Porto Travel Guide

*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Pick for Drinks With A View*

Jardim do Morro

From downtown Porto if you cross the infamous Ponte Luis (the most famous bridge in Porto) you’ll find yourself at Jardim do Morro, a large park with epic sunset views! Jardim do Morro is also where the Gaia cable car station is located. You can bring your own drinks, or there is a bar/restaurant, Esplanada do Teleférico, located at the top that has tables on a large patio or sells drinks from a to go window!

Best Things to do in Porto

Explore Ribeira

Ribeira is the main tourist neighborhood in Porto and is probably where you’ll spend most of your time during your trip to Porto. Wandering around among the colorful, charming buildings along the river and grabbing a drink or two is one of the best experiences in Porto! Definitely a place worth spending a lazy afternoon

Walk Across the St Luis I Bridge

Porto has several bridges, but the most infamous is the Luis I Bridge. You can walk across the top level of the bridge, which offers great views of the Duoro river & valley on one side, and the hills & colorful neighborhoods of downtown Porto on the other. You can also walk across the bottom of the bridge for great views of Ribeira.

Explore Vila Nova de Gaia or the “Port Wine Neighborhood”

Across the river from Ribeira is Vila Nova de Gaia, also known as the “Port Wine Neighborhood” where you’ll find all the Port Wine cellars Porto is famous for. Even if you don’t plan on visiting a Port Wine Cellar, this neighborhood is worth a visit. Walking along this side of the river offers charming views of Ribeira and the Luis I bridge. This is also where you can access the Gaia Cable Car.

Catch the Sunset at Jardim do Morro & See the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar

You have to watch at least one sunset at Jardim do Morro on your trip to Porto. It’s located directly across the Luis I bridge from the Ribeia/Baixa and offers the perfect panoramic sunset views. Grab a bottle of wine, or order a drink at Esplanada do Teleférico (you can sit on their patio or get to go drinks and go to the park)

While you’re up there check out the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, a former monetary that also has great panormic views of Porto and the surrounding areas

Visit a Port Wine Cellar

If you want the full Porto experience you need to visit one of the infamous port wine cellars. I went to Caves Cálem, one of the most popular port wine cellars. The tour is about an hour – roughly 45 minutes with a guide learning about the fascinating Douro Valley and how it lends itself to Potr wine making and the overall process for making port wine. The tour will end with a tasting (I have to be honest despite loving wine, I am NOT a port wine fan at all) but I still found the tour an interesting experience!

Visit Sao Bento Train Station

Usually train stations are just a means to getting where you want to go, but Sao Bento is one of the most stunning buildings in Porto, particularly the inside. Even if you don’t take the train to Porto make sure to stop in the train station to see the stunning blue and white mosaics that cover the interior of the Sao Bento station.

Admire the Dreamy Mosaic Buildings of Porto

Sao Bento is not the only building in Porto famous for its quintessential blue & white mosaics, also called azulejo tiles. As you wander around Ribeira and Baixa there are several beautiful buildings worth wandering past as your exploire. My favorites were the Igreja do Carmo (a stunning church in Baixa) The Central House in Ribeira, and The Porto Cathedral

For Harry Potter Fans – Visit the Livraria Lello Bookstore

The Livraria Lello Bookstore is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world and is said to be JK Rowling’s inspiration for the Hogwarts library as she spent a lot of time there while writing the beginning of the Harry Potter series. The bookstore is stunning but it gets INSANELY CROWDED. You need to book a time ahead of time, but even if you do you will need to wait in line to get in . You can’t even get in line unless it is your booked time.

Inside is beautiful with stunning floating staircases and the most beautiful books, but it is crazy crowded. It’s impossible to even enjoy the full experience because you spend more time getting out of the way of others trying to navigate through the bookstore. As a huge Harry Potter fan and just a general bookstore lover I would still recommend, but if neither is super appealing to you I wouldn’t waste your time!

Ride the Gaia Cable Car

The cable car runs from Vila Nova de Gaia up to Jardim do Morro. It’s a great way to get a panoramic view of the city, bridges and river. Also, it saves you a lot of steps and stairs from walking up to Jardim do Morro. A one way ticket is 3.50 Euro one way or 5 for a return

Experience Porto’s Nightlife

Porto offers a ton in terms of nightlife. The Baixa neighborhood is filled with bars, clubs and patios that spill onto the lively Porto streets late into the night. If you’re looking to find some of the best bars in Porto R. da Galeria de Paris is a great street to start on!

Explore Porto by Boat

Porto sits on the Douro river and there are a variety of river cruises you can take to explore Porto by water. I did one of the Six Bridges Cruises and although it was interesting, it wouldn’t be my top Porto recommendation. But if you’re looking to see Porto by water it is a cheap, quick option!

Getting to Porto

By Train

The main train station in downtown Porto is Sao Bento (side note: the inside of this train station is one of the prettiest places in Porto, and is worth a visit, even if you’re not arriving by train) If you’re taking the train from Lisbon, or many other cities in Portugal, to Porto the trains do not go directly to Sao Bento. You’ll need to change trains at Porto Campanhã. The trains from Porto Campanhã to Porto Sao Bento is really quick, only about 15 minutes.

You can find more details on Lisbon to Porto here

By Plane

Porto has an international airport  Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) that is located about twenty minutes outside of Porto. The airport can be easily reached from downtown Porto via metro (Line E Purple) which runs every 30 minutes or so and is located a five minute walk from the Porto arrivals terminal. The metro runs from 6AM – midnight.

If you have a very early or really late arrival/departure and can’t take the metro and want to make sure you have a guaranteed ride, I highly recommend booking a ride through Welcome Pickups. Welcome Pickups prices are comparable to cabs but you can book a guaranteed ride through them with a set pickup and drop off location and time.

Getting Around Porto

Porto is super walkable and not that big, everything in the major areas was less than a 30 minute walk for me! Also, you should feel totally comfortable walking around, even at night. But Ubers and Taxis are also readily available if you need a ride somewhere!