Guimarães: what to see and how to get there from the airport

From the airport to the birthplace of Portugal

Guimarães sits about 50 kilometres from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Via the A41, joining the A3 and then the A7, the drive usually takes 45 to 50 minutes.

It is motorway almost the whole way, without the VCI congestion that affects journeys into Porto itself. The exceptions are Monday mornings and Friday evenings, when the A3 builds up between Braga and Porto — allow an hour at those times.

Where your driver will be

In the arrivals hall, past customs, holding a sign with your name. We track the flight number you give us when booking, so a delay asks nothing of you: the pickup shifts on its own.

Airport transfers include one hour of free waiting time from the scheduled pickup.

The old town has restricted access

Worth knowing before you book: much of the historic centre of Guimarães is pedestrian or has restricted traffic. The streets around Largo da Oliveira cannot be reached by car.

The service is door to door as far as the road allows. If your accommodation is inside the pedestrian zone, the driver drops you at the nearest accessible point — usually a few minutes' walk — and helps with the luggage. Give the exact address when booking so we can plan the best drop-off.

What there is to see

The historic centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, and the city was European Capital of Culture in 2012. This is where the old wall carries the phrase "Portugal was born here" — Afonso Henriques, the first king, is bound up with the city.

All within a few minutes of each other:

• Guimarães Castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza;
• Largo da Oliveira and Praça de São Tiago, the heart of the old town;
• the Penha cable car, climbing the mountain for views over the valley.

Is it worth it against the train?

Here the answer is clearer than for other destinations, and worth stating plainly.

There is a train to Guimarães, but it leaves from Porto — Campanhã station — and takes about an hour and a quarter. From the airport you first have to take the metro into the city and then change to the train: with luggage and waiting, the total easily passes two hours.

The transfer covers it in fifty minutes, direct, from the terminal to the door. For anyone arriving by air, the difference is substantial.

Price and cancellation

The price is fixed at booking and does not change with traffic or waiting time.

Cancellations made more than 24 hours ahead are free of charge.