Porto Sightseeing Tours

Porto is widely credited for its diverse and tasty food offer and there are several meals that you must taste. The most popular is certainly Francesinha: a sandwich made of various kinds of meat, covered in cheese, and served with spicy beer sauce. Another is the old store. While in Lisbon visitors must try Bacalhau a Gomes de Sa, a codfish dish served with potatoes, onions, and olives. The next meal that you shouldn’t lose out on is Tripas a Moda do Porto, a triple stew that lays out the city’s history. At the end of your meal, you should take Pastel de Nata, which is a type of custard tart washed down with a cup of strong Portuguese coffee.

Finally, my advice when it comes to getting around the city is to do most of it on foot, although the use of public transport is very recommended. Begin with a stroll of the historic part, which is the best way to get an understanding of the narrow streets, remarkable architecture, and active boheme of the city. A nice stroll to go through is the Ribeira region with the Dom Luís I Bridge. For longer distances, the excellent metro is perfect, especially for getting to areas such as the beach in Foz do Douro. For the last day of your tour, you might want to grab a boat ride along the Douro River to have a breathtaking view of Porto. 

Yes, Porto is indeed a ‘walk-friendly’ city and this can be seen more so in the area of the historic city center. The city has a hilly topography and this means a lot of cycling up hills but the view you get to see and some of the wonderful streets are worth the steep climb. Places of interest including Ribeira, the Clérigos Tower, and the Livraria Lello are within proximity of each other. Comfortable shoes are essential as the pavement is quite uneven, and the carter has many cobblestone roads. Walking is good to get the feel of the city and to capture places on sight that you might not see if you were driving.

However, it is worth pointing out that the described route provides an opportunity to get to know Porto at least to some extent, and it requires more than half a day to fully appreciate it. If you're limited on time, focus on the most iconic sights: firstly visit the Clerigos Tower for the bird's view of the city and then descend to the Ribeira to have the riverside feeling. You also would want to pop into the Livraria Lello and cross the Dom Luís I Bridge which will take you to Vila Nova de Gaia for a brief tour of the port wine cellars. Nevertheless, to get the best of Porto and the cultural fare, it is advised to spend more days in the city.

Many attractions of Porto cannot be visited in a day or two and therefore, it is advisable to spend at least three to four days. This gives you ample time to take a walking tour around the city and have a sneak peek at the districts that you would like to visit such as Ribeira district and Foz do Douro district. Four days will also allow a day trip to Douro Valley, well known for its wines, or to other cities such as Braga or Guimaraes. Porto is a city that is famed for its culture, with amazing and delicious food and stunning surroundings to be explored at a leisurely pace.