Most of what there is to do in this city is stacked on one hill, which makes the order you do it in matter more than the list itself. This page is the list anyway: everything bookable, compared on its own published rating and price, plus the free walks, the wet-weather options and the trips out of town.
Every rating, review total and from-price below is read off the live booking page, not written by us.
These are the strongest performers on the roster by review volume and rating, not by what anyone paid to place. A first visit usually splits between three things: the university and the Joanina library at the top of the Alta, the old town on foot below it, and one trip out to Conímbriga or the schist villages.
Fifty minutes of Coimbra fado with a glass of port included in the ticket. Coimbra has its own fado tradition, attached to the university rather than to Lisbon's, and this is the only listing of it on the site. It also holds the largest review pool of any paid product here, 1,234 at 4.7.
· University circuit with tickets, 90 minutes
Ninety minutes around the University of Coimbra with entry handled by the guide rather than at the kiosk, so the group is not standing in the ticket queue on the hill. The route covers the Paco das Escolas and the university's ceremonial spaces. Run for small groups by RM Tour, and the deepest review pool of any university listing here.
from $70.24per person, university admission included Check availability →
Porto · Ten-hour Fatima and Coimbra day from Porto
A ten-hour day out of Porto that takes in both Fatima and Coimbra, which makes it a way into the city rather than a day out of it. It carries the deepest review pool of the four Fatima listings here. Check the direction before booking: it starts and ends in Porto.
from $74per person Check availability →The groups below come from what is genuinely bookable here rather than from a template. The table underneath them is the full inventory, including the products that belong to no group, and it is deliberately not deduplicated: where the same experience is sold twice, both listings are shown so you can see which is cheaper.
A few things are deliberately missing from the groups above. The free pay-what-you-want walks have their own section further down, because how you pay for a walk is not a kind of thing to do. The self-guided audio tours, Buçaco forest and the fado evening are each on this page, in the table below, but each is a single product rather than a real choice between several, so neither earns a heading of its own. Airport and station transfers are transport, and they get no group at all.
| Attraction | Best for | Area | Ticket from | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Hours, Botanic Garden Walk | Three-hour free walk to the botanic garden | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Tickets Included, Group of Eight | University circuit with tickets, 90 minutes | $70.24 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Fado Show, Port Wine Included | Fado show with a glass of port, 50 minutes | $18 | ★ 4.7 | |
| Ten-Hour Day Trip From Porto | Ten-hour Fatima and Coimbra day from Porto | Porto | $74 | ★ 4.7 |
| Legends and Traditions Walk | Ninety-minute free walk on legends | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Budget Walk, Top Attractions | Budget walk past the main sights, 2.5 hours | $5.85 | ★ 5 | |
| Private Half-Day, Coffee Stop | Private schist-villages half day | $87.81 | ★ 5 | |
| Private Tour, Wild Deer Watching | Private Lousa mountain tour, deer watching | $105.37 | ★ 5 | |
| 1 to 3 Hours, Convent Visit | Convent of Christ, one to three hours | $46.83 | ★ 5 | |
| 3 to 4 Hour City Walk | Three to four hour city walk | $52.68 | ★ 5 | |
| Forest and Palace of Bussaco | Bussaco forest and palace, four hours | $87.81 | ★ 5 | |
| Eight-Hour Cascades and Piodão | Eight hours to Piodao and the cascades | $152.20 | ★ 5 | |
| Private Templar Sites Tour | Private Templar sites at Tomar | $134.63 | ★ 5 | |
| Lunch Included, Castles Tour | Villages, castles and lunch, 4.5 hours | $128.78 | ★ 5 | |
| Ruins Plus Sicó Caves Combo | Conimbriga plus the caves of Sico | $87.81 | ★ 5 | |
| Jeep Tour, Talasnal and Gondramaz | Jeep run to Talasnal and Gondramaz | Talasnal | $98 | ★ 5 |
| Free Tour, Admission Included | Free walk with an admission included | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Two-Hour Essential Free Walk | Essential free walk, two hours | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Small Group, No Rush Walk | Small-group free walk, unhurried | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Downhill Must-See Walk | Downhill free walk, ten must-see stops | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Certified Guide, Highlights Walk | Free walk with a certified guide, 2.5 hours | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| University Plus City Combo | University and city centre in one walk | $84.29 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Four-Hour Schist Villages Tour | Schist villages of the Lousa, four hours | $105.37 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Two-Hour Convent, Local Guide | Convent of Christ at Tomar, local guide | $140.49 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Soft Canyoning, River Ceira | Soft canyoning on the river Ceira | $58.54 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Private Shrine and Shepherds Tour | Private Fatima shrine and shepherds' village | $129.95 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Half-Day Nature Walk | Nature half day in the Serra da Lousa | $81.95 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Former Student Guide, Group of Ten | University tour with tickets, former student | $67 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Skip-the-Line, Local Guide | Skip-the-line university tour, local guide | $86 | ★ 4.9 | |
| Natural Pool Swim, Hotel Pickup | Villages, castles and a natural pool swim | Talasnal | $126 | ★ 4.9 |
| Three Hours, Learning With Local | Three hours with a local, city and stories | $40 | ★ 4.9 | |
| City of Knowledge Free Walk | Free walk on the city of knowledge | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| History and Conflicts Free Walk | Free walk, history, conflicts and art | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Hidden Corners, Mystery Walk | Free walk into the city's hidden corners | Free, tip based | Free entry | |
| Joanina Library, Expert Guide | Joanina library and university, expert guide | $90.06 | ★ 4.8 | |
| Four-Hour Conimbriga Tour | Roman Conimbriga, four hours out and back | $105.37 | ★ 4.8 | |
| Private Walk, Late University Visit | Private walk with a late university visit | $81.95 | ★ 4.8 | |
| Half-Day Villages Tour | Half day to the Lousa villages | $99.51 | ★ 4.8 | |
| Private Ruins and Museum Tour | Private Conimbriga ruins and museum | $93.66 | ★ 4.7 | |
| Full Day, Aveiro Boat Ride | Full day from Porto with an Aveiro boat | Porto | $114 | ★ 4.7 |
| Private Day Trip, From Porto | Private nine-hour day from Porto | Porto | $457 | ★ 4.7 |
| Traditional Boat, 50 Minutes | Traditional boat on the Mondego, 50 minutes | $15 | ★ 4.6 | |
| Sanctuary Plus City, Ten Hours | Fatima sanctuary and a Coimbra city tour | Fátima | $79 | ★ 4.6 |
| Admission Included, Certified Guide | Certified guide, admission included | $31 | ★ 4.6 | |
| 50 Minutes, City Views Cruise | Fifty minutes on the Mondego, city views | $11 | ★ 4.2 | |
| Pequenitos Entry Ticket | Entry to Portugal dos Pequenitos | $17 | ★ 4.1 | |
| Train Tour, Timeless Tracks | Tourist train ride through the city | $11 | ★ 3.9 |
A good deal of this city costs nothing. Walking the Alta, Rua da Sofia and the Baixa is free, the river park on the Mondego charges nothing, and the pay-what-you-want walking tours listed on GuruWalk are free to join, with the guide paid by whatever you hand over at the end. Where an entry charge exists this site says so rather than rounding it down to free.
Three hours from the Baixa up through the historic centre to the university and on to the Jardim Botanico, the longest of the free walks here and the only one that reaches the garden. Listed on GuruWalk, pay what you want, with the deepest review pool of the ten at 662.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
See this free tour on GuruWalk →
· Free walk with a certified guide, 2.5 hours
Two and a half hours through the city's highlights, history and traditions with a certified guide, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want. Nothing is charged at the start and the guide is paid at the end by whatever each walker decides the walk was worth. Reserve a place so the guide expects you.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Essential free walk, two hours
Two hours covering the essentials of the city, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want and rated 4.99 across 168 walkers, the highest average of the ten free walks here. Payment happens at the end, at whatever the walk was worth to you.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Free walk with an admission included
Two and a half hours on the city's history, conflicts, art and culture, with one admission built into the route, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want. The review pool is four, which is small and is shown as it stands rather than rounded up or hidden.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Small-group free walk, unhurried
Two unhurried hours with a local guide in a small group, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want. The pitch is the pace rather than the route: fewer people, and no rushing between stops. The guide is paid at the end by what walkers hand over.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Free walk into the city's hidden corners
Two hours of history, mystery and the corners a standard route skips, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want. It works better as a second walk than a first, once the main monuments are already placed on your map.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Free walk on the city of knowledge
Two hours on Coimbra as a city of knowledge, with the university's traditions as the through line, listed on GuruWalk and paid at the end by what you decide it was worth. Ten reviews so far, a small pool that is shown as such rather than dressed up.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Free walk, history, conflicts and art
Two and a half hours through the city's history, its conflicts and its art and culture, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want. Rated 4.89 across 374 walkers, the second deepest review pool among the free walks on this site.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Downhill free walk, ten must-see stops
Two hours built as a downhill route, starting at the university and working down through the historic centre, which spares the climb that catches most first-time visitors out. Ten set stops plus local detail, listed on GuruWalk as pay what you want.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
· Ninety-minute free walk on legends
Ninety minutes on the legends and traditions attached to the city, the shortest of the free walks here and the one with the lowest average of the ten, 4.44 across 560 walkers. Listed on GuruWalk, pay what you want at the end.
Free to join, you decide the tip at the end.
One day works if you accept that the hill is the day. Start at the top with the Paço das Escolas while the Joanina slots are still available, come down through the old cathedral and the Almedina arch into the Baixa, and keep the river for the end. Adding Santa Clara or a museum to that is what turns one day into two.
Conímbriga is the closest of these, about 16 km south at Condeixa-a-Nova, and it is the best-preserved Roman site in Portugal. Tomar, Fátima, Aveiro, Buçaco and Montemor-o-Velho are all a return trip from here, and the schist villages of the Lousã range are the one that fills a whole day. Some are straightforward by train and some really want a driver.
A ten-hour day out of Porto that takes in both Fatima and Coimbra, which makes it a way into the city rather than a day out of it. It carries the deepest review pool of the four Fatima listings here. Check the direction before booking: it starts and ends in Porto.
· Private schist-villages half day
A private three to four hours through the schist villages of the Lousa, run for one group at a time rather than as a mixed departure. The slate hamlets sit in the hills southeast of Coimbra and the drive between them is part of the day. A perfect rating across more than a hundred reviews.
from $87.81per person Check availability →
· Private Lousa mountain tour, deer watching
Four private hours in the Serra da Lousa with deer watching sold as part of the route rather than left to luck, which is what separates it from the other half-day trips into the same hills. A private departure, so the vehicle is not shared with another party.
from $105.37per person Check availability →
· Convent of Christ, one to three hours
One to three hours at the Convent of Christ in Tomar, priced well under the other Templar listings here and sized to how long you want to stay inside. The convent is the reason people make the trip to Tomar at all. A perfect rating across eighty reviews.
from $46.83per person Check availability →
· Bussaco forest and palace, four hours
Four hours in the Bussaco forest and around its palace, north of Coimbra. Bussaco holds one product on this site rather than a category, which is unusual for somewhere this well known, and this is the listing that covers it. A perfect rating across fifty reviews.
from $87.81per person Check availability →
· Eight hours to Piodao and the cascades
A full eight hours reaching Piodao by way of waterfalls and other schist villages. It is the longest of the ten schist village trips here and the only one that gets that far into the range, which is the difference the extra four hours buys. A perfect rating across forty-eight reviews.
from $152.20per person Check availability →
· Private Templar sites at Tomar
Three to four private hours across Tomar's Templar sites rather than the Convent of Christ alone, which is what separates it from the two shorter Tomar listings on this site. Sold privately, so the group sets the pace and the order.
from $134.63per person Check availability →
· Villages, castles and lunch, 4.5 hours
Four and a half hours pairing the schist villages with the medieval castles in the same range, with lunch built into the price rather than left to a stop along the way. It is the only listing here that combines the two, and it carries a perfect rating across forty reviews.
from $128.78per person, lunch included Check availability →
· Conimbriga plus the caves of Sico
Four hours combining Roman Conimbriga with the caves of Sico, the only pairing of its kind on this site. Conimbriga's ruins and museum share one 10 EUR ticket and the site opens seven days a week, so the day works even when other monuments are shut.
from $87.81per person Check availability →
Talasnal · Jeep run to Talasnal and Gondramaz
Four hours by jeep to Talasnal and Gondramaz, two of the restored schist villages in the Lousa range, on tracks a coach cannot use. Here the vehicle rather than the destination is the difference from the other half-day village trips on this site.
from $98per person Check availability →
· Schist villages of the Lousa, four hours
Four hours in the Serra da Lousa, the range of slate-built villages southeast of the city. Schist village trips are the largest single group of bookable days out of Coimbra, ten of them on this site, and this is the standard half-day version with transport from town.
from $105.37per person Check availability →
· Convent of Christ at Tomar, local guide
Two hours inside the Convent of Christ at Tomar, the town's Templar monument, with a guide who lives there. Tomar is a separate outing rather than a stop on a city walk, which is why all three Tomar listings on this site are sold on their own terms.
from $140.49per person Check availability →
· Soft canyoning on the river Ceira
Four and a half hours of soft canyoning on the river Ceira near Gois, in the Serra da Lousa. It is the one trip on this roster that puts you in the water rather than on a path or in a vehicle, and it works in the same range of hills as the schist village days.
from $58.54per person Check availability →
· Private Fatima shrine and shepherds' village
Three private hours at Fatima covering the shrine, the Sacred Way and the village the shepherd children came from. It is the shortest and most focused of the four Fatima listings on this site, and the only one sold as a private departure rather than a seat on a full-day run.
from $129.95per person Check availability →
· Nature half day in the Serra da Lousa
Four hours in the Serra da Lousa with the landscape rather than the villages as the subject, which is the difference between this and the other half-days into the same hills. One of the cheaper ways into the range.
from $81.95per person Check availability →
Talasnal · Villages, castles and a natural pool swim
Four and a half hours through the schist villages and the medieval castles of the same range, with hotel pickup in Coimbra and a swim in a natural river pool on the route. The pickup is what separates it from the other castle-and-village day at a similar length.
from $126per person, hotel pickup included Check availability →
· Roman Conimbriga, four hours out and back
Four hours out to Conimbriga and back. The Roman town sits at Condeixa-a-Velha, about 16 km south of Coimbra, and its excavations and national museum share one 10 EUR ticket at the gate. Conimbriga opens seven days a week, which makes it the dependable choice on a Monday when other national monuments close.
from $105.37per person Check availability →
· Half day to the Lousa villages
A half day of four hours from Coimbra into the schist villages of the Lousa mountain. It sits in the middle of that group of ten on both price and length, which makes it the straightforward version of the trip if the eight-hour Piodao run is more than you want.
from $99.51per person Check availability →
· Private Conimbriga ruins and museum
Three private hours at Conimbriga, covering the excavated Roman town and the national museum beside it, which share a single 10 EUR ticket at the gate. The site is at Condeixa-a-Velha, roughly 16 km south of Coimbra, and it opens every day of the week.
from $93.66per person Check availability →
Porto · Full day from Porto with an Aveiro boat
A full day from Porto that pairs Coimbra with Aveiro and puts a boat ride on the Aveiro lagoon into the price. It is the one multi-city day trip on this site, and like the other Porto departures it begins and ends there rather than in Coimbra.
from $114per person, Aveiro boat ride included Check availability →
Porto · Private nine-hour day from Porto
Nine private hours from Porto taking in the sanctuary at Fatima and Coimbra, priced for the whole group rather than per head. That is the figure to check before comparing it with anything else on this page, because a per-group price and a per-person price do not compare directly.
from $457per group of up to four, not per person Check availability →
Fátima · Fatima sanctuary and a Coimbra city tour
Ten hours split between the sanctuary at Fatima and a tour of Coimbra itself, rather than spent entirely at the shrine. Of the four Fatima listings on this site, this is the one that gives the city the most time.
from $79per person Check availability →Rain here is a winter problem rather than a summer one: November and December each average over 110 mm across roughly eleven wet days, while July averages 8.9 mm. The indoor list is genuinely good, and it is mostly on the hill, which also means the wet part of the day is the climb.
Portugal dos Pequenitos, the miniature-Portugal park on the Santa Clara bank, opened in 1940 to Cassiano Branco's design and is the one attraction here built for children rather than tolerated by them. The river park, the botanical garden and the science museum fill the rest of a family day without a single flight of university stairs.
Coimbra fado is sung by men, in the dark, and it is a different tradition from the Lisbon version rather than a regional accent of it. That is the fixed point of an evening here. Around it sit the student bars of the Baixa, which follow the academic calendar closely enough that a July night and a November night are not the same city.
