What to see in Porto in 2 days – Travel Itinerary

If you are planning a trip to Portugal soon, Porto is a city that simply cannot be left out of your itinerary. But you probably know that already, right? That is why you are looking for travel itineraries about what to do and see in Porto for 2 days. Well, you have come to the right place. After visiting Portugal a few times and making a stop in this lovely city on every single visit, we have come up with the perfect 2-day travel itinerary in Porto!

In this post, you will find:

When to visit Porto

To answer this question, you have to think of the type of trip you want. The summer season – from June to August – is the best time to visit Porto if you like warm days but do not mind sharing the city with a crowd of tourists. Summer is by far the busiest the city gets, which has its ups and downs. While restaurants and hotels are busier and more expensive, there are also more events happening in the city and the bars are boosting with nightlife.

If you want to avoid the crowds, we actually recommend organizing your trip to Porto between September and October. During these months, the weather is still quite pleasant but there are significantly fewer tourists around.

How to get to Porto

Porto is the second-largest city in Portugal, second only to the capital Lisbon. Being of such importance, the Porto Airport is reasonably big and offers quite a good selection of national and international flights. Below you will find some of the options for how to get to Porto using different transport modes.

By plane

We recommend coming by plane if you will be arriving in Porto from abroad, but the options below are more interesting for domestic connections if you will be coming to Porto from another city in Portugal. Porto International Airport is well connected to the city center through a quick subway ride of roughly 45min. The tickets cost 2€ and can be purchased directly at the station. Alternatively, you can also get an Uber straight from the airport. It will cost you around 12€ to get a ride to the city center.

By car

Since Portugal is a very popular country for road trips, many people arrive in Porto in their car. I personally do not recommend exploring the city in a car because parking in the city center can be hectic and it is simply not pleasant to drive in between the tiny narrow roads of Porto. If you will be arriving by car, I recommend getting accommodation with parking included to avoid the hassle of finding public parking every day. Another thing to have in mind is that the Portuguese highways have tolls, which can quickly add up making your trip more expensive than predicted. That being said, travelling by car may give you quite some freedom in terms of itinerary, especially if you are interested in exploring the surroundings of Porto and doing some day trips.

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By train

If you will be arriving in Porto from another destination within Portugal, we strongly recommend using the train. The tickets are fairly accessible, with discounts available for early purchases and for students, younger people, etc. For comparison, we travelled between Porto and Lisbon in the summer of 2021 and paid around 9€ each way by purchasing the tickets in advance. The cheapest ticket we found for 2024 was 10€. Use the official website of the Portuguese rail company to check the timetable and buy your tickets online in advance.

Pro tip: Porto has two major train stations. The one located in the heart of the city center is called São Bento, but the main station is called Campanhã. The ride between both stations is only 15min, done with the regional train lines. Therefore, when arriving in Porto from a city in another region, you will have to exchange trains, but this last stop is always included in the ticket and there are regional trains leaving every 10-15min.

By bus

Travelling by bus is another very popular alternative for people who are looking for opportunities to save on their travel expenses. With popular international bus companies such as Flixbus, you can buy tickets from almost any destination in Europe for very affordable prices. The bus station that Flixbus uses in Porto is extremely well located, in the heart of the city center, right next to the famous cathedral called “Sé do Porto”.

Where to stay in Porto

For travellers who will be visiting Porto for the first time, it is important to first explain a bit about how the city is organized. Porto is not a big city and the city center is located right by the margins of the Douro River. Once you cross to the other side of the river, you are technically not in Porto anymore, but in the city called Vila Nova de Gaia. Lately, this side has been developing quite a lot, with many new accommodation options becoming available every year.

As a personal preference, we prefer to stay on the Porto side so we have easier access to most of the points of interest and are able to walk to basically all the tourist locations. We recommend staying either close to the São Bento train station or in the surroundings of Livraria Lello. We have always stayed close to these locations and have really enjoyed our time there. There are several options of restaurants, bus/subway stations, and everything you need on a daily basis.

Places we stayed at and would definitely recommend:

Guest House Triunfo – This nice and cozy hotel offers amazing views from your room, delicious self-served breakfast, and proximity to all the main attractions.

Porto Lounge Hostel – Located close to the Livraria Lello, this hostel was incredibly clean and the atmosphere was really nice. The free breakfast was an amazing plus.

How long to stay in Porto

Porto is a small city where you can visit all major locations on foot. Within one day, you can walk through most of the landmarks and important tourist spots. However, we recommend saving 2 full days to visit Porto so you can enjoy the places and have a comfortable time for a nice lunch, visit the amazing churches, do a tour of a wine cellar, and do whatever else you feel like doing.

If you have more days, there are plenty of activities in the surrounding towns to keep you busy. Check our section below about what to visit around Porto.

For more ideas check the activities offered on Get Your Guide

Pro tip: If you will be traveling to Porto during the winter, it is important to consider that the daytime will be much shorter than during summertime. This means you will have fewer hours during the day to walk around and explore, so it may be good to consider staying 3 days in Porto to be able to fully enjoy the city.

2-Day travel itinerary in Porto

This 2-Day Porto Itinerary was created in such a way that you can do everything on the list by foot. Both days start close to the São Bento train station since it is one of the most central points in the city. Depending on where you will be staying, feel free to adapt our travel itinerary in Porto to your accommodation.

Travel itinerary – Day 1 in Porto

On this day, we will guide you through the most central attractions of Porto, doing a loop that starts at the São Bento station and finishes by the riverside.

Lello Bookstore (Livraria Lello)

Our 2-day travel itinerary in Porto could not start in a more typical location. The Lello Bookstore is one of the most famous sites in Porto, especially ever since the renowned writer J.K. Rowling revealed she was inspired by the interior design when creating the moving staircases of Hogwarts. If you are a fan of the wizarding world of Harry Potter and want to visit the bookstore inside, we recommend starting this day early because the lines to go in are always long.

• Ticket: 5€
• Working hours: from 9h30 to 19h, every day. We recommend being there as soon as it opens.

Clérigos Tower

Right in front of Lello, you will be able to see the Clérigos Tower. This is one of the highest towers in Portugal and has splendid views of Porto. It is actually one of the few locations in the city where you can have a full 360o panoramic view of Porto since the city is located in hills. To reach the views, you will have to climb 225 steps up on the tower, so get ready for some exercise!

• Ticket: 6€
• Working hours: from 9h to 19h, every day.

Carmo Church

Located only a short walk away from the tower you will find one of the most iconic churches of Porto. What makes this church so special is its architecture – both inside and outside. Built in the XVIII century, the Carmo church´s walls display some of the most incredible tiles, which are such an important Portuguese tradition.

Interesting fact: looking at the entrance to the Carmo Church, you will notice there is another church right on its left, which is called the Carmelitas Church and was part of a convent. As it turns out, back in the days, it was not allowed to have two churches built together to avoid contact between the nuns and the monks. As a solution, they built a tiny house – which is only one door wide – to separate the two churches. Look closely and you will see the tiny house is still there. Officially named “the hidden house”, this is now considered the narrowest house in Porto, which is open for visitors.

• Ticket: Free entrance to the church, the tiny house is included in a tour package that costs 2,50 €
• Working hours: from 9h to 18h, every day.

Crystal Palace Gardens

After visiting the Carmo Church, walk towards the Crystal Palace to visit the gardens – it is located only 10min away by foot. Right on the entrance, you will be greeted by some of the garden´s residents – a couple of beautiful peacocks. The best thing about this location, in our opinion, is the views you have of Porto city below. If you visit it in the right season, you also may get the rose garden in full bloom, which is a very lovely location.

• Ticket: Free!
• Working hours: from 8h to 19h during winter and until 21h in summer

Tip: If you are looking for refreshment with some of the best views of the city, consider sitting down at Miradouro Ignez.

Walk through the old customs towards the São Francisco Church

The next stop on this Porto travel itinerary is back towards the city center. Make your way down towards the river to walk along the riverside. You will pass along the customs building, some museums, and even restaurants. This is a very pleasant walk, which I highly recommend doing, even if you do not follow this itinerary faithfully.

You will then reach the São Francisco church, alongside the Carmo and Sé, which make up the trio of the most important churches in Portugal. From the outside, São Francisco has very gothic architecture, but what makes it so distinguishing is the interior in full barroco style, built with incredible amounts of gold. It is believed that over 300kgs of gold were used during the construction.

• Ticket: 7€
• Working hours: from 9h to 20h every day

Visit the riverside called Ribeira do Porto

To end this first incredible day in the city, we recommend finishing your first day of the Porto travel itinerary by the riverside, which is called “Ribeira do Porto”. The view of the colorful houses along the Douro River is one of the most picturesque postcards of the city, but it is also one of the busiest areas in town. The riverside is full of overly-touristic restaurants which overpriced drinks and not-so-typical dishes. We recommend walking around and enjoying the place, but thoroughly checking where to sit to not fall into a tourist trap of a restaurant.

Our recommendation: We strongly recommend making a reservation for dinner on the “Adega São Nicolau”. This small restaurant is located on one of the side streets, still very close to the river. Their food is impeccable and worth every cent.

Travel Itinerary – Day 2 in Porto

São Bento Station

Today´s tour starts at the most central train station in Porto. Even if you don´t use the train to travel within Portugal, make sure to step inside and get amazed at the incredible Portuguese tiles on the inside of the building. The tiles inside the São Bento Station picture many scenes taking place in this Northern region of Portugal.

Avenue of the Allies

Step out of the train station and go towards your right to the Avenue of the Allies (in Portuguese “Avenida dos Aliados”). This is one of the largest avenues in Porto, with a big-city vibe that you will not find anywhere else in the city. Instead of the narrow streets and colorful twin houses, here you will see a large boulevard with big historical buildings that are extremely well-preserved. You will see banks, theatres, and even hotels among them – some of the most prestigious hotels in Porto are actually located right here.

From there, I recommend saving some time on this second day of the Porto Travel Itinerary to walk around the next neighborhood called Bolhões, which is full of shops and local bakeries. One of the main stops in this neighborhood is the Chapel of the Souls, another one of the most incredible churches in the city, covered with traditional Portuguese tiles. On the way back in the direction to the São Bento Station, pass in front of the “Majestic Café”, a coffee place from the Belle Epoque that is still in perfect condition!

Visit the Sé Cathedral

Walk up the hill to visit the main cathedral in Porto – the Sé Cathedral, which is also known as the Cathedral of Porto. Built around the XII century, it is known as the place where the whole city of Porto started. It is located in the oldest neighborhood in town, and walking around the narrow streets you can really feel this is where the original Porto is.

• Ticket: visiting the cathedral is free but there is a 3€ fee to visit the rest of the building.
• Working hours: from 9h to 18h30, every day

Once you have explored the cathedral, go down through the staircase called “Escadaria das Verdades”, located at the backside. Follow the narrow little streets until you reach the riverside. This path is not recommended if you have any difficulty moving or with baby strollers as it is made basically with stairs.

Dom Luis Bridge

Today is the day you will explore the other side of the river, called Vila Nova de Gaia. We recommend saving the entire afternoon of this second day in Porto to visit the wine cellars and really enjoy this part of the city. To do that, you first need to cross the Dom Luis Bridge. Cross through the lower part, but at the end of the day, make sure you make your way back through the top part so you can have a view of both floors.

Tip: If you visit Porto during the summer, you will most likely see young people jumping from the bridge into the river. They later pass among the crowd asking for money, but it is certainly popular entertainment.

Visit a Port Wine Cellar

I am sure you know by now that one of the things that makes Porto famous is its wine, called Port Wine. Whether you like wine or not, visiting the wine cellars is a must-do activity in Porto because you get to learn a lot about the city and the local culture on the tour – and also taste some wine, which is, of course, a great way to finish any tour.

All the wine cellars are located in Vila Nova de Gaia, you will quickly see all the buildings and the sailboats that are used to transport the barrels. There are many options for cellars to choose from. We have been to the Croft and the Taylors and we really enjoyed both, even if they have quite different styles of tours.

The Croft offers a guided visit with options in Portuguese or English. You can have the tour that includes 3 wine tastings at the end of the more special ones, with up to 5 tasting glasses. It is recommended to book the tour online prior to your arrival because they often sell out.

The Taylor offers a more modern approach, with a digital tour that you can take on your own. This is great for people who haven’t booked any tours ahead or don’t enjoy group tours. You can also choose from a couple of options of tickets which include different amounts of tasting glasses.

Watch the sunset at Miradouro Serra do Pilar

Finish your 2-Day Itinerary in Porto by going up to the viewpoint called Miradouro Serra do Pilar. If you are already by the river on the Gaia side, all you need to do is walk up. This is, in my opinion, the best location for watching the sunset in Porto as you will see the sun going down by the river. During the summer, this location gets very crowded and a lot of local artists come by to play live music. It is such an incredible vibe, you can´t miss it!

To go back to town afterward, walk through the upper part of the Dom Luis Bridge, as I mentioned before.

Ideas for day-trips from Porto

If you will be spending more than 2 days in Porto and want to know what to see in the surroundings of the city, here are our tips:

• Spend the morning exploring Porto´s seaside
• Hop on a train to Aveiro and visit the fishing village of Costa Nova
• Go on a boat tour through the Douro River
• Visit the wineries in the Douro Valley, either by train or car
• Visit some of the historical cities such as Guimarães and Braga

Typical foods you should try when traveling to Porto

We cannot talk about tourism without talking about typical cuisine. Especially in Portugal.

This country has some of the most delicious and affordable restaurants in Europe. We strongly recommend making an effort to try out local Portuguese dishes that are simply mouth-watering. Here is a short list of typical dishes you should not leave Porto without trying:

• Francesinha: The most typical dish from Porto, Francesinha is something you will not find anywhere else. It is basically a sandwich, dipped in tomato sauce and accompanied by French fries. Ask for the version with the egg on top, you won´t regret it.
• Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá: Being a city built by the river, it is natural that one of the main dishes would be made of fish. This is a specific way of cooking Bacalhau that is very popular in Porto. The fish is prepared with eggs, potatoes, onions, and black olives.
• Caldo Verde: this is a traditional soup made with a specific type of kale, potatoes, and regional sausages. This soup has become a favorite of many famous Portuguese writers, being featured in poems and literature pieces across time.
• Tripas à Moda do Porto: For meat lovers, this dish is made with a variety of meat and sausage types. Cooked in a sort of stew with beans and legumes, this is also a very typical dish from Porto that you will find in almost any restaurant in town.
• Papo de Anjo: to finalise, the desert. Traditionally made in the convents, this sweet is made with egg whites and should be eaten with a glass of Port Wine on the side.

This concludes our 2-day Travel Itinerary in Porto. We hope this guide will help you organise your trip to Porto, but if you have any additional questions, feel free to use the comment section below and we will help you out! Continue reading to plan the rest of your trip with our guides about other locations in Portugal.

Fê & Edo