See a one-day itinerary in Porto and find out what to do in the city in just 24 hours, with sightseeing tips and the main sights to see. If you are going to travel to Porto, but only have one day to visit the city, our advice is to follow this itinerary that will allow you to get to know the most interesting sights of Porto and leave a little taste of “want more” for you to come back with more time on an upcoming trip.
What to do in the morning
The advantage of the city is that most of the sights are in the same region, so you can enjoy seeing much without having to spend time on trips. Start by visiting the D. Luís I Bridge, symbol of the city and connecting Porto to Gaia, the city on the other side of the river. From there you can see the entire Ribeira region. When you go down, you will see that on the bank of Gaia there are several wine cellars, where the famous Porto wine is made, which gives, even more, fame to the city. Take a tour of the cellars, the tour costs € 4.50 and you still have the right to do some wine tasting. After the tasting, there is nothing better than a stroll along the river, where there are always several typical shops and souvenirs.
What to do in the afternoon
If you catch the funicular near the Ponte D. Luis I, it takes you to the higher part of town. Get out in the neighborhood of Batalha, where the Batalha Square is, a stage of a great war between the Saracens of Almançor and residents of Porto. Descending Saraiva de Carvalho Street, you reach the Oporto Cathedral, one of the most historical monuments in the city. Being located on a high point of the city, the view is also incredible and allows you to see the entire historical center. Nearby you find São Bento Station, another tourist attraction, even if you do not have to take a train. The tiles are one of the most amazing parts of the building.
Next to the station is “Praça da Liberdade” – Liberdade Square, which goes to Avenida dos Aliados. Nearby is the famous Tower of the Clergy, a tower 75m high, but rises through a staircase, 240 steps. If you have breath, the view is also fantastic. If you still have time, be sure to visit the Lello Bookstore, one of the most beautiful in the world. With these sights, you already enjoyed the day in Porto very well. Come back with more time to the city that gave its name to Portugal and gets to know the culture of Porto.
Tips to buy tickets for tours and attractions
One tip to save money when buying tours and tickets in Porto is to buy tickets online, which in addition to being always cheaper, saves you a good time that you would lose in the queues of the box office and you already travel with the tickets at hand. A cool website that we always use is this European Ticket Site that sells tickets to the main sights and tours of Lisbon, Porto and across Europe. They are one of the biggest sellers of tour tickets and sights of all cities in the world, and the good thing is that you buy all your tickets in one place, instead of buying on the website of each attraction. It is much more practical, you have a great care to solve any problem or doubt you have and the prices are great and often cheaper than on the attraction website itself. It greatly facilitated our travels and helped save time and money. Get ready, because the tour options are huge and you feel like doing everything. After you purchase, you receive the voucher and all information by email. The most interesting tours of Porto are the Clérigos Tower, Lello Bookstore and Palácio da Bolsa, which are some of the main tourist attractions.