Best of Braga and Guimaraes Tour from Porto in Small Group

The region of Minho is a former Portuguese province and is located in the north of Portugal. Minho is known for its green landscapes, crossed by tributary rivers, and the biodiversity enriches the sights for visitors to Minho. The region features a large coastal area with beautiful beaches.

Departure to Braga, our first stop. On the way to the Minho region, your guide will give you information about Portuguese history, development and cultural facts of the Portuguese heritage.

Afterwards, we will head to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus, famous not only for religious reasons but also for its architecture, the famous staircase and the vertical tramway, an impressive work of engineering from the 19th century. This was the first of its kind to be installed in Portugal in 1882 and continues to use its water system to propel the 300 metre slope in just 3 minutes. The church was built later (1784) by Carlos Amarante who gave it a neoclassical design of Italian inspiration, which harmoniously integrates the landscape of northern Portugal. The staircase leading to the top contains 17 landings adorned with symbolic fountains, allegorical statues and other Baroque-style decoration around themes such as the Way of the Cross, the Five Senses, the Virtues, Moses receiving the Commandments and, at the top, the eight. Biblical figures that contributed to the condemnation of Jesus. Any visit should take in the view from the bottom of the Staircase. Looking up are the ornate granite fountains on the various landings and the white chalice-shaped outline on which the church "sits".

The first cathedral, older than Portugal. Braga Cathedral was the first Portuguese cathedral, erected several decades before the foundation of the country. Construction began at the end of the 11th century, and it was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Bishop Pedro in solemn session on 28 August 1089. It competes in power with the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and is the jewel of the city. D. Henrique and D. Teresa, parents of the first king of Portugal, are buried in the Chapel of the Kings.

Now it is time for a break. If you have selected the option with lunch, the guide will take you to a local restaurant where you will have a delicious traditional Portuguese meal with drinks included. Taste the famous "Vinho Verde" wine, a white wine with unique characteristics (Vegetarian option during lunch is available, be sure to request it during the booking process).
After lunch, we will take a short drive to Guimarães: it is considered the birthplace of Portugal because Afonso Henriques, who became the first king of Portugal, was born here.


The presence of the castle evokes the passionate mixture of legend, poetry and heroism that surrounds the beginning of Portuguese history. On this Monte Largo (Broad Hill), the nucleus of the future nation of Portugal first developed. Around 968, Mumadona, the Countess of Galicia, ordered the construction of a castle on this site, where the population could take refuge from the constant attacks unleashed on them by the Viking hordes, who arrived by sea from northern Europe, and the Muslims, who made incursions from the territories they occupied to the south. When he took over the governorship of the province known as Portucalense from his father-in-law, Alfonso VI of León, Count Henry ordered the construction of a larger and more solid building. This marked the beginning of the important defensive structure that we can see today, presided over by the square keep that stands between the four towers guarding each of the four corners of the walls. Although this is not strictly documented, it is very likely that the building that stands against the inside of the north wall was the residence of Count Henry and the birthplace of his son Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal.

The small church of S. Miguel do Castelo was built in the 13th century. However, according to tradition, this church would have been built in the 12th century by Count Dom Henrique (Henry of Burgundy), where he would have baptised his son, the 1st King of Portugal Dom Afonso Henriques. Romanesque in style and small in size, this church reveals a great simplicity in terms of decoration. Inside, under the floor of this church, lie buried the great warriors of the time of the founding of the nation.

The historic centre in the area that was within the city walls of Guimarães, is associated with the formation and identity of Portugal, and was classified as a World Heritage Site for the originality and authenticity applied in its restoration. The city still has a harmonious and well-preserved heritage that is evident in the elegant iron terraces, granite balconies and porticoes, mansions, arches connecting the narrow streets, paving slabs smoothed by time, towers and cloisters. For a moment you can imagine that you are in a medieval setting, where the nobility built their houses over time, such as the house of Mota Prego, the palaces of Vila Flor and Toural, and so many others that give Guimarães its unique atmosphere.