Is the Coimbra day trip price per person or per vehicle?

Per vehicle. Up to 2 passengers: EUR 360. 3-4 passengers: EUR 460 (EUR 115 per person for 4). 5-8 passengers: EUR 590 (EUR 74-118 per person depending on group size). The vehicle is exclusively for your group.

Private Coimbra Day Trip from Lisbon: University, Joanine Library & Sé Velha

where history, culture and tradition come to life in portugal's university city!

Duration

8 Hours

Tour Type

Private

Group Size

Max. 8px/Van

Pickup & Drop-off

Hotel or apartment pickup in Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, or anywhere along the coast

Main Highlights

Santa Cruz Monastery, University of Coimbra, Biblioteca Joanina

Pricing

From €360 per private vehicle (see pricing below)

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Rated 5/5 on TripAdvisor.
based on +3.387 reviews

Tour at a Glance

This private day tour from Lisbon (Cascais, Estoril, Sintra also available) covers Coimbra — Portugal’s historic university city, to the north of Lisbon via the A1 motorway. Coimbra served as the capital of Portugal from 1131 to 1255, a 124-year period during which the foundations of the Portuguese kingdom were established and its first two monarchs are buried.

In 2013, UNESCO inscribed the University of Coimbra — Alta and Sofia as a World Heritage Site (the 15th UNESCO inscription in Portugal). The university was founded in 1290 by King Dinis I and definitively installed in Coimbra in 1537. Its Joanine Library (1717–1728) holds approximately 70,000 volumes including a first edition of Os Lusíadas (1572). The Sé Velha cathedral, built 1164–1184, is the only intact Romanesque cathedral from the Portuguese Reconquista surviving today.

The tour is 100% private — your group, your vehicle, your guide.

Tour Overview

Coimbra is 197 km north of Lisbon – and it is the city where Portugal was born. It served as the country’s capital from 1131 to 1255. The men who founded the kingdom are buried here, in a monastery on the main square. The university on the hilltop above the city was founded in 1290. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2013. Its library holds 70,000 volumes and a bat colony that has been protecting the collection from insects for at least two centuries.

This day trip from Lisbon is 100% private: your group, your vehicle, your licensed driver-guide. Yellow Cab TT Tours does not run a group tour to Coimbra — the private format is the only way to cover all four main sites in a single day, coordinate your Joanine Library entry time, and have a guide who adjusts the pace to what your group actually wants to see.

Total driving: approximately 400 km return. Departure 08:30–09:00 from Lisbon, return 17:30–18:00.

Why Travellers Choose This Tour

3,387 verified reviews · 5.0 Tripadvisor – Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025; highest-rated private tour operator from Lisbon on the platform.
Only private format – no group tour to Coimbra exists – every booking is a vehicle exclusively for your group; the only format that allows Joanine Library timed entry to be properly coordinated with the rest of the itinerary.
Joanine Library timing coordinated by the guide – book at visit.uc.pt, send us your entry time, and the entire day’s sequence adjusts around it; no logistical complexity
4 major sites in one day – Santa Cruz Monastery (1131, tombs of Portugal’s first two kings), University of Coimbra (1290, UNESCO 2013), Joanine Library (1717, 70,000 volumes, permanent bat colony), Sé Velha (1164, oldest Romanesque cathedral in Portugal still in active use).

Fátima & Coimbra combination available through the same operator – no separate booking required.
RNAAT licence 119/2013. Languages: EN, ES, FR, PT. Operating since 2013

Sample Itinerary

Suggested Itinerary: Timing may be adjusted according to your Biblioteca Joanina entry slot and personal preferences.

08:30–09:00: Hotel pickup in Lisbon city centre.
10:30–11:15: Santa Cruz Monastery – explore the nave, cloister, and the royal tombs of King Afonso Henriques and King Sancho I (197 km via A1 motorway).
11:15–12:00: University Alta & Paço das Escolas – visit the Via Latina and the Clock Tower, including the 35 m viewpoint (approximately 1 km uphill from Coimbra Baixa).
12:00–12:45: Biblioteca Joanina (timed entry) – discover the three Baroque halls, approximately 70,000 historic volumes, and the library’s famous bat colony.
12:45–13:45: Lunch break in Coimbra Baixa.
13:45–14:30: Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) – Romanesque cathedral built between 1164 and 1184, featuring 380 sculpted capitals (0.4 km from the university area).
14:30–15:15: Mondego River waterfront – stroll along the riverside and optionally visit the exterior of Santa Clara-a-Velha (optional entry approximately €4, located 0.8 km away).
15:30: Departure from Coimbra.
17:30–18:00: Return to Lisbon and hotel drop-off (197 km via A1 motorway).
Total Driving Distance: Approximately 400 km round trip.

Ticket Information: Entry to Biblioteca Joanina is not included and should be booked in advance via the University of Coimbra visitor portal before the tour date.

What You Can See

Santa Cruz Monastery – Where Portugal’s First Kings Are Buried

No other church in Portugal contains this: the tombs of the men who founded the country. The Mosteiro de Santa Cruz was built in 1131 as the royal pantheon of the new Portuguese kingdom – the same year King Afonso Henriques established his court in Coimbra. Both of Portugal’s first two monarchs rest here: Afonso Henriques (first king, ruled 1139–1185) and Sancho I (second king, ruled 1185–1211).

The tomb sculptures are not medieval originals – they are Renaissance works commissioned by King Manuel I in the early 16th century to replace the worn originals. The Manueline façade was also added at this time, in 1507. The Cloister of Silence (Claustro do Silêncio), built in 1524, has 18 arched Manueline windows and carved stone reliefs. Entry to the church nave is free; cloister and sacristy require a small ticket.

Admission: Small ticket for cloister and sacristy – confirm current price on arrival.

University of Coimbra – Paço das Escolas

Founded in Lisbon in 1290 by King Dinis I and permanently installed on the hilltop above Coimbra in 1537 by King João III, the University of Coimbra is one of the oldest continuously operating universities in the world. It currently enrols approximately 26,000 students. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2013 – Portugal’s 15th such designation.

The Paço das Escolas is the main ceremonial courtyard. The Clock Tower (completed 1728, 35 m tall, bells cast in 1733) dominates the skyline; students call it “A Cabra” (The Goat) for the sound of the bell. The Via Latina is the formal ceremonial corridor inside the palace. The Alta – the upper city around the university – sits approximately 80 m above the Mondego River, connected to the lower town by stairways and a short cable car.

Admission: Programme 1 ticket (€16.50 per adult) covers the Joanine Library (timed entry), Via Latina, Clock Tower, and Academic Museum. Book your Joanine Library timed slot at visit.uc.pt before confirming your tour date, then send us the entry time when you book.

Biblioteca Joanina – The Joanine Library

A permanent bat colony lives inside the Joanine Library. Every evening the bats emerge to eat the insects that would otherwise damage the paper and leather bindings. Library staff place leather mats on the reading tables each night to protect the surfaces; the mats are removed each morning before opening. This arrangement has been documented since at least the early 19th century, and it works.

The library was built between 1717 and 1728, commissioned by King João V — who funded a cultural programme of European ambition using revenue from Brazilian gold and diamond mines. The three Baroque halls are arranged in sequence: theology, philosophy and law, medicine and natural sciences. Shelving in original 300-year-old jacaranda and rosewood, decorated throughout with gold leaf. The collection holds approximately 70,000 volumes, including a first edition of Os Lusíadas (1572) — Luís de Camões’s epic of the Age of Discovery.

Timed entry is mandatory. In June–September, available slots sell out days to weeks ahead. Book at visit.uc.pt before the tour date, then confirm your entry time with us.

Sé Velha – The Old Cathedral

The oldest Romanesque cathedral in Portugal still in active liturgical use. Construction began in 1164, commissioned by Bishop Miguel Salomão. The building was consecrated in 1184. In 1185, King Sancho I was crowned inside it.

The exterior looks deliberate: high crenellated walls, corner turrets, narrow windows – a military fortress shape appropriate for 12th-century Portugal, where the southern frontier was still contested territory. Inside, approximately 380 sculpted Romanesque capitals in limestone – one of the largest Romanesque sculptural programmes in Portugal. The Gothic cloister, begun in 1218, is among the first Gothic structures built in this country.

At €2.50, it is the best-value monument on this tour.

Admission: €2.50 (cathedral nave + Gothic cloister). No advance booking needed. Mass schedule: weekdays 17:30; Saturday 18:30; Sunday 09:30. Entry is not permitted during Mass – your guide plans the sequence accordingly.

Coimbra Baixa and the Mondego River

Coimbra divides into two zones by topography: the Alta (upper city – the university, Sé Velha, medieval streets, 80 m above the river) and the Baixa (lower city – the commercial centre, market, and waterfront). The funicular connecting them (Elevador do Mercado) has been running since 1923.

The Mondego River – 258 km long – is the only major river in Portugal that originates entirely within Portuguese territory (source: Serra da Estrela, 265 km northeast). The waterfront has been developed as a pedestrian zone with cycle paths and café terraces.

Your guide will recommend restaurants in the Baixa based on your group’s preferences. Regional dishes worth trying: chanfana (goat braised in red wine – the most distinctly Coimbra dish, available year-round) and arroz de lampreia (lamprey rice, available February–April only).

Santa Clara-a-Velha (Optional Stop)

A Gothic monastery that spent three centuries underwater. Queen Isabel of Portugal – wife of King Dinis I, canonised in 1625 – ordered its construction in 1330 as her burial site. The Mondego flooded it repeatedly from the 15th century onward; the community kept raising the floor as silt accumulated until they finally abandoned the building in 1677.

The Portuguese government excavated the site in the late 1990s and early 2000s, waterproofed the structure, and reopened it as an archaeological museum in 2009. The excavations revealed the original 14th-century floor level approximately 3 metres below current ground level.

Admission: €4 per adult (archaeological site and museum). Optional stop – confirm interest when booking.

Return to Lisbon

After a day filled with history, knowledge, and secular secrets, we return to Lisbon, bringing with us the essence of Tomar and Coimbra deep intertwined history.

The itinerary is designed for an unforgettable experience, but the choice is yours—immerse yourself in the grandeur of Coimbra and Tomar with this exclusive tour made for you.

Yellow Cab TT Tours, always at your service with the quality our customers are used to.

What’s Included

8 Hours Tour
Private air-conditioned van for your group (up to 8 passengers)
Hotel/apartment pickup and drop-off in Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, or anywhere along the Estoril Coast
Mandatory passenger insurance
Car expenses

Not included

Tour Prices

Prices are per vehicle, not per person.

Up to 2 Pax €360
3 to 4 Pax €460
5 to 8 Pax €590

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Cancellations within 24 hours are non-refundable.

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Observations

Best Time of Year for This Tour

The key practical variable for this tour is the Joanine Library timed entry: in June–September, available slots sell out days to weeks ahead, which determines when you need to book the tour more than any weather preference.

March–May (recommended): Temperatures 14–20°C. Library tickets available 1–5 days ahead. May brings Queima das Fitas – the university’s end-of-year celebration with processions and Fado de Coimbra serenades. Daytime monument access is unaffected.

June–August (peak season): 25–35°C in Coimbra – 4–6°C hotter than Lisbon. Library slots sell out weeks ahead; book the library ticket before booking the tour. Schedule all indoor visits in the morning.

September–October: 18–26°C. New academic year begins in October; the university district is active. Library tickets available 1–5 days ahead.

November–February: 8–14°C — noticeably colder than Lisbon. Library generally available same-day. Lowest visitor numbers. Atlantic light on the Alta’s limestone buildings is dramatic in winter.

FAQ

Is the Joanine Library ticket included in the tour price?

No. The library requires a Programme 1 ticket (€16.50 per adult), which also covers the Clock Tower, Via Latina, and Academic Museum. Book at visit.uc.pt with a specific timed entry slot before confirming your tour date — then send us your entry time when you book.

How far is Coimbra from Lisbon?

197 km north of Lisbon via the A1 motorway, approximately 2 hours each way. Total driving on this tour: approximately 400 km. We depart Lisbon at 08:30–09:00 and arrive in Coimbra by 10:30.

Is the tour price per person or per vehicle?

Per vehicle. A group of 4 pays €460 total — €115 per person. A group of 5–8 pays €590 total — between €74 and €118 per person depending on group size. The vehicle is exclusively for your group.

Can we visit both the Joanine Library and Sé Velha in one day?

Yes. The library takes 30–45 minutes (timed entry). The Sé Velha takes 30–45 minutes. Both fit within the 4-hour on-site visit alongside Santa Cruz Monastery and the university courtyard. Your guide plans the sequence to arrive at the cathedral outside Mass hours (weekdays 17:30; Saturday 18:30; Sunday 09:30).

Is there a group tour to Coimbra from Lisbon?

No. Yellow Cab TT Tours does not operate a group tour to Coimbra. The private format is the only option — it is the only way to fully coordinate the Joanine Library timed entry with the rest of the day’s itinerary.

What is the best time of year for a Coimbra day trip from Lisbon?

March–May and September–October offer the best balance: temperatures 14–26°C and manageable crowds. June–August is hottest (Coimbra is 4–6°C hotter than Lisbon) and the Joanine Library sells out weeks ahead. November–February has minimal queues and the lowest visitor numbers.

Is Coimbra accessible by public transport?

Yes — the Alfa Pendular from Lisboa Oriente takes 1h 30min–1h 45min. However, the university Alta is 600 m uphill from the station on steep cobblestones, the Joanine Library requires advance timed booking, and the main sites are spread across different elevations. A private guide removes the logistical complexity and provides historical context across all four sites.

What languages does the guide speak?

English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Please specify your preferred language when booking.

Can we adjust the itinerary?

Yes. If the Joanine Library and Baroque architecture are the priority, your guide can extend time in the university complex. If medieval history takes precedence, Sé Velha and Santa Cruz get more time. The only fixed constraints are the library entry time slot and the 8-hour total duration.

Can we add Batalha Monastery to this Coimbra day trip?

Yes, on request. The Mosteiro da Batalha is 30 km south of Coimbra — approximately 30 minutes by car. It was commissioned by King João I before the Battle of Aljubarrota (1385) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983). Adding Batalha extends the total day to approximately 10–11 hours. Batalha is also included in our Fátima Private Tour from Lisbon.

What is the cancellation policy?

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Cancellations within 24 hours are non-refundable.

What Our Guests Say

Catarina was an amazing guide, full of energy, funny but very knowledgable. We had a great day with her. This is worth every penny. Will comeback again!