Porto Portugal 7 Day Itinerary

A week in Porto, priced out day by day

A full week is generous for Porto. Don’t fill it with padding - here’s what’s actually worth your time and money each day, and what to leave alone.

Arrival logistics. Metro Line E runs from the airport 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 runs 25-35 EUR, more at night; Uber or Bolt usually beats the rank.

Day 1: Ribeira, without the tourist markup. Walk the free riverside old town, cross the Dom Luis I Bridge’s upper deck for the view, then avoid eating directly on Cais da Ribeira for dinner - laminated multilingual menus and touts waving you in are the giveaway you’re about to overpay. Walk two streets back or uphill instead.

Day 2: Gaia and the port houses. Vila Nova de Gaia, a separate municipality across the river, holds every port lodge worth visiting. Sandeman’s basic tasting is about 22 EUR for three ports, but Graham’s, Ferreira and Kopke - smaller family houses - generally deliver more substance for the money than the big commercial name.

Day 3: the free tile station beats the paid bookstore. Sao Bento station costs nothing and its concourse carries over 20,000 azulejo tiles - arguably the best sight in the city for zero euros. Livraria Lello, if you still want it, is a timed pre-booked ticket only, 10 EUR silver or 15.95 gold, and “skip the line” tickets still queue, so go at 9am opening or after 6:30pm. Add Clerigos Tower (8-10 EUR combined, 240 steps) and the Se Cathedral’s free nave; only its cloister, tower and museum cost extra, 3-4 EUR.

Day 4: the Douro Valley, and nothing else that day. This is a full-day trip on its own - the travel eats the whole thing if you try to combine it with anything. The train from Sao Bento to Pinhao runs about 2 hours 25 minutes each way, roughly 12.20 EUR one-way. Book a guided trip if you actually want vineyard tastings, since the quintas are spread out and taxis are scarce once you’re out there.

Day 5: 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 inside it - budget separate time to reach it by funicular or on foot rather than assuming it’s a quick stop.

Day 6: Aveiro or a slow day in the arts district. Aveiro, “Portugal’s Venice” with its canals and moliceiro boats, is about an hour out. If you’d rather stay local, spend the day in Cedofeita and Miguel Bombarda for galleries, vintage shops and street art, then finish in Foz do Douro for dinner - quieter and more upscale than Ribeira, and genuinely underrated for an evening.

Day 7: last look, and departure. Palacio da Bolsa (14 EUR, entry only via a mandatory 30-minute guided tour) or Bolhao Market for last-minute food shopping both work well as a final morning before heading to the airport.

What to keep in mind all week. May-June and September balance weather and crowds best; July-August is when Lello and Ribeira queues get genuinely bad. If any part of your trip falls on the night of June 23 into 24, that’s Sao Joao - a municipal holiday when the 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 miss if you’re not paying attention. Wear shoes built for hills; the climb between the river and the upper town is steep and cobbled, and the Funicular dos Guindais covers the worst of it.