Amazing Day Trip from Porto to Guimarães

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Guimarães is considered the birthplace of Portugal and its historic town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. So of course a lot of people do a day trip from Porto to Guimarães.

I still expected a charming, quiet, small town after reading up on it. Well, it’s definitely charming and it’s small in the sense that all the sights are easily accessible by foot (except the viewpoint on a hill) but it’s definitely not quiet.

I think Guimarães was the most touristy of all the best day trips from Porto I did. But as usual, there’s a reason why there’re a lot of tourists, it’s a great place to visit. It was my favourite day trip from Porto.

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How to get from Porto to Guimarães

It’s quite easy to get to Guimarães from Porto. The journey time takes around one hour by urban train. The return train ticket to Guimaraes is less than €10 and sets off at São Bento station, a popular site in Porto known for its tile works.

So, it’s really easy to get to Guimarães from Porto by public transport but if you prefer a guided tour this half-day tour is highly-rated. Either way, make sure to put a day trip to Guimarães on your Porto itinerary since it’s one of the best day trips from Porto.

But to be completely honest, if you only want to see Guimarães I think the best way is just to get the train. I would only recommend a tour if you want to combine your trip to Guimarães with a visit to Braga, more on that later.

🤩 Check the prices of a combined day trip to Guimarães and Braga!

Bushes in the front and in the back you can see Guimaraes castle, Day trip from Porto to Guimaraes — Guimarães Castle

Best Things to do in Guimarães

I visited the main attractions in Guimarães on my great day trip. If you want to get a feel for what it’s like to visit Guimarães, you can watch the video of my time in this beautiful city in North Portugal:

Things To Do in Guimarães on a Day Trip! The Birthplace of Portugal

Watch this video on YouTube

1. Guimarães Castle

The outside of the Guimaraes castle, next to it is a tree — Guimarães castle, one of the highlights on my Porto Guimarães day trip

The main attraction in town is Guimarães Castle. It’s the reason why Guimarães is considered to be the birthplace of Portugal. The first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, was born there.

The Castle or you might say the cradle of Portugal, is located north of the city centre, next to the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza.

The park surrounding the castle and the palace is free to visit and you get a lovely view of those two historical buildings.

Even just wandering around this park is worth doing a day trip to Guimarães from Porto in my opinion. You don’t just get a good view of the palace and castle, you also get a glimpse of the whole city from the park.

You can enter the castle for a €2 fee (tickets have to be bought at the Palace). Inside you can walk on the castle walls and enjoy the view of the castle and the surrounding area.

There’s an exhibition in the central tower, which wasn’t that interesting in my opinion. I mainly went into the tower in the hope of having a higher viewing point… no such luck, after climbing a lot of stairs the exhibition was over and there was no chance of looking outside.

2. Ducal Palace

The courtyard of the palace in Guimaraes — Guimarães palace

The Palace of the Dukes of Bragança was built in the 15th century and was widely reconstructed in the 20th. Now it houses a large selection of furniture, textiles and so on.

My highlights were the inner courtyard and the little chapel. The windows of the chapel are radiantly colourful (way better than in the picture).

The entrance to the Ducal palace is €5. If you visit both you get a discount of €1.

3. Alberto Sampaio Museum

A tree in a courtyard — Alberto Sampaio Museum

You can buy a combined ticket for the Palace, the Castle and the Alberto Sampaio Museum for €8. I quickly googled the museum while I was queueing up at the palace. Since the reviews for the Museum were good, I decided to go for the combined ticket.

The Museum is in the city centre next to Largo da Oliveira. The courtyard of the museum is very nice. I just love a good courtyard with loads of columns. The museum itself… well, let’s say it wasn’t my cup of tea. They try to combine old religious paintings with modern art.

4. Nossa Senhora da Consolação e dos Santos Passos Church

Flower bed and far in the back you can see a church — Amazing short walk to the Nossa Senhora church

My favourite church in Guimarães is the church with the longest name I’ve ever seen: Nossa Senhora da Consolação e dos Santos Passos Church.

The church itself is nice but the best thing is the walk there. You start at a nice fountain and keep getting closer while seeing nice flowerbeds.

5. Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

A canopy with a cross inside — Monument in front of Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira

The second most impressive church is Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira. You cannot miss that one, since it’s on the lively square “Largo da Oliveira” which felt like the heart of the city to me.

The church with the Gothic monument in front is an amazing background view for all those who decide to sit down at the square to enjoy a drink. The entrance to the church is free, so when you’re already there, don’t miss out on a look inside.

6. Church of Saint Francis

Church from the inside with blue tiles on the wall — Inside of Church of Saint Francis

The most beautiful church from the inside is the Church of Saint Francis. There you can marvel at the typical Portuguese tiles in case you haven’t seen enough of them by that point.

7. Largo da Oliveira

Guimarães has loads of small cute streets with little shops, especially near Largo da Oliveira.

The city also seems to have way less traffic in the city centre than other Portuguese cities, with even a few car-free roads.

At the time I visited, there was a week-long festival going on which started evenings, unfortunately, I had to go back to Porto before I could see much of it. But they had little stalls with artisan crafts at the Jardim Público da Alameda and a live band.

So before you choose the date for your day trip to Guimarães google if some event is going on.

8. Penha viewing point

Taking the cable car up to Penha to enjoy the view over the city and walking around in the park sounds like something worth doing but unfortunately, I had already made dinner plans in Porto and so I didn’t have enough time.

That’s the only thing on this list I’ve not tried out myself but it definitely sounds like a good idea and something I would’ve enjoyed and you’ll have enough time for it if you have the whole day in Guimarães.

Sidenote: the Sanctuary of Penha is a church and still a pilgrimage destination for many catholic people but I read that now it’s mostly people enjoying the view.

Vegan food in Guimarães

In Guimarães the vegan food options are very limited compared to the many vegan restaurants in Porto. I decided to go for some food when I saw the long queue in front of the Ducal Palace and went to the only vegan place kind of close by Donna Veggie.

The daily special consists of a soup, a small salad and a main (two options) and was very good and for just €10. Since I was there it seems they changed their concept and now they offer a vegan buffet.

Combine visiting Guimarães and Braga on an epic day tour

I spent one month in Porto so I had time to do separate day trips to Guimarães and to Braga. If you don’t have that much time you can combine those two destinations in Northern Portugal in one single day trip.

Braga is the fourth biggest city in Portugal and it’s mainly known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bom Jesus do Monte.

Bom Jesus do Monte is a Christian pilgrimage site with an impressive baroque staircase leading up to it.

Top Pick

Baroque staircase leading up to a church, day trip to Braga

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Guimarães and Braga day trip from Porto

✅ Make the most out of your time

✅ Visit Guimarães and Braga

✅ See the stunning countryside

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Another amazing day trip from Porto is to go wine tasting in the Douro Valley. There you can see the beautiful landscape surrounding the Douro River and taste some traditional Port Wine.

FAQ about a Guimarães day trip

How do you spend a day in Guimaraes?

The main attractions in Guimarães are the castle and the ducal palace. Other sights are the two beautiful churches Nossa Senhora da Consolação e dos Santos Passos and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira. But even just strolling through the historic centre is worth it.

Is it worth going to Guimaraes?

Yes, Guimarães is worth visiting. It was my favourite day trip from Porto. It’s a great mix of historic sights and a relaxed atmosphere in the historic old town.

What is Guimarães Portugal known for?

The first king of Portugal was born in Guimarães, so the town is considered to be the birthplace of Portugal.

How long is the train from Porto to Guimarães?

The train from Porto to Guimarães takes about 1 hour.

Is there a train from Porto to Guimarães Portugal?

Yes, there is a direct train from Porto to Guimarães, it sets off at the beautiful São Bento train station in Porto and is really cheap.

Why visit Guimarães Portugal?

Guimarães is considered the birthplace of Portugal since the country’s first king was born there and you can visit the palace.

Which is better Braga or Guimarães?

I liked Guimarães better than Braga since there are more things to do and the old town is so charming.

Final thoughts: Day trip from Porto to Guimarães Portugal

At first, I wasn’t sure if I should do this popular day trip to Guimarães but in the end, I was so glad that I did.

Strolling through the narrow streets in the historic city of Guimarães and learning about the history of Portugal, was just the perfect day trip. I’d even suggest to add Guimarães to your travel itinerary for Portugal.

One of the highlights of my trip was visiting the Guimarães Castle. Built in the 10th century, this castle played a significant role in Portugal’s history and is now a popular tourist attraction.

Walking through its walls and towers, I couldn’t help but feel transported back in time. The view from the top of the castle was also breathtaking, offering panoramic views of the city below.

🤩 Combined the day trip to Guimarães with a trip to Braga!

Amazing Day Trip from Porto to Guimarães

How to get from Porto to Guimarães