Porto is such a beautiful city. The ancient city centre is a stunning jewel of a place rich in history and full of fascination. But there’s so much more to Porto than the main bit in the middle.
We’ve trawled the city to find as many of its best attractions and, as it turns out, it’s an enormous list. Here are 30 things to do in Porto, whether you approach them via an official Porto tour or DIY it.
30 brilliant Porto experiences
- Wander the gorgeous riverfront Ribeira district with its tall, elegant buildings and get a feel for the city’s traditional architecture
- The grocery store called O Pretinho do Japão hides a secret – out of the back of the shop, at the end of the garden, there’s a café and bar with stunning artwork of a cat by Porto’s famed graffiti artists Nuno Costah
- Marvel at the traditional blue and white tiling inside the São Bento railway station
- Check out the stunning Lello bookstore
- Arrange your holiday around the city’s many splendid iconic bridges
- Visit the beautiful little church at Capela do Senhor da Pedra just along the coast from Porto – dating back to the 1600s, hexagonal, right on the beach and totally Instagrammable. There’s also an excellent long, wide sandy beach there, which is rarely busy
- Grab a guided Porto tour and climb the Arrábida Bridge, the final bridge before you reach the ocean with splendid vistas to enjoy
- Cat-lovers head for the Noémia da Costa Pinto cafe and guesthouse, an informal cat refuge where the staff collect donations to feed the felines. What a lovely place to relax with food and drink in great furry company!
- Spend time at the Portuguese Photography Centre inside a building that was a prison until 1974, full of awesome rare vintage cameras
- Chill out in the lovely Jardim das Virtudes, a garden with magnificent views over the Douro river and the stern-looking Customs House during the day. The gardens are home to the famous 1600s public fountain, Portugal’s biggest Ginko tree, and fabulous sunset views from the Passeio das Virtudes
- Explore the city’s many Miradouros or lookout points, so many you can base your holiday around them. The viewpoint just below Porto Cathedral, Miradouro da Rua das Aldas, is awesome for a start, especially at sunrise when the red rooftops turn scarlet and gold in the sun’s rays
- Discover the tiled artwork on the wall of the Gare nightclub, next to São Bento Railway Station. It’s made up of 3000 azulejo tiles making up a message: ‘who are you, Porto?’. Every tile has been painted by a local person or a visitor in an artwork project led by the city’s street artist Miguel Januário
- Love a cuppa? If a cup of great tea is on your menu make your way to the tiny paradise Rota do Chá, a boho-style tea house set in a large and very pretty garden. You’d never imagine you’re in the city centre, it’s totally idyllic
- Just two hours from the city and you may as well be a different world – the fascinating city of Guimaraes offers quaint narrow streets, a castle, and a wealth of historical treats
- The Half Rabbit is just amazing, created on the corner of a building in Vila Nova de Gaia. The giant rabbit sculpture has been made from recycled materials and rubbish, and it’s really exciting – made by the Porto artist Bordalo II
- There’s more street art to enjoy thanks to artist Daniel Eime, whose stencil art in the Miragaia district is a delight to see. Don’t miss his Mira mural, a huge piece of art celebrating a local city resident
- Walk from Sao Bento Train Station over the Dom Luís I Bridge at sunset or sunrise for epic views and awesome photos
- Fall in love with the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, which offer some of the city’s finest views of the city and beyond to the Douro river as well as all sorts of exotic plant specimens
- R. de Cabo Simão, the street just below the Monastery, winds downhill. Half way along there’s a viewing platform with extraordinary vistas of Dom Luis I Bridge and the city
- Climb the Iglesia de Los Clérigos, a national monument in Baroque style with a tower accessible via 250 steps. The views from the top need to be seen to be believed
- The lighthouses at Foz are set in a place of great natural beauty, where the Douro river and the Atlantic meet
- Love music? Try Breyner 85, a popular place with DJs and jam sessions in the upstairs concert hall and outdoor events outside in the garden all summer
- The building that’s home to the Casa da Musica is worth visiting for the architecture alone, crafted by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas in 2005. This 1300 seat venue is home to regular concerts too, so see if there’s anything on that you fancy
- The Serralves museum is out in the ‘burbs, containing exceptional work by a host of world-class artists. The gardens surrounding it are gorgeous
- Marvel at the traditional tiles smothering the Chapel of the Souls on Rua Santa Catarina in the Bolhao area. The same goes for the Igreja do Carmo, whose church wall is also covered in the famous blue tiles
- Stroll along the Douro River on the flat banks, a lovely walk in every direction and a great way to work up an appetite for some of the city’s fabulous food and wine
- Experience the flavour of real Port in the many ancient wine cellars of Gaia
- Cross the river to Vila Nova de Gaia to enjoy drinks and eats at Esplanada, a popular terrace bar with vast views of the city and river
- Artisan beers, anyone? The Letraria is a star in the city’s artisan beer scene with a gorgeous garden and around 20 different craft beers to sample in the shade under a tree
- Drink in some local colour at the bustling, vibrant Mercado do Bolhão, an old covered market in the city centre where there’s everything from fresh produce to flowers on sale
There’s an enormous variety of different tours to enjoy in Porto, from art to architecture, nature to watersports, hiking, and beach fun. This jewel of a place is rich in excitement and drama, and the best way to experience it is often with a guide at your side or an expert to hand. Take a tour of our tours in Porto, see what inspires you the most, and get the best out of the destination.
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