Three days in Porto

Are you planning to visit Porto soon? If you're coming for just 3 days, and you want to enjoy the city to the fullest but don't want to miss out on the must-see, then this is your lucky day. Because here we tell you what you can do in three days in the city of Porto, but also discover authentic neighbourhoods and hidden places as well as the most famous attractions of the city. Read on to discover the perfect itinerary to get to know this wonderful city.

DAY ONE

We start with breakfast near Carlos Alberto Square in one of the delicious local pastry shops and brunch places. After breakfast, in the square you will find the materials bank. A good place to discover the materials that decorate the walls of Porto, mainly tiles. After this short visit, we continue walking along Cedofeita street, which gives its name to this neighbourhood, and we go into Miguel Bombarda street, full of art galleries, and back along Rosario street, to end up having a glass of wine in Capela Incomum, an old chapel converted into a bar/restaurant.

After the wine we continue walking towards Santo António hospital, and the Court of justice, a building built during the dictatorship that is situated in front of Cordoaria park. We arrive at Largo Amor de Perdição Square where we find the Old prison of Porto, nowadays, Portuguese centre of Photography, where we start our Fundamental Porto Free tour and the Old Town and Ribeira Tour. After visiting this centre, continue going down Taipas street until arriving at San Miguel street, walking through what was one of the old Jewish quarters that were in Oporto, and you will be arriving at Vitoria viewpoint that has stunning beautiful views.

The best way to get back to the city centre is to walk up Rua São Bento da Vitória, past the church and the monastery, and end up next to the Clérigos tower, which is one of the city's landmarks. The number 18 and 22 trams leave from there. Opposite the Clérigos is Lisboa Square with its park of olive trees and its gallery of shops, which must be crossed to reach the Lello bookstore, one of the three most beautiful bookshops in the world. In front of the bookstore, the first street on the right is called Galerias de Paris and the parallel one is called Candido dos Reis, the most famous streets of the city for nightlife and to the left of the bookshop is Gomes Texeira square, better known as the lions' square, name given due to a beautiful fountain with lions that is located right in the centre of the square. There you will find the Twin churches, named also Carmelites and Carmen churches, as well as the rectorate of the University of Porto, a building with a lot of history and flanked on its right wing by typical university bars. The most famous of all is Ancora D'Ouro, better known as Piolho. I would totally recommend you to have a look at that area but then go back down to Galerias de Paris street in the direction of Filipa de Lancaster square and from there go down to Aliados Avenue, a beautiful avenue which today is the financial centre of the city. Here you can find the Municipal Chamber, the headquarters of the banks as well as shops, hotels or old literary cafés, the statue of D. Pedro IV of Portugal and I of Brazil, the Mc Donalds, which is sold as the most beautiful in the world... and from there you can go down Rua das Flores (Flowers Street), a little more than half a km, but one of the most beautiful streets of the city, where is found the Church of Mercy and its museum, leading to the Infante D. Henrique square with the Ferreira market and the Palacio de la Bolsa (Stock Exchange), which if you like architecture is spectacular, you can only enter with a guided tour. Near is also the church of São Nicolau, the church of São Francisco with its carvings bathed in more than 300kg of gold leaf, or the Casa do Infante museum. Any of the museums are worth a visit. In front of São Francisco there is a tram number 1, which takes you to the mouth of the river. From this square you can go for a walk along the riverbank, and if you feel up to it, climb Guindais stairs, better known as the stairs of death, and have some grilled sardines or cod at Tasquinha dos Guindais, a very authentic place. Afterwards, have a beer at the Guindalense Football Club with spectacular views, watching the nightlife and then return to the centre for a quiet drink at the kiok thats located at the end of Picaría Street to end the day. If you prefer a more chilled evening we recommend you to check out one of the many Fado Shows in the city, and it includes a glass of Port wine!

DAY TWO

We recommend you to start the day by having breakfast in front of the Bolhao Market in a Cafeteria-Confiteria, and with the batteries recharged cross to the market, getting lost in its aisles, seeing every stall of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, seafood, canned food, etc. and enjoying the atmosphere. After the visit to the market, go up to Santa Catarina street, to see the chapel of souls (Capela das Almas) . You will be amazed by its intense blue tiles. Santa Catarina street is the street of shops, where you can find Zara, FNAC, H&M... and the Majestic Café. The most famous of the literary cafés in Porto. The street is very pretty, and leads to Batalha square, dominated by the church of San Ildefonso, the São João National Theatre and the Batalha cinema. It is a square that is worth a 360-degree walk through the different architecture. After that, walk down Rua 31 de Janeiro where the view of the other hill presided over by the Church of the Clérigos is breathtaking. Our direction is the São Bento train station with its more than 20 thousand tiles inside representing the patriotism of Portugal. After being amazed by it, we leave the train station along the Avenida D. Alfonso Henriques towards the Sé, the Cathedral of Porto, where the Vila Nova de Gaia Free Tour begins. 

The cathedral is a highly recommended place to visit, where in the same square you will also find the Episcopal Palace. After the visit to the cathedral, 3€ very well spent, we go down to the Grilhos viewpoint to wander through a labyrinth of streets called Barredo neighborhood, the oldest district of the city towards the riverside, we turn off to the Church of San Lourenço dos Grilhos, where next to it are the public washing places. We continue our way along Santa Ana street. Stop in any of the local restaurants you will find along the way if you are hungry. After a good lunch, the idea is to take the boat for the cruise of the 6 bridges that leaves from the Ribeira Square. 

After this pleasant walk, once on the ground, go towards Reboleira street, few streets maintain the medieval style of the 14th century like this one. Go out to the right to the Infante D. Enrique square. If yesterday you were looking forward to a museum, now is the time to do it: Casa do Infante. Then go to Belmonte street, you will find a very authentic shop that sells brooms and brushes. Then go up Taipas street towards the Miradouro de las Virtudes (viewpoint), the secret place for the locals to watch the sunsets. I would recommend having a few beers there, mingling with the atmosphere of the city and then having dinner and tasting some Portuguese dishes in the nearby restaurants. Finish the day having a drink in Aduela tavern or if you feel like it, finish the night dancing in one of the clubs in Galerias de Paris street and adjacent streets. You can also visit one of the many wine cellars if you prefer to have a wine tasting, we leave you here a couple of options in case you are interested!.

Porto Cathedral.

DAY THREE

Have breakfast in one of the cafés in the Boavista neighbourhood, and with the morning energy, head off to discover the Serralves Foundation, the most visited museum in the country. A place where you can dedicate a whole day if you want, although we recommend you to only spend a couple of hours or three there. The idea is to visit the museum of contemporary art and the Serralves house, and have a quick nice stroll around the gardens and walkways. Walk along Boavista Avenue, which is the longest avenue in Portugal (6 km long). 

The destination is Casa da Música, a spectacular building to admire from every angle. To get your strength back, eat in the surrounding area and have dessert at the Bom Succeso market. A former food market, now with stalls focused on tourism. Our visit to Porto continues through the Crystal Palace Gardens, sincerely the most beautiful park in the city, built on terraces, built to breathe nature in the centre of the city and get lost admiring the views of the river or discovering the Museum of Romanticism. 

A few metres away from the gardens there is the Soares do Reí museum, it’s worth a visit if you have the time, but if you are already tired, take a bus, Uber or taxi to the Fontainhas viewpoint, one of the most authentic local areas of the city, with its urban gardens, public washing places, etc. Watching the sunset there with a beer or a glass of wine in your hand is a very local experience. After the sunset, the idea is to walk along São Víctor street to look out and see some of the “ilhas” that the street has, which are communes in the centre of the city, and there are some beautiful ones. 

Rua São Victor leads to Praça dos Poveiros and there you have to choose to eat between the Sande de Pernil from Casa Guedes or the Prego em pão amanteigado from Tapas de Batalha in Praça Batalha, which are two of the best sandwiches you can try in town. We highly recommend the second one.. And close the day at Maus Hábitos for a drink or at Ferro if you would like more of an alternative vibe.

We hope you enjoyed the itinerary we have made for you! Feel free to check the rest of the entries in our blog for anything more specific.