Porto Portugal Two-Day Itinerary for First-Timers
It is difficult to determine how to best use 48 hours in Porto Portugal, there are so many fun things to see, do, and eat. Porto is a steep hillside town full of pastel homes with narrow winding streets, colorful facades, and Azul tile. Porto has a gorgeous riverfront promenade with spectacular bridges, and Port wine cellars. It is home to the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world and has sprinklings of Harry Potter throughout the city. This 2-day itinerary is jam-packed with must-see sites and top attractions, including, Ribeira District, Ponte Luis Bridge walk, Igreja do Carmo, Harry Potter book store, Bolsa Palace, a Fado performance, and more. Have more time? Add a day trip from Porto Portugal to the vineyards of the Douro Valley. It is possible to travel the world with limited PTO, here’s a day-by-day guide to visiting Porto Portugal in 2 days. Enjoy your time out of the office!
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Arrive at Porto Airport and take the Metro into town. Exit customs and take the elevator to -1. Walk through the car park pay stations and enter the Metro hall (100 yards). Take the first escalator on the left up to the train. Buy an Andante ticket from the machine. There are instructions in English; the cost of a single journey is €2.45. Keep the card, it is rechargeable and just costs you .60. Validate the ticket at the yellow machine. Take the purple line, it is a 30-minute ride. Consider going to the Metro Counter inside of the Tourist Office in the arrivals hall to purchase an unlimited card for 24 or 72 hours with unlimited trips on the Metro, bus, funicular, and some train lines.
Choose a hotel close to the Porto São Bento Railway Station. It is a convenient place for transportation and there are several attractions nearby. Check into your hotel, grab a hotel map and business card in case you get lost, and go see the city!
Day One: Port Wine and a Rabelo
Take Tram 1 to the beach. Grab a cup of coffee, watch the waves, and take a walk on the pergola before returning to the Ribeira District.
Walk across the Ponte Luis Bridge. Stop at Jardim de Morro or Miradouro de Serra do Pilar for photos of the Ribeira District before taking the cable car down to the Port Wine Caves.
Spend the afternoon enjoying Port Wine or take a ride on a Rabelo. Begin at Porto Cruz to explore the exhibits and take the simulated flight over the Douro Valley. Partake in a tasting and relax on the terrace with a view over the river. Take an audio tour of the wine caves of Taylor’s Port and enjoy 2 tastings. Visit the Underground Museum for a unique wine cave experience. Churchill’s, Croft, Offley, and Sandeman are all well-known caves that offer tastings. End the evening at Cálem and enjoy a tasting, tour, and Fado show. Or, take a night city tour with a Fado performance and dinner.
Day Two: Architecture and Azul Tile
See the 20,000 blue tiles on the São Bento Railway Station, the beautiful McDonald’s Imperial, and Liberdade Square. Notice Praça de Lisboa on the roof of a shopping center as you walk to the Livraria Lello bookstore (Harry Potter). Be there at the opening time; expect a line and crowd inside.
Walk past the Fonte dos Leões (Fountain of the Lions) on your way to the Azul-tiled Igreja do Carmo. Be sure to notice the tiny house between the two churches and take a quick look inside. Stop to photograph Clérigos Church. Walk up the narrow staircase to the viewing platform, or save your legs and continue to enjoy the view from Miradouro da Vitoria. See the Arab Room at Bolsa Palace and check out the gold-dusted interior of the Church of St Francis.
Walk toward the river and wander the narrow alleys of the Ribeira District. Stop for a late lunch in Ribeira Square. Walk under the Luís I Bridge to the Funicular of Guindais and take a ride up along the old city wall (Muralha Fernandina). Then make your way to the Cathedral and explore the Azul tiled cloisters.
Head over to Mercado do Bolhão and sample Portuguese food. Continue on and photograph the Azul tiled Chapel of Souls before heading to Rua de Santa Catarina for souvenir shopping.
Check the Porto Portugal Tourism Board website for upcoming festivals, special events, and what’s happening during your stay.
Looking for more options? Continue reading for additional things to do in Porto to supplement this itinerary.
Additional Things to Do in Porto Portugal
- Enjoy a glass of Port Wine next to the Douro River
- Take a Porto Food Tasting Tour
- Ride Tram 1 along the Duoro River to the beaches of Foz do Douro
- Photograph the Mohl Lighthouse
- Take a workshop and paint your own facade tile
- See the Arab Room in the Bolsa Palace
- Watch a Fado performance at Teatro National de Sao Joao
- Browse the Serralves Contemporary Art Museum
- Listen to a concert at See Capela do Senhor da Pedra in Miramar
- Walkthrough the tiny house between Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelitas Descalços
- Check out Fonte dos Leões, the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Gryffindor Fountain
- Eat empanadas and Francesinha
- Photograph the Casa de Serralves gardens
- Eat puff pastries at A Loja dos Pastéis de Chaves
- Have a coffee at Café Majestic, where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Learn how to make cocktails with Port wine
- Have a picnic at Jardins do Palácio de Cristal
- Check out the art district along Rua de Miguel Bombarda
- Climb the 240 steps of Clérigos Church for panoramic views
- Wander the colorful streets of the Riberia District
- Sample traditional Portuguese food at Restaurante O Buraco
- Photograph the city from Serra do Pilar
- Watch the sunset from Jardim do Morro
- Ride the Funicular dos Guindais along the city wall
- Learn the history of Portuguese art at National Museum Soares dos Reis
- View the rooftops from the square of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória
- Photograph the port from Miradouro da Victoria
- Wander down the pedestrian-only Rua das Flores (Street of Flowers)
- Eat a Queijada do Porto (cheese pastry) and pasteis de nata (sweet custard tart)
- Explore the Porto Sea Life Aquarium
- Window shop on Rua de Santa Catarina
- Ride Tram 22 through Batalha Square
- Take a peek at 19th-century noble life at Museu Romantico da Quintada Macierinha
- Tour the Casa Museu Gurra Junqueiro
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