Day Trip Braga and Guimarães from Porto
Description
Travel north on a day trip from Porto to two of northern Portugal's historic cities, which are currently basking in the European spotlight. First visit the city of Braga, founded by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. The oldest Christian city in Portugal, Braga is celebrated today as the 2012 European Capital of Youth. First, discover the country's origins in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Guimarães. Visit the Guimarães Castle, a building full of history and the "birthplace of Portugal". Home to a 10th-century castle and the Dukes of Braganza Palace, the town today is filled with pride for being named the European Capital of Culture for 2012. Appreciate, on a walking tour, the medieval city of Guimarães. With small modern details, it is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Get to know amazing landscapes, peaceful and beautiful places, king’s histories and Portuguese culture and devotion
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop will be Braga, the capital of Minho, and then we will discover the historic city of Guimarães. Prepare your cameras and come with us to explore two of the most important cities in the history of Portugal! Braga is a city in the far north of Portugal, northeast of Porto. It is known for heritage and religious events. To the east, the Bom Jesus do Monte complex has a neoclassical church perched on an elaborate 17-story staircase. In the city center, the medieval-style Sé de Braga houses a museum of sacred art and the Gothic-style Chapel of the Kings. Nearby, the imposing Archbishop's Palace overlooks the Santa Barbara Garden.
One of the biggest highlights of this tour. Famous for its endless stairs and baroque details, this place will definitely impress you! Not only a religious monument, it is also a truly romantic and relaxing place with amazing views of Braga. Here, nature is privileged and protected with the utmost care.
The magnificent Braga Cathedral (also known as Braga Cathedral), a monument that combines three different styles: Romanesque, Manueline and Baroque. It is the oldest cathedral in Portugal - it was even built several decades before the founding of the country! Undoubtedly, this imposing cathedral is Braga's biggest landmark.
After lunch in Braga, we will leave for Guimarães, the birthplace of Portugal and World Heritage, since 2001. Guimarães is a true example of the evolution of a medieval city throughout history! This was the city where the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques was born. The history of Guimarães is related to the foundation of national identity and the Portuguese language.
National symbol of the tenth century. From the outside, its medieval structure is impressive; Inside you can have magnificent views across the city. Afterwards, we will continue to pass by the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and visit the Church of São Miguel.
Observe the imposing statue of D. Afonso Henriques and walk through Martins Sarmento Square. To end this short walking tour, discover Santa Maria Street, the Town Hall, Santiago Square and Senhora da Oliveira Church.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- There is no bathroom on board the bus
- Dress code is smart casual
- The tours may be changed without prior notice
- A moderate amount of walking is involved
Reviews(248)
Our guide Felipe was excellent, very friendly and helpful
Thank you for your kind feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour and that Felipe made such a positive impression with his friendliness and support. We hope to welcome you again soon!
Our guide was Felipe and he was amazing — very kind, knowledgeable, and polite. He had a wonderful sense of humor and made us laugh throughout the tour. He was extremely helpful and supportive within the group, and his positive attitude made the whole experience even better. The two cities we visited were very interesting and had beautiful, fascinating histories. We also had the chance to visit a few temples and castles, which made the whole experience even more memorable. Highly recommended!
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and that Felipe made your experience so memorable with his kindness, knowledge, and humor. It’s great to know you appreciated the cities and historic sites as well. We truly appreciate your recommendation!
Raquel was a wonderfully engaging guide and driver for this amazing tour. Her knowledge of the local area was exceptional, and we had a brilliant day. Our first stop, Bom Jesus was stunning with ample time to descend the steps and make the climb back to the site, as well as visit the magnificent church and surrounding parkland. Braga is an amazing city, vibrant and the perfect mix of history and shops/eateries. If you get a chance, do visit CorriQueijo for cheese tasting! Guimarães, the final stop, is filled with history and charm. I would highly recommend this visit and if you are lucky enough to have Raquel as your guide- you will have an exceptional day!
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed Bom Jesus, Braga and Guimarães. Raquel will be very pleased to know her knowledge and guidance made your day so special. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again soon!
My wife and I were joined by two French speakers and to our surprise, our Portuguese driver & tour guide was able to effortlessly speak to us in both languages! I did not catch her name, but our tour was on time, driving and narration were great and she gave us enough free time to explore things on our own in both locations. Top notch.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your day trip to Braga and Guimarães. It is especially rewarding to know that our guide's multilingual skills, professionalism, and engaging narration helped make the experience so enjoyable. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again on another tour soon.
We had a lovely day out. Jao Pedro our guide was fantastic!! He was punctual, knowledgable and made our trip so enjoyable with his humour & kindness. Nothing was too much trouble & he was very engaging. The trip itself was not rushed & we saw everything we needed to see of interest . We would definitely recommend this trip . Thank you Jao you are a credit to the Company you work for . 😊
Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback. We are delighted to hear that you had such a lovely day and that João Pedro made your experience so enjoyable with his knowledge, humour, and kindness. It is great to know the tour felt well-paced and met your expectations. We truly appreciate your recommendation and will gladly share your kind words with João. We hope to welcome you again soon.
We were taken through the Duoro Valley winery tour by Maria Marabuio today. She has a wealth of knowledge about the vineyards. A true local of the area and a wonderful person to be around for the 10 hour tour. Great places to visit, great food and great wine tasting locations. Cannot recommend Maria enough.
Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback. We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great experience and that Maria Marabuio made the day so memorable with her knowledge, warmth, and passion for the Douro Valley. It’s fantastic to know you enjoyed the wineries, food, and wine tastings throughout the tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation and will gladly share your kind words with Maria.
I had a really great day on this tour. Both cities are beautiful and our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. We were only three people so it was like a private tour and I really enjoyed that. I recommend this tour.
Thank you very much for your kind feedback. We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great day and enjoyed both cities as well as the friendly and knowledgeable guidance throughout the tour. It’s wonderful to know that the small group size made the experience even more special for you. We truly appreciate your recommendation.
Trip was great. The weather was not the best but Diego our guide added sunshine into the day with his informative attitude and knowledge about the area. Well done Diego and Pedro.
Thank you very much for your kind feedback. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip and that Diego and Pedro helped make the experience informative and enjoyable, even with the weather not being ideal. We truly appreciate your comments.
Overall and excellent trip to Braga and Guimaraes to see all the highlights and have enough time to explore each city. Both cities were beautiful and a must see. Our guide José was very knowledgeable and looked after us, but my hearing was not great and could not follow the explanations when there was background noises. Main area for improvement is the confusing information- the ticket said the operator was Citirama/Greyline but it was actually operated by Living Tours. The meeting location also changed but because the company name did not match it was confusing.
Thank you for your detailed feedback. We’re very pleased to hear that you enjoyed the visit to Braga and Guimarães and that José took good care of your group. We also appreciate your comments regarding the audio clarity and the confusion about the operator name and meeting point. We understand how this may have impacted your experience and will take your feedback into account to improve communication and overall service.
Excellent walk, despite the rain, the guide (Tania de Livingtour) is a charm and very knowledgeable of the history
Muchas gracias por su comentario tan positivo. Nos alegra saber que disfrutó del paseo a Braga y Guimarães, incluso con la lluvia. Transmitiremos sus amables palabras a Tania. ¡Esperamos darle la bienvenida de nuevo muy pronto!
