18 Best Things to Do in Porto
(Ultimate 2025 Guide)
Porto is known as the city of Port wine, beautiful historic buildings and winding streets and is one of my personal favourites in Europe. It is also a very affordable city with so many different things to do. If you are planning your trip to Porto, here are the top things to do in the city and surroundings.
Porto is one of my favourite cities in the world, from the great surf opportunities to the beautiful town, kind people and delicious food. I spent around two months living and working near Porto as part of my travels and loved every second.
There are so many things to do and explore in the city, so here are my top 18:
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How to get to Porto?
If you are arriving from abroad, you will likely land at Porto airport. You can get from Porto airport to the city centre three ways: by metro, bus or taxi. Metro will take you between 30-40 minutes, bus 45-50 and taxi 20-30. You could also get a Flixbus which only takes 20 minutes but doesn’t go as often
Check out my full guide on getting from the airport to the city centre here: How to Get from Porto Airport to Porto City Centre on a Budget
If you are coming from another city in Portugal like Lisbon, you could either get a bus like Flixbus or Blabla Car (as cheap as 5€) or train.
Where to stay in Porto?
Check out my full accommodation guides for Porto here:
🛏️ Rivoli Cinema Hostel
🏨 The Editory Garden Porto Hotel
💎Ribeira Douro Hotel
Top things to do in Porto
1. Get to know the city from a local with a free walking tour
The absolute best and my favourite way to see any city and learn from a local is through one of the “free” walking tours where you tip at the end (7-15€ pp). You can find some great ones at different times here. They will usually have a departure time in the morning and afternoon and take around 2-3 hours.
Free tours are one of my top things to do wherever I go as you learn so much more about a place’s history, its locals and traditions than if you are just exploring by yourself. You are also giving back to the community via the local guides, which is always great. Most tours will cover the main attractions in the centre as well as advise you on other things to do in the area.
2. Marvel at the beautiful Igreja do Carmo and Fonte dos Leões
The church is carefully decorated in the Portuguese azulejo tiles, a stunning blue mosaic telling the stories of the city. It is joined to its twin church next door, Igreja dos Carmelitas. Igreja do Carmo is free to enter and beautiful on the inside too.
In the centre of the plaza you will find the Lion fountain that is over a century old. It’s cast iron lions are said to stand for Porto’s spirit and resilience.
3. 360° views of Porto from Torre dos Clérigos
One of the best ways to get to know a new city is from above. The Torre dos Clérigos is a piece of true baroque architecture by Nicolau Nasoni. It consists of 225 steps and a 360° viewing area at the top. Tickets cost 10€ (5€ in the evening) and inside you will find a museum as well as access to the tower and most unique views of Porto.
4. Try the famous Pastel de Nata at Manteigaria or Fábrica da Nata
You can’t go to Porto and not try Pastel de Nata (pastéis de nata in Portuguese). If you have heard anything of Portugal, you have certainly hear of this delicious sweet treat.
They are creamy custard tarts with a flaky pastry shell and they are seriously addictive. Both Manteigaria and Fábrica da Nata are located in the centre and have fantastic tarts.
5. Explore Praça da Liberdade
Praça da Liberdade is the city’s main square that connects the modern and old town of Porto. Located here is the grand Porto City Hall as well as the Imperial McDonalds that used to be a luxury Café and has kept the interior.
There are also a lot of other restaurants and shops along this square that are worth checking out and grabbing some souvenirs in. A big part of Porto’s tours start here.
6. Learn about the stories in the blue tiles of Porto São Bento
The old stories of Porto come to life in this stunning train station, Porto’s São Bento. It is covered in over 20,000 beautiful, blue azulejos, telling us about the people of Porto.
For example, it portrays the like the Battle of Valdevez in 1140 and the Conquest of Ceuta of 1415. Most city tours will stop here and tell you some of these stories, or you could go on a more detailed tour of the blue tiles.
7. See the stunning architecture of Porto Cathedral
Called the Sé Catedral do Porto, this cathedral stands proudly above the historic centre of Porto with sweeping views over the Douro river and Porto. The inside is beautiful in its detail and entry costs just 3€.
Walking through the cathedral feels like walking through Porto’s architectural history, and the towers offer expansive vistas over Porto and its surroundings.
8. Visit the beautiful early 18th-century Church of Saint Ildefonso
Dating back to the early 18th-century, the Church of Saint Ildefonso is also decorated in over 11,000 blue masterpiece tiles. Right outside you will find a local market selling more souvenirs and snacks.
9. Learn about Porto’s history in the Ribeira district of downtown Porto
The Ribeira district is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a 2000 year history that is showcased in its different buildings and architectural styles. Walk the historic steps of old Porto all the way from the Cathedral to the river Douro.
I love this area of Porto because it feels more “real” than other areas, where locals go about their everyday life and history seems to be within an arms reach.
10. Cross the famous Ponte de Dom Luís I over the Douro River
One of the most well-known landmarks, the Luís I bridge connects Porto’s parts split by the Douro river. It was completed in 1886 by a trainee of Gustave Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel).
Not only is it an impressive structure that looks cool on photos, it also has some of THE most gorgeous photo spots of Porto. The top level is for pedestrians and the tram only, so the perfect walking spot.
11. Enjoy the sunset from Jardim do Morro
Once you cross the bridge, you get to the beautiful Park do Morro. It is one of the best spots to catch a sunset in Porto, with romantic music, lots of people and surprisingly, some wine sellers walking around with coolers.
12. Explore the land of port wine, Vila Nova de Gaia
Villa de Nova Gaia is one of my favourite areas in Porto. It is full of amazing restaurants, local shops, Port Wine Cellars and boasts gorgeous views over the Douro River to Old Porto. Here, you can spot the beautiful Rabelo Boats which used to transport Port wine from the vineyards to Vila Nova de Gaia.
A tour of Gaia’s wine cellars or a traditional Fado show (Portuguese musical with guitars) complete with Port wine are great ways to get to know this area better and tap into Porto’s culture and history.
13. Get the best panoramic views over Porto and Luís I Bridge
On my first day in Porto, I took a free guided tour (where you tip at the end) by Porto Walkers. Our guide was incredible and took us to this random car park, which turned out had one of the best views of the city and Ponte Luis I.
To find it, type Estacionamento Duque de Loulé into Google Maps. Head to the front of the car parks and sit on the wall for great photos.
14. Embrace traditional Portuguese music at a Fado show
Walking through Porto, you will find countless bars that advertise Fado shows, often paired with a Port Wine Tasting. But what is Fado?
Fado is described as “A shawl, a guitar, a voice and a lot of feeling“. It is more than a music show, the artists builds an emotional connection with their audience. Silence is a compliment here, as it means the artist succeeded in making you feel something. Every singer chooses their songs based on their own life as well as those closest to them.
The singer is accompanied by a Portuguese guitar, which has 12 strings instead of the usual 6. The resulting sound is intricate and clear, a true pleasure to listen to. It’s an incredible show that you shouldn’t miss!
15. Go on a tour of Palácio da Bolsa
This beautiful building is the Stock Exchange Palace, currently housing Porto’s Commercial Association. The architecture and art lining the walls and ceilings are breath-taking! To explore the inside, you need to join a 30-minute long guided tour for 14€.
16. Learn of Porto’s history at Porto Legends
An immersive projection show in the old cellars of Porto with different themes that are displayed on the walls – this one tells some of Porto’s most famous legends. It is located in the Immersivus Gallery Porto. I personally found it a fascinating way to learn more of Porto’s history. They also have other screenings, such as one about Monet & Klimt as well as one about Clerigos Spiritus which also looked beautiful.
17. Find some bargains in one of the cities thrift shops
Did you know Porto has some incredible thrift shops that offer true bargains? No? Neither did I before coming here. Porto’s thrift shops are not overpriced or overrun and hence make for the perfect place for hidden treasures.
From Mon Père Vintage to the HUMANA charity shops, you are sure to find incredible new pieces here.
18. See Livraria Lello, the library that inspired Harry Potter
This library is one of the most intricate and beautiful buildings in Porto and supposedly inspired the story of Harry Potter when the author visited Porto. The inside is stunning, with walls of books, fairy-tale staircases and dreamy lighting. It does get very busy though, so be prepared for that and pre-book your tickets.
How many days do you need in Porto?
I would recommend around three days in Porto to see the main attractions and go on some day trips to e.g. the Douro Valley for a wine tour or Aveiro for their colourful boats. If you have longer, you could head on adventures further away such as Nazare and Braga.
What is the best way to explore Porto?
Porto is an incredibly walkable city as it is fairly small and has many roads and alleys that cars can’t access. It is built on a hill so you will be walking up and down a bit, however this is manageable. Personally, I think walking is the best way to explore Porto as you will be able to explore all the cute shops built into tiny alleyways and marvel at the beautiful tiles all around the city.
I would highly recommend taking one of the many “free” guided walking tours of Porto (where you tip at the end) as they are usually local guides who can show you all the best spots in the city.
In addition, the city is well connected via metro and buses and even has cable cars to take you from the bottom of the Gaia district to the top of Luís I Bridge.
Hi, I'm Bell
I’m a solo traveller, writer and designer. I created my blog to share the many different ways to travel the world. Learn more about me here!
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