3 Days in Porto: The Perfect Itinerary

Three days is the perfect amount of time in Porto: two days to explore the city’s tiles, bridges, port cellars and viewpoints, and a third for the Douro Valley or another day trip. Here’s our 3-day Porto itinerary.

Quick answer: Day 1: São Bento, Livraria Lello, Clérigos, the cathedral and the Ribeira. Day 2: the Bolsa, São Francisco, the six bridges cruise, Gaia’s port lodges and sunset at Serra do Pilar. Day 3: a Douro Valley day trip, or Aveiro, Braga and Guimarães. Evening: tram 1 to Foz on any day.

Day 1: The historic centre

• São Bento station and its 20,000 tiles.
• Livraria Lello (book the first slot; from about €8) and Clérigos Tower (€10).
• Lunch: a francesinha or a Casa Guedes pork sandwich. See what to eat in Porto.
• Afternoon: the cathedral terrace and down through the lanes to the Ribeira. See the Ribeira.
• Evening: dinner by the river.

Day 2: The river and Gaia

• Morning: the Palácio da Bolsa (€14) and the gilded Igreja de São Francisco.
• Six bridges cruise (€18–20). See cruises.
• Afternoon: cross the bridge to Gaia for a port lodge tour and tasting. See Vila Nova de Gaia.
• Sunset: Serra do Pilar or the Jardim do Morro, then walk back over the top deck. See the best Porto viewpoints.

Day 3: A day trip

• The Douro Valley: vineyards, tastings and a river cruise. See Douro wine tours.
• Or Aveiro and Costa Nova: canals and striped houses. See Aveiro.
• Or Braga and Guimarães: Bom Jesus and the birthplace of Portugal. See Braga and Guimarães.

If you stay in the city

Ride historic tram 1 along the river to Foz, walk the seafront to Matosinhos for grilled fish, and visit Serralves’ park and museum. See things to do in Porto.

Tips

• Getting around: walk, and use the metro for longer hops. See Porto public transport.
• Where to stay: the Ribeira, Aliados or Gaia. See where to stay in Porto.
• Shorter trip? See Porto in one day and 2 days in Porto.

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