4 Days in Mexico 🇲🇽- Itinerary for Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and Peña de Bernal Querétaro
Day 1: Arrive to GuanajuatoÂ
Start your first day in Guanajuato by getting yourself oriented in the city. I would recommend spending an afternoon walking through the local market of Guanajuato. Here, you can find a host of charming, beautiful stores selling souvenirs. Most importantly, right next to the market is a three-floor food center filled with every Mexican food you could imagine - Â a MUST visit when you're in Guanajuato!
Day 2: Full Day in Guanajuato
The first full day in Guanajuato! There is so much to see and do in this city. Start off the day with sunrise at the "Monumento al PĂpila" for a view overlooking the entire city. You'll have the entire place to yourself if you get there at 6 AM and most probably - until 8 AM. You'll see the sun rise up, over the mountains and finally, shine over the beautiful city.
Next, spend the morning at CallejĂłn del Beso. Take advantage of the early morning and take as many photos as you want there. Most likely, if you're there before 9 AM, you'll have the entire place to yourself. This place is famous for the Mexican version of a Romeo-Juliet story and it's the perfect photo opportunity!
Spend the rest of the morning exploring a few places that are right next to each other! JardĂn de la UniĂłn, Teatro Juárez, and the BasĂlica Collegiate de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato are all around the same area. Teatro Juárez has a beautiful facade while JardĂn de la UniĂłn is famous for the local musicians and mariachi bands that walk around. The Basilica is the most famous icon of Guanajuato and another must-see when you're in the city!
In the afternoon, Guanajuato still has so many options to offer! Start off with the Iglesia de la CompañĂa, an old church with a massive dome in the center. After that, walk over to the University of Guanajuato where you'll be greeted by a massive staircase - another emblem of Guanajuato! After that, spend the afternoon strolling through the Diego Rivera House Museum. This was the ACTUAL house that Diego Rivera is from!
Spend the evening with a traditional callejoneato! These experiences take you dancing and singing around the old town as a band accompanies you. With live music, new friends, and drinks along the way - this is the BEST way to end off any day in Guanajuato!
Day 3: San Miguel de Allende
After waking up, take the quick one hour bus to San Miguel de Allende. This small town is often said to be one of the most beautiful places in all of Mexico! In my opinion, there's not too much to do in San Miguel but there are a few options for when you're there!
1. Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel - this is the symbol of San Miguel de Allende! No visit to this town would be complete without a visit to this magnificent church which, many people say, looks like the Disney castle!
2. Mercado de ArtesanĂas - This market is filled to the brim with all the amazing Mexican artwork that you could imagine! Definitely a place worth visiting!
3. Plaza CĂvica - this might be one of my favorite places in San Miguel. Lined with incredible trees, it may look like any other plaza in Mexico. However, there is an incredible ice cream stand on one corner of the plaza that serves up some of the best Nieves you can find in all of Mexico!
4. El Mirador - The one and only viewpoint over San Miguel de Allende, this is definitely worth a visit! I didn't have the chance to actually see it but my friend, who I was with at the time, did manage to go check it out! It's not as impressive as the one in Guanajuato but still definitely worth a view!
Day 4: Peña de Bernal
Wake up early because although the next stop is only an hour and a half away, the transit through Santiago de Querétaro is going to take up some additional time. Your next stop is Bernal, a magical town located in the province of Querétaro that is home to some incredible views AND the third largest monolith in the world!
Here's what to see in Bernal:
1. Peña de Bernal - of course, no visit to Bernal would be complete without a visit to the big famous rock. You can actually climb the rock but it is definitely not an easy hike and takes at least two hours. You can't make it all the way to the top but you make it halfway up - showing you an incredible view of the area.
2. Gruta de Cuarzo - Bernal is known to be a mystical place. The location of it means that it has some interesting properties connected to the geography and the rocks there. A tour through the Gruta (which I luckily got for free) is an incredible way to explore the stories and traditions of Querétaro!
3. Parroquia de San Sebastián Bernal - This colorful church is often a symbol of Bernal, with the Peña in the background. Although I've never seen it be open, the facade is beautiful enough that it is worth a visit!
4. Central Artesanal la Aurora - Housed in an old and colorful colonial building, this place is filled with many different artisan shops selling traditional Mexican arts and crafts. Additionally, you can find the famous "pan de queso" or cheese bread that comes from Bernal.Â
And that concludes a 4-day itinerary through Guanajuato and Querétaro. Of course, there is so much more to do than just those on the itinerary, but if you're interested to learn more about these places, feel free to message me for a consultation call and I would be happy to discuss this with you!
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