Porto in 2 days
Two banks, one bridge and the cellars on the wrong side of the river — Porto in two days, with a funicular instead of the hill.
- How long
- 2 days for the city
- Getting around
- On foot and by funicular
- Rhythm
- The city in the cooler morning
Porto is built on a slope above the river, and that decides the whole plan: from Ribeira to the cathedral is sixty metres of height in two hundred of distance. Skip the funicular and the bridge's upper deck and you spend the day climbing.
The upper town, then down to the river
São Bento station — twenty thousand azulejos on the walls of the concourse, painted between 1905 and 1916. Free, because it is still just a railway station.
The Clérigos tower and church — the church is free, the tower €10. Two hundred and forty narrow, one-way steps to the top; from there you see how the city is stacked on the slope, which explains the rest of the day.
The Lello bookshop (€8) if you are going — it is permanently busy. Skip it and you gain an hour for the cathedral and the terrace in front of it.
Lunch around Bolhão, or a francesinha if you dare — a sandwich with four kinds of meat, cheese and beer sauce, and it is the whole meal.
Down to Ribeira, the waterfront of narrow painted houses. Nothing to visit — you sit by the river and look at the bridge.
Cross the upper deck of the Dom Luís I bridge on foot. Sixty metres above the water, and the best sunset in the city.
Gaia and the sea
Across the bridge to Gaia for lunch on the waterfront — the view is of Porto, and this is the only side from which you see the city whole.
The cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. A visit takes an hour and ends with a tasting; the big houses take walk-ins on weekdays, but at weekends large and small alike want a slot.
Tram 1 along the river to Foz, where the Douro meets the Atlantic. Twenty minutes, and the ride is the sightseeing.
Foz and Matosinhos — an ocean promenade, a fort and beaches. The water is cold all year; you walk here rather than swim.
Dinner in Matosinhos, where fish is grilled on the street in front of the restaurants. The best fish meal in the city and the least touristy.
What spoils two days in Porto
- Walking uphill at midday. The city is steep; the Guindais funicular and the metro across the bridge exist so the day can go differently.
- Cellars in the morning. A tasting at eleven means the rest of the day runs slower than planned.
- Lello at eleven. That is already peak (11–2 and 4–6); the queue is shortest at nine o'clock opening or after half past six.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Where are the port cellars?
In Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Porto. Ten minutes on foot over the lower deck of the bridge, or by metro over the upper one.
How many days does Porto need?
Two for the city. A third only makes sense for the Douro valley, which is a full day and the best thing nearby.
Is the Lello bookshop worth it?
It depends. The ticket (€8) is deducted from a book, but the queue is constant and it is crowded inside. Without buying a book you are paying only to see a staircase.
Ready for Porto?
Where to next
Day trips from Porto
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Coimbra · 106 km
→A university founded in 1290 and a town arranged around it, on the line between Lisbon and Porto
How well does Porto suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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