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Porto Day Tour: Braga & Guimarães History
4.9
115 Ratings
Porto
Join an enchanting full-day excursion from Porto to discover the vibrant historical landscape of Braga and Guimarães. This engaging journey uncovers Portugal’s ancient heritage, from Roman settlements to the nation’s birthplace, providing a mix of cultural insights, architectural wonders, and local culinary delights.
Join an enchanting full-day excursion from Porto to discover the vibrant historical landscape of Braga and Guimarães. This engaging journey uncovers Portugal’s ancient heritage, from Roman settlements to the nation’s birthplace, providing a mix of cultural insights, architectural wonders, and local culinary delights.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Bom Jesus Do Monte - Climb to this iconic pilgrimage destination in Braga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated for its elaborate Baroque stairway and breathtaking views of the city.
- Braga - Wander through the historic center of Braga.
- Se de Braga - Discover Portugal’s oldest cathedral, a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic…
- Bom Jesus Do Monte - Climb to this iconic pilgrimage destination in Braga, a UNESCO World Heritage site, celebrated for its elaborate Baroque stairway and breathtaking views of the city.
- Braga - Wander through the historic center of Braga.
- Se de Braga - Discover Portugal’s oldest cathedral, a masterpiece of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, highlighting Braga’s importance as the “City of Archbishops.”
- Campo De Sao Mamede - Delight in authentic regional cuisine at a local restaurant, savoring the flavors that define Northern Portugal.
- Guimaraes Castle - Investigate the medieval fortress where Portugal’s first king, Afonso Henriques, was born, representing the nation’s beginnings.
- Centro Historico de Guimaraes - Explore the beautiful and ancient historic center of Guimarães, with its UNESCO-listed old town, featuring landmarks like Oliveira Square and the Church of São Miguel.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance in Braga’s Cathedral
- Lunch
- Local guide
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance in Braga’s Cathedral
- Lunch
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
- Parents should bring the baby car seat ajusted to infant’s age (1 to 3 years old). We only have seats available after 4 years old.
- This tour may be done in two languages. We try to avoid it, but sometimes we have no other solution.
- Private option it’s done in a private vehicle only with your private guide. The activities may be shared with other…
- Parents should bring the baby car seat ajusted to infant’s age (1 to 3 years old). We only have seats available after 4 years old.
- This tour may be done in two languages. We try to avoid it, but sometimes we have no other solution.
- Private option it’s done in a private vehicle only with your private guide. The activities may be shared with other participants.
- Reschedulings with less than 24 hours before the start of the tour will be charged a 30% fee (subject to availability).
- We do not recommend that you book or schedule different activities at the end of the tour. Although the tour may last 8 hours, the duration may vary depending on traffic conditions and other factors.
- Schedules and Itinerary may change without prior notice.
- On the private option infants or childrens must be booked as an individual adult/seat. Prices shown are per group/vehicle.
Location
Igreja da Lapa
Largo da Lapa
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(115 Ratings)
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Gillaj13
Mar 12, 2026
Brilliant day trip - Excellent day out. Juliana looked after us brilliantly. She had great knowledge and made our day out fun and very interesting. Thoroughly enjoyed our trip
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kenandkarens
Mar 9, 2026
Evince tour of Braga and Guimarāes - Tour guides Vitor and Rita were fantastic. Vitor was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all our questions and had pertinent information about all the areas we visited. Rita was along as a learning experience for the area, but was able to contribute greatly to our historical learning. The two of them made the full day tour most enjoyable. They were able to accommodate our mobility issues, and still were able to complete the tour itinerary.
I would not hesitate to ask for either of them as our guide on another tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Woshiairy
Mar 8, 2026
Perfect Day Exploring Braga & Guimarães - We had a perfect day with our guide Pedro. He explained the history very clearly and made everything easy to understand. The tour was very well paced, and we were able to see all the highlights without ever feeling rushed. Both cities Braga and Guimarães are incredibly beautiful and full of history. Pedro was also very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions along the way, which made the experience even more enjoyable. Overall, it was a wonderful day trip and a great way to explore these two amazing cities. I strongly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antonette
Jan 24, 2026
Wonderful day trip - Great day trip - informative, well-organized, and fun. Our guide was knowledgeable, engaging, and made learning about the history of the places that we visited enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marta
Jan 18, 2026
Wonderful tour. Our tour guides Pedro and Thiago were knowledgeable, courteous and very professional. Amazing tour - Pedro and Thiago our tour guides were wonderful. Truly made our visit to Braga and Guimarães wonderful! They were courteous, knowledgeable and very professional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travel608214
Nov 2, 2025
Delightful! - Our tour guide Pedro Pais was awesome! Very knowledgeable and personable. Our entire day delivered more value than we expected. We walked through the medieval walls of Braga, and charming village of Guimaires, where we were provided with a delicious generous lunch at a traditional Portugese family restaurant, and a tour of the beautiful Bom Jesus Basilica and sanctuary grounds. Thank you Pedro for guiding a delightfully perfect day!
Joanne and Michael, Vancouver Island, Canada
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancydines
Nov 1, 2025
A lovely day in Braga and Guimarães with Vitor - Our all day outing to Braga and Guimarães started with Vitor picking us up at our designated pickup spot near the Palácio da Bolsa. Vitor's cheerfulness and high energy was apparent. With Vitor leading our group, he freely shared historical context and additional insight on all things Portuguese. Vitor was a very safe driver and we had a total of four persons in the 12 passenger Mercedes van he was driving.
Before heading to Braga city center, we first visited the Bom Jesus do Monte, a Catholic shrine located high on a hill. To reach the church, you have the option of climbing 583 steps, or taking the oldest water-powered funicular in Europe, or driving to the top. The view is incredible from the top, and after seeing the beautiful church sanctuary, we continued our trip to Braga.
Before lunch, we visited the remarkable Braga Cathedral which is a mixture of architectural types. It is the oldest cathedral in Portugal, boasting 9 centuries of history. The baroque organ was magnificent, a real marvel and Vitor really highlighted many other interesting features within this old church. Afterwards, we drove to a restaurant for a traditional Portuguese lunch where they served us fish, pork and veal dishes with wine. It was a lovely lunch and a chance to talk about all the amazing sites we had visited.
After lunch, we spent the afternoon visiting several ancient sites including Guimarães Castle, a 10th-century fortress and a site where templar knights were buried. The city hosts many devotees on their pilgrimages which I found fascinating. Lastly we had some time to look in a few shops before returning to Porto around 5:30 pm.
This tour was really an excellent grounding in Portuguese history and visiting such a noteworthy set of churches and castles coupled with Vitor's extensive knowledge of the region made it a day we will not forget! Thanks Vitor for sharing your extensive knowledge and love of Portugal!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joemh916lh
Nov 1, 2025
Exceptional, Wonderful,fun and very informative. - Our guide Pedro was very kind ,polite informative, accommodating, knowledgeable and made the day a fun one.
Pedro is the type of employee that all buisnesses would want to have and keep.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vacation783300
Oct 31, 2025
Amazing experience - Our tour was beyond our expectations. Our driver/guide Victor was absolutely amazing. Knowledgeable, interesting, friendly, funny and very accommodating. The sites/ buildings were breathtaking. The lunch was outstanding. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
F3758yzadrians
Oct 25, 2025
Fantastic Start to Our Porto Trip - We booked the Braga and Guimarães Small-Group Tour with Lunch from Porto and it turned out to be the perfect way to kick off our vacation. The tour was private, which made it extra special — relaxed, comfortable, and tailored to our pace.
Our guide, Pablo, was excellent — super knowledgeable, engaging, and clearly passionate about Portuguese history and culture. He shared so many interesting details about both cities that we would’ve missed on our own.
The stops in Braga and Guimarães were beautiful — rich in history, full of charming streets, old churches, and lovely squares. Lunch was also fantastic, with authentic Portuguese dishes and local wine.
It felt like a full, but never rushed, day — a great mix of sightseeing, history, and good food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
