8-day trip itinerary through Guanajuato which includes San Miguel de Allende, city of Guanajuato, Mineral de Pozos, and historic Dolores and Atotonilco.
Table of Contents
About This Trip
The state of Guanajuato is a great state to visit by car. It has several, very interesting, colorful stops and you’ll also get an excellent taste of the culture and food that Mexico has to offer.
My suggested landing airport is Guadalajara. You can also fly into Bajío International Airport in Guanajuato, although you’ll likely find better deals in Mexico City and Guadalajara. If you fly into Guadalajara or Mexico City, the drive is not too long. However, I prefer Guadalajara over Mexico city since there’s less traffic.
You have a few choices as to how you can plan your route depending on where you start your trip. I would suggest planning stays in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. You can reach other locations on this Guanajuato itinerary during day trips starting from San Miguel de Allende.
Make sure to take a look at the blog on this state that showcases more information and pictures from the itinerary presented below.
Itinerary
Day 1 & 2: San Miguel de Allende
Transportation: Parking is a problem here, unfortunately. Some hotels and B&B may have a spot or two to park in. Public parking costs ~$25USD per night.
Lodging: There are several options to stay in San Miguel de Allende, from Bed & Breakfast to Air B&B to hotels. Two places we’ve stayed at include Casa Schuck (not as central, but just a short walk to the main square) and Hotel Casa Carmina (just meters from the main square). Casa Schuck is the one we would recommend.
Getting Around: Once you park, leave your car parked! This lovely city is meant for walking.
Attractions: Where to start? This is a blog of its own. El Jardin (the main square), Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, its mercado, and others.
San Miguel de Allende at night 
Birth place of Miguel Allende, hero of the war of independence, right in the main square 
La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel at night, at the main square
Day 3: Mineral de Pozos
Transportation: It is a 1-hr drive from San Miguel de Allende to Mineral de Pozos. We would recommend making San Miguel de Allende your home base and taking a day trip to Mineral de Pozos. However, Mineral de Pozos would be a very nice stay as well.
Lodging: This was not an overnight stop for us.
Getting around: There was no traffic getting into or out of Pozos. We parked the vehicle and walked the town. There are a few tour companies that use their own van to take you to the main sites. You can also rent a bike or an all-terrain vehicle
Attractions: The main square is a great place to relax after getting lunch on any of the nearby local restaurants. That’s the same place where you can hire a guide to take you to the remnants of the mining ex-hacienda El Triangulo, Pozos’ iconic Mina Santa Brigida, and Mina Cinco Señores.
Heading into one of the mines! 
At the exit of the mine
Day 4: Atotonilco and Dolores Hidalgo
Transportation: These are very short drives each (<1hr) from San Miguel de Allende.
Lodging: We would recommend making San Miguel de Allende your home base and taking day trips to these other locations.
Getting around: Make sure to park your car close by the main church in Atotonilco as well as Dolores. You may have to walk a couple of blocks, but it shouldn’t be difficult to find parking.
Attractions: Atotonilco’s main attraction is its sanctuary. It should take you about 1 hour to view it. We arrived here early, visited the sanctuary, and had a delicious lunch in the stands outside of the church. Make sure to pay to see the side murals just to the left of the entrance, as well as seeing the replica of the estandarte in a side room nearby the altar area.
Dolores’ main attraction is its church, main square and its museums. We decided to see the main church and hang out eating ice-cream at the main square. We also bought shawls from the local vendors.
Wide number of ice-cream flavors at the main square in Dolores 
Some of the flavors, including “shrimp with octopus”, “beer”, and “whisky” among others. 
Grilled elotes in the streets of Dolores Hidalgo 
Ice cream in Dolores
Day 5: Yuriria
Transportation: You have a couple of options when planning a visit to Yuriria during this Guanajuato itinerary. You could make a day trip to Yuriria from San Miguel de Allende. It is about a two-hour drive. Alternatively you could put Yuriria at the end of your trip and make a stop here on the way back to either Guadalajara or Mexico City.
Lodging: This was not an overnight stop for us.
Attractions: Yuriria is a peaceful stop. A pueblo magico with very few tourists. Although not on our top 10 list, it would likely make the top 20. You could spend 2-3 hours here and make a quick pit-stop, or you can stay here to unwind, getting away from larger crowds and other tourists.
Day 6-8: Guanajuato
Transportation: Driving in Guanajuato is very challenging. The streets were not built for cars. GPS is very difficult to use because there is a network of tunnels. Plan your arrival to the hotel and check in advance that they can provide help to park your car.
Lodging: We stayed at Hotel Meson de los Poetas. This was a solid choice for a couple of reasons: the staff was kind enough to drive our car to a near-by parking garage, and walk back with us to the hotel. The hotel was within walking distance to the main spots. It also had a patio at the top with a nice view of the city.
Getting around: Once the car is parked and you’re checked in, most attractions, restaurants, panaderias, and mercados are within walking distance. The only place we had to hire an Uber or used a taxi was to get to the mummy museum, as well as Iglesia de la Valenciana.
Attractions: Too many to list here! We will devote an entire blog to this wonderful city. The main ones are: Traditional callejonadas, Jardin de la Union, Callejon del Beso, Teatro Juarez, The Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, Alhóndiga de Granaditas, The mummies of Guanajuato, Museo Iconográfico Del Quijote, the University of Guanajuato, the mines, and many others. For this reason, we definitely recommend a minimum of 2 nights here, even when doing a long road trip!
The Cerro del Cubilete is only about a hour away and well worth the drive. You can admire the view from the top of the hill.
Callejonada in Guanajuato 
Callejonada in Guanajuato 
Mummies of Guanajuato 
Museo Iconográfico Del Quijote
I hope find this Guanajuato itinerary useful for planning your next trip to Mexico. Be sure to check out my other itineraries for other locations in Mexico.
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