9 Things to Do in Guanajuato That Aren't the Mummy Museum
Let's be clear: the Mummy Museum is interesting. Over 100 naturally preserved mummies in a well-lit gallery. Worth the $5 entry and the 20-minute uphill walk. But every travel site leads with it, and Guanajuato has SO much more.
This is a city built inside a ravine. Traffic drives through mine tunnels. Houses are painted every color that exists. Student troubadours lead midnight serenades through alleys where balconies almost touch. The mummies are the appetizer. Here's the main course.
1. Walk Through the Underground Tunnels
Guanajuato's traffic flows through a network of stone tunnels — converted from colonial-era mine drainage channels and a diverted river. You can walk through them. Not a tour. Not a museum. Just... walk into a tunnel entrance and follow the curved stone passage under the city.
The Calle Hidalgo tunnel stretches 2.5 km. Shafts of light pierce through street-level openings. Cars pass you in the semi-darkness. It's surreal and atmospheric and completely free.
Start at the Alhondiga end and walk south. You'll emerge at a different part of the city, disoriented and delighted.
2. Join a Callejoneada
This is THE Guanajuato experience. University student musicians in traditional costumes lead groups through narrow alleys at night, singing folk songs, telling legends, and passing a bota bag of wine. The energy is romantic, theatrical, and genuine.
$100-150 MXN ($5-8 USD). Groups depart from Jardin de la Union around 8PM most evenings. Two hours. The Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) stop is the highlight — legend says couples who kiss on the third step get 7 years of happiness.
I've done callejoneadas in other Mexican cities. Guanajuato's are the original and the best.
3. Sunset from El Pipila
The El Pipila monument viewpoint offers a 360-degree panorama of the city — multicolored houses cascading into the valley, church domes rising above rooftops, and the surrounding hills dotted with homes.
Take the funicular ($50 MXN round trip) or walk up (15 steep minutes). Free to visit. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset. Watch the city transform from colorful to golden to purple.
This is the single best view I've seen in Mexico. Bring a camera with a wide-angle lens.
4. Eat Enchiladas Mineras at Mercado Hidalgo
The Mercado Hidalgo is an iron-frame market building — rumored to be designed by an associate of Gustave Eiffel — with food stalls upstairs and vendors below.
Enchiladas mineras are the Guanajuato specialty: corn tortillas dipped in guajillo chile sauce, filled with cheese, topped with potatoes, carrots, and a piece of fried chicken. $60 MXN ($3.30 USD) for a full plate. Sit on a metal stool at a communal counter. Squeeze lime over everything.
This is where locals eat. No tablecloths. No menus in English. Excellent food.
5. Explore Teatro Juarez
The 1903 Teatro Juarez is architecturally wild — Moorish-Neoclassical exterior with bronze lions, Doric columns, and an ornate interior with horseshoe arches and red velvet seats.
Tour: $40 MXN. Check the schedule for performances — attending a show in this theater is an experience that transcends the performance itself.
6. See the University Staircase
The University of Guanajuato's striking white staircase entrance is one of the most photographed landmarks in the city. The 1732 building has Moorish-style architecture and gives the city its youthful energy — 30,000+ students keep the bars, cafes, and cultural scene thriving.
Free to photograph the exterior. Walk up the stairs for a good view back down. Best in morning light.
7. Find the Colors
Guanajuato's painted houses are its most distinctive feature. Unlike most cities where you need to find specific murals or art districts, the entire city IS the artwork.
Callejon del Beso area (narrow alleys, close-up colors)
The view from El Pipila (the whole city in one frame)
Just walk. Get lost. Turn up random stairways. The colors are everywhere.
8. Coffee at Jardin de la Union
The main plaza is surrounded by trimmed laurel trees and outdoor cafes with wrought-iron chairs. Sit. Order a coffee ($40-60 MXN). Watch the city happen.
Free concerts and performances in the jardin happen most evenings. The Basilica and Templo de San Diego face the plaza. The cafe terraces fill at sunset.
This is Guanajuato's living room. Spending an hour here with a drink is as much a cultural experience as any museum.
9. Day Trip to Dolores Hidalgo
The birthplace of Mexican Independence, 1 hour by bus ($80-120 MXN). Father Hidalgo's famous "Grito" cry happened in the church on the main plaza in 1810.
But the real draw: exotic ice cream sold from carts on the main square. Flavors include shrimp, avocado, beer, mole, and chicharron (pork rind). $20-30 MXN per scoop. They taste better than they sound.
The town is small and charming. The Talavera ceramic workshops are worth visiting. Half a day is sufficient.
Pro Tips
Comfortable shoes with grip. The streets are steep, cobblestoned, and occasionally slippery. Fashion shoes will ruin your feet.
Cash is king. Small shops, food stalls, and taxis prefer cash. ATMs (Santander, Banorte) are available in Centro.
Festival Cervantino (October) is Latin America's premier arts festival. Hotels book months ahead and prices double. But many events are free and the atmosphere is electric.
Combine with San Miguel de Allende — just 1.5 hours by bus ($150-200 MXN). Both share BJX airport. Do 2-3 days in each.
Altitude: 2,045 meters. Similar effects to Denver. Drink water, go easy on alcohol day one.
