Best things to do in Porto, Portugal in 3 days

Last Updated on March 8, 2024

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Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, famous for its steep hills, old city charm and of course Port wine. Lisbon might be the more popular city in Portugal to visit, but there are many things to do in Porto making it a great European destination. While Porto shares many similarities with Lisbon, it has more of an old city charm than the more modern Portugal’s capital.

While Porto is yet to see the crowds of other European destinations, people’s interest in this charming Portuguese city is definitely on the rise. Something that is still very welcomed in the city. The spike in tourism helped bring back the city up from the financial slump of 2011. In 2017 Porto was named one of hot new European destinations to visit ( along with Milan and Wroclaw ), which brought some much deserved attention.

How to get around Porto

Porto’s top attractions are relatively close to each other, so you can easily explore the city on foot. But keep in mind, that Porto was built on the steep bank of Douro River, so be prepared for lots of climbing. If you are tired of walking or have mobility issues, there is Funicular dos Guindais, which connects Riberia with the top level of the city. The two-minute ride up costs €4 (€6 for the return ticket), and you can catch the Funicular near the Dom Luis I Bridge. Be sure to have cash, credit cards and Andante cards are not accepted.

How many days to spend in Porto, Portugal

The city is not that big, so 3 days in Porto is a good amount of time to see all the main sites, while also allowing for down time. Even though very hilly, Porto is very compact, and you can pretty much walk everywhere. A lot of the attractions that you will find on the list of the must things to do in Porto are located close to each other.

3 days in Porto – Best things to do in Porto

Cais de Ribeira

A walk through Ribeira is one of the must things to do in Porto. This UNESCO recognized area is one of the oldest in the city, with its history closely related to naval trade. The riverfront stretch, Cais de Ribeira, is picture perfect with many colorful buildings, and incredible views of Douro River, Luis I bridge and Vila de Nova on the other side.

Cais de Ribeira is the most lively spot in the city. The waterfront is lined with cafes and restaurants, which makes for a perfect spot to stop for a drink and people watch.

Walk the Louis I bridge

Out of the 6 bridges of Porto, Ponte Louis I is the most iconic and recognizable. It was built in 1886 by a student of Eiffel and the resemblance to Eiffel tower is hard to miss. The bridge has two levels, both accessible to pedestrians. The only difference is the lower level has road traffic, while the upper one is only used by trams. A walk across the upper deck is one of the must things to do in Porto, as it provides some of the best views of the city.

Take the 6 bridges boat cruise

It might be one of the most touristy things to do in Porto, but going up and down the river under Porto’s 6 bridges is a nice break from tackling the city’s hilly streets. The cruise will also give you a chance to be aboard a traditional Rabelo boat. Back in the day, these boats used to carry barrels of Port wine from Douro Valley to the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.

There are a few companies offering the cruises, and tickets can be bought from the kiosks set up along the waterfront in Ribeira and on the Vila Nova de Gaia side. You can also book your 6 bridges of Porto boat tour here.

Explore Vila Nova de Gaia

Some people assume that Vila Nova de Gaia, on the other side of Douro River, is part of Porto, but it’s actually a separate city. It’s best known as the home of many port wine lodges. That’s where the Port wine produced in the spectacular Douro Valley gets brought to for the aging process and to be stored. There are more than a dozen of them open to visitors, offering tours and wine tastings.

While exploring Vila Nova de Gaia, make sure to stop on the corner of Rua Dom Afonso III and check out an amazing Half rabbit art work. What appears to be a mural from far away, is in fact an installation made entirely out of trash. Behind this unusual creation is a Portuguese artist Bordalo II, who has created many more animal inspired art work, all made out of trash.

Taste port wine in one of the wine caves in Gaia

You simply can’t go to Porto without tasting Port wine. The grapes grow and wine is produced exclusively in Douro Valley, then makes its way to the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. There are more than a dozen wine caves offering tours and tastings, ranging from very casual to more guided. Some of the popular ones are:

• Taylor’s – offers self-guided tours and tasting of 2 port wines, that take place in a beautiful garden.
• Graham’s – offers guided tours, that need to be reserved in advance.
• Croft – founded in 1588, offers guided tours and tasting of 3 Port wines.
• Ferreira – founded in 1751.
• Cálem – dates back to 1859, it offers guided tours.
• Churchill – one of the newer and smaller wine lodges, founded by a Graham family member in 1981.

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PRO TIP: If you want to save some money, one of the best deals around is the tour combining Hop on Hop off bus, 6 bridges boat tour and a visit to a wine cellar. You basically get to do all three for half the price of what it costs to book them individually.

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Visit Livraria Lello

After spending 3 days in Porto, I can honestly say that if there’s one very touristy place in the city, it’s the famous bookstore Livraria Lello. J.K. Rowling, who used to live in the city, frequented Lello and supposedly used it an inspiration for Harry Potter books. This little fact put visiting Lello on the list of top things to do in Porto, which now means thousands of people line up each day to get in. More to get the perfect shot on the beautiful bright Art Nouveau staircase, than to buy a book.

These days to visit the bookstore, you have to purchase the ticket-voucher for €8. That goes towards the cost of the book, if you decide to purchase one. It’s their way of encouraging people to actually buy something vs coming in only to take photos. Tickets used to be sold at the store Armazéns do Castelo next door, which opens at 9 am (30 minutes before Livraria Lello opens). Now, you need to pre-purchase your ticket online for a specific time slot.

Even though there is no denying that the bookstore is worthy the title of one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores in the world, it really gets far too crowded to enjoy it. While tickets are sold for specific time slots, there really is no limit on number of people allowed in. Not sure I’d go as far as to say I’d skip it but go with the right expectations.

My recommendation would be to book the very first time slot in the morning, when the crowds are not over the top yet. They also sell skip the line tickets for €15.90, but honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the money. Yes, you don’t need to wait in line and can go right in at your chosen time, but once inside, you’re still in the same overcrowded bookstore.

Livraria Lello is open every day from 9 am -7 pm.

Admire São Bento train station

Europe is home to many beautiful train station, but after visiting a lot of them I can honestly say that São Bento in Porto is one of the most gorgeous ones. It might seem odd to include a train station on the list of top things to do in Porto, but once you see it, you’ll understand why. The walls are covered in more than 20,000 azulejos, depicting the history of Portugal.

Whether you have day trip out of Porto on your agenda or not, you should definitely make a stop at São Bento. This is easy to do considering it’s right in the center of the city and you’ll probably pass it on the way somewhere.

Visit some of the churches in Porto

• Sé Cathedral – Porto’s Cathedral was built between 12-13th century making it one of the oldest buildings in the city. The large square has some of the best views of Porto and Douro River. Sé Cathedral is free to visit, but there’s a €3 fee to get access to the Cloisters.
• Igreja de Santo Ildefonso – 11,000 azulejos cover the exterior of the church, and they’re by the same artist who worked on São Bento station. The church is located in Praça da Batalha, and is FREE to enter.
• Igreja de São Francisco – this Gothic church is a National Monument of Porto. There’s a €9 fee to enter.
• Igreja dos Clérigos – the Baroque style church was built between 1735 – 1748. With its iconic Clérigos Tower is one of the top places to visit in Porto. The church is FREE to enter, but there’s a €8 fee to climb the tower.
• Capela das Almas – one of the most stunning churches in Porto is located along the busy shopping street Rua de Santa Catarina. It’s impossible to miss, as its entire exterior is covered in beautiful white and blue azulejos. It’s FREE to enter.

Climb Clérgios tower

For great panoramic views of Porto, don’t miss climbing Clérgios Tower. Standing 249 ft tall (76 m), it’s the tallest monument in Porto. After you climb the 240 steps you will be rewarded with some of the best views of the city.

Cost: €8 / visiting the Clérgios church is FREE

Visit Palacio da Bolsa

The Neoclassical Palacio da Bolsa, the former Stock Exchange in the historic area of Porto was built to impress. While you might not think of it much looking from the outside, just wait till you step inside. All the rooms are beautiful, with amazing details and stunning floors. But it’s the Arab room you get to see near the end of the tour that is the most impressive. Inspired by the Alhambra in Granada, the room is absolutely breathtaking.

Rooms at Palacio da Bolsa are occasionally rented for special events i.e. weddings. One night’s rent will set you back €7,000.

The only way to visit Palacio da Bolsa is on a 30 minute guided tour for €12. Tours are offered in multiple languages, and you sign up for the next available tour in your chosen language.

Opening hours: 9 am – 6.30 pm

Walk Rua da Flores

The picturesque Rua da Flores is almost 500 years old and is home to some amazing buildings. It’s also lined with great restaurants, specialty stores and bookstores. One of my greater finds in the area was Mercearia das Flores, a specialty store, where you can also sit down and enjoy some of their delicacies and wines. They offer a great variety of artisan breads, cheeses and some of the finest ham.

Try Francesinha at Café Santiago

There are a few traditional dishes to try in Porto, but nothing is more famous than the Francesinha. This monster sandwich is nicknamed “a heart attack on the plate” for a good reason. Between two slices of bread there’s bologna, fresh sausage, red sausage, beef steak, ham and cheese. All that in delicious Francesinha sauce, which was one of the most outstanding things I’ve ever tasted.

To say the meal is filling would be an understatement. If you manage to finish the entire sandwich in one sitting, it might end up being your only meal that day. It was for me.

You can find Francesinha everywhere, but trying the famous sandwich at Cafe Santiago is on every list of things to do in Porto. This casual cafe is frequented not only by tourists, but also many locals, which says a lot. So does the long line of people outside trying to score a seat.

Fill up on Portuguese pastries

There’s no secret Portuguese love their pastries. Aside from the famous Pastel de Nata, you can find variety of other delicious sweets. During my 3 days in Porto, I sure had my share of pastries. Some of my favorite places were:

• Fábrica da Nata – Rua de Santa Catarina 331/335
• Manteigaria – like Fabrica de Nata, Manteigaria opened in Porto following the success in Lisbon. Rua de Alexandre Braga 24
• Leitaria da Quinta do Paço – a little cafe known for best eclairs in the city. Praça Guilherme Gomes Fernandes 47

Go on a food tour

Speaking of food, to try Francesinha, Pastel de Nata and other traditional dishes of Portugal, I recommend taking a food tour in Porto. Food tours are a great way to get to know local cuisine and sample many dishes in a short time. If you are a foodie, this will be one of the best things to do in Porto for sure.  

A lot of those tours also take you to some excellent local places, you might not find in travel guides. This highly rated 3 hour food tour takes you to several places and offers sampling of not only some of the most traditional Portuguese dishes, but also wine.

Have coffee at Majestic Café 

If you don’t mind overpaying for coffee, you can stop by the historic Majestic Café. It first opened back in 1921 and it was the main meeting point for all the important people in the city. There’s no denying this is one stunning cafe, and as you step inside its gorgeous interior will take you back in time.

Of course you pay for the pleasure of dining in a place with such ambiance. While I opted out, it seems like the inflated prices don’t scare people away. Majestic Café is often mentioned as one of the must things to do in Porto, so it’s always busy and quite often there’s a line to get in.

Walk down Avenida de Aliados

This short, but wide avenue is lined with impressive Neoclassical buildings with Câmara Municipa ( City Hall ) at the top end.

Take a ride on the historic Tram 1

Old trams used to be the main means of transport in Porto back in the day. Modern metro replaced the old trams, but 3 lines remain.

Tram 1 is the most popular line out of the 3, mostly due to the scenic ride as it goes from San Francisco Church to the beachy area of Foz Douro. For that reason it became very popular among tourists, and there’s usually a line to get on the historic tram. It reminded me of the Tram 28 in Lisbon, although on a smaller scale.

Historic trams are not covered by the Andante card and require a separate ticket. One way ride costs €5, paid directly to the driver ( cash or credit card ).

Visit Foz de Douro

A 20 minute ride on the Tram 1 will get you to the Western part of Porto, considered to be the most exclusive part of the city. It’s also where the Douro River meets the Atlantic Ocean, providing quite a dramatic background. A visit to Foz de Douro is a great way to spend a couple of hours and get a taste of Porto, that is different from the historic part.

Enjoy a stroll down the esplanade to the Felgueiras lighthouse, stop by one of the many seaside bars for a drink or relax on one of the few beaches.

If you don’t want to deal with the often crowded Tram 1, a good alternative is the line 500 bus, that runs along the same route. Another great option is renting a bike from one of the many bike rentals in Porto for a scenic 3 mile bike ride along Douro River.

Discover the sleepy village of Afurada

If you want to take a break from the busy parts of Porto and check out an area that has not yet been discovered by tourists, head to the sleepy village of Afurada. This tight knit fishing community seems like world’s away from the busiest part of the city.

To get to Afurada, catch the ferry Flor de Gas across Douro River for €2. For an extra €1, you can bring your bike on board as well.

2024 UPDATE: Unfortunately, the Flor de Gas ferry stopped running in 2020 and never made a comeback. Best way to get to Afurada is by taking a taxi/Uber or walking along the River on the Gaia side.

If you have one more day…

I think 3 days is a perfect amount of time to experience all the top things to do in Porto. But if you can add an extra day or two, that will give you a chance to explore beyond the city. There are several great day trips you can take from Porto to places like Aveiro or Braga, which are just one hour away, yet offer a completely different experience.

One of the best day trips from Porto is the the earlier mentioned Douro Valley, which if you have extra time, is a must. And you don’t have to be a wine drinker to enjoy this beautiful region. For more day trip ideas, check out Best day trips from Porto, Portugal.

If you enjoyed this article, you can download it via the GPSmyCity app – it will give you access to the guide, you will be able to use, even if you’re offline. Download it here.

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READ MORE:

• 10 Days In Portugal – The Perfect Itinerary By Train
• How to spend 3 days in Lisbon, Portugal
• How to plan the perfect Lisbon to Sintra day trip

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