How to get to Bom Jesus do Monte

The short answer: from central Braga take TUB bus line 2 from Avenida da Liberdade or the train station; it reaches the foot of the sanctuary in about half an hour, every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on Sundays. From Porto, take the train to Braga from São Bento and pick up the same bus. From the foot of the hill you either climb the stairway or ride the funicular. If you are driving, there is parking at the base and more at the top.

From Braga centreTUB line 2

Bus journeyAbout half an hour

Porto to Braga42 km

By train54 or 71 minutes

From Porto airportGet Bus, about 50 min

ParkingAt the base and the top

From Braga: bus 2

Line 2 of the TUB network runs from Avenida da Liberdade and from the railway station out to the foot of the sanctuary. Two pages of the same operator’s guide give the journey as 25 and as 30 minutes, so call it about half an hour and do not build a tight plan on it. It runs every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on Sundays, which is worth knowing if you are going up for the evening. The fare is small; as with the funicular I keep exact figures on the cost page because the sources I can reach do not agree.

A taxi or rideshare from the middle of Braga takes a few minutes and is the obvious answer if there are three or four of you. The bus drops you at the bottom of the stairway, next to the funicular station, so either way up starts from the same place.

From Porto

Braga is 42 km north of Porto. Trains leave from São Bento and can also be boarded at Campanhã, taking 54 or 71 minutes depending on the service, at about €3.60 for an adult and €1.80 for a child one way. There are 20 departures a day with 7 more from Monday to Friday, so this is a turn-up-and-go journey rather than one you plan around. I have gone through when that beats a guided day trip and when it does not on the Porto page.

From Porto airport, the Get Bus takes about 50 minutes to Braga for around €9, which saves you doubling back into the city. Coming from further south, start with the Lisbon page, which is mostly an argument for changing in Porto.

Driving and parking

There is limited free parking at the base of the hill and paid parking near the basilica at the top. The road to the top exists and is ordinary; you do not need to climb anything to reach the church if you have a car, which matters more than it sounds and is covered properly on the accessibility page. The free spaces at the bottom go early on Sunday mornings.

The last hundred metres, vertically

However you arrive at the foot of the hill, the sanctuary is still 116 m above you. That is either 573 steps or a ride on the 1882 funicular, and both are covered in detail on the stairway page and the funicular page. The funicular keeps seasonal hours; the stairway does not keep hours at all, because the grounds never close.

Insider tip

If you are relying on the funicular to get up, check its hours before you set out and have the stairway as your fallback. If you are relying on bus 2 to get back down on a Sunday evening, remember it drops to hourly.

Or let somebody else drive

Of the 22 tours I track, 11 stay in Braga and 11 go on to Guimarães. The full-day trips from Porto handle every leg of the journey above, which is most of what they are selling.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Bom Jesus do Monte from Braga?

Take TUB bus line 2 from Avenida da Liberdade or from the train station. It reaches the foot of the sanctuary in about half an hour, running every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on Sundays. A taxi takes a few minutes and makes sense for a group.

How far is Braga from Porto?

42 km by road. Trains from Porto São Bento take 54 or 71 minutes depending on the service and cost about €3.60 for an adult, with 20 departures a day and 7 extra on weekdays. The comparison with a guided day trip is on the Porto page.

Can you drive up to Bom Jesus do Monte?

Yes. A road runs to the top and there is paid parking near the basilica, plus limited free parking at the base of the stairway. Driving up is the standard answer for anyone who cannot manage 573 steps and does not want to depend on the funicular’s hours.

Which bus goes to Bom Jesus do Monte?

TUB line 2. It leaves from Avenida da Liberdade and from Braga railway station and sets you down at the bottom of the stairway, beside the funicular station, so both ways up start from the same point.