• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

Explore Coimbra’s downtown and uptown through its most charming shops—where tradition meets creativity! From historic family-run stores to exciting new businesses, discover unique Portuguese textiles, gourmet treats, artisanal crafts, and more!

Destination

Coimbra, Portugal

Category

Shopping Tours

Duration

2.45 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Português

Included

• Private guide
• 2 regional souvenirs (surprise)

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with João .

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Praça 8 de Maio - Coimbra to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Corvo Street

   There are several new and old stores, with clothes/pajamas made in Portugal, or socks (from the Coimbra region), as well as a magnificent ceramics workshop store.

4. Winehouse

   This shop awarded as local atraction in the year 2024, with an art gallery (which we will also see) sells various typical Portuguese alcoholic drinks. On this tour, tourists will have the opportunity to taste one of the region's liqueurs, very famous throughout Portugal.

5. Grocery shop

   Portuguese typical products, good prices.

6. Vinyl shop

   Open since 2017, Lucky Lux has more than 5,000 records on sale, including new and used vinyl. Pop/rock dominates, but there are also sections dedicated to fado, jazz, Brazil and Africa.

7. Hat shop

   Visit to and old shop sells beautiful hats and umbrellas, among other things.

8. Chocolate Shop

   Its a bean-to-boutique brand.Artisanal chocolate. More than a business, Equador is an experience. Chocolataria Equador is a bean-to-boutique brand.Artisanal chocolate. It's a small shop, but the chocolates are delicious

9. local handmade ceramics

   All the extraordinary ceramics in this shop are made by a single person. The artist creates traditional Coimbra ceramics. It's also possible to find other, smaller works (such as magnets, cork products).

10. Antique Shop

    Wondeful antique shop near the old cathedral located in a historic building

11. Soap shop

    It creates and sells handmade soaps (without chemicals), following the formula of the typical Coimbra soaps of the 19th century (one of the big businesses in the city at that time).

12. Market

    A short trip to see vegetables, fruit, fish and fresh meat. And stop by some little shops

13. Historical bookshop

    Fiction, technical and historical books in Portuguese and English

14. Little shop

    Small store selling books, CDs, postcards and other items related to the history, culture and traditions of Coimbra and Portugal.

15. Old shopping mall (historical building

    In the heart of downtown Coimbra there is an old shopping center (medium size) from the 1980s, housed in a surprisingly historic building. Believe me, you're in for a big surprise. As for stores, here you'll find a large florist

16. Traditional Weavers shop

    We'll visit a small store that creates and sells the typical weaving of the Coimbra region. We'll have the chance to see the weavers developing their pieces

17. Portuguese craft shop

    own creations in Fashion Accessories, is dedicated to Portuguese handicrafts and decoration, striving for exclusivity

18. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

kathy

22 April 2025

We recommend Joao highly! His extensive knowledge of the Roman Ruins at Conimbriga is full and compelling. He is kind and flexible and speaks excellent English.

Evzenie

8 April 2025

The tour with Joao was very interesting, he is very nice and knowledgable person and gave clients a lot of valuable information,Visit Coimbra

Michael

4 April 2025

Our walking tour around Coimbra with João was excellent and gave us a great foundation from which we could explore on our own. Coimbra is a fascinating place both physically (winding narrow streets) and historically (significance to Portugal) and requires detailed knowledge to put into proper perspective. As a former student in Coimbra, João helped us better understand the secrets and significance of Coimbra. Thank you, João for a wonderful experience!Excellent Perspective on Coimbra!

Andrea🇺🇸 United States

26 March 2025

João is a treasure trove of Coimbra knowledge and its rich history. I was in this historic city for less than 24 hours and wanted to get an understanding of what made it so special. João delivered. I’m delighted to have found him :)Highligjts of Coimbra in an afternoon

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

28 February 2025

Our walking tour around Coimbra with João was exactly what we hoped it would be. He gave us a great foundation from which we could (and did) explore on our own. Coimbra is a fascinating place but the terrain, with its many hills and winding narrow streets, requires an expert to decipher. We really enjoyed learning the secrets of Coimbra from João, then we were most appreciative of his knowledge when we struck out on our own. Thank you, João for a wonderful memory of Coimbra! Wow João

Yael

17 February 2025

Joao was very knowledgeable about both Jewish history and the general history of Coimbra. He patiently answered all my questions and made the history of the Jewish community of Coimbra come alive.

Georgia

5 February 2025

Joao was a terrific guide and very informative. We had ventured out on our own the day before but we experienced so much more on our tour with Joao. We also took him up on his recommendations for dining and Fado, both of which were excellent. Highly recommend! Excellent Tour of Coimbra

Kathie 🇺🇸 United States

10 November 2024

Jaoa is extremely knowledgeable about Coimbra and enjoyed sharing its stories and sights with us. We let him know at the last minute that we would be 30 minutes late and he was very flexible and gracious. Would highly recommend himJaoa is very knowledgeable and flexible

Christine🇺🇸 United States

1 October 2024

We had a lovely 2 hours with João. We learned a lot about the history of Portugal and Coimbra. He went to University there so was able to give his perspective too. Coimbra

Karen🇺🇸 United States

30 September 2024

We took the Highlights and Hidden Gems tour in Coimbra with João yesterday. He was extremely knowledgeable, spoke perfect English, and was able to answer every question we threw at him - including many that were far afield from the sights of Coimbra. We chose João because we are a group of senior Jews, and we noticed that he also had a tour of Jewish Coimbra. When we asked him to show us a few places of Jewish interest, he cheerfully modified our tour according to our interests. He also checked frequently to make sure we were feeling up to another three flights of steps before proceeding (note to those new to Portugal - expect hills *everywhere*.) I can’t speak highly enough about both João and the tour itself. Highly recommended!A++++ Exceptional tour with João

Irvin🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2024

We had a delightful tour with João in Coimbra. He was indeed a local, having spent his entire life in the city, and his family has lived there for generations. He arrived promptly for the six-hour walking tour (we requested the longer tour) with a big smile and speaking perfect English. Since we knew little about the city other than from our guidebook, he was eager to share the history, lore and unique customs of this ancient university town. We asked many questions, and he answered them flawlessly. He was sensitive to the pacing of the tour, following our lead in terms of taking photos, bathroom breaks, and providing good cheer during climbs of the town’s steep cobblestone streets (mostly downhill!). He also selected a good place for lunch. A small side note: He mentioned in passing that he sometimes gave Jewish tours of the city. The Jewish population is long gone, and almost no vestiges remain since the Jews of Portugal were either expelled or murdered in the Inquisition centuries ago. We told him that we were Jewish, and he responded in a respectful and sensitive manner, which we deeply appreciated, particularly now. We recommend João without hesitation. Fascinating history from a true local!

Roz🇦🇺 Australia

11 September 2024

We had a wonderful 2 hours with John walking the streets of Coimbra. Very informative and easy to listen to.Great guide John

Christy

21 August 2024

Seeing the university was incredible. It was a great way to learn about the city and places we wanted to explore. He was incredibly knowledgeable. Great introduction to Coimbra

Anne🇧🇪 Belgium

26 July 2024

João is a great guide. Reacting very fast to our last minute request. Very knowledgeable and nice storytelling! Perfect Quick Start

ALISHA🇺🇸 United States

18 July 2024

Highly recommend Joao. He was very friendly and knowledgeable as well as easy to work with. We enjoyed all that he had to share about Coimbra and the University. We had originally tried to book with Tiago who did not respond until several weeks after the inquiry with a decline the day before the tour date. Joao was empathic with my frustration and reassuring to make it a positive experience. Great experience

Marina

13 July 2024

We had a fantastic three-hour tour of Coimbra with João! The tour was well tailored so that we could see the main sights. We've learned a lot about Coimbra and fell in love with this beautiful city! João is very knowledgeable and easy to communicate with. Highly recommend him!Tour in Coimbra with João