# Guimarães

The city of Portugal's first king: a castle, the palace of the dukes and a medieval World Heritage centre. An hour from Porto by train and 90 minutes from Vigo.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/northern-portugal/guimaraes · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## What can you see in a day on foot?

Guimarães is seen on foot. The historic centre, a World Heritage Site since 2001, runs from Largo do Toural, beside the stretch of wall bearing the sign “Aqui nasceu Portugal” (“Portugal was born here”), up to the castle hill. In between is the best of it: Praça da Oliveira and Praça de Santiago, with houses with wooden balconies and granite arcades, and Rua de Santa Maria, the oldest, which climbs towards the castle.

At the top, Monte Latito brings together three national monuments. Guimarães Castle is the one most associated with the origin of the country; you can walk along its walls, but the keep is closed to the public. Beside it, the small Romanesque church of São Miguel, where tradition says Afonso Henriques, the first king, was baptised. And the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, built at the order of Afonso, first Duke of Braganza and natural son of King João I, with tapestries, furniture and weapons.

All three are open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:30, and the ticket office is in the palace. The palace costs €10 and the castle €5; the combined palace and castle ticket, €13, and if you add the Alberto Sampaio museum, in Praça da Oliveira, €17. Young people from 13 to 24, over-65s and families pay half. They are closed on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 June and 25 December.

Since 2023, the Couros area, the old tanneries district beside the river, has also been a World Heritage Site. It is a step from the centre and can be seen on a short walk.

## And the Penha mountain?

Above the city is the Penha mountain, with forest, rocks, trails and a sanctuary. You go up on the Guimarães cable car, run by the Turipenha cooperative, and up top there is also a campsite. In bad weather the cable car may close: check the notices on its website before going.

## What is there nearby?

Braga is 15 minutes by motorway. About 30 km from Guimarães, on the outskirts of Braga, the Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary, a World Heritage Site, has a zigzag Baroque stairway that you climb on foot, and a lift if you don't want to climb it. For the Douro or Peneda-Gerês Park, Guimarães also works as a base, with a car.

## How do you get there from Spain?

By car, Guimarães is about 90 minutes from Vigo via the A3 and A7, 30 minutes from Porto and 15 from Braga. Some Portuguese motorways have electronic-only tolls: register your plate before crossing. For parking, the paid car park at Largo Condessa Mumadona is 400 m from the palace.

By train, the CP line from Porto takes around an hour. Guimarães station is 1.5 km from the palace, about 20 minutes' walk through the centre. If you fly, the nearest airport is Porto's.

## What else is worth knowing?

In 2026 Guimarães is European Green Capital, with activities throughout the year. The city is easy on foot, but the cobbles and the castle hill are tiring: wear flat shoes. The palace lift has broken down at times, so if you are with someone with reduced mobility, ask at the ticket office.

## Dónde está
- Cerca: Peneda-Gerês (a 32.9 km), Porto and the Douro (a 43.1 km), Cíes Islands (a 100.2 km · Spain), Ourense (a 105.2 km · Spain)

## Qué hacer
- **Guimarães Castle and the church of São Miguel** (1 h · Everyone; the slope and wall stairs, no pushchairs · €5; with the palace, €13): On top of Monte Latito, the castle is the monument associated with the origin of the kingdom. You walk the walls, not the keep, which is closed to the public. Beside it, the small Romanesque church of São Miguel, where tradition places the baptism of the first king. Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30); the ticket office is at the palace. It costs €5, half price for young people aged 13 to 24, over-65s and families.
- **Palace of the Dukes of Braganza** (1 h 30 · Everyone · €10; €13 with the castle; €17 with the Alberto Sampaio museum): The Paço dos Duques is the palace of the first Duke of Braganza, with its cloister courtyard and brick chimneys, built in the 15th century. Open every day from 10:00 to 18:00, last entry at 17:30. Admission is €10; the joint ticket with the castle is €13, and with the Alberto Sampaio museum, €17. The lift has had breakdowns: if you are with someone with reduced mobility, ask at the ticket office.
- **From Toural to the castle via the Oliveira and Rua de Santa Maria** (1 h 30 · 1.5 km · Everyone; cobbles and a final slope · Free): Set out from Largo do Toural, beside the stretch of wall with the sign "Aqui nasceu Portugal" ("Portugal was born here"), and enter the historic centre, a World Heritage Site since 2001. The Oliveira and Santiago squares have houses with wooden balconies and granite arcades; from them, Rua de Santa Maria, the oldest, climbs to the castle hill. On the way back, go down to the Couros area, the tanners' district, a World Heritage Site since 2023.
- **Cable car from Guimarães to Penha mountain** (2 h 30 · All ages · Desde 5 € per single journey): The Turipenha cooperative's cable car leaves near the centre and climbs Penha mountain, which overlooks the city: at the top there is woodland, large rocks, trails and a sanctuary. A single costs €5 and a return €10; children aged 6 to 11 pay €3 and €5. In October 2026 it runs every day from 10:00 to 17:30, and the ticket office closes 15 minutes earlier. In wind or storms it is suspended: check the notices on its website before you go.
- **Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary and its water funicular, in Braga** (2 h · Everyone; the funicular saves you the stairway): On the outskirts of Braga, about 30 km from Guimarães, the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, a World Heritage Site, is climbed by a zigzag Baroque stairway with fountains and chapels of the Stations of the Cross. If you do not want to climb it, the 1882 funicular, the first in the Iberian Peninsula, covers 116 m of height difference over 267 m of track and still runs on a water counterbalance: it is the oldest in the world in service with that system. Go up by funicular and come down on foot by the stairs.

## Dónde comer
- **Cor de Tangerina** (Restaurant, Guimarães, €€). Qué pedir: the potato mille-feuille with chanterelles and acorn, awarded in the vegan category of the 7 Maravilhas da Nova Gastronomia.
- **A Cozinha by António Loureiro** (Restaurant, Guimarães, €€€€). Qué pedir: the Equilíbrio menu, of six or nine courses; on the short à la carte, the beef with cauliflower that the Michelin guide highlights.
- **HOOL, the restaurant of the Hotel da Oliveira** (Restaurant, Guimarães, €€€). Qué pedir: the à la carte at midday on the square terrace; the tasting menu at dinner before 21:00.

## Car-free: By train from Porto and everything on foot
Guimarães is one of the easiest cities in Portugal without a car: the train arrives from Porto in about an hour, the centre is pedestrianised and the cable car takes you up to Penha. Only Braga and Bom Jesus call for a bus or a car.
Presupuesto orientativo: 70–120 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel da Oliveira** (Small hotel): On the prettiest square in the centre
The Hotel da Oliveira is on Largo da Oliveira, in the heart of the World Heritage historic centre. The church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is a minute's walk away, the Dukes' palace eight and the castle ten. Each room or suite is dedicated to a figure or tradition of Guimarães, with designer pieces that sit alongside the stone of the building.
Rooms and apartments
There are junior and luxury suites, such as the Suite Lux, of about 45 m², with two beds and a separate sitting room, looking onto the courtyards and lanes of the centre. About 50 m from the hotel it also has two HOOL apartments, of about 40 m², with a small kitchen, air conditioning and wifi; one of them has two floors, with a small terrace over the square. Guests in the apartments check in and have breakfast at the hotel.
Getting there without a car
It is the accommodation for walking to everything: from the railway station it is about 20 minutes on foot. The centre is pedestrianised; if you come by car, leave it in a public car park such as the one at Largo Condessa Mumadona and continue on foot. The HOOL restaurant is on the ground floor.
- **Hotel Toural** (Hotel): The city's old Grande Hotel
The Hotel Toural occupies an 1886 building on Largo do Toural, the square that separates the 19th-century town from the medieval centre. It was the Grande Hotel de Guimarães and then the Grande Hotel do Toural; renovated, it keeps its façade and is now a four-star. From Toural to the castle it is a walk through the Oliveira square and Rua de Santa Maria, and the "Aqui nasceu Portugal" wall is opposite.
The rooms
They are spacious, with views of the square or the streets of the centre, and all have a bathtub, not a shower. Breakfast, with local produce, is included depending on the rate and is served at the table. There is a lift. If you book on its website they offer a welcome drink at the bar and flexible arrival or departure subject to availability.
Good to know
It has no parking of its own: use a nearby public car park or arrive by train, about 15 minutes' walk away. Animals are not allowed. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
### Servicios
- **Guimarães tourist point**: Municipal tourist office on Praça de Santiago, in the heart of the historic centre, with maps, listings and tour bookings.
- **Guimarães railway station**: The end of the CP line from Porto, with trains in about an hour; 1.5 km from the palace, about 20 minutes on foot.

## By car: A car to get there, feet for the city
From Vigo it is about 90 minutes by the A3 and A7. The car is for getting there and for Braga, Bom Jesus or the Gerês; inside the city, leave it parked. Some motorways have electronic tolls only.
Presupuesto orientativo: 75–130 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães** (Hotel): Sleeping in a 12th-century monastery
The pousada occupies the former Augustinian monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa, from the 12th century, on the slope of Penha mountain, about 3 km from the centre. From its terraces you see the whole city. It has 51 rooms, including 2 suites, 6 historic superiors and 2 master suites. It is the choice for a special night or for anyone arriving by car who does not want to fight for parking in the centre: parking is free for guests.
Pool, garden and restaurant
In summer the outdoor pool opens, with its bar from 12:30 to 18:00, and children have a playground in the garden. The D. Mafalda restaurant serves breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30, lunch from 13:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00, with a children's menu. The bar is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Dogs up to 15 kg are allowed with a supplement and only in some room types.
Getting there and what is nearby
You arrive by car along the road that climbs to Penha. To the historic centre it is a few minutes by car or a walk down; you go up to Penha mountain by cable car from below or by road. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
- **Penha Campsite** (Campsite): Camping above the city
The Penha campsite is on the mountain that overlooks Guimarães, among woodland and large granite rocks, and is run by Turipenha, the same cooperative that runs the cable car. It is open all year. There are pitches for tents under the trees, a shaded motorhome area, a bar, a playground and a pool that opens from 15 May to 15 September.
How it works
Check-in is from 9:00 to 18:00 and check-out from 9:00 to 15:00; the stay is paid before 15:00 on the day of departure, and on long stays, every five days. Prices are those in the Guimarães Town Council's table of fees for each year. Book by email (campismo@turipenha.pt) or by phone.
Getting there
In a motorhome, Turipenha recommends going up the N101 towards Mesão Frio, a quieter climb. To go down to the centre without a car, the cable car links the summit with the city.
### Servicios
- **Guimarães tourist point**: Municipal tourist office on Praça de Santiago, in the heart of the historic centre, with maps, listings and tour bookings.

## Luxury: A monastery and a Michelin star
For a celebration getaway, Guimarães has a pousada in a 12th-century monastery, a boutique hotel on the best square and a starred restaurant.
Presupuesto orientativo: From €220 por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir in style
- **Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães** (Hotel): Sleeping in a 12th-century monastery
The pousada occupies the former Augustinian monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa, from the 12th century, on the slope of Penha mountain, about 3 km from the centre. From its terraces you see the whole city. It has 51 rooms, including 2 suites, 6 historic superiors and 2 master suites. It is the choice for a special night or for anyone arriving by car who does not want to fight for parking in the centre: parking is free for guests.
Pool, garden and restaurant
In summer the outdoor pool opens, with its bar from 12:30 to 18:00, and children have a playground in the garden. The D. Mafalda restaurant serves breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30, lunch from 13:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00, with a children's menu. The bar is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Dogs up to 15 kg are allowed with a supplement and only in some room types.
Getting there and what is nearby
You arrive by car along the road that climbs to Penha. To the historic centre it is a few minutes by car or a walk down; you go up to Penha mountain by cable car from below or by road. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
- **Hotel da Oliveira** (Small hotel): On the prettiest square in the centre
The Hotel da Oliveira is on Largo da Oliveira, in the heart of the World Heritage historic centre. The church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is a minute's walk away, the Dukes' palace eight and the castle ten. Each room or suite is dedicated to a figure or tradition of Guimarães, with designer pieces that sit alongside the stone of the building.
Rooms and apartments
There are junior and luxury suites, such as the Suite Lux, of about 45 m², with two beds and a separate sitting room, looking onto the courtyards and lanes of the centre. About 50 m from the hotel it also has two HOOL apartments, of about 40 m², with a small kitchen, air conditioning and wifi; one of them has two floors, with a small terrace over the square. Guests in the apartments check in and have breakfast at the hotel.
Getting there without a car
It is the accommodation for walking to everything: from the railway station it is about 20 minutes on foot. The centre is pedestrianised; if you come by car, leave it in a public car park such as the one at Largo Condessa Mumadona and continue on foot. The HOOL restaurant is on the ground floor.

## By plane: Fly to Porto and take a train or car to Guimarães
Porto airport has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities, and Guimarães is about 50 km away: a good half hour by car or, without a car, the metro to Porto and a CP train of about an hour.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães** (Hotel): Sleeping in a 12th-century monastery
The pousada occupies the former Augustinian monastery of Santa Marinha da Costa, from the 12th century, on the slope of Penha mountain, about 3 km from the centre. From its terraces you see the whole city. It has 51 rooms, including 2 suites, 6 historic superiors and 2 master suites. It is the choice for a special night or for anyone arriving by car who does not want to fight for parking in the centre: parking is free for guests.
Pool, garden and restaurant
In summer the outdoor pool opens, with its bar from 12:30 to 18:00, and children have a playground in the garden. The D. Mafalda restaurant serves breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30, lunch from 13:00 to 15:00 and dinner from 19:30 to 22:00, with a children's menu. The bar is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Dogs up to 15 kg are allowed with a supplement and only in some room types.
Getting there and what is nearby
You arrive by car along the road that climbs to Penha. To the historic centre it is a few minutes by car or a walk down; you go up to Penha mountain by cable car from below or by road. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
- **Hotel da Oliveira** (Small hotel): On the prettiest square in the centre
The Hotel da Oliveira is on Largo da Oliveira, in the heart of the World Heritage historic centre. The church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira is a minute's walk away, the Dukes' palace eight and the castle ten. Each room or suite is dedicated to a figure or tradition of Guimarães, with designer pieces that sit alongside the stone of the building.
Rooms and apartments
There are junior and luxury suites, such as the Suite Lux, of about 45 m², with two beds and a separate sitting room, looking onto the courtyards and lanes of the centre. About 50 m from the hotel it also has two HOOL apartments, of about 40 m², with a small kitchen, air conditioning and wifi; one of them has two floors, with a small terrace over the square. Guests in the apartments check in and have breakfast at the hotel.
Getting there without a car
It is the accommodation for walking to everything: from the railway station it is about 20 minutes on foot. The centre is pedestrianised; if you come by car, leave it in a public car park such as the one at Largo Condessa Mumadona and continue on foot. The HOOL restaurant is on the ground floor.
- **Hotel Toural** (Hotel): The city's old Grande Hotel
The Hotel Toural occupies an 1886 building on Largo do Toural, the square that separates the 19th-century town from the medieval centre. It was the Grande Hotel de Guimarães and then the Grande Hotel do Toural; renovated, it keeps its façade and is now a four-star. From Toural to the castle it is a walk through the Oliveira square and Rua de Santa Maria, and the "Aqui nasceu Portugal" wall is opposite.
The rooms
They are spacious, with views of the square or the streets of the centre, and all have a bathtub, not a shower. Breakfast, with local produce, is included depending on the rate and is served at the table. There is a lift. If you book on its website they offer a welcome drink at the bar and flexible arrival or departure subject to availability.
Good to know
It has no parking of its own: use a nearby public car park or arrive by train, about 15 minutes' walk away. Animals are not allowed. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out until 12:00.
### Servicios
- **Guimarães railway station**: The end of the CP line from Porto, with trains in about an hour; 1.5 km from the palace, about 20 minutes on foot.

## As a family: Castle, cable car and squares without cars

Guimarães can be seen in a day with children: the castle grips them, the centre is pedestrianised and Penha by cable car is a plan in itself. Families pay half price at the castle and the palace.

### What works best
The castle walls

The Penha cable car, €5 return for children aged 6 to 11

A walk through the Oliveira and Rua de Santa Maria

The water funicular at Bom Jesus, in Braga

### Where to stay
Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães, with a pool and playground

Penha Campsite, with a pool in summer

### Where to eat
HOOL, open every day, on the square

Cor de Tangerina, with a garden, at the weekend

### Worth knowing
Cobbles and slopes: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

The palace and castle are closed on 24 June

### Qué hacer as a family
- Guimarães Castle and the church of São Miguel
- Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
- From Toural to the castle via the Oliveira and Rua de Santa Maria
- Cable car from Guimarães to Penha mountain
- Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary and its water funicular, in Braga

## With young children: Cabins, walls and a garden

With children under six, alternate a short visit with something that moves: the cable car, the wall, the playground.

### What works best
The cable car: under-6s do not appear in the fare table; ask at the ticket office

The castle wall, in a short while

The pedestrian squares of Oliveira and Santiago

### Where to stay
Pousada Mosteiro, with a playground and a pool in summer

Penha Campsite, with a playground

### Where to eat
Children's menu at the pousada's D. Mafalda restaurant

### Worth knowing
The wall stairs have no low protection: hold hands

### Qué hacer with young children
- Guimarães Castle and the church of São Miguel
- From Toural to the castle via the Oliveira and Rua de Santa Maria
- Cable car from Guimarães to Penha mountain

## With teenagers: The story of the first king, on foot and by cabin

Guimarães works for teenagers if you mix the castle with Penha and a bit of freedom in the squares. Young people aged 13 to 24 pay half price at the monuments.

### What works best
The castle and the church of the first king's baptism

Penha by cable car, with rocks and trails at the top

The Bom Jesus stairway, climbed on foot

The palace, for those who like armour and tapestries

### Where to stay
Penha Campsite, in a tent on the mountain

Hotel Toural, in the centre

### Where to eat
Terraces on the Oliveira square in the evening

### Worth knowing
The keep is closed: do not promise a climb

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- Guimarães Castle and the church of São Miguel
- Palace of the Dukes of Braganza
- From Toural to the castle via the Oliveira and Rua de Santa Maria
- Cable car from Guimarães to Penha mountain
- Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary and its water funicular, in Braga

## Consejos

### Buy the combined ticket
If you are going to see the palace and the castle, the €13 combined ticket saves you €2 and a queue.

### Climb the castle first thing
It opens at 10:00. By mid-morning the tour groups arrive from Porto.

### Have dinner in Praça da Oliveira
At night, when the day trippers leave, the terraces of Praça da Oliveira and Praça de Santiago are the best part of the visit.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Can you see Guimarães in a day?
Yes. The centre, the castle and the palace can be seen in a day on foot. With one night you add the Penha or Braga.

### How much does it cost to enter the castle and the palace?
The castle, €5; the palace, €10; both together, €13. Young people from 13 to 24, over-65s and families pay half.

### Can you go by train from Porto?
Yes, with CP, in around an hour. From the station you can walk to the centre in about 20 minutes.

### Which days do the monuments close?
On 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 June and 25 December.

### Why do they say Portugal was born here?
Because the city is associated with Afonso Henriques, the first king, and the beginnings of the kingdom in the 12th century. The phrase is written on the wall by Toural.

### Can you go with children?
Yes. They like the castle, the centre is pedestrianised and the Penha cable car is an outing in itself. At the palace and the castle, families pay half.