Effortless Exploration: A Practical Long Weekend Itinerary for Porto

If there’s one thing I like to do, it’s make the most of the places I visit!

This may be one of the most ambitious itineraries so far, but if you’re looking at Porto as a destination, this itinerary will definitely give you some inspiration for things to do…

Day 1: We arrived in Porto!

We had every intention of getting the train to São Bento Railway Station, BUT we soon found that trains aren’t that frequent and we’d have needed to wait over 40 minutes for the next train. My brother had already seen that BOLT was a really useful app to have in Porto and as it was only $15 to get to the centre of Porto, we did that instead.

Quick tip: Whilst we were there I found BOLT the easiest way, by far, to get around (and there was no minimum usage fee!).

Right now, the outside of São Bento Railway Station is covered in construction works, which is a shame and we thought at this point, we weren’t able to get in. So we went for lunch instead.

Bolhao Market

I had already seen that Bolhao market was meant to be a fantastic spot, and we weren’t disappointed. Before visiting, I didn’t realise it was actually a historic market. Known for its vibrant atmosphere, it has been a local landmark since the 19th century. It has a tonne of fresh produce, meats, seafood (including the very decorative tins of sardines) and traditional Portuguese products on offer.

If you are looking for a full meal, there are restaurants you can eat at on the top level overlooking the market. If you’re happy with more snacks and street-style food there are coffee bars, crepe places and pasta stalls which all looked delicious. I obviously went for the crepes being me!

Then it was time to check in and drop our bags.

Porto Cathedral

After our little bag drop, it was time to head out again. This time to Porto Cathedral.

Porto Cathedral is one of the most unique cathedrals I’ve ever been in and is one of the city’s oldest landmarks. For my architecture lovers, it’s a mish-mash of different styles to say the least, and so, so intriguing.

One of my favourite things about this place though is the views from the top! They’re pretty much panoramic and if you don’t fancy going up Clérigos Tower, this is probably a good alternative.

The most perfect sunset

After the cathedral, we took a short walk over the iconic Dom Luis I Bridge to Gaia. Gaia is such a gorgeous, chill and vibe-y city and I wish I had spent more time here. Just after you cross the bridge there’s a little hill next to the river where you can watch the sunset. Even in late January, people were gathered here to witness the end of another day. There was live music and singing and even a proposal whilst we were there! It was a lovely way to sit, chill and re-energise before our next activity…

Live Fado Show with a Glass of Port Wine

This was so unlike any experience I've ever had. We were whisked downstairs to a beautiful 19th-century cellar and as we were one of the first there we had our pick of seats.

It was such a lovely show and interspersed with some fascinating historical facts about Fado from Porto. (The from Porto bit is super important!)
From having unique guitars to being UNESCO-approved and even how they put on these shows, with no pre-plan of what they are going to perform. The absolute talent of these people honestly.

I’ll link my full blog post on this here when I post it. If you’re interested in going along yourself you can book here via GetYourGuide.

Day 2

A wander along Cais de Ribera

Cais de Ribeira is right on the waterfront. I can see why it's so famous for its colourful buildings and restaurants, and why people say to come here. It’s super buzzy and one of the reasons I love just wandering around cities. Not only is walking by the river a lovely way to spend your time, but it also offers super picturesque views of the Douro River and the town’s architecture. It was a lovely way to start the day!

A visit to the most beautiful library in the world - Lillo Library

This is the famous ‘Harry Potter’ Library, although J.K swears otherwise. Whatever you believe, if you like books, this is a must-do in Porto! I had a ticket with a book included, but even with the other tickets, you can redeem them towards a book of your choice and pay the difference. I did end up buying more than one book, but I couldn’t help myself and honestly, I’m still super happy about my decision!

My only recommendation is to get there EARLY. Even if you have tickets, there’s a cue and people love a photo opportunity. It’s also a pain in the butt to get up and down the stairs even at the first entrance time as people take their photos. I do get it, it IS beautiful, but it’s not very practical!

It’s just one of those places I WISH wasn’t so popular just to take photos in, because if it was less packed I could have spent half a day wandering around looking at the books. It became overcrowded very quickly and it was so noisy I could barely concentrate.

You can book tickets in advance here.

Tile Painting

OMG! I’m a sucker for anything creative, so getting to paint my own Porto tile? Count me in! The workshop came with everything you needed to make an authentic Porto tile and cocktails. The class was really friendly and I had such a lovely morning here! You do need to come back to pick up your tile later in the day though once it’s dry so maybe plan a few things in the area or just go grab lunch like I did!

I’ll link my full blog post on this here when I post it. If you’re interested in going along yourself you can book here via Airbnb Experiences.

Climb Ponte da Arrabida

I was absolutely spoiled taking part in this experience.

1. The sun came out and the weather was PERFECT.
2. I was the only one on the climb because it was low season and I guess people don't like to climb bridges in January.
3. The guide Margharita was absolutely lovely and knowledgeable and a great storyteller too!
4. The little surprise at the top that was very delicious indeed.

I definitely recommend this if you're headed to Porto any time soon.

The Porto Bridge Climb was €17.50 and you can either book in advance here. Alternatively, turn up and pay on the day (if there’s space).

Walking dinner tour

I loved this tour so much! There were only three of us, me and an American couple and it was such a great way to see the city and also to try Porto-specific things that were veggie! The guide made sure that I was able to have veggie versions of literally everything and I didn’t feel like I missed out at all! I wouldn’t have known where to go for these treats without it.

I’ll link my full blog post on this here when I post it. If you’re interested in going along yourself, tickets are £77.53 and you can book here via GetYourGuide.

Day 3

A Tour of the Douro Valley

If you like wine, you’ll love this tour! The first stop is a vineyard in the Douro Valley where they make red, white and Port wine. You literally get a glass of each, bread and olive oil whilst the guy is explaining about the vineyard. It’s family-run and gorgeous, and apparently, they only stopped stomping on the grapes and making wine with their feet in 2017.

Then it’s off to lunch at another vineyard with more wine to taste before heading on a boat tour of the valley. There are a few scenic stops on the route too for coffee/ look breaks and it’s such a lovely way to spend a day. I definitely recommend it if you’re travelling solo too as it’s such a chill environment to meet people from all over the world.

The Douro Valley wine tour, including lunch and a boat trip, was £86.24 and booked with GetYourGuide. You can book tickets here.

Day 4

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

The Jardins do Palácio de Cristal in Porto was one of my favourite places to be. I went in the morning (pretty early), and it was so tranquil and peaceful.

There were so many fantastic viewpoints, and of course, peacocks to keep me company ☺️ 10/10 recommend!