3 Days in Porto: Old Town, Coastal Biking and Douro Valley

How many days in Porto do you need?

Day 1: River cruise and Old Town

Take a “6 Bridges” rabelo boat cruise

Sure, it’s a bit touristy… But a rabelo river boat ride is also one of those classic Porto experiences you probably shouldn’t skip – especially on your first visit.

These traditional wooden boats once transported barrels of port wine downriver from the Douro Valley to the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia (aka Gaia). Now they’re mainly used for sightseeing cruises.

Boats run frequently, and in about 50 minutes, you’ll see all six of Porto’s bridges that span both sides of the Douro River.

Explore Porto’s Old Town

Visit the Porto Cathedral

Kick of your exploration of the Old Town with a visit to the Porto Cathedral (Se do Porto).

Dating back to the 12th century, it’s a mix of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic styles. Take a moment to admire the rose window and intricate façade before heading inside.

Inside, the cloisters are adorned with beautiful blue-and-white azulejos (traditional ceramic tiles) depicting religious scenes. And don’t miss the gleaming silver altarpiece in the chapel – it’s seriously impressive.

Bonus: Because of its elevated perch, you’ll get lovely views over the rooftops and the Douro River.

Try pasteis de nata

Pop into the Sao Bento Train Station

Climb to the top of Clerigos Tower

The Clerigos Tower (Torre dos Clerigos) is calling…

Peek into the Majestic Café

You might have heard of the Majestic Café?

This Belle Epoque café opened in 1921 and was the haunt of writers and artists (and reputedly J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame). With chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings, ornate mirrors and rich woodwork, it’s easily one of the most beautiful cafés in the world.

Pop your head in for a quick peek. But don’t order anything now, because you’re going on a food-and-wine tour next!

Join a food walking tour

We picked the 4:00 pm tour, meeting our small group at Mercado do Bolhao, a beautifully restored indoor market that’s worth visiting in its own right.

And we loved the final stop (Popina) so much that we stayed on after the tour ended. We had to try their garlicky grilled shrimp… And drink more wine, of course.

Day 2: Bicycling, port, that bookshop and dinner

A couple of hours in, we came across the Capela do Senhor da Pedra. This small 17th-century chapel (built on the site of a pagan altar) is perched on a rock offshore, splashed by waves sending salty sprays everywhere.

We should have stopped for a closer look, but we were determined to see how far we could pedal.

So we pushed on for a few more miles to the beach town of Espinho, this time riding on wooden boardwalks over the sand dunes (not meant for bicycling, we later learned), before turning around.

You can actually continue bicycling beyond Espinho to the wide sandy beaches of Esmoriz, though you’d want to allow a full day for this.

But for a morning or half-day bicycle ride (four hours with a café break and scenic stops), the 18-mile roundtrip ride to Capela do Senhor da Pedra is the not-to-be-missed highlight.

The red paved bicycle path to the chapel makes for an easy journey, though it was quite windy on our return. We had to crank up the e-bike power as high as we could to battle the ocean gusts on our way back!

Taste port wines

After returning your e-bike, we bet you’ll be ready for some port wine tasting! It’s one of the best things to do in Porto – given that the city is the home of that sweet fortified nectar from the Douro Valley.

While typically red (ruby or tawny), port also comes in dry, semi-dry and white varieties.

All the port wine cellars, where the wine is aged and stored, are located in Vila Nova de Gaia. Since you’ve just dropped off your bike in Gaia, you’re right where you need to be.

There are many wine cellars you can check out, including big names like Taylor’s, Sandeman and Graham’s. Most offer guided tours and tastings that last anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. You have to book in advance.

We booked a one-hour tour and tasting at Ferreira Cellar, housed in an old convent.

One of the oldest port production businesses, Ferreira was founded in 1751 by a family of winemakers and has always been in Portuguese hands. They run several tours daily in different languages, with a couple of English tours thrown in.

Walking through the cellar’s dark cool corridors, we learned about the legendary Dona Antonia Adelaide Ferreira, a trailblazing female wine producer in the 1800s who ran Ferreira at a time when the industry was all about men.

Our tour wrapped up with a tasting of three ports in their tasting room – a white port, tawny and ruby, each with its unique luscious flavor profile.

If you want to delve deeper into port wine, you might like this top-rated half-day guided tour with a wine expert. You’ll hit up three wine lodges, learn about the Douro Valley ports and enjoy an exclusive wine tasting workshop.

Visit Livraria Lello

Now cross the Dom Luis 1 Bridge from Gaia and head straight to Livraria Lello on the Porto side. This bookstore is hailed as the most beautiful in the world!

With its detailed Gothic exterior, complete with stone carvings, you might mistake it for a church. But no, step inside, and you’ll see it’s full of books.

It’s actually an Art Nouveau marvel, with columns and an elegantly curving staircase. Be sure to look up at the huge stained glass skylight in the ceiling.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you may know Livraria Lello as the “Harry Potter bookstore.” When J.K. Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter bestsellers, lived in Porto as an English teacher, she frequently visited this enchanting bookstore on weekends. It’s said to have inspired some of the iconic Hogwarts scenes in the Harry Potter books.

Thanks to its beauty and Harry Potter fame, Livraria Lello is a Porto hotspot.

Be prepared for a long line as, entry ticket in hand, you wait to get in. You’ll need a timed entry ticket, but this amount is credited toward any book purchase. (We booked our visit for 6:00 pm, right before dinner.)

For non-Harry Potter fans, it might not be worth the wait – or the 12 Euros (about $14 USD) for a basic entry ticket. But if you love books or the magical world of Harry Potter, Livraria Lello is a must-see in Porto.

Savor a gastronomic experience at Emotivo

From Livraria Lello, it’s a 10-minute walk to Emotivo, a tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gem of a restaurant with only six tables.

Recommended by Taste Porto Food Tours (and now us!), it serves up a gastronomic experience you won’t forget.

For 45 Euros (about $52 USD) per person, you get to indulge in a creative Portuguese tasting menu. (It changes every two months.) The door swings open at precisely 7:00 pm for the first seating, and 9:30 pm for the second.

Here’s the fun part: You pick your culinary region of Portugal by choosing from a selection of little toys, like a toy tram for Lisbon. Each table gets a unique set of appetizers and courses based on their chosen region (and any allergies they mention to the server).

We started with crusty brown bread served with citrus butter, olive paté and olive oil.

Next, we had teensy-tiny baby eels with pork sausage. The eels almost looked like 1-inch pieces of spaghetti – and tasted a little like spaghetti too.

This was followed by a hot cast iron pan of baked cheese, walnuts and honey, with toast on the side – simply delicious!

Then came “fish from the garden,” which turned out to be deep-fried green beans with tartar sauce. We also savored octopus in a tomato sauce, shrimp in a bread sauce, and chicken in a mustard, wine and tomato stew. (We noticed our neighbors enjoyed duck à l’orange and ribs.)

For dessert, we indulged in chocolate mousse and a sweet dish of egg yolk and sugar.

Day 3: Douro Valley day trip

On your third day, escape the city and head into the spectacular Douro Valley.

This UNESCO-listed region is the birthplace of port wine and one of Europe’s most beautiful wine landscapes. Think steep terraced vineyards, winding country roads and historic wine estates (called quintas) perched above the Douro River.

The easiest way to experience it is on a guided day trip.

Have more time? Visit Foz

If you have extra time in Porto, head over to the district of Foz do Douro, or just Foz for short.

This upscale area, nestled at the mouth of the Douro River, is known for its beaches, outdoor cafés and laid-back atmosphere. It’s the go-to spot for locals looking to unwind on weekends.

Getting there is half the fun! Hop on the historic tram that dates back to the 1930s. Tram Line #1 (Linha 1) runs from Porto’s historic center near the Stock Exchange Palace, along the river, to Passeio Alegre in Foz.

The rumbling ride takes about 20 minutes and the tram runs every half hour or so. Pay the driver onboard, and enjoy the ride!

Alternatively, you can take the Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus (Red Line), which stops at Foz.

Where to stay in Porto

The Rebello Hotel & Spa

We picked The Rebello Hotel & Spa – and couldn’t have been happier with our choice.

The accommodations consist of 103 suites housed in a collection of old riverside warehouses.

Thoughtful touches? We loved the complimentary bottles of wine, beer and soft drinks in the fridge. And the daily turndown goodies of mini-muffins, pastries and tarts were a treat.

Getting to Porto

Porto has good connections by plane, train and road to the rest of Portugal and neighboring places in Europe.

Flying to Porto

Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (OPO) is Porto’s main airport and the second largest airport in Portugal.

You can get there by direct flight from many European destinations.

From the U.S. or Canada, most long-haul flights have a connection via a larger city such as Lisbon, London, Paris or Madrid. On our international flight from North America to Porto, we connected in Frankfurt.

The airport itself is located about 12 miles north of Porto, so getting into the city center is quick and easy. 

We pre-arranged a private airport transfer to get to our hotel. It was about the same cost as a taxi. But we were met at the airport arrivals hall by our driver (holding a card with our name on it) – so we didn’t have to stress about picking “official” taxis outside the airport doors.

Taking the train from Lisbon to Porto

If you’re visiting Porto from Lisbon, there are frequent trains that connect the two cities.

We recommend the high-speed train (the Alfa Pendular) – it takes about 3 hours. We rode it to go to Lisbon at the end of our Porto visit. It’s faster than the InterCity (IC) train, which makes more stops along the way.

Most trains arrive into Porto’s Campanha station, the city’s main train station.

To get to the historic city center, you can transfer there to a local train going to the Sao Bento station. Most train tickets to Porto include this transfer ticket.

Or hop in an Uber from Campanha to get to your hotel. Ubers are cheap in Porto!

Getting around Porto

Exploring Porto on foot is definitely the best way to soak in its charm.

We walked almost everywhere, taking our time to wander through its picturesque streets.

But when our feet needed a break – remember, Porto is very hilly! – we found Uber to be super convenient and easy on the wallet. Most of our Uber trips were the equivalent of $5 to $10 USD per trip.

Best time to visit Porto

Summer in Porto doesn’t get scorching hot like the Algarve and other places in Portugal. Still, with temps in the 80s, sightseeing can be uncomfortable if you don’t like the heat.

(Note: Unlike Porto, the Douro Valley gets really hot in summer, so you likely wouldn’t want to do a day trip there if you visit Porto in July or August.)

For a more pleasant experience, travel in the spring (March to May) or fall (September to October) when the weather remains warm, crowds thin out somewhat and hotel rates drop.

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Pin our travel guide on Porto!

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We received a discounted media rate at The Rebello Hotel and were guests on the Porto food tour and Douro Valley wine tour. But as professional travel writers, we always write what we want and point out any concerns.

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