Is Porto guide in 3 days It will help you to not miss any interesting place of a jewel of Portugal, which we are sure, will make you fall in love.
During the first two days you will have visited all the points of interest of the city, in addition to other points further away such as the Gardens of the Crystal Palace and the wineries of Vila Nova de Gaia, so on this third day, we propose to reach some of the most beautiful cities in Portugal that are easy to access from Porto, such as the medieval city of Guimaraes, the city of the archbishops of Braga or the coastal city of Aveiro.
Based largely on the experience of our trip to Porto and Guimaraes in 4 days we have made this guide to tour Porto in three days. We start!
Practical advice for a trip to Porto
This list of tips will help you have a good first contact with the city:
- To get to the center of Porto or your hotel from the airport, you have several alternatives: metro, bus, taxi or book this transfer directly to the hotel. You can find more information about the transfer in this post about how to go from Porto airport to downtown.
- To stay during the Porto in 3 days We recommend Residencial Universal, a hotel located downtown and with a great quality / price ratio. For more information you can read about where to stay in Porto.
- To save on transportation we suggest you purchase the card Walking, adding several routes, so you get more economical.
- Check if it is profitable to book the Porto Card that includes public transport and discounts of up to 50% at numerous attractions in the city.
- A good way to know the history of the most important places in the city is to book this Free tour of Porto! Free! With guide in Spanish.
- If you have little time you can book the tourist bus, which costs only 15 euros and will take you to the most tourist places in the city.
- Remember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
You have more recommendations in this post about essential tips for traveling to Porto.
First day in Porto
East Oporto itinerary in three days It starts early in the morning at the Bolhao Market, which opens at 7 in the morning. After touring their food stalls you can walk between large modernist buildings along Avenida dos Aliados and Praça da Liberdade, considered the heart of the city. (Update 2019: Thanks to Adela, we know that this market is currently undergoing reform. We recommend you confirm if it is open before you go).
The next stop is the San Bento station to delight you with its excellent murals of more than 20,000 tiles and where right next to the cafe is located Cream Lisbon, in which the cream, delicious sweets, which you can not miss.
A 5-minute walk from the cafe is the Lello e Irmão bookstore, one of the most beautiful in the world, which inspired some scenes from the books of “Harry Potter”And that is another of the essentials in this Porto in 3 days.
Libreria Lello and Irmão
When leaving the bookstore we recommend you go up to the Clérigos Tower to enjoy magnificent views of the city center. A good option to learn more about the history of these buildings is to book a guided tour or this tour that includes the cruise and the visit to the wineries, both with a guide in Spanish, to learn much more about the city.
The Oporto route in three days continue eating a good cod or a francesinha in Petisqueira Voltaria, one of the best restaurants to eat in Porto.
In the afternoon, after lunch and a short walk, you will arrive at La Sé, where it is worth visiting your cloister, and then approaching you to the square in front, from which you will have good views of Porto.
From this square you will put direction to the Duero river going down the narrow streets and stairs of the old neighborhood of Do Barredo, one of the most essential places to visit in Porto, in which in addition to its old buildings with balconies full of clothes hanging, no you can miss the Torre do Barredo and the "Escadas do Barredo".
Barredo neighborhood
When you reach the area of the Douro shore, known as La Ribeira, you will see the docks from which the boats that cross the river leave, and that has become one of the best things to do in Porto. You can book the cruise in advance here.
After the cruise and a walk along the banks of the Duero, we recommend you climb to the top of the Don Luis I Bridge to see a magnificent sunset over the city and the Duero River.
To end the first day of Porto in 3 days nothing better than dining traditional food in the Mariquinhas House or Guarany coffee While listening to good fado.
(Extended information of the first day here)
Map of the first day of Porto in 3 days
Second day in Porto
The second day of Porto in three days Start arriving at Vila Nova de Gaia after crossing the Don Luis I Bridge, where the best-known wine cellars are located, such as Sandeman, Graham's, Ferreira or Croft, where you can see the whole winemaking process. A good option to learn about the history of the neighborhood and that includes a visit to one of the most famous wineries is to book this tour with a guide in Spanish. If you are a wine lover, it may be more advisable to book this visit to the Sandeman winery with a guide in Spanish specialized in Porto wines.
After tasting the wine and seeing the process, we suggest you take a walk along the shore and enjoy the views of the colorful facades of Porto.
Crossing the Don Luis I bridge again and passing in front of the Casa do Infante, you will arrive at the church of San Francisco, where inside there are golden carvings and the beautiful wooden sculpture of the Jesse Tree.
When leaving the church we recommend you approach the Palacio de la Bolsa to take a guided tour of its magnificent rooms.
Stock Exchange Palace
At the end of the visit you will get on the Cordoaria stop on the bus that will take you to the Gardens of the Crystal Palace, the next stop of the Porto in 3 days, where in addition to enjoying a pleasant walk in the park, you will have incredible views of the Duero River and its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean.
From the Palácio stop you can take another bus to San Bento station, where nearby is the Tapabento, a magnificent restaurant to try the city's modern food.
In the afternoon the itinerary continues walking to Praça da Batalha, where the important buildings of the São João Theater and the church of San Ildefonso are located. In addition, very close to the square, from the Ricardo Jorge Institute, you can access a part of the old wall that surrounded the city, and then enjoy a short break in the historic Majestic Cafe.
This café is located on Santa Catarina rua, a pedestrian street for walking and shopping, where there are also surprising places such as the Chapel of Souls, with a facade full of white and blue tiles. Following Santa Catarina we recommend stopping at the A Pérola do Bolhão store, another of the city's charming places.
Chapels of Souls
To end this second day of Porto in three days in the best way, we recommend you approach the Avenida dos Aliados for dinner at the Droop food & Wine or book at MUU Steakhouse, one of the best restaurants in the city.
(Extended information of the second day here)
Map of the second day of Porto in 2 days
Third day in Porto
On this last day of Porto in three days We recommend you to do some of the considered best excursions in Porto, such as Guimarães, Braga or Aveiro.
During our trip a few years ago to Porto we took the opportunity to visit one day the medieval town of Guimaraes, one of the most beautiful in Portugal. In addition to strolling through its old town declared a World Heritage Site, we recommend you take the cable car to the Sanctuary of Penha, with magnificent views of the entire environment. Among the highlights of the historic center are the churches of Our Lady of Consolation, San Francisco and Our Lady of Oliveira, the squares of Largo da Oliveira and S. Tiago, the medieval street of Santa María, the Convent from Santa Clara, the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza and the imposing Guimaraes Castle.
Guimaraes
To get to Guimaraes, located 50 kilometers north of Porto, you can take a train at the beautiful San Bento station that will take you in just over an hour to the city known as "the cradle of Portugal".
Another interesting population with good access from Porto is Braga, a city with a great and rich cultural heritage. In addition to visiting the jewel of the city, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte with its beautiful staircase, do not forget to visit its historic center with numerous churches, museums and old buildings, as well as other interesting places such as the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace , the Republic Square, the Sanctuary of Sameiro, the Palacio do Raio, the Chapel of São Frutuoso de Montélios and the castle of Dona Chica.
Braga in Porto in 3 days
To get to Braga from Porto you can take the train at the San Bento station in Porto, which takes about 75 minutes. If you only have one day and you want to visit these two cities you can take a bus that connects Braga and Guimaraes in half an hour.
Another more comfortable option is to book this excursion to Guimarães and Braga with a guide in Spanish by minibus from Porto.
Another city worth knowing in this trip to Porto in 3 days is that of Aveiro, known as the "Portuguese Venice". This beautiful coastal city stands out for its historic center full of canals and bridges, where you can enjoy a ride on the typical colorful moliceiro boat through its canals, see the art nouveau buildings and relax on its long beaches Arena, three favorite activities of tourists arriving in the city.
Among the interesting places of the city do not miss the Parque Infante D. Pedro, the Cathedral, the Republic Square, the Church of Mercy and the old fishing district Beira Mar. If you plan to go to a beach, among the most recommended are the Costa Nova with its painted houses called Palheiros and Barra with the highest lighthouse in Portugal.
Aveiro
Before you leave the city you have to try the ovos moles, typical egg sweets, with which to put icing on this day getaway.
To get to Aveiro from Porto you can take the train at Campanha station which takes about 75 minutes. Another alternative to learn more about the history of the city is to book this excursion to Aveiro and Costa Nova with a guide in Spanish.
