The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is not only the most popular attraction you can visit in Braga, it’s also one of Northern Portugal’s most incredible landmarks. You will definitely not regret taking a day trip to this beautiful sanctuary!
Bom Jesus do Monte has so much to offer; a unique baroque staircase, a beautiful church, many shrines and small gardens, incredible viewpoints over Braga, and sooo much history. No wonder this is one of Portugal’s 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In this blog post, we’re going to give you all the practical information you need to know to visit the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte – such as how to get there from Braga, how much it costs, opening hours, hotels by the sanctuary, possible day tours from Porto, and so much more! And we’ll of course end this blog post with some comments about our own experience at the sanctuary.
So by the time you’re done reading, you should be fully prepared to go visit this beautiful landmark yourself. Now let’s get started!
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About the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte
First things first, let’s learn a little bit about the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte.
The name “Bom Jesus do Monte” means “Good Jesus of the Mountain”, which refers to two things: 1) A pilgrimage church dedicated to the Good Jesus that was built on the site in 1629, and 2) the sanctuary is located on a hilltop right outside of Braga. So this is how the sanctuary got its present name.
But the history of the sanctuary actually begins way before the Bom Jesus-name existed. It’s a Christian pilgrimage site, which dates back to the 14th century when the first chapel was built. In the later centuries, the church and the magnificent stairway was built. As UNESCO mentions, the sanctuary was actually built over a period of more than 600 years! Isn’t this incredible?
So there is a lot of historical and cultural value hidden within this beautiful sanctuary! We will talk more about the different elements (the stairs, the church, the viewpoints etc.) when we comment on our own experience later in the blog post.
Ticket prices, opening hours & funicular information 2023
You don’t need to buy a ticket to visit the sanctuary, so you can freely roam the gardens, see the viewpoints, walk on the stairway, and visit the church.
If we’re being completely honest, then we’re not sure if the area of the sanctuary ever gets closed off. We didn’t see any gates to keep visitors out or signs about opening hours, but we assume that they prefer you to visit during daytime when the funicular is also open.
There is a funicular/lift located to the left of the stairs, so you don’t have to walk up the baroque staircase if you either can’t or just prefer not to. The funicular is open from 9 AM – 8 PM in the summer and 9 AM – 7 PM in the winter.
It costs €2 for a one-way trip with the funicular from the bottom of the stairway to the top of the Sanctuary, and €3 for a round-trip.
Fun fact: The Bom Jesus do Monte Funicular was the first one to ever be built in Portugal, and it dates back to 1882 – another historical treasure!
How to get from Braga/Porto to Bom Jesus do Monte?
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is only located about 6 kilometers away from Braga, so it’s super easy to get there if you stay in the city. But it’s also possible to visit the sanctuary from Porto. So in this section, I will go through the best ways to get to Bom Jesus do Monte from both Braga and Porto.
Braga to Sanctuary – By bus
It’s pretty easy and affordable to take the public bus from Braga city center to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. We took bus nr. 88 from Liberdade bus stop directly to the sanctuary. It only cost us €2 per person for a one-way ticket.
Braga to Sanctuary – By taxi
The fastest way to get to the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary is to take a taxi from Braga. The trip only takes 10 minutes and should cost about €10. But you can always ask the driver the estimated price before you get in. The only problem with taking a taxi is that you need to also find a taxi to get back – or jump on the local bus.
Braga to Sanctuary – By tour
It’s also possible to visit the sanctuary with a tour group from Braga. Check out this Half-day Braga City Tour where your first stop on the tour is going to be Bom Jesus do Monte.
Porto to Sanctuary – By tour
Maybe you’re staying in Porto, but you really want to visit Bom Jesus do Monte? No problem! You can of course go by train to Braga and visit the sanctuary yourself, but we recommend you to join this Full day tour from Porto where you both get to visit Braga (Bom Jesus do Monte included of course) and the historical UNESCO-city Guimarães in one day!
Hotels at Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary
Did you know that you can actually stay by the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte? There are 4 hotels within the area of the sanctuary, so you have several options to choose from. We would have loved to stay here because we can only imagine how incredible it must be to wake up on this sacred hillside and have it all to yourself before the tourists arrive.
As always, we did some research on our favorite accommodation platform Booking.com. So here is a list of all the hotels you can stay at in the sanctuary with the prices of staying one night from Saturday to Sunday – notice that the prices are always subject to change.
- Hotel do Parque: The best rated hotel in the area. It’s a modern 4-star hotel located in the beautiful Bom Jesus do Monte Garden. On site you’ll find modern rooms, a good breakfast, and a spa. Prices start around €128/night for a double room.
- Hotel do Templo: A 4-star hotel located next to the Bom Jesus church. It’s a beautiful building with direct views from the rooms to the beautiful garden. Prices start around €110/night for a double room.
- Hotel do Elevador: The last 4-star hotel in the area, which has exquisite panorama views over Braga – on top of being located right at the beautiful Bom Jesus do Monte Garden. Prices start at €110/night for a double room.
- Hotel do Lago: A 3-star hotel located in the park about 300 meters from the church. Prices start around €78/night for a double room, so it’s a great option for those looking for something more affordable in the area.
Our experience in the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte
By now, you should be prepared to go visit the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary by yourself. But before we round up this blog post, we would like to share our own experience (and pictures!) of the place.
1. Going from Braga to Bom Jesus do Monte
Glenn and I decided to take the bus to Bom Jesus do Monte from Braga. We were a bit uncertain about whether we had reached the right bus stop, and we think the locals waiting next to us had noticed it. A lady who spoke no English quickly came to our rescue, and in our broken Portuguese, we managed to communicate and understand we had reached the right bus stop.
We’ve said it before, and we’ll gladly say it again – Portuguese people are some of the friendliest people in Europe! It always takes me by surprise how they often get out of their way to help a stranded tourist. So if you’re taking the bus, just ask around whether you’re at the right place for “Bom Jesus do Monte”. I promise, people will help you.
We eventually boarded the right bus, paid the fare, waited the 15 minutes of which the ride lasted, and was then dropped off at the top of the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary.
All there was left to do, was to start exploring!
2. Viewpoints over Braga
We were so impressed by what we saw! What an incredible place.
We were blessed with a beautiful viewpoint over Braga. Here you could see the whole city and even use the “tourist-binoculars” to get a better view. It made me wonder whether I should invest in my own pair of binoculars for situations like these (2023 update: Finally got my own binoculars!)
Then we saw the funicular arrive at the top. We later discovered that this particular funicular was the first to ever be made in all of Portugal and Spain. Isn’t that cool? This little tram was full of history in itself.
Anyways, we spent some time walking around at the top of the sanctuary, wandering the colorful gardens, enjoying the great viewpoints, and visiting the spectacular church.
3. Visiting the church
It’s completely free to enter the church at the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary. It’s open every day except during certain religious celebrations. The summer opening hours are 8 AM – 7 PM, and the winter opening hours are 9 AM – 6 PM.
The original baroque church was built in 1725. However, it was later demolished and replaced by a new church in a neoclassic design, which is the one you see today. In 1784, the works of the beautiful church we see at Bom Jesus do Monte began, but it wasn’t finished until 1834.
In 2015, the church even received basilica status by Pope Francis – a big achievement for a small church.
Notice that there is more exploration to the church than what meets the eye. Apparently, you can pay €1 and get the opportunity to ascent the High Choir and Bell Tower – we only learned this later, so we unfortunately don’t have any pictures of this.
4. Exploring the baroque stairs
Now to the main attraction of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte – the glorious baroque stairway – which can even be seen in the landscape from certain places in Braga.
Since we began our exploration at the top of the sanctuary, Glenn and I decided to walk down the stairway, and then walk up again to get the full scope of the place. And I’m so glad we did! Unless you have physical troubles with stairs, then we’d really urge you to walk these historical steps.
The stairs in Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary can be divided into 3 parts: The Portico Stairway, the 5 Senses Stairway, and the 3 Virtues Stairway. If you walk all these steps, you’ll find that from the Portico to the churchyard there are 573 steps in total.
But we’d say that the most interesting stairway is the “5 Senses Stairway”, which is also the main part of the incredible baroque stairway – here you’ll find 376 steps.
The reason why this particular stairway is so interesting is because of the many shrines, statues and fountains you’ll see on the way up. This part is called the “5 Senses Stairway” because each fountain on the way represents one of the 5 senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch), so notice if you can figure out which fountain represents which sense.
After spending a lot of time exploring the beautiful stairway, Glenn and I suddenly found ourselves at the top of the beautiful Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary again – and we were thinking – so what’s next?
5. Extra: The Sanctuary of Sameiro
We had heard about the Sanctuary of Sameiro, which should only be a short walk from Bom Jesus do Monte. So we thought, why not go for a quick visit here?
We followed the trail behind the church and found ourselves in the Bom Jesus do Monte park. Here is a little lake where you can rent a boat to paddle around. How cute is that?
But we continued on and out of the park where we quickly found the small dirt road to the Sameiro Sanctuary. 30 minutes later we arrived – and what a sight!
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sameiro doesn’t have as much grandeur or as interesting a history as Bom Jesus do Monte, yet it’s without a doubt worth a visit! There was absolutely no people here compared to the Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary, and the viewpoint was even MORE spectacular because this sanctuary is a bit higher located on the hill. So we would definitely recommend you to also visit this sanctuary if you’re already in the area.
Luckily for us, the same bus line went through the Sameiro area, so we could just jump on the bus back to Braga from here.
All in all, we had such a great day exploring the incredible sanctuaries of Braga, and we saw no better way to end the day than with a glass of Vinho Verde and some delicious Portuguese food!
Is the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte worth it?
YES! We believe a visit to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte is 100% worth it.
Glenn and I had such a great day exploring this historical site. We were even blessed with good weather on a cold November day, so we couldn’t have asked for more!
The only downside to exploring an extraordinary place like this on your own, is the lack of information. So if you want to learn a bit more about the history of Bom Jesus do Monte, then we suggest you to either take a day tour from Braga or a day tour from Porto. That way, you won’t miss out like we did.
Nevertheless, what a great experience!
We hope you enjoyed this blog post about our day trip from Braga to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. We had such a great day in this beautiful place, and we can only recommend it to you.
Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions about our day trip, or if you want to know more practical information about how to get there etc. We’re here for you! Thanks for reading and happy travels!
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