Location: Braga
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What to do and see in Braga, Northern Portugal: The Best Walking Tours
Sometimes called the “Portuguese Rome” for its many churches, Braga is an ancient town in northwest Portugal. Its history and livelihood are tied to Christianity dating to the 3rd century. The city’s 12th-century Sé (Cathedral) is still one of the most popular attractions. Just outside of town lies the renowned Bom Jesus de Monte pilgrimage sanctuary, with its striking Baroque stairway. After dark, the stoic town turns upside down, with a rich nightlife thanks to its many university students.
Restaurants in Braga
1. Braga Half-Day Tour from Porto
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Enjoy a half-day city tour to "Bracara Augusta", the ancient Roman city with over 2000 years of history! Get to now the oldest city in Portugal, which today is one of the youngest cities in Europe!
Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Professional guide, Entrance in Braga's Cathedral, Entrance in Bom Jesus water powered funicular
Exclusions: Gratuities
Reviewed By 523koenp
Guide was very cool, lot of interesting information. Helps you get familiar with different types of port, tastings are really good.
2. Full-Day Tour to Guimarães and Braga from Porto
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
This is a full-day tour in a van. It includes a day trip to Guimarães and Braga cities with a stop at "Bom Jesus" Church and lunch in Guimarães.
Inclusions: A Local Guide accompaniment;, Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in a 9 seat van;, Lunch in Guimarães in a typical restaurant (meat or fish – tell us if you’re vegetarian!
Exclusions: Entrance in Dukes of Bragança Palace (optional)
Reviewed By AndrewVH43
This day trip out to the Douro valley was the highlight of of two week trip around Portugal. Diana, our guide and the company are well organised and efficient. Diana was very knowledgeable, unhurried, good-humored and made our trip very enjoyable. After a pleasant boat trip on the Douro river admiring the scenery of the valley and just relaxing, we went to a small little winery close by up on a high hill with great views over the valley. Here we had a tour on how they make olive oil, afterwhich we had some wine tasting, together with almonds, bread and local olive oil. This really got everyone relaxed and in an enjoyable spirit. We were then taken back down the valley to a restaurant for lunch and enjoyed good company with good food and wine. In the afternoon we were taken to a larger wine and port producer and had a tour on how they make Port, followed by some port wine tasting, which was very yummy and enjoyable. From here we headed back to Porto, but after all the wine and Port, we slept the whole way home. Overall, a great experience with professional company and superb guide.
3. Braga Food Tour With A Local Guide
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Enjoy the food of Braga on this 3-hour guided tour. Food plays an important role in day-to-day life in Braga and the city is renowned for its many snack bars, pastry shops, and restaurants. If you enjoy your food, there are few better places to visit in the country. Follow the lead of the food-obsessed Braga inhabitants and spend an afternoon hopping between bars on this 3 hours food tour in Braga! - Meeting local people. Learn about the lifestyle of Braga locals. - Small-group tour of 2–10 people. - Three hours of a culinary walking tour of the vibrant Portuguese city. Includes different Petiscos (tidbits) - Ham, cheese, olive oil, bread, and Port Wine. - Bifana (the Portuguese sandwich based on pork meat) with White Wine – Vinho Verde (beer or soda). - Bolinhos de bacalhau (codfish cake), olives, or lupines with White Wine – Vinho Verde. - Tíbias (Portuguese éclairs) and Fidalguinhos (cookies) with coffee or tea.
Inclusions: Local guide, Port Wine and Portuguese Wine, Food Tasting
Exclusions: Hotel pickup and drop-off, Gratuities, Travel insurance, Tickets or Entrances other than mentioned, Telephone and personal expenses
Reviewed By croftonMelbourne
We arrived late due to airline problems but this was not a problem to Eco Trilha, they were there to meet us and transfer to our hotel in Lisbon, which was comfortable and reliable - see separate review Olissippo Hotel. Next morning we were met by our guide Frederico and driver Luis, who both spoke good English. We drove to the Pena Castle in Sintra early to avoid the Easter crowds that arrived (thank goodness because the queue had grown to several hundred metres long by the time we left) Then we drove down around the coast at Cascais and Fred and Luis were always a good source of information. Fred was an exceptionally good guide at Pena as he had worked there for two years. The surprise of the day was custard tarts at Pasteis de Belem - see separate review - a national treasure. On Day 2 Fred and new driver Ubu took us up the coast to the medieval town of Obidos, the amazing beach at Nazare (home of the largest recorded surf wave) and religious town Fatima. They then took us to our next overnight stop at Porto. We stayed at Porto Trindade hotel - a nice hotel, but hard to find as it only has a narrow street frontage. On day 3, Cristiane, who is proprietor of Eco Trilha took us on an interesting walking tour of the city. Despite annoying persistent light rain, we were able to see all the important landmarks and historical buildings. We were amused by the consistent arrays of sardine tins - symbol for the city - there are dedicated shops which just sell painted sardine tins - not just a few, On day 4 our driver and guide was Pedro - an excellent guide, with excellent English and expert on the Douro Valley, home of port wine. He was delightful to be with and took us to numerous viewing points plus highlights of Lamego and Pinha. The Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies stands high on a hill with over 600 steps down to the top of the main street. The view is stunning and Pedro took us to the top by car and we walked down. The Lamego Cathedral is also impressive. Also the railway station at Pinha has various murals of painted ceramic tiles highlighting the town and its history. Of course the highlight was the overall view of the valley where centuries old grape terraces make you wonder how they can produce such volumes in such steep country. The best view was at our Port Wine cellar tour and tasting at Sandeman winery. Well done Pedro. On our last day Cristiane came from her home town of Braga (3rd largest in Portugal) and drove us back to see highlights of Braga. First we went to Bom Jesus de Monte which she told us was built before the Lamego church (which has a similar hilltop and stair structure) with 580 stairs. I prefer the Lamego church as it has more elaborate stair landings and a stunning outlook down into the town's main street. Bom Jesus, however has several re-created lifelike death of Jesus dioramas. It was Good Friday but the shops were open and we wandered through Braga's no-traffic central city area and had lunch. Overall, the organisation at Eco Trilha was very good and they were on time, every time. The guides were excellent (Pedro won our award) and being a small group, they were patient and flexible - my wife is an avid photographer and they were willing to point out features, or wait a short time while she took pics.
4. Minho Tour small group, Braga, Ponte de Lima, Viana, Vinho Verde Winery & Lunch
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
The Minho Full-Day Tour includes the visit to Braga and Bom Jesus Sanctuary, followed a short stop at the medieval village of Ponte de Lima, before lunch in Arcos de Valdevez. In the afternoon we will proceed with a guided tour to the Brejoeira Palace and Vinho Verde Estate in the Monção Region. Before returning to Porto we will stop at Viana do Castelo to visit the city center and taste the famous "Bolas de Berlim" in the city center. Highlights: • Full-day Minho tour from Porto with an expert guide • Visit to the city of Braga with tasting of local sweets • Visit to Bom Jesus Sanctuary • Visit to Ponte de Lima • Regional lunch in Arcos de Valdevez • Guided visit to the Brejoeira Palace, a Vinho Verde landmark for wine-tasting • Visit to Viana do Castelo
Inclusions: Visit to Braga city center, Tasting of local sweets in Braga, Visit to Bom Jesus Sanctuary, Regional Lunch in the medieval village of Ponte de Lima, Visit to Viana do Castelo and Santa Luzia Sanctuary, Photo & Video, Bottled water
Exclusions: Gratuities
Reviewed By ny_music_gal
This review is YEARS in the making (so long ago that Tripadvisor won't let me select the correct year)! On our trip to Porto in August 2018, we wanted to take a trip to the Douro region and found Pedro with North-on-Wheels and selected the Charm Douro tour. He organized the most INCREDIBLE experience we could have ever imagined! We still talk about this trip and what an amazing day Pedro planned for us. Before our trip even started, Pedro communicated with us about our food preferences, the best days for the tour (weather), and so much more. Our day started at 8 am with Pedro picking us up in a beautiful air-conditioned Mercedes van, which we had all to ourselves! He then took us to Amarante where we visited São Gonçalo church and the old bridge, and after, we sat down and had some local pastries and coffee with Pedro. Afterwards, we toured Favaios estate cellars and had a delicious regional lunch. We also went to the Mateus Palace for a guided tour around the estate and grounds. Our day did not end there, we had a private two-hour boat cruise down the Douro river with a tasting menu of typical Portuguese food and Douro wines, hosted by Jorge. After the boat cruise, Pedro picked us up from the marina and took us back to our hotel (over a 10+ hr day). Not only was this the most spectacular day, Pedro was a wonderful guide! Everything we did was included in the package price and Pedro organized everything. He also made sure to stop and take a lot of photos of us throughout the day, which he sent us after our trip. Thank you, Pedro (and Jorge!) for the most magnificent and memorable day!
5. Santiago de Compostela: Private Tour with Lunch Included
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Discover Saint James of Compostela: feel like a true pilgrim! Witness a unique experience of faith in this World Heritage Site. Finish the day at the fortress of Valença, with the taste of Vinho Verde. This full-day tour on board of a comfortable minivan is escorted by a certified guide that will personalize your experience to the fullest in Santiago de Compostela!
Inclusions: Private transportation, Air-conditioned vehicle, WiFi on board, Lunch, All Fees and Taxes
Exclusions: Personal expenses
Reviewed By peter2020l
Our tour is arranged adhoc with very short notice but the company is so accomodating. Pascal is our tour guide, he is sooooo humorous (never had a boring moment) yet so knowledgeable on everything about Porto (and Portugal) from history to architecture, telling us special details around those heritages and observations. It is like a happy discovery journey. Various activities like wine tasting and boat cruise were great that adds to the tour. We also had our 2 80+ years old moms joining us in this trip. Pascal has been very attentive taking extra care to ensure the arrangement works well for them and in the most comfy and safe way. He was so sweet to get our moms a bag of hot chestnuts when it was windy and chill out there visiting the coast of Atlantic ocean, which made it especially yummy and warm. 5 stars, absolutely recommended for the great personal experience.
6. Guimarães and Braga day tour with Monuments Tickets...Castle, Palace, Cathedrals
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Guimarães, a city of medieval origin known as "Cradle of the Nation", was classified in 2001 as World Heritage by UNESCO. Guimarães has a prominent role in the history of Portugal, and where the battle of São Mamede paved the way for the foundation of the Portuguese nation. It was from here that the conquest of Portugal from the Moors began, by D. Afonso Henriques (1st king of Portugal). Braga, founded by Romans under the name of Bracara Augusta in honor of Emperor César Augusto, it is currently a charming city and the oldest in Portugal with more than 2000 years of history. It is one of the main religious centers in the country, and where the oldest cathedral in Portugal is located. In the long journey through the history of the city, we can find several styles, from Roman to Baroque, with the beautiful houses of the 18th century.
Inclusions: Guimarães Castle, Braga Cathedral and Treasury-Museum, Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte and Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro, Guimarães and Braga Historic Center, Private transportation, Guied in your language, Personal accident insurance required by law, All Fees and Taxes
Exclusions: Lunch, Personal expenses
Reviewed By Sadegh K
My wife and I booked an all-day private tour of the Alto Minho region of Portugal with Brand Tours and couldn't have imagined a better experience. Not only did Xavier and Rui bring us to magical places, but they were so well-versed in the history of the region, and that knowledge made our day so much more interesting and meaningful. We visited ancient villages and saw old corn storage units from the 1700s that are still in use today; we explored old forts and climbed towers with spectacular views; we ate lunch in a small place where the locals eat and sampled the local fare including delicious sausages and a special wine. The proprietor even gave me the drinking glass I admired! Rui and Xavier literally went the extra mile to bring us to the top of a mountain in a national park where we looked into the valley and marveled at the beautiful views. During the course of the day, we discovered all we had in common and ended up as friends by the time we were dropped off in the evening. It was a perfect day with perfectly professional and friendly guides. I highly recommend Brand Tours for the tour of a lifetime!
7. Peneda-Gerês National Park - Nature & Tastings -
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
It’s amazing how people adapt to the fascinating grandeur of Nature in this inspiring Nacional Park of Peneda-Gerês. Expect an enjoyable day diving into fantastic lagoons that will bring back that childlike wonder into your eyes and also partake in the tasting of the regional dishes in a delightful family environment. Together we will make a toast to life!
Inclusions: Coffee and/or Tea, Lunch, A tasty evening in a cosy family business!, Private transportation, Air-conditioned vehicle, Water & Free internet while on board., Car with infant-child car seat up to 12 years of age and stroller., Civil liability and personal injury insurance., All Fees and Taxes
Exclusions: Dinner, Excludes all else that is not stipulated in the Terms and Conditions of the Tour.
8. Braga and Guimarães Tour with Lunch from Porto
Overall Ratings
4.9 based on 10 reviews
Discover the culture and picturesque beauty of northern Portugal on this full-day Braga and Guimarães tour with lunch, from Porto. Accompany your guide to Braga’s grand medieval Sé Cathedral, and enjoy hilltop birds-eye views. Savor a traditional Portuguese lunch, then explore Guimarães’s charming town center and and Medieval Castle before returning to Porto.
Inclusions: Lunch, Transport by air-conditioned minivan, Local guide, Entrance in Bom Jesus Funicular, Entrance in Braga's Cathedral, Entrance in Guimarães Castle
Exclusions: Gratuities
Reviewed By 523koenp
Guide was very cool, lot of interesting information. Helps you get familiar with different types of port, tastings are really good.
9. Braga City Tour Including Transfer to Bom Jesus
Overall Ratings
4.7 based on 3 reviews
Braga is not only the oldest Portuguese city but is also one of the oldest Christian cities in the world. Founded in Roman times as Bracara Augusta, Braga has over 2000 years of history. Located in the North of Portugal, the beautiful city of Braga also offers opportunities for recreation and culture which are unique in Portugal, with its night-life, cinemas, theater, exhibitions, museums, and art galleries. It is a city full of culture and traditions, where history and religion live side by side with the technology industry and university life. In 2012 it was awarded European Youth Capital. Included: Private Transfer from Braga to Bom Jesus and Cathedral entrance ticket.
Inclusions: Local guide, Cathedral entrance ticket, Private transportation to Bom Jesus do Monte Shrine
Exclusions: Gratuities, Travel insurance, Telephone and personal expenses, Entrances other than mentioned
Reviewed By croftonMelbourne
We arrived late due to airline problems but this was not a problem to Eco Trilha, they were there to meet us and transfer to our hotel in Lisbon, which was comfortable and reliable - see separate review Olissippo Hotel. Next morning we were met by our guide Frederico and driver Luis, who both spoke good English. We drove to the Pena Castle in Sintra early to avoid the Easter crowds that arrived (thank goodness because the queue had grown to several hundred metres long by the time we left) Then we drove down around the coast at Cascais and Fred and Luis were always a good source of information. Fred was an exceptionally good guide at Pena as he had worked there for two years. The surprise of the day was custard tarts at Pasteis de Belem - see separate review - a national treasure. On Day 2 Fred and new driver Ubu took us up the coast to the medieval town of Obidos, the amazing beach at Nazare (home of the largest recorded surf wave) and religious town Fatima. They then took us to our next overnight stop at Porto. We stayed at Porto Trindade hotel - a nice hotel, but hard to find as it only has a narrow street frontage. On day 3, Cristiane, who is proprietor of Eco Trilha took us on an interesting walking tour of the city. Despite annoying persistent light rain, we were able to see all the important landmarks and historical buildings. We were amused by the consistent arrays of sardine tins - symbol for the city - there are dedicated shops which just sell painted sardine tins - not just a few, On day 4 our driver and guide was Pedro - an excellent guide, with excellent English and expert on the Douro Valley, home of port wine. He was delightful to be with and took us to numerous viewing points plus highlights of Lamego and Pinha. The Shrine of Our Lady of Remedies stands high on a hill with over 600 steps down to the top of the main street. The view is stunning and Pedro took us to the top by car and we walked down. The Lamego Cathedral is also impressive. Also the railway station at Pinha has various murals of painted ceramic tiles highlighting the town and its history. Of course the highlight was the overall view of the valley where centuries old grape terraces make you wonder how they can produce such volumes in such steep country. The best view was at our Port Wine cellar tour and tasting at Sandeman winery. Well done Pedro. On our last day Cristiane came from her home town of Braga (3rd largest in Portugal) and drove us back to see highlights of Braga. First we went to Bom Jesus de Monte which she told us was built before the Lamego church (which has a similar hilltop and stair structure) with 580 stairs. I prefer the Lamego church as it has more elaborate stair landings and a stunning outlook down into the town's main street. Bom Jesus, however has several re-created lifelike death of Jesus dioramas. It was Good Friday but the shops were open and we wandered through Braga's no-traffic central city area and had lunch. Overall, the organisation at Eco Trilha was very good and they were on time, every time. The guides were excellent (Pedro won our award) and being a small group, they were patient and flexible - my wife is an avid photographer and they were willing to point out features, or wait a short time while she took pics.
10. Gerês Park Tour small group, Culture, Nature, Waterfalls, Viewpoints & Lunch
The Gerês Park Full-Day Tour includes the visit to Braga and Tibães Monastery, followed by a wonderful regional lunch at Covide in Gerês National Park. In the afternoon we will proceed exploring the natural wonders of Gerês, the most beautiful section of the roman road Via Nova XVIII at Mata da Albergaria, Pedra Bela viewpoint and Arado waterfall. Before returning to Porto we will stop at Caldas do Gerês village and taste local sweets. Highlights: • Full-day Gerês tour from Porto with an expert guide • Visit to the city of Braga with tasting of local sweets • Visit to Tibães Monastery • Regional lunch at Covide • Visit to Gerês national park, with stop at Caldas do Gerês village
Inclusions: Visit to Braga city center, Tasting of local sweets in Braga, Visit to Tibães Monastery, Regional Lunch at Covide-Gerês, Exploring the natural wonders of Gerês, Visit to Caldas do Gerês village, Bottled water
Exclusions: Gratuities
Reviewed By ny_music_gal
This review is YEARS in the making (so long ago that Tripadvisor won't let me select the correct year)! On our trip to Porto in August 2018, we wanted to take a trip to the Douro region and found Pedro with North-on-Wheels and selected the Charm Douro tour. He organized the most INCREDIBLE experience we could have ever imagined! We still talk about this trip and what an amazing day Pedro planned for us. Before our trip even started, Pedro communicated with us about our food preferences, the best days for the tour (weather), and so much more. Our day started at 8 am with Pedro picking us up in a beautiful air-conditioned Mercedes van, which we had all to ourselves! He then took us to Amarante where we visited São Gonçalo church and the old bridge, and after, we sat down and had some local pastries and coffee with Pedro. Afterwards, we toured Favaios estate cellars and had a delicious regional lunch. We also went to the Mateus Palace for a guided tour around the estate and grounds. Our day did not end there, we had a private two-hour boat cruise down the Douro river with a tasting menu of typical Portuguese food and Douro wines, hosted by Jorge. After the boat cruise, Pedro picked us up from the marina and took us back to our hotel (over a 10+ hr day). Not only was this the most spectacular day, Pedro was a wonderful guide! Everything we did was included in the package price and Pedro organized everything. He also made sure to stop and take a lot of photos of us throughout the day, which he sent us after our trip. Thank you, Pedro (and Jorge!) for the most magnificent and memorable day!
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