The Ultimate 2 Day Porto Itinerary For First Timers
Are you planning a two day trip to Porto? If so, this article’s for you.
Porto is a beautiful riverfront city with such a vibrant culture, amazing food scene, and photogenic buildings that make every picture look straight out of a postcard. I was initially hesitant to split up my time in Porto, but I ended up loving it even more than Lisbon!
To help you plan an amazing trip, I’ve put together a sample 2 day Porto itinerary, covering how to get around, all of the must-see sites, and more.
Here is the ideal 2 day Porto itinerary for first time visitors.
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How To Get Around Porto
Porto has a metro system that’s very simple to use, and will get you within a 10-15 minute walk of all of the attractions. I arrived in Porto by train, and used the metro to get to my hotel, and was surprised with how close everything was.
If you’re flying into Porto, there’s a metro station connected to the airport so you can easily reach your accommodation. To use the metro and buses, you’ll purchase an Andante card €0.60, and add money to it for each trip. A single trip only costs around €1.40-€ 3.20, whereas the daily tickets cost around €5.15-€11.80.
If you want to avoid long walks, Porto has Bolt, Uber, and taxis readily available. Bolt is typically cheaper than Uber, and taxis are the most expensive option.
Where To Stay In Porto
The best areas to stay in Porto are Riberia, the city center (Baixa), and Vila Nova de Gaia.
If you want to stay in a hotel with a river view, but still be within walking distance to cafes and restaurants, Riberia is the ideal place to stay. Just keep in mind that Ribeira requires an uphill walk to get to the city center.
If you want to be within walking distance to many of the popular attractions, cafes, and restaurants, Baixa (downtown) is for you. It’s the least hilly area, so you can easily walk to the restaurants at night.
Lastly, if you love wine and river views, Vila Nova de Gaia is a great place to stay. It’s on the opposite side of Luis I Bridge as Porto, and home to a variety of excellent port wine lodges, and wine museums.
The only downside is that it’s hilly, and a further walk to reach the attractions in Porto, so it’s not ideal for those with mobility issues.
Ultimate 2 Day Porto Itinerary
Day 1: Porto Cathedral, River Cruise, Sunset Views
Visit The Porto Cathedral
Once you get settled in, head to the Porto Cathedral to visit Porto’s most famous landmark. This is a marvelous 12th century church sitting on a promontory, overlooking the city.
You can tour the inside to see the beautiful Baroque architecture, arched walkways and azulejos tiles.
If you climb up to the second story, you’ll have an amazing view of Porto’s colorful buildings and the Douro river. Entrance to the cathedral is only €3 for adults, and it’s a definite must visit while in town.
Walk Across Luis I Bridge
After touring the cathedral, walk a few blocks to Luis I bridge, a towering 564 ft tall bridge that runs over the Douro River.
This is a popular landmark, and it has an amazing view of the river, and colorful houses on the river banks.
If you cross the bridge, you’ll be at Jardim do Morro, in Gaia. There’s a metro stop here, that you can easily hop on to get back to downtown Porto.
Visit Photogenic Buildings
One of my favorite things to do in Porto was admire the beautiful buildings. Porto is home to a variety of historic buildings with Baroque, gothic, and other forms of architecture that make them incredibly photogenic.
If you love architecture, make sure to visit the Chapel of Souls. This is a small church covered in nearly 16,000 azulejos (painted blue tiles), and you can tour the inside for free! Other buildings where you can see these distinctive blue Portuguese tiles are the Church of Saint Ildefonso, Sao Bento train station, Igreja do Carmo.
Travel Tip: To avoid long walks and maximize your time, I recommend using the metro to get around. Porto’s metro is very easy to use, and it will get you within a 10 minute walk from everything.
Here’s a summary of interesting buildings to check out in Porto.
- Chapel of Souls: Free to visit small church covered in azulejos (blue ceramic tiles)
- Church of Saint Ildefonso: Free to visit 18th century baroque church covered in azulejos
- Palacio de Bolsa: Historic stock exchange palace with neoclassical architecture (€14/guided tour)
- Mcdonald’s Imperial: Fancy Mcdonald’s built into a 1930’s cafe with chandeliers and stained glass windows
- Igreja do Carmo: Small baroque church with catacombs, a rooftop, and exterior covered in azulejos, €5/fee to visit
Enjoy Pastel de Nata
After exploring around, stop for pastel de nata. These are a must-try Portuguese sweet custard tart pastry, and Manteigeira is known for making some of the best in Portugal. They have multiple locations in Porto, including one right next to Chapel of the Souls.
Beyond trying pastel de nata, Porto has many signature dishes worth trying out. Some of the most popular dishes are francesinha (Portuguese sandwich layered in cheese with an egg), bifana (sliced pork sandwich), and pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters).
These are readily available at local restaurants, and you can join a walking food tour if you want to fully explore the city’s food scene.
Go On A Douro River Sunset Cruise
End your first day in Porto on a relaxing sunset cruise along the Douro River. The Douro River runs over 500 miles through Spain and Portugal, and is home to six bridges in Porto.
On a cruise, you’ll get to relax, soak up river scenery, and see where this spectacular river meets with the ocean.
Day 2: Clerigos Tower, Landmarks, Wine-Tasting
Stroll Around Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
Start your morning on a peaceful morning walk through Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. This is an idyllic riverfront park with gardens, fountains, picnic areas, and most importantly, peacocks roaming around!
It had an amazing view of the Douro River, and I saw peacocks and chickens hanging out in the gardens.
Climb Up The Clerigos Tower
For one of the best views in the city, climb up the Clerigos Tower. This is an 18th century tower and church, and one of the first landmarks you’ll see as you walk around Porto.
There’s over 200 narrow winding stairs to reach the top of the tower, where you’ll have an incredible view of the city. It costs €10/adult to enter the church, and they offer photos at the top of the tower for a fee.
Check Out Nearby Landmarks
The Clerigos Tower is in a bustling square, near many popular landmarks. After stopping to eat, you can check out Livraria Lello, Igreja do Carmo, and Mcdonald’s Imperial. All of these are within a short 10 minute walk of another.
- Livraria Lello: A famous bookstore with a winding staircase and stained glass ceiling. Tickets to enter are €10/adult, which will be credited towards your book purchase. It’s worth visiting if you want to buy a book, but very touristy so I’d skip it if you have limited time!
- Igreja do Carmo: a beautiful small church covered in azulejos (blue tiles) that’s free to visit. It’s in a lovely area with fountains, right in front of Porto’s university.
- Mcdonald’s Imperial: considered the most beautiful Mcdonalds in the world that’s built into an old 1930’s cafe with chandeliers, and stained glass windows.
Go On A Wine Tour
No trip to Porto would be complete without tasting the famous port wine. Port wine is a sweet red wine that’s grown in the Douro Valley region, just an hour and a half outside of Porto.
If you have the time, it’s worth going on a full day Douro Valley excursion to sample port wine at the best wineries in the region.
But if you want to stay closer to the city, you can tour port wine lodges in Gaia. Gaia is home to several amazing port wine lodges, with Graham’s, Cockburns, and Taylor’s being some of the most popular.
You can tour the individual wineries, or book a port wine tour to visit multiple in a day with a local.
Beyond touring port wine lodges, you can visit the WOW district in Gaia. This is a museum complex, with three museums dedicated to wine. You can purchase a daily ticket to all of the museums for €44/adult, or visit them individually.
The Wine Experience Museum and Pink Palace (rosé wine) both offer complimentary wine-tastings in their ticket price. This complex is within walking distance to restaurants, port wine lodges, and a riverfront plaza.
Here’s an overview of the museums at the WOW district.
- The Wine Experience: Science of wine-making museum that includes a tasting at the end, €20/adult
- Pink Palace: Rosé wine museum that includes a tasting at the end, €25/adult
- The Chocolate Story: Chocolate making and history museum, €20/adult
- Planet Cork: Educational museum on the cork industry, €20/adult
- The Art Of Drinking: History of drinking museum, with preserved drinking vessels, €20/adult
- Porto Region: Porto history and culture museum, €20/adult
Other Fun Things To Do In Porto
Have more time in Porto? Here are a few more things to consider adding to your itinerary!
- Enjoy city views from Miradouro da Vitória
- Learn Portuguese history on a free walking tour
- Rent bikes to explore the city and coast
- Shop for souvenirs at Mercado do Bolhão
- Watch a fado show or the Clerigos Church light show
- Take a pastel de nata cooking class
Best Time To Visit Porto
The best time to visit Porto is in the late spring (May-Jun), or fall (September-October) for the best weather and least amount of crowds.
During summer (July-August), it’s the most crowded and prices are highest, but the weather is the best. During winter (December-February), prices are lowest and it’s less crowded, but it’s the rainiest.
I visited Porto in early March and it wasn’t crowded at all, but there were bouts of rain on both days. That being said, Porto has dozens of indoor places, and cozy cafes that you can retreat to on a rainy day.
Summary
Porto was a highlight of my Portugal trip, from the interesting historic buildings to the amazing food, and beautiful river views throughout.
It was less crowded than Lisbon, but had a relaxed atmosphere, and some of the friendliest locals I’ve met.
Whether you love wine or not, I highly recommend spending one to two days exploring Porto. And if you plan on seeing more of Portugal, check out our 2 day Lisbon itinerary!
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