Worth making
Guanajuato city, about 1.5 hours. The other great colonial city in the state, and very different: a jumble of colored houses stacked up steep ravines, road tunnels running under the streets, plazas like the Jardin de la Union, and the buzz of a real university town. Frequent buses run from the Central de Autobuses, or drive it in under two hours. If you have a single day to give, give it here. Genuinely worth it, and arguably more atmospheric than San Miguel itself. Full picture on the Guanajuato city page.
Dolores Hidalgo, about 45 minutes. The cradle of Mexican independence, where the priest Miguel Hidalgo rang the bell in 1810, plus it is famous for hand-painted Talavera-style ceramics and genuinely wild ice-cream flavors sold on the main plaza, from tequila to shrimp to mole. A half-day is plenty. Worth it as a relaxed cultural stop, and easy to pair with Atotonilco on the same road out.
The thermal springs (La Gruta, Escondido Place and others), about 20 to 30 minutes. Warm mineral pools in the countryside north of town off the Dolores Hidalgo road. La Gruta’s tunnel-fed grotto pool is the signature soak. A good low-effort morning, especially in the cooler months from October to April. Worth it if you want to slow down; skippable if soaking in warm water is not your thing. Go early on a weekday to beat the crowd.
Atotonilco sanctuary, about 20 minutes. A UNESCO-listed church whose interior is covered floor to ceiling in extraordinary folk murals, often called Mexico’s Sistine Chapel. Small and quick to see, and it sits right on the springs road, so combine the two. Worth a stop if you are passing, not a trip in itself.
Only if you have time
Queretaro, about 1 to 1.5 hours. A large, handsome colonial city with a great preserved center, an aqueduct, and a strong food and wine scene on its outskirts. This is more of a full day and works better as its own trip or a stopover than a rushed add-on from San Miguel, but it is rewarding if you have the time and want a bigger city for a change of pace.
The Guanajuato wine route (Ruta del Vino), around 30 to 60 minutes. The countryside between San Miguel, Dolores Hidalgo and Queretaro has a growing cluster of vineyards doing tastings and long lunches. Pleasant and photogenic, best with a driver so nobody is counting pours on the drive home. Worth it if wine is your thing; easy to skip otherwise.
How to do them
Without a car, the springs, Atotonilco and Dolores Hidalgo are all doable by a mix of local bus and taxi, or by joining a half-day tour that strings them together. Guanajuato city and Queretaro are straightforward on Primera Plus or ETN from the bus terminal. With a car you get the springs-plus-Atotonilco-plus-Dolores loop in a single relaxed day, which is the best-value outing of the lot. Just avoid driving those rural roads after dark, as covered in getting there and around.
Honest note: San Miguel and Guanajuato city are the two headliners of the region. If you do just one day trip, make it Guanajuato. If you have two, add the springs-and-Atotonilco half-day for the countryside contrast.