What to See in Porto in 2 Days
Since Porto is the perfect city to discover on a weekend, we’ve created this itinerary to discover the best of Porto in 2 days.
The following itinerary of Porto is the perfect circuit for a weekend break. It’s based on the assumption that you land in Porto on Friday afternoon and leave on Sunday evening. You can also use it on other weekdays, but you’ll have to check the opening hours of each museum and landmark (many of which close on Monday).
If you prefer to take guided visits when visiting a new destination, this is one of the best options you can choose while in Porto:
Arrival
You probably won’t have time to visit any of Porto’s museums or monuments upon arrival, so we recommend you spend your first evening strolling through the city centre and discover some of its stand-out neighbourhoods.
If you want to get to your hotel in the least time possible and avoid any complications, we recommend booking a transfer from the airport in Porto to your hotel.
The Avenida dos Aliados is an important boulevard in the heart of Porto and a great area to head to from your hotel. The thoroughfare is packed with Modernist buildings, including the imposing marble and granite City Hall.
Strolling past the City Hall, along the Avenue, you’ll get to Praça da Liberdade. This large square is one of Porto’s main plazas with an equestrian statue of King Peter IV.
When you get to the bottom of the square turn left and you’ll come upon São Bento Railway Station, one of the city’s most beautiful treasures. Its main hall is decorated with over 20,000 hand-painted Portuguese tiles that reflect the country’s history.
After visiting the train station, walk down Rúa de Mousinho da Silveira and then keep going straight along Rúa da Alfándega until you get to the Douro riverbank.
One of Porto’s picturesque districts, Ribeira, is packed with outdoor terraces and typical Portuguese restaurants, where you can sit and savour one of the city’s traditional meals. Here, you'll also enjoy views of the Dom Luís I Bridge and the Douro River.
If you don't want to settle for just enjoying the views of the Duero, we recommend booking the Six Bridges Cruise which will allow you to enjoy views of the city from a unique perspective.
If you'd prefer to take it up a notch, we recommend booking the Porto Six Bridges Cruise with Dinner or the Porto Cruise with Dinner & Live Music.
After dinner, you can discover the city’s nightlife or head home for an early night.
Day 1
After breakfast head to the Clérigos Church (you should get there around 10 am). The most famous part of the Baroque Church is its emblematic bell tower, the Clérigos Tower. When you’ve visited the temple, we recommend walking up its 200 steps and admiring the impressive panoramic views of the city centre.
Once you get back down, turn right on Rúa San Filipe de Nery and at the end of the street, turn left down Rúa das Carmelitas. At number 144 is the Lello e Irmao Bookshop, a dreamy bookshop that is believed to have been used as a set for scenes in films such as Harry Potter.
Continue along Rúa das Carmelitas until you get to Rúa do Carmo. Here take the vintage tram nº 22, which runs past the beautiful Carmo Church.
The tram’s last stop is Praça da Batalha. Get off here and head to the eighteenth-century Igreja de Santo Ildefonso with its peculiar façade adorned with thousands of white and blue tiles.
Leave Rúa 31 de Janeiro on your left and head to Rúa Santa Catarina, one of Porto’s main shopping streets. Stroll down the street while you enjoy the colourful window displays and stop at the Majestic Café, an elegant “Belle époque” coffee house. Step inside this unique café for something to eat if you’re feeling a little hungry.
Next, stroll a little further along Rúa Santa Catarina and you’ll see a remarkable shrine called Chapel of Souls, completely decorated with blue and white hand-painted tiles.
Take the street Rúa de Fernándes Tomás that houses the Bolhão Market, a nostalgic building were locals come to sell fresh produce including fruit, meat and vegetables.
Leave the Mercado and walk down Rúa Formosa to Avenida dos Aliados. Stroll down the Avenue, Praça da Liberdade and Rúa de Mousinho da Silveira until you come across Rúa da Bolsa. We strongly suggest you take a guided tour of the Palácio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) to discover its fascinating history.
Turn the corner and step into the Church of São Francisco and admire its Baroque inner decoration and catacombs.
If it is still early, why not visit Porto Cathedral? The best way to get to this stunning Romanesque temple is to ride on the funicular up to Cais da Ribeira.
If you are already tired just reading the itinerary and you prefer to go around the cities using the tourist bus.
The soul of Porto lies within Fado. As such, one of the things you must do when visiting this city is to attend a live Fado performance. Below are some links where you can book your preferred tickets:
By now, you're thinking about where to have dinner. If you liked the Ribeira area it is not a bad idea to repeat, as it is one of the liveliest places in the city. If you are interested in trying something new you can go to the Carmo area, where you took Streetcar 22 in the morning.
Day 2
If you didn’t see the Cathedral on day 1, we recommend you start the day by visiting it. The Sé do Porto opens its doors at 9 am, so you can get there relatively early. After you visit the Cathedral and the cloister and take photos of the city from above, the Funicular dos Guindais will guide you to Ribeira.
Cross the Dom Luís I Bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, a city that sits on the other side of the Douro River and is renowned for its wine cellars.
Parallel to the river runs Avenida de Diogo Leite. Along the boulevard are several stands that sell different cruises on the Douro. Sometimes, the ticket also includes a free visit to one of Porto’s renowned wine cellars.
After a pleasant cruise down one of the Peninsula's major rivers, it's the perfect moment to visit some of Porto’s wineries. Ferreira, Sandeman and Ramos Pinto (which has a great museum) are the most-visited wine cellars and all offer very interesting tours and wine tastings.
Take a local bus from the street with the wineries to get to Porto’s historic centre to head back to your hotel. Then, take the metro to the Airport.
Staying in Porto for over two days?
There are plenty of other attractions and museums to visit if you’re planning on staying in Porto longer, such as the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, the Museu do Carro Eléctrico and the Igreja dos Grilos.
The following are some of the best trips from Porto:
