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Home » Travel

What to do in Porto, Portugal

Published: Sep 24, 2019 · Modified: May 5, 2023 by Kit · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments

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A guide of what to do in Porto, Portugal. This small riverside city is famous for its port wine and tiled buildings, and it an easy trip from Lisbon.

What to do in Porto Portugal | Porto is your quintessential small European city. It has colorful buildings, narrow streets lined with cafés, castles, churches, and charm.

Porto is your quintessential small European city. It has colorful buildings, narrow winding streets lined with cafés, castles, historic churches, and plenty of wine. Porto is small, walkable, and heavy on the charm. It is the perfect place to unwind. If you are heading to Portugal, add Porto to your itinerary.

What to do in Porto 3 1

How to get to Porto, Portugal:

Table of Contents

Toggle
    • How to get to Porto, Portugal:
  • What to do in Porto, Portugal:
      • Admire the Tiled Buildings
      • Visit the São Bento Train Station
      • Stop into The Fantastic World Of Portuguese Sardines
      • Ride the Funicular
      • Walk along the Ribeira
      • Old City Center
      • Livraria Lello
      • Rua Santa Catarina
      • Sunset at Dom Luis Bridge
      • Taste Port Wine in Gaia
      • Go for a Boat Ride
      • Hop on Hop Off Bus
    • Where to Eat in Porto:
        • Cafe Majestic
        • Brunch at Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker
        • Rei dos Queijos
        • Dinner at Patio do Duque
      • Wine Quay Café
      • Gazela
      • Ribeira 50
    • Where to Stay in Porto:
        • Vincci Porto
        • NH Collection Porto Batalha
    • Read More About Portugal:
        • Have you been to Porto, Portugal? You can't help but fall in love with this city, and it is so small that you can easily see it in just two days.

Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, and it is only 3 hours from Lisbon. You can hop on a bus or train to get there. Or, if you want to drive, it's an easy 3 hour drive.

What to do in Porto, Portugal:

Admire the Tiled Buildings

Porto is one of those cities where I just wanted to walk around and admire the architecture. Lisbon has some tiled buildings, but Porto has more. I love just wandering around finding tiled buildings.

Porto train station

Visit the São Bento Train Station

The interior of this train station is decorated with painted tiles, it's basically a mural made out of painted tiles and it's beautiful.

Sardine Shop

Stop into The Fantastic World Of Portuguese Sardines

This shop on Rua de Trás is elaborately decorated in a circus theme and it's so fun! And yes, they sell sardines!

Ride the Funicular

Porto is on a steep hill. Going down it is no problem, but you might not want to climb back up it. Fortunately, there is a funicular to take you to the top of the city. It has a view you don't want to miss too!

Walk along the Ribeira

The Ribeira is the bustling street along the Douro River that is lined with cafés. It's the center of activity in the town.

Old City Center

The Old City Center is up on a hill and has a monument in the middle of the square. 

Livraria Lello

This historic shop has become famous for bring a source of inspiration to J.K. Rowling when she was writing Harry Potter. I was curious to see how a bookshop might have helped to inspire some of my favorite novels, and it became clear as soon as I stepped inside.

There are colorful stained glass windows, ornate woodwork, and the centerpiece of the store is a twisting wooden staircase with crimson stairs. The ground floor has a wooden cart that moves on rails (similar to a train) and is used to move books. It is considered one of the most beautiful book stores in the world.

It’s a small shop, and it is a big tourist destination, so it was crowded. To enter you need to stop by the office next door and purchase a ticket for 4 Euros. I went on a Sunday, but it probably would have been best to visit on a weekday.

Rua Santa Catarina

This pedestrian street is the place to shop in Porto. It is also where you will find Cafe Majestic.

Porto Sunset

Sunset at Dom Luis Bridge

Take the train over to the Jardim do Morro stop in Gaia to watch the sunset. The station is at the top of the famous Dom Luis Bridge that connects Gaia and Porto and it is perfect place to watch the sunset.

Taste Port Wine in Gaia

Porto is the home of port wine, and even though it isn’t my favorite style of wine, tasting port in Porto just seemed like the thing to do. I figured it made the most sense to go to Graham’s, so I made an appointment for a tour and tasting. You do need to make an appointment since tours are given in different languages at different times, but there were several openings when I made a day of reservation.

Gaia is the village across the river from Porto, and it is where you will find all of the port wine wineries. Yes, I am confused about why we call the wine “port” if it really comes from Gaia.

Port wine is made from grapes grown in the nearby Douro Valley, an area known for steep rocky hills. The wine is sent to Gaia were it ages. All port wine is made from a blend of grapes, and it is fortified – which means that alcohol is added to the wine to stop the fermentation process. Usually as wine ferments the sugars turn into alcohol. With Port wine, the fermentation process is stopped so that the wine remains sweet. Since alcohol is added to the wine it has a higher percentage of alcohol.

I tasted three different styles of Graham's Port: ruby port, tawny port, and vintage port. I liked the tawny port the best. Tawny port has a more caramel color and flavor, and it had less of a sticky sweet taste.

When you buy your ticket for the tour at Graham’s you pick which tasting you want to try. If had the Graham’s Tasting which included tastings of each style of port, and it cost 30 Euros. The basic tasting is just 12 Euros. When you spring for a more expensive tasting you get to enjoy it in the beautiful library and not in the somewhat sterile tasting room.

Porto 7

Go for a Boat Ride

There are many companies in Gaia and Porto that offer boat rides. The view of Porto from the river can't be beat and we learned the history of the five bridges connecting Porto and Gaia as we cruised. We took one of the smaller boats that left from the Gaia side of the river and the ticket included a port tasting at a nearby wine cellar. 

Hop on Hop Off Bus

On my first trip to Porto I went on the Hop on Hop Off bus, but I wouldn't recommend. Porto is so small that you can easily walk everywhere. The only benefit to going on the bus is that you get to see the coast.

Where to Eat in Porto:

Porto Cafe Majestic

Cafe Majestic

Located on Rua Santa Catarina, a popular shopping street, Cafe Majestic is one of the most beautiful cafes in the world. It first opened in 1921 and is glamorously decorated with mirrors, chandeliers, and wood carvings. We stopped in for a snack while we were there, they also offer afternoon tea if you want something more than just a snack. 

Hungry Biker Porto

Brunch at Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker

This cafe is the place to brunch in Porto. The health conscious food is served up in hearty portions. We ate so much that we didn't need to eat again until dinner.

Rei dos Queijos

The name of this restaurant translated to the "king of cheese" and they have a happy hour where wine is served with cheese plates. We loved it so much that we went back for dinner.

Porto 6

Dinner at Patio do Duque

The food and the service at this restaurant are both exceptional. Try the savory cheese-filled profiteroles, something that the chef is known for creating. Then try Portuguese specialties like bacalhau, local sausage, and slow-cooked pork.

Wine Quay Café

My favorite thing to do in Porto was to sip wine and snack on cheese at the cafés in Ribeira. If you aren't watching the sunset from the top of the bridge, watch it from Wine Quay Café, which is perfectly situated up on the second level of cafés along the river. The tables at the café face the river, making it the ideal place to enjoy the view. They have a great list of Portuguese wines, and a simple menu of cheese, meats, and snacks. They even give guests water guns to keep the seagulls away.

Gazela

We didn't have time to dine here, but several people recommended it via Instagram.

Ribeira 50

A restaurant up on a second floor away from the busyness of the Ribeira. Sit outside and people watch and sip sangria.

What to do in Porto 5

Where to Stay in Porto:

Vincci Porto

The first time I went to Porto I stayed at the Vincci Porto, which was just a 5-minute tram ride into the center of the city. The hotel seemed to be freshly renovated, had clean, comfortable, and spacious rooms, and it was only $90  a night. 

NH Collection Porto Batalha

On my second trip to Porto I stayed at the NH Collection Porto Batalha with my sister. We loved the central location of this hotel, the accommodations themselves were pretty basic.

Porto 8

Read More About Portugal:

Portugal Itinerary
Lisbon
Cascais
Sintra

Have you been to Porto, Portugal? You can't help but fall in love with this city, and it is so small that you can easily see it in just two days.

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Comments

  1. Tanja / The red phone box trav says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:13 pm

    I need to visit that bookstore:)
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 3:10 pm

      It was amazing! It was a bummer that it was so crowded when I was there.
      Reply
  2. Jane Whittingham says

    April 18, 2017 at 5:28 pm

    Wow, I've never heard of a bookstore charging admission! They must be thanking their lucky stars that Rowling chose their bookstore to frequent!!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      I know, right? The admission price is deduced from the price of a book if you buy one though.
      Reply
  3. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    April 18, 2017 at 6:25 pm

    I would love to go to Porto - everything I read about it makes me want to hop straight on a plane, sounds the perfect place to amble round with a bit of exploring, food, drink, views and anti seagull devices! Thanks for linking up with #citytripping
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 6:44 pm

      You should definitely go there! It's so lovely and so affordable!
      Reply
  4. Upeksha says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:08 pm

    Portugal is on my list, and having read this, so is Porto! Great account of your day there. That Sangria looks amazing! #citytripping
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      Thanks so much! I wish I could have more of that sangria!
      Reply
  5. Elizabeth Newcamp says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:39 pm

    We were just in Porto and I agree it was totally magical! (I posted about the bookstore for this linkup! ha!) I love your photos and we did so many of the same things! #CityTripping
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      I loved that it was a small an easy to navigate city! I would love to go back sometime!
      Reply
  6. The Journey of Christine says

    April 18, 2017 at 9:16 pm

    Porto looks so beautiful! Two Porto posts in the link up... I think it's a sign telling me I need to get my butt to Portugal!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 18, 2017 at 9:21 pm

      I think so too! Go there!
      Reply
  7. Ruth Rieckehoff says

    April 19, 2017 at 2:08 am

    So beautiful! I have heard tons of good things about Porto. I really want to visit.
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 19, 2017 at 3:06 am

      Porto really lives up to the hype. I highly recommend visiting.
      Reply
  8. Clare Thomson says

    April 19, 2017 at 1:57 pm

    I loved reading this on #citytripping. Porto is a city I'm so desperate to visit and your beautiful photos are inspiring me to do that sooner rather than later. I thought the white port I drank in Lisbon was absolutely delicious and more drinkable than the various red varieties.
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 19, 2017 at 3:50 pm

      Now I wish that I had tried the white port!
      Reply
  9. Dani Ellerton says

    April 20, 2017 at 8:17 am

    Your post makes me long to travel! I love port, and this is definitely on my list of places to visit. Incidentally, port is named after Porto because that is where it started its export journey!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 20, 2017 at 5:28 pm

      Ahhh Dani - now the name port makes so much more sense! I totally didn't get that part of the story. Thanks for letting me know!
      Reply
  10. Andi Fisher says

    April 27, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    My hubby and I were in Lisbon and Porto last May and absolutely loved it. We didn't get to spend enough time and want to go back and do more, more, more!
    Reply
    • thekittchen says

      April 27, 2017 at 11:42 pm

      I want to go back too!!
      Reply

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