Things to do in Guimarães
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Guimarães
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best weather overall, long evenings, green Vinho Verde country and lively squares without August density.
Early spring with Easter processions, Briteiros at its greenest and Gerês waterfalls at peak flow.
Hottest months, Gerês swimming season, Penha early or late, and trailhead parking and hotel prices at their worst.
Wettest and coldest period with short days, but Nicolinas in late November to December is the identity trade.
What's on
- Feira Afonsina Usually mid June
Four days of medieval fair in the historic centre, the best family weekend of the year here.
- São João 23-24 June
Street party spillover from Porto and Braga celebrations.
- Festas Gualterianas first weekend of August
Patronal festival for São Gualter with procession, historical parade, flower battle, concerts and fireworks.
- Festas Nicolinas 29 Nov-7 Dec
Student festivals for St Nicholas dating to at least 1664, starting with the Pinheiro parade on 29 Nov.
- Guimarães Jazz November
Jazz festival centred on Centro Cultural Vila Flor as the weather turns.
- Festa de Santa Luzia 13 Dec
Festival with traditional rye and wheat dough figures, following the Nicolinas.
Best things to do in Guimarães
Centro Histórico de Guimarães
The intact granite old town itself, with lived in squares and lanes that reward slow wandering day and night.
Castelo de Guimarães
A raw Romanesque fortress to climb for walls, the keep and views over the palace and old town.
Paço dos Duques de Bragança
The best interior in the city, with a vast banqueting hall, chapel and famous Pastrana tapestries.
Igreja de São Miguel do Castelo
A tiny Romanesque chapel between castle and palace, said to be where Afonso Henriques was baptised.
Largo da Oliveira
The living room of the old town, with an olive tree, arcades and terrace tables for watching local life.
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira
A Gothic collegiate church with a Manueline tower and a small sacred art museum on the main square.
Padrão do Salado
A unique 14th century Gothic shrine opposite the Oliveira church, commemorating the Battle of Salado.
Rua de Santa Maria
One of the oldest streets in the city, linking the castle hill down to the squares through granite houses.
Where to stay in Guimarães
Historic Centre - Oliveira / Santiago / Toural triangle
first trip, all-round base
Walk to every main sight, dinner downstairs and the evening squares as your neighbourhood.
Santa Marinha da Costa
luxury, quiet, and cars
A leafy hill above town with space, views, parking and silence, a short drive from the centre.
Station / Avenida D. Afonso Henriques edge
practical mid-range and one-nighters
Easiest parking and station access, ten minutes walk to the old town, blander but not unsafe.
Azurém / University quarter
budget and longer stays
A real local neighbourhood by the university with cheap eats, livelier in term time.
Think twice about
- Couros District at night
A heritage daytime walk whose lanes are dim and empty at night, so base in the centre and visit by day.
- Station avenues and Guimarães Shopping periphery
Modern and car oriented with little charm at night when the old town is only ten minutes away.
- Penha summit after the cable car stops
Isolated by design and wonderful at sunset, but plan your descent and do not assume late transport.
Best restaurants in Guimarães
A Cozinha por António Loureiro
Guimarães one-star table, serving a northern Portuguese tasting menu called Equilíbrio.
Restaurante São Gião
An old guard celebration restaurant for sophisticated, classic Portuguese fine cooking, by car or taxi.
Norma
A great-value pick reinterpreting Minho flavours with a light, contemporary hand at fair prices.
Histórico by Papaboa
Contemporary Portuguese in an elegant room with a garden, the default for a nice central dinner.
Le Babachris
A chic French Mediterranean bistro with a personal, chef led feel apart from the Minho traditional bench.
Buxa
A crowd pleasing Portuguese and Mediterranean restaurant with substance, good for mixed groups.
Restaurante 34
A strong modern Portuguese and international all rounder, highly rated by local diners.
Cor de Tangerina
A vegetarian flagship in a historic house with a garden, seasonal and loved beyond vegetarian diners.
Outdoor things to do in Guimarães
Monte da Penha
Ride the cable car to the sanctuary, viewpoint and mossy boulder forest for the best panorama over the Minho.
Adega do Ermitão
A forest hidden outdoor restaurant on Penha that makes a good booked lunch before walking among the boulders.
Mini Golfe Penha
Silly, pretty mini golf on Penha that works well with kids or a group after the viewpoint.
Citânia de Briteiros
A fortified Iron Age town of paved streets and house foundations, the best half day excursion nearby.
Taipas Termal
Roman rooted thermal water in a municipal spa, good for a local priced soak after sightseeing.
Bom Jesus do Monte
A UNESCO baroque staircase of fountains and statues above Braga, best walked down through the wooded park.
Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês
Portugal only national park, with waterfalls, lagoons, a Roman road and free roaming Garrano ponies.
Vinho Verde Experience
A private tasting tour of family quintas pouring dry Loureiro, Alvarinho and inky red Vinho Verde.
Best hotels in Guimarães
Pousada Mosteiro de Guimarães
A 12th century monastery turned Pousada with cloisters, formal gardens, a pool and a hilltop view.
Torel Royal Court
A restored palace hotel with design forward rooms, a small bar and highly personal service.
Casa do Juncal
A medieval facade hiding airy, minimalist rooms, calm and strong for couples who like design.
Hotel da Oliveira
Contemporary rooms in the main square itself, a walk everywhere base that trades spa for address.
EMAJ Guimarães Boutique Hotel
A former bank on Toural with large rooms, an inclusive minibar and a huge praised breakfast.
Hotel Toural
A classic central square four star in the reliable centre rotation, clean and fairly priced.
Hotel Mestre de Avis
A value pick in the central hotel rotation, useful for a fairly priced base in the centre.
Conquistador Palace Hotel
An apart hotel option in the central rotation, practical for longer or self catered stays.
Is Guimarães expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €115 a person |
| Splurge | €300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Estádio D. Afonso Henriques: a few days ahead
- Adega do Ermitão: a few days ahead
- Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês: a few days ahead
- Vinho Verde Experience: weeks ahead
- A Cozinha por António Loureiro: weeks ahead
- Restaurante São Gião: a few days ahead
- Norma: a few days ahead
- Taberna Trovador: a few days ahead
- A Cozinha needs weeks. Norma, Taberna Trovador and Adega do Ermitão need days, especially at weekends.
- Book Gerês private tours days ahead in summer and Vitória tickets for big fixtures.
- Book any hotel early for Feira Afonsina, Gualterianas and Nicolinas weeks.
Is Guimarães safe?
- Guimarães is very safe by European standards, with only standard city sense needed.
- Watch bags in festival crowds and on match days and do not leave luggage visible at trailheads.
- Emergency number is 112.
Guimarães travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Several museums close or reduce hours on Mondays, so make Monday a Penha, ecopista or Braga day.
- Restaurants facing Largo do Toural charge for the view. Walk two streets for better value cooking.
- The castle interior is a shell. Its value is walls, the keep and views, and CIAJG opening is intermittent.
Getting around Guimarães: public transport and more
- Walk the compact, largely pedestrianised centre. You need wheels only for Briteiros, Taipas, Braga, Gerês and golf.
- Take the frequent Porto train from São Bento or Campanhã and validate your ticket before boarding.
- Use a public garage for old town parking and keep the car for excursion days.
Who Guimarães suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Guimarães your trip
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