Day 1
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.
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.
One of the most popular tourist activities is taking a “6 Bridges Cruise” on the Douro River. Look for one of the available boats and enjoy an hourlong ride that shows the beautiful six bridges of Porto.
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. (You’ll visit the church and climb the tower on Day 2 of your tour.)
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).
Day 2
Start the day by going back to the São Bento Station. Turn right as you exit the front of the building. You’ll see the Igreja de Santo António dos Congregados – the church of Santo António – with its decorative tile facade across the street.
Turn left to go west on Praça da Liberdade, up the hill and return 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 all the way to the top of the tower and get great views of the city.
From the Clérigos 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.)
As you exit the bookstore, turn right and cross the Rua do Dr. Ferreira da Silva . On your left is the Universidade do Porto. Be alert – you might see some students wearing long capes (another inspiration for Harry Potter).
Ahead, on the right across the street, is the Igreja do Carmo, an 18th century church with an elaborate tiled wall. To the left of the church is the Igreja dos Carmelitas, a former convent.
The two buildings are separated by the Casa Escondida (“Hidden House”), a 1 meter wide structure that, according to legend, was built to prevent any relations between the nuns of Igreja dos Carmelitas and the monks of Igreja do Carmo.
Now enjoy the city in a traditional way: walk around 2 kilometers to Ribeira for the next landmarks.
Turn back in the direction of Lello, then turn right on Rua do Dr. Ferreira da Silva. Keep going across the Praça da Liberdade and continue onto Rua de São Bento da Vitória – a narrow street to the right of the building with “PIXO NOT DEAD” painted on the facade.
The street ends at the Miradouro da Vitória, an open area that has a great view of the city and the river below.
To the left of the Miradouro, follow the street and turn right onto Rua da Vitória. After about 40 meters, turn left onto Escadas da Vitória, then take a sharp left and go down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs turn right onto Rua de Ferreira Borges. Continue for about 140 meters and you will arrive at the Praça do Infante D. Henrique, with the statue of Henry the Navigator pointing toward the ocean.
To your right, you will see two other landmarks – the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange) and the Igreja Monumento de São Francisco (Church of San Francisco -the most prominent Gothic monument in Porto).
Ahead of you is the Ribeira district, with lots of shops and restaurants. Take some time to get lost in Ribeira’s small and typical streets.
Options for the evening
If you’re feeling adventurous, catch the bus to Matosinhos Sul on the northwest side of the city. There you can walk on the beach, have a drink at a beachside bar, or walk inland to the Parque da Cidade. Directions: Take the 500 bus line from RIBEIRA (INFANTE RBRI1) stop to LOTA1 stop in Matosinhos.
In Matoshinhos you’ll find great fish restaurants along Avenida Serpa Pinto or Rua Heróis de França. Follow the smell of fresh fish to find the best place for you.
Another option is to go to the Baixa neighborhood and enjoy the nightlife on Rua Galeria de Paris or Rua de Cândido dos Reis.
Wherever you go, we’re certain you’ll have a great time in Porto!
Photos courtesy of Mike Johnston