The perfect itinerary for 2 days in Porto

Planning to spend 2 days in Porto? You’re going to have the BEST time! This is one of my favourite cities, from the friendly people and riverside vibes to the colourful old townhouses, world-famous port industry, irresistible food culture, vibrant art scene, golden beaches and all-round positivity in the air. In this 2-day Porto itinerary, I’ll share with you how to see the city’s highlights while also uncovering a few hidden gems if you’re just stopping by for a weekend.

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Is 2 days in Porto enough?

There are very few cities I think are better than Porto for a weekend break. While you won’t be able to see everything in that time, 2 days in Porto is enough to soak up the city’s artsy vibes, see its highlights and sample its famed food, wine and port.

But, I guarantee you will want to come back again. I don’t think I could ever get enough of Porto! From my first visit as an art student in 2006 to my recent city breaks here, I’ve experienced many different sides of the place.

Before our latest trip, Alex messaged one of his work friends who lives in Portugal and asked for any tips she might have for Porto. While sending some great recommendations (many of which we include in this guide), she also said this:

“Honestly, I think the best thing to do in Porto is to just walk around and enjoy the view and architecture. It’s just an interesting city in an old / falling apart / full of history kind of way.”

That, in a nutshell, is why Porto is the kind of city where you can spend as little or as much time as you like and still enjoy it. It’s also why you don’t need to pack your trip full of activities to make the most of it, which we’ve kept in mind in this Porto 2 day itinerary.

Where to stay for 2 days in Porto

In our guide to where to stay in Porto you will find a breakdown of all the city’s best neighbourhoods for first-time visitors.

For a short city break in Porto we recommend staying in Baixa, which is the heart of the city’s historic centre and the perfect base for sightseeing. It’s also where you will find a lot of the best foodie joints, and it’s within close walking distance of the riverside or across the bridge to the port-making area, Gaia.

Baixa features many of Porto’s iconic buildings like São Bento Railway Station (seriously one of the most impressive train stations you’ll ever see!) and Torre dos Clérigos.

On our latest trip we stayed in a private room at Rivoli Cinema Hostel. It’s a fun, friendly hostel with a social atmosphere, and does a very good value breakfast for guests. The location is also perfectly central.

If you’d prefer to stay in a hotel, we recommend looking at Zero Box Lodge Porto for a completely unique concept, or Torel Saboaria if you want somewhere really fancy.

Another great option is The Rex Hotel in the art quarter, Cedofeita, if you don’t mind staying a little out of downtown. We love this curious and creative neighbourhood, which is still within walking distance of Baixa.

What’s in this itinerary for 2 days in Porto?

Keeping in mind that much of the beauty this city can be enjoyed by exploring freely and getting lost among the colourful streets, we’ve deliberately kept this Porto 2 day itinerary quite loose. In brief, here is what we include:

• Day 1, morning: breakfast at an authentic Port bakery, free walking tour
• Day 1, midday: lunch at legendary local tavern Gazela
• Day 1, afternoon: exploration of the art quarter, wine in a converted church
• Day 1, evening: sunset, street music and dinner by the river, late wine bar
• Day 2, morning: breakfast at Majestic Café, Clérigos Tower views, shopping
• Day 2, midday: rooftop lunch at Casa Guedes
• Day 2, afternoon: port tour and tasting, food market
• Day 2, evening: cable car sunset ride, dinner at Taberna d’Avó, craft beers

Porto itinerary 2 days: all the details

Day 1: the historic centre, art quarter and riverside

The first day of our Porto 2 day itinerary focuses on the north side of the river around the city’s historic centre, and the neighbouring art quarter and riverside districts.

Have breakfast at an authentic Porto bakery

Confeitaria do Bolhão in Porto’s historic centre, opposite Bolhão Market, is one of the city’s oldest bakeries. From the front it looks like a traditional old bakery, brimming with activity every morning, but walk inside and you’ll find a hidden restaurant at the back, where Porto’s high society used to dine for breakfast.

The bakery is more than a century old and looks like it has barely changed. We stopped by here to grab some pastries to go for a train journey (and ended up buying way too much, we couldn’t help ourselves!), but a sit-down brekkie here is a great way to kick off your Porto experience in classic style.

Take a free walking tour

If you want to explore the best of Porto in 2 days, then taking a walking tour on your first day will give you a real head-start. Not only will you be introduced to many of the city’s most iconic sights and its layered history, but it’s also a great way to get your bearings early on.

And, remember – one of the best things to do in Porto is to simply wander round and admire the architecture! A walking tour gives you the context to appreciate it even more.

We did a free walking tour with CityLovers, which focuses around the historic centre. It’s not one that often comes up in Google searches, but we found it through our hostel, which partners directly with CityLovers to offer tours and activities like this one (they also run things like pub crawls, wine tours and food tours).

The tour runs three times daily, but for this itinerary we recommend taking the 10am slot. This should line up perfectly after your local bakery breakfast, and it finishes just in time for lunch.

This was genuinely one of the better walking tours we’ve done (and we’ve done a lot). It lasts around 2.5 hours, long enough to be in-depth without dragging, and includes plenty of stops for photos and closer looks. We also had a little break to sample some pastéis de nata from one of the guide’s personal favourite cosy bakeries.

We learned all about the history of Porto’s most famous landmarks around Baixa and Ribeira, like Sé Cathedral, São Bento Station and Clérigos Tower, as well as some lesser-known spots hidden around the narrow backstreets. At the end, the guide sent out her top local foodie recommendations to everyone, which was perfect timing as we were just getting hungry…

Have lunch at legendary local tavern Gazela

Gazela is a local tavern that has achieved near-legendary status in Porto. It was recommended to us by both our walking tour guide and Alex’s colleague, and also crops up in many online lists of the best places to eat in Porto.

So, we were half expecting to find a bit of a tourist trap, but found ourselves pleasantly surprised that it was filled with locals, and felt like it hadn’t changed a bit since it opened in the 1960s.

It’s about a 15-minute walk to Gazela from the finishing point of the walking tour (by Clérigos Tower). There’s a bit of zig-zagging like this throughout our Porto 2 day itinerary, but that’s hard to avoid if you want to catch a variety of the best foodie gems.

When we arrived at Gazela at around 1pm, there was a queue forming outside and a loud, lively atmosphere within, with every seat taken. Inside, the kitchen is centre-stage in an open-plan space, so you can see the chefs busily cooking on the go while the room fills with the sounds and aromas of sizzling meats. The queue felt a bit chaotic, but we were eventually beckoned to a window seat alongside a row of locals.

If you haven’t already heard about a Portuguese sandwich called the francesinha, you soon will in Porto. It’s a gigantic, super-calorific stack of meats and cheese with an egg on top, all drenched in a spicy beer-based sauce. One of these a day would be a fast-track to a hospital ward, but you must try at least one while you’re in Porto, and Gazela is a great place to do it.

Gazela is even better known for its cachorrinhos, which are like hot dogs in a crispy, buttery bread roll. Not wanting to miss out, Lisa and I ordered one of each and shared them. All I can say is the hype about this place is totally justified!

Explore the art quarter, Cedofeita

My first visit to Porto as a student was to discover its art scene, and that’s still one of the things I love most about the city. Just to the west of the historic centre, the little neighbourhood of Cedofeita is where the city’s creative energy feels most alive.

Cobbled alleyways are lined with a mix of colourful houses and graffiti tags, and you’ll often stumble across large street murals hidden around corners. Many of Porto’s best local art galleries are concentrated here too.

We had a good browse in Ó! Galería, an airy, single-room space that mostly showcases local artists. These days we always like to take a piece of artwork home from our travels, and Alex chose one from here by a fabulous Porto-based digital illustrator called Tina Siuda.

Cedofeita is the kind of place that’s perfect for wandering aimlessly for an hour or two while dipping into some galleries and shops. And whenever you want to stop for a break, it’s also filled with many great little bars and cafés.

Have wine and snacks in a converted church

If you love seeking out unique, quirky places to eat or drink, then Capela Incomum is a must-visit in Porto. We’d heard about it by word of mouth from a few travel buddies, and conveniently for this part of the itinerary it’s nestled on the edge of Cedofeita.

Capela Incomum is a wine bar set in a repurposed 16th-century chapel. As you can imagine, this makes it beautifully atmospheric inside, with its vaulted ceilings and candlelit corners. Add some soft, relaxing music and it’s the perfect place to spend a couple of afternoon hours in Porto with wine and nibbles.

On the bartender’s recommendation we tried some of the house mackerel pâté, which was superb, and perfectly matched with a glass of vinho verde (despite translating as “green wine”, vinho verde actually means young wine – typically fresh, zesty whites that are local to the region).

See the sunset in Ribeira

The riverside in Porto is nothing short of magical at sunset. It’s the vibe that keeps bringing me back to the city. A couple of decades ago, when I first came here, Ribeira was a peaceful hangout area at night. Now, it’s become a much busier hotspot for tourists, with restaurants and bars spilling out onto the riverside walkway, so the charm has changed – but it’s still gorgeous.

Make sure you check what time the sunset will be, and head down to the riverside around Cais da Ribeira around half an hour beforehand. It’s a gorgeous walk down from Capela Incomum, passing by Clérigos Tower. Make a stop at Miradouro da Vitória, where you get an incredible panoramic view of the riverside city landscape just before sunset.

If it’s a late sunset when you’re in Porto and you want to eat earlier, you could have a few more petiscos (snacks) at Capela Incomum, or stop for a meal at Taberna d’Avó on the way down.

When you get down to the waterside, you’ll find a lively atmosphere with people coming and going in front of the wall of colourful townhouses. Across the water, against the orange glow of the setting sun, you can see the branded signs of the port houses twinkling back from Gaia. When I think about Porto, I always see this scene.

Have dinner and see street music on the riverfront

All along the riverfront in Ribeira you will see restaurants with outdoor seating. There is definitely a bit of a tourist trap vibe here, with higher prices on the menus, and it’s not where you’ll find the very best local food in the city. But, it’s still worth sitting down for a meal here to enjoy the riverside energy at night, as crowds gather to watch buskers perform.

We took a seat at one of the restaurants by Porto River Aparthotel and ordered some mango sangrias. There’s an organised element to the street music here at night, with each set of performers getting a one-hour slot to entertain the onlookers. We saw an energetic samba band playing upbeat versions of pop songs (afterwards, the guys told us they were from Brazil) and a woman who belted out some ballads with an incredible voice.

Tip: carry a bit of change so you can tip the performers. There’s some real talent on display here, and the chances are you’ll be glad you came prepared.

Want more wine? Have a charcuterie board at Mercearia Flores

As the atmosphere starts to simmer down on the riverfront later in the evening, you can slink away and end your first day in Porto in style with a charcuterie board at a local wine bar.

After climbing the hill back towards the hostel, winding through steep cobbled lanes, we stumbled upon a cosy little café-bar called Mercearia Flores. If the weather’s still warm, it’s a lovely spot to sit outside and watch the world go by as night owls wander past. On our latest trip there was a wine festival in town, so the atmosphere was even more buzzing than usual.

The charming owner – an older man we’d seen earlier in the day carrying barrels in during the walking tour – helped us choose a glass of wine, paired with a plate of regional meats and cheeses. A quietly indulgent way to round off the day.

Day 2: markets, port cellars and cable car sunsets

On the second day of our itinerary for 2 days in Porto, we delve deeper into the city’s thriving food and drink scene, and venture across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, the heart of the famous port industry.

But we begin with a leisurely morning, with a chance to have a wander around the historic centre at your own pace and catch some sights you missed yesterday.

Have breakfast at Majestic Café

We suggest beginning your second day slowly, taking your time to ease into the morning before visiting one of Porto’s historic rendezvous spots: the century-old Majestic Café, which opens for breakfast at 9am on Rua de Santa Catarina. It’s one of very few surviving art nouveau cafés in Porto from the early 20th century.

I first ate at Majestic Café in 2006 on my uni trip. It reminds me a lot of Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires, the kind of place where intellectuals and writers would gather to put the world to rights. Like many things in Porto, the café has changed over the years, mostly in terms of prices and the number of tourists. But in terms of atmosphere and grandeur, it hasn’t aged a day.

While you’re in the area, pop into A Pérola do Bolhão after breakfast. Just a couple of minutes’ walk away, this traditional Porto grocery store opened around the same time as Majestic Café, and will give you a similar step back in time.

Climb up Clerigos Tower for the views

I did warn you there would be a little bit of zig-zagging in this itinerary. You could opt to stay around the Bolhão area after breakfast and explore the shops and markets, but I’d say it’s well worth taking a detour to climb Torre dos Clérigos and enjoy the city views in the morning light.

It’s a steep climb up 240 narrow steps to reach the top of the tower, but you are rewarded at the top with an unbeatable panorama of Porto.

Now, if you’ve read other Porto itinerary guides, you might have seen recommendations to visit Livraria Lello, the famously picturesque bookshop near the tower.

I’m sorry to say, I just don’t think it’s worth it. There’s usually a long queue outside, which – unsurprisingly – leads to a crowded experience inside. In reality, that classic Instagram picture you often see is accompanied with a throng of tourists crammed into a tight space, and you have to pay €8 for the privilege.

Go shopping and exploring around Rua de Santa Catarina

When you’re done admiring the views from Torre dos Clérigos, wander back over to Rua de Santa Catarina, the main artery in Porto’s historic centre for shopping.

All along this road, and the various lanes that shoot off it, you will find stylish boutique stores of all kinds, and a mixture of world-renowned high street brands and old local businesses. There are a couple of big malls as well if that’s your thing.

While you’re exploring Rua de Santa Catarina, make a stop at Fábrica da Nata for what might just be the best pastel de nata in Porto. With its vintage decor and setting in a historic building, it feels like an old institution, but it’s actually a relatively new addition to the scene, founded in 2016 and now with six locations across Portugal (including another in Porto, near São Bento Station).

The tarts here are exceptional: warm and crisp, silky in the middle, with just the right balance of sweetness and citrusy sharpness. Watching them arrive via a little travelator from the bakery to the counter adds a fun, slightly theatrical touch to the experience as well.

Have a rooftop lunch at Casa Guedes

There are so many great places to have lunch around Rua de Santa Catarina. If the weather isn’t kind to you, then Mercado do Bolhão is a fantastic option. We love this indoor foodie market that has so many irresistible stalls (especially the sushi ones), and quite a party vibe once you get into the afternoon.

But if you’re lucky with the sunshine, head five minutes east to Casa Guedes Rooftop for a perch with a view. This was the first place we ate on our latest trip and, like Gazela, it’s something of a Porto institution, often recommended by locals and featured in city guides.

You will see a handful of Casa Guedes outlets around the city, as it has become a small chain, but the rooftop location is the standout for us. While it does have a bit of a touristy vibe, there’s good reason why their sandes de pernil (pork sandwiches) are so beloved.

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try a real local delicacy, then order some papas de sarrabulho. It’s not one of the headliners on the menu, but Alex gave it a go after his colleague recommended it. A stodgy porridge made with pigs’ blood, other meat trimmings and cornflour, it might sound intense, but it’s a proper soul-warmer, and especially good in the winter months!

Walk across Luís I Bridge to Gaia

Now, it’s finally time to head to the port-making district that gives Porto its fame. From Casa Guedes or Rua de Santa Catarina, it’s about a 20-minute walk to the heart of Vila Nova de Gaia, known simply as Gaia by locals.

The route takes you over the Luís I Bridge, one of the city’s great engineering landmarks. This double-deck metal arch bridge, built in the 1880s, was a marvel of its time, and still is. We were slammed with a downpour when we last made the walk, but we could still enjoy the sheer majesty of this phenomenal structure (and it provided good shelter from the rain as well!).

Take an afternoon port tour and tasting

You are really spoilt for choice when it comes to port tastings and tours in Gaia. All of the port houses, many of them household names around the world, have experiences for visitors. These are some you can take at the city’s most famous port wine cellars:

• Cockburn’s port lodge tour and tasting
• Cálem cellar tour, interactive museum and wine tasting
• Taylor’s port cellars and tasting

We tried the classic cellar tour and tasting at Sandeman, another icon of the industry, with its unmissable building overlooking the river at the heart of Gaia. This was great value and a lot of fun, as our guide dressed in the trademark hat and cape of the figure in the Sandeman logo, which you could easily confuse with Zorro.

The tour delves deep into the cellars as you learn about the port-making process as well as the history of conflict that paved the way for the industry to grow.

The tour finishes with a tasting of three different port styles — just enough to whet your appetite. If you’re keen to explore more, there are dozens of spots nearby for another glass.

We went into fully indulgent mode and tried a second tasting at Rodrigo’s Port Wine Shop, a cosy little bar just around the corner from Sandeman. If you don’t want to take a formal cellar tour, places like this are a great alternative to sample a variety of ports at your own pace. We tried five different varieties, paired with a charcuterie board of local cheeses and meats, and some amazing sardine bruschetta.

Stop by at Mercado Beira-Rio

By this point, you might be getting hungry again. If that’s the case, head to Mercado Beira-Rio, a short walk along the riverfront, opposite the cable car station in Gaia.

This converted market hall is a fantastic find. Once an open-air market in the late 19th century, it’s now a modern food court with an array of stalls, which we had a great time exploring. You’ll find everything from petiscos and Douro seafood to grilled meats, sushi, pizza, burgers and specialist drinks. We have even tried a Super Bock beer tasting here – you can order a flight of different varieties from the central bar.

Whether you stop in for a late afternoon snack or a full-on dinner fix, it’s a great hangout place where you’ll be more surrounded by locals than tourists. And if you want to stay a bit later for lively evening vibes, it’s open until 10pm seven days a week.

Ride the Gaia cable car at sunset

There are endless scenic viewpoints in Porto, but I’m not sure any beat the cable car ride in Gaia at sunset. It might just be the best €7 I’ve spent in the city.

As you slowly ascend towards the upper level of the Luís I Bridge, the shifting perspective is mesmerising – watching the waterfront festivities of Ribeira unfold below, with the river winding away towards the ocean. Once you reach the top, you can stroll back across to the historic centre along the bridge’s upper deck and savour that panorama just a little longer.

Have dinner at Taberna d’Avó

Your dinner choice on this second evening of our 2-day Porto itinerary, like the first, may depend on the time of sunset. When it’s a late sunset, you may want to grab dinner at Mercado Beira-Rio or a restaurant in Gaia before taking the cable car ride.

Otherwise, if you didn’t eat at Taberna d’Avó the first night, this rustic little restaurant serving home-cooked Portuguese food is a great choice for the last meal of your trip.

Go for craft beers and snacks in Cedofeita

If you like to burn the candle at both ends like we do, you’ll probably want to round off your final night in Porto with a few drinks, and the nightlife back in Cedofeita is just the ticket.

Porto isn’t especially known for craft beer, but Catraio Craft Beer Shop & Bar is a real gem, with a stellar selection on tap. We had a brilliant night here, and the bartender’s constant dancing behind the bar definitely added to the good vibes!

Out the back and upstairs, there’s a hidden outdoor terrace that’s surprisingly spacious, with even more beers on tap. There was a barbecue sizzling away when we visited, and so we ended up with a cracking piece of grilled chicken to soak up the drinks.

Another favourite of ours in Cedofeita is Espaço 77, a lively, no-frills bar with a strong local vibe. It’s one of the cheapest places around for a beer, and there’s a snack counter at the front serving up fried Portuguese bites that go down a treat when you get that late-night craving.

The front bar usually has live sport showing on the screens if you need to catch a game, while tucked away at the back is another area with a dancefloor that keeps the party going until 4am.

Bonus: what to do if you have 3 days in Porto

If you have an extra day in Porto, it’s a great opportunity to take a trip out to the Douro Valley, one of Portugal’s most important wine-making regions.

• Douro Valley day trip from Porto with river cruise, wine tasting and lunch: our top recommended option for an immersive and varied tour to the Douro wine region 🛥️🍽🍷
• Tour of 3 Douro Valley vineyards with lunch: this is also a full day trip and includes more wineries and tasting, so a better option if you’d prefer that to a boat cruise 🍷🍷🍷
• Tour of 2 wine regions from Porto: this experience takes you to both the Douro Valley and Amarante regions in a day, the latter famous for its vinho verde production 🥂🍇🍷

Another great way to spend an extra day in Porto is to head to the beach. Whether you’re a surf-head or you just love seaside vibes, the city’s Foz do Douro neighbourhood has 4 kilometres of golden sand to enjoy. Check out this guide to Foz do Douro to find out more.

2 days in Porto itinerary: map

You can browse all the landmarks, activities, food and drinks spots and accommodation featured in this Porto itinerary for 2 days by clicking the map below:

Porto in 2 days: FAQs

Have you been to Porto before? Slide into the comments below and let us know any other tips you have to enjoy Porto in 2 days!

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