The district capital is the city of Braga, and it is bordered by the district of Viana do Castelo in the north, Vila Real in the east, Galicia (a Spanish autonomous community) in the northeast and Porto in the south.

The Cávado River valley is an important part of the hydrographic network, cutting completely through the district and dividing its mountains into two distinct areas.

To the south of the Cávado, another important valley is that of the River Ave, which rises in the district, in the Serra da Cabreira, and crosses its southern part, serving as a border with the Porto district for almost 20 km.

One of the Ave's tributaries, the Vizela River, continues the southern limit of the district for another 20 km.

The best known is the Vilarinho das Furnas dam, in the upper reaches of the River Homem.