What to see in Porto, this Portuguese city located next to the Douro River.
We will dedicate 3 days to this city, not because it did not deserve more but because we had to divide a series of days between some cities in Portugal, cities that we will show throughout new posts.
Indice:
Day 1 what to see in Porto
Free Tour
We will start the day with a free tour. We had already been to the city but we had not done a free tour on that occasion so we thought it would be a good idea to start with one and have it help us with what to see in Porto.
And the departure was from the General Humberto Delgado Square and there we see the Porto City Hall.
Here we find the typical letters of the city where to take the photo to have as a souvenir.
And from here on the Avenue of the Allies.
Mc Donald’s Imperial
During the walk we will pass by what is said to be the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world. It is the former Café Imperial, and it is worth going inside to see its Art Deco interior.
Church and Clérigos Tower
The Church of the Clérigos was built between 1735 and 1748 in a Baroque style. But the one that takes the attention is the Clérigos Tower and it is one of the most emblematic monuments of the city and one of the must-sees in Porto.
Its 75 meters high can be climbed through 240 steps, the entrance fee is € 8 . Admission to the church is free. More information on the Clérigos Tower website
Sao Bento Station
We continue our hike to Sao Bento Station.
The station was built at the beginning of the 20th century on the remains of the old convent of San Bento del Ave María. Perhaps seeing it from the outside doesn’t attract your attention, but don’t miss out on visiting its interior, it’s impressive.
All covered in tiles, it is wonderful, a must to visit in the city
Rua das Flores
We will take Rua de la Flores, a busy pedestrian street.
The name of the street comes from the flower-filled orchards that existed on the land where the street was opened: the bishop’s gardens.
We find lively activity on this street, which is also a must-see and which you will surely walk along a lot during your stay in Porto.
Victoria Viewpoint
There are many viewpoints in Porto and they all have their charm.
The Victoria viewpoint, although the environment is not charming, the views are very good and you can get here a good souvenir photos of the city.
We are now going to a visit that I recommend doing
The Palace of the Stock Exchange
This neoclassical building began to be built in 1842 and was erected by the Porto Commercial Association on the ruins of the Convent of San Francisco and was inaugurated in 1891.
It has become the quintessential visitor’s hall of Porto, receiving the most illustrious visitors from almost all countries, making this building the most visited monument in the north of the country.
Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office, and the tour is guided in Spanish. When you arrive, you will be told what time you can enter. In our case, we had to wait half an hour, which we took advantage of to explore some of the nearby attractions. The tour takes approximately 30 minutes.
The ticket price is €12. The interior is really very beautiful and it is a visit that as I told you I recommend doing, a must-see in Porto.
More information on the Palacio de la Bolsa website.
As I was telling you about the waiting time, we took the opportunity to enter the Ferreira Borges Market, there is not much to see inside but the structure is beautiful.
And the San Nicolás Church, which we take the opportunity to take a look inside. Admission is free.
San Francisco Church
It is one of the most beautiful churches to visit inside. The ticket can be obtained on the spot, the entrance fee is € 8 . St. Francis Church website
The walk along the Duero at this time that will have already been done in the afternoon is beautiful, we will see the bridges crossing the Duero.
Here is another recommended tour and it is to embark, another essential on the route of what to see in Porto.
Crossing of the 6 bridges
We took the 6 Bridges Cruise. We had already booked it and since the weather was very changeable we called to cancel, they changed it without any problem for the next day, but when the departure time came we saw that the weather had improved, so we showed up at the place and told them what had happened, that we had a reservation, we had changed it but now if they allowed it and had space we preferred to do it. He made a call and immediately authorized us to go on board, so the experience was very good as well as the treatment, so I recommend it, you know that I always talk about personal experiences and when they are positive and when they are not, in this case very positive.
Apart from what has been said, the tour is well worth it. The views from the river are unbeatable, as is the time, at that golden hour when everything takes on a different shine.
Day 2 in Porto
This second day we will start by visiting a place that is always super busy.
Lello Irmao Bookstore
We had visited this bookstore back in 2013. I remember that when we arrived at the hotel, the hostess told us to hurry up and go to the bookstore, which is about to close and is worth seeing. We were just a few steps away, so we went in like any other store and we started to admire it. At that time, you couldn’t take photos, but there was hardly anyone inside.
Ten years later, the experience is very different. You can take photos, but the number of people is impressive and entry costs 8 euros, which you can discount if you make a purchase. Lello Bookstore Website
If you don’t know it yet, it’s a visit you’ll want to make, I repeat, the bookstore is very beautiful and it’s something to see in Porto.
Attendance has been increasing, Harry Potter fans contribute to that (or we contribute) since it is said that this construction inspired JK Rowling, who lived in Porto for a time so this supports the theory and worked at a University that is just a few steps from here, but it is nothing more than… it is said that…
You can buy your tickets online in advance or there is a sign there with a QR code to scan and get them at the time. They have a time slot. I bought them in advance and got one of the first slots, but there were a lot of people anyway, and the line is still long because everyone comes well in advance.
We always have an unlimited internet connection from Holafly eSIMs
If on your visit to Portugal you will also choose Lisbon, here is all the information to visit the city. What to see in Lisbon in 4 days
University of Porto
We will start the walk, as we just said, the University of Porto is a few steps away and also the Clérigos Tower that we saw yesterday and we directed our steps towards two churches.
We will pass by the Fountain of the Lions and we will find two adjoining churches, although it is not noticeable they are separated, it is only by a very narrow construction.
Church of the Carmelites and Church of Carmen
Both are free to enter. All of these churches in Porto, apart from generally having tiled facades, are very beautiful inside, so stopping by to take a look at them is worth it.
But if you are short on time, just as yesterday I recommended you to enter the Church of San Francisco, today I recommend you visit the Cathedral, the Sé de Porto
Porto Cathedral
Its construction began in the twelfth century and has gone through many alterations over the centuries.
Inside we can access the church and the cloister, the entrance fee is 3 euros and it is purchased on site, the visit is well worth it.
Located on a high ground from here you can get beautiful views of the city.
After this visit we will begin to descend looking for a new viewpoint. Cathedral website
Viewpoint of the San Lorenzo church
If the day allows visibility, it is another of the many places to admire this beautiful and unique city.
To end the day we will move a little further and head to a very picturesque and traditional market for Porto
When we talk about walking in Porto, we must always be careful to think about the steepness of its streets, so a kilometer can be tiring in this city. During the tour we see countless tuk tuks doing tourist tours, we have not taken them, we have walked and we have taken the tram. The tram is used more as a tourist attraction than as a means of transport, so you will see queues to take it, you get the ticket there and ask the driver and it costs 3 euros for a single ticket. There are 3 lines, 1, 18 and 22. To get around it is cheaper to take the bus or the metro.
Bolhao Market
We will find a market that has been in operation since 1914 and has been recently renovated.
On Sundays it is closed, from Monday to Friday the hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. while on Saturdays it is until 6 p.m.
If you are a lover of markets you can spend a good time here, take a break in the day to try some of the Portuguese delicacies.
Planning to visit Aveiro? We leave you all the data in this post What to see in Aveiro
DAY 3 in Porto and Vilanova de Gaia
Today we leave the crossing to Vilanova de Gaia, on the other side of the Douro River, from where we will have some beautiful views of Porto and visit a winery. But we will start the day having breakfast in a traditional Porto café, the Majestic.
Majestic Coffee
Located on the traditional Rua Santa Catarina, the café opened in 1921 was considered in 2011 the sixth most beautiful café in the world, appearing in that ranking as the first Café New York in Budapest .
It is very nice, it is worth going to take a look, the prices as it happens in this type of places generally, are not cheap. I leave here the website with the menu so that you can check Café Majestic Menu
When we entered we did it quickly but when we left there was already a queue.
Via Catarina Shopping
Our steps will now take us to a shopping center on the already named Rua Santa Catarina, Vía Catarina Shopping.
It has nothing special, but on the top floor the decoration of the premises is in the shape of the traditional houses of the city.
Chapel of the Souls
With its tiled facades, it is one of the most beautiful churches, we enter to take a look inside
San Ildefonso Church
We begin to descend and also pass by the Church of San Ildefonso, looked at by the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Don Luis I Bridge
Opened in 1886, this is a typical postcard of Porto and has two floors. The upper floor, which is where we will cross, is where the Porto metro passes. Coming at night to see the illuminated city is also a nice option that many choose to do.
As soon as we cross we will find ourselves in another city, Vilanova de Gaia and we will go to another viewpoint, the
Serra do Pilar Monastery Viewpoint
From here you get some very nice views of Porto, it is highly recommended. We were not able to do it like this but we were recommended to do it at dusk. I imagine that on a clear day the views from here must be magnificent.
An essential viewpoint on a tour of what to see in Porto.
Gaia Cable Car
After having enjoyed this moment we are going to go down to the riverbank and we will do it in the Gaia cable car
The price of a single ticket is 7 euros while the return ticket is 10 euros
Once down the walk is beautiful. The shops, the views, take time for enjoyment and rest
Bordalo Rabbit II
A few steps away we find the Bordalo Rabbit II
This urban artist has created this rabbit using materials found on the street and garbage collected around the city. It has become a must-see for tourists
Gaia Municipal Market
Also here we find the Municipal Market of Gaia, it is small but you can take a look.
Port Cellars
As you know, tradition recognizes port by its wine. Port wine is known worldwide, so a visit to a winery is a must if you are a wine lover or if you want to know more about it. Another point to add and see in Porto.
There are many options for visits, some more distant than others but all here in this area. After evaluating the comments and seeing some experiences of other travelers, we opted for Graham’s Winery.
It is a little further away, about a kilometer and something, this must be taken into account.
The visit takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, is guided in Spanish and has a tasting at the end of it.
The visit was very positive, it was enjoyable, the explanations about each type of port were very good. If you like the world of wines it is highly recommended.
Accommodation and dinners
We loved the accommodation we chose, it was one of those places you don’t want to leave. ALIBI by YoursPorto
It is not a conventional hotel but rooms above a restaurant. Ideal location to explore everything on foot, very close to Clérigos Tower.
Spacious room, they are above the restaurant, it does not have an elevator it must be clarified, the staircase is wide and comfortable but keep that in mind, we were on the second floor.
The service is very good, Ricardo has been a magnificent host at all times willing to help us with data of the city. You feel at home.
If you go by car there is a nearby parking lot in Torre de los Clérigos, you have to ask for a reservation at the hotel so that they can give you a discount.
We chose to have dinner there the first night because it was raining and we didn’t want to go out, after trying that night we always went back for dinner and also some for lunch, the cuisine and service are excellent.
As I said, keep in mind that it is not a traditional hotel in terms of reception, always read the comments of the guests, do not stay only with my opinion.
Map and video
NOTE: The information in this article is based on our own experience, being totally objective. This article contains affiliate links
