In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Guimarães (about 1 hour 15), Braga with Bom Jesus (about 1 hour 10) and Aveiro (about 1 hour 5) are CP trains, €3.60 to €7.20 each way, so do them on your own. Coimbra is an hour by Alfa Pendular from Campanhã. The Douro Valley is a train to Pinhão until 2 November 2026 and again from 25 March 2027, but from 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 buses replace the trains between Marco de Canaveses and Régua, which makes a coach tour (from €55) the practical way. Peneda-Gerês and Santiago de Compostela are tour days or a car. Trains to the day trips leave from Campanhã, and São Bento has the urban and regional ones. Or book a tour: the Braga and Guimarães tourad is from €47 for 9 hours, the Douro Valley tour with a boat, tasting and lunchad from €55, and the Aveiro half-dayad from €35 (GetYourGuide).
The day trips compared
Train fares are CP’s for 2026, one way, second class. Tour prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
| Trip | On your own | Fare | Tour from | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guimarães | CP urban train from São Bento or Campanhã, about 1 hour 15 | €3.60 | €47 with Braga, 9 hours | The Paço dos Duques is partly closed, so it is €5, or €8 with the castle |
| Braga and Bom Jesus | CP urban train, about 1 hour 10 | €3.60 | €47 with Guimarães, 9 hours | The Bom Jesus funicular is €2.50 up or €4 return |
| Aveiro | CP from Campanhã, about 1 hour 5 | €6.55 Regional, €7.20 InterRegional | €35, 4 to 7 hours | The boat and Costa Nova are what the half-day tour adds |
| Coimbra | Alfa Pendular from Campanhã to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour | €19.70 Alfa Pendular, €11.85 InterRegional | €69 with Fátima, 10 hours | The Joanina Library is a timed slot |
| Douro Valley | CP to Pinhão, 2 hours 15; buses replace part of the line from 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 | €12.35 InterRegional | €55, 7 to 10 hours | A tour or a car in winter |
| Peneda-Gerês | No train; car or tour | None | €75 hike and swim, €105 with lunch | A day of walks and swimming, 9½ to 10 hours |
| Santiago de Compostela | Bus, about 4 hours 20 each way | None | €79, 10 hours | Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal |
| Lisbon | Alfa Pendular from Campanhã, about 2 hours 43 | From €35.70 | None | Stay a night |
When a tour is worth it
A tour pays where the stops are far apart, where the train is slow or missing, or where the line is closed.
- Braga and Guimarães in one day. The Braga & Guimarães tour with Bom Jesus & Castlead is from €47 for 9 hours (4.6 stars from 4,804 reviews). On your own the two towns cost about €26.40 across two days in train fares, the €8 palace and castle ticket and the funicular, because the towns are on separate train lines from Porto. The Viana do Castelo, Braga and Guimarães day tourad is from €39 for 10½ hours and adds a third town.
- The Douro Valley. The Douro Valley tour with boat, wine tasting and lunchad is from €55 (4.7 stars from 23,388 reviews, 7 to 10 hours), and the Douro Valley with lunch, tastings and cruisead is from €54. The Douro Valley Full-Day Boat, Train, and Lunch Tourad is from €123. The Douro page compares them.
- Aveiro with the boat and Costa Nova. The Aveiro half-day tour with an optional cruisead is from €35 for 4 to 7 hours, and the Aveiro, Cruise, Costa Nova & Capela da Pedra full dayad is from €37 for 8½ hours. The Aveiro, Paiva Walkways and Suspension Bridge tourad is from €108 and is a different trip: it spends the morning in the hills at Arouca.
- Coimbra with Fátima. The Fátima and Coimbra full-day tourad is from €69 for 10 hours. Coimbra on its own is a train.
- Santiago and Peneda-Gerês. Both are tour days: see below.
For Guimarães, Braga and Aveiro the train is simple, and a tour sells convenience and the time between stops. Porto’s trains and metro load on Andante tickets only inside the city zones: the day-trip trains are bought from CP.
The trips
Guimarães
CP urban train from São Bento or Campanhã, about 1 hour 15, €3.60 · Paço dos Duques €5, palace and castle €8
A castle and a ducal palace in a small old town. Trains leave São Bento at 20 minutes past most hours. The Paço dos Duques is partly closed for rehabilitation, and the keep of the castle is closed, so the full price is not charged. The Guimarães day trip guide has the timetable, the opening hours and the closed days.
Braga and Bom Jesus
CP urban train, about 1 hour 10, €3.60 · funicular €2.50 up, €4 return
A cathedral city with a baroque stairway sanctuary on the hill above it. The Bom Jesus funicular, opened in 1882, is moved by water counterweights, and the church is free. The Braga and Bom Jesus guide has the train times, the stairs and what the funicular costs.
Aveiro
CP from Campanhã, about 1 hour 5, from €6.55 · tours from €35
A canal town with painted moliceiro boats and the striped beach houses of Costa Nova nearby. The CP line north of Aveiro is under a three-year renewal that began on 24 June 2026, and CP has listed a road transfer between Porto Campanhã and Aveiro for some Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains until 1 November 2026, so look up your train on cp.pt. The Aveiro day trip guide has the trains and the tours.
Coimbra
Alfa Pendular to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour, €19.70 · university 09:00 to 18:00
A university town with a baroque library. The Alfa Pendular is the fast train, from €19.70 second class, and the slower InterRegional is €11.85. The Coimbra day trip guide has the times, the university’s hours and the Joanina Library slot.
Douro Valley
Train to Pinhão 2 hours 15 until 2 November 2026 and from 25 March 2027 · coach tour from €55
The wine valley upriver from Porto. From 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 there is no through train: CP runs buses between Marco de Canaveses and Régua. The Douro Valley guide puts the tours first, then both timetables, the quintas and the river cruises.
The trips without a guide of their own
Peneda-Gerês National Park
No train · tour from €75 · 9½ to 10 hours
A mountain national park in the north, with waterfalls, lagoons and villages, which no train reaches. It is a day for a hire car or a small-group tour. The Peneda-Gerês tour with lunchad is from €105 for 10 hours (4.9 stars from 1,419 reviews): a group of up to 8 travels by jeep to a waterfall and a lagoon with a swim, then to a village and a lunch of local food. The Hike & Swim in Gerês tourad is from €75 for about 9½ hours (4.8 stars from 587 reviews), and the Gerês tour with kayaking and lunchad is from €110.
Santiago de Compostela
Bus about 4 hours 20 each way · cathedral open 07:00 to 21:00 · tour €79, 10 hours
The end of the Camino de Santiago, in Spain. Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal all year. On your own the FlixBus from Porto takes about 4 hours 20, so a day trip is nearly nine hours on the road, and a night in Santiago or a tour is the sensible choice. The Santiago de Compostela full-day tourad is from €79 for 10 hours (4.7 stars from 1,296 reviews): about 2½ hours out, an hour of free time before and after an optional lunch, and a 45-minute stop at the walled border town of Valença do Minho on the way back.
The cathedral basilica is open daily 07:00 to 21:00, and its museum, which has the Portico of Glory and the roofs, 10:00 to 20:00 (catedraldesantiago.es). Backpacks are not allowed inside. The Pilgrim’s Mass is at 07:30 in the Chapel of the Communion and at 09:30, 12:00 and 19:30 in the Church of St Augustine while the main altar is under works, and the cathedral’s notice says the Botafumeiro, the giant incense burner, is out of use during restoration (catedraldesantiago.es).
The towers of Santiago de Compostela Cathedral over the old town. Photo: Luis Miguel Bugallo Sánchez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Lisbon by train
Alfa Pendular about 2 hours 43 · from €35.70 each way, €64.50 return in second class
Lisbon is a trip for two nights, not a day. CP’s Alfa Pendular leaves Porto Campanhã at 05:40, 06:40, 07:40, 09:40, 11:40, 13:40, 14:40, 16:40, 17:40, 18:40 and 20:40 (not every train every day) and reaches Lisboa Oriente about 2 hours 43 later, from €35.70 in second class and €49.90 in first. The slower Intercidades from Campanhã takes about 3 hours. The northern line has a three-year renewal between Espinho and Válega that began on 24 June 2026, so look up your train on cp.pt. The Lisbon guide has the city’s bookings, and Porto as a day trip from Lisbon is the same journey from the other end.
Before you choose a day
| Where | Limited or closed |
|---|---|
| Guimarães | Paço dos Duques and the castle closed 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 June and 25 December |
| Coimbra | University closed 24 and 25 December 2026 and 31 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 |
| Douro Valley | No through train from 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 |
| Aveiro and Lisbon | CP road transfer on the northern line for some trains until 1 November 2026 |
| Santiago | Pilgrim’s Mass in the Church of St Augustine; backpacks banned in the cathedral |
What to book before you go to Porto lists the city tickets and the entry rules for Portugal, and best time to visit Porto says which months suit a day out. For the first and last day, Porto airport to the city and Porto public transport cover the stations and the metro. Porto in 2 days shows where a day trip sits in a short stay, and where to stay in Porto compares the areas.
Common questions
What is the easiest day trip from Porto?
Guimarães, Braga or Aveiro by CP train. Guimarães is about 1 hour 15 from São Bento or Campanhã, Braga about 1 hour 10 and Aveiro about 1 hour 5. Guimarães and Braga are €3.60 each way on CP's 2026 price list, and Aveiro is €6.55 on the Regional train or €7.20 on the InterRegional.
Can you do the Douro Valley by train from Porto in winter 2026 to 2027?
Not directly. CP suspends trains between Marco de Canaveses and Régua from 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 and runs buses instead, so the earliest arrival in Pinhão from Campanhã is 11:31. In that period a coach tour from €55 or a car is the practical way. Until 2 November 2026, and from 25 March 2027, the train takes about 2 hours 15 each way.
Which Porto day trips need a tour or a car?
Peneda-Gerês National Park, where no train goes, and Santiago de Compostela, which is about 4 hours 20 each way by bus. Tours are 10 hours. Braga and Guimarães are on separate train lines from Porto, and a 9-hour tour covers both from €47.
Is Santiago de Compostela in the same time zone as Porto?
No. Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal all year, and both countries change their clocks on the last Sunday of October. A 10-hour tour from Porto leaves about 3½ hours in Santiago.
Can you visit Lisbon as a day trip from Porto?
Only just. The Alfa Pendular from Porto Campanhã takes about 2 hours 43 each way and costs from €35.70 each way in second class, so a day trip is over five hours on trains. A night in Lisbon is the better plan.
