A Day Trip to Porto: What to do?

A Day Trip to Porto: What to do?

While the Portuguese capital lies central in the middle of the country, the area known as Porto sits much further north, offering travelers a wonderful escape in the form of a day trip. 

I’ll break down all there is to know about day tripping to Porto, and what to expect to do when you get there (for optimal enjoyment, of course). Ready for an adventure? 

Where is Porto

Known as being one of the oldest European centers, Porto sits along the Douro River, just a few miles inland from where the river meets with the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, Porto is both a port and a city, serving as an entrance way for Portuguese mariners. 

Porto – by Alvesgaspar – Wikimedia Commons

The 10 Best Things to do in Porto

Porto is very different from Lisbon. Aside from being near water and embracing rolling hills, there’s not much else they have in common. It is the second largest city in the country, and is considered to be the “capital of the north” to the locals. 

Porto is famed for its ‘faded grandeur’, which is an architectural technique that one usually has to travel to places to Cuba or Argentina to enjoy. The style embraces Baroque combined with Neoclassical and splash of Belle Epoque architectures. 

We’ll get into what to do when you get there in a bit, but first lets discuss the best ways of getting from Lisbon to Porto, and the various transportation options that you have to choose from!

Porto – by Daniel Seßler – Unsplash

Why You Should Visit Lisbon Over Porto

Getting There from Lisbon

There are 310km that lie between Lisbon and Porto. This is a landlocked journey, and there are no waters to cross in order to get to the final destination. This opens up the transportation options, and one doesn’t have to rely solely on an airplane in order to cover the distance. 

How to Travel from Lisbon to Porto

Plane

That said, one can easily travel by plane between Lisbon and Porto. The flight itself is under an hour long, and gets you to the Porto airport, where you’ll be able to catch an easy metro to the city center in just 30 minutes. 

Flying can be super expensive, or super cheap. It really depends on the time of year and the season of demand. Ticket prices can cost anywhere from €30 to €250. 

Train

The train is the best way to travel through Portugal, regardless of if you’re going north or south. The journey to Porto takes roughly 3 hours, and one can expect to pay nominal rates of between €20 and €40. 

Trains to Porto depart from Lisbon’s Santa Apolonia station and there are around 11 per day (one every two hours). The first train per day departs at 6:30am and gets one into Porto center before 10am — this is a great route option to maximize your time if you’re doing a day trip. 

Porto – by Woody Van der Straeten – Unsplash

Drive 

Usually when it comes to day trips through Portugal, I am of the strong opinion that renting a car and making one’s own way to the destination is always the best option in terms of optimizing time. 

With regards to driving from Lisbon to Porto, the trip itself will take around 3 hours. The train is the same duration, but eliminates the need to hire a car and pay insurance and gas. Porto is also a highly mobile city and one doesn’t really need a car in order to see all there is to see during a day trip. The trams can get you wherever you need to go within minutes!

Anyway, it remains an option, and there are many great car rental companies in Lisbon if you do want to take things into your own hands. 

Bus

Surprisingly, I also recommend the bus before I do a car for getting from Lisbon to Porto! This bus journey is a speedy one (as far as busses go in Europe) and it only has an extra 30 minutes compared to a car or a train!

3 hours and 30 minutes on an early morning bus is a great way to get to Porto before breakfast spots even start to open. The busses depart hourly from Lisboa Sete Rios station, and tickets are nominal in cost; around €16 to €30 depending on the season. 

Things to Do in Porto

Once you’ve made it to Porto, there are a few unmissable attractions that make a day trip most worthwhile. Side note, if you’re running out of time to do all you wanted to do, Porto has a range of widely affordable B&B options where you can book a last minute room for a night, to simply extend your hours before heading back to the capital!

8am 

Breakfast in the Ribeira followed by a stroll along the famous riverfront 

Porto Ribiera – by K. Mitch Hodge – Unsplash

10am

Make your way to the Clérigos Tower inside of Clérigos Church, and climb to the top for the best view of Porto

11am

Buy tickets for the 6 Bridges Tour on the Douro River to see the iconic bridges that keep this city in full swing.

1pm 

Lunch at the Mercado Bom Sucesso, one of the most vibrant food markets in all of Porto!

Mercado Bom Sucesso – by Joseolgon – Wikimedia Commons

2:30pm

A visit to the Igreja de Carmo to see the historic tiled facade 

3:30pm

Track down the azulejo panel of Capela das Almas, it’s a short way away from the last landmark!

4:30pm

Feast on a fresh pastel de nata at Manteigaria on Rua de Alexandre Braga, some of the best in all of Portugal!

5:30pm

Make your way to the port wine cellars at Calem in Porto, where you’ll find an array of live Fado performances to accompany a tasting of authentic port wine. 

Calem in Porto – by Jsamwrites – Wikimedia Commons

7pm

With the buzz of fado and port wine very much in tact, it’s time to choose a spot to settle in for a dinner spectacle. I recommend heading back to the Ribeira and choosing a restaurant on the water’s edge. You’ll be able to bask in the Porto sunset from here before making your way back to Lisbon for the night… or perhaps you’ll stay a little longer?