When planning this trip, Akshay and I were unsure if three days in Porto would be sufficient. We ended up spending 4 nights here, with 2 days to explore Porto and one day to tour Douro Valley. In my opinion, it’s plenty of time to get a flavor of the city and still get to see the famous Douro Valley. (Akshay’s note: I’d recommend three days in Porto if possible, but two days definitely gets you an idea of the city.) Porto is a beautiful little city filled with genuinely nice people who are so happy to welcome you. Below are some of my recommendations on how to get to Porto, where to stay, places to eat, and things to see and do!
How to get to Porto from Lisbon: When I was in the states planning a detailed itinerary of our trip, I assumed that the only cost efficient way to get to Porto was by train. I didn’t even look at plane tickets! Anyways, there are two options:
- Train: It takes about two and a half hours to get from Lisbon to Porto via this form of transportation. Since this a very popular route, there are trains that leave every hour. However, make sure to pay attention to the type of train, since they have ones that will stop frequently, and others that don’t. We paid about 50 Euros per person round trip. The trains do get crowded and if you have huge pieces of luggage, it can be difficult dealing with that hassle. Since we landed at Lisbon Airport so late, we were forced to take an evening train, so we couldn’t enjoy the views.
- Airplane: On the day we were supposed to head back to Lisbon, the train staff happened to be on strike! This meant that all the trains were cancelled. We had to purchase plane tickets very last minute and were shocked that some of the flights were going for 40 Euros! If you plan it properly, you can get a pretty good deal. Additionally, it’s a 40 minute flight!
Place to Stay: Pestana Vintage Porto, the perfect hotel to stay for three days in Porto
I found this hotel on TripAdvisor and knew right away this was going to be our temporary “home” for a few days. It’s located right in the center of Ribeira Square and has the best views of the Douro River as well as the Luís I Bridge. We ended up upgrading our room to one with a view since they were offering a really good deal. Also, Akshay and I were pretty sick, so we hung out in the room more than we would like to admit. We also got complimentary champagne and a chocolate cake! They have an amazing breakfast selection too, which was included with our stay.
Places to Eat/ Drink: Porto has so many food and wine options. With only three days in Porto, Akshay and I were lucky to have the opportunity to get some invites to a few, and they were all great!
Boa Bao Asian Restaurant: I wrote an entire blog post here. Long story short, we really enjoyed trying Asian cuisine in another country. The flavors and ingredients were so fresh, and we were very impressed by the fact that the menu was inspired by 11 different Asian countries!
Rib Beef & Wine: Funny story. I had no idea this restaurant was located inside Pestana Vintage Porto, the hotel we were staying at! Once the connection was made, Joana (the restaurant manager) made our stay at the hotel very special, even inviting us for a dinner cocktail. Our meal here was phenomenal! Also, beef is my favorite type of meat, so I would like to proudly call myself a steak expert! (Akshay’s note: she’s not even close to a steak expert, because she loves all steak. Put it in front of her and she’ll cram it down her gullet in 3 seconds.) Anyways, I will be sharing a separate post on this, so photos to come!
Dona Gertrudes: Looking for a traditional Portuguese meal? Then this is the place to go! Carlos, the owner, was such a welcoming host and explained that the recipes of this restaurant were passed down by his great grandmother. As soon as you enter this restaurant, you will notice that every chair at every table is unique. You will also notice that this charming restaurant is filled with eclectic collectibles (banjos, plates, etc) and distributed around the restaurant. I could tell a lot of thought went into the design of the restaurant. Come hungry! The portion sizes are pretty large. Carlos served us 4 very traditional dishes: Olive Oil Bread with Spicy Sardines, Seafood with Coriander Rice (reminded me of an American gumbo), Bacalhau, and Black Pork Ribs in Garlic and Wine Sauce. I still crave the olive oil bread with spicy sardines to this day. The bread was so fresh and so fluffy. I also really enjoyed the bacalhau, which is white cod fish cooked in a lot of butter. The mashed potatoes its served with had small pieces of pickle mixed in and a very sharp vinegar flavor. It was delicious! All in all, each of the dishes had a lot of flavor to it. Carlos really showed his hospitality when he opened a Tereza, a white wine, where only 1,700 bottles are a made a year! Additionally, he served us a glass of red wine to accompany the pork. And in the end, he topped us off with a Tawny Port to offset the chocolate cake dessert. Let’s just say, I had a very nice buzz at the end of our meal! Thank you Carlos/ Dona Gertrudes for an amazing meal and experience!
Mito Restaurante: We were invited here for some tasty cocktails, but loved the atmosphere so much that we ended up ordering some appetizers. I recommend the chicken wings, charcuterie board and mushrooms! They’re presented like tapas, so definitely shareable!
Things to See and Do: Most of the exploration comes through walking around Porto. With only three days in Porto, you can see a lot!
Luís I Bridge: This is a really majestic bridge to look at, but I think it would be even better to climb to the top. Unfortunately, I was so sick, I couldn’t find the energy to climb the steps to get there. It can be a hike, but I’ve heard the views are phenomenal.
Ribeira Square: As I mentioned, our hotel was located in the heart of this square. It’s filled with bars, restaurants, and amazing views. I suggest finding a restaurant on the river and enjoying a cocktail and appetizer at sunset.
São Bento Train Station: Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to see this. However, if you wake up early, you can get some great shots of the murals in the train station without people in the shot.
Igreja Do Carmo: This is the famous blue tiled church that everyone, including myself, had to post on Instagram. It truly is majestic in person.
Livraria Lello Bookstore: Unless you are a true die hard Harry Potter Fan, this is a huge tourist trap. They charge 5 Euros per person, and most people don’t spend more than 10 minutes here. I did read all the Harry Potter books, so it was cool to see J.K Rowling’s inspiration. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. Also, unless you’re a Photoshop whiz, or wake up very early, all your photos will have people in it. (Akshay’s note: I really disliked it. Skip it.)
5 Bridge Cruise: I signed us up for this 1 hour cruise that takes you down the river and shows us the different bridges. If you’re interested in the history behind all the bridges, they do have headsets to listen to. However, most of the people just sit back and enjoy the views.
Gaia: If you love wineries, then this is the place to go. It’s located right across the Douro River and takes about 15 minutes to walk from Riberia Square. We went to this really cool winery called Porto Cruz after my sister-in-law insisted we go, and I am so glad we did! They have this rooftop that gives you perfect views of Porto! They do have tastings, but we went to the bar and ordered wine and a cocktail instead. Additionally, there are a ton of wineries in this area, so you can just hop from one to another.
Telefierico de Gaia: This is a cable car that goes over the Douro River and will give you amazing views of Porto. Since we ended up at Porto Cruz, I was pretty happy with the photos I got. However, if you’re interested in something a little more unique, I would suggest doing this. This is also located in Gaia. (Akshay’s note: it seemed to be a REALLY short cable car ride, and I felt the views from the wineries were decent enough. Still, if it’s of interest, try it out!)
Day trip to Douro Valley: If you have the time, then I urge you to take a day trip to Douro Valley. Akshay and I used Living Tours (linked here) to book our day trip. We were picked up promptly at 8:10AM in a very comfortable shuttle bus by Christian, our warm, informative tour guide. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Douro Valley, but Christian was very attentive and passionately shared the Portuguese history and traditions with us. The website details all the stopping points, and we followed the itinerary pretty closely. When we arrived in Galafura, we were disappointed to see that the fog was impeding the famous viewpoint that this region is known for. Christian reassured us that the view would come, but we were feeling pretty dejected in the moment. You could barely see 5 feet in front of you! Anyways, we went to lunch and had an amazing Portuguese meal with unlimited wine. When our lunch was ending, I happened to look out the window, and I was just blown away! The fog ended up clearing and we were able to get an amazing glimpse of the Douro Valley (featured picture!). I was on cloud nine! I think we all were! After we took a million photos, we were then taken to Pinhão, where we enjoyed a scenic boat cruise, allowing our food bellies to settle for an hour. We ended the tour at the beautiful Croft Winery (also in Pinhão) and had the opportunity to go on a tour and enjoy a few sips of the different ports they had to offer. The day went by super fast, and I loved that we were able to see a lot! If you’re more interested in wine tasting, Living Tours has other day trips they do offer. Akshay and I wanted to see the Douro Valley region, so we chose this one instead.
I hope that one day, and one day soon, I will be able to return to this beautiful town. Spending three days in Porto, really gave me a great flavor of the culture and the people. The views and the port wine are just added bonuses. Unfortunately, because our energy levels were so low, we weren’t able to explore as much of the city as we would have liked. Also, this city is super hilly, so be prepared for some uphill battles! Luckily, they do have Uber! Even with having spent only three days in Porto, we saw so much and truly fell in love with this city.
