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3 days in Porto. A vibrant Portuguese city on the North bank of the Douro River !!
Porto is an ideal place for the vacations. The city offers a perfect combination of culture, architecture, history, and traditional Portuguese Cuisine. We had 3 amazing days in Porto.
How to reach Porto:
Porto is well-connected by air, train, and bus, and it's highly accessible for travelers around the world and Europe.
a. By Air:
Porto's Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) is located around 11 km from the city center. The airport offers direct flights from major European cities such as London, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam.
Several airlines operate flights to and from Porto, including TAP Air Portugal, Ryanair, easyJet, and Lufthansa.
From the airport, you can take the Metro (Line E - Purple) or an Airport Shuttle to reach Porto's city center.
There are always good connections to the airport by public transport from the city. If you don’t have much luggage, I would suggest taking a Metro, or else you can book an Uber.
b. By Train
Porto city is well connected by train from different cities in Portugual. You can take the high-speed and regional trains from Porto’s Main Train Stations: Campanhã & São Bento.
We were in Guimarães for an Erasmus exchange. After attending the Erasmus in Guimarães We took the train to Porto Sao Bento (Porto Central Train Station). The train costs € 3.60 from Guimarães to Porto.
c. By Bus
You can also take a bus to get to Porto - it's a cheaper way but a bit more time-consuming.
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Where to stay In Porto:
a. Ribeira:
If you are coming to Porto for the first time, you should consider staying at Ribeira. It's a scenic location along with Douro River. It's also closer to many landmarks so you can easily walk to different must-visit places by walk.
b. Baixa:
You should also consider staying at Porto City Center closer to Avenida dos Aliados, Clérigos Tower, and São Bento Station. It has many hotels and apartments. There are many restaurants, bars, and cafes located nearby.
We also booked an apartment in the Porto city center via Booking.com.
c. Cedofeita:
If you want to stay in the trendy and artistic neighborhood. You can also stay in the district of Cedofeita. It has different galleries, cool cafes, and restaurants. This district is quieter and less happening than Ribeira or Baixa.
d. Boavista:
If you want to stay in a modern and upscale district with different options to stay in high-end hotels, you should consider staying in the Boavista District. It has many nice and luxury hotels.
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How to commute within Porto:
The best way to explore Porto is by walking. There are so many hidden gems that can be missed or remain unexplored if you don’t like to walk. Porto is slightly hilly and all the monuments and tourist attractions are closely located and reachable by a walk.
Best Things to Do in Porto, Portugal
Day 1:
1. Santa Catarina Street in Porto:
Rua de Santa Catarina is Porto’s main shopping street, located in the heart of the city. It is a bustling pedestrian street lined with shops, cafés, restaurants, and historic landmarks. Whether you're looking for fashion boutiques, traditional Portuguese stores, or international brands, Santa Catarina is the perfect place for shopping and strolling.
We started exploring Porto from Rua de Santa Catarina which is the main pedestrian walkway in the old center, located in the heart of Porto. The pedestrian has shops, cafes, restaurants, and landmarks.
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It has all the well-known International and local brands. We always like to explore the fashion streets to get the feel of the city. The city center also has a Via Catarina shopping mall which has a traditional architecture and unique interior.
Every street and corner has its own beauty, view, and feel. There are amazing houses with beautiful tiles on the walls, arts and crafts shops, and local café on every corner of the streets.
2. Mercado do Bolhao:
Mercado do Bolhao is the most famous market in Porto. It impacted the tradition of fresh products with the best quality. The farmers come here to sell their fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many butcher shops from where you can buy fresh meat.
3. Majestic Café:
Majestic Café is one of the Top 10 cafés in the World. This café used to be a meeting place for elite, writers, politicians, and thinkers. It's in Santa Catarina Street. Don't forget to book it in advance otherwise, you won't enjoy the coffee or the architecture of the cafe.
4. Porto Cathedral:
Our next stop was Porto Cathedral also called as Sé do Porto. It's just a few miles away from Central Train Station, Sao Bento. It's a Roman Catholic and one of the oldest monuments in the city. It has a free entrance.
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The most famous thing about the Cathedral is its square where criminals were used to hang in old times. The second most important is its view of the Douro River. If you want to enjoy the panoramic view of the city- you must go to the tower.
Terreiro da Se is a spot to get the perfect view of the Douro River and Nova de Gaia. It is just next to the Porto Cathedral.
We started climbing down the stairs and it took us to the fascinating narrow streets with alluring houses on both sides. That's how we reached Famous Ribeira Square.
5. Ribeira District:
Cais de Ribeira is an alluring medieval district with a fascinating riverfront. It has traditional floating boats and colorful ancient houses. It's one of the most photogenic places and is also declared as a World Heritage site of UNESCO.
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There are a lot of cafés, bars, and restaurants serving traditional Portuguese food and drinks. We would highly suggest trying the Francesinha Sandwich, Codfish cakes, Ice cream, and sweet Pastel de Nata. The city is very famous for its seafood. If you are a seafood lover it’s heaven for you.
It's one of the romantic places to enjoy your date dinner with a beautiful view of the river. At night, all the restaurants, bars and café are fully packed with tourists.
6. Cais de Gaia:
We would highly suggest enjoying the long-lasting images of Porto and its skylines from Cais de Gaia. Cais de Gaia is just across the river from Cais de Ribeira. You can cross the bridge to reach Cais de Gaia or you can take the Ferry that is only for crossing the river.
We would highly suggest taking the ferry and experiencing it. In 2028, it was only € 3 for one way. There are a lot of cafés, restaurants, Stalls of food and traditional bags, and local brands on the other side of Douro River. We would suggest Bar Restaurant Micha for your evening drinks and coffee.
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7. Teleferico de Gaia (cable car):
There's also a cable car ride, known as Teleferico de Gaia which you can take near the Dom Luís I Bridge. It cost € 6 for one way in 2018. Be careful with the timings, it closes at 8 PM. We must say it's the best way to enjoy the view of the city and river.
After experiencing the mesmerizing view of the Porto and its alluring skyline we head back to the Porto and cross the Douro River from the ground deck of the famous Porto Bridge on foot.
Day 2:
1. Breakfast at Buondi Café:
We started our day with breakfast at a local and authentic café called “Buondi Café”. The café was fully crowded with people. The café has also a sitting indoors and outdoors. We ordered bread bread-filled jam called “Berliner” in Germany with Orange juice and sat on the table placed outside of the café on the footpath. We enjoyed my breakfast with a view of the road next to us.
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2. Camara Municipal do Porto:
Our next stop was Town Hall Porto called Camara Municipal do Porto. It's one of the famous buildings with amazing architecture and is perfect for photography. We took a short break sat on the stairs and enjoyed the hassle and bustle of the roads. There's also a big town square and it has all the big hotels like Intercontinental nearby.
3. Igreja da Santissima Trindade:
We started walking towards the Igreja da Santissima Trindade. The church is behind the City Hall of Porto. There's a beautiful square near the church with a wonderful collection of flowers.
Entry to the church is free. The main Chapel has a large panel of Paintings representing the Baptism of Christ.
After exploring the Igreja da Santissima Trindade we came back to the town square of Porto and lost in the wanderlust of time and history.
After exploring, we started walking towards Igreja dos Clérigos which is located just a few miles away from the town square.
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It is a baroque church that has Torre dos Clrigos. The most famous bell tower of Porto is 75.6 meters high with 240 steps to climb. Entry to the church is free.
The ticket to the tower is for € 5 including the Museu dos Clerigos. The Panoramic view from the top of the tower was so amazing and breathtaking. On the one side, you can see all the historical architecture and buildings, and on the other side the view of the Douro River.
We would recommend exploring the Church and exhibition first before climbing the Tower.
The Clerigos Tower is a must-go place to experience the panoramic view of Porto and it requires a lot of physical exertion.
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After experiencing one of the most amazing panoramic views in Western Europe we came down from the Torre dos Clerigos, we started walking towards Henry Prince Square.
5. Praça do Infante Dom Henrique:
It is a wonderful place in the city with full of historical importance. On the right of the square is Ferreira Borges. In the center, there is a Statue of Infante D. Henrique and on the left, it’s Palacio da Bolsa.
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We sat in the courtyard and enjoyed the surroundings and got the feel of the rich history and background of the city. The famous Church of San Francisco is also just a few steps away from the square.
Due to limited time, we were not able to visit the Church from the inside but we would highly recommend visiting the church from the inside as well.
6. Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace)
Palácio da Bolsa is a msterpiece from 19th century. It's Porto's stock exchange reflects Porto's economic and cultural prosperity.
One of the significant highlights is the Arab Room which is inspired by the Moorish design adorned with gold detailing and arches and it resembles the palace of Alhambra.
7. Cruise the Douro River:
There are many cruise companies counters near the river. The Douro Cruise trip cost € 15 each in 2018. It was a one-hour cruise trip that takes you from East to West and covers the main landmarks and skyline of Porto.
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It also passes under the Bridge of Ponte de Dom Luis. The best time to take the cruise is between 6 PM to 7 PM in October. At the beginning of the cruise, the sun was shining, and later on it started setting. It is the best and most romantic moment to enjoy the sunset on the cruise.
The Douro River Cruise will take you to the Atlantic Ocean as well and it was the 1st time we have seen the Atlantic Ocean.
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8. Hard Rock Cafe Porto:
Hard Rock Café is a must-go place for dinner and drinks being a fan of Hard Rock Cafe. The Hard Rock café Porto has a triple floor with a unique ambiance and a collection of rock stars.
We would highly suggest booking the table in advance else you have to wait for your turn. Don’t miss their Mac and cheese and Crispy Onion ring.
8. Nightlife at Galerias de Paris Street:
After the dinner at Hard Rock Cafe, we went to Avenida dos AliadosPorto which is a vibrant street and famous for nightlife. You can definitely go to Galerias de Paris Street as it has bars, clubs, and live music venues.
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Day 3:
1. Breakfast at Traveller café:
We started our day 3 with breakfast in front of Sao Bento station in a roadside café called “Traveller café”. We had the yummiest French Croissant.
2. São Bento Railway Station:
After breakfast, we went to the famous Sao Bento Railway station. Sao Bento is a very unique and artistic station with panels of Azulejo tiles. The first tiles were placed in 1905. The tiles on the left side represent the scene of the Battle of Arcos de Valdevez and Egaz Moniz before Alfonso of Castile.
The right wall of the station depicts the scene of the Conquest of Ceuta. There are also borders on the main entrance representing the countryside scene. The train station is very much fascinating for a historian like me.
3. Visiting the Beaches in Porto:
Porto has lovely beaches. We have been to Gondarem and Praia do Molhe Beach which are easily accessible by public transport. Right in front of the central station, we took a bus no. 500 direction Matosinhos Mercado. The name of the bus station is Praia de Gondarem.
Both beaches are located near to each other. It's around 7 km from Sao Bento. Gondarem and Praia do Molhe are the beaches with Rocky Shore. The weather was quite cold in October so it was not an ideal situation for swimming but it is the best place for summer.
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We had a long walk along the shore. There are many beachside cafés where you can enjoy your lunch and drink with an amazing view. After an overwhelming experience of the Atlantic Ocean, we went to Pizza Hut for a Veg Pizza and enjoyed the cold breeze.
We would recommend going to the rocks as well for an everlasting experience with the mighty waves of the Atlantic Ocean.
4. Tram Ride in Porto:
Getting a ride in the traditional Tram of Portugal is a must-have thing to do in Porto. Most people associate these traditional trams with Lisbon but it was first started in Porto.
It used to cover most of the city before the 60s and 70s but now there are only three routes as a sign of their heritage.
The Line 1 tram covers the most scenic route along the bank of Douro to Foz District. If you want to enjoy the ride, we would suggest you take it early or late in the day. In the middle of the day, it's always full of tourists. So it's a bit difficult to get a spot to sit.
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The Tram line 22 is in a loop and it covers the more historical area of the city. The Tram line 18 is the least famous for the tourists as it goes into quiet areas of the city. But on this route, it is easy to get a seat. The fare of the tram is € 3.
An unlimited pass is for € 10. Tram line 1 departs every 20 minutes and Lines 18 and 22 after every 30 minutes.
5. Dom Luís I Bridge:
We decided to cross the river on foot from the lower deck, after crossing it we started climbing the rocky road which led us to the Porto Castle.
In the middle of the bridge, there's a Tram line and you can walk on either side of the bridge and can elevate your hunger for Porto to a whole different level.
And here it was, the breathtaking Panoramic View of Porto and we were lost in the beauty of this magical city. Indeed a city of a fairytale, Porto !!
6. Rua Ferreira Borges:
Rua Ferreira Borges is one of the most historic streets with architecture, cultural landmarks, and a vibrant atmosphere.
7. Relax at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal:
Jardins do Palácio de Cristal is one of Porto’s most beautiful open spaces with greenery and it offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Douro River.
These romantic 19th-century gardens were designed by German landscape architect Émile David.
We have a few other suggestions about Porto:
a. Museu do Tesouro da Sé Do Porto:
You can also visit Museu do Tesouro da Sé Do Porto. It's an ideal place for the historians. It has a priceless collection of ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and textiles.
b. Passeio das Virtudes:
If you are a nature lover, Passeio das Virtudes is a place for you. It's in the backyard of Palace Justice. It's a green area to relax and enjoy a beautiful view of the Douro River.
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Other Beaches:
Matosinhos, Praia dos Ingleses and Homem do Leme are also famous beaches and are highly accessible by Public transport.
Ending Note:
There are many companies offering Hop-On Hop-Off services in Porto. If you don’t have enough time to explore the city on your own, I highly recommend taking a Hop-On Hop-Off tour. It’s a great way to learn about the city's rich history with a guided tour while conveniently visiting major landmarks.
There are also tour operators offering day trips to surrounding towns like Guimarães, Braga, and Vila do Conde from Porto. If you have extra time, we highly recommend visiting these areas.
These places are easily accessible by public transport, and visiting them on your own is often more budget-friendly than booking a tour.