On the banks of the river Mondego, Coimbra is famous for its prestigious University, located on the top of a hill. Founded in 1290 by King D. Dinis, it is the oldest Portuguese-speaking University and one of the oldest in the world, which over time has shaped its image to become "the city of students".
Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2013, Coimbra offers an outstanding urban typology, with a number of 16th century colleges, a fascinating maze of old streets and a lively downtown.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Dom Dinis Statue, at Praça Dom Dinis
- We will meet in front of the monumental statue of the King Dom Dinis, at Praça Dom Dinis. I will be identified by a green card with my name on my shirt.
Jardim Botânico
Coimbra's Botanical Garden: created in 1772, World Heritage site. We will do a half an hour stroll in the Garden.
Universidade de Coimbra
Visit the University of Coimbra:
-Palace of Schools: Royal Palace, St. Michael's Chapel, Baroque Library.
-Optional (one included): Chimico Laboratory or Physics Cabinet or Natural History Gallery.
Sé Nova (New Cathedral)
-the New Cathedral of Coimbra
-Machado de Castro National Museum
-the medieval Cathedral of Coimbra
-Almedina Tower
-Barbacã Gate
Ferreira Borges Street
-Praça do Comércio Square
-Santa Cruz Church (National Pantheon)- visit the church (cloister, sacristy, etc. not included)
-Coimbra City Council
Rua da Sofia
-Sofia Street World Heritage site
Pátio da Inquisição
-Inquisition Yard
Jardim da Manga
-the "sleeve Garden" (National Monument)
Ending Point
Jardim da Manga
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
-Guide fee
-Tour in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese
-Guided visit to the University of Coimbra and Botanical Garden
-Any other entrance fees into monuments other than the University buildings (to be paid in local cash at place: Santa Cruz Church National Pantheon- visit to cloister, sacristy, tombs of the founders: 4€; new Cathedral: 3€; old Cathedral: 3€; Machado de Castro National Museum: 10€
-Food, snacks and drinks
-Lunch
-Transportation
-Souvenirs
-This is a 4 hours walking tour, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
-This tour is not recommended for those travelers with severe back/knee problems and with mobility issues.
-University closing dates: 24th and 25th December, December 31, January 1, Academic Week May 24 (2026)
-Joanina Library has specific dates and schedules, sometimes unavailable slots, so please always contact me before booking.
-Celebrations, religious, official/protocol ceremonies and academic festivities sometimes overlap with the normal functioning of the tourist circuit of the University of Coimbra, therefore may compromise visits to certain areas or even lead to their temporary closure.
Please always contact me before booking to check my availability for the schedule chosen. Sometimes I am only available half of the day (morning or afternoon). Thank you.
Hello, I'm Magda and I would be so pleased to host your in my hometown Porto and/or other towns in the Northern Portugal.
I graduated in History of Art at Faculty of Humanities, University of Porto, worked as a teacher, art gallerist, bookseller and finally as a tour guide (and I loved all these previous jobs!).
My tours are focused on Architecture, Art and History, but the charm of Porto goes beyond that: traditions, legends, secrets, food...
My main purpose is to show you what really makes us different and unique.
(sometimes I'm the traveler, taking pictures of my favorite spots - you check the gallery :-)
I'm available and pleased to create the best plan for you, according to your preferences.
Looking forward to meeting you! Best
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Richard B.
“Magda is delightful!! Highly recommend!”
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Magda through old Porto. She gave us a terrific overview of the history, architecture and fascinating stories that make the city such a treasure. She was keen to what we hoped to see and checked everything off our list. During the tour, through engaging conversations, Magda stopped along the way to show us special little gems. From pastries to authentic Portuguese shopping experiences and the best spot for a great lunch, Magda had all the answers for us. Magda has a passion for the local and authentic experiences which we greatly appreciated. Would highly recommend. Muito obrigado, Magda! Richard and CJ
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Magda M.
Dear Richard, dear CJ, thank you so much for sharing this experience. It was an incredible morning with great communication from you as well, I learnt a lot from your country and people and the time just ran so well! I am very pleased you enjoyed it. Wishing you all the best during your stay in Portugal and I am sure that you will come back to visit us and practise the Portuguese language "in loco"! Muito obrigada. Warmest regards, Magda
Joakim H.
“Perfekt guide ”
We truly enjoyed our tour with Magda. She is very knowledeble and friendly. She is really flexible and adjusted our 3 hour tour to fit our interests. She answered questions with enthusiasm. She prepurchased skip the like tickets making life easy. She was also helpful with booking of transports and restaurant. My recomendation is, choose Magda!
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Magda M.
Hi Joakim and the goup! Thank you so much for your review and appreciated my work. I am glad you enjoyed my city and will be always welcome! Warm regards, Magda
Kel B.
“Magda is superb. ”
I cannot say enough good things about Magda, and how well she took care of us on our tour of Porto. We booked the tour on very short notice, and I had asked her specifically to show us residential areas that we might consider renting later in the year. Specifically flat, areas with nice places to walk my dogs outside. She showed us areas in Matasinho that were by the water, as well as one of the sites that overlooked the whole city. As we looked over the skyline, she pointed out several important buildings and structures. What made her tour so special was that she gave us the history and the purpose of these buildings. I was also very impressed by her, taking the time to tell us about Carnation Day, its history, its importance, and pretty particular meaning to her. That was the icing on the cake. Her knowledge of Porto from having lived here all of her life really made a huge difference. I cannot recommend Magda highly enough. She will give you the best tour of Porto that you can possibly get. Kel Brown King George, VA
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Magda M.
Dear Kel, I have so much appreciated the time with you and thank you very much for this beautiful review. I am glad that the tour was according to your expectations and wishes. I did my best. My warmest regards and greetings from Porto.
$274/ per group
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