3 Days in Porto - A Local’s Perfect Itinerary
Affiliate disclosure: some of the links in this article are affiliate links. If you book using one of them, we’ll earn a small commission. All of our info is free to read and free of ads, so we appreciate it!
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, but it’s the number one city in the world if you ask me! As a Porto local, I am absolutely in love with this place and I’m delighted to share my recommendations for how to spend a few days in my city.
Over the past decade, I’ve witnessed firsthand the massive transformation that Porto has undergone, going from an obscure and relatively neglected city to a tourist hotspot known all over Europe and beyond. What’s especially remarkable, though, is that despite the huge amount of development and the millions of tourists who now visit, Porto has managed to retain its charm and character.
Unfortunately, this authentic character is often missed by tourists, who don’t know where to go or what to do beyond the fairly generic information that they’ve seen in the myriad blogs and travel articles online. But I’m here to change that!
For this three-day itinerary, I’ve shared many local tips and favorites to help you get to know the more traditional, genuine, and unique side of Porto, all without excluding the city's most impressive landmarks, of course.
More Portugal travel info:
For more info on travel in northern Portugal, check out our North Portugal travel guide and our Porto city guide.
And if you could use some one-on-one help planning your trip to Portugal, consider scheduling a Portugal travel consultation!
Table of Contents
Day 1: Explore downtown Porto and Bonfim
Day 2: Serralves, Matosinhos, and Gaia
Day 3: Take a day trip to the surroundings areas: Douro Valley, Braga & Guimarães, Aveiro, or Peneda-Gerês National Park
Day 1: Explore Downtown Porto and Bonfim
For your first day in Porto, put on your best walking shoes and get ready to explore! I have designed the day’s itinerary so that it covers all the essentials in the city center, which is divided into two main areas: Downtown Porto and Bonfim.
Downtown Porto is the place where you'll find many of the city’s landmarks, as well as the majority of other tourists, and it extends from Avenida dos Aliados (one of the city's main streets) to around the Palácio de Cristal Gardens.
Bonfim, on the other hand, is a residential neighborhood that also serves as Porto's main cultural center. It goes roughly from Bolhão Street to São Roque Park, which sits just a few minutes away from the stadium of F.C. Porto, the city's biggest football club.
Morning
The subway station of Trindade is the best spot to start your Porto adventure for two reasons: it's within walking distance od all the main attractions in the city and it sits precisely at the center of the imaginary line dividing Downton Porto and Bonfim.
Rua de Santa Catarina
To start your morning stroll, leave Trindade's subway station,and head up to Rua de Santa Catarina, one of Porto's busiest streets. The street is filled with shops and you’ll often find talented street performers on the sidewalk doing their acts, which can be quite fun. The atmosphere here is great, so just go for a walk and enjoy.
When here, be sure to check out the Palladium Galleries Clock, sitting atop a FNAC store, which has a fun display at the top of the hour every hour. Right as the hour changes, you will see four marionette-like figurines reveal themselves, each of whom represents a historical personality from Porto: the city's symbolic saint São João, the maritime-expansion pioneer Infante D. Henrique, and the writers Almeida Garrett and Camilo Castelo Branco.
Capela das Almas
Also near Rua de Santa Catarina is the Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls), famous for being covered in the traditional Portuguese blue and white tiles known locally as azulejos.
This is a popular spot and it’s always filled with visitors, so I’d recommend just stopping by for a quick look. Later on you can head to the very nearby Church of Saint Ildefonso, which is also covered in azulejos but is much less busy.
Mercado do Bolhão
Next, I’d suggest stopping by the Mercado do Bolhão, Porto's main street market, and then A Favorita do Bolhão right next door, which is perhaps the city's best store for buying traditional products.
In the Mercado do Bolhão, which has been recently renovated, you'll find multiple little counters with everything from exotic spices and fresh oysters to delicious hams and organically-grown fruits and vegetables. There are also counters selling wine, and you can even explore the market while drinking (I know it will still be morning at this point, but a light glass of white wine can never hurt, especially when you're on vacation).
The shop “A Favorita do Bolhão” sits right outside the market, and also has lots of great traditional products. You can get all sorts of treats there, including salted codfish and nuts, but the standouts are the premium dated wines, some of which are more than 100 years old! Quality comes at a cost though, so don't expect these premium bottles to sell for less than €800 to €1,000.
Miradouro das Fontaínhas
If you still have some time to kill before lunch, I recommend visiting the Miradouro das Fontaínhas, which is about 15 minutes away form the market (on foot) and is one of those precious Porto locations that is yet to make it into the tourist brochures.
Here, you can catch your very first stunning view of the Douro River, all while enjoying the company of locals. When I was younger, the Fontaínhas was considered dangerous and somewhere best avoided, but it’s now as safe as anywhere else in the city, and the views are great.
Connect with our Portugal-based experts for help perfecting your itinerary, answers to all your travel questions, and fabulous local tips!
Lunch
For lunch, head over to the area around Rua de Passos Manuel to try Porto's most iconic food: the Francesinha! A Francesinha is a sandwich unlike any other, combining bread, cheese, and multiple meats with a unique sauce made of tomatos, beer, and whatever secret ingredients each restaurant decides to employ.
Rua de Passos Manuel could well be called "Francesinha Street" because it holds three of the best Francesinha restaurants in town: Lado B, my personal favorite, Café Santiago, an all-time classic, and Brasão, a slightly fancier alternative.
If eating Francesinha sounds like too much for you (not many visitors can eat a whole one), go to Cervejaria Gazela instead, in one of the adjacent streets, and try another local delicacy: the Cachorrinho. Cachorrinho means "little hot dog" and is a typical fast food from Porto that's almost as locally beloved as the Francesinha, but is hardly mentioned in tourist guides.
Neither the Francesinha nor the Cachorrinho are exactly healthy (to put it lightly), so if you want something lighter and less indulgent, you can have traditional Portuguese food with a modern twist at Alecrim (in Passeio de São Lázaro Street), or amazing vegan food at the iconic Suribachi, Porto's first macrobiotic restaurant.
Afternoon
After a busy morning exploring the areas near Rua de Santa Catarina, it's time to check out the famous Dom Luís I Bridge. This pedestrian-only bridge boasts what's probably the best view in Porto, and it's the sort of tourist clichè that even I, a long-time Porto resident, love to enjoy from time to time.
Jardim do Morro and Miradouro da Serra do Pilar
Walk across the bridge over to Gaia, on the other side, and then make a stop at Jardim do Morro and Miradouro da Serra do Pilar, both within five minutes of walking distance from the bridge.
Jardim do Morro is a garden that fills with tourists and locals alike every time the sun comes out, and it's perfect for sitting in the grass and enjoying a cold beer while listening to some talented (and not-so-talented) street musicians.
The Miradouro da Serra do Pilar, on the other hand, is another perfect spot for enjoying the scenic view of the Douro River, which has made the city of Porto so famous internationally.
Back to downtown - Sao Bento, Clerigos Tower, Lello Library, Igreja do Carmo
After checking out the park and the viewpoint, cross back over the Dom Luís I Bridge into Porto and head to Avenida dos Aliados. On your way there, pass by the beautiful São Bento train station and the iconic McDonald's (yes, you've read that right!) in Praça da Liberdade.
Continuing up through downtown, you’ll reach the Clérigos church and tower, which is perhaps Porto's best-known historical monument. The church is mainly recognized for its tall tower, and for just €8 (adults) and €5 (children), you can visit both the tower and museum.
Near Clérigos, you will also find another iconic Porto hotspot: the Lello Bookshop, considered to be one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. It was made famous for its association with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, and it's one of the most popular places in Porto. The architecture inside is undeniably lovely, but if the wait to get in is really long (it can be up to an hour), I would suggest moving on - it’s not “unmissable”, in my opinion.
For me, more interesting is the nearby Igreja do Carmo (Carmo Church), which is actually comprised of two churches sitting side by side. Both were built by the Lay Carmelites order, which exhibited great power in Southern Europe around the 15th century.
The two Carmo Churches are separated by a tiny house only a few meters wide, which is known as "The narrowest house in Porto," and only exists because the Lay Carmelites needed to avoid an old law establishing that two churches could not be built right next to one another.
Gardens and green spaces - Palácio de Cristal Gardens, Passeio das Virtudes, São Roque Park
Next, stop by the beautiful Palácio de Cristal Gardens and then make your way to the National Museum Soares dos Reis, which boasts an impressive collection of more than 13,000 sculptures, paintings, and archaeological objects.
If you're not a big fan of art or history, you can skip the museum and go for a beer at the nearby Passeio das Virtudes instead. This nice location is one of the best places to watch the sunset in Porto, and it’s always busy with an interesting crowd of hip locals, tourists, and the occasional group of hippies listening to trance music on massive JBL portable speakers. It has a vibe all its own, and I absolutely love it.
Afterwards, if you've still got the energy, I recommend going back to the Bonfim area and exploring the beautiful São Roque Park. To get there, catch the subway and get off at the Heroísmo stop. São Roque Park is criminally underrated and almost 100% tourist-free, and it has a nice playground for children, lots of eucalyptus trees, and a super-cool hedge maze.
Near the park, you’ll find one of the city's most traditional snack bars: Xico dos Presuntos. There, you can join a nice crowd of half-drunk locals and try some delicious Vinho Verde (a sparkly white wine traditional to Northern Portugal) along with the cheapest goat cheese and ham you’ll ever buy.
Just so you have an idea, Xico dos Presuntos sells ham sandwiches for under €3 that are so massive they may sometimes contain 19 slices of ham inside - trust me, I’ve counted them!
Evening
Porto is a super lively city and we locals love to go out and enjoy an evening on the town, so you are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to how to spend your evening. Below are some of my favorite places, all over the city:
The area around Praça Carlos Alberto is filled with busy bars and restaurants that are open throughout the night. While, tourist traps abound in this area, restaurants like Casa Expresso and Casa Viúva are great spots that serve traditional Portuguese food at an unbelievable price; Casa Expresso is known for its unique pork sandwich and speedy traditional meals, while Casa Viúva is known for their fresh fish.
Not too far away, Torto Bar is the place to go if you want to taste the most unique cocktails in the city. Their ever-changing menu is always pushing the envelope, with cocktail recipes that include lots of unusual ingredients.
Catraio is another cool bar in the area, especially for beer lovers. They have a nice garden in the back and the best rotating craft beer menu in the city.
Over in Bonfim, I recommend starting the night with a beer at Guindalense, a traditional café boasting an incredible view of the Douro River (yes, another great view - we have many of them!). For a trendier experience, you can go to Meridians & Parallels or Cinema Batalha.
Meridians & Parallels is a secretive cocktail bar that, in addition to serving the best Palomas in town, has a gorgeous natural cave and fountain in the back. Cinema Batalha is a huge movie theater and cultural center, but it has a recently opened cocktail bar inside where you will most likely spot some of Porto's coolest artists, influencers, and nighttime bohemians.
For a romantic evening experience in Porto, I have a very cool suggestion that even most locals don't know of: the 17th Restaurant and Bar, on the 17th floor of Hotel Dom Henrique (yes, it’s open for everyone, not just hotel guests). The ambiance is classy and intimate, and the view of the city from the rooftop is breathtaking.
Alternatively, you can explore the tourist-heavy Ribeira area, with countless restaurants and bars that, although ignored by most locals, are rightfully favored by international visitors, especially during warm spring and summer nights.
Day 2: Explore Serralves, Matosinhos, and Gaia
Following a very busy day in central Porto, it's time to discover some of the most interesting neighborhoods a bit further afield: Serralves, Matosinhos, and Gaia.
For the evening, I have planned a return to Downtown Porto so that you can explore the best music venues, bars, and nightclubs in the area.
Matosinhos, just outside of Porto
Morning
Serralves: Start your day in Serralves, a lavish city park that doubles as Porto's best contemporary art museum. There are buses that will take you here, but I recommend traveling by Uber or Bolt, which are quicker and will only cost around €5.
Exploring Serralves should take you a good two or three hours, as there are plenty of things to see. Just roaming around the gardens is a great experience, but don't ignore the museum: they always have awesome exhibitions, involving both cutting-edge local artists and bonafide international icons.
To give you an idea, the last exhibition I saw there was by the Japanese genius Yayoi Kusama, arguably one of the world's most famous contemporary artists.
Matosinhos: From Serralves, catch another Uber or Bolt to go to Matosinhos, Porto's very own beach village, where some of the city's most exclusive hotels and luxurious private homes are. This is where Porto's richest residents live, but even we normal people can explore Matosinhos by taking a beachside stroll through Montevideu Avenue, connecting the Foz do Douro to the Leixões Port.
A few minutes away from Montevideu Avenue, you can visit the Parque da Cidade, Porto's largest urban park, which is directly connected to the beach by a pedestrian street where lots of locals cycle, jog, or take strolls. Just like Serralves, the Parque da Cidade is big enough to keep you busy for a couple of hours, but you could hurry through it in as little as 30 minutes.
Lunch
Since you'll already be in Matosinhos, I recommend stopping by the Heróis de França Street for lunch. This street could well be called "Restaurant Street" because it's pretty much exclusively comprised of restaurants serving fresh fish and seafood.
I love Tito I and Tito II, but all the eateries in the area are high-quality due to their proximity to the sea and steady inflow of fresh products. Just take a look around and choose your favorite.
Our local experts have answers!
Connect with our Portugal-based travel experts for help planning a better trip to Portugal!
Afternoon
On to Gaia: After lunch, make your way back to central Porto and get ready to explore Gaia, the city that lies across the Douro River from Porto.
Remember when you crossed the Dom Luís I Bridge yesterday to see Jardim do Morro? That was your first experience in Gaia, but there's a lot more to see over here on the other side of the river. I suggest getting to Gaia via the same bridge, but this time using the lower passage, which is accessible from the Ribeira neighborhood.
The area of Gaia right next to the Douro River is a fabulous place to go for a wander, with the standout location being Diogo Leite Avenue, which is perfect for an early afternoon stroll.
If you need to stop for a drink, there are numerous bars along the street with views of the river, so make sure to give those a chance. Next to the Uva by Calém restaurant, you’ll find the Mercado de Artesanato do Cais de Gaia, a very nice street market selling traditional handmade products.
In the same area, you can also take a ride on the Gaia Cable Car to enjoy yet another great view of the Douro River (tickets are €7 for adults and €3 for kids).
After, I recommend stopping by the wine cellars of Caves Calém and taking one of their tours. There are two to choose from: the Tour & Taste tours and the Tour, Taste & Fado tours. The first one includes a visit to the Caves Calém Port wine museum and cellars, five wine-tasting options, and a mouthwatering chocolate and cheese tasting experience. The tour is a great value, costing around €10.
The second option, which costs about €25, adds in a Fado show - Fado is a style of traditional Portuguese music characterized by poetic singing and acoustic instrumentation that, despite being mostly associated with Lisbon, is also well-represented in other Portuguese cities, including Porto -.
Whichever tour you choose, I recommend walking off the calories, strolling from Diogo Leite Avenue to the village of Afurada, which should take you about 25 minutes. During the walk, you’ll see many locals jogging and cycling and will probably stumble upon some fishermen too.
Afurada: Your final destination for the afternoon, Afurada is a charming fishermen's town that is still unknown to most international visitors. Because it's just a little outside of Gaia's main tourist areas, this village is often overlooked - but that's a mistake that I won’t let you make!
Why is it so important to visit Afurada? Well, in addition to being the perfect spot to watch the sunset fall over the Douro River, this small town is home to several restaurants serving really high-quality, fresh fish. My favorite is O Vapor, but there are tons of great options here - you will struggle to find a bad one.
Once you’ve filled up on seafood, take an Uber/Bolt back to downtown Porto and get ready for an evening out.
Evening
As I mentioned above, the nightlife in Porto is fantastic, and despite being a relatively small city, at least when compared to Lisbon and other major European urban hubs, Porto has tons of bars and clubs offering a really great diversity of atmospheres.
If you like music, check out the events happening at Casa da Música, the city's largest concert venue. There's a show almost every night, often involving international artists, and encompassing all styles of music.
For a more laidback live music experience, head to Rua de Passos Manuel and visit Maus Hábitos or Passos Manuel Bar. Both offer lots of cultural experiences in addition to live music, like movie sessions, workshops, and art exhibitions.
Late in the night, Maus Hábitos and Passos Manuel transform into bonafide nightclubs where you can dance to the sounds of some of the best DJs in Porto.
For a more standard nightlife experience, check out the bars at Galerias de Paris. This area is not my favorite because it's always full of tourists and most bars play only commercial music, but there's arguably no better place in Porto to enjoy one drink too many with a group of friends, especially if you're interested in bumping into other visitors also enjoying a vacation in the city.
To experience Porto's nightlife like a local, try Rua da Madeira. Sitting right next to the São Bento train station, this street is always filled with partiers, especially during the weekend.
There are three bars there, each one with its own unique personality: Ferro Bar, which is free and open after hours almost every day, Era Uma Vez no Porto, which is great for electronic music aficionados, and Barracuda, a tiny rock bar known for its sweaty punk-rock shows.
Also in Rua da Madeira, you can find Gare, a nightclub full of personality that's reminiscent of Berlin's best Techno venues.
Day 3: Take a day trip out from Porto
If you’ve managed to stick with the itinerary for the two very busy days that I’ve outlined above, you should have quite a good feel for the city by now. While there’s certainly still more to see, I think your third day is better spent outside of the city.
So, for today, I have four recommendations for nearby day trip destinations that you can visit: the Douro Valley, Braga and Guimarães, Aveiro, or Peneda Gerês National Park.
Option 1: Douro Valley
The Douro Valley is the region where the famous Port wine is produced, and it's comprised of several small towns and villages sitting on the margins of the Douro River. While you can get there from Porto in less than one hour by car or train, the Douro Valley feels like it's light-years away from the city.
It's an idyllic location, characterized by steep vineyards and lush mountain scenery, and is filled with attractions for visitors spanning from five-star hotels to tourist boat rides.
The best way to explore the Douro Valley, Portugal’s most famous wine growing region, is by catching the Porto-Pocinho train, which leaves from Porto’s São Bento and Campanhã train stations. The train ride itself is quite the experience, as the train travels right along the Douro River, and connects Porto to all of the best small towns in the Valley, including Peso da Régua, which is arguably the best place explore in the region.
If you’d rather rent a car for today, you can reach the Douro Valley via the gorgeous N222 national road, which passes through fantastic scenery and affords tons of great views over the valley and river. Having a car will mean you can reach lots of places that aren’t covered by the train, including the idyllic municipality of Lamego.
Alternatively, you can explore the Douro Valley from Porto on a Douro River cruise. For a one-day adventure in the Valley, I believe this to be the most comfortable option, as it normally includes wine and food tastings along with a stop in one of the region's many traditional wineries, known as Quintas.
Douro Cruzeiros sells one-day cruises connecting Porto to Peso da Régua for as little as €66.
In my opinion, Quinta da Pacheca, Quinta do Vallado, and Quinta da Marka are some of the best wineries in the Douro Valley, but be aware that these are not easily reached via train.
Option 2: Braga and Guimarães
Braga
Braga and Guimarães are two neighboring cities sitting less than one hour away from Porto. They have some things in common: both have a beautiful historic center, a rich Catholic heritage, and a welcoming atmosphere typical of a small town.
Even though Braga and Guimarães are not big cities, they have been growing steadily in the last few decades; Braga, in particular, is often described as Portugal's third-largest city (after Porto and Lisbon), and it has lots of cultural and professional opportunities.
In addition to its city center, Braga is known for Bom Jesus do Monte, a gorgeous sanctuary and garden that's perfect for enjoying an afternoon with the family (kids will love it).
As for Guimarães, it sits next to the Serra da Penha, a lovely natural area, which can be accessed directly via the city center using the Penha Cable Car; tickets cost €7,50 (adults) and €3,50 (children).
To go from Porto to Braga and Guimarães, just take the train to Braga at São Bento or Campanhã, which should cost you about €3,50. Braga and Guimarães are two charming cities that have been growing economically and demographically in recent years but still boast that small-town vibe that's so exclusive to Portugal.
Option 3: Aveiro
Sitting right next to Porto, Aveiro is known as the Portuguese Venice because it sits on the mouth of the Vouga river (Ria de Aveiro in Portuguese) and has its own version of the Italian Gondola: the Moliceiro. The Moliceiro was originally used in the traditional fishing of seaweed in Aveiro (which is called moliço in Portuguese - hence the name Moliceiro) but is now almost exclusively wielded for tourist purposes.
Apart from its famous Ria, Aveiro is also known for its incredible local cuisine, with delicacies like eel stew, seafood rice, and Leitão da Bairrada, a recipe of suckling pig cooked in low heat for hours and served with a delicious pepper sauce. For dessert, try the Ovos Moles, a traditional Aveiro sweet made of sugar, water, and egg yolk.
In Aveiro, I recommend stopping by the Infante D. Pedro Park, a relatively small but beautiful public park right in the middle of the city. After that, don't forget to take a "mandatory" Moliceiro boat ride - despite being very touristy, it's still one of the best experiences you can have here.
To get to Aveiro, trains leave regularly throughout the day from Porto’s São Bento and Campanhã stations, and the journey takes less than an hour.
Option 4: Peneda-Gerês National Park
For an immersive nature-focused escapade from Porto, there's nothing quite like traveling to Peneda-Gerês National Park, which spans from the outskirts of Braga all the way to Spanish region of Galicia, covering more than 70,000 hectares.
This is one of my favorite destinations in Portugal because it's the sort of place where nature takes center stage, presenting countless opportunities for rural tourism, camping, and exploring breathtaking hiking routes in the mountains.
In the park, I suggest exploring the areas surrounding the Pichoses and Pisões dams, which are ideal for a refreshing swim in the summer.
Another interesting location is Vilarinho da Furna, a former village that was entirely submersed in the '70s, back when the local dam was first made (yes, there are lots of dams in Gerês). Today, visitors can still see the ruins of the old houses, especially when the dam is a bit emptier.
Getting to Gerês will absolutely require that you rent a car, and as the park is not close to the city (2 hours at the nearest section, but up to 4 if you want to go further in), you need to get a very early start today if you want to make it back to Porto for the evening.
Connect with a Portugal expert
