8 Best Things to do in Porto, Portugal
Porto, Portugal
Porto is a charming little town on the Douro River, centered around culture, arts, wine and food.
The warm, friendly and welcoming people make Porto, Portugal a wonderful destination.
You will love visiting this majestic river city. Here you’ll find adorable bistros, wineries, local shopping, coffee shops that are just stunning, bookstores leaving you in awe, and so much more.
This was our first stop in Portugal; we flew into Lisbon and hopped on a short flight into Porto. It was the perfect start to our Portugal Trip!
Read all about where we went the rest of our trip in Portugal in our Ultimate Guide to Portugal! The guide is perfect for one to two weeks.
For more Portugal Travel Fun, check out our Portugal Travel page, Porto Travel Guide, and our Benagil Caves (Algarve Coast) guide.
Now let’s get exploring the 7 Things you must do in Porto, Portugal!
The Best of our Porto Travel Guide
Land in Porto in the morning and hit the ground running! Drop off your bags and start exploring.
→ Where we stayed: Hotel Carris, on the Ribiero. We loved being right on the riverwalk, the location and accommodation were beautiful.
1. Wine Tour
Take a wine tour of one of Porto’s many wineries. Porto is world famous for their Port Wines, when in Porto you can not miss a wine tour of a port winery! We went to Graham’s Port Lodge and loved it. We went on a tour and had a tasting which was such a cool experience when in Porto to drink port wine.
2. Majestic Cafe
I cannot rave enough about Majestic Cafe. Majestic Cafe is the most beautiful cafe in Porto and is ranked on the top 10 of the most beautiful cafes in the world. The gorgeous cafe opened its doors in 1921 and was a place for elites and scholars to meet and talk over a cup of coffee or a glass of something stronger. To say this cafe is stunning would not do it justice. To top it off it has the best espresso and coffee I think I have ever had. You will be in awe of this Porto beauty. Majestic Cafe is located on the main walkway in the city, Santa Catarina Street. This is a great area to walk around shop and eat!
3. Livraria Lello Bookstore
Livraria Lello Bookstore is another beauty in Porto. It is said that this magical looking bookstore inspired J.K. Rowling as she wrote the famed Harry Potter series. Although this is a tourist hotspot, it is worth going to. Be prepared to be packed in with tourists but after all there is a reason for it all- it is just magical. You can easily buy tickets there; just hop to the store on the street that sells tickets to the store. You will see signs to guide you to where to buy tickets. Tickets were 10 dollars; you will get your money reimbursed if you buy a book at the store.
4. Visit Old Town Porto, Portugal
Old Town is the oldest area of Porto, this will be the area around the Duoro River. This will be the area you will want to enjoy a drink riverside and see the beautiful Dom Luis Bridge. There are wonderful local shops, restaurants, bars, and plenty of beautiful tiled buildings in Old Town. We spent a lot of our time here, and you will want to too. Sip on a glass of Port and just look at that view or explore the sweet alleyways, shops, and restaurants.
5. Dom Luis I Bridge
Porto’s iconic Dom Luis Bridge sits over the Duoro River. The Duoro river gave Porto a passage to share their famous port wine with the world. The bridge and the Duoro River is a great place to walk around and people watch while enjoying the breathtaking view.
6. Eat Riverside
Porto is a city that is centered around the Duoro River. There are many wonderful restaurants on the riverfront, where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Duoro River. There are tons of
After a delicious meal and some local wine, take a walk on the waterfront.
If you are looking for a recommendation, we really loved eating at Ribeira 50! This meal is one of my favorites we had on our trip. Definitely try the baked brie and some wine or sangria they are to die for!
riverside restaurants to chose from- pick one with a view and have a seat. You can’t go wrong.
7. Clerigos Tower
The Clerigos Tower is a bell tower dating back to 1763. 225 steps take you to the top of the tower 75 meters up. The Clerigos is known for its stunning view of Porto from the top, which offers a 360 degree perspective of beautiful Porto at day or night. It’s open until 11 p.m. Tickets Range from 5 euros to 7.5 euros.
8. Porto Cathedral
Porto Cathedral is an absolute must in Porto. It is a gorgeous classic cathedral with blue-tiled walls with exquisite detail. It’s unique beauty sets it apart from all the other churches you will see in Portugal and make it worth the stop. It is a perfect place to take some pictures and appreciate it’s beauty as you wander through the medieval arch walls and the scenes painted in the tiling.
Porto was one of (if not the) best cities in Portugal, be sure to add it to your Portugal Trip. Read more about Portugal in our Ultimate Portugal Guide and our Sintra Travel Guide for a day trip from Lisbon with colorful castles, gardens and so much more . Are you going to Spain too? Check out our Spain Travel Guide.
Happy Travels!