In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Coimbra is an Alfa Pendular from Porto Campanhã to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour, €19.70 in second class (the InterRegional is €11.85). The reason to go is the University of Coimbra: a €16.50 adult ticket covers the Joanina Library, the Royal Palace, St Michael’s Chapel and the science museum, and the library is a timed entry, limited to 50 people every 20 minutes. The university is open 9:00 to 18:00 every day except 24 and 25 December 2026 and 31 December to 1 January. Or book a tour: the Fátima and Coimbra full-day tourad is from €69 for 10 hours (GetYourGuide).
Getting there on your own
- Alfa Pendular from Porto Campanhã, on CP’s timetable valid from 20 September 2026: 05:40, 06:40, 07:40, 09:40, 11:40, 13:40, 14:40, 16:40, 17:40, 18:40 and 20:40, reaching Coimbra-B about an hour later (the 05:40 arrives at 06:41). Not every train runs every day.
- Intercidades also run from Campanhã: 06:45, 08:45, 10:45, 12:45, 14:45, 16:45, 17:45 and 19:45.
- Fares, one way from Campanhã to Coimbra-B: Alfa Pendular €19.70 in second class and €25.80 in first, InterRegional €11.85, Regional €10.80 (CP 2026). Andante tickets do not cover the line.
- Coimbra-B and Coimbra: Coimbra-B is the station for the long-distance trains. CP’s urban and regional trains connect it with Coimbra station in the city, where the university is uphill from the river.
- Line works: CP lists a road transfer between Porto Campanhã and Aveiro for some Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains until 1 November 2026, and the northern line is under a three-year renewal between Espinho and Válega that began on 24 June 2026. Look up your train on cp.pt.
The old town of Coimbra above the Mondego, with the university tower at the top. Photo: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Tickets and hours
The university’s ticket office is the kiosk in Rua Larga, open daily 9:00 to 18:00. Tickets are sold online at visit.uc.pt.
| Ticket | Adult | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Joanina Library + University + Science Museum | €16.50 | The Baroque Library, St Michael’s Chapel, the Royal Palace, the Chemistry Laboratory, the Cabinet of Curiosities, the Mineral Gallery and the Academic Museum; about 3 hours |
| University + Science Museum | €12.50 | The same without the library; about 2½ hours |
| Guided tour of the Palace of Schools | €25 | About 1½ hours from the ticket kiosk; the science museum spaces open with the ticket but are not part of the guided tour |
| Science Museum + UC Exploratório | €16 | The science spaces and the science centre, not the library, chapel or palace |
- The library slot decides the day. The date and time on the ticket are your entry to the Baroque Library building, through the Academic Prison, and entry is limited to 50 people every 20 minutes. The other spaces can be visited before or after that time, once each, and the ticket is valid for two days.
- Hours: the Palace of Schools, the chapel and the science spaces are open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:40 for the library and 17:45 for the chapel, the Royal Palace and the science spaces. The chapel is closed on Sundays from 11:45 to 14:00 for Mass. The university tower is closed.
- Closed: 24 and 25 December 2026, and 31 December 2026 to 1 January 2027. From January 2027 the Cabinets of Curiosities and Physics close to the public on the first Monday of each month.
- Botanical Garden: open 9:00 to 20:00 from 1 April to 30 September and 9:00 to 17:30 from 1 October to 31 March.
The Joanina Library. Photo: Jl FilpoC, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Tours from Porto
There is no cheap Coimbra-only tour from Porto, and the train is quick, so a day on your own works. Coimbra comes with Fátima, the Catholic sanctuary town, on one tour. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
Fátima and Coimbra
From €69 · 4.7 stars from 875 reviews · 10 hours
Fátima and Coimbra Full-Day Tour from Portoad is a guided day that splits the time between the two places. On your own, the Alfa Pendular is €19.70 each way in second class and the university ticket €16.50.
Coimbra and Aveiro
From €99 · 110 reviews
From Porto: Full-Day Trip to Coimbra & Aveiro with Boat Ridead pairs Coimbra with the canals of Aveiro.
What to see, in order
The university is the day. Founded in 1290 by King Dinis and settled in Coimbra for good in 1537, it is the oldest Portuguese-speaking university, and UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage site in 2013.
The courtyard of the Palace of Schools, with the clock tower and the Royal Palace. Photo: Daniel Villafruela, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The Joanina Library. Finished in 1728 and named for King John V, who authorised it, it holds 60 thousand books from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Book the slot first and plan the rest of the morning around it.
- St Michael’s Chapel and the Royal Palace. The chapel has tiles added through the 17th century and an organ of about 2,000 pipes installed between 1733 and 1737. The Royal Palace was a fortress built at the end of the 10th century and, in 1131, the first Portuguese royal household, the home of Afonso Henriques.
- The Chemistry Laboratory and the Cabinet of Curiosities. The science museum begins in the 18th-century laboratory. The Cabinet of Curiosities has no explanatory captions on purpose.
- The Academic Museum. The student life of Coimbra: academic dress, the Coimbra song with its instruments and records, and a replica of a student republic, the shared houses of Coimbra’s students.
- The Botanical Garden. Created in 1772 on 13 hectares of terraces down to the river, and a World Heritage site since 2013.
- Leave out: the UC Exploratório science centre unless you have children, and the tower, which is closed.
A day, hour by hour
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Early | Alfa Pendular from Campanhã, arriving about an hour later |
| 9:00 | University opens; library slot booked for the morning |
| Midday | Lunch in the old town |
| Afternoon | Science museum, Academic Museum, Botanical Garden |
| Late afternoon | Train from Coimbra-B back to Campanhã |
- Book the library before the train: the slots are limited to 50 people every 20 minutes, and the time is printed on the ticket.
- A Sunday closes the chapel from 11:45 to 14:00 for Mass.
Before you go
The university closes on 24 and 25 December and on 31 December and 1 January. Day trips from Porto compares Coimbra with Aveiro, Guimarães and the Douro Valley, and Aveiro is on the same line. What to book before you go to Porto has the city tickets, Porto in 2 days shows where a day trip fits, and where to stay in Porto covers the areas near Campanhã.
Common questions
How do you get from Porto to Coimbra?
Take the Alfa Pendular from Porto Campanhã to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour, €19.70 in second class. The InterRegional is €11.85 and the Regional €10.80. Coimbra-B is the long-distance station, and CP's urban and regional trains link it with Coimbra station in the city.
How much is the Joanina Library in Coimbra?
The university sells it as part of a €16.50 adult ticket, about 3 hours, that also covers the Royal Palace, St Michael's Chapel, the Chemistry Laboratory, the Cabinet of Curiosities, the Mineral Gallery and the Academic Museum. The ticket is valid for two days.
Do you need to book a time for the Joanina Library?
Yes. The date and time on the ticket are your entry to the Baroque Library building, through the Academic Prison, and entry is limited to 50 people every 20 minutes. You can visit the other spaces before or after that time, once each.
When is the University of Coimbra closed?
It is open every day from 9:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:40 for the library and 17:45 for the chapel, the Royal Palace and the science spaces. It is closed on 24 and 25 December 2026 and from 31 December 2026 to 1 January 2027. The university tower is closed.
Is there a tour from Porto to Coimbra?
The Fátima and Coimbra full-day tour is from €69 for 10 hours. There is no cheap Coimbra-only tour, and the train is quick enough that a day on your own works.
