Porto is a hilly city, but very walkable. Use the guide below to see some of the most historic and scenic spots in the city – all in one day!
Start your visit by taking the Metro (subway) to Trindade Station. Leave the station and turn left, going slightly downhill on Rua da Trindade.
Turn Left for Shopping…
If you are interested in doing some shopping, turn left on Rua de Fenandes Tomás and walk for about three blocks. You’ll see the historic Mercado do Bolhão – the Bolhão Market – on your right.
The Mercado was first opened in 1914 and for years was a bustling center of commerce, with vendors selling meat, fish, fruit, flowers, vegetables, and other products. Since 2018, the market has been under renovation. Many of the vendors moved to a temporary location further down the block and across the street in the La Vie shopping mall (Rua de Fenandes Tomás 506).
Continue walking past the old Mercado. The next intersection will be Rua de Santa Catarina, a long shopping street that is closed to vehicles.
Turn right and just down the block is ViaCatarina Shopping, an upscale indoor mall. There are dozens of other shops and cafés up and down the street.
Further down the block, you can stop for a coffee at the Majestic Café (Rua Santa Catarina 112), which is a very popular and iconic landmark café. (It is a little expensive.)
After leaving the Majestic, continue down the hill and turn right on Rua do Dr. Magalhães Lemos. Walk for four long blocks until you reach the Avenida dos Aliados.
Look up the hill to your right and you’ll see the Câmara Municipal do Porto – the city hall building. Turn left, walking down the Avenida and follow the remaining directions.
…Or Keep Going to See the Sights
If you prefer to see the sights, continue walking down Rua da Trindade until it becomes the Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies). You are entering the historic heart of Porto. Walking down the Avenida, you’ll pass by your first historic sight – the Câmara Municipal do Porto – the city hall building.
For the moment, Avenida dos Aliados is under construction due to the expansion of the Metro network.
At the bottom of the hill, turn left (west) on Rua 31 de Janeiro. You’ll reach the Sao Bento railway station, known for its beautiful azulejo tile panels.
Continue south on Av. Dom Afonso Heriques and you can visit Sé do Porto, the Porto Cathedral, one of the city’s oldest monuments.
From the Cathedral, walk 200m east on Rua de Saraiva de Carvalho and you can catch Funicular dos Guindáis which is an inclined cable railway that will take you down a steep slope ending at the riverside (Ribeira).
You’ll be at the bottom of the Dom Luis bridge. If you walk to the west by the river, you’ll encounter several cafes and restaurants. This is a great place to have lunch and enjoy the views of the Douro River.
You can walk across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia on the other side. From there you’ll have some of the most iconic views of Porto.
Along the river walk are several Port wine cellars where you can take a tour and sample Port wine. There is also a cable car ride.
Using the cable car or on foot, head to the top of the hill and the Jardim do Morro. From there you’ll have some of the best views of the city. Walk east from the park to the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, a former monastery that dates back to the 1500’s, for the best scenic view of the city.
From there you can get back to Porto on foot using the Dom Luis bridge for some more great views. Or you can take the Metro to return to São Bento Station.
Leave São Bento station and go west on Praça da Liberdade. Go up the hill to the Igreja dos Clérigos – the Clérigos church, with its ornate tower – one of the highest points in Porto. For a small price, you’ll be able to climb it all the way to the top and get great views of the city.
From the church, you can walk northwest on Rua das Carmelitas and visit the beautiful Livraria Lello bookstore, which is said to be a source of inspiration for JK Rowling as she imagined Hogwarts in the Harry Potter books. (There is almost always a line of people waiting to get in. Admission is €5, which can be applied to the purchase of a book.)
Finish your tour with a drink at Base Porto, an outdoor bar in the park across the street from the Clérigos Tower.
You can retrace your steps back down the Praça da Liberdade and arrive at the bottom of the Avenida dos Aliados. From there you can go around the corner to the right to get to the São Bento Metro station or you can turn left and walk up the Avenida toward City Hall. A metro station is on the left side of the plaza. Keep going up the hill, past City Hall and you’ll get back to the Trindade station where you started.
Some Suggestions on Dining Out
For dinner, if you want to try the typical Francesinha sandwich, we recommend Café Santiago (Rua Passos Manuel 226) or Brasão Aliados (Rua de Ramalho Ortigao 28). Café Santiago doesn’t do reservations and usually has a big queue, so we advise going early. Brasão takes reservations so you can book a table ahead (+351 934 158 672).
If you’re looking for more traditional food you can try Abadia, Ze Bota, Adega do Carregal or Cana Verde. Most require booking ahead of time because of availability.
If you’re looking to get a drink, there are many bars on Rua Galeria de Paris or Rua de Cândido dos Reis.
Nice places to grab breakfast and try delicious pastry are Padaria Ribeiro, one of the oldest bakeries in Porto, dating back to 1878, or Diplomata. Both are located at the at Praça de Guilherme Gomes Fernandes (west of Avenida Aliados).
Photos courtesy of Mike Johnston
Every time I read one of your emails I get more and more excited and more and more distressed that I may not be able to take part in this amazing opportunity and exploring beautiful Portugal.
I will be coming from South Africa and at this point in time, we are not allowed to come there unless we quarantine for 2 weeks!
I am praying that changes very soon!