Porto's Ribeira seen from the Douro, with rabelo boats in the foreground
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Porto in 3 days

  • 3 days
  • 6.2 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Three days is the ideal pace for Porto: enough to see the classics and to sit by the river without watching the clock. Each day pairs a route with well-chosen extras, from the Gaia wine lodges to gardens and the sea. There are hills, yes, but also time to eat slowly and have a second pastel de nata.

Day 1Azulejos and Gaia wine

Start with «Porto in a morning: from azulejos to the Douro», from the Chapel of Souls to the Luís I Bridge via the Bolhão, the Clérigos and the Ribeira. Lunch on a francesinha. In the afternoon walk across the bridge: a port wine lodge in Gaia and then the Jardim do Morro, in the golden light, to see the Ribeira from the opposite bank. It is a first day for getting a feel for the city.

  1. Morning

    Porto in a morning: from azulejos to the Douro

    Mixed · 2.5 km · 2 h

    1. Chapel of Souls (Capela das Almas)A chapel clad from top to bottom in nearly sixteen thousand tiles, on the city's busiest shopping street.
    2. Bolhão MarketPorto's age-old market, reborn in 2022 after four years of works.
    3. Clérigos TowerNasoni's tower that guided boats on the Douro and can be seen from almost every corner of Porto.
    4. Cathedral Square (Terreiro da Sé)Old Porto's finest balcony: the cathedral esplanade, with the city and the Douro at your feet.
    5. Ribeira SquareThe riverside square where Porto has traded since the Middle Ages, with colourful houses and wine boats.
    6. Luís I BridgeThe great two-deck iron arch linking Porto and Gaia, designed by a former partner of Eiffel.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Francesinha at A Regaleira. Rua do Bonjardim, 83

  3. Afternoon

    Port wine lodges, Gaia

    Port wine is aged in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, facing the Ribeira, where the rabelo boats brought it down from the Douro. Pick a lodge, do the tour and tasting, and book in high season. You can walk there across the Luís I Bridge.

    Directions

    Jardim do Morro

    A garden on the Gaia hill at the end of the Luís I Bridge, with the Ribeira and Porto's old town right across the water. It is the classic spot to watch the sun go down over the Douro. Arrive early for a good spot and walk back down afterwards.

    Directions

Day 2Power, art and music

In the morning, «From the bishop's town to the merchants' city»: the Sé, the Casa do Infante, the Stock Exchange Palace, São Bento and the Aliados. Tripas à moda do Porto, the city's signature dish, are almost a must for lunch. In the afternoon take the metro or a bus to Serralves and give the museum and park a good while; then stop by the Casa da Música, on the way back to the centre, and end the day gently.

  1. Morning

    From the bishop's town to the merchants' city

    History · 2 km · 1 h 40 min

    1. Porto Cathedral (Sé)On top of the Pena Ventosa hill, a bishop was handed the whole town as his lordship and an English princess married a Portuguese king.
    2. Casa do InfanteThe customs house a king built against the bishop's wishes, and the house where, tradition says, Henry the Navigator was born.
    3. Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa)Porto's merchants built their palace on the ruins of a convent burned during a civil war.
    4. São Bento StationA nuns' convent turned railway station, with Portugal's history painted on twenty thousand azulejo tiles.
    5. Avenida dos AliadosThe grand avenue Porto opened in the middle of the First World War to give itself a centre fit for a capital.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Tripas à moda do Porto at Abadia do Porto. Rua do Ateneu Comercial do Porto, 22-24

  3. Afternoon

    Serralves Foundation

    A contemporary art museum by Álvaro Siza, a pink Art Deco house and a park of around eighteen hectares. Worth at least a couple of hours, especially in good weather. Check the exhibitions and opening hours before you go.

    Directions

    Casa da Música

    Rem Koolhaas's concert hall, opened in 2005, is a faceted white concrete volume that looks like a meteorite landed in Boavista. Worth seeing from outside and, if there is a concert, from inside. It pairs well with Serralves.

    Directions

Day 3Crystal, sea and legends

Start in the Palácio de Cristal gardens, with views over the Douro, then take a bus or tram to Foz do Douro for the sea and a walk along the promenade. Return to the centre for a cachorrinho at lunch. As the day fades, «Porto of lost souls, prison cells and enchanted books» takes in the Alminhas da Ponte, Livraria Lello and the Hidden House. Close the trip with bolinhos de bacalhau for dinner.

  1. Morning

    Palácio de Cristal Gardens

    A romantic park with peacocks, shady corners and viewpoints looking out over the Douro. A green breather close to the centre and a good way to start the day. Exhibitions and events are also held under the pavilion dome.

    Directions

    Foz do Douro

    The seaside district where the Douro flows into the Atlantic, with a promenade, the São João da Foz fort and city beaches. A perfect place for sunset. Get there by bus, taxi or the heritage tram, and walk on to the Passeio Alegre.

    Directions

  2. Lunch

    Try Cachorrinho at Gazela Cachorrinhos da Batalha. Travessa de Cimo de Vila, 4

  3. Early evening

    Porto of lost souls, prison cells and enchanted books

    Mysteries & legends · 1.7 km · 1 h 50 min

    1. Alminhas da PonteA bronze relief with candles always burning recalls the morning in 1809 when a bridge of boats gave way under a panicking crowd.
    2. Church of São FranciscoOutside, a stern Gothic church; inside, a blaze of gold; underground, the catacombs of the Third Order.
    3. The Misericórdia and the «Fons Vitae» mysteryOn Rua das Flores hangs a five-hundred-year-old Flemish panel whose painter is still being debated.
    4. Former Relação PrisonThe jail where Camilo Castelo Branco wrote a novel of doomed love while his lover served her time in another cell.
    5. Livraria LelloThe bookshop half the world believes inspired Harry Potter, even though its author says she never set foot in it.
    6. The Hidden House of CarmoBetween two churches that were not allowed to touch, a house barely more than a metre wide that almost nobody notices.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Dinner

    Try Bolinhos de bacalhau at Mercado do Bolhão. Rua Formosa, Porto

The map

Porto in 3 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends Extra sight

Loading the map…

Before you go

Tips for Porto in 3 days

  • Alternate steep days with gentler ones: days one and three have more climbing; keep day two, with museums, for resting your legs.
  • If it rains, move Serralves and the Casa da Música up and keep the outdoor routes for another day: wet granite is slippery.
  • Avoid summer weekends at the Ribeira and Livraria Lello: arrive first thing or go in late afternoon, when it empties out.

Questions

Porto in 3 days: your questions

How many days do you need in Porto?

Two or three days is plenty. Three let you do the routes at a comfortable pace, cross to Gaia, visit Serralves and Foz and still have time to eat. With only one day you see the centre but never leave it.

What can you do in Porto if it rains?

Reshuffle the days: Serralves and the Casa da Música have covered spaces, and the Gaia wine lodges are indoor visits. The walking routes are nicer under clear skies, so keep them for the dry day.

How far do you walk in these three days?

The three routes add up to about 6.2 km: 2.5 on day one, 2.0 on day two and 1.7 on day three. With walks to Gaia, Serralves, Foz and between restaurants you can reach 8 to 10 km a day.

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