Steal My Porto Itinerary: 3 Days in Porto
I spent 2 weeks in Porto and didn’t want to leave! It’s easily become one of my favorite cities, and this comes from a travel blogger who has been to over 50 countries. I explored so much while in Porto, but at a slower pace so I could really get to know the city. If I only had 3 days in Porto, this is exactly how I’d spend it. Feel free to steal this itinerary, and for your 3rd day, I’d highly recommend a visit to the beautiful hidden wine region in Portugal known as the Douro Valley.
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Quick Facts before visiting Porto
💱Currency: Euro €
💶 Budget for a trip to Porto: The average daily cost for a mid-range trip to Belgium is €50 a night for both food and accommodation.
💜 Is tipping required in Portugal? Tipping is not required. Rounding up is common.
☀️ Best time to visit May, June, and September are great months to visit. I personally visited in June, and it was warm and sunny. September is wine harvest season and great for a visit to the Douro Valley – again I went in June, and it was fine.
📶 Stay Connected in Portugal: One thing I always need when exploring a new city is reliable data. I use Simify to stay connected the second I land, and after a quick change in my phone settings, I’m connected in less than a minute. Plus, their Europe eSIM works across multiple countries, so it’s just one eSIM for your whole trip. Use code JOUJOU15 for 15% off.
🏨 Top Hotel choice in Porto River Soul Hotel offers amazing views and is located on the Gaia side.
Where to Stay in Porto
Porto is relatively small and easy to explore on foot. Plus, Bolt is pretty cheap here in case something is farther away. If you really want to be able to walk to all the main sights easily, I recommend staying near Ribeira. I actually stayed on the Gaia side, but it was so quick to get to the Dom Luís I Bridge from my hotel. I absolutely loved where I stayed because not only was it affordable, it had amazing views from my room. It was called the River Soul Hotel. Even the cable car was zooming by my window, such a sight!
How Many Days in Porto?
My ideal timeline for a visit to Porto is 3 to 4 days. If you book at least 3 days, you can do a day trip nearby. The best day trips include the Douro Valley, Guimarães, Braga, Aveiro, and even Agueda (a town known for its colorful umbrellas). The other 2 days will give you enough time to visit Porto’s downtown area and Vila Nova de Gaia. I’ve outlined how I’d ideally spend your time in Porto after spending 2 weeks in this gorgeous city.
How to get to Porto
Porto has its own airport, which makes getting to Porto super easy! You can fly into the Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport and take a Bolt straight into the city.
Note: Bolt is actually way cheaper than Uber in most cases.
When you get to Porto, most of the city is super walkable. You can also take the buses or trams easily. And again, taking a Bolt is quite affordable, especially for short distances.
Best Places to Eat & Drink in Porto
🍳 Cafes/Brunch: Zenith, Breakfast Lovers, Alice in Brewland, Do Norte Café, and Majestic Cafe
🥧 Pastel de Nata: Castro or Manteigaria
🍽 Restaurants: Gazela or Pedro dos Frangos for piri-piri chicken (so good!), Digby
🍸 Rooftops/Bars: Bosco, 360 Terrace Lounge at Espaço Porto Cruz
🍗 Food to try in Portugal: Pastel de Nata (flaky custard pastry), Francesinha (Porto sandwich with lots of meats and sauce – I personally dislike it as it’s quite heavy), Bifana (pork sandwich), and Sardines.
3 Days in Porto: My Perfect Porto Itinerary
Summary of the perfect Porto 3 Day itinerary:
- Day 1: São Bento Train Station, Castro for Pastel de Nata, Capela das Almas, A Pérola do Bolhão, Bolhão Market, Majestic Café, Igreja do Carmo, Livraria Lello, Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, Jardim do Morro & Miradouro da Serra do Pilar
- Day 2: Palácio da Bolsa, Porto Cathedral, Ribeira Waterfront, My Coffee Porto, Dom Luís I Bridge & Gaia, Gaia Cable Car, Taylor’s Port Wine Tasting, Vintage Newspaper Photo, Digby, BOSCO Porto
- Day 3: Douro Line Train to Pinhão, Pinhão Train Station, Traditional Rabelo Boat Tour, Quinta de La Rosa / Quinta do Bomfim Lunch & Wine Tasting, Terraced Vineyards Sunset
For more detail, read my guide on the best things to do in Porto, Portugal. If you’re after hidden gems in Porto, I have a guide for that too
Day 1: Downtown Porto
On Day 1, explore Porto’s historic downtown. It’s full of shops, cafes, and beautiful buildings decorated with blue tiles known as azulejos. End the evening with the most magical sunset I’ve ever seen at Jardim do Morro.
- São Bento Train Station to see the beautiful blue tiles known as azulejos
- Try a Pastel de Nata, which is a flaky custard type desert that’s famous in Portugal. I recommend trying it at Castro or Manteigaria. But you can find them everywhere.
- Capela das Almas (Chapel of Souls) for more azulejos. This is one of the most instagrammable places in Porto. You can get your photo in front of the cool blue tiles. It’s super iconic.
- Sardines shopping at A Pérola do Bolhão, which happens to have the prettiest facade.
- Bolhão Market for lunch. This market has so much to offer. There’s fresh seafood, food stalls, cheese stalls, and more. People gather around at the standing tables or the stairs to enjoy their meals.
- Coffee at the historic Majestic Café. This is Porto’s most beautiful cafe and it dates back to 1921.
- Igreja do Carmo is another church known for its beautiful blue tiles.
- Livraria Lello is one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. You will need to buy a ticket on their website and reserve a timed slot to enter. The cost is around 15 euros, and you can use it as a credit towards a purchase in the store.
- Visit a hidden garden in the city, Jardins do Palácio de Cristal. I loved this beautiful garden full of free-roaming chickens and peacocks. You can also find some amazing views of the city here.
- Sunset at Jardim do Morro & Miradouro da Serra do Pilar. This is the most magical place in the city for sunset. Crowds gather and cheer when the sun sets. You may even find people dancing and singing after. Porto is famous for having incredibly beautiful sunsets.
Day 2: Explore the Riverfront & Gaia Side
On Day 2, you will want to explore the riverfront deeply. The Ribeira is where all the action is, and if you cross the Dom Luís I Bridge, you will end up in Gaia. Here you can enjoy even more incredible views of the colorful houses and buildings while enjoying Port wine. This area is famous for it, and there are many cellars right beneath the Gaia Cable Car.
- Palácio da Bolsa is a beautiful 19th-century stock exchange building. The stairwell is super instagrammable and grand. There are many beautifully decorated rooms and a stunning library, too. You can only visit on a guided tour, and you need to book in advance on their website here. Sadly, I didn’t get a time slot and didn’t have the chance to visit during my stay in Porto.
- Porto Cathedral (Sé do Porto) is one of the most beautiful places in Porto. Be sure to pay the extra €3 to visit the blue tiled cloisters. I almost skipped this as the entry to the church itself is free. Trust me, don’t miss the best part. Plus, there are views of Porto from the top.
- Strolling the Ribeira waterfront is the top thing to do in Porto. This is where the city comes alive, and people meet and gather. The views are incredible, and the atmosphere is amazing here.
- Coffee at My Coffee Porto is something of a hidden gem! You can walk up the stairs diagonally to the Luís I Bridge to find this small coffee shop. The best seat is outside, as you have direct views of Porto from up here.
- Cross the Dom Luís I Bridge and explore Vila Nova de Gaia. Did you know crossing this bridge meant exploring a whole different city? This side of the bridge is known for its Port Wine cellars and amazing views.
- Ride the Gaia Cable Car for the best views of Porto. It’s a short 5-minute ride and costs €7 one way or €10 round trip. I did it one way so I could explore Gaia after.
- Port wine tasting at Taylor’s. On the Gaia side, right after getting off the cable car, you will find so many wine cellars. Port wine was founded in Porto, so you can’t leave without tasting it at one of these cellars. I recommend getting this wine tasting tour.
- Get your photo printed on a vintage newspaper. I came across this in 2 different spots. One was right after crossing the Luís I Bridge and looking at the viewpoint immediately after. I was just taking some photos and was holding a newspaper with my picture on it. The other place was across from Majestic Cafe. I asked for my photo this time and donated a euro.
- Dinner with a view at Digby: This wonderful restaurant is hidden away at a hotel called Torel Avantgarde. It’s got outdoor seating with incredible views of Porto. The food is excellent quality – I especially loved the Portuguese meats.
- Sunset drinks at BOSCO Porto – only a short walk from Digby restaurant is BOSCO. A hidden garden bar where you can enjoy the lively atmosphere with a cocktail or Port wine. There are also some nice views from here, too.
Day 3: Day trip to the Douro Valley
I can’t believe how many people skip the Douro Valley! It’s the famous wine region in Portugal, yet many tourists don’t even know it exists. It was the highlight of my time in Porto, so don’t miss the chance to visit.
- Take the vintage scenic train ride from Porto to Pinhão along the Douro Line. This was the highlight of my trip to Portugal. I loved gazing out the open windows and doorways on this very cool train full of yellow and red interiors.
- See the azulejo tiles at the historic Pinhão Train Station: It’s another pretty train station full of blue tiles.
- 1-hour traditional Rabelo boat tour along the river (Book here). This is a special boat that used to transport wine. And you can ride it for amazing views of the Douro Valley.
- Lunch & port wine tastings at Quinta de La Rosa or Quinta do Bomfim: There are so many quintas (wine estates), and enjoying a tasting at one of them is a must.
- Sunset views over the terraced vineyards before heading back to Porto. Miradouro de Casal de Loivos near Pinhão offers some of the best views.
I actually recommend staying in the Douro Valley longer than a day if you can! It was so peaceful and beautiful. I stayed at this wonderful hotel (pictured above) overlooking the vineyards, and waking up to see the sunrise was magical.
However, if you’re tight on time, this amazing tour hits all the highlights! You get to ride the scenic train, do the cool boat tour, and visit a Quinta. All the transport to and from Porto is covered, too.
Check out my Douro Valley guides for more detail. Here’s how to take the Douro Valley Train. It’s one of the most scenic train rides in the world! And once you get to the Douro Valley, here’s what to do!
For more reading, you may also like:
🇵🇹 Best Things to Do in Porto, Portugal
🏰 The Ultimate Sintra Day Trip from Lisbon
☕ My Favorite Cafes & Brunch in Lisbon
🇵🇹 Best Things to Do in Porto, Portugal
🚂 Douro Valley Train: The Most Scenic Train Ride
🍷 How to Enjoy the Best Douro Valley Day Trip from Porto
☂️ The Colorful Umbrella Street in Agueda, Portugal
⭐ 8 Hidden Gems in Lisbon
⭐ Hidden Gems in Porto
