Located on the banks of the Mondego River, Coimbra an easily walkable city that allows visitors a glimpse into Portugal’s rich history. During our two years living in Portugal, Coimbra was one of our go-to destinations for everything from visa appointments to day trips with, and without, Lilly.
From the famous university, one of the oldest in Europe, to its picturesque squares and beautiful historic architecture, a day in Coimbra promises to be filled with discovery. So let’s take a look at our favourite things to do during one day in Coimbra!
One Day In Coimbra Itinerary
After lurking on several Portugal Facebook pages over the years, it seems Coimbra is quite often overlooked when people are planning their Portugal road trip. I have no idea why!
With plenty of parking, great accommodation and streets that are really easy to navigate, we think it’s a great place to visit for van lifers!
On the map below we’ve added a marker for where we park in our van, so you can be sure it’s big enough for larger vehicles. It’ll only take 20-30 minutes to get into the city from here.
I’ve written this itinerary in an order that makes sense from the parking too, but it can be easily adapted from Coimbra B train station.
Largo da Portagem
Once you’ve crossed the famous Ponte de Santa Clara (Santa Clara Bridge) you’ll be welcomed into Coimbra with the small but mighty Largo da Portagem.
On this quaint little square you’ll find ample cafes and restaurants, but really it’s the architecture and atmosphere that will draw you in.
The name roughly translates to tollbooth square, which comes from days of the past when goods were taxed as they were coming into the city from boats. It won’t be a surprise to hear that one of the prettier buildings on the square is home to the Bank of Portugal, and a few other governmental buildings.
If you want to spend the night in a slice of history, Hotel Astória is a relic from the Art Neuve era that was built in 1926.
🔥 This free walking tour is the best way to see Coimbra – reserve your place before it’s full!
Main strip & Praça do Comércio
From Largo da Portagem, we’re going to take a stroll up Rua Ferreira Borges which I call Coimbra’s main strip. This is where the majority of boutique and touristy shops are, as well as great cafes and places to grab snacks (which are an important feature on all road trips and days wandering around a city, of course!)
Along here, keep your eyes open to the right and you’ll see Porta de Barbacã and Torre de Almedina, the only piece of the original city wall left standing.
Continue wandering until you reach the iconic narrow buildings of R. Visc. da Luz and take a short detour down the stairs to your left where you’ll drop into another of Coimbra’s beautifully tiled squares: Praça do Comércio.
Praça do Comércio is lined with tall colourful buildings that feel unique to Portugal, below which you’ll find more boutique stores and cafes. Yes it’s touristy, but it’s a really pretty place to take a rest and plot out the rest of your day.
Igreja de São Tiago
The Church of Santiago is also located on Praça do Comércio,
Built in the 12th century, it’s one of the city’s best Romanesque-style monuments and was classified as a national monument in 1910.
With its simple exterior and decorative entrance, it reminds me a little bit of the church in Monsanto. While it hasn’t been open to the public whenever we’ve spent the day in Coimbra, it is possible to see inside. You’ll just need to check the signs when you visit.
Church of Santa Cruz
One of Portugal’s most important churches, the Church of Santa Cruz (Igreja de Santa Cruz) dates back to the 12th century with many of the building’s restoration taking place in the 1500’s.
The outside façade is decorated with intricate Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) style decorations but the most impressive and unique feature is the complex organ that has over 4000 pipes and only 4 people have the skills to play it! The Japanese decoration stands out in stark contrast to the baroque tile panels that display the history of the region.
Fonte da Manga
Just around the corner from the Church of Santa Cruz is Fonte da Manga, a Renaissance collection of water fountains in the shape of a cross.
It’s said the gardens and fountains were designed to represent the Source of Life, with many sculptures having a symbolic meaning. Including the dog that represents fertility, parrot that represents eloquence and the water itself which symbolises life and rebirth.
If you visit on a quiet day it’s a very peaceful, maybe even spiritual, place for capturing your thoughts and breaking away from the business of Coimbra.
🚶♂️ Discover Coimbra’s hidden gems with a local guide – book your free walking tour today!
Photo by Egor Kunovsky
New Cathedral / Sé Nova
Located near the historic University of Coimbra, the Jesuits began construction of Coimbra’s New Cathedral in the 1500’s, but it didn’t complete until the early 17th century.
Despite it being over 300 years old, it’s still considered a ‘new’ building due to how old the rest of the historic buildings are in the city.
Standing at the base of the steps, it’s hard to not be impressed by the huge white stone monument that dominates the square. If you get the chance, we strongly recommend taking a look inside the grand hall which is decorated floor to ceiling with a fine mix of painting and intricate wood carvings.
Old Cathedral / Sé Velha
So you’ve seen the new cathedral, it’s time to see the old cathedral which is located closer to the centre of the city, not too far from the university.
Construction of this Romanesque Roman Catholic Cathedral began around 1130, when King Afonso declared Coimbra as the capital of Portugal.
From the outside, with its large sandstone façade and narrow windows, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a fortress or castle. When really, it’s Coimbra’s oldest cathedral. The inside very much reminds me of a smaller version of Batalha Monastery with the arched doorways and central courtyard.
Unlike other Cathedrals, religious buildings and monuments in Coimbra (which are free) entrance to the old cathedral is €2.50. There’s no access during mass which is weekdays at 5:30pm, Saturdays at 6:30pm and 9:30am on Sundays.
If you continue up the hill, you’ll reach your next destination: Coimbra University.
University of Coimbra
Contribute by Marga @ Discover Portugal
One of the must-see places during one day in Coimbra is the well-known university! Coimbra University is the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in the world! With so much history, you can easily spend a whole day here! Whether you visit Porto or make a day trip from Lisbon, it’s one of the most visited places in Coimbra.
Your ticket to the university will provide access to several buildings: the Joanina Library, St. Michael’s Chapel, Royal Palace, the Chemistry Laboratory, and the Academic Museum. The first three are located around the square Paço das Escolas. The square is free to visit, and you can see many faculties around it. Another area that is free is the University’s Botanical Garden, filled with colourful flowers and ancient trees!
The Joanina Library holds a whopping 60.000 books in some of the richest decorated rooms in the country. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to take photos inside, but this is most likely the highlight of your visit. The St. Michael’s Chapel next door is equally beautiful and contains an organ with more than 2000 tubes! Inside the Royal Palace, you’ll visit multiple rooms, such as the Throne Room and the Private Examination Room.
A short walk away are the Chemistry Laboratory and the Academic Museum. The Chemistry Laboratory is very interactive and great for children! In the Academic Museum, you can glimpse Portuguese student life and the university’s history. The ticket office is also inside the Academic Museum, in case you don’t purchase tickets online.
🎓 Skip the lines and explore one of Europe’s oldest universities with a guide
Botanical Gardens
Alongside the university are the city’s botanical gardens, one of my favourite things to do in any city.
Free to the public between 9am – 5:30 (8pm in the summer), Coimbra’s botanical gardens is split into two areas: The Classic Garden which is a traditionally landscaped and well kept area made up of geometric flowerbeds, and the Arbitrarium which is the majority of the Botanical Gardens made up of a variety of different trees, bushes and flowers that represent different areas around the world.
What we really enjoy about Coimbra’s botanical garden is that dogs are welcome too! So it’s something you can enjoy as a whole family during your one day in Coimbra.
Aqueduto de São Sebastião
Who doesn’t love an old Portuguese viaduct? Coimbra’s one is around 1 km long and made up of 21 archways.
While it might not be as popular as Tomar aqueduct, and you can’t walk across it, Coimbra’s viaduct is still an iconic part of the city and although it’s best visited at night when there’s less traffic around, because it’s so close to the botanical gardens it makes sense to have a peek at this too!
Riverfront Park
As you make your way back towards your parking, or train station, your final destination for this one day in Coimbra itinerary is the riverfront park.
This is a nice slice of open space located between the river and the city where you’ll find a kids playground, cafes and temporary art exhibits, It’s also a great place to allow your dog to stretch their legs and relax after a busy day in the city.
If you cross the river here, you’ll find the sand park where there’s a volleyball court, skatepark and access to the water for kayaking!
When to visit Coimbra
We spent two years living in Portugal and one thing we noticed was April always seemed to be one of the wetter months.
So when people ask us the best time to visit Coimbra, or Portugal in general, we always recommend May but on a wider recommendation, we say Spring & Autumn.
If you spend a day in Coimbra throughout May, you’re almost guaranteed to have nice warm,but not hot weather, and experience smaller crowds than you would through the peak of summer.
If you do happen to get rain, make sure to pack good footwear as the cobbled streets across the whole of Portugal can be insanely slippery when wet.
How to get to Coimbra
If you’re planning a day trip to Coimbra from Porto or Lisbon, you’re in luck! It’s really easy to get to from either of these cities by car or public transport,
From Lisbon
The train from Lisbon to Coimbra will take you around 1.5 hours, tickets starting at €15, while the bus will take roughly 3 hours for €9.
If you’re hiring a car in Portugal and want to drive to Coimbra for the day it will take you 2 hours from Lisbon and will cost you roughly €15 in tolls if you go via the A1, or avoid the tolls via the A8
You can track the cost of tolls here!
From Porto
Getting to Coimbra for the day from Porto is slightly easier, with both the trains and bus taking around 1 – 1.5 hours. Tickets for the train start at €10, whereas bus tickets cost as little as €5.
Driving to Coimbra from Porto will take you an hour via the A1, there
If you want to book ahead, we recommend booking your tickets via Omio.com
Coimbra VS Coimbra-B
If you’re planning to get the train to Coimbra you’ll be faced with the option of going to Coimbra, or Coimbra B but what’s the difference?
Coimbra (or Coimbra A) is the main train station in the city centre. This is the one to go to for your day trip in Coimbra as it’s within walking distance to the start of this itinerary.
Coimbra B is on the outskirts of the city and serves the high speed trains from Porto, but don’t worry if you find yourself here by mistake. It’s only a 5 minute ride on a ‘local’ train between the two!
Photo provided by aworldtotravel.com
How to get around Coimbra
Coimbra is one of those places that is really easy to get around on foot, providing you’re ok with walking up some hills, although it’s not as up and down as Porto.
This is why free walking tours are so popular, because it’s a great city to explore without the need for public transport.
That said, if you want to see a unique view of the city and explore the Mondego valley, you can hop on the half day kayaking tour!
Is Coimbra worth a day trip?
If you have your own vehicle, we think a day trip to Coimbra is definitely worth it. This city, while still touristy, has a different atmosphere to Porto or Lisbon.
It also gives you the opportunity to swing by the Conimbriga Ruins, if you haven’t already, which are only 30 minutes from Coimbra centre.
If you’re relying on public transport, Coimbra would still be worth it if you get an early train or bus and plan your time effectively.
How much time do I need in Coimbra?
While this one day Coimbra itinerary isn’t as jam packed as the one we did for Porto, there’s still plenty to see here that really does require a full day.
If your schedule is flexible, I would consider spending the night in or around Coimbra to allow you more time to explore the surrounding areas, such as the Paiva Walkways and the previously mentioned Conimbriga Ruins.
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