Porto is a vibrant city with so much personality, rich history, stunning architecture, and a fantastic food and natural wine scene. While it may be known as the home of port wine, we think there's so much more to explore! It's a bit rough around the edges, which makes it even more intriguing. You can easily get a good feel for Porto in only two days, but by extending it an extra day, you'll get the opportunity to venture into the enchanting Douro Valley to see where some of the most iconic Portuguese wines call home.
Top 3 Must-Do’s for a Porto Itinerary
Port tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia
Eat a cachorro at Gazela
Have grilled fish at a traditional restaurant in Afurada
Duration: 3 nights
Best Time to Go: May through October
We don't recommend going to Porto in the winter - while the weather is not necessarily cold, it is very grey and wet. Porto is best experienced in sunny warm weather.
Check out our other itineraries in Portugal to combine with Porto and create the ultimate Portugal vacation:
Table of Contents
Porto Itinerary at a Glance
Day | Activities |
Day 1 | Arrive in Porto by plane or train around lunch time. Spend the afternoon exploring some of the main historic sites of Porto, the Ribeira neighborhood, and enjoy sunset over the Luís I Bridge. |
Day 2 | Enjoy a relaxing morning walk among peacocks in the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. Have fresh grilled fish along the river in Afurada, followed by a port tasting & tour in Vila Nova da Gaia. |
Day 3 | Take a day trip into the Douro Valley or check out our full 3-night itinerary for the Douro Valley. |
Day 4 | Off to your next adventure! If you want to extend your trip or combine it with another area of Portugal, check out our itineraries for Douro Valley, Lisbon, The Algarve, and Alentejo. |
Just the Facts
Stay
We haven't fact checked this yet, but we're pretty sure Porto has the most Airbnbs of any European city we've been to! We always opt for an Airbnb close to the Sao Bento train station - Porto is a super walkable city, and Sao Bento is right in the heart of it all - you'll be spoiled for choice of high quality Airbnbs. Here are a few we think are great (in Porto, we can typically always find a well priced option with at least a 4.9 rating on Airbnb):
Eat
Gazela: Traditional Portuguese cervejaria - this place is not fancy by any means and that's exactly why we love it! This is more a place to come for a snack rather than a full meal. Order cachorrinhos and a francesinha.
Mito: Upscale Portuguese restaurant. It very small so be sure to make a reservation.
Flow: Another upscale Portuguese restaurant with beautiful interior design.
Coupage 51: Tapas bar in a trendy neighborhood.
Pregar: Great lunch spot to have a prego (typical Portuguese steak sandwich with mustard)
Casa do F.C. Porto na Afurada: Great lunch spot by the water in a traditional fishing village close to Porto. Sit outside and order grilled sea bass.
Drink
Aduela: Casual wine bar with lots of space outside in a cool area of the city.
Base Porto: Outdoor bar close to Clérgios Tower. Great spot to go on a warm day for a glass of wine.
Torto: Best place in Porto for craft cocktails.
Natural Wine Bars: Porto may be known for port, but it also has a big natural wine scene. Head over to one of these wine bars and enjoy a few glasses from some incredible Portuguese producers.
Porto Augusto's: Our favorite port cave in Gaia. It's one of the few port caves owned by a Portuguese family.
Map
Detailed Porto Itinerary
Day 1
Whether you're arriving in Porto by train or plane, your first day will likely start just around lunchtime. We recommend staying in an Airbnb close to the Sao Bento train station - Porto is a city that is best explored on foot, and the Sao Bento train station is in the heart of it all! Once you've dropped your bags off, head over to Pregar to try Portugals' famous steak sandwich - the prego. Pregar has one of our favorite pregos with a thick and juicy piece of steak covered in horseradish mustard - wash it all down with a glass of white wine and finish it off with their lemon pie for dessert.
Now that you're fully energized, it's time to explore the historic sites of Porto. Walk down through the Ribeira neighborhood, passing by the Bolsa Palace, until you reach the river. Walk along the waterfront and take in the historic port boats and the incredible view of the Luís I Bridge. Feel free to grab a coffee and "people watch" at any of the sidewalk cafes.
Take the stairs up the hill next to the Funicular dos Guindais (or take the funicular if you'd rather not hike up the hill) and continue walking to the Porto Cathedral. You can wander around the cathedral grounds for a bit and then head over to the top of the Luís I Bridge for the most epic views of Porto.
Walk back to your Airbnb and get settled in and ready for the evening. In the early evening, we recommend walking just up the hill to see Clérgios Tower and the exterior of the Carmo Church (the tiles outside the church are beautiful!). Just across the street from Clérgios Tower, you'll find an outdoor bar called Base Porto - this is a great place to go on a warm evening for a drink before dinner.
For dinner, we recommend going to either Mito or Flow - both are very close to each other, but you should make a reservation a few days ahead.
Day 2
Now that you've knocked out most of the touristy and historic sites of Porto, it's time to experience a few hidden gems! Start the day out with a pastel de nata and a coffee at either Manteigaria or Fábrica de Nata - if you haven't have a joy of eating a pastel de nata yet, now's your time! We promise you, you'll be seeking them out from now on.
Walk (or Uber) over to Jardins do Palácio de Cristal for your first hidden gem of the day - it's about a 30 minute walk from Sao Bento train station. We absolutely love coming to this garden on a sunny day - there's so many hidden area to explore, you'll find some amazing viewpoints overlooking the river, and there's even peacocks! Be sure to stop at Miradouro da Ponte da Arrábida, Torreão do Jardim do Palácio, and Jardim dos Sentimentos.
You should finish up at the gardens around lunchtime and grab an Uber across the river to the tiny fishing village of Afurada - we love coming here on a nice day for some traditional Portuguese grilled fish. One of our favorite restaurants is Casa do F.C. Porto na Afurada - grab a table outside and order a grilled sea bass, olives, salad, and a carafe of the house white wine.
After lunch, we recommend heading over to Vila Nova de Gaia to explore the famous port caves. If you're feeling energized, you can walk along the river from Afurada to Gaia (there's a very nice boardwalk, but it is a 45 minute walk) or you can just call an Uber over to Vila Nova de Gaia. Our favorite port cave is Porto Augusto's - this is one of the only port caves owed by a Portuguese family (the majority are owned by British corporations). Tours run daily from 11am to 6pm and are 15 euros (includes 3 tastings) - you can either book ahead or just drop by to see when the next available tour is.
For dinner tonight, we recommend going to either Coupage 51 (a tapas bar) or Genuíno (a natural wine bar with small plates). After dinner, grab a cocktail at Torto.
Day 3
You really only need 2 days to see the main sites of Porto, so for your 3rd day, we recommend taking a day trip into the Douro Valley - this GetYouGuide tour is the perfect option. The Douro Valley is a stunning area of Portugal and one that you really need a car to truly enjoy - this tour allows you to get a great intro into the region, try some incredible wines, and not have to worry about driving! Throughout the day, you'll visit 2 wineries, take a boat ride along the Douro, stop at countless viewpoints, have a traditional Portuguese lunch, and of course, drink tons of wine!
Note: If you have a few extra days to spare (and don't mind renting a car), then we highly recommend checking out our 3 Night Douro Valley Itinerary.
You'll arrive back in Porto around dinner, and after all that wine, we think a casual dinner at Gazela is the perfect ending. We love Gazela for its simplicity - it's a traditional Portuguese cervejaria and you really feel the love here. Order a few cachorrinhos (technically this is a hotdog, but it's not a like the typical mystery-meat hotdog you get in the US. Just trust us and try it!), split a francesinha (Porto's famous sandwich drenched in gravy - it's the perfect drunk food!), and wash it all down with a few glasses of Super Bock.
Day 4
That’s all for Porto! If you want to extend your trip or combine it with another area of Portugal, check out our itineraries for the Douro Valley, Lisbon, The Algarve, and Alentejo.
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