Porto to Braga and Guimarães day trip review: 4.6 from 4,593 reviews
My verdict. This is the most-reviewed product on the site by a factor of three and the cheapest way to stand in both cities on the same day. 4.6 is the lowest average among the tours here that have a real sample, and it is also the only average big enough to trust. At €34 for nine hours you are buying a seat, a guide and a timetable. You are not buying much standing time at Bom Jesus.
What the reviewers say
Natalia named her guide Pedro and wrote that he explained everything. Kathryn named Paulo and called him very knowledgeable about all the sites. Simone is a third. Two reviewers, two different guides, which is what you should expect from a product running this often: you are booking a company and a route rather than a person. On the small tours elsewhere on this site the opposite is true.
The reviews that taught me most about this kind of day were left on its neighbours. James gave the three-city version five stars and still wrote that he wished they had had “time at Bom Jesus”. Ana Karoline gave another two-city trip five stars and said she would spend more of it in Guimarães than in Braga. Nobody is complaining about the guiding. They are complaining about the clock, and I have put that argument in one place on the two-city page.
The 27-person question
The listing calls itself small-group and gives a maximum capacity of 27. Those two things sit awkwardly together. Twenty-seven people is a coach dynamic: boarding takes longer, the photo stop takes longer, and the guide is talking to a crowd rather than to you. That is not a criticism of the guiding, it is arithmetic about the day. If you want a group you can hear, the alternatives here are the walking tour capped at eight or a private booking.
What it does not include, and what that costs
The funicular ticket is not in it. Only 1 of the 22 tours here includes that, and this is not the one. In practice you either pay a couple of euros at the bottom station on the day, or you walk. Walking means 573 steps from the portico to the churchyard by the Confraria’s own count, or 583 if you follow English Wikipedia, which starts and finishes its count somewhere else — the stairway page sets out why both numbers exist. Neither is a problem. On a nine-hour day with a fixed departure it just helps to have decided before you arrive.
What works
- The only rating on this site with a sample in the thousands
- €34 for nine hours and two cities is the lowest ratio here
- Air-conditioned minibus and a fixed route, so nothing to plan
- Reviewers consistently name their guides and praise them
Worth knowing
- Maximum 27 travellers, which is not small-group as most people mean it
- 4.6 is the lowest average among the well-reviewed tours here
- Funicular ticket not included: pay on the spot or take the steps
- Two cities in nine hours means a short stop at the sanctuary
Ask at pick-up how long the Bom Jesus stop is scheduled to be. The answer decides whether you ride up and walk down, which is the only way to see the fountains properly in under an hour.
Who it is for
Anyone based in Porto with one spare day, no car, and no strong feelings about which of the two cities matters more. It is also the right answer for a first visit to the region, because it tells you which city you want to come back to. If you already know the answer is Braga, the Braga-only day trip gives you the whole day in one place, and the Porto page works out when the train beats a tour outright.
Alternatives worth a look
With tapasFrom Porto: Braga & Guimarães — History & Local Flavours
Half dayFrom Oporto: Braga Tour (4 Hours) — Half Day
Funicular includedBraga Small-Group Walking Tour & Bom Jesus
Frequently asked questions
Is the Porto to Braga and Guimarães day trip worth it?
For a first visit with one day to spend, yes. €34 for nine hours, two cities and a guide is the best value on this site, and 4,593 people rating it 4.6 is the strongest evidence anywhere on the page. If the sanctuary itself is your reason for coming north, book something that stays in Braga — see one day or two.
How long do you get at Bom Jesus on this tour?
The operator does not publish a figure and I am not going to invent one. What I can tell you is that nine hours has to cover the drive from Porto, Braga and Guimarães, so the sanctuary stop is short by definition. Five-star reviewers of comparable two-city trips say in their own words that they wanted more time there.
Do I need a ticket for Bom Jesus do Monte on this tour?
No. Entry to the sanctuary grounds is free and so is the basilica, which is why no tour on this site can sell you admission to it. The only thing you might pay for on the hill is the funicular, a couple of euros on the day. The tickets page goes through it, and the cost page adds up the rest.