Guimarães & Braga Tour from Porto
8 Hours
All Ages
English, Portuguese, Spanish
Explore the rich history and cultural heritage of Braga and Guimarães on an unforgettable guided tour, visiting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and their iconic landmarks...
Explore Guimarães, Braga & Bom Jesus do Monte – Portugal’s Historical and Spiritual Treasures
Discover the heart of Northern Portugal on a memorable full-day tour from Porto to Guimarães and Braga — two historic cities filled with medieval charm, UNESCO heritage, and centuries of cultural richness. Along the way, visit the iconic Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, a breathtaking pilgrimage site and one of Portugal’s most beloved landmarks.
Our journey starts with Guimarães, often hailed as the birthplace of Portugal and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll explore the city's medieval atmosphere, beginning with a tour of the impressive 10th-century Guimarães Castle, crucial in Portugal's early history. Then, we'll walk by the majestic Dukes of Bragança Palace, a symbol of Portugal's noble heritage, and wander through the picturesque historical center, with its charming medieval streets and squares.
After a delightful lunch paired with regional Vinho Verde wine, our tour continues to Braga, known as the oldest Portuguese city and religious capital. Braga boasts a rich history as the oldest archiepiscopal seat and pilgrimage site, with architectural wonders dating back centuries. We'll stroll through the city center and visit its Sé Cathedral, showcasing remarkable architecture from Romanesque to Gothic and Baroque styles.
Before concluding our tour, we'll explore the iconic Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary, also honored as a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its spiritual devotion and architectural splendor. Discover its beautiful gardens and natural surroundings, along with the majestic Baroque staircase of 573 steps, known as the Sacred Way, leading to one of the most photographed churches in the world. Situated atop a hill, Bom Jesus do Monte offers breathtaking panoramic views of Braga's surrounding area.
Join us on this unforgettable journey through Braga and Guimarães, where history, culture, and stunning landscapes converge to create an enriching experience. Book your tour now and uncover the fascinating heritage of Portugal's ancient cities!
Spoken Languages: Portuguese, English, Spanish, and French (by request)
Pickup details:
We offer pickup from most centrally located Porto hotels, whenever accessible. Your exact pickup time and location will be confirmed the day before your tour, depending on traffic and city access restrictions.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Guided exploration of two UNESCO World Heritage sites
- Discover the medieval ambiance of Guimarães and its Castle
- Enjoy in a delicious traditional Portuguese lunch
- Experience the beauty and history of Braga and its Cathedral
- Explore Bom Jesus Sanctuary, a renowned hilltop pilgrimage destination
AWARDS
INCLUDED
- Pickup at the Hotel or in a predesignated place close to the Hotel
- The Pickup will be 15m-40m before the tour starts
- Full-day Guide Tour in a Comfortable Van
- Full Traditional Lunch and Entries Included
- Bottled water with sustainable packaging
- Drop-off at two central locations: Trindade station or Bolsa Palace
NOT INCLUDED
- Food and drinks not mentioned
- Gratuities
See Reviews
430 reviews on TripAdvisor
Excellent wine tasting tour
Fantastic experience - Rodrigo was an excellent guide. Interesting tour - lots of facts, excellent seeing how the wine is produced, loved the Portuguese meal.
Review of: Porto: Guimaraes & Braga Small Group Tour with Lunch and Tickets
Vanessa2823
Highly recommends Cooltours Oporto for Douro Valley
We had a wonderful day tour of Douro Valley with Filipe. Every part of the trip was well organised, fun, interesting and full of gorgeous scenery. We learnt so much about Douro wine, Portugal and its lovely passionate peoples. Very highly recommended trip for people wanting a small group experience that provides an in depth visit to Douro valley combined with great humour, wine tasting and insight. Thank you !
Review of: Porto: Guimaraes & Braga Small Group Tour with Lunch and Tickets
Caz4870
Some suggestions for improvement
Our guide and driver, NuNo was fantastic. Started off the tour with a short history on Portugal and the area which was great. First stop at a small winery was lovely. Little bites of food to go with the many glasses of Port. Lunch was at a restaurant in an old school house and was good. My only suggestion would be to find a winery where they serve lunch. We didn't enjoy the second larger winery as there wasn't really a tour just poor NuNo taking us around and explaining things. When we did sit for the tasting the lady did not show us the bottles so we were completely at a loss to what we were tasting other than, white, tawny etc. Not at all helpful and therefore we didn't buy any wine there. I would suggest a different winery. The river tour was ok I would also suggest that when the guest makes a booking the confirmation email should let them know to download the boat operators app. There was no live person telling about the sites along the way, the app was the only way to listen to this information. As soon as we got on the boat we were told to download the app in order to listen to the information. I didn't want to download a large app without any wifi so that was a complete waste of time. We were with another couple so there was plenty of room in the van. We were also nicely dropped by off at our hotels instead of in town.
Review of: Porto: Guimaraes & Braga Small Group Tour with Lunch and Tickets
laura a
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At Cooltour Oporto, we are fully committed to sustainability through Biosphere Sustainable, aligning unique experiences with the UN Agenda 2030. We integrate eco-friendly practices for positive impacts on communities and the environment in Porto and Northern Portugal.
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