Castles · Tour
Half Day in the 2012 Capital of Culture, with the Pilgrim Square to Compostela
Guimarães is where the Portuguese nation started, and its historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. It was European Capital of Culture in 2012, which is what paid for the state the streets are in now. Walking those streets is the closest thing to walking a medieval town, because the fabric was kept rather than rebuilt. This is the half day version, private, from Porto: the main sites, the historic centre on foot, and the castle. One thing to know: the Palace of the Dukes is seen from the outside, because admission is not included in the price.
What's included
- Porto City Walking Tour (available from the day after your experience)
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional guide
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- Guimarães Castle Entrance Fee
Itinerary
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Porto
Your guide collects you from your hotel or from the meeting point and drives to Guimarães. On the way the guide covers Portuguese history, how the country developed, and the cultural background you will need.
Guimaraes
Guimarães is called the birthplace of Portugal because Afonso Henriques, who became the first king, was born here. The historic centre, the ground that stood inside the city walls, is tied to the formation and identity of the country, and it was listed as World Heritage for how honestly it was restored.
Guimaraes Castle
The castle carries the mix of legend, poetry and heroism around the start of Portuguese history. On this Monte Largo, the Broad Hill, called alpis latitus in the Latin documents of the time, the nucleus of the future country first took shape. A guided visit of the castle, with the view over the city from the walls.
Igreja de Sao Miguel do Castelo
The small church of S. Miguel do Castelo was built in the 13th century. Tradition puts it in the 12th, built by Count Dom Henrique, Henry of Burgundy, who is said to have baptised his son there, the first king of Portugal, Dom Afonso Henriques.
Paco dos Duques de Braganca
Work on the palace of the Dukes of Bragança began in the early 15th century, to a design taken from the French manor houses of the period. D. Afonso de Barcelos commissioned it, the first Duke of Bragança and the illegitimate son of D. João, Master of Avis, later King João I. When the ducal residence moved to the Palace of Vila Viçosa in the Alentejo, the building was left to decay, century by century, until it was turned into a military barracks in 1807. Seen from the outside. Admission is not included.
Centro Historico de Guimaraes
The city has kept its fabric intact: iron verandas, granite balconies and porticos, mansions, arches thrown across the narrow streets, paving worn smooth, towers and cloisters. The medieval town is legible for a moment, along with the houses the nobility added over the centuries, the Mota Prego house, the Vila Flor and Toural palaces, and the rest of what gives Guimarães its character. The walk takes in the centre of the city, Largo da Oliveira, with the Padrão do Salado and the Collegiate Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, which holds the Alberto Sampaio Museum. Past the Paços Municipais, the city hall, crowned with battlements, and into the Praça de Santiago, which took in pilgrims heading for Compostela in the Middle Ages and now takes in everyone else, at the restaurants and the terraces. The Convent of Santa Clara, the Casa do Arco and other noble houses stand on Rua de Santa Maria, which runs up to the upper town.
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Good to know
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
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- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Professional Guide
- Admission Ticket at Guimarães Castle
- Please note that traffic conditions may affect the activity's duration. We recommend not scheduling any activities or plans for an hour after the expected completion time.
- Discover Porto in a unique way with a Free Walking Tour with Living Tours, available to all customers who book this activity. Our Free Walking Tour is available on a daily basis, in English and Spanish, at 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. departing from Living Tours Agency located in Rua Mouzinho da Silveira 352, 4050-418 Porto
- Up to 8 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: pt, en, fr, es.
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