Getting there
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By air (BJX). The nearest airport is Del Bajio (BJX) near Silao, roughly a 30-to-45-minute drive from the city (approximate). It handles US connections through Houston and Dallas plus domestic flights from Mexico City, Tijuana, Cancun and Monterrey, and it also serves Leon and the wider Bajio. From the airport take an authorized taxi from the official stand or a pre-booked shuttle, roughly 400 to 700 MXN for the taxi (approximate); there is no city bus worth relying on with luggage.
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By bus. Guanajuato’s Central de Autobuses sits about 20 to 30 minutes west of the center. First-class lines connect it well: Primera Plus and ETN run frequently to Mexico City (roughly 4.5 to 5 hours), Guadalajara (about 3 to 4 hours), Leon (under an hour) and Queretaro (about 2.5 hours). ETN is the plusher, wider-seat option; Primera Plus runs the most departures. Fares to Mexico City land around 700 to 950 MXN (approximate). From the terminal, a local bus marked for the center or a short taxi finishes the trip.
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By car. Easy to reach on the highway from Leon, Silao or Queretaro, and painful the moment you arrive. The center is a maze of one-way surface streets and underground car tunnels with almost no parking. Most people leave the car at their hotel’s lot or a paid garage on the edge of the center and walk from there. Do not plan to drive around inside the town.
Getting around
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On foot. This is the real answer. The center is small and pedestrian, and walking beats anything with wheels for getting between the plazas, the market and the alleys. Budget your energy for climbing, not distance.
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The tunnels and local buses. City buses run through the underground tunnels to reach the outer neighborhoods, Presa de la Olla and the bus terminal, for about 12 to 15 MXN (approximate). They are cheap and locals live on them, but the routes are genuinely confusing for a first-timer and unlabeled to an outsider. Ask the driver or a local which line before you board, and say your destination out loud.
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Taxis. Plentiful and inexpensive for short hops, the airport run, or hauling luggage uphill. Short trips in town run roughly 50 to 90 MXN (approximate). Agree the fare before you set off or confirm the meter is running; ride-hailing apps have thin, unreliable coverage here, so street taxis are the norm.
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Bikes. Not really a thing. The terrain, tunnels and staircases make cycling impractical for getting around; skip it.
Honest comfort notes
Come prepared to climb: the staircases and steep alleys, not the distances, are what wear people out, and the altitude of about 2,000 meters can leave you short of breath the first day. Wear proper shoes with grip, especially in the July-August rains when the cobbles turn slick. If you get carsick, the tunnel buses are dim, stop-start and stuffy, so sit near the front and keep it short. And if you have mobility limits or heavy bags, base yourself as central and flat as possible to cut the number of stairs, because there is no way to engineer them out of a day here. Where you land matters, so read where to stay before you book.