Visitor Guidelines
A few house rules, seven hundred years in the making. They exist so the place you came to see is still here for the next seven hundred.
In the Joanina Library
- Silence. The room asks for it, and it deserves it.
- No photography inside — light and crowd flow are managed strictly for conservation, and the 60,000 books outrank your camera.
- Timed entries are strict. Arrive 10 minutes early; a missed slot is a missed slot.
Everywhere on the hill
- Large bags go in the lockers. Heritage interiors and backpacks are natural enemies.
- No food or drink inside heritage interiors.
- Drones are forbidden across the entire site.
- Dress respectfully in St Michael's Chapel — it is a working place of worship that still hosts services.
Remember where you are
The university is not a stage set. Classes are taught, exams are sat, and doctorates are conferred here every week — academic life has priority, always. If a courtyard is briefly closed for a ceremony, you are not missing the experience; you are watching the 700-year-old institution do the thing you came to see it do.
The short version
Arrive early, travel light, keep your voice down in the old rooms, and let the students get to class. Do that, and the hill is yours.
Official visit rules
PLACES TO BE VISITED
The following places can be visited:
- Palace of Schools: Joanina Library, Saint Michael’s Chapel, Royal Palace
- Science Museum: Chemistry Lab | Academic Museum | Mineral Gallery | Cabinet of Curiosities | Cabinet of Physics
- Botanic Garden
The following places are closed:
- Natural History Gallery (of the Science Museum)
GUIDELINES OF VISITS
Tickets cannot be exchanged.
The ticket must be presented to the staff member on duty upon entry to the space.
The ticket is personal and not transferable and should be retain until the end of the visit.
The ticket for the non-guided visit is valid for two days. Except for the visit to the Joanina Library, which has a specific date and time scheduled at the moment of ticket purchase, all other areas can be visited during the two days following the selected date.
The guided tour ticket must be used on the scheduled date and time, with the exception of the Scientific Circuit, whose spaces may be visited freely and are therefore valid for two days after the selected visit date.
Tickets for the Academic Community can only be purchased on the day of the visit.
All celebrations, religious, official/protocol ceremonies and academic festivities will overlap with the normal functioning of the tourist circuit of the University of Coimbra, and may compromise visits to certain areas or even lead to their temporary closure.
For two days every three months, the Cabinet of Curiosities and the Physics Cabinet will be closed to the public due to space disinfestation. Visitors who purchase tickets for this period may use them on the following days, since there is no possibility of a refund.
The entry of people carrying dangerous objects or accompanied by animals is prohibited, except service dogs.
Photography and filming are prohibited on the Noble Floor of the Baroque Library.
Flash photography is prohibited inside visiting spaces.
Visits to the Botanical Garden will proceed irrespective of the weather conditions.
Smoking and drinking are prohibited in the visitor spaces.
The use of drones inside spaces is prohibited, except when properly authorized.
The use of tripods and selfie sticks inside visiting spaces is prohibited.
Observe the indications provided by the employees and the signs of each place, namely the warnings, danger indications and conditioned access.
Contribute to ensuring good movement conditions in each location and avoid making noise or having attitudes that disrupt academic activity and other visitors.
Do not tamper with the assets, objects on display and do not pick plants when visiting the Botanical Gardens.
Pay special attention when traveling in areas with obstacles and steps.
Given the characteristics of the Tower, whose accessibility consists of 184 steps and a narrow area, greater care is required for visitors with walking difficulties, dizziness or heart problems. Entry is not allowed for children under 6 years old.
Dispose of all debris in suitable containers, in particular property-damaging chewing gum.
The public use of the image of the UC spaces, regardless of the support and purposes, necessarily requires prior authorization.
The holding of photographic sessions, filming and activities inside the Palace of Schools necessarily require prior authorization and are subject to specific conditions and tariffs.
All celebrations, religious, official/protocol ceremonies and academic festivities will overlap with the normal functioning of the tourist circuit of the University of Coimbra, and may compromise visits to certain areas or even lead to their temporary closure.
The Tourism University of Coimbra reserves the right of admission to its spaces whenever the attitude and behavior of visitors demonstrate disrespect for the law, visiting norms of the institution, employees or heritage. Likewise, minors under 18 years of age are prohibited from entering visiting spaces without at least one adult to accompany them.
The Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policies are available in full at: https://visit.uc.pt/pt/policy-terms.
It is recommended to all visitors:
Speak in low tone;
Use the mobile phone in silent mode to avoid disturbing other visitors;
In the event of an emergency, visitors must leave the premises as instructed by UC staff;
Contact our employees whenever you need any clarification, support or if you notice any irregularities.