Things to Do in Coimbra

I'm José, Portuguese, a graduate of the university & living in Coimbra for over 20 years. I invite you to embark on a captivating journey with my Coimbra free tour.
 
 To make it easier to understand the city's history, I use supporting materials such as photos and diagrams.

We'll start in the heart of downtown, at Portagem Square where you'll get to know the town's patron saint and some of its history.

We'll explore St James Church and visit Santa Cruz church (inside and out), once part of a big monastery.

Then we'll head uptown passing by what was the city's main entrance, the Almedina Gate .

Halfway through the tour we'll pass by the Old Cathedral.

After passing the  Machado de Castro Museum coutryard we will end the tour at the University.

Main Highlights: Almedina Arch, St James Church, Santa Cruz Church, Old Cathedral Machado Castro Museum courtyard, New Cathedral & University.

Along the way, I'll share insights into the city's history, its people, academic traditions, and practical tips to maximize your Coimbra experience. At the end, we receive a handy sheet of the city's useful information.

I comply with all legal requirements including RNAT registration (registry 924/2023)

Please notice this:
- The entrance inside the university buildings (such as the barroque library) is not included.

- During the winter season, the tour can be conducted bilingually (in English and Portuguese).
 
- Coimbra is on a hill, so it's impossible to avoid climbing it during a walking tour. You should go prepared with confortable shoes, water and sunscreen.
 
- I may change the itinerary according to weather conditions, Mass times or physical conditions of the participants. Always with the aim of making the tour more enjoyable.
 
- The duration of the tour (2H30) is indicative as it depends on the pace of the group.
 
 
Let's make your Coimbra exploration truly memorable. 

🌟 Discover the essence of Coimbra with an experienced and dedicated guide.

Would you like to experience Coimbra in a unique way? This tour goes beyond a simple tour: you'll discover Coimbra and all its architectural gems in a way that will transform your view of the city.

🚶‍♂️This Essential Tour includes:

• A journey into the past: From the iconic Praça 8 de Maio to the world-famous University of Coimbra, with its history and wonderful views, passing by the historic Old Cathedral, the medieval streets filled with fado, tunas, and student life, the New Cathedral, the former Episcopal Palace converted into a national museum, the Estado Novo faculties, and dozens of other iconic sites, historic buildings, and hidden corners. Well told, every step in this city will reveal secrets and stories that sometimes date back two thousand years.
• Exciting stories and anecdotes: Be amazed by the fascinating stories that, step by step and century by century, have helped Coimbra evolve into the hidden gem of Portugal that it is.
• Historical rigor and passion: Each story, documented and told from the heart, seeks to connect you deeply with the essence of the city.
• A pace designed for you: Forget the rush. This tour is an invitation to enjoy Coimbra. I'll adapt to your pace, and of course, curiosity is always welcome.
• Adaptation to the audience: No matter your age, no matter your prior knowledge of history, art, or architecture, I will adapt to your interests and needs so that the most important thing is that you have a pleasant experience from your visit.
• Intimacy and Connection: I work with small groups (5-10 people in low season, 20 in high season) to offer you a more personal, intimate, and therefore better experience.
• Recommendations, tips, and tricks: As an expert on Coimbra and its secrets, I'll put all my knowledge at your disposal so you can get even more out of your stay in the city: recommendations on where to eat, what to see beyond the tour limits, where to enjoy free traditional shows, etc. Take advantage of the tour to get the most out of the city!

🏆 Why Choose Me?

• Local Expert: 🎓 Your tour will be led by a passionate, college-educated, experienced guide who puts his heart and soul into every moment he comes down to the square to show you the city.
• Free Tour: Tip-based tour. Pay what you think is fair at the end; you set the price based on your level of satisfaction with the experience (that's why the guide gives his all every time he goes to the plaza 😉)
• Freelance Guide: Unlike some large free tour companies, here you'll find a freelance guide who has made their passion their profession. My income depends on my level of excellence . My goal is to offer you an authentic, high-quality experience, where every detail counts!

Don't hesitate, immerse yourself in a journey where every street whispers its story, every stone holds a legend, and every step brings you closer to the soul of Coimbra.

✨Book your spot now and let The Coimbra Guide reveal the best-kept secrets of this magical city!✨

Coimbra, former capital of the Kingdom of Portugal, scene of tragic loves and birthplace of one of the oldest universities in Europe.
From ancient legends to tense political confrontations, the Free Tour of Coimbra tells us the story of a city that has become bigger than a country.
Of course, the "Fado de Coimbra" and one of the most tragic love stories in memory, that of Inés de Castro and King Pedro, could never be missing from the Free Tour of Coimbra.
Passion, knowledge and power are intrinsic to the city and our Free Tour of Coimbra will be a time machine that will travel through centuries in the city, from the Romans to the Dictatorship of the New State .
At the Paço das Escolas , Free Tour of Coimbra will also tell you several curiosities about the Bell Tower, the Joanina Library, the Capelos Room and even the Academic Prison, which you can visit on your own after the visit.
In academic festivals and traditions, the Old Cathedral of Coimbra is the symbol of one of the most important moments in the life of any Coimbra student: The Monumental Serenade.
In another of the most popular places in Coimbra, the Jardim da Manga , the Free Tour of Coimbra will talk about the Jewish presence in the city since time immemorial and also about the Court of the Inquisition of Coimbra, one of the cruelest in the country.
Almost at the end of the tour, the Free Tour of Coimbra will pass by the Monastery of Santa Cruz , where we will reveal who the patron saint of the city is and what extraordinary episode took place in this city that is still told from generation to generation.
Free Tour of Coimbra is much more than a traditional guided tour of the city. A journey made of legends and traditions, of political games and forbidden loves, it is a journey through the history of Portugal and its first capital.

First of all: if the tour cancellation rate is high, 99% is due to two situations: there isn't a minimum of 2 people for the tour, or knowing that tourists, despite booking, have a high absence rate on our tours (in this situation, I cancel the bookings).

On this tour, we explore the university, historical center, and downtown. It is a visit to the most historical area and one of the newest areas of the city. We will talk about the history, society, traditions of Coimbra and Portugal (including foods, sweets, and beers, liqueurs... yes we local beers, and a famous liqueurs in this region 🙂 )... be ready to walk! It's impossible to avoid the hills! 🙂 

I have a lot of things to tell you about the city/ Portugal. If you don't like history... if you are not ready to walk, think very well... the city has a lot of things/stories (and hills). Please, if you don't have time to take the tour, if you really don't have the patience to walk or to get information, seriously, check the tour duration on the website, think about it. If you have few time, and you want to know the city, i understand, but, please, ask the guide if there are more people! If it's just us, obviously things are different, and it takes less time, we change the itinerary if you wish. It's not fair to judge the guide for that, because the information is given online and on the tour as well.

Itinerary: 

• Largo da Portagem
•  Baixa 
• Historic Center 
• University 
• Botanical Garden... 
• City Park

 I kindly ask you to be at the right time for the tours to start. If you arrive later, or if you don't make the tour, please let me know whenever you can.

 Any delay means that: we may not have time to visit some historical places in the city (or we have to do it very fast), because betweenOctober/March season, some historical sites close early... or there can sometimes be big events in the city, and starting at the right time of the tour, we manage to avoid large crowds in certain areas of the city. Any delay, can  lead the guide having to be more strict about time management and sometimes having to speak a little faster or speaking less. The city has several hills, which with any unforeseen event makes it even more difficult to carry out any tour in coimbra.

 Bringing comfortable, lightweight shoes for the tour is a good idea. it is a city with hills, and with some medieval streets.

If you come between May/October, the sun is often strong, it's very hot. A hat, and sunscreen to protect the skin may also be needed.

If for any reason you want to book the tour, or i just have one place, but you are a small group (3/4 people max.) but the booking it's unable, send me a message. I will send a message, i will tell you my availability!

If you have a large group and have problems with the reservation, write me via WhatsApp or private message via Guruwalk (tell me the number of people , language and tour time) !

No trip to Coimbra is complete without visiting the stunning university. You'll see the Paço das Escolas, the San Miguel Chapel, and the Joanina Library.

Why is Portugal so decadent?

What do the locals live on?

What influence do students have on the city?

Is the black coat mandatory to use?

If you have asked yourself at least one of these questions during your trip to Portugal then this is the tour for you.

With us you will discover the reality, often kept hidden, of local daily life


The tour includes:

• Guided tour of the historical part of Coimbra

• Introduction to the academic life of students

• Analysis of the social and cultural situation of today's Coimbra

We are interested in accompanying people who want to discover something that a normal tour or Wikipedia does not tell you, that is what it means to live here in Coimbra today!

We do a tourism that we call 2.0, a tourism where the tourist is an active part of the tour. Where you should not only listen passively to the guide who speaks, this type of tourism we think is old.

We want to show an "Alternative Coimbra" and we want to do it our way.

In 2h15 we have a way to know all the main attractions of the city, with stories, legends and well-known characters of the city.

We will visit:

- Largo da Portagem (meeting point)
- Arch of Almedina
- Baixa
- Monastery of S.Cruz
- Municipal market
- Toga (official student store)
- AAC (University Academic Association)
- Praça da República
- Jardim da Sereia
- Botanical Garden and Arcos do Jardim
- University (only outside)
- Old Cathedral (only outside)


*The tour is based on donations only for groups of less than 6 people. If you are a group of more than 6 people, even if you come with different bookings, the payment will be 10 euros for each adult and 5€ for each child. Otherwise the guide has the right to exclude you from the group.


**The tour schedule can be changed according to the availability of the guides and the weather conditions. If the number of participants at the tour start time is less than 5 people, the tour will be cancelled. In this case you have to find an economical solution with the guide to make it happen.

On this tour of Coimbra we will discover a Unesco World Heritage city and the headquarters of the most important Portuguese University. A vibrant city that will surprise you with its two cathedrals, its overwhelming historical heritage and, above all, the atmosphere of its squares and streets, full of students who every day climb the slope that separates its peculiar Student Republics from the famous Joanina Library. We will visit: - Plaza del 8 de mayo - Churches of Santiago and Bartolomé - Largo da Portagem - Porta da Barbacana - Student Republics - Old Cathedral - New Cathedral - Porta Férrea - University - And much more ... Do not miss this jewel of Portugal from the hand of the best and most prepared guides in Spanish. Make the most of the time of your stay and take an experience to tell and remember.

On this day trip to Tomar, Batalha, and Alcobaça from Coimbra, we'll visit three of the most remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Portugal!

Embark on an exclusive tour of Coimbra, where history, culture, and natural beauty merge. This tour, designed for small groups, offers a personalized and vibrant experience, allowing you to immerse yourself in the magic of this ancient Portuguese capital and university city.

You'll start at the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest universities in Europe, exploring its historic buildings and its surroundings, shaped by time.

Then, you'll enter the ancient walled city, where you can feel the pulse of the past in every rock, transporting you back to medieval times.

The tour continues to the popular neighborhoods outside the city walls, where you'll discover Coimbra's daily life and traditions. You'll visit iconic sites such as the Sé Nova, the Sé Velha, and the Monastery of Santa Cruz, monuments that preserve centuries of history and art.

Finally, on the banks of the Mondego River, you can relax and enjoy a landscape that has inspired poets and artists for centuries.

Why choose our tour?

A mix of history, culture and fun.
Personalized suggestions to make the most of your stay.
Enjoyable interactions and exclusive local recommendations. Small groups for a more enriching experience.

This tour is ideal for those who want to discover Coimbra in a profound, intimate, and authentic way. Come and experience an unforgettable experience!

On this food tour, we'll visit some of the most iconic places in Coimbra to sample the renowned petiscos. Enjoy some of the finest cuisine in Portugal!