Guanajuato is a landlocked state in Mexico's colonial heartland, built on centuries of silver wealth. Its UNESCO-listed capital, Guanajuato City, is a maze of tunnels, brightly painted hillside houses, and baroque churches, while the nearby Historic Centre of San Miguel de Allende draws artists and expatriates to its pink Parroquia and cobblestone streets. The state also holds Dolores Hidalgo, cradle of Mexican independence, and León, the country's leather and shoe-manufacturing capital.
- Public
- Guanajuato City runs an extensive minibus network that handles the city's steep, narrow lanes, and León and San Miguel de Allende both have their own local bus systems, but the state has no passenger rail, so first-class intercity buses (ETN, Primera Plus) carry most travel between towns
- Taxi
- Sitio (radio-dispatched) taxis are common in Guanajuato City, León, and San Miguel de Allende and are the more reliable option over street hails; DiDi operates in all three cities while Uber coverage is more limited
- Rental
- A rental car is useful for reaching Mineral de Pozos, Valle de Santiago, and other scattered small towns, but is a liability inside Guanajuato City itself, where the underground tunnel system and narrow one-way callejones confuse first-time drivers
- Walking
- Guanajuato City's compact historic center is extremely walkable, though built on steep hillsides with many stairways (callejones); León and San Miguel de Allende's centers are also pedestrian-friendly, but both cities sprawl beyond their cores
Transport at a glance
Transportation details
Full breakdown of how to get around.
Guanajuato state is served by a single major gateway, Del Bajío International Airport (BJX) near León, roughly midway between León and Guanajuato City. There is no passenger rail service. First-class intercity buses (ETN, Primera Plus) link León, Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo, and Celaya frequently and cheaply. Guanajuato City's historic center is famous for its Túneles de Guanajuato, a network of underground roadways built along the course of a diverted river and old mining tunnels, which route most vehicle traffic beneath the pedestrianized surface streets. A rental car is useful for reaching Mineral de Pozos, Valle de Santiago, and other outlying towns, but is more of a hindrance than a help inside Guanajuato City itself.
Airports
Del Bajío International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional del Bajío)
Transport tips
Travel smarter, not harder.
Do not attempt to drive into Guanajuato City's historic center without studying a map first - the Túneles de Guanajuato underground tunnel road system reroutes most through-traffic beneath the city and one-way streets make wrong turns hard to correct
Park in one of the paid lots at the edge of the historic center (Plaza de Mexiamora, Plaza San Roque, or the bus terminal area) and walk or taxi into the pedestrian core
Book ETN or Primera Plus tickets a day or two ahead for weekend travel between León, Guanajuato City, San Miguel de Allende, and Dolores Hidalgo
DiDi is generally more reliable than Uber in Guanajuato City and San Miguel de Allende; confirm current app availability before relying on either for late-night pickups
The Del Bajío International Airport (BJX) sits roughly midway between León and Guanajuato City, so confirm which city a shuttle or taxi quote is heading to before booking
Carry small-denomination pesos for local buses and taxis in smaller towns like Dolores Hidalgo and Mineral de Pozos, where card acceptance is inconsistent
The funicular (funicular Panorámico) up to the Monumento al Pípila in Guanajuato City is a quick, cheap alternative to the steep stairway climb