip, the funicular cable car delivers visitors to the iconic El Pípila monument overlooking the city. From this vantage point, Guanajuato resembles nothing so much as a box of spilled crayons—buildings in coral pink, cobalt blue, marigold yellow, and lime green spread across the ravine like a color theory experiment gone wonderfully wrong.

The monument itself honors Juan José de los Reyes Martínez (nicknamed El Pípila), who strapped a stone slab to his back as protection from Spanish bullets while he burned down the wooden door of a granary where Spanish loyalists had barricaded themselves during Mexico’s fight for independence. Early morning offers clear skies for photographers, while sunset transforms the city into a living impressionist painting bathed in golden light. Both times guarantee at least a dozen strangers will photobomb your pictures.

Experience Teatro Juárez’s Architectural Identity Crisis

Teatro Juárez stands as a testament to what happens when architects can’t decide on a style and instead choose “all of the above.” This 19th-century theater blends Roman, Greek, and Moorish influences with the restraint of a pageant contestant who’s been told “more is more.” The result looks like what would happen if Louis XIV designed a wedding cake after visiting the Alhambra.

Tours cost $2, while performance tickets range from $10-50 depending on the show’s prestige. The elaborately decorated interior features red velvet seats, gold leaf detailing, and chandeliers that seem suspended by sheer architectural bravado. Check the schedule in advance—performances often sell out, especially during the Cervantino Festival in October when the city transforms from merely crowded to sardine-can density.

Navigate the Underground Tunnels

Guanajuato’s subterranean road system represents the city’s grudging concession to modern transportation needs. Created from old river channels, these tunnels now serve as main traffic arteries, complete with pedestrian walkways in some sections. They’re like the city’s open secret—the practical underbelly supporting the impractical beauty above.

The tunnels provide blessed relief from the topside labyrinth, allowing relatively straight passage between major plazas. Insider tip: memorize key tunnel exits to avoid disorientation when emerging back into the sunlight. Warning: tunnel intersections can be confusing enough to qualify as their own tourist attractions. Use landmarks rather than street names, which locals treat more as poetic suggestions than actual designations.

Climb to the University of Guanajuato

The staircase leading to the University of Guanajuato looks like it was designed by someone with a step-count fitness tracker to meet an ambitious daily goal. These 113 steps cascade down from the imposing university building, creating one of the city’s most photographed perspectives. Founded in 1732, the university remains the intellectual heart of a city that takes its cultural credentials seriously.

The climb provides both cardiovascular exercise and the perfect backdrop for social media photos that scream “I’m having an authentic cultural experience” while you secretly catch your breath. Nearby student cafés offer inexpensive meals ($5-7) where visitors can eavesdrop on passionate discussions about politics, philosophy, and the eternal problem of finding affordable housing in the historic center.

Loiter at Jardín de la Unión

Jardín de la Unión, the triangular main plaza, serves as Guanajuato’s living room where visitors and locals engage in the serious business of people-watching. The 17th-century church of San Diego anchors one side, while restaurants and cafés line the others, creating a perfect urban theater for observing humanity’s quirks.

Resident mariachi bands provide the soundtrack, with evening performances that range from traditional ballads to unexpected covers of pop songs. Expect to pay $3-5 for coffee or $5-8 for cocktails—a premium for the entertainment value. Mornings offer tranquil observation opportunities while evenings become a multi-generational social club where families, couples, and solo travelers participate in Mexico’s time-honored tradition of paseo—the evening promenade where seeing and being seen constitutes a legitimate cultural activity.

Day Trip to San Miguel de Allende

When Guanajuato’s geographical perversity becomes too much, the nearby city of San Miguel de Allende offers relief at just 40 miles away. Buses cost approximately $5-7 each way and connect these colonial sisters, who despite their architectural similarities, maintain distinctly different personalities. San Miguel is flatter, more expensive, and home to so many American expats that some blocks feel like displaced fragments of Santa Fe.

The temperature runs 5-10°F higher than Guanajuato, making winter visits particularly pleasant. Artisan markets along the route offer shopping opportunities without the sticker shock of San Miguel’s boutiques, where prices seem calibrated to the American retiree budget rather than the Mexican economy. Consider this day trip the tourist equivalent of a palate cleanser—a brief return to navigable streets before diving back into Guanajuato’s beautiful confusion.

Visit Diego Rivera’s Birthplace Museum

Before Diego Rivera became famous for murals depicting social revolution (and for his tempestuous marriage to Frida Kahlo), he was just a baby born in Guanajuato in 1886. His birthplace has been transformed into a modest museum displaying personal effects and early artworks that hint at the outsize talent and ego that would later make him a Mexican icon.

Admission costs just $2.50, making it one of the city’s best cultural values. Open 10am-5:30pm (closed Mondays), the museum provides air-conditioned refuge during midday heat. The collection connects visitors to Rivera’s later work with Frida, though the museum wisely focuses more on his art than on the relationship that’s been mythologized in countless films, books, and overpriced refrigerator magnets.

Where to Stay in Guanajuato

Accommodations in Guanajuato follow the city’s commitment to testing visitors’ spatial awareness and cardio fitness. Budget travelers can find hostels and guesthouses in the $30-50 range, often featuring shared bathrooms and the authentic experience of dragging luggage up cobblestone inclines. Mid-range hotels ($70-120) occupy colonial buildings with interior courtyards that create Instagram-worthy backdrops for morning coffee.

Luxury seekers will find boutique hotels in historic buildings starting at $150, offering rooftop terraces with panoramic views that make the price tag easier to justify. The crucial decision isn’t just budget but location—staying in Centro guarantees atmospheric charm and guaranteed lostness, while accommodations slightly outside the maze offer easier navigation at the cost of ambiance. Note that historic center buildings often involve multiple flights of stairs with no elevator access, making them challenging for travelers with mobility concerns or those who packed as if preparing for a year-long expedition.

Navigating Transportation Quirks

Local buses cost about $0.50 per ride and follow routes that appear to have been planned by throwing spaghetti at a map. Taxis make sense despite traffic congestion (typically $3-5 within the city) when facing steep uphill climbs or after one too many margaritas at Jardín de la Unión. Parking presents such a challenge that some visitors develop emotional attachments to spots they find, reluctant to move their vehicles until departure day.

Garages charge $10-15 daily, making car-free travel the sanity-preserving option. Ride-sharing apps work in Guanajuato but drivers often call with concerned questions about your exact location—a reasonable concern in a city where “I’m at the blue building with the plant pots” describes approximately 400 structures. The true transportation hack: accept that walking remains the most reliable option, despite the cardiac workout involved.

Best Shopping Experiences

Authentic silver jewelry represents Guanajuato’s shopping crown jewel, reflecting the city’s mining heritage. Prices run 30-40% cheaper than in tourist-focused San Miguel, though vigilance against fake silver remains essential—genuine pieces bear a .925 stamp and don’t stick to magnets. Local markets offer textiles and crafts that respect both Mexican traditions and travelers’ luggage weight restrictions.

Specialty food items make edible souvenirs that won’t collect dust on return home—locally grown coffee, mole pastes, and vanilla extract pack flavor memories into TSA-approved containers. Serious shoppers should ask about shipping options for larger purchases, saving both baggage fees and the indignity of attempting to fit a hand-carved wooden door into an overhead compartment.