A Charming Weekend in Porto: Where to Go, Eat & Stay in Portugal’s Most Romantic City

Europe
Written By tilyournextadventure

Whether you’re travelling solo, as a couple or a girls trip to Porto - there’s something for everyone in this coastal gem in northern Portugal. We spent our day wandering the cobbled streets and admiring the colourful buildings, sipping on wine and indulging in way too many pastel de natas.

If you’re planning a relaxing weekend in Porto, here’s everything we loved - what to do in Porto, where to eat (without blowing your budget), and where to stay for a perfect weekend.

View of Porto from Luis I Bridge

Our 2-day Porto itinerary at a glance

  • Explore the historic centre of Porto, including the Bolhão district and Ribeira neighbourhood

  • Stroll along the Douro River waterfront or take a Douro River cruise to see the city from the water

  • Catch the sunset at Jardim do Morro

  • Enjoy a port wine tasting in Porto and try refreshing vinho verde wine

  • Try classic Portuguese food in Porto like francesinha and pastel de nata (especially at Fábrica da Nata)

  • Eat at top-rated, great value Porto restaurants including Cantinho do Avillez and Almeja

What to do in Porto: Our favourite activities

One of the things I loved most about Porto was how easy it was to explore on foot. The historic centre is incredibly walkable - just be ready for a few steep hills and cobblestone streets. We explored the Bolhão district and the Ribeira neighbourhood, one of the most picturesque areas in Porto, lined with colourful buildings along the Douro River.

After crossing the Dom Luís I Bridge, we ambled through the markets and quirky shops on the Gaia side, and spent a few hours at the WOW (World of Wine) which includes free port wine tasting in the entry ticket - a fun start to our evening!

My partner also organised a surprise Douro River boat cruise - a beautiful experience as we got to try vinho verde, learn more about this wonderful city and its people, and see Porto’s skyline and bridges from the water.

We ended one evening watching the sunset from Jardim do Morro, a popular sunset park spot with sweeping views over the river and Porto’s rooftops. You can get there by walking or taking the cable car from the river.

Top activities in Porto

  • Explore the Bolhão district and the Ribeira neighbourhood

  • Walk along the Douro River waterfront and cross the Dom Luís I Bridge (top and bottom levels are a must!)

  • Visit World of Wine (WOW) - entry ticket comes with free port wine tasting

  • Visit the The Fantastic World of Portuguese Sardines and try some samples

  • Porto River Cruise along the Douro River to see the city from another perspective

  • Visit Livraria Lello, one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world with a dramatic, winding wooden staircase and a stained-glass ceiling

  • Watch the sunset from Jardim do Morro and grab a drink from the nearby drink vendors

  • Cable car to Jardim do Morro (we skipped this one as we ended up walking!)

Where to Eat in Porto: Our favourite spots

For food lovers, Porto is an absolute dream. From hearty traditional dishes to creative modern twists, there’s so many places to try - I think we spent most of our time eating!

We tried the iconic francesinha (spoiler: didn’t love), devoured multiple pastries including pastel de natas, and enjoyed a €12 Michelin Star pasta lunch - here’s my take on a Porto food guide.

Porto Food Guide

Best casual restaurants:

  • Mercado do Bolhão

  • Time Out Market Porto

  • McDonald’s - Imperial (it’s so grand it’s an experience)

  • Pregar - tried francesinha here

  • Empanadas Malvón

Must try pastel de natas:

  • Manteigaria

  • Fábrica da Nata - personal fave! We had one every day 😋

Best fine dining (Michelin Star but incredibly good value):

Where to try port wine:

  • World of Wine (WOW) - free port wine tasting with entry

  • Sandeman

  • One of the many wine bars in the lower Ribeira area

I would also recommend trying Vinho Verde (‘green’ wine), a type of wine that’s bottled 3-6 months after fermentation and taste refreshing, fruity and light. It can be found at many wine bars across Porto including Time Out Market Porto.

Pasta and pastel de natas

The delicious pasta from Almeja and lots of pastries!

Where to stay in Porto

The best place to stay in Porto is the historic centre - we stayed in the Bolhão district in a lovely one-bedroom apartment just off a main pedestrian street, within walking distance of everything above.

La Ribeira is another popular neighbourhood as it’s just steps from the Douro River.

You can also stay in Vila Nova de Vaia (or Gaia) which is a separate city from Porto, but generally considered to be part of the same urban area.

Where to stay in Bolhão

Where to stay in Ribeira

Where to stay in Gaia

Extra tips for visiting Porto

Porto is surprisingly walkable, but wear good shoes and expect a lot of hills! We found early autumn (September) to be a lovely time to visit - days are warm and fewer crowds as it’s after the summer holidays.

If you’re planning a weekend trip, it’s worth booking your port wine tastings in advance as these can get busy. Here are a few more practical tips to help you have a smoother trip.

  • Porto has it’s own airport called Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport located 16km (17 minutes drive) from the city centre which has lots of flights to other cities in Europe.

  • To get from Porto’s airport to the city centre, you can take the Metro - follow signs to the purple E line from Aeroporto to Trindade which costs €2.25. We bought the Andante Azul ticket which can be rechargeable with other travel titles for future trips (e.g. return travel to airport or travel to bus station at Campanhã).

  • Porto is also connected by long distance coach (e.g. Flixbus), which we used to get from Porto to Lisbon.

  • You’ll see a lot of market vendors and stores selling cork products - fun fact it’s produced here! I bought a cute coin purse from Cork Solutions, they have everything from passport holders to bags to other trinkets.

  • Whilst Portuguese is the main language, I found it was English friendly - it’s nice to learn a few basic phrases like obrigado/a (thanks), sim (yes) & nao (no) as well.

My experience in Porto and whether I’d return

During our few days in Porto, unfortunately the nearby area was experiencing extreme bushfires, casting an eerie orange haze over the sky and blowing ash in the air - I had a lot of empathy for the locals and those affected.

Despite this, I loved my time in Porto - the charming neighbourhoods, friendly locals and incredible food drew me in and won me over. I had an amazing time with my partner, cruising the Douro River and exploring the different neighbourhoods, and indulging in endless pastel de natas (oops) and sampling Portuguese cuisine.

I’ll definitely be back for more food and wine - Porto was a highlight of my 6 month trip across Europe and Asia and one of the reasons Portugal and Spain topped the list of favourite countries.

Thinking of visiting Lisbon as well? See my Portugal Series for more ideas including coastal road trips and visiting the fairytale castles at Sintra.

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