A walk with the best things to see in Porto in 2 days and enjoy the city
It is possible to visit Porto in two days and get to know the most interesting places thanks to the fact that it is a city where the main monuments and places of interest are very close. That is why, in addition, you can get to know Porto on foot without wasting a lot of time traveling.
Most people prefer to get to know Porto in 2 days, this being the average length of stay for visitors. You will leave some places in the inkwell but the main ones you will be able to know. Of course, if you have more days you can get to know it more slowly and even take an excursion to a nearby wonder.
Here we propose a two-day tour of Porto so you don’t miss a thing.
What to see in Porto in two days
First day in Porto
The first of our two days to see Porto we can start at the San Bento Station, where we will arrive if we go to this beautiful city by train. And without leaving the station we already have the first wonder to visit.
The hall of the São Bento Station is spectacular, with 20,000 tiles on its walls that narrate some passages in the history of Portugal. Its façade is also very interesting, something that you will admire when you leave and go to the next point of interest, the Porto Cathedral.
The Porto Cathedral, visible from much of the city, is a marvel with a main façade that looks like a fortress and has a beautiful rose window, but you should also visit the inside to see its beautiful cloister as well as its main altar and its chapels. Very close to the Cathedral is the Church of San Lorenzo dos Grilos, which often goes quite unnoticed due to its simplicity.
From there we can go to Rua Santa Caterina, Porto ‘s main shopping street. Among the succession of stores of the main chains, we will find numerous cafeterias, highlighting the Café Majestic, a former meeting point for illustrious personalities. It still retains its elegance and charm.
We can walk down the street to the Capela das Animas, very pretty with the typical blue and white colors of the buildings in Portugal and from where we can start strolling until we reach the Bolha Market or to learn about a typical day in a market that it retains a decadent air and the special charm that we can only find in Portugal.
Aliados Avenue is our next destination where we can admire its neoclassical buildings, the Porto City Hall and the Garret Monument. Don’t forget to go north, around the Town Hall and admire the Iglesia de la Santísima Trinidad, which is located behind it.
Retracing our steps, we arrive at the Plaza de la Libertad, the nerve center of the city, where we can admire the Statue of Don Pedro IV and from where we can also see the San Bento Station, the starting point of our walk.
This is a good place from which we can admire the Clérigos Church, one of the symbols and the best thing to see in Porto in two days. The church is spectacular but it is essential to go up to its tower to have a great view of the entire city, even reaching the sea. There is usually quite a queue and the climb is slow but it is worth climbing its hundreds of steps. It is also the best way to see the interior of the church from the balconies at the beginning of the ascent.
Not too far away is the Lello e Irmao Bookstore, JKRowling’s place of inspiration for writing her Harry Potter novels. The famous writer spent a season in Porto and this bookstore will remind you of the universe of the young magician. They charge a small entrance fee to visit but if you buy a book they will discount it.
From there you can already see the Church of Carmo, the next destination before walking to the Crystal Palace Gardens, the last visit of our first day in Porto, where in addition to resting and enjoying the beautiful park, you can go to its viewpoint and have a of the best views of the Douro River and the city of Porto.
Second day in Porto
If the first day is dedicated to getting to know the upper part of Porto, this second day will be dedicated to the part closest to the river. To do this, we must go to start our journey again to the San Bento Station to start descending the pedestrian Rua das Flores towards the Mirador da Vitoria, a decadent and almost abandoned place from which you can have another great view of the city.
From there we continue down to the Ferreira Borges Market, located right next to the Stock Exchange Palace, another of the essential places to visit in Porto in two days. But do not stay in its beautiful neoclassical facade, go inside and discover its patios and rooms, especially the Arab Room. You can get to know it in a very complete guided tour. Remember that the language of the visit is chosen by the first person who reserves it.
After this interesting visit, it is time to visit the Church of San Francisco, attached to the palace and whose interior will not leave you indifferent thanks to the fact that it is completely covered in gold. Its golden aesthetic made it so ostentatious that it was closed to the public for a while.
The Ribeira neighborhood is the next destination. The narrow streets of this old fishing district are full of restaurants where you can taste the famous Portuguese cuisine. Ribeira Square is the nerve center and very close by are the docks from where the Cruise of the Six Bridges departs, which takes you to know the bridges of Porto, among them the most famous, the Don Luis I Bridge, another of the symbols from the city.
After the cruise you can walk along the banks of the Douro River on the way to this bridge, to cross it on its lower deck and arrive at Vila Nova de Gaia, where the famous Port wine cellars are located. You can visit some and learn first-hand how this wine is made. In addition, from this bank of the river you will have the best views of the Ribeira neighborhood.
Once you have visited the wineries, we recommend you take the cable car that takes you to the top of the Don Luis I Bridge to cross it on the way back to the center of Porto and have another perspective of this beautiful city.
In this way you will have known the main places to see in Porto in two days. There are other places to visit and if you have more days it is where you will have to go, but you already know the fundamentals with this tour.
You can find more information on the official Porto tourism page.
