Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos

Full day Private Tour Porto Barcelos Braga Guimarães Sightseeing

This private tour takes you to Guimarães where you’ll embark on a discovery of the origins of Portugal.

Welcome to Guimarães! A historic and picturesque medieval town and considered by the Portuguese people the birthplace of Portugal. This is one of the best day trips from Porto.

Visit the statue of the founder and first King of Portugal – D. Afonso Henriques welcoming you at Guimarães’ hilltop castle that dates back to the 10th century.

Explore Portugal’s religious heritage in Braga and discover this magnificent town founded during the Roman Empire. Be amazed by the most famous ceramics of Portugal in the ancient town of Barcelos.

All our tours can be customized to best suit your travel ideas and itinerary. Feel free to check our suggestion below for additional inspiration.

Castle of Guimaraes and King Afonso Henriques Statue

guimaraes city hall former santa clara monastery

Ceramic crafts with the traditional Portuguese rooster

Previous image

Next image

Ready to book
your dream tour?

Tour
Suggestion

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos 01

Pick up from your accommodation towards Guimaraes to start your private tour.

Guimaraes is a medieval city that has joined the modern world. It is closely connected to the formation of Portugal as a unified state in the 12th century and is the birthplace of Afonso I of Portugal – Portugal’s first king.

Aerial view of Sacred Hill with Palace of the Dukes of Braganza and Castle Church

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos 02

You will visit a 10th century castle and many traditional buildings from the 15th to 19th centuries, including the Palace of the Duke of Braganca (‘Paco dos Duques’), a World Heritage site; the Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira which has a sculpture-laden front and a museum in the cloisters; the Santa Clara Convent; Gothic arches; and the Sao Domingos monastery that holds local archaeological exhibitions.

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos 03

After this you will visit Braga, depending on how much time you will spend in Guimaraes we will stop for a quick lunch in a typical restaurant or continue exploring.

Visit Braga and be amazed by this city that dates back to Celtic times and was an important Roman settlement from 20 BCE onwards. The ecclesiastical feel is emphasized by the town’s main sites:

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos 04

The ornate Baroque church of Bom Jesus do Monte is still an important pilgrimage site; the sprawling Se in the historic center of town is the oldest cathedral in Portugal; the huge, elaborate, medieval Archbishop’s Palace.

There’s another pilgrimage staircase and shrine at Santuario do Sameiro, less than 2km from Bom Jesus. This 19th-century sanctuary is the second largest Marian devotional shrine in Portugal after Fatima.

Altogether, there are over 30 churches in Braga.

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos 05

Next stop for sightseeing, Barcelos, with the most famous symbol of Portugal, the colorful ceramic cockerel – Galo de Barcelos – has its origins where, according to local legend, it is reputed to have saved the life of a traveler wrongly accused of theft by crowing his innocence.

The full story is told on a 15th-century cross, found in ruins of the Palace of the Dukes of Braganca, destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. Pottery, be it of cockerels or household ware, continues to be the craft of note in this medieval walled market town, which lies on a plateau above the river Cavado, surrounded by beautiful green hills.

Your driver will drop you off at your accommodation and this will complete your Guimaraes, Braga and Barcelos full-day private tour.

We are proudly committed to the idea of not being strict to timings or specific plans and instead be flexible so that you can fully enjoy the day during your private tour.

Details
Duration: 8 Hours

Included
A reliable and competent driver
Bottle of Mineral Water
Luxury Fleet
Wi-Fi inside the vehicle

Not included
Entrances in Monuments
Meals

Great customized service.

Holisticluxury - September 15, 2022

A fantastic experience with great, customized service. I wanted to squeeze in a trip to Monchique from the Algrave. Ricardo was responsive and accommodated my schedule. Miguel was a fabulous guide and was professional and kind. I love being able to support a small business while receiving excellent service. Customized luxury at its best. I will rebook with them when I return.
Family Trip to Portugal

Mary C - October 15, 2022

Ricardo helped us preplan a wonderful itinerary. Jose Anthony, our driver, was knowledgeable, pleasant, accommodating and flexible. He introduced us to people and places during our 3 days spent with him, sharing with us the history and culture of Portugal. My adult son, daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would reach out to Ricardo and Jose Anthony in the future.
Amazing experience, went above and beyond!

Carmentacoma - November 22, 2022

I visited Portugal in October as part of a work trip, and added on a few days of solo travel at the end. Ricardo worked with our company to organize amazing excursions and visits. Every one of his choices was top notch from the restaurants to the hotels to the experiences. Ricardo went above and beyond, making sure I had everything I needed for my solo travels at the end of the work trip. He was very thorough, detail-oriented, and knowledgeable, and generally just a lovely human being. I am not one to seek out a tour company when I travel for personal reasons, but if I return to Portugal (hopefully someday with my family), I will 100% be contacting Ricardo to help make the most of my time there. Don't hesitate to contact 4u2enjoy!
inievesm - November 3, 2022

Punctuality, well planned, friendliness, well adjusted for our needs and expectations of the places visited, excellent vehicles, great restaurant suggestions were important factors that made us enjoy the whole experience. Since the beginning when we contacted the agency, Ricardo managed to arrange our trip and tours according to our needs. Our tour guide, Carlos, was knowledgeable in almost every aspect of Portugal history as well as the country's folklore. He tried to please everyone in our group making a perfect balance in the activities we performed. We have traveled in Europe, Australia, Africa, South and Central America as well as United States. Comparing the overall experience of 4U2Enjoy with other companies that we have been in contact, this has been one of the best!!!
Exceptional in every way!

judinewyork - October 1, 2022

What started off as a transfer from Lisbon to Porto turned into a dream vacation! I first contacted 4u2enjoy in 2019 and booked a driver for a transfer from Lisbon to Porto stopping along the way. Unfortunately, our trip was for 2020 and we had to cancel...4u2enjoy canceled our booking without any difficulty. Because of this hassle free experience, when we were ready to try again we contacted 4u2enjoy to make arrangements for a 2022 trip.

After talking with Ricardo, what started as just a transfer became transfers, tours and hotels! Everything he suggested and every arrangement was spectacular! From the beautiful boutique hotels, winetastings, sailing trips and each driver was beyond our expectations! Each experience and location was special and unique.

The only "kink", which really wasn't a kink was using a credit card....this was an issue on our side. Ricardo was great figuring things out and problem solved!

Ricardo went above and beyond! Every detail was taken care of. This vacation, starting in Lisbon, then to Porto, Douro Valley and ending in Cascais was truly made exceptional by the hard work of Ricardo. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending 4u2enjoy!

Ricardo....thank you! I look forward to my next 4u2enjoy (aka, designed by Ricardo) holiday.

Available
experiences

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos

distance

Sightseeing

discover more

Let's
talk

We’d love to hear from you!

If you have any questions about our tours or need assistance creating your own, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Our friendly and knowledgeable team is available and will respond within 24 to 48 hours to help you plan your dream trip.

"*" indicates required fields

Guimarães + Braga + Barcelos

Full day Private Tour Porto Barcelos Braga Guimarães Sightseeing