Portugal · City break

Porto City Guide

Granite and azulejo tiles, the Douro deep in its valley and port wine on the far bank. Porto lives on its ups and downs. From São Bento station you head downhill through the old town, over the iron bridge to Gaia and up for the finest sunset of the day. One ready-made day route sets the order for you.

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Our walking tours of Porto

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Porto, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Altstadt, Fluss & Portwein

From the azulejo-clad São Bento station to the fortified cathedral, up the Torre dos Clérigos and into the famous Livraria Lello, then downhill to the sumptuous Palácio da Bolsa and the colourful Cais da Ribeira waterfront. Over the double-deck Ponte Luís I to Gaia's port-wine lodges and up to the Miradouro da Serra do Pilar for the finest sunset.

São Bento Station. The walk begins inside the station. São Bento's entrance hall is lined with around 20,000 blue-and-white azulejo tiles depicting scenes from Portuguese history. A spectacular opening. Loveliest early, before the crowds.
Porto Cathedral (Sé). Right by the starting point, the fortress-like 12th-century Sé cathedral towers over the old town. From its terrace you get a first sweeping view over the tiled roofs down to the Douro; the azulejo-lined cloister is worth the entry.
Torre dos Clérigos. The 75-metre Baroque tower of the Clérigos church is the landmark of the skyline. Climb its 240 steps for the best all-round view over the old town's tiled roofs down to the Douro.
Livraria Lello. The 1906 Livraria Lello is considered one of the world's most beautiful bookshops, with carved wood, a stained-glass ceiling and the famous sweeping red staircase, said to have inspired Harry Potter. Book a timed ticket in advance. An early slot is far calmer.
Palácio da Bolsa. The 19th-century former stock exchange is shown by guided tour only. And it's worth it. The highlight is the Arab Room, an opulent Moorish-style ballroom with gilded stucco modelled on the Alhambra. Best to book ahead.
Cais da Ribeira. At the Cais da Ribeira you reach the heart of Porto. Colourful, narrow house fronts crowd the water, with restaurants, street music and the bridge in view. From here the "Seis Pontes" boat tours set off, passing under all six Douro bridges in about 50 minutes.
Ponte Luís I. The double-deck iron bridge of 1886, designed by a pupil of Gustave Eiffel, links Porto with Gaia. On the upper deck you walk across (beside the metro) high above the river. The view back to the Ribeira is one of the city's finest.
Caves Cálem. On the Gaia side, the port-wine barrels of the great houses rest in cool cellars. At Cálem a tour walks you through the history of port and ends with a tasting, often accompanied by a small Fado concert. Best to book the tour with tasting ahead. Afterwards, take a short detour along the Gaia riverfront. Two minutes on, the giant Half Rabbit by Bordalo II climbs over a building corner. A rabbit built entirely from recycled waste.
Miradouro da Serra do Pilar. To finish, the best view of Porto. From the miradouro by the round Serra do Pilar monastery church you take in the whole old town, the Douro and the Ponte Luís I in one frame. Loveliest in the late afternoon, when golden light falls over the city. The metro back is right next door.

Planning your visit

One day is enough, two if you want to cross the river. The route from São Bento station runs 3.5 kilometres and heads downhill almost throughout, from the cathedral past the Clérigos tower and the Livraria Lello down to the Ribeira. The Ponte Luís I takes you to the port wine cellars and the viewpoint at Serra do Pilar. Wear solid shoes, the paving is slippery and the lanes are steep. Seven evening tips are ready, and the Douro valley is worth a full day.

Going out & nightlife

Rooftop bars

17º Rooftop (Hotel Dom Henrique). Bar on the 17th floor above the centre, with a broad view over the tiled roofs, the Torre dos Clérigos and the Douro. Loveliest at dusk.

Nightlife quarters

Galeria de Paris & Cândido dos Reis. The go-to nightlife strip near the Torre dos Clérigos, with bars, quirky old-shop pubs and clubs side by side. Buzzing until late.
Cais de Gaia (Flussufer). Along the Gaia bank opposite the Ribeira, port lodges, bars and terrace restaurants line the water. Sundowners with a view of the floodlit old town.

Food & restaurants

Café Santiago (Francesinha). Porto's most famous spot for the Francesinha. A hearty layered sandwich under melted cheese and a spicy beer-and-tomato sauce. Rich, legendary, often with a queue.
Restaurants an der Ribeira. Right on the riverbank beneath the colourful house fronts, the restaurants serve grilled fish, bacalhau and local wine. Touristy, but with an unbeatable waterside setting.

Bars & clubs

Rua da Galeria de Paris (spät). When the bars fill up, everyone moves to the clubs and late bars around Galeria de Paris and Rua de Cândido dos Reis. Going until morning.

Stage & concerts

Casa da Música. Rem Koolhaas's bold concert hall north of the centre is Porto's music landmark. Classical, jazz and world music in spectacular architecture.

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Practical information for Porto

Public transport

Operator. Public transport in the Porto metropolitan area is spread across several operators. Metro do Porto runs six light-rail lines (A to F) as well as the Funicular dos Guindais cable railway. STCP (Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto) operates the city bus network and the three historic tram lines. CP (Comboios de Portugal) runs the regional and long-distance trains, including from Porto Campanhã and São Bento. Metro and bus tickets across the whole metropolitan area fall under the shared Andante fare network, whose zone system is set by the metropolitan transport authority (AMP).

Network. Six metro lines, buses and three historic tram lines.

Modes of transport. Metro (light rail) · Bus · Historic tram · Funicular · Regional train

Operating hours. Each of the six metro lines has its own first and last trip. On weekdays, Line A starts from Estádio do Dragão at 5:54am, with the last trip from Senhor de Matosinhos at 1:00am. Line B starts from Póvoa de Varzim at 5:44am, with the last trip there at 12:27am. Line C starts from Campanhã at 5:49am, with the last trip from ISMAI at 12:25am. Line D starts from both endpoints (Hospital São João and Vila d'Este) at 6:00am, with the last trip around 1:03am. Line E, the airport line, starts from Trindade at 5:58am, with the last trip from the airport at 12:42am. Line F starts from Fânzeres at 5:59am, with the last trip from Senhora da Hora at 12:26am. Service starts a little later on Sundays and public holidays, while Saturdays run much like weekdays. STCP bus lines run mostly between 6am and 9pm, with some lines running longer.

Night service. Under the name Rede da Madrugada, STCP runs its own night bus network with around 13 lines (1M to 13M). The central starting point is Avenida dos Aliados, from where the lines fan out towards Matosinhos, Hospital São João, the airport and Maia, among other destinations. The metro itself doesn't run all night, but some individual lines do operate until past one in the morning.

Buying tickets. The rechargeable Andante Azul card, as well as day and tourist cards, can be bought from the machines at every metro station, and also through the city's Linha Andante sales network. On buses, if you don't already have an Andante card, the driver sells a ticket when you board. The Andante card has to be validated again at the readers before every trip and at every change between vehicles, once validated, a ticket only covers one vehicle.

App and payment. According to STCP, the on-board bus ticket can be paid for in cash, via MB WAY, or by contactless debit or credit card. For the metro, and for topping up Andante trips, the physical Andante card is still required, no official app for paying directly for individual metro trips is mentioned on the pages checked.

Which ticket. Occasional travellers buy the rechargeable Andante Azul card for a one-off deposit of €0.60 and load individual trips onto it. The price depends on how many fare zones, Z2 to Z9, are crossed, from €1.40 am (Z2) to €4.65 (Z9) per trip. Buy 10 trips in the same zone and you get an 11th one free. The Andante 24 is valid for 24 hours from first validation for the chosen number of zones and costs from €5.35 am (Z2) to €5.30 pm (Z9), plus the €0.60 card deposit, which in zone Z2 works out to about 3.8 single trips (4 single Z2 trips cost €5.60). Visitors can also get the non-rechargeable Andante Tour, which allows unlimited trips on the whole Andante network, including all zones, for €7.75 over 24 hours or €4.55 pm over 72 hours. A single bus ticket bought straight from the driver costs a flat €2.50 am regardless of the number of zones.

Fare zones. Greater Porto is divided into fare zones Z2 to Z9, and the price depends on how many zones a route crosses. The online zone counter, or the destination list at the boarding station, shows how many zones a route needs.

Tip. The Funicular dos Guindais saves the steep climb from the river to the cathedral.

Getting there

Main station

Location. The long-distance station in the east. The famous tiled station São Bento is in the centre and serves local trains.

Long-distance trains. All Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains stop at Campanhã, not at the city-centre station São Bento. Southbound, they run via Aveiro and Coimbra-B to Lisbon Oriente and Santa Apolónia, with two Alfa Pendular pairs a day continuing all the way to Faro in the Algarve. Northbound, Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains serve Braga, and there are also Intercidades services to Guimarães and, via Viana do Castelo, to Valença. Across the border, the Celta runs twice daily to Vigo-Guixar in Galicia, calling at Nine, Viana do Castelo and Valença.

Opening hours. Long-distance services start early. On weekdays, the first Alfa Pendular leaves Porto Campanhã at 5.40am towards Lisbon and Faro. Southbound, the last long-distance train leaves at 8.40pm, and northbound the last Intercidades to Braga leaves at 10.45pm. The last train from Lisbon arrives at 1.13am.

Airports

OPO

Into the city. According to the timetable, metro Line E takes around 28 minutes from Trindade in the centre to the airport.

Frequency. Every 15 minutes on weekdays between 7am and 8pm, otherwise every 20 to 30 minutes. First departure from the airport on weekdays is 6:06am, last is 12:42am.

Local quirks

Port wine sits on the other bank. The wine cellars are in Vila Nova de Gaia, not in Porto. It's a ten-minute walk over the Ponte Luís I bridge.
Revalidate the Andante card at every change. According to Metro do Porto, the Andante card is only valid for one vehicle at a time. Every time you change, including between metro and bus, it has to be validated again at a reader, a card validated once doesn't automatically cover a transfer.
Luggage lockers at the central metro station Trindade. Metro do Porto's official website links to a locker provider right at Trindade station, the main interchange in the centre. Handy on departure day, once you've already checked out of your hotel room.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F
Time zone: Europe/Lisbon
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h (just 20 km/h in shared-space zones with pedestrian priority), outside towns 90 km/h on normal rural roads, 100 km/h on roads reserved specifically for cars and motorcycles (vias reservadas), motorway 120 km/h, minimum speed 50 km/h

Between rural road and motorway, Portugal has its own road category called vias reservadas a automóveis e motociclos with a 100 km/h limit. These roads often look like motorways but legally are not, and driving at 120 there exceeds the limit. On true motorways there is additionally a minimum speed of 50 km/h, and driving below it is also fined. Within built-up areas, traffic-calmed zonas de coexistência allow only walking pace, 20 km/h.

Tipping. Not expected. Round up or five percent for good service.

Tolls. Many motorways have no toll booths but read the plate electronically. With a foreign plate you must register in advance or hire a device, otherwise it gets complicated.

Access restrictions. Lisbon has a low emission zone in the centre, graded by year of registration.