Our favorite things to do in Porto
Porto is home to incredible city views, stunning architecture (especially the blue tile buildings), and amazing food and Port wine.
Porto is absolutely worth a visit.
The buildings are older than Lisbon since much of Lisbon was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake. The city has a “gritty” feel but we always felt safe wandering the back streets.
This was the view from our Porto accommodations, the Convento dos Grilos. Looking at a view like this every morning never got old.
Our favorite things to do in Porto
Experience the fantastic city views
The first thing we did when we arrived in Porto was head for the Dom Luís I Bridge.
The bridge spans the Douro River between the cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.
The Dom Luís I Bridge at night.
The bridge's upper level is used by the Porto Metro line D and is open to pedestrians. The upper-level entrance is convenient to São Bento station and the Porto Cathedral so it’s easy to visit multiple attractions on your way to the bridge.
The view of the Porto waterfront, including Praça da Ribeira and Nova de Gaia is stunning. The spot is particularly popular at sunset.
The lower level allows easy access between Praça da Ribeira waterfront and Vila Nova de Gaia, with its abundance of Port wineries.
View of Vila Nova de Gaia from Dom Luís I Bridge.
Since the hills of Porto create such a unique geography the upper and lower bridges really feel like two separate experiences.
The upper level is so high that the views are incredible while the lower connects two iconic neighborhoods.
We enjoyed both and highly recommend both experiences.
If you want to do the upper and lower together you can take the Funicular dos Guindais. It is located next to the bridge and connects the upper and lower sections of Porto (more on the Funicular below).
View of Dom Luís I Bridge from Vila Nova de Gaia.
While the Dom Luís I Bridge is unquestionably the best viewpoint in Porto for so many reasons there are also many other options.
Among the other excellent viewpoints are:
Porto Cathedral
Miradouro da Rua dos Aldas
Clerigos Tower
Serra do Pilar Monastery
The view from Porto Cathedral.
Porto waterfront
Diners in Ribeira, along the waterfront.
Porto exists because of the Douro River, so the waterfront has been a hub of activity since the 8th century BC.
Ribeira is certainly a tourist hot spot but it has kept its authentic charm.
Medieval streets and alleyways lead to photogenic boats docked on the waterfront.
There is no shortage of restaurants along the waterfront. We had one of the most memorable meals in Portugal at A Grade .
The area is fun to visit anytime but evening really reveals the area’s charm with the lights of the restaurants, the Dom Luís I Bridge looming over the skyline, and the color of the Vila Nova de Gaia across the river.
Colorful buildings along the Porto waterfront.
You can also take one of the popular river cruise from this area.
Here are links to two well-reviews tours:
Porto: Charming Sailboat Cruise with Port Wine, Sunset Option
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Looking across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia
Visiting the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia
Some of the many barrels of port wine at Sandeman.
Vila Nova de Gaia, or just Gaia, is located directly across the river from Porto.
There is one reason to visit - Port wine. The wine harvested in the nearby Douro Valley is brought downriver to age in Gaia.
You’ll see the examples of the boats docked along the riverfront promenade.
There are many options if you want to tour a wine cellar.
Some tours are for wine novices, but there are also tours for connoisseurs, tours with wine tasting, and tours with meals.
The Sandeman tours are very organized with a flair for the dramatic. The guides are dressed in the iconic hat and cape featured on the Sandeman label.
We gathered in the lobby museum loaded with company artifacts.
Our guide then led us on a very informative tour through the atmospheric cellars stacked with giant barrels. The tour concluded with a wine tasting.
Other wineries offering tours include Graham’s Port Lodge, Taylor’s, Fonseca, Kopke, and Cálem.
If you are interested in Port wine check out our blog post: Visiting the Douro Valley, what to see and where to stay
Gaia Cable Car
Gaia Cable Car high above Gaia at sunset.
You can’t visit the Gaia waterfront without noticing the cable cars overhead.
Not only do they offer an epic view for 6€ (one-way) but it’s a practical way to go from the river level up to the hilltop Jardim do Morro metro station.
From there, you can take the metro or walk over the bridge back to Porto.
Of course, you could do the opposite way too.
Mercado do Bolhão
Rows of covered stalls at Mercado do Bolhão.
Bolhão Market dates back to 1839 but underwent a major 4-year renovation and reopened in 2022.
Thanks to the renovation the market is amazingly clean and modern.
It couldn’t be easier to get to the market with the Bolhão subway station right at the market.
The market features booth after booth of fish, cheese, coffee, flowers, spice, vegetables, etc….There are also 9 sit-down restaurants.
Admire Porto’s stunning azulejos (blue tiles)
The blue tiled exterior of Capela das Almas.
If you visit Bolhão Market you’ll be across the street from Capela das Almas with a tile exterior chronicling the lives of Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine.
São Bento train station is adorned with more than twenty thousand azulejos covering its interior walls.
These are just two examples, you’ll see the beautiful tiles throughout Porto.
Time Out Market
Porto’s Time Out Market is smaller than in most cities but it’s worth a visit.
While it’s technically a food hall, the 11 restaurants are top-notch. We had two fantastic meals there during our recent stay.
We visited in winter so we ate inside but there were plenty of spots to eat outside too.
It is conveniently located next to São Bento station and is open from 10 am to midnight.
Ride the Funicular dos Guindais
Riding the Funicular dos Guindais with a view of Dom Luís I Bridge.
Funicular dos Guindais is both a fun ride and a practical way to get from the riverside area to the highest area in Porto.
After an afternoon in Gaia we spent €3.50 for a one-way trip from the base of Funicular dos Guindais up to the highest area in Porto.
The cars are very modern and a fun, scenic ride.
Funicular dos Guindais bringing passengers up to the top of Porto.
Porto Cathedral
Porto Cathedral is located on a hill overlooking much of Porto. The imposing building was completed in 1737.
For 3€ you can visit the church, the cloisters, the museum, and the tower.
The cathedral’s hours are:
April – October: 9 am – 6:30 pm
November – March: 9 am – 5:30 pm
Porto Cathedral.
Food
One of the reasons to visit Portugal is the food and Porto didn’t disappoint.
Cachorrinhos (Portuguese Hot Dog)
The cachorrinho is somewhat of an institution in Porto. It is thin, toasted bread stuffed with linguiça sausages, paired with melted cheese, and brushed with a spicy sauce.
It is then chopped into bite-sized pieces.
We had cachorrinho at Gazela Snack Bar, a bare-bones Porto institution serving them for 50 years.
Francesinha
Francesinha is one of Portugal’s unique dishes. It is made with sliced bread layered with cured meats, sausage, and steak, topped with melted cheese and usually a fried egg.
You can read more about Porto food on our post: What to eat when visiting Portugal
View of winery boats and the Porto waterfront.
We had a wonderful time visiting Porto. It’s not as modern as Lisbon or cities in neighboring Spain but it has a unique charm.
There is a lot of construction happening. A new metro station was under construction right outside our accommodations.
Of course, we hope to visit again soon and can’t wait to see how the city has changed.
This post was researched and written by John of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here
Some well-reviewed Porto activities:
Other Portugal blog posts:
