Day trip from Lisbon to Coimbra: university and fado

The plan

The day at a glance

Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.

07:30
Leave Lisbon 2 h by car
A1 or train to Coimbra-B
09:45 1
From the Baixa to the Alta via Quebra-Costas and the Sé Velha
from the Baixa to the university via Quebra-Costas
6 min on foot
10:15 2
University of Coimbra and the Joanina Library
with the Joanina, €16.50 · fixed time at the library
15 min on foot
13:00 3
Quinta das Lágrimas restaurant and the Palace brunch
weekend brunch, from 12:00 to 15:00 · book

Rua António Augusto Gonçalves, 3041-901 Coimbra · +351 239 802 380

Restaurant €€€€
Book
8 min on foot
15:30 4
Portugal dos Pequenitos, the country in miniature
on the other side of the river, if you are with children
15 min on foot
18:00 5
Coimbra fado at Café Santa Cruz
on Sunday only at 18:00
19:00
Back home
you reach Lisbon around 21:15

Approximate cost About €60–120 per person

Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.

The route

From the Baixa to the Alta via Quebra-Costas and the Sé Velha

Coimbra is the long day trip from Lisbon: about 200 km along the A1, or the Alfa Pendular. It is worth the early start on a Sunday: the university at the top of the hill, with the Joanina Library, the weekend brunch at Quinta das Lágrimas, home of the legend of Pedro and Inês, and the Sunday-afternoon Coimbra fado session in a café that used to be a church.

The day, hour by hour

7:30 · Departure. By car, the A1, a little over two hours. By train, the Alfa Pendular or Intercidades to Coimbra-B and the connection to Coimbra A, next to the Baixa.

9:45 · The Alta on foot. A one-kilometre climb through the Arco de Almedina, the Quebra-Costas stairway and the Romanesque Sé Velha.

10:15 · University and Joanina Library. The full ticket, with the Joanina, costs €16.50; without it, €12.50. The library, chapel and palace are open from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00, and the Joanina runs on fixed times: pick yours when you buy.

13:00 · Brunch at Quinta das Lágrimas. Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 to 15:00, in the quinta's palace, on the other side of the Mondego. Book.

15:30 · Portugal dos Pequenitos. If you are with children, the 1940 park with Portugal on a child's scale is near the quinta; it is open daily from 10:00.

18:00 · Fado at Café Santa Cruz. On Sunday there is a single session, at 18:00, in the café inside a former church next to the Santa Cruz monastery.

19:00 · Heading back. You are in Lisbon around 21:15.

Distance1 km

Time1 h

University of Coimbra tower above the Alta

Elapsed at English Wikipedia · Public domain

Change the route

With young children, if it rains or if you fancy something else: another stop that fits the same day.

By car, a Roman city 16 km away: The Roman ruins of Conímbriga and their mosaicsRoman city 16 km from Coimbra with the House of the Fountains (Casa dos Repuxos), its mosaics and fountain garden, and a museum. Open daily; admission €10.

In summer, if you fancy the river: Kayaking the Mondego from Penacova to CoimbraKayak · 3–5 h · 18 or 25 km · From €20

Where to eat

Where to eat?

Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.

A dish of king prawns with vegetables, sauces and flowers

Map

The stops, in order

With where to park at each one.

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

Getting there

By car or without one?

By car

A1, about 200 km, a little over two hours.

Without a car

CP Alfa Pendular or Intercidades to Coimbra-B, and a connection to Coimbra A.

When to go

When to go to Coimbra

All year round. In spring and autumn the city is full of students; in summer there are more tourists and less university life.

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Best timeGood timeLow season

Tips

Worth knowing first

1
Buy the Joanina with an early time
The library has a limited capacity and fixed times.
2
Get to the fado early
The Sunday session is the only one of the day.

Questions