First time to SMD...spending Christmas 2025..5 nights. I've heard it's a wonderful time to visit. Opinions from those in the know? Is Guanajoto a better choice? We do plan to be there for YEAR'S.(Guanajoto)

First timers to SMA..coming at Christmas 22 till 26th then on to Guanajoto for New Year's. Do you suggest we change to do opposite weeks? Is there anything we shoukd know? We have booked accommodation in SM. Thanks

San Miguel will be more 'festive' for Christmas. SMA is very popular with people from CDMX, so it will be quite busy. You would probably be happy with either itinerary. Guanajuato is a university town, so during the holiday period, there will be less students. While in Guanajuato, you should take at least part of a day to visit the leather district (Zona de piel) in León. The León bus station is right in the middle of the leather district, so it's easy to navigate.

And if you can fit it in, a day trip to Queretaro from San Miguel would be worthwhile. The Plaza and Calle Madero will be nicely decorated, especially at night or in the evening. Which h airport are you flying into? And have you checked into transportation from the airport?

We are flying into Mex City...arrice late so spending night at AP hotel then busing to San M the next day. Flying from.Van we saved alot with a direct flight (from Calgary with Westjet)..we don't mind the bus. We have booked accommodation in SM

You've probably researched the bus routes. If not, the 2 1st class carriers are ETN & Primera Plus. ETN makes a stop in Queretaro but no bus change. You shouldn't need to reserve seats in advance, but it is a holiday week so it might not hurt anyway. Most of the ETN buses are double decker, and if you do reserve in advance you can get the 2 seats up front. The scenery isn't particularly attractive, but I usually get them if available. The drive between SMA & Guanajuato is rather scenic however, imo.

BaldOne..thanks for that info. My husband loves the front seats! We've traveled by bus lots in Mexico! We may now spend New Year's in Queretero!

Queretaro is a beautiful city. We lived there for a year and would often spend a night and do our big box shopping from SMA & go out to eat etc. Quite a contrast to Guanajuato however. Queretaro has the largest colonial center in Mexico (besides cdmx) and thus is very flat & walkable. Guanajuato otoh offers a maze of dead end alleys outside of its rather compact Centro.

While in Guanajuato, you should take at least part of a day to visit the leather district (Zona de piel) in León.

Oooooooooooo....we left our hearts in San Miguel de Allende. And... maybe even more so in Santiago de Queretaro.

FYI - SMA is almost entirely cobblestone where QRO is mostly paved.

We're hoping to return early 2026. My perfect trip would be to Queretaro with a side trip to San Miguel. SMA's Centro can get crowded really fast and the noise level can be almost unbearable at times. Queretaro's Centro has a number of places to hang out, wider streets and tons of places to eat. A night tour in English with all the lights is beautiful. Live music and dancing in the plaza are a real kick.

ETN bus rides and front seats are our favorites as well. Caution, some bus stations don't have toilet seats. Take it from there.

Our entering the city of Guanajuato was like walking into Disneyland for the first time. Extremely colorful and beautiful lights at night. As mentioned, Guanajuato is much, much smaller in its plaza areas. SMA is medium. Queretaro goes on and on and is very beautiful. We spent a week there and ended up in the Centro just about every night. Easy Uber pickups to take you home safely.