The Best Things to Do in Porto

14 best things to do in Porto

Ranked best-first, with an insider tip and how to book each. Prices and hours change - check before you go.

1. 1

   The Ribeira district

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   Porto's UNESCO-listed medieval heart tumbles down to the Douro in a tangle of narrow lanes, staircases and tall, tile-and-granite houses in faded pastels, opening onto a riverside promenade of cafes under the great iron bridge. It's the most atmospheric quarter in the city and the place to simply wander and watch the river.

   Insider tip: Get lost in the back lanes above the waterfront in the morning, then take a riverside table for a drink as the light softens on the Gaia side opposite. It's touristy right on the quay and quieter two streets up. The rabelo boats moored along the front once carried port down from the valley.

2. 2

   Cross the Dom Luis I bridge

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   The double-deck iron arch bridge - built by a disciple of Eiffel and unmistakably his school - is Porto's defining structure, linking the city to Gaia across the Douro. The top deck (now carrying the Metro and pedestrians) gives the single best panorama of the Ribeira stacked up its hillside.

   Insider tip: Walk the top deck for the view - it's free and spectacular, best at sunset with Porto glowing gold opposite. The Metro shares the deck, so stay behind the lines. Cross the top to reach the Gaia port lodges and the Serra do Pilar viewpoint, and return along the lower deck at river level for a different angle.

3. 3

   Port tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia

   Food & drink

   Port wine is aged not in Porto but across the river in the cellars of Gaia, where the historic lodges line the waterfront under their famous signs. A cellar tour and tasting - learning the difference between ruby, tawny, white and vintage - is the essential Porto experience, and the terraces look straight back at the city.

   Insider tip: Book a cellar tour ahead in peak season; many lodges cluster within a short walk so you can compare a couple. The smaller houses often give a more personal tasting than the big brand names. Go up to the Serra do Pilar monastery viewpoint above the lodges for the best photo of the bridge and city.

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4. 4

   Livraria Lello

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   Often called the most beautiful bookshop in the world: a 1906 neo-Gothic jewel box with a sinuous crimson staircase, carved wood and a stained-glass ceiling, rumoured (the shop leans into it) to have inspired Harry Potter's Hogwarts. It's tiny, extraordinary and permanently mobbed.

   Insider tip: Entry is timed and ticketed - buy online for a specific slot and go at opening or the last slot to dodge the worst crush. The ticket price is redeemable against any book, so you effectively pay only if you leave empty-handed. Manage expectations: it's beautiful but small and very crowded; five focused minutes gets the magic.

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5. 5

   Sao Bento railway station

   HistoryFree

   Porto's central station has one of the most beautiful entrance halls anywhere: 20,000 hand-painted azulejo tiles covering the walls in vast blue-and-white panels depicting Portuguese history and rural life. It's a working station, free to enter, and takes five minutes to leave you slack-jawed.

   Insider tip: It's completely free and central - just walk in. Go early or late to photograph the hall without commuter crowds. It sits at the top of the climb from the Ribeira, so use it as a landmark, and it's the departure point for the scenic Douro valley trains.

6. 6

   Clerigos Tower

   Views

   The slender baroque bell tower of the Clerigos church, for a long time the tallest structure in the city, gives the best 360-degree view over Porto's rooftops, the river and the sea from its top - reward for a 240-step climb up a tight spiral stair. The ornate church below is worth the look on the way.

   Insider tip: Buy a timed ticket online to skip the queue for the narrow stair, and go near opening. The climb is steep and single-file - not for the claustrophobic. The ticket includes the church and a small museum. It's steps from Livraria Lello, so pair the two.

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7. 7

   A Douro six-bridges river cruise

   Outdoors

   The classic hour on the water: a small boat (often a traditional rabelo replica) glides under Porto's six bridges, giving the whole amphitheatre of the city and Gaia from the river the way it was meant to be seen. It's cheap, relaxing and one of the best-value things you can do here.

   Insider tip: The short six-bridges cruise is inexpensive and needs no advance booking most of the year - just turn up at the Ribeira quay. For more, the full-day cruises up into the Douro wine valley (often cruise-out, train-back) are a superb splurge and do sell out. Sunset sailings are loveliest.

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8. 8

   Sao Francisco Church

   History

   A plain Gothic exterior hides one of Portugal's most jaw-dropping interiors: the entire inside of Sao Francisco is smothered in gilded baroque woodcarving - an estimated several hundred kilos of gold leaf over columns, altars and a famous Tree of Jesse. The eerie catacombs below add a memento-mori counterpoint.

   Insider tip: Photography rules vary, so check on entry. It's near the Ribeira and the Palacio da Bolsa, so cluster the three. The gold is genuinely overwhelming in the best way - give your eyes a minute to adjust to just how much of it there is.

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9. 9

   Palacio da Bolsa

   History

   The 19th-century former stock exchange is Porto's grandest interior showpiece, and its centrepiece - the Arabian Room, a fantasia of Moorish-revival stucco and gold inspired by the Alhambra - is one of the most opulent rooms in the country. Visits are by guided tour only.

   Insider tip: You can only see it on a timed guided tour (multiple languages) - book ahead in high season as they fill. The Arabian Room is the finale and the reason to go. It's right beside Sao Francisco church, so do both in one stop near the river.

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10. 10

    Mercado do Bolhao

    Food & drinkFree

    Porto's historic 19th-century market, beautifully restored, is where the city shops for its bacalhau, produce, flowers and smoked meats across two galleried levels. It's a working market rather than a food-court pastiche, with counters and small eateries where you can taste your way through Porto's larder.

    Insider tip: Go in the morning when it's liveliest and the stalls are full. It's a great spot to assemble a picnic or try local cheeses, presunto and pastries at the counters. A guided food tour that includes Bolhao and the francesinha is a strong first-day orientation.

11. 11

    Eat a francesinha

    Food & drink

    Porto's outrageous signature dish: a sandwich of cured meats and steak layered with cheese, drowned in a spicy beer-and-tomato sauce and usually crowned with a fried egg and chips. It's a heart-stopping local institution, and arguing over who makes the best one is a civic sport.

    Insider tip: It's a full, heavy meal - share one if you're not ravenous, and it's better at lunch than before a night out. Cafe Santiago and Brasao are the perennial contenders locals will fight you over. Wash it down with a cold Super Bock, not port.

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12. 12

    Foz do Douro & the coast

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    Where the Douro meets the Atlantic, Porto turns seaside: Foz is a genteel district of promenades, lighthouses, rock pools and beach cafes, reached by a lovely riverside tram ride. It's the local escape from the tourist centre and a fine spot for a sunset over the ocean.

    Insider tip: Take the historic tram 1 along the river to Foz - the ride is half the pleasure. Walk the seafront promenade north past the gardens and the Felgueiras lighthouse. It's a perfect late-afternoon half-day; time it to catch the Atlantic sunset with a drink.

13. 13

    Crystal Palace gardens (Jardins do Palacio de Cristal)

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    Terraced hillside gardens above the Douro, laced with paths, peacocks, fountains and hidden viewpoints looking down the river to the sea. It's the loveliest green space in the centre and one of the best free sunset spots in the city, away from the Ribeira crowds.

    Insider tip: It's free and open daily - head to the western terraces for the river-mouth panorama at golden hour. The domed hall hosts occasional events. Combine with the nearby Serralves contemporary-art museum and its park if you want a fuller cultural afternoon.

14. 14

    Douro valley wine day trip

    Day trips

    The terraced vineyards of the Douro - the world's oldest demarcated wine region - climb the river valley an hour or two upstream, and a day among the quintas (wine estates) for tastings, a valley cruise and lunch over the vines is the region's signature excursion. The scenery alone justifies it.

    Insider tip: The organised day tours handle the driving (essential - you'll be tasting) and usually bundle two estates, lunch and a short river cruise. For a DIY version, the train from Sao Bento to Pinhao is one of Europe's prettiest rail lines. Either way it's a full day - book ahead in autumn harvest season.

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Where to stay in Porto

The best areas to base yourself, and who each suits.

• Ribeira & the Baixa

  First-timers - the medieval riverfront and the centre put the sights, restaurants and river cruises on your doorstep, though the lanes are steep and can be noisy.

• Cedofeita & Bombarda

  Arts and independents - Porto's gallery-and-boutique district, walkable to the centre, with the city's best design shops and casual dining.

• Vila Nova de Gaia

  Port lodges and the view - staying across the river means the port cellars downstairs and the postcard panorama of Porto from your side; a bridge walk from the centre.

• Foz do Douro

  Seaside calm - where the river meets the Atlantic, with beaches, seafood and promenades; a tram or drive out from the buzz of the centre.