Guide · Porto and the North
Braga and Guimarães from Portoday trips by train, with or without kids
Braga (Bom Jesus and its 1882 funicular) and Guimarães (castle, ducal palace, cable car) are each about an hour from Porto by CP train, on separate lines. One city a day by train, or both with a car, a tour or the 101 bus between them.
Short answer: do one city per day by train from Porto São Bento: Braga in just under an hour on the faster trains, Guimarães in about 1 h 05 to 1 h 25. A €7.70 CP one-day ticket covers both lines. To see both in one day, link them with the 101 bus (about 50 minutes, weekdays only), hire a car, or take a tour.
This guide contains affiliate links. How we choose and label them: how we make money.
Braga in a day
- Getting there: CP urban trains from São Bento via Campanhã; the faster ones take 57 minutes (06:05 → 07:02, Monday to Friday), stopping trains longer. [CP, from 26 July 2026]
- Bom Jesus do Monte: ride the 1882 water-counterweight funicular up (€2.50 one way, €4 return; summer 08:55–19:55) and walk down the Baroque stairway, 116 m and 583 steps in all. UNESCO since 2019. [bomjesus.pt; en-Wikipedia]
- From the station to Bom Jesus: TUB line 2 runs every 30 minutes from Avenida da Liberdade (25 de Abril stop) to Bom Jesus in about 20 minutes, weekdays and weekends. [TUB timetable, 2026]
- The town: Portugal’s oldest archdiocese, home to a campus of the University of Minho, and described as one of the country’s noted entrepreneurial and technology centres. [Wikipedia]
- Working day? Factory Braga sells a coworking day at €17.
Guimarães in a day
- Getting there: about 1 h 05 to 1 h 25 from São Bento, on weekdays mostly hourly with two-hour gaps around midday, at weekends and on public holidays roughly every two hours (10 trains a day): for example 09:20 → 10:25 out (Monday to Friday; at weekends 08:20 → 09:39 or 10:20 → 11:35) and 15:51 back from Guimarães every day, or 17:06 Monday to Friday. [CP, from 14 December 2025]
- Castle and Paço dos Duques: €8 for both during restoration works, free for children up to 12 with an adult, 10:00–18:00; the castle keep is closed. [Turismo de Guimarães]
- Cable car to Penha: running since 1995, with mini golf, walks and a sanctuary at the top. Prices not confirmed. [cp.pt]
- The medieval centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. [Wikipedia]
Both in one day
| Option | How | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Train + bus | Train to Braga, bus 101 to Guimarães, train back to Porto | Cheapest; long day, weekdays only |
| Car | Porto, Braga and Guimarães are 42–47 km from Porto and 16 km from each other as the crow flies (OSM coordinates); drive times not checked | Flexible; parking in both centres |
| Tour | Many Porto operators sell Braga + Guimarães days | Easiest; less time in each place |
The 101 bus runs between the two bus stations in about 50 minutes on weekdays only, with no service on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays. In term time there are 14 runs from Braga (07:15 to 20:00, none between 10:00 and 12:00 or 13:00 and 15:00) and 15 back; in the summer and school holidays 10 each way, 08:00 to 19:00 from Braga. [CIM Cávado, 2026 timetable] So plan a two-city day for a weekday, and check aitc.cimcavado.pt before you go.
From the airport
getBUS runs direct coaches from Porto airport to Braga and Guimarães, which helps if you base yourself there rather than in Porto. [Porto Airport] In October 2026 they took 45 minutes to Braga and 40 minutes to Guimarães, with a 00:45 departure for late flights (the next one is at 05:00); times, fares and luggage rules: Porto airport to the city. [getbus.eu] Braga is also on the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades lines from Lisbon: trains in Portugal.
More: Braga, Guimarães, getting around Porto and the north. All the day trips from Porto compared: day trips from Porto.
Source references
- CP: Urbanos, Linha de Braga timetable (valid from 26 Jul 2026) · accessed
- CP: Urbanos, Linha de Guimarães timetable (valid from 14 Dec 2025) · accessed
- CP: Bilhete Turístico (€7.70 one day, €16.50 three days on Porto urban lines incl. Braga and Guimarães) · accessed
- CIM Cávado / AITC: Linha 101 Braga (Terminal Rodoviário)–Guimarães (Terminal Rodoviário), timetable version 2024 · accessed
- CIM Cávado / AITC: Linha 101 Braga (Central)–Guimarães (Terminal Rodoviário) por A11, 2026 timetable (V1-2): 50 min; school term 14 weekday runs from Braga, 15 back; reduced timetable 10 each way (8 Jun–11 Sep and school holidays); no service on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays or Carnival · accessed
- TUB Braga: line 2 Ponte de Prado–Bom Jesus timetable (2026-01-27 edition): every 30 min, about 20 min from Avenida da Liberdade (25 de Abril) to Bom Jesus · accessed
- Confraria do Bom Jesus do Monte: informações (funicular hours and prices) · accessed
- Wikipedia (en): Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte · accessed
- Turismo de Guimarães: Paço dos Duques de Bragança (prices, free up to 12, hours, keep closed) · accessed
- CP: Parceria Teleférico de Guimarães · accessed
- Porto Airport: public transportation (getBUS to Braga and Guimarães) · accessed
- Getbus: Braga ↔ Porto Airport (direct, 45 min; from the airport 00:45, then 05:00 to 23:00) · accessed
- Getbus: Guimarães ↔ Porto Airport (direct, 40 min; from the airport 00:45, then 05:00 to 23:00) · accessed
- Wikipedia (en): Guimarães (UNESCO 2001) · accessed
The places in this guide
From Porto and the North: Teleférico de Guimarães (42 km), Paço dos Duques and Guimarães Castle (42 km), Factory Braga (46 km), Bom Jesus do Monte (49 km). Straight-line distances from the centre point, not driving times.
Sight€
Bom Jesus do Monte
UNESCO-listed Baroque sanctuary on a wooded hill above Braga: climb the 116 m zigzag stairway or ride the 1882 water-powered funicular (€2.50 one way).
Researchedlast checked
Sight€
Paço dos Duques and Guimarães Castle
Guimarães Castle and the ducal palace side by side on the hill above the old town; €8 for both during restoration, under-13s free with an adult.
Researchedlast checked
Activity
Teleférico de Guimarães
Cable car from the edge of Guimarães up Penha mountain, running since 1995; at the top a sanctuary, mini golf, walking routes and a campsite.
Researchedlast checked
Coworking€
Factory Braga
Business centre with coworking on the edge of Braga: a 'Workday' at €17 and a 'Workweek' from €61; 24/7 access on the monthly plans.
Researchedlast checked
Quick answers
Braga or Guimarães: which is the better day trip from Porto?
With children, Braga for the Bom Jesus funicular and the park on the hill; Guimarães for the castle (free up to 12 with an adult) and the cable car to Penha. For history in a small walkable centre, Guimarães; for a livelier university city, Braga. Both are about an hour away.
Can you visit Braga and Guimarães in one day without a car?
It is possible but tight. The two cities are on different CP lines from Porto, so link them with the 101 bus between the bus stations (about 50 minutes, roughly hourly with a gap around midday). It runs on weekdays only: no service on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays (2026 timetable). Take the train out to one city and back from the other on a €7.70 CP one-day tourist ticket.
How do you get from Porto to Bom Jesus?
Train to Braga (just under an hour on the faster trains), then TUB city bus line 2 from Avenida da Liberdade in the centre to Bom Jesus: every 30 minutes, about 20 minutes, in the 2026 timetable. The funicular runs daily: €2.50 one way, €4 return. We have not checked the walk from the station to the bus stop.