Porto Portugal 6 Day Itinerary

Six days in Porto: two day trips, no wasted time in between

Six days lets you actually fit two day trips without rushing the city itself. Here’s the plan, plus what to skip paying for.

First, the airport. Metro Line E runs to Trindade in about 30 minutes. You need a physical Andante card before boarding, roughly 0.60 EUR one-time plus 2.25-2.50 EUR for the first ride, and the machines can queue - don’t cut a tight connection close. A metered taxi is 25-35 EUR; Uber or Bolt is generally cheaper and more predictable than the rank.

Days 1-2: the centre. Walk Ribeira, free riverside UNESCO old town, and cross the Dom Luis I Bridge - free on both decks - into Vila Nova de Gaia, a separate municipality across the river holding all the port lodges. Sandeman’s basic tasting runs about 22 EUR for three ports; the smaller family houses - Graham’s, Ferreira, Kopke - are usually the better value if you want more than the big name on the label. On day two, hit Sao Bento station first - free, working station, over 20,000 azulejo tiles, and honestly the best sight in the city for zero cost. Then decide on Livraria Lello: timed, pre-booked ticket only, 10 EUR silver or 15.95 gold, and “skip the line” still means a queue, so go at 9am opening or after 6:30pm. Climb Clerigos Tower (8-10 EUR combined, 240 steps) and check the Se Cathedral’s free nave; only its cloister, tower and museum cost extra, 3-4 EUR.

For food, stay off Cais da Ribeira - laminated menus and touts are the tell you’re overpaying - and walk a street or two back instead. Try the Francesinha at A Regaleira on Rua do Bonjardim, the 1953 original, though Cafe Santiago and Yuko Tavern are where locals actually go, 10-15 EUR.

Day 3: the Douro Valley, alone. This is a full-day trip and doesn’t pair with anything else - the travel eats the day. The train from Sao Bento to Pinhao takes about 2 hours 25 minutes each way, roughly 12.20 EUR one-way. It’s doable independently for the scenery, but book a guided trip if you want vineyard tastings, since the quintas are spread out and taxis are scarce in Pinhao.

Day 4: Braga. About an hour by train, Braga is Portugal’s religious capital. The Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary and its baroque stairway sit a few kilometres outside the town centre, not in it, so budget separate time to reach it by funicular or on foot rather than treating it as a quick add-on.

Day 5: Palacio da Bolsa, Bolhao Market, and slower afternoons. Palacio da Bolsa is 14 EUR and entry is only via a mandatory 30-minute guided tour, so check the schedule before you plan around it. Bolhao Market is worth a proper lunch stop rather than a quick walk-through. In the afternoon, head to Cedofeita and Miguel Bombarda for the galleries, vintage shops and street art - a different pace from the Ribeira crowds.

Day 6: Foz do Douro and a last look at the river. Foz, out at the river mouth, is quieter and more upscale than Ribeira and makes a genuinely good last evening: promenade walk, dinner without the touts, and a clean view back along the coast. If you’d rather squeeze in a last sight instead, Serralves in the west has the modern art museum and gardens, but it’s not walkable from the centre - budget a bus or taxi, and expect 24 EUR for the full site or 15 for gardens only.

Practical notes. May-June and September give the best weather-to-crowd balance. If any part of your trip lands on the night of June 23 into 24, that’s Sao Joao - a municipal holiday when the whole city shuts down for street parties, plastic hammers and fireworks over the Douro, but you need to book months ahead to catch it. Porto is wetter than Lisbon year-round regardless of season, so pack an umbrella. Watch your bag on packed Line 1 trams and around Sao Bento, both known pickpocket spots, and remember bread and olives dropped on your table unasked (couvert) cost 2-3 EUR - legal, not a scam, but easy to overlook. Wear proper shoes; the hills between the river and the upper town are steep and cobbled, and the Funicular dos Guindais handles the worst of it.