Porto, the city of wine on the banks of the Duero River that is perfect for a weekend getaway or to spend 3 or 4 days. Getting lost in its historic center, walking along the Ribeira, reaching Vila Nova de Gaia to taste its wines, are just some of its essentials. We wanted to make a list of the 50 things to see and do in Porto based on our trip to Porto and Guimares in 4 days, a city to which we plan to return soon to continue discovering corners.
1. Enter the Cathedral of Porto (la Sé), especially to see its beautiful cloister with tiles.
2. Tour the Bolhao Market, although with a decadent appearance, retains all its charm with its food and flower shops. One of the essential places to visit in Porto.
3. Cross and stay on the Luis I Bridge to see the sunset over the Douro and the city, one of the best things to see in Porto.
4. Even if we are not going to catch any train, enter the San Bento station with an impressive hall decorated with tiles.
5. Test the cream, some sweets very similar to Belém's cakes, in Nata Lisboa on Rua das Flores.
6. Enter the Lello e Irmão bookstore, one of the most beautiful in the world.
Lello e Irmão bookshop
7. See the mouth of the Douro River in the Atlantic Ocean from the Crystal Palace gardens.
8. Book the six-bridge cruise to enjoy the views of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia from the Duero River.
9. Go shopping or stroll along Santa Catarina Street, the most commercial pedestrian street in Porto.
10. Surprise yourself when passing by the House of Music, a concert hall with a design that does not leave you indifferent.
11. Eat bifanas, rolls stuffed with pork, in the restaurant Casa Guedes, one of the best restaurants to eat in Porto cheap.
12. Getting lost in the Barrio Do Barredo, while we go up and down stairs we can not stop taking photos of the alleys and houses with a decadent air.
13. Try the best francesinhas of Porto at Francesinha Café, one of the best things to do in Porto.
14. Tour the Fernandina Wall, ancient pieces that are preserved from the walls of Porto that surrounded the city.
15. Go up to the Clérigos Tower to have the best views of Porto.
You can book the entrance to the tower here in advance.
Views from the Clérigos Tower
16. Visit the Palacio de la Bolsa and tour the rooms until you find the Arab Hall, inspired by the Alhambra.
17. Choose a good winery to see the wine process in Vila Nova de Gaia. The most recommended are: Sandeman, Ferreira or the Croft that we were. A good option to learn about the history of the neighborhood and that includes a visit to one of the most famous wineries is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish. If you are a wine lover, it may be more advisable to book this visit to the Sandeman winery with a guide in Spanish specialized in Porto wines.
18. Relax in the Albuquerque Square, full of gardens and charming corners.
19. Take a refreshing dip in the Atlantic Ocean on the beaches of Foz de Douro as far as you can get on the electric train.
20. Surprise yourself as you pass the Capela das Almas, a church with its facade full of white and blue tiles.
21. Take a guided tour in Spanish or this free tour of Porto Free! to visit the most important points while explaining the history and curiosities.
22. Have a drink at Café Majestic, an elegant café of the 20s and meeting place of different artists of the time.
23. Looking for a well located hotel with a good quality / price ratio, we were at the Universal Residential and we recommend it. For more information you can read this complete post about the best neighborhoods and hotels where to stay in Porto.
Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
24. Take a walk through Ribeira del Duero at dusk, another of the best things to see and do in Porto.
Stroll along the Ribeira del Duero, one of the best things to see and do in Porto
25. Disconnect from Porto walking through the beautiful gardens of the Crystal Palace.
26. See the simplicity of the interior of the San Lorenzo dos Grilos church.
27. Have a wine or a beer on a terrace of Praça da Ribeira.
If you prefer to forget about preparations or have little time, you can book the best Spanish tours and excursions in Porto
If you prefer to forget about preparations or have little time, you can book the best Spanish tours and excursions in Porto28. Book a day to make an excursion to Guimaraes and Braga two beautiful places and one of the best excursions in Porto.
29. Tour the Avenue of the Allies, full of modernist houses.
30. Have a drink and listen to good music on the terrace of the Zenith Lounge overlooking the city.
31. Enter, if only to visit it, at the National Theater São João.
32. Have Portuguese food and listen to good fado at the Tipico or Fado restaurant.
33. Sit in the Plaza de la Libertad, the most famous in Porto.
34. Tour the Duero in a rabelo, traditional Porto boats that were used to carry barrels of Porto wine from the vineyards to the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia.
35. Take a half-day excursion to Aveiro, known as the "Venice of Portugal".
36. Try the famous port wine in one of the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Croft Wineries
37. Go up to Praça da Batalha in the upper part of the city.
38. Visit the Soares dos Reis Museum, the oldest in Portugal located in the oldest palace in the country, the Palacio dos Carrancas.
39. Stroll along the banks of the Duero on the part of Vila Nova de Gaia, one of the best things to see and do in Porto.
40. Eat a good cod cod in the Postigo do Carvao.
41. Enter the beautiful A Pérola do Bolhão store with a facade full of tiles and an interior full of local quality products.
42. Take the electric train and visit the Fort of San Juan Bautista in the area of Foz do Douro.
43. If we do not want to walk a lot or have little time we can take the tourist bus from Porto and visit the most important points.
44. Enter the McDonalds of the Avenue of the Allies, with an original decoration.
45. Tour the center in one of the old trams of Porto. Line 22 is one of the best.
It is advisable to see if it is profitable to book the Porto Card that includes public transport and discounts of up to 50% at numerous attractions in the city.
Tram in Porto
46. Go down to the catacombs and look for the Jesse Tree in the Church of San Francisco.
47. Visit the Casa do Infante, famous for being born Enrique the Navigator
48. Surprise yourself with the baroque interior of the wonderful Church of Santa Clara.
49. Go along the seafront in the Foz do Douro area to the "Castle of Cheese", a small sea fort.
50. Take a good wine with a designation of origin Porto to remember the good moments of the trip and start thinking about returning.
* Book your transfer Airport ⇆ Porto Center here
- Cruise of the six bridges
- Guided tour of Porto
- Full Porto tour with tickets
- Excursion to Guimarães and Braga
- Night tour with dinner and fado show
- More excursions and tours here
If you feel like helping us complete the list of 50 things to see and do in Porto, add yours in the comments.
Do you want to organize this trip to Porto?
Get it here:
The best offers of Flights to Porto here
The best hotels at the best prices in Porto here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from Porto in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Oporto here
How to go from Porto airport to downtown
Rent your car in Portugal at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
The best offers of Flights to Porto here
The best hotels at the best prices in Porto here
Book the best tours and excursions in / from Porto in Spanish here
Book your transfer Airport⇆Oporto here
How to go from Porto airport to downtown
Rent your car in Portugal at the best price here
Book your travel insurance with a 5% discount here
