Coimbra itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Coimbra, day by day: the Santa Clara-a-Velha ruins, the Joanina Library, the Machado de Castro museum and the two cathedrals first, then Santa Clara-a-Nova, Portugal dos Pequenitos and the Botanical Garden, and a day trip to Tomar's Convent of Christ and the castles of Ourém and Soure as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Coimbra in 1 day
Day 1
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Ruins of a 14th-century Gothic convent on the left bank of the Mondego, long flooded by the river, with a museum of excavated finds.
Monastery of Santa Cruz
Augustinian monastery in the lower town with the tombs of Portugal's first two kings and a Manueline cloister.
Biblioteca Joanina
Baroque university library of the 1720s with gilded wooden shelves and about 60,000 old books, seen on a short timed visit.
Paço das Escolas (Royal Palace and São Miguel Chapel)
The historic heart of the University of Coimbra, a former royal palace with the São Miguel Chapel and the Joanina Library.
Machado de Castro National Museum
Art museum in the former bishop's palace, with sculpture, paintings and the vaulted Roman cryptoporticus beneath the building.
Old Cathedral of Coimbra
Fortress-like Romanesque cathedral of the 12th century, with a Gothic cloister and a gilded altarpiece.
New Cathedral of Coimbra
Former Jesuit church of the 17th century, cathedral since 1772, with gilded altarpieces near the university.
Coimbra in 2 days
Day 1
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Ruins of a 14th-century Gothic convent on the left bank of the Mondego, long flooded by the river, with a museum of excavated finds.
Monastery of Santa Cruz
Augustinian monastery in the lower town with the tombs of Portugal's first two kings and a Manueline cloister.
Biblioteca Joanina
Baroque university library of the 1720s with gilded wooden shelves and about 60,000 old books, seen on a short timed visit.
Paço das Escolas (Royal Palace and São Miguel Chapel)
The historic heart of the University of Coimbra, a former royal palace with the São Miguel Chapel and the Joanina Library.
Machado de Castro National Museum
Art museum in the former bishop's palace, with sculpture, paintings and the vaulted Roman cryptoporticus beneath the building.
Old Cathedral of Coimbra
Fortress-like Romanesque cathedral of the 12th century, with a Gothic cloister and a gilded altarpiece.
New Cathedral of Coimbra
Former Jesuit church of the 17th century, cathedral since 1772, with gilded altarpieces near the university.
Day 2
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova
Large 17th-century convent above the river that replaced the flooded old one, holding the silver tomb of Queen Saint Isabel.
Portugal dos Pequenitos
Miniature park from the 1940s with child-sized copies of Portuguese houses and monuments, popular with families.
Quinta das Lágrimas
Historic gardens linked to the legend of Pedro and Inês de Castro, with a spring, old trees and a palace hotel.
Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra
University garden founded in 1772, with terraces, greenhouses and a bamboo wood below the aqueduct.
Science Museum of the University of Coimbra
University science collections in the 18th-century Chemistry Laboratory, with old instruments and hands-on displays.
Coimbra in 3 days
Day 1
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Ruins of a 14th-century Gothic convent on the left bank of the Mondego, long flooded by the river, with a museum of excavated finds.
Monastery of Santa Cruz
Augustinian monastery in the lower town with the tombs of Portugal's first two kings and a Manueline cloister.
Biblioteca Joanina
Baroque university library of the 1720s with gilded wooden shelves and about 60,000 old books, seen on a short timed visit.
Paço das Escolas (Royal Palace and São Miguel Chapel)
The historic heart of the University of Coimbra, a former royal palace with the São Miguel Chapel and the Joanina Library.
Machado de Castro National Museum
Art museum in the former bishop's palace, with sculpture, paintings and the vaulted Roman cryptoporticus beneath the building.
Old Cathedral of Coimbra
Fortress-like Romanesque cathedral of the 12th century, with a Gothic cloister and a gilded altarpiece.
New Cathedral of Coimbra
Former Jesuit church of the 17th century, cathedral since 1772, with gilded altarpieces near the university.
Day 2
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova
Large 17th-century convent above the river that replaced the flooded old one, holding the silver tomb of Queen Saint Isabel.
Portugal dos Pequenitos
Miniature park from the 1940s with child-sized copies of Portuguese houses and monuments, popular with families.
Quinta das Lágrimas
Historic gardens linked to the legend of Pedro and Inês de Castro, with a spring, old trees and a palace hotel.
Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra
University garden founded in 1772, with terraces, greenhouses and a bamboo wood below the aqueduct.
Science Museum of the University of Coimbra
University science collections in the 18th-century Chemistry Laboratory, with old instruments and hands-on displays.
Day 3
Conímbriga
One of the largest Roman settlements excavated in Portugal, with well-preserved mosaics, house ruins and a museum.
Convent of Christ
Templar castle and convent in Tomar with a round church and the carved Manueline window, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Castle of Ourém
Hilltop medieval castle and ruined palace above the old village of Ourém, a few kilometres from Fátima.
Watch: Coimbra
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Coimbra
April to June and September to October are the best months, with mild, sunny weather; July and August are hot, and winters are mild but rainy. The Queima das Fitas student festival in early May fills the city with parades and concerts. The start of the academic year in late September and October brings student life back to the old town.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Coimbra on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Coimbra on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Coimbra on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Coimbra with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Portugal from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Coimbra with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Coimbra
- University of Coimbra tickets include a timed slot for the Joanina Library; buy online or early in the day, as summer slots sell out.
- The Machado de Castro National Museum is closed on Mondays.
- The upper town (Alta) is steep; the Elevador do Mercado lift links the market area with the streets near the university.
- Coimbra fado is sung by men in student capes; short evening shows run in the old town near the Old Cathedral.
- The Roman ruins of Conímbriga, about 16 km south, make an easy half-day trip by car or bus.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Biblioteca Joanina: Chris, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra: Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY 2.0
- Castle of Ourém: No machine-readable author provided. Juntas assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Convent of Christ: Jose Manuel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Conímbriga: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Machado de Castro National Museum: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova: José Luis Filpo Cabana, CC BY 3.0
- Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha: Natália Tricô , modified by User:Fulviusbsas, CC BY 2.0
- Monastery of Santa Cruz: syvwlch [2], CC BY 2.0
- New Cathedral of Coimbra: truques [2], CC BY 2.0
- Old Cathedral of Coimbra: Aracuano, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Paço das Escolas (Royal Palace and São Miguel Chapel): Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Portugal dos Pequenitos: No machine-readable author provided. Juntas assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
- Quinta das Lágrimas: Daderot, CC0
- Science Museum of the University of Coimbra: Bobo Boom, CC BY 2.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
