In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Both decks are free to walk. The upper deck is the viewpoint and is shared with Metro line D; the lower deck runs from the Ribeira to the Gaia quay and carries pedestrians, public transport, taxis and bicycles. The bridge is 395 metres long and was inaugurated on 31 October 1886. The Gaia cable car, between the Gaia quay and the top of the hill, is €7 one way and €10 return, open 10:00 to 19:00 until 24 October 2026 and 10:00 to 18:00 from 25 October. Or book a tour: the Six Bridges cruisead from the Gaia pier is from €18 (GetYourGuide), and passes under the bridge.
Walking the bridge
The bridge joins Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia. It has two decks, 395 metres long and 8 metres wide, built between 1881 and 1886 to a design by Théophile Seyrig, a former partner of Gustave Eiffel. It is part of the UNESCO-listed historic centre.
Metro trains on the bridge’s upper deck. Photo: Béria Lima de Rodríguez, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
| Upper deck | Lower deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free on foot; a fare only if you ride the Metro | Free |
| Shared with | Metro line D | Public transport, taxis and bicycles |
| Opened | 1886 | 1888 |
| What you get | The height: the whole riverfront and the cathedral | River level between the Ribeira and the Gaia quay |
| Ends at | Jardim do Morro, at the top of the Gaia hill, beside the cable car’s high station | The Gaia quay, beside the port lodges |
- Both decks are free. The Metro is the only part that costs money.
- The lower deck was rehabilitated in 2023, when the corroded metal and the rivets were replaced.
- Sharing: the lower deck takes pedestrians, buses and taxis together, and the upper deck takes the Metro and pedestrians. Keep clear of the rails.
The Gaia cable car
Jardim do Morro and Cais de Gaia · €7 one way, €10 return · every day, closed only on 25 December
The cable car joins the Gaia quay (Cais de Gaia) with the high station at the Jardim do Morro, at the Gaia end of the bridge’s upper deck. Tickets are bought at either station’s ticket office or as e-tickets on gaiacablecar.com, and each is valid for 30 days.
The bridge and the Gaia riverside from the cable car. Photo: Brian Johnson & Dane Kantner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
| Ticket | Adult | Child aged 5 to 12 |
|---|---|---|
| One way | €7 | €3.50 |
| Round trip | €10 | €5 |
| Family, two adults and two children, round trip | €22.50 |
| Dates in 2026 | Hours |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 23 March | 10:00 to 18:00 |
| 24 March to 25 April | 10:00 to 19:00 |
| 26 April to 24 September | 10:00 to 20:00; 23 June to 19:00 |
| 25 September to 24 October | 10:00 to 19:00 |
| 25 October to 31 December | 10:00 to 18:00 |
The winter timetable runs from 25 October, so the last ride is an hour earlier than in the summer. A 30-day pass with four trips a day is €39 for adults.
Where to look at the bridge from
Free, and all in walking distance of the bridge:
- Jardim do Morro, the hillside park at the Gaia end of the upper deck, beside the cable car’s high station. Metro line D stops here.
- The Serra do Pilar, a monastery on the Gaia hill begun in 1538 and finished around 1670, with a circular church and the only circular Ionic cloister in Portugal, 36 columns round. Its terrace shows the whole riverfront of Porto and Gaia as far as the Arrábida bridge, the cathedral and the Dom Luís I bridge, and, the other way, Fontainhas and the São João bridge.
- The Miradouro da Vitória, beside the church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória in Porto, looks over the houses of the Vitória hill and the Douro, from the cathedral and the Bishop’s Palace to the Dom Luís I bridge and the Gaia waterfront.
- The Terreiro da Sé, the cathedral square, is on the city’s own list of viewpoints.
Porto’s viewpoints lists the rest, and sets the free terraces against the paid tower.
Tours worth paying for
Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Six Bridges cruise
From €18 · 50 minutes · 4.3 stars from 17,172 reviews
Porto: Six Bridges Cruisead is run by Manos do Douro, on a rabelo boat from Av. de Diogo Leite 408 in Gaia. It passes under the Arrábida, Luís I, Infante D. Henrique, Maria Pia, São João and Freixo bridges, with an audio guide in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French that you play through a QR code on your own headphones. The ticket is valid for one hour and children up to 3 are free. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Six Bridges cruise with a sunset option and a port cellar
From €18 · 50 minutes, 1 hour for the sunset option · 4.0 stars from 6,152 reviews
Porto: Six Bridges Cruise & Sunset & Port Wine Cellar Optionad is run by Douro Azul. The €18 is for the cruise; the sunset sailing and a guided visit with a port tasting at the Burmester cellar in Gaia, adults only, are options. Choose the cellar language by phoning the number on your voucher. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Walking tour with a cable car ride and a cruise
From €55.79 · 3 to 4 hours · 4.8 stars from 1,395 reviews
Porto: Walking Tour, Lello Bookshop, Boat and Cable Carad includes the cable car ticket from the bridge to the riverfront and an hour’s cruise under the bridges, after a guided walk through the old town and a stop at Livraria Lello. See the Livraria Lello guide for what that stop needs. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
What to see
Allow an hour to cross and come back by the other deck, and half a day if you add the cable car, the Gaia quay and a lodge.
The bridge from the Ribeira quay. Photo: Małgorzata Kaczor, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
- The upper deck. Cross at the top first. At the Gaia end are the Jardim do Morro and the cable car’s high station.
- The Serra do Pilar, on the same hill, for the view back to the cathedral.
- The cable car or the hill, down to the quay at Cais de Gaia.
- The lower deck, back to the Ribeira at river level. Burmester, one of the port lodges, stands at the foot of the deck on the Gaia side: see port wine cellars in Gaia.
What to skip: the cable car if you are crossing on foot anyway; it duplicates the walk between the quay and the upper deck.
Practical information
- Where: the bridge joins the Ribeira, in Porto, to the Gaia quay and the Jardim do Morro, in Vila Nova de Gaia.
- Cable car: Calçada da Serra 143. Hours by season, closed on 25 December only.
- Metro: line D crosses the upper deck. A fare applies only to the ride.
- The one thing that decides a visit: the cable car’s hours change four times a year, and it closes an hour earlier from 25 October.
The Igreja de São Francisco and the Palácio da Bolsa are a short walk from the Ribeira end. World of Wine is on the Gaia side. The Six Bridges cruise compares the operators, and Porto’s historic trams runs along the river on the Porto bank. For a hotel by the river, see hotels near the Ribeira.
Common questions
Is the Dom Luís I bridge free to walk?
Yes, on both decks. A fare applies only if you ride the Metro, which uses the upper deck. The lower deck is shared with public transport, taxis and bicycles as well as pedestrians.
Which deck of the Dom Luís I bridge is better?
The upper deck is the viewpoint, 395 metres of bridge high above the river, shared with Metro line D. The lower deck takes you from the Ribeira to the Gaia quay at river level, beside the port lodges.
How much is the Gaia cable car?
€7 one way for an adult and €3.50 for a child aged 5 to 12, or €10 and €5 for a round trip. A family ticket for two adults and two children is €22.50 return. Tickets are valid for 30 days.
What are the Gaia cable car's opening hours?
In 2026: 10:00 to 19:00 from 25 September to 24 October, then 10:00 to 18:00 from 25 October to 31 December. It runs every day and closes only on Christmas Day. On 23 June it closes at 19:00.
When was the Dom Luís I bridge built?
Built between 1881 and 1886 to a design by Théophile Seyrig, a former partner of Gustave Eiffel. The upper deck opened on 31 October 1886 and the lower deck was finished in 1888.
Where is the best view of the Dom Luís I bridge?
From the Miradouro da Vitória and the Terreiro da Sé on the Porto side, and from the terrace of the Serra do Pilar monastery on the Gaia side, which looks back to the cathedral and the bridge. All are free.
