Two Days in Porto, Portugal
Porto is a beautiful city in the northern part of Portugal. I stayed there for only one day as my German travel-mate, Maren, that I was meeting had already been there for a week, so below is our recommended two day itinerary for Porto. If you have more time, I would recommend staying a couple days longer to enjoy the city.
Day 1:
Have breakfast at a local coffee/pastry shop, typically a coffee and pastry of some kind
Go on a free walking tour around the city with Porto Walkers
They offer two tours during the day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The tour is around 3 hours and is really well structured. The tour guides know their city and provide a lot of helpful advice after the tour on where to go. It does not feel like a tourist trap to buy anything and the guides are super friendly.
Grab a snack or late lunch in Ribeira
Head to the old Metro station that goes from Ribeira directly to the Matosinhos Beach for 2.50 euros. The driver provides a mini-tour during the ride to the beach which is nice.
Matosinhos Beach can get very crowded during the weekend and is less crowded during the week
Have some seafood for dinner in Matosinhos (Afurada also has great fresh fish)
Codfish, Sardines, Dourade – whitefish (very popular in Portugal)
Beware of food on the table such as olives, bread, butter, etc. They are NOT free!
Day 2
Walk around the Ribeira area:
Lello Bookstore – Beautiful bookstore where J.K. Rowling got inspired for Harry Potter. It was SUPER crowded for my liking…but if you are a Harry Potter fan, it’s a must.
4 euros to enter, but if you buy a book, 4 euros is deducted from the price of the book)
Igreja de Sao Francisco (St. Francis Church)
Visited this church on recommendation from a friend who lived in Portugal and it was really beautiful inside with incredible wooden carvings inside. I believe I paid 5 euros to enter
St. Catarina street for shopping
Grab lunch around St. Caterina street at one of the local restaurants
Dom Luis I Bridge – Cross the bridge on the upper most walkway. There is a park by the bridge to hangout
Port Wine Tour – Porto Walkers
The tour starts at the Dom Luis I Bridge on the Porto side where you then walk to the Villa Nova de Gaea side by crossing the bridge. You visit three wineries tasting at least seven different port wines. Ended at a rooftop bar with a beautiful view of Porto
Dinner – Eat a francesinha which is a Portuguese sandwich that originated in Porto which is comprised of bread, different meats such as sausage, ham, steak, and topped with melted cheese and a thick sauce (definitely should add an egg!!), served with french fries. Definitely a gluttonous meal (and really good drunk meal), but should be tried at least once! You can find francesinhas at many of the restaurants in the area.
Dinner is important because it is difficult to find a midnight snack if you are intoxicated..
After dinner you can head to Rua Galeria de Paris and Rua Cândido dos Reis for some drankkks
If you have more time…
Douro Valley day tour – Can be done in a group or privately, which can be pricey. They pick you up at your accommodations and are very local and friendly. Return back to Porto in the late afternoon. I heard it is a great tour and very picturesque
Accommodations
Bluesock Hostel Porto – Very clean with nice dorm rooms and bathroom. Has a good location close to the river and touristy area. They do not provide towel or breakfast in price which seems to not be consistent with the other hostels in the area. Bathrooms are separated for male/female and they do not provide a kitchen – Recommend. I only stayed here, Maren, my German, stayed at the following places..
Garden House Hostel Porto – Nice garden, rooms are OK, showers are a little dirty, unisex bathrooms, very good location on St. Caterina street where the shopping street is located
Fishtail Sea House (Matosinhos)- Really nice hostel, clean and like a hotel. Large kitchen where you can prepare your own food. Located 2 minutes from the beach. Not the best option if you are a solo traveler because you do not meet other people, but good if you are with a group of friends
Being Porto Hostel – Older building with small rooms, everything was very clean and staff was very friendly. Two brothers run the hostel – very friendly; mother provides homemade cake and marmalade which was nice
Like I said, I was only here for a day, but