Guimarães is located in northwestern Portugal, approximately 350km north of the capital, Lisbon, and about 50km from the second largest city, Oporto. In administrative terms, it is a district made up of 68 townships, occupying an area of 242.32 km2 and including about160,000 inhabitants.

Motorways and railways are the most direct means of reaching Guimarães.

By Motorway:
Using the current network of motorways, Oporto can be reached from Guimarães in 30 minutes via the A7 and A3. Braga is a mere 15 minutes away on the A11 motorway. Taking the A11 and A3 northbound, Vigo, Spain is 90 minutes away, and Lisbon is 3 hours to south, via the A7, A3 and A1 motorways.

Various private bus lines link Guimarães to all major cities in Portugal, with both non-stop and local service.