Visiting Livraria Lello in Porto

Livraria Lello in Porto is often called the most beautiful bookshop in the world, with its neo-Gothic façade, carved wood interior, stained-glass ceiling and curving crimson staircase. It’s so popular that you need a ticket to get in. Here’s how to visit.

Quick answer: book a timed ticket online. The ticket value can be put towards a book purchase. Go at opening time or late in the day for the best chance of photographing the staircase without crowds. Allow 30 to 45 minutes. It’s next to the Clérigos Tower. See Livraria Lello tickets and tours.

About the bookshop

Lello opened in its current building in 1906. Its interior is a fantasy of carved wood, with a stained-glass skylight and a red staircase that seems to float. It’s often linked to Harry Potter, since J.K. Rowling lived in Porto in the early 1990s, but she has said she never visited, so treat that story as legend.

Tickets

• Timed entry: book online for a specific slot. Walk-up queues can be very long.
• Book voucher: the standard ticket value can be deducted from a book you buy inside. Lello publishes its own special editions.
• Tours: some Porto walking tours include Lello entry. See the best Porto tours.

Tips

• Timing: the first slot of the day is the calmest.
• Photos: the staircase shot is best from the ground floor looking up, or from the top looking down.
• Be patient: it’s a small space and gets crowded.

Nearby

• The Clérigos Tower next door. See Porto’s churches.
• The Carmo church and its tiles.
• Café Majestic on Rua de Santa Catarina, a Belle Époque café.
• Rua das Flores down to São Bento station.

More: Porto’s best photo spots, Porto in one day and things to do in Porto.

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