Centro Histórico de Guimarães
Centro Histórico de Guimarães
Centro Histórico de Guimarães
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Centro Histórico de Guimarães
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
331 within 5 kms
Attractions
121 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Richard MHampstead Norreys, United Kingdom946 contributionsStunning medieval townWe had some free time on a trip to this area to walk around the old centre of the town. The town is a maze of tiny alley ways and gorgeous squares. The area is not large but exciting to walk down the twisting streets. There are lots of places to eat and drink and enjoy the atmosphere.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 24 March 2024
- sd JAZZ i SŁONIESkierniewice, Poland15,646 contributionsThe wonderful heart of the first capital of Portugal.I can confidently say that I am still impressed and charmed by the historical part of the city. The first capital of Portugal can be proud of what it can offer to tourists. Preserved old, often medieval buildings create a unique atmosphere. A large number of secular, but above all sacred, historic buildings, many smaller and larger interesting squares and, finally, old cobbled streets with colorful tenement houses create a unique atmosphere. All this is arranged in a relatively small area. This makes sightseeing easier and makes it more attractive. If we add many restaurants, we have a full picture of what awaits us here. There is no sense of unnecessary rush, which makes visiting the historic part of the city a real pleasure. I can only regret that our team and I only had a "small" half-day here for sightseeing. I think I will come back here with pleasure, but then it will be with an overnight stay and not as an occasion.Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 20 April 2024
- MikioooTokyo, Japan452 contributionsA compact townscape where you can feel the old history!We stopped here on the way from Santiago de Compostela to Porto in a rental car. We were excited to visit, having heard that it was the birthplace of Portugal. We spent about 3 hours walking around the historic district, including Guimarães Castle. It was a much nicer city than we expected, and we felt like we could really get a sense of the history behind its creation. The good thing about it was that there were fewer tourists than in Porto or Lisbon, so it was easy to see how the locals lived. We were also surprised at how cheap the prices were. We also found the most delicious ice cream shop we've ever been to. Next time, we'd like to stay overnight and take our time exploring the city.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 2 June 2024
- Ronald S60 contributionsMystical Midevil CityscapeFantastic midevil city with lots of beautiful center squares for food and entertainment. Local designer clothing shops, historical cathedrals and museums. You can walk the town in 4 hours or less.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 June 2024
- Juan Enrique S18 contributionsVisit to the Historic Center of GuimarãesFor me, a traveler from Latin America, the historic center of Guimarães was a real revelation. I could feel transported to medieval times with castles and fantasy walls, like a Disneyworld, but real. I arrived without much planning and without really knowing how to start, so I decided to walk from the train station to the tourist office of the municipality and I was discovering its beautiful gardens. Then, with the tourist map of the municipality I toured some of the interesting points, especially the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança and the Castle of Guimarães and the wall.Visited July 2024Travelled soloWritten 9 July 2024
- Isabel G3 contributionsGuimaraes Tour with NunoWe were lucky enough to tour Guimaraes with a local Guide from Take Porto, Nuno. The tour was very interactive, told us many curiosities and legends about the city and made a very enjoyable tour with which you learn many things about Guimaraes. Actually, it was an experience I would repeat again.Visited July 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 22 July 2024
- Albert_MHTokyo Prefecture, Japan351 contributionsBirthplaces of Portugal on the World Heritage ListDuring my stay in Porto, I took the train to Guimarães, which is part of this world heritage city. It takes about an hour and a half by train from Porto's Sant Bento station. The city, said to be the birthplace of Portugal, is a very compact place to visit. The city's main attractions are the Duke of Braganza, the Church of São Miguel, the Castle of Guimarães and the Church of Nossa Señora da Oliveira. I took the early morning train around the highlights above, then the early afternoon train back to Porto. This makes it easy to explore the main attractions in half a day, depending on the congestion, or to do a little sightseeing in Porto before the evening and then dinner in Porto.Visited March 2024Travelled soloWritten 24 July 2024
- AlexSingapore, Singapore684 contributionsQuaint and historicalVisited on Christmas Day when most shops were closed. It's fairly quaint and compact - can go through the whole town in 1 to 2 hours - but expansive and interesting enough for that time. Houses look well maintained. Only thing is that some of the main squares have lots of dining tables out which pictures will inevitably include, but that is to be expected.Visited December 2024Travelled soloWritten 29 December 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
3,137 reviews
Excellent
2,276
Very good
788
Average
65
Poor
3
Terrible
5
T-SGlobetrotters
Preston, UK4,173 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
We travelled here on a day trip from Porto. It is easily managed by train, journey takes about 70 minutes from the Central station.
The centre was a delightful surprise. It was one of the best preserved historical centres we have visited. Unlike some places it is also a working centre where people live, plenty of places to eat and everywhere was absolutely immaculate and really quite refined, unlike boisterous Porto. Everywhere is within walking distance and it makes a very good day trip. In hindsight we could have stayed here perhaps on the final night of our 5 night trip, rather that staying the whole time in Porto but on this occasion, everything had already been pre-booked before arriving.
The centre was a delightful surprise. It was one of the best preserved historical centres we have visited. Unlike some places it is also a working centre where people live, plenty of places to eat and everywhere was absolutely immaculate and really quite refined, unlike boisterous Porto. Everywhere is within walking distance and it makes a very good day trip. In hindsight we could have stayed here perhaps on the final night of our 5 night trip, rather that staying the whole time in Porto but on this occasion, everything had already been pre-booked before arriving.
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Palomino922
Virginia Beach, VA1,068 contributions
May 2023
We had a walking tour around the historic section of Guimaraes. We noted different architecture from other towns around Portugal. There are granite frames around the windows and the apartments had irregular iron balconies. The squares were colorful and very pretty. The train station is a popular attraction with its tilework showing their proud historic heritage.
Written 24 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mota.m.jorge@gmail.com
Viseu District, Portugal301 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
The historic center of Guimarães is truly beautiful, as this is the birthplace of Portugal. All the history that surrounds this city is transmitted in its historic center. It deserves a long and fruitful visit, and you can also enjoy a fantastic lunch or dinner in one of the restaurants located in this historic center.
Written 11 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NomadicTraveller7
Fuerteventura12,285 contributions
Aug 2020
The centre of Guimaraes has been beautifully preserved and it has deservedly been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. It has also been a European Capital of Culture. We stayed 2 nights close to the castle and we could have stayed at least another night. It is great to wander through the warren of little lanes, coming across picturesque little plazas or larger squares, both line with buildings dating back to the 14th century. Many of the plazas are filled with cafes. It is a shame that I seem to have lost the many pictures that I took. We will go back to stay sometime, however not in July or August, but in October when it is cooler, and after a visit to Braga where we have never been. One could spend between 2 to 4 hours here, perhaps spread over 2 days.
Written 29 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ugo100hmonte
Natal, RN496 contributions
Nov 2021
Guimarães was one of the Portugal cities we most liked. We were hosted in Porto and visited the city just for some hours, before take the train. We didn't have time to take the cable car and see other areas of the city, but worth it walk around and take pictures of the historical buildings of the medieval village.
Written 6 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RandyRoss
Ridgetown, Canada12,804 contributions
May 2022
The central area of Guimarães is beautiful. We were there on a rather wet day (rain off and on) but still enjoyed the beauty of the place. Of course, there was the castle, the churches, etc. Those are great for tourists. However, this town looked like a nice place to live as well as a nice place to visit.
Written 11 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gitty
Utrecht, The Netherlands24 contributions
Aug 2021
A well preserved and ancient city centre which was not too crowded when I visited the town. There is a lot of history, nice shops, wonderful restaurants and the people are friendly. It is reletively small so you do not get lost and you do not have to rush to see all the highlites. Just wonder the streets, visit the palace and enjoy a drink in the sun.
Written 30 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clarencephil
Montreal, Canada255 contributions
Jan 2020
I had not heard of Guimaraes before. It is not really a well known place. At least not yet. I was really happy to discover this beautiful City. The Old Town is picturesque and charming and as another reviewer mentionned, one should stay overnight to get a good feel of the place, both by day and by night.
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Linda Y
Frisco, TX5,693 contributions
Sept 2021
I’d already fallen in love with Portugal before arriving to Guimarães. Then I discovered even more to love! UNESCO inscribed the old historic center a World Heritage Site in 2001. Celebrated as the birthplace of a nation, the history is fascinating. Plenty to admire too, including a medieval castle, a royal palace, stunning churches, and old city walls to walk. The old town is well-preserved, and I enjoyed wandering the narrow, winding cobblestone streets. Two full days/nights gave me enough time see everything on my list and do a side trip to Braga too (which I highly recommend).
Written 24 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas V
Oakland, CA19,103 contributions
May 2022
One of the most beautiful place we have seen in Portugal, and we have been around. This rather small district is full of charm and is in great condition. It has a number of historic structures of importance plus several squares with outside dining. Some good restaurants. Beautiful, nicely-preserved architecture. And easy to stroll. Much of it is pedestrian.
Written 17 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Очень заинтересовал такой вопрос: Почему в кириллическом написании названия города присутствует буква "Н" ? Тогда как, в оригинальном написании на португальском её вообще нет?
Written 27 June 2017
Похоже, по той же причине, что и итальянская провинция Puglia у нас превращается в Апулию..
Written 15 July 2017
Hola,voy a visitar guimaraes y me gustaría saber por donde empezar...
Dejo aparcado el coche en la estación y veo el centro histórico, despues la colina sagrada y por último el monte da penha ? O mejor al reves, primero monte da penha, luego la colina sagrada y por último el centro histórico ?
Que me recomendais ? Gracias
Written 4 April 2017
After an extensive solo 3-week tour of Portugal by train, I needed to feel grounded again so I decided to spend 5 nights in Guimaraes. It was the best decision in retrospect and I owe it to the fa-bu-lous palatial Pestana Pousada de Guimaraes where I stayed in the Superior Historic Room overlooking the sweeping view of the historic center and castle. If you want to splurge one time on your trip, this is the place: The Pousada Mosteiro de Guimaraes, set in a former 12th century Augustinian monastery is a Monument hotel that is perched on top of the hill- so I didn't really have to walk down to the City center because the restaurant at the hotel is Michelin-starred. The service gets a 5-star from me, especially with Mara at the Reception. This pousada is probably one of the best and finest pousadas in Portugal- Quiet, serenity, ad fine dining come are to be had- what else is there? "The Time of Your Life" is the Pestana's motto and it is, indeed. Highly recommended.
Written 7 November 2019
I intend to visiit Guimares. Kindly recommend a street or paking lot where we can park for free on not very expensive, to see the centre.
Written 24 June 2015
Showing results 1-3 of 3
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing