How to Spend 3 Days in Porto, Portugal

Blue and white tiles, port wine, pastel de nata and endless hills. Welcome to Porto, the second-largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, the country’s capital. If you’re currently planning your perfect European city break, then you’re in the right place.

In this guide, we’ve put together a fantastic 3-day itinerary for Porto, which includes many cultural and culinary activities, the top landmarks for seeing the iconic tiles, as well as beautiful viewpoints and sunset spots. In addition, we’ve also included other useful information, such as the best time to visit Porto, where to stay and if 3 days is actually enough to see the best of the city.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in Porto, make sure to watch our dedicated Porto video which we’ve shared on our YouTube channel Kitti and Jon.

How to Spend 3 Days in Porto – A Complete Itinerary

Day 1. Historic Centre of Porto

Morning: Books, Churches and Viewpoints

Start the day by visiting one of Porto’s most popular places: Livraria Lello. This historic bookshop is considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. It became very popular thanks to its grand staircase, which is believed by many Harry Potter fans to be the inspiration behind the moving stairs at Hogwarts. Tickets sell out quickly for the opening time slots, which is one of the best times to visit to avoid the crazy crowds. You can purchase your ticket through GetYourGuide.

Livraria Lello is close to other popular landmarks. One of them is the picturesque Igreja do Carmo church, which is covered in beautiful blue-and-white tiles. You can also visit inside and climb up to the top for 8EUR. To the south of Livraria Lello is Clérigos Church and Bell Tower. For 10EUR you can climb up to the top of the tower and enjoy some fantastic views of Porto. Book your skip-the-line ticket to Clerigos Bell Tower here.

If you wish to visit some museums, then the Portuguese Centre of Photography is located in the vicinity. It’s a free museum housed in an old jail and has a great collection of antique cameras on display. The best part of our visit were the lovely views we got of the city from the huge windows on the upper floor.

From the Photography Museum, you’re not too far from Miradouro da Vitória from where we could enjoy lovely views of Porto Cathedral, the surrounding buildings and the Douro River. If you’re ready for lunch, stop at the Holy Sandwich Shop for a fulfilling meal, or one of the many cafes for a lighter bite or cheeky pastel de nata.

Afternoon: Strolls, Workshops and Porto Cathedral

There is plenty more to do in the historic area of Porto. To burn off your lunch, take a stroll along the pedestrianised Rua das Flores. There are plenty of cafes along here too, but our favourite spot was the giant mural of a cat. For another great view of Porto Cathedral, walk up the steep Rua do Ferraz. The view from here is even better at night when the cathedral is all lit up. Plus, there’s a great pizza place called Pizzeria Bella Mia there, which could be the perfect dinner spot.

If you’re ready to sit down for a bit, or just want to escape the hustle and bustle, you could attend a Tile Painting Workshop. We booked this 2-hour tile painting workshop held in Domus Arte and had a lot of fun. Plus, we could also take home the most memorable souvenir. They also do a Pastel de Nata baking class, which would be another great hands-on activity.

Once you’re ready to get going again, head towards Porto Cathedral. Sé do Porto is one of the oldest buildings in Porto, dating back to the 12th century. Thanks to its location at the highest part of the city, it provides excellent views of the Douro River, surrounding buildings and other iconic landmarks. The Cathedral is worth visiting inside because of its gothic cloister, whose walls are adorned with blue-and-white azulejos. Embracing the steep steps up to the tower will reward you with some sweeping views of Porto. Entry fee is only 4 EUR per person.

Evening: Sunset Along Cais da Ribeira

As the sun starts to slowly set, it’s time to enjoy a leisurely stroll along the waterfront. Make sure to pass by Saint Lawrence Church as you make your way down to Ribeira do Porto. Here you can enjoy some more views of Porto. Don’t forget to stop in Ribeira Square, where you can see the cool Fonte do Cubo with some colourful buildings as a backdrop. Once you’ve made it down to the waterfront, you’ll have a clear view of the Dom Luis I Bridge, one of the most iconic landmarks of Porto.

You can enjoy a drink or a meal at one of the waterfront restaurants, or head up to the upper deck of the Dom Luis I Bridge to watch the sunset.

Day 2. Vila Nova de Gaia

Morning: Vila Nova de Gaia & Viewpoints

Before heading across the Dom Luis I Bridge to spend most of your day in Gaia, consider booking a 30-minute guided tour of the Palacio da Bolsa. The tour will take you through the beautifully decorated interior rooms including the Arab Room, inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Tickets are 14 EUR per person and the tour is available in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French.

After that, head towards the upper deck of the Dom Luis I Bridge. Take your time crossing the bridge and enjoy the postcard-perfect views of Porto from this vantage point. Once you’re on the other side, spend some time up there admiring the views from various viewpoints. We particularly enjoyed hanging out in Jardim do Morro and the Miradouro da Serra do Pilar. They both get busy during sunset, so you can always come back here later for the golden hour.

From here, you can either walk down to Cais de Gaia, passing all the port wine cellars, which is a great opportunity to take some creative photos. Alternatively, you can also take the Gaia Cable Car down. Cais de Gaia is a waterfront promenade just like Cais da Ribeira. Here we could see the traditional Rabelo boats that used to be used to transport barrels of port wine from the Douro Valley to the cellars in Gaia.

Afternoon: Douro River Cruise & Cais de Gaia

A great way to cool down in the early afternoon, when the temperatures are much higher, is by booking a 6 bridges river cruise. It’s a 50-minute leisurely cruise along the Douro river that takes you underneath the 6 beautiful bridges that connect Porto and Gaia. The cruise is on a Rabelo-inspired boat with motor engines, but is much more spacious compared to the traditional versions. Along the way, we could see Porto and Gaia from a different perspective. In addition, it was a great way to get a closer look at the 6 bridges.

After the cruise you can wander further along Cais de Gaia. There are some restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops that you can stop in at. Some interesting places we popped into were Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau and The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines. Just before we reached the Cable Car station, we also stopped by the well-photographed Half Rabbit by Bordalo II. It’s an incredible work of art that’s worth seeing!

Evening: Porto Wine Tasting and Fado Show Experience

You can’t come to Porto and not do a port wine tasting experience. Now, it’s worth noting that you won’t find any cellars in Porto itself. They are all located in Gaia, which is why staying there is a great way to end your second day in Porto.

There are plenty of port houses in Gaia to pick from such as Sandeman, Calem, Vinhos Quinta Do Noval and Kopke Wine House. You would need to pre-book your tour and arrive for your chosen time slot. We ended up booking a tasting experience with Calem, because they also offer a tasting and Fado show combo ticket in the evenings.

Fado is a traditional Portuguese musical genre that’s believed to date back to the 19th century. It is performed by either a male or female singer accompanied by the Portuguese guitar and the classical guitar. The songs have a melancholic and sentimental melody and the lyrics are often about longing, love, the sea and the hardship of life. Fado shows are usually held in more intimate settings, often accompanied by drinks or a meal.

The port wine tasting and Fado show experience at Calem became one of our favourite activities in Porto.

Day 3. Bolhao & Santo Ildefonso Areas of Porto

Morning: Seeing Blue and White Azulejos

On the morning of your 3rd day in Porto, it’s time to see some more beautiful churches covered in blue and white azulejos. Start by visiting the Chapel of Souls, which is one of the most photographed buildings in Porto. This small church is located along the pedestrianised Rua Santa Catarina. Nearly 16,000 azulejos cover its façade, which was pretty impressive to see in person.

As you make your way south, stop by the Mercado do Bolhão. Vendors here were selling fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and other local products on the bottom floor. The top floor had some souvenir stands with handmade products. There are also many cafes in this area where you can grab a pastel de nata. We stopped at Confeitaria do Bolhão, but there’s also the popular Majestic Café further south along Rua Santa Catarina. If you want to try some flavoured pastel de natas, you can get a mixed box of them from Natas D’Ouro. They were incredibly delicious.

The next church along the way is Saint Ildefonso Church. It is another must-see religious building whose façade is covered in 11,000 blue and white tiles. From here, head towards São Bento Station. You wouldn’t guess that there are over 20,000 tiles covering its interior atrium from the outside. It was one of the most beautiful railway stations we’ve ever seen!

Afternoon / Evening: Museums and Sunset Spots

From São Bento Station, you can decide to walk back down towards the Ribeira area for sunset or go somewhere a little less busy.

If you’re heading back towards the waterfront, you’ll get a unique view of the Dom Luis I Bridge by descending via the Escadas dos Guindais staircase next to Igreja de Santa Clara. Around the mid-way mark of the staircase we found the most impressive murals adorning the walls. There are more viewpoints along Gustavo Eiffel Avenue to the east of Cais da Ribeira. You can just hang around here for the rest of the day, watching the sunset or having a meal.

For a slightly different, less crowded but just as lovely sunset spot, head to Crystal Palace Gardens. It’s a beautiful green space, where you can escape the hustle and bustle of Porto. En-route, consider stopping at Soares dos Reis National Museum if you have some time to spare. Housed in the Carrancas Palace, it has a large collection of Portuguese art, including paintings, sculptures, furniture and ceramics. Entry is 10EUR per person.

From there, the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal are only a short walk away. There are many viewpoints offering different perspectives of Porto, including a great view of Arrábida Bridge in the distance. The park was much quieter for sunset than around the Dom Luis I Bridge, which made the experience even more special.

If you’re after a unique spot for a drink and some tapas later on, head to Capela Incomum. This tapas bar is housed in a small 19th century chapel and if you can get a table inside, then you’ll be enjoying your meal with a view of the altar. Definitely a unique dining experience to end your 3 days in Porto.

How Many Days Should You Spend in Porto?

If you’re wondering whether spending 3 days in Porto is enough, then our answer is yes. In 3 days, you’ll be able to visit most of the city’s main attractions and spend some time doing some fun activities, such as a tile painting workshop, a pastel de nata baking class and a port wine tasting experience.

If you want a more relaxed itinerary with regular pastel de nata and coffee stops, then we don’t suggest you take a day trip to the Douro Valley. However, if you don’t mind cramming everything into just 2 days (or skipping a few activities) to be able to fit in a day trip, then that’s also possible.

There are so many fantastic day trips from Porto that we could’ve spent an entire week or so in the area. So, if you have extra days to spare, we definitely suggest a longer stay in the city.

Best Time to Visit Porto in Portugal

You can visit Porto all-year-round, however there are definitely better and worse seasons. Porto is actually one of the wettest cities in Southern Europe thanks to its maritime climate, with mild, rainy winters and warm, sunny summers. Even compared to Lisbon, Porto’s annual rainfall is higher.

Spring (March to May). Spring is a good time to visit Porto, although if you want to increase your chances for sunnier days, then come in late-spring. Just note that the crowds will be higher in May than in March and around the Easter holidays.

Summer (June to August). If you’re after a sunny city break and wish to reduce the chances of rain, then visit in the summer months. Thanks to the summer holidays, July and August will be incredibly busy and it may also be very hot. Visiting in June is probably the best month in this season.

Autumn (September to November). A visit to Porto in autumn is a great opportunity to avoid the insane summer crowds and heat. We would pick September, which is still warm compared to October and November, when the chances of rainy days increase significantly.

Winter (December to February). You can totally visit Porto in the winter months if you come prepared. However, we definitely wouldn’t recommend Porto if you’re after a winter-sun holiday.

Where to Stay in Porto for 3 Days

If you only have 3 days in Porto, then our top pick would be the historic centre area. From here, all the top attractions and landmarks will be reachable on foot. You will also never be too far away from a café to grab a delicious pastel de nata, or from a lovely restaurant for a fulfilling dinner. Below are a few accommodation options to consider:

• Gallery Townhouse & Home is where we stayed in Porto. It had a convenient location close to the historic centre, spacious rooms, a delicious breakfast and other amenities.
• Olival 54 Apartments is also located within walking distance of many key attractions. It has a kitchenette and also a balcony with beautiful city or river views.
• The Clérigos 46 is another beautiful apartment just around the corner from many attractions. It has a spacious room and a kitchenette, as well as a terrace with city views.

Alternatively, you can also stay in Gaia, as it’s really easy to get over to Porto from there. Below are our top Gaia accommodation picks:

• Caléway Hotel is a lovely hotel located a short walk from the Gaia Cable Car and Dom Luis I Bridge. It has a beautiful design with spacious rooms. Breakfast can also be included.
• Vincci Ponte de Ferro offers a 4-star hotel experience with a rooftop swimming pool overlooking the Dom Luis I Bridge and other amenities, such as a fitness centre, sun terrace, restaurant & bar.
• Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel is perfect if you’re after a luxury 5-star stay. They have everything for a relaxing stay including an infinity swimming pool, spa and wellness centre, sauna, fitness centre, sun terrace and lush garden.

Final Thoughts on Spending 3 Days in Porto, Portugal

Porto has been on our bucket list for a very long time and we were excited to finally see this city. Whilst the weather was 50-50 when we were there in March, that didn’t stop us from having a great time. Luckily, Porto has many indoor activities, which made our overall visit more enjoyable. We definitely loved our tile painting workshop and port wine tasting experiences but of course also enjoyed seeing all the different viewpoints and watching the sunset from a different location every evening.

Let us know in the comments below which activities or landmarks you wouldn’t want to miss on a 3-day trip to Porto.  If you found this blog post useful and want to show your support, you can buy us a coffee here.