My family recently visited me in Portugal, and one thing on our must-see list was the famous university town of Coimbra. The University of Coimbra is the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe. (It opened in 1290!)
Throw in a 17th-century Baroque library, an academic prison, fado bars, and a medieval walled city, and it didn’t take long for us to book our train tickets for one night and one day in Coimbra Portugal.
Our trip from Lisbon to Coimbra was definitely a highlight, so here’s everything we saw and did to help you plan your own Coimbra itinerary.
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Planning a trip to Portugal?
These are some of my favorite resources for booking Portugal travel.
✈️ Flights: I’ve had the best luck finding Portugal flight deals on Skyscanner. (Use airport code LIS for Lisbon, OPO for Porto, and FAO for Faro in the Algarve.)
🚗 Rental Cars: DiscoverCars has easy car hire pickup from most airports.
🏨 Hotels: Booking has good hotel and resort deals around Portugal.
🏠 Vacation Rentals: Check out VRBO for rental houses and apartments.
🏰 Guided Tours & Activities: Get Your Guide and Viator are my go-to’s.
📱 eSIM for data in Portugal: Get international phone data in a few clicks with Saily. (I used this on a recent trip to Indonesia and it was shockingly easy to set up!)
Traveling from Lisbon to Coimbra by Train
The easiest way to travel to Coimbra is by train, and you can take the train from Porto or Lisbon. Travel time is about 2 hours from Porto and 2.5 hours from Lisbon. You can book train tickets directly on the CP website or through a booking platform like Omio.
After you book your ticket, you’ll get a digital copy sent to your email. You’ll need to provide some sort of ID while booking (like a passport, driver’s license, etc), so make sure you bring whatever ID you used on your trip since they might need to see it to verify your ticket.
Your ticket will also have a carriage number as well as a seat number. When your train arrives at the station, look outside each train car to find your carriage number, then board to find your seat number.
(I’ve made the mistake of getting in the wrong carriage and it’s an ordeal to walk through the entire moving train with luggage to find the right one.)
Speaking of luggage, the trains in Portugal have overhead racks for smaller backpacks, as well as larger luggage racks at the end of each train car where you can store your bags.
When you’re booking your train ticket to Coimbra, make sure you select “Coimbra” as the final destination instead of “Coimbra B.” Coimbra B is a little bit further from the center of town since this is where all the long-distance trains pass through, and Coimbra is much closer to the historic area.
Where to stay in Coimbra
If you have time in your Portugal itinerary, I recommend staying the night in Coimbra so you aren’t rushed during the day and you can check out some of the fantastic bars and restaurants in the evening. We stayed at Casas do Pátio apartments and it was perfect for 3 adults.
The apartments are in a great location in the center of the old town on one of the most picturesque streets. Inside, there was a small kitchen and living area with a sleeper sofa, as well as a bedroom and bathroom with a divider wall so you can make two separate rooms if you like. I’d stay here again in a heartbeat.
Our 1-Day Coimbra Itinerary
When you arrive at the train station in Coimbra, you’ll be at the bottom of town near the waterfront. To get to the historic center and university, you’ll need to walk uphill away from the river. Coimbra is hilly, so wear good walking shoes and be prepared for lots of ups and downs!
For our Coimbra trip, we followed this itinerary:
Arrive in the early afternoon by train and walk to R. Visc. da Luz (an incredible street!) for lunch and exploring. Then drop off any bags at Casas do Pátio apartment nearby.
Walk up to Coimbra University through the twisty-turney medieval roads and tour the Academic Prison and Biblioteca Joanina.
The ticket for the Joanina Library includes both attractions and is a timed entry, so I recommend booking online in advance. The basic University with Joanina Library ticket is 13.5 Euros and includes the Baroque Library, Royal Palace, Saint Michael’s Chapel, and the Chemistry Laboratory.
While you’re at the top of the hill, you can go sightseeing at the cathedrals, museums, and lookout points around the Coimbra University grounds. Then head back down the hill to the apartment for a rest and refresh before dinner.
Have dinner at Restaurante Fangas Maior, a tapas-style restaurant on a charming little street decorated in crochet blankets in the old part of the city. Make sure to order the chestnuts!
Recommended: Watch the Fado at Diligencia Bar. We didn’t make it here on our trip but it comes highly recommended for an evening of Fado music.
More things to do in Coimbra
There’s so much you can see and do in Coimbra! We loved our itinerary above, but if you want even more ideas, check out this list of more things to do.
Take a University of Coimbra walking tour: If you want to learn more about the University, book a guided tour to be shown around with a guide. This guided tour lasts about an hour and a half.
Take a Coimbra city walking tour: Learn about the city of Coimbra as well as the university on this half-day guided tour.
See a Fado show: Watch a Fado concert with a glass of Port wine and learn about the history of Fado from the musicians.
Visit during the Queima das Fitas student parade: At the end of the academic year, the students at Coimbra University have a huge parade throughout the town with Carnival-style floats.
Coimbra Itinerary FAQs
How many days in Coimbra?
I think you can see most of the Coimbra highlights in 1.5 days. Spend one day visiting Coimbra University, the Joanina Library, and the museums on campus, and another half-day exploring the old town streets and cathedrals.
Is Coimbra, Portugal worth visiting?
Yes! Coimbra Portugal is definitely worth visiting and Coimbra University is a must-see in Portugal. It’s easy to get to by train from Lisbon and Porto, and I loved wandering through the old streets and buildings.
Can I do a day trip to Coimbra?
You can do a day trip to Coimbra if you take an early morning train in from Lisbon or Porto, and one of the later trains out. But if you can, I recommend staying the night so you don’t have to rush. Staying in Coimbra overnight also means you can enjoy dinner and the nightlife scene, and we liked being able to unwind at our apartment between activities.
Can I take a guided tour to Coimbra?
Yes! Viator and Get Your Guide have guided tour options, like this guided tour from Porto to Coimbra and Fatima, and this private full-day tour from Lisbon to Coimbra and Tomar.
Planning a trip to Portugal? I moved to Portugal in 2021 and these are some of my best guides and resources to help you have an amazing time!
- [Guide and Itinerary] Day trip from Lisbon to Evora in Alentejo
- [Guide and Itinerary] Day trip from Lisbon to Sintra
- How to spend 2 amazing weeks in Portugal
