Porto is one of the nicest cities in Europe to visit as a city trip during the weekend or to combine when you make a road trip through Portugal. The great thing about Porto is that it has so much to offer; a historic center where you can see ancient buildings, a harbor where many wine and port traders are located, beaches, and cozy restaurants and nightlife.
In this article, we tell you what you can do in 3 days in Porto. We share many tips in this Porto itinerary to prepare for your city trip to Porto as optimally as possible. You can read where to stay, where to eat, how to plan the days, and if you want to see more of Portugal what the best day trips are. We have made detailed maps for each day that you can use during your city trip to Porto.
Why do you need 3 days for a city trip to Porto?
Before you go to Porto, it is important to determine how many days you will stay in Porto. We traveled for 3 days in Porto and found this to be perfect as you have plenty of time to see the main sights. You can do Porto in 2 days, but then you have to do a lot of activities in one day, plus you have to rush a lot more, which is not pleasant. If you don’t have more than 2 days this is fine only if you have the opportunity to go for 3 days you should do that.
Things to do in Porto in 3 days?
Porto is an old city where many buildings date back to the Middle Ages. The main sights are spread over the city and can be roughly divided into 3 parts. This is the historic center, the ring around the historic center, and the beach area. We have divided the activities so that you discover a part of the city daily. This minimizes travel time and allows you to discover Porto in 3 days at a pleasant pace.
Tip: below you see the map for all activities, accommodations, restaurants, and metro stations. In addition, we have made a map per day, which makes it easier to orientate yourself. Click on the top right corner to enlarge the map. If you click on the star symbol next to the title you can save this map in your Google Maps account. In the folder, you can show or hide different categories. You can then use this map to navigate when you are in Porto.
3 Days in Porto itinerary | day 1
On the first day, you will mainly discover the northern part of Porto. You will do 9 activities this day, it sounds like a lot but some activities do not take much time to visit. The first day you can walk everything, so wear good shoes. After breakfast, you will start visiting Igreja de Santo Ildefonso. As a guideline, it is best to start between 09:00 am and 10:00 am.
If breakfast is not included at the accommodation where you stay, it is best to have breakfast at Negra Café Baixa. Here you can order good muesli bowls, yogurt with fruit, toast with egg, or other sandwiches. You will spend on average between €7 / $7 and €10 /$10 per person, including a drink. Negra Café Baixa is an 11-minute walk from Igreja de Santo Ildefonso.
Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
The Santo Ildefonso church is located in the east of Porto and is your first sight to visit in Porto. The nice thing about this church is that it is beautiful blue colored because of the azulejos. The church is built on a small elevation that makes it look bigger than it actually is. The church dates from the 18th century and is a unique example of Baroque architecture. You can visit the church daily for free. We must say that the church is more impressive on the outside than on the inside.
Cafe Majestic
From Igreja de Santo Ildefonso you walk to Cafe Majestic. This was one of the most surprising places for us to visit during our 3 days in Porto. Cafe Majestic is the oldest cafe in Porto where you can order coffee as they did in the 1920s. When you enter you step back in time because everything still looks like it did back then. This is an incredibly cool experience because you can hardly experience this anywhere in the world. Even though a coffee costs €5 / $5, it is still more than worth it. You can also have breakfast, lunch, or dinner here, but we recommend just having a drink because the experience is the same but it saves a lot of money. For example, you quickly pay €17 / $17 for a sandwich. During our visit, we had the feeling that we were in a scene of the Titanic.
Capela das Almas
Capela das Almas, like the first-visited building Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, is an ecclesiastical building decorated with azulejos blue tiles. This is a small church built in the 18th century. The facade is entirely in blue and white tiles, showing the story of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Catherine. You can also visit this church for free. It doesn’t take much time to visit Capela das Almas plus it’s on the route for your next activity.
Tip: a nice way to discover Porto is by taking a walking tour. This allows you to visit the highlights of the city in a short period of time accompanied by a guide. If you like to follow tours, we recommend this tour, because you visit the main sights in the historic center. If you prefer to do everything independently, it is better to skip it.
Tip: you can also follow a bike tour instead of a walking tour. The advantage of a bike tour is that you can travel more distance and therefore can see more.
Where to stay in Porto
Option 1 our personal favorite: Dukes Corner Guest House
Dukes Corner Guest House is located 10 minutes from the historic center and is perfect for a city trip because you can enjoy a good and extensive breakfast in the morning, the rooms are spacious and the beds are comfortable. Also, the staff is super friendly and always happy to chat. We stayed here and we would definitely come back here.
Check actual prices and availability for Dukes Corner Guest House here.
Option 2 spacious neat rooms: MyStay Porto Bolhão
MyStay Porto Bolhão is ideal if you don’t want to pay too much for a lot of space and comfort. It is quietly located and you are in the historic center within a few minutes. The advantage is that the rooms are not located on a busy street, so there is no noise in the evening. Plus you can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the morning.
Check actual prices and availability for MyStay Porto Bolhão here.
Avenida dos Aliados
The largest square in Porto is Avenida dos Aliados. Around this square are many large imposing buildings that are beautifully decorated. The town hall with the tower in the middle of the square is the most unique building to see. Perhaps a strange tip, but walk into McDonald’s Imperial, this is one of the 35,000 buildings of the fast food chain, but according to many the most beautiful in the world.
If you like to have a drink, you can sit at one of the bars. These are mainly visited by locals because most travelers have a drink in the historic center. As a result, prices are lower compared to the historic center. A nice place to have a drink is Café Aliança.
Estacao de Sao Bento
Porto’s train station is São Bento and is without a doubt one of the most beautiful train stations in Europe. You enter a large hall with two large paintings on either side that show important events in Portugal. If you like taking pictures, this is an interesting place, because in the afternoon sunlight shines in the hall which is a good moment to make pictures. You can visit this station for free.
Opposite Porto station is located Igreja dos Congregados. This church is similar to the earlier churches because here you can also see the blue tiles on the outside. Be sure to stop by here to see it up close.
Lunch at La Salumeria Porto
During our trip to Porto, we visited La Salumeria Porto twice during lunchtime and in the evening for dinner. The reason is very simple because it is so tasty and you just pay normal prices. While walking around the city you come across many places, but many food places are simply too expensive for what you get or too touristy and massive. We are not a fan of that and are always looking for something smaller and accidentally come across La Salumeria Porto and were completely blown away.
You can have a good lunch at La Salumeria Porto in the afternoon, you can order delicious paninis. Everything is freshly made and you can see that the staff want you to enjoy the Italian food with a smile on their face. For a lunch, you spend about €10 / $10 per person.
Igreja do Carmo
Opposite the University of Porto is a square with a 19th-century fountain and the Igreja do Carmo. First of all, it is nice to walk on the square, because artists often perform here. The fountain is also beautiful to see because of the decoration. The square is surrounded by large buildings with the eye-catcher Igreja do Carmo. Like many churches in Porto, the side of this church is decorated with blue tiles. The special thing is that Igreja do Carmo is a combination of two old churches. If you pay close attention you will see a small house between the two entrances. This is because, according to the law, churches were not allowed to be built next to each other. This cottage was used by the nuns. In addition to the exterior of Igreja do Carmo, you can see typical baroque furnishings in the interior. You can also visit this church for free every day.
Igreja and Torre dos Clerigos
One of the nicest buildings to visit is Igreja e Torre dos Clerigos. The church itself is not very different from most churches, only the tower makes the visit so cool. From this tower, you have one of the best viewpoints of the city. We can say many nice things about it, but the panorama photo we made really shows why it is worth visiting.
You can visit the church for free, but you have to buy a ticket for the tower. This costs €6 / $6 and tickets for Torre dos Clerigos can be purchased here.
Livraria Lello
Porto is loved by travelers to visit Livraria Lello, which is one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. Many Harry Potter fans come here because it is said that J.K. Rowling wrote one of her books here. It’s true that J.K. Rowling lived in Porto but she never wrote her books here. Nevertheless, you can see in this bookshop that she gained some inspiration from the Harry Potter books.
The bookshop was built in 1906 and the style is still exactly as it was then. The architectural style is beautiful with all the details. This makes it definitely worth visiting. We must say that unfortunately, it is very busy and that the experience is a bit different than expected. Definitely go visit it just don’t expect to be impressed as it is simply too touristy. To avoid long queues, it is best to purchase tickets on the official website of Livraria Lello. If you don’t do this you can quickly have to wait 1 hour to get in.
Jardins do Palacio de Cristal
A 13-minute walk from Livraria Lello is Porto’s most beautiful park called Jardins do Palacio de Cristal. This park is built around a crystal palace, only this building has been replaced by Pavilhão Rosa Mota where concerts and events are organized. The nice thing is that after the first day you can escape from the hectic pace of the city by walking in the green.
You can discover different parts of the park, so you have a rose garden that is beautiful to see. You also have a tower in the southwest of the park near the water where you can go to have a nice view over the river.
Dine at Honorato Clérigos
After an intensive day, we recommend eating somewhere that is close to the sights you have seen this day. Just behind Livraria Lello are three streets of Galeria de Paris, Cândido dos Reis, and Conde de Vizela, which are known for their nightlife. You can find many restaurants here. Honorato Clérigos is a good place to eat burgers. A hamburger costs between €6.5 / $6.5 and €12.5 / $12.5. You pay €3 / $3 for a drink. Unlike many restaurants in Porto, this is not expensive.
Do you want to book a nice tour?
Check the widget below for the best tours in Porto
3 Days in Porto itinerary | day 2
The second day is super, you will visit the historic center of Porto. This day, the sights are closer to each other, so you do not have to walk that much. After your breakfast, you will start your visit to perhaps the coziest street in Porto. If you start this day around 9:30 am you will have enough time.
If breakfast is not included where you are staying, you can have breakfast at Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker. Here you can order extensive portions such as toast combined with salmon and a fresh salad. For breakfast including a drink, you will pay between €10 / $10 and €16 / $16 per person.
R das Flores
Whether you come here in the morning, afternoon, or evening, there is always something to do in the street of das Flores. We liked to walk here in the afternoon, so you probably think why would I walk here in the morning? This is very simple it is on the route to the next activity. The street das Flores is used by many local artists to show their skills. You also have many restaurants and shops here that are nice to visit. During your 3 days in Porto, you will walk through das Flores several times, so you have plenty of time to see the most important points.
Miradouro da Vitoria
There are several viewpoints in Porto that you can visit. Miradouro da Vitória is one of the viewpoints that is not clearly marked but is very nice to visit. The great thing about this viewpoint is that you can oversee the entire historic center. From here you also have a view of the Douro river with the Ponte Luiz I bridge in the distance. You cross this bridge in the evening to see the sunset.
Pastéis De Nata
Every country, city, or village has a delicatessen, in Portugal, this is Pastéis de Nata. Pastéis de Nata is a cream cake that is delicious to eat. The best thing is to order a cup of coffee with a Pastéis de Nata at a bakery in the morning after you have walked a bit in the historic center. We went to Castro – Atelier de Pastéis de Nata, this is the best place in Porto to eat Pastéis de Nata because they make it fresh.
Pastéis de Nata costs €1.20 / $1.20 here and a coffee €0.90 / $0.90, which is very cheap. Due to its popularity among the local population, it is often full so you can ask to pack it and walk to Praça do Infante Dom Henrique square to sit. Palacio da Bolsa is located on this square, which is your next activity.
Tip: if you like to discover more delicacies of Porto, we recommend following a food tour.
Palace of Bolsa
The Palace of Bolsa was built in the 19th century in a neoclassical style and can be visited daily with a guided tour. It is not possible to do this independently. During a tour, you will visit different rooms that are important for the history of Porto and Portugal. The palace is a national monument and is seen by the locals as the most important building of Porto. When you step inside you are impressed by a huge hall with flags and many windows. The many decorations and works of art are beautiful to see. During the tour of 30 minutes, you will visit the most important things of the palace.
Tickets for Palacio da Bolsa can be purchased in advance via the link. When you arrive you must choose a time slot and language, it is best to reserve a time slot before you walk to Castro – Atelier de Pastéis.
Get ice cream at Boutique do Gelado
If you have to choose a time slot at Palacio da Bolsa you often have to wait half an hour, this is a good time to get ice cream. Boutique do gelado is 100 meters located from Palacio da Bolsa. We got ice cream here and we liked it. You can sit on a terrace but we recommend sitting near the square in front of Palacio da Bolsa because this is a lot cozier. An ice cream costs €2.50 / $2.50.
Lunch Traveler, Food&Drink Journey – São Bento
Because you will see a lot this day, we recommend that you do not have an extensive lunch somewhere in the afternoon. Traveler, Food&Drink Journey – São Bento is a great place to quickly order a sandwich with a coffee. Here you can find different sandwiches with cheese, tuna or a salad. It will cost +/- €8 / $8 per person.
If you prefer to sit somewhere you should go to Tapabento S.Bento. We did not eat here ourselves, only when we walked by we saw that it was full and the dishes on the tables looked very good. You can mainly order hot meals, so you only have to eat something small in the evening. Prices for a dish are between €20 / $20 and €28 / $28.
Historical center
The historic center of Porto is in our opinion the most beautiful part of this Porto itinerary. Take the time to walk into all the streets and alleys. The cool thing about the historic center is that it consists of different levels. There is a lot to see, but there are four buildings that you definitely should visit. These are Igreja de S Francisco, Igreja de S Lournco and Catedral Paço Episcopal do Porto.
Igreja de S Francisco: this is the golden church of Porto. When you enter you see gold everywhere. However, when you start paying attention to the details, it is a lot of carvings and gives the illusion that it is gold. The church was built in the 14th century and is built in a traditional way because of the three different spaces. Entrance tickets are €7.50 / $7.50 and can be bought on-site.
Sé do Porto: Porto Cathedral is located on the most beautiful square in Porto with the bishop’s building next to it. Both buildings are built on the highest hills, so you have a beautiful view of the area. The cathedral was built in the 12th century and has been altered in the 1700s, giving you different architectural styles. The cloister’s corridors, the many decorations, and the church with the huge columns make it a beautiful building to see.
Paço Episcopal do Porto: this is the bishop’s building of Porto and is something that is often overlooked which is a shame because the building is amazing. The rooms are huge, everything is decorated in a baroque architectural style dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. You can buy a combination ticket for this building and the cathedral. In this case, it costs together €5 / $5 per person.
Igreja de S Lournco: opposite the cathedral of Porto you will find Igreja de S Lournco. This church has a huge facade that is built against a small square. If you walk up through the narrow streets to the square you are suddenly right in front of this facade, which is impressive. You can visit the inside of the church, but this is not very special.
Harbor and boat trip
After you have walked through the historic center it is nice to go to the port of Porto and walk along the quay. Here you can see the old warehouses that used to be used to transport loads. The harbor is one of the coziest places in the city because of its liveliness. You also have a beautiful view of the entire region from here. A popular activity is to take a boat past the 6 bridges and look out over the city from the boat. You can easily purchase a ticket for the boat in advance via the link.
Tip: you see a lot of terraces here, but we don’t recommend sitting here, because prices are a lot higher compared to other places.
Dining at Sagardi Porto
Not far from the harbor is Sagardi Porto. This is a Basque restaurant where you can eat good pintxos. We are big fans of pintxos and like the advantage that you can see and grab what you want to eat. Sagardi Porto is nicely decorated and a great place to eat. A pintxo costs €2.10 / $2.10 which is a reasonable price. It will cost more or less €17 / $17 per person with a drink.
Depending on the period when you are in Porto, it is best to eat before or after the sunset at Sagardi Porto. The next activity you will see the sunset from across the river.
Ponte Luiz I and Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
When the sun goes down, it is best to walk 1.5 hours in advance to Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar. To get here you have to cross Ponte Luiz I. This metal bridge was built in 1880 and is an iconic image of Porto. If you look closely at the bridge, it looks a bit like the Eiffel tower of Paris, which is not surprising because the bridge was built by a student of Gustav Eiffel. The bridge consists of two parts, the best thing is to walk on the higher plateau to the other side, because then you have the best view.
When you arrive on the other side you will see many people relaxing at Jardim do Morro, this is a grassy area where you can find a place to wait for the sunset. We chose to walk to Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, because it is a bit higher, so your view is better. We also liked that it is a lot quieter and we wanted to see the only round church building in Portugal up close. Check on the spot which of the two places you prefer to sit.
3 Days in Porto itinerary | day 3
The 3rd day in Porto is more relaxing than the other two days. You will relax on the beach in the morning, possibly visit a museum and visit a port wine cellar in the afternoon. Finally, you have free time to walk through the city. We recommend that you start the day at 09:00 am so that you can be on the beach in the early morning when it is not yet extremely hot.
If breakfast is not included, it is best to have breakfast near the boarding point of tram 1. My Coffee Porto is a good option, which is an 8-minute walk from the boarding point. You can get good yogurt bowls filled with fresh fruit at this place. A breakfast here costs €7 / $7 including a coffee.
Authentic tram
During your city trip to Porto you will see several old trams driving through the city, these are iconic for the street scene and loved by travelers. The best thing is to take a ride on the tram yourself. There are three routes, of which tram 1 (the green line) is the best because it is the least busy and you reach the beach of Porto with it. The first departs from Infante tram station at 09:15 am from October to March and at 09:30 am from April to September. You can buy a ticket from the conductor, which costs €8 / $8 one way.
Tip: watch out for your personal belongings when you are on the tram. This is a popular spot for pickpockets, as people are sometimes very close together, making you an easy target.
Beach
When you are in Porto for 3 days it is nice to have some variety by visiting the beach. If you get on tram 1 at the Infante stop and get off at P. Alegre, you only have to walk 12 minutes to Praia dos Ingleses. When you walk to this beach you first pass a garden, two other beaches, Fort São João da Foz and a lighthouse. All these points that you pass are beautiful to see. Praia dos Ingleses is the nicest to sit down because you don’t have to walk super far.
Museum optional
If you prefer to stay longer on the beach, you should definitely do that and skip a visit to a museum. Museu Serralves is the most beautiful museum to visit. This is mainly because of the building and the gardens and not necessarily because of what you see inside the museum. In the museum, you see contemporary art, and is interesting for travelers who enjoy visiting museums. You can read more information about Museu Serralves on their site. You can also buy a ticket for various parts via the site. You can visit the park and the museum, but also one of the two.
Lunch Jeronymo
We recommend this time to walk into a bakery or supermarket and get a sandwich here. You can easily eat this on your way to Grahams port and wine tasting. We quickly enjoy a sandwich at Jeronymo.
If you want to eat somewhere, you can do this at The Lodge: Dona Maria Restaurante. When we came here it was full and cozy. The dishes we saw on the tables were also good. If you want a plate of pasta or some fish this is a good option for you.
Port and wine tasting along the quay
During your 3 days in Porto you should follow a port and wine tour in Porto. The best place to do this is next to the river. Here are a number of old breweries where you can do this. We did not do this ourselves, because we just came from the Douro valley and have already followed enough port and wine tours here.
At our accommodation, they told that the best place to take a tour is Grahams. This is the most authentic one to visit and offers the best view of Porto. During the tour, you will learn everything about the production process and the history of the brewery, which has existed since 1890. It’s best to book a ticket for Grahams in advance.
The locals also told us that if Grahams is full then it is best to go to Ferreira and Taylor Fladgate & Yeatman. These are similar only they don’t have a view like Grahams.
After the tour, you are free to enjoy the rest of the day as you wish. We recommended walking through the historic center.
Dine at La Salumeria Porto
Lunch on the first day at La Salumeria Porto was so good that we wanted to sit here again on our last evening, but then to have something to eat in the evening. We then ordered gnocchi and lasagna with tiramisu for dessert. Highly recommended to have lunch or dinner here, for us it was one of the best places we ate during our tour in Portugal.
Day trips from Porto
If you have more days in Port and you want to see more of Portugal, you can do different day trips from Porto. We recommend the following day trips from Porto. You can read more information about the day trip via the link.
- Douro valley: during this tour, you will visit the Douro valley, taste local wine, take a boat trip on the Douro river and discover the landscape.
- Braga and Guimarães: Braga has an ancient center and a church in the mountains that are worth a visit. In Guimarães lies an old Templar castle.
- Peneda Gerês National Park: this is Portugal’s only national park and is recommended for travelers who would like to discover more of Portugal’s nature. Here you can see many lakes, mountains and different kinds of animals.
Where to stay in Porto
There are many accommodations in Porto, the most important thing to decide is whether you want to stay in the historic center or just outside. We recommend staying just outside the historic center because this is a lot cheaper and it is a lot quieter in the evening, so you can sleep better in the evening.
We stayed at Dukes Corner Guest House which is located in a quiet neighborhood. The advantage of this area is that you are within a 10-minute walk in the historic center, but you stay in a working-class area, which makes it very quiet in the evening. You also pay twice as much for the same room with facilities in the center.
We recommend the two accommodations below because of the good price-quality ratio. For both accommodations, you should not wait too long to make a reservation because they are quickly fully booked. You can easily make a reservation via the link below.
Our personal favorite
Dukes Corner Guest House
Dukes Corner Guest House is located 10 minutes from the historic center and is perfect for a city trip because you can enjoy a good and extensive breakfast in the morning, the rooms are spacious and the beds are comfortable. Also, the staff is super friendly and always happy to have a chat. We stayed here and we would definitely come back here.
Spacious neat rooms
MyStay Porto Bolhão
MyStay Porto Bolhão is ideal if you don’t want to pay too much for a lot of space and comfort. It is quietly located and you are in the historic center within a few minutes. The advantage is that the rooms are not located on a busy street, so there is no noise in the evening. Plus you can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the morning.
Where to eat in Porto
In our Porto itinerary, you read per day which restaurants we recommend. To make it easy, we have put all the tips in the overview below. You can see where all these restaurants can be found on the map at the beginning of the article.
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | |
| Breakfast | Negra Café Baixa | Do Norte Café by Hungry Biker | My Coffee Porto |
| Lunch | La Salumeria Porto | Traveller, Food&Drink Journey – São Bento | Jeronymo |
| Diner | Honorato Clérigos | Sagardi Porto | La Salumeria Porto |
Is a city trip to Porto safe to travel?
Porto is safe to visit, generally, Portugal is safe to travel through. Of course, when you are in Porto you have to use your common sense. Pay particular attention to your belongings, because pickpockets are active in busy places such as the station or the metro. Apart from pickpockets, travelers experience a few unsafe situations.
Travel insurance
World Nomads travel insurance policies offer coverage for more than 150 activities. Get a quote, make a claim, or buy or extend your policy while on the road.
Transportation in Porto
The best way to visit the sights in the historic center is by walking. If you want to travel longer distances, such as to the beach, it is best to use the tram. Renting a bike in Porto is also an option if you want to get to the sights outside the historic center.
You can also use the hop-on and hop-off buses. These are open-top buses that offer a good view and unlimited use. These buses go to the main attractions of Porto. Buy tickets for the hop-on and hop-off buses here.
How to get to Porto
Porto is easy to reach by plane, public transport, or car. If you travel by plane to Porto you arrive at Botica station where you use the metro line E (purple line) to travel to Senhora da Hora and change here to the red, green, or blue line to get to the center. The journey takes 45 minutes and costs €2 / $2 per person.
If you want to travel to Porto by public transport, it is best to purchase public transport tickets here. There are routes from the popular surrounding destinations for which you can buy a ticket.
Finally, you can also travel to Porto by car. You can park your car at the accommodations we recommend. In the overview below you can see how long it takes to reach Porto from popular destinations:
- Braga to Porto: 45 minutes | 55km / 34 miles
- Geres village to Porto: 1 hour 30 minutes | 100km / 62 miles
- Douro Valley to Porto: 1 hour and 20 minutes | 120km / 74 miles
- Coimbra to Porto: 1 hour and 20 minutes | 125km / 77 miles
- Lisbon to Porto: 3 hours | 310km / 192 miles
If you travel to Portugal by plane and you are looking for a car to rent, you can rent it through Rentalcars. We use Rentalcars when we want to travel by car to discover new destinations. They’re easy to use and book with.
Best time to visit Porto
You can visit Porto all year round because the weather is always good in Porto. The best period is the spring to the autumn period (March to November). The winter period from December to February is still a great time to travel to Porto, but temperatures are slightly lower and you have a slightly higher chance of rain.
On average it is 18°C / 64°F in spring, 25°C / 77°F in summer, 20°C / 68°F in autumn, and 12°C / 53°F in winter. It is good to know that during the summer months, prices increase in July and August because of the school holidays in Europe.
3 Days Porto itinerary FAQ
1. How much does a 3 day Porto city trip cost?
When you stay 3 days in Porto, a budget traveler will spend €349 / $349, a mid-range traveler €619 / $619 and someone who likes luxury during their trip will spend €1045 / $1045. Converted, a budget traveler spends €115 / $115 per day, a middle-class traveler €205 / $205, and a luxury traveler €340 / $340.
Our 3 day Porto city trip costed +/- €550 / $550, we had a discount on the accommodation because we booked far in advance and visited Porto during a road trip, so the plane ticket costs are spread over the days.
In the overview below you can see as a guideline how much each type of traveler spends. We give tips for each category on how you can save on this.
| Category | Budget traveler | Mid-range traveler | Luxury traveler |
| Accommodation* | €75 / $75 | €100 / $100 | €150 / $150 |
| Food | €25 / $25 | €55 / $55 | €90 / $90 |
| Transport | €0 / $0 | €10 / $10 | €20 / $20 |
| Activities | €15 / $15 | €40 / $40 | €80 / $80 |
| Total per person per day | €115 / $115 | €205 / $205 | €340 / $340 |
| Transport to Porto | €50 / $50 | €80 / $80 | €125 / $125 |
| Total budget based on 3 days | €395 / $395 | €695 / $695 | €1145 / $1145 |
Read how you can save costs per category:
- Accommodation: it is best to make a reservation for the accommodation as far as possible, there are offers and simply more choices. See our recommended accommodations to help.
- Food: choose an accommodation including breakfast. You can also get a sandwich at a bakery or supermarket in the afternoon and not have an extensive lunch to save costs.
- Transport: try to walk as much as possible and not use public transport.
- Activities: you can’t spend anything on activities; we don’t recommend this. You want to see things right? Try to save as little as possible on activities, because this gives the travel experience.
Do you want to see more in Portugal
With our tips, you will definitely have a great city trip in Porto where you will discover all the highlights in 3 days of Porto. Of course, there is much more to see in Portugal besides Porto. If you have the time, it is cool to make a road trip through Portugal. We have traveled through Portugal for 3 weeks and have made an itinerary where we have put down all our tips. You can use this Portugal road trip as inspiration to build your own travel route, or you can do exactly what we did, this saves you a lot of research.
Due to the location of Porto, you can go in many directions, so you can go north towards Braga and Peneda Gerês National Park. Braga is comparable to Porto because here you can also discover a beautiful historic center, only in Braga you have a cathedral in the mountains that is worth visiting because of the environment. Peneda Gerês National Park is the only national park and is the place in Portugal where you can see rugged natural landscapes.
You can also go inland by visiting the Douro Valley to the east. This is an awesome region to drive through the valley by car on the narrow roads between all the vineyards. The best thing is to stay at an Quinta and of course, follow wine tours.
Finally, you can travel south which is very popular. Cities such as Coimbra, Obidos, and Lisbon are definitely worth a visit. Coimbra is the city where you can visit the oldest university in Portugal and where there is a library which is widely used in movies because it is so beautiful. Obidos is a small establishment surrounded by defensive walls and it feels like going back in time. Lisbon is ideal to visit from Porto, as you can easily reach it by train. Lisbon is the capital of Portugal where your historic and trendy architectural styles come together.
What do you think of Porto? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Disclaimer: the prices mentioned in this article may differ from the current situation. We regularly update our articles. Would you like to help us to provide to best possible insights to help other travelers leave a comment with the latest information. Thanks!
Did you like this article? Then save it to Pinterest for later!
