Day tour to Obidos and Coimbra

Obidos is just over an hour's drive from Lisbon to the north, so the village is ideal for a day trip from the capital of Portugal and is also a convenient stop for longer tours that include central and northern regions of the country. If you arrive in Obidos by your own car, we suggest to park it downhill (outside the walls), before continuing by foot (it's just a few minutes stroll). In fact, the beautiful old town of Obidos, one of the most characteristic and well-preserved village in Portugal, is a narrow labyrinth of alleys entirely enclosed by imposing walls, which make driving around quite difficult.

The main attraction of Obidos is the entire old town, consisting of a dense network of narrow alleys, where it is very pleasant to get lost observing picturesque views of the white-painted houses decorated with flowers.

The walls surrounding the entire village of Obidos date back to the Moorish time period (around the 11th century) and were later restored. Steep stairs leads to the top of the walls, where you can walk the entire perimeter observing the village from top (the hike is easy and, although there is no protection along the border, it's not dangerous).

Photo of Obidos: walking on top of the wall along its entire perimeter.

The beautiful views from the top of the walls.

The Obidos Castle dates back to the 13th century and was used as a fortress. In the 16th century, the castle was transformed into a palace and currently it houses a luxurious pousada, where it is possible to stay overnight.

The beautiful paintings and the azulejos in the Igreja de Santa Maria in Obidos, in Portugal.

At the foot of the village, outside the old town and walls, stands the curious Santuario do Senhor da Pedra, a baroque structure dating back to the 18th century.

The trip to Portugal continues north to Coimbra, an ancient university city with a beautiful old town on top of a hill and a more modern part on the flat land below. There are many attractions in Coimbra and it's certainly worth spending an entire day in the city.

The best time to visit Coimbra is during the academic year, when these large squares are full of students moving between the buildings of the various faculties. During the summer, the university district is almost deserted.

The faculties of Science and Technology (top photos) and the faculty of Law (bottom photo).

A walk through the streets of Coimbra in the historic center (top photos) and downhill through the modern districts (bottom photos).

Like much of Portugal, Coimbra is known for its local handicrafts, which includes complex crochet embroidery works, often displayed in the streets of the old town.