Ready-made trips · Portugal
Porto in 4 days
The Ribeira on the first evening, the Bolsa Palace, a six bridges cruise and the port cellars, the Crystal Palace gardens and Livraria Lello.
Open the plan to change anything: swap stops, swap or add days, and keep your own copy to share.
- Length
- 4 days
- Best time
- April to June, September to October
- Pace
- Moderate
- Day trips
- None, all in the city
Four days in Porto: The Crystal Palace Gardens and Livraria Lello; The Bolsa, the Six Bridges and the Port Cellars. Each full day is one our team has planned, to be walked in order around usual opening hours, with lunch and dinner suggestions close to the stops.
Day by day
1First Evening at the RibeiraArrival
- When you arriveSão Bento StationAzulejo-tiled station.Tip: A train station famous for genuinely stunning blue-and-white azulejo tile murals depicting Portuguese history — worth visiting even without traveling.
- When you arriveMajestic CaféAn Art Nouveau café of 1921 on Rua de Santa Catarina.Tip: Pricey, but the room is the reason to come.
- When you arriveRibeiraHistoric riverside district.Tip: Porto's historic riverside district, genuinely colorful with layered buildings along the Douro — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lunch nearby: Café Santiago or Mercado do Bolhão Stalls
Dinner: Taberna dos Mercadores or Cantinho do Avillez
2The Crystal Palace Gardens and Livraria Lello
- MorningCrystal Palace GardensScenic gardens & views.Tip: Despite the name, no actual palace remains — the gardens themselves offer genuinely good views over the Douro River and city.
- AfternoonMuseu Nacional Soares dos ReisPortugal’s first national museum, in the Carrancas Palace.Tip: Soares dos Reis’s sculpture The Exile is the highlight.
- If you have timeLivraria LelloHistoric bookstore.Tip: Tickets are timed and sold online; the fee is deducted from a book.
Lunch nearby: Mercado do Bolhão Stalls or Cantinho do Avillez
Dinner: Café Santiago or Tapabento
3The Bolsa, the Six Bridges and the Port Cellars
- MorningPalácio da BolsaThe 19th-century stock exchange, with its gilded Arab Room.Tip: Entry is by guided tour only; the Arab Room is the finale.
- AfternoonDouro Six Bridges CruiseA 50-minute boat trip under Porto’s six bridges, from the Gaia quay.Tip: Sit on the open upper deck on the river side.
- If you have timePort Wine CellarsWine tasting cellars.Tip: Taylor’s and Graham’s run the best tours; book a tasting slot.
Lunch nearby: Taberna dos Mercadores or Taylor’s Barão Fladgate
Dinner: Cantinho do Avillez or Café Santiago
4Clérigos TowerLast morning
- Before you leaveClérigos TowerBaroque bell tower.Tip: Climbing the tower offers genuinely panoramic views over Porto's rooftops and the Douro River — one of the city's tallest and most recognizable landmarks.
Lunch nearby: Cantinho do Avillez or Mercado do Bolhão Stalls
Dinner: Café Santiago or Tapabento
Where to stay
Ribeira & Sé
The old riverfront and cathedral hill, the heart of the World Heritage centre.
São Bento station and the Guindais funicular.
Vila Nova de Gaia
Across the river among the port lodges, with the best view of Porto.
Metro D over the bridge to the centre.
Baixa
The downtown of Clérigos, Rua das Flores and the Bolhão Market.
Metro at Aliados, Trindade and São Bento, with the airport line.
Everything in the plan is ready to book
The full plan has a map of each day, directions between stops, opening hours, restaurant choices, hotels in these areas and tickets, tours and trains linked to book with the provider you choose.
Open the full plan →Want different dates, a slower pace or something specific? Plan your own Porto trip in about a minute.