The Best Museums in Porto

Porto’s museums range from a world-famous contemporary art museum in a beautiful park to interactive journeys through the Age of Discoveries, a chocolate museum and a celebrated concert hall. Here are the best museums in Porto, with 2026 prices.

Quick answer: the highlights are Serralves (contemporary art and a huge park with a treetop walk; park about €15, all-access about €24), the Palácio da Bolsa (€14, guided tour), the World of Discoveries (€16, great with kids), the museums of WOW in Gaia (Chocolate Story €20) and a tour of the Casa da Música (about €12).

Why visit Porto’s museums

Porto is best known for its streets and river, but its museums explain how the city got its wealth and character: trade, port wine, faith and, more recently, bold modern architecture. Several are worth seeing for the buildings alone. They’re also your best plan on a wet day, and Porto gets plenty of those from November to March.

The best museums

Serralves

Portugal’s leading contemporary art museum, in a building by Álvaro Siza, set in a vast park with an Art Deco villa, a farm and a treetop walk through the canopy. For visitors from abroad, park tickets cost about €15 and the all-access ticket about €24. Under-12s go free. Allow at least half a day. See the Serralves guide.

Palácio da Bolsa

The 19th-century stock exchange, famous for its dazzling Arab Room. By guided tour only (€14). Tours take about 45 minutes. See the Ribeira.

Igreja e Museu de São Francisco

A Gothic church with a stunning gilded baroque interior, a museum and catacombs (about €9). It’s next door to the Bolsa, so pair the two.

Clérigos Tower and Museum

Climb the tower’s 225 steps and see the museum’s religious art (€10). In busy seasons there are evening tower tickets too. See the Clérigos Tower guide.

World of Discoveries

An interactive museum in Miragaia about Portugal’s explorers, with a boat ride through recreated scenes. €16 for adults and €10 for children. Allow about 90 minutes. See Porto with kids.

WOW (World of Wine)

A cultural quarter in old port lodges in Gaia, with several museums, including the Chocolate Story (€20 for adults). Others cover wine, cork, fashion and the history of Porto. Combined tickets save money if you want more than one. See Gaia.

Casa da Música

Rem Koolhaas’s landmark concert hall, opened in 2005. Guided tours last about an hour and cost about €12 (free for under-12s with a paying adult). Better still, catch a concert. It’s at the Casa da Música metro stop.

Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis

Portugal’s first public art museum, in the Palácio dos Carrancas, with Portuguese painting, sculpture and decorative arts. Its long-term exhibition was renewed in 2023. Roof restoration work started in late 2025, but the museum has stayed open.

Casa do Infante

A medieval building by the Ribeira, linked with Prince Henry the Navigator, with Roman mosaics and displays on the city’s history.

The Tram Museum

Historic trams in an old power station by the river (about €8 for adults, less for young people). It usually opens Tuesday to Sunday. Combine with a ride on tram 1. See Porto public transport.

Planetário do Porto

Star shows for all ages (about €6.60 for adults, €4.40 for children).

Getting around

• The centre: the Bolsa, São Francisco, Clérigos, Soares dos Reis and the World of Discoveries are all walkable from São Bento.
• Boavista: Casa da Música is on the metro. Serralves is further west, best reached by bus or taxi.
• Gaia: walk across the lower deck of the D. Luís I bridge to WOW, or take the metro to Jardim do Morro and walk down.

A rainy-day museum route

Start with the Palácio da Bolsa and São Francisco in the morning (about two hours). Have lunch in the Ribeira, then walk to Soares dos Reis or the World of Discoveries. End the day with a museum and a port tasting at WOW in Gaia.

Tips

• Check opening days: many museums close on Mondays.
• Book ahead: the Bolsa and WOW get busy in summer and on wet days.
• The Porto Card gives discounts and free entry to some museums.
• Students and seniors usually get reduced prices, so carry ID.
• Rainy day? These are perfect. See Porto in winter.

More: things to do in Porto and the best museums in Lisbon.

See also: the Palacio da Bolsa, Boavista, the Serralves guide and the WOW guide.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.