Coimbra & Aveiro Tour: University, Canals & Baroque Library

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in EnglishFrom 1 Oct 2027

Guide in Spanish, French or PortugueseFrom 1 Oct 2027

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

The Joanina Library's three baroque floors, centuries-old books still on the shelves.

A private full-day tour of Coimbra and Aveiro with a certified guide, hotel pickup and transport, where you walk through the University of Coimbra's historic center and interior halls, tour the Joanina Library, explore the old cathedral and riverside alleys, then travel to Aveiro to walk the canal-side streets and ride a traditional Moliceiro boat. The guide speaks your choice of English, Spanish, Portuguese or French, and you can add lunch, the boat ride with ovos moles tasting, or guided visits to the cathedral and monastery at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Coimbra and Aveiro highlights

• Visit University of Coimbra
• Tour Joanina Library inside University
• Walk historic alleys and Sé Velha Cathedral
• See old Cathedral facade and city center
• Enjoy Moliceiro boat ride on Aveiro canals
• Stroll through Aveiro center and Fish Market
• Relax with cocktail by Ria de Aveiro

The Experience

The University of Coimbra opens the day: a 16th-century complex built on the site of Portugal's oldest university, founded in 1290 by King Dinis. Your guide leads you through the Páteo das Escolas courtyard, where you'll hear the stories behind five centuries of student tradition while looking out over the Mondego River. The Chapel of São Miguel sits inside, and the Joanina Library (a 1717 baroque masterpiece with three floors of shelves lined in exotic motifs) holds thousands of centuries-old publications on medicine, geography, history, law and theology.

From the University, you descend into Coimbra's old town, walking the narrow streets where the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral) stands, climbing the "Rua Quebra-costas" stairs where water carriers once brought fresh supplies to the city, and passing the Torre da Almedina before reaching the pedestrian shopping street. The historic center is part of the UNESCO Heritage site. Then comes the journey to Aveiro, where a traditional Moliceiro boat (the flat-bottomed vessels that once harvested algae from the Ria) carries you through four main canals in what locals call the Venice of Portugal. After the boat ride, you walk the canal-side alleys to the Fish Market, Rossio Garden and the Art Nouveau buildings that line the water.

The tour runs ten hours total with your private guide and driver. Lunch is your choice at checkout: a regional meal in a traditional quarter or a premium option with DOC wines. The Moliceiro boat ride, which lasts 45 minutes and includes an ovos moles tasting, is also an add-on. If you want guided interior visits to the University halls, Joanina Library, cathedral and Santa Cruz Monastery, you can add that package too. Infant seats are available on request, and the tour suits all fitness levels.

What’s included

• The tour includes a certified guide in your choice of language.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• private transport in a tourism vehicle.
• entrance and guided visit to the University of Coimbra and Joanina Library.
• a guided walking tour of Coimbra's historic center covering the old cathedral, riverside alleys and shopping streets.
• a walking tour of Aveiro's old town, markets and canal-side streets.
• all taxes and insurance.

Days and timesNo departures until 1 Oct 2027

AgesAges 12+ · 4 to 11 years · Under 4 — Free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup13 pickup points to choose from.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Your Tours Portugal

Is this one for you?Book the English, Spanish, Portuguese or French option depending on which language you speak most comfortably. The guide is certified in all four. If you want to step inside the cathedral, monastery and University halls beyond the courtyard, add the Cultural Package at checkout. If you want lunch and the Moliceiro boat ride, those are separate add-ons you choose before paying.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

Can children come?

4 to 11 years; under 4, free.

What is the Joanina Library and why is it worth seeing?

The Joanina Library is a baroque masterpiece built in 1717 inside the University of Coimbra, with three floors of shelves decorated in exotic motifs and holding thousands of centuries-old books on medicine, geography, history, law and theology. It is considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world and is included in the guided tour of the University.

Do I get to see inside the University of Coimbra, or just the courtyard?

The tour includes the Páteo das Escolas courtyard and the Chapel of São Miguel as part of the standard day. Interior guided visits to the University halls, Joanina Library, Sé Velha Cathedral and Santa Cruz Monastery are available as an add-on Cultural Package at checkout.

What happens in Aveiro, and is the Moliceiro boat ride included?

In Aveiro you walk through the canal-side center past the Fish Market, Rossio Garden and Art Nouveau buildings. The Moliceiro boat ride through the four main canals lasts 45 minutes and includes an ovos moles tasting, but it is an add-on you can choose at checkout rather than part of the standard tour.

Is lunch included, and what are the options?

Lunch is not included in the base tour price. You can add a Regional Lunch in a traditional quarter or a Premium Lunch with DOC wines in a refined restaurant at checkout, each as a separate add-on.

Does the tour include hotel pickup?

Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are included in all tour options, along with private transport in an exclusive tourism vehicle for the full ten-hour day.