Guimarães is fondly regarded by the Portuguese as the birthplace of their country, and it is one of my favourite day trips from Porto. The city's ancient castle, medieval palace, and beautifully preserved historic centre all tell the story of how Portugal was founded. Just outside the town, the cable car up to Penha Hill offers sweeping views across the region, a fantastic addition to a day trip.

Guimarães is easily reached from Porto, connected by a direct and inexpensive train service. I have taken this train journey countless times since I first visited in 2001, travelling with both my older parents and my young nephew. The train is what I recommend to friends who are visiting for a day trip.

This guide shares my personal experience along with fare details, station information, and links to current timetables. The final section explains how to travel directly from Porto Airport to Guimarães.
Related articles: Guimarães guide

Guimarães is located 47 km northeast of Porto, and the fastest method of travel is by car.

If you don't have a car, the train is the recommended means of travel, that provides an inexpensive service to Guimarães. In Porto, the train departs from São Bento train station, which is conveniently located in the heart of the city and close to the main tourist areas.

The issue with the train is that it is comparatively slow, being part of the Porto urban train network, meaning it makes many stops along the route. I personally find this one of the most nondescript train journeys of the region, as the route passes through bland villages and simple countryside, offering little in terms of scenic views, unlike the stunning Linha do Douro.

When planning your day trip to Guimarães, it is advisable to consider train departures, as there can be a wait of up to two hours between departures from Guimarães in the afternoon. Most visitors aim to catch either the daily 13:51 or 15:51 departure, or the 17:06 (Monday to Friday) or 17:56 (weekends and public holidays) train.

Insight: When I took a day trip to Guimarães with my brother and his young family, we returned using Uber. This removed the stress of waiting for trains, which was ideal with tired 5 and 8 year olds, and it is what I would recommend to friends visiting with young children. Full details of Uber and Bolt are given after the train section.

The train to Guimarães, waiting in the São Bento train station

The train service is operated by Comboios de Portugal (CP), the national train company of Portugal.

A single ticket from Porto to Guimarães costs €3.60 for adults and €1.80 for children. There are no return tickets, so a return fare is the price of two singles: €7.20 for adults and €3.60 for children. The journey distance falls within the "Zone 8" pricing bracket of the Porto urban train lines. All fares must be loaded onto a rechargeable smart card known as the “Siga” card.

This card costs €0.50 and is purchased the first time you buy a ticket at São Bento or Campanhã station. If you plan on taking another day trip (such as to Aveiro or Braga), keep the card and simply "top it up" at the machine to save the €0.50 fee next time.

Insight: You must validate your card before every journey by touching it against the yellow or red pedestals located on the station platforms. For Siga cards, validation must occur no more than 10 minutes before your train's scheduled departure. If you validate too early or forget entirely, your ticket is technically invalid, and you may be fined during an inspection.

The train from Porto to Guimarães is an urban service, therefore seats cannot be reserved. Tickets can be purchased online from the Comboios de Portugal website (up to 3 months in advance) or from the ticket office and ticket machines at São Bento train station.

Guimarães is the final station on the railway line. Depending on the service, the train journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes or 1 hour 20 minutes, though I find the lack of scenery along the route makes it feel longer.

There are ten daily departures, with six extra services Monday to Friday. The first daily departure from Porto is at 7:20 (or 6:20 Monday to Friday), and the last departures from Guimarães are at 20:18, 21:51, and 22:55 (correct as of March 2026).

The route is also safe to travel late at night. In all my years of using this service, I have never heard any reports of it being unsafe, even on the late services.

For the latest timetable, please refer to the CP website:
www.cp.pt/info/documents/d/cp/comboios-urbanos-porto-guimaraes

(The link opens a PDF, which may download on certain mobile phones.)

The trains are modern, clean, and well-maintained, and are suitable for passengers with reduced mobility, as the platforms are at the same height as the carriage doors.

The key aspect with the Guimarães train journey is planning which train to take back to Porto. At the weekends there is a gap of two hours between the late afternoon and evening services, so it is worth checking the timetable before you set out for the day.

The interactive map below shows the route of the train from Porto to Guimarães and marks all of the stations along the route. (Note: zoom in or out to see all of the points)

Key: 1) São Bento station 2) Campanhã station 3) Guimarães station

If this is your first visit to Guimarães, a small group tour is a wonderful way to discover the city and ensure you don't miss any of the key sights. I have worked with GetYourGuide for the past eight years, and some of the best tours they offer for Guimarães include:

All urban trains to Guimarães depart from São Bento train station (GPS: 41.145, -8.610) (link to Google Maps). This station is conveniently located close to the main tourist areas of Porto and is a short walk away from the Ribeira District. São Bento is served by the D metro line (yellow line), which is the main north-south metro line.

São Bento station offers standard facilities, including an ATM, coffee shop, luggage lockers, ticket offices, and a small waiting room. The ticket machines at the station provide instructions in all common European languages and accept both cash and card payments. Be aware that the main ticket office in São Bento train station can become very busy, particularly during rush hour.

While passing through São Bento train station, don't miss the stunning azulejo tile paintings adorning the waiting room walls. Dating from 1907-1913, the tiles reflect the eras before and after the 1910 Portuguese revolution. The classic blue and white tiles predate the revolution, while the coloured tiles, introduced after the revolution, were considered modern and progressive, symbolising the newly formed republic in 1911.

If you are already staying near Campanhã, or arriving by intercity train from Lisbon or Coimbra, you can also board the Guimarães train here (GPS: 41.150, -8.584). However, I always recommend starting from São Bento. It is a small terminus station, so all platforms are just a short walk from the ticket hall, and trains tend to be waiting well before departure. Campanhã is a much larger through station, where you need to navigate tunnels or bridges to reach your platform, and trains arrive with less time to spare.

Guimarães train station is located to the south of the town GPS 41.435, -8.294. From the station, it is a 10-minute walk along the Avenida Dom João IV to the historic centre. On exiting the station, turn right and walk to the roundabout where you turn left onto the Avenida Dom João IV. After 700m this road leads to the pretty Nossa Senhora da Consolação church.

São Bento train station

The ride-hailing apps Uber and Bolt offer a convenient alternative to public transport and are surprisingly affordable for the journey between Porto and Guimarães. These services are particularly useful when travelling with children or in a group of four, as they provide a comfortable and direct door-to-door service.

The biggest advantage of Uber or Bolt is the flexibility they offer at the end of the day. You are not tied to train departure times and can leave whenever you are ready. This is especially valuable for Guimarães, where there can be a two-hour gap between afternoon departures.

After a long day of sightseeing, the comfort of a direct ride back to Porto is hard to beat. I discovered this first hand when I took my brother and his young family for a day trip to Guimarães. When the children were tired, we simply booked an Uber XL and they fell asleep in the car, which was far easier than navigating the train home.

The base fare for a ride from central Porto to Guimarães is approximately €30. However, the exact fare may vary depending on factors such as demand, traffic conditions and time of day. It is often easier to hail an Uber or Bolt during mid-morning when demand is low. Later in the day, especially during rush hour, fares can increase by up to 30%, with longer wait times to find available drivers. There are also many more drivers available in Porto than in Guimarães, so hailing a ride will always be easier from the Porto end.

While Uber tends to be slightly more expensive than Bolt, I find it generally offers a higher standard of vehicles and drivers, and I would recommend opting for Uber when travelling between Porto and Guimarães. I also recommend booking a "comfort" level car through either app.

This costs approximately 15% more than a standard fare but ensures a more spacious and comfortable vehicle. The higher fare also attracts more drivers, which can be helpful during peak hours, as comfort drivers can accept both comfort and regular fares but will typically prioritise comfort rides due to the higher earnings.

If you plan to use Uber or Bolt during your stay in Portugal, I would recommend downloading the app, completing the registration process and familiarising yourself with its features before your trip. As fares are charged in euros, it is advisable to link the app to a bank account that does not impose fees for foreign currency transactions, especially if your home currency is not the euro.

If you are heading straight to Guimarães from Porto airport, there is no need to travel into central Porto to catch the train. The two best options are Uber/Bolt or the Get Bus airport service.

Uber or Bolt is the fastest and most convenient option, with a fare of approximately €30 for the direct journey. Based on my experience, fares tend to be lower during mid-morning and higher during rush hour, so the exact price will vary depending on when you land.

The Get Bus service is a surprisingly affordable alternative, with a single ticket costing just €9. The journey takes approximately 50 minutes, and the bus departs from Stop D outside the terminal building. Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver using cash. There are seven daily departures, with nine on weekdays. For the latest timetables and to purchase tickets online, please visit the Get Bus website:www.getbus.eu

Although bus departures are limited, this option is significantly more affordable than taking a taxi (which costs around €90) and more convenient than taking the metro into Porto followed by a train to Guimarães.

In Guimarães, the Get Bus service terminates at the bus station (GPS: 41.441, -8.302), which is connected to the Guimarães Shopping centre and is located to the west of the historic city centre.