In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Most of what makes Porto is free: both decks of the Dom Luís I bridge, the São Bento station hall (6:30 to 1:00), the tiled façades of Santo Ildefonso and the Capela das Almas, the Palácio de Cristal gardens and the river viewpoints. The Museu do Porto sites are free on Sundays and €4 a site otherwise. The other free days are for residents of Portugal: the Soares dos Reis’s free entries and Serralves’s free first Sunday. Not free: Livraria Lello (€15.95), the Torre dos Clérigos (€10) and the Palácio da Bolsa (€14). Or book a tour: the 3-hour guided walking tourad is from €22, and a 2.5-hour tourad from €15 (GetYourGuide).
What costs nothing
Open at any time unless a row gives hours. Hours are from each site’s own page, or from Visit Porto, the city’s tourism site.
| What | Where | Hours | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dom Luís I bridge, both decks | Ribeira to Gaia | Any time | The Metro on the upper deck costs a fare |
| São Bento station hall | Praça de Almeida Garrett | 6:30 to 1:00 | A working station; works round the square until the Pink Line opens |
| Tiled façades: Santo Ildefonso, Capela das Almas, the Igreja do Carmo’s side wall | Praça da Batalha, Rua de Santa Catarina, Praça Carlos Alberto | Any time | Inside the Carmo is €8 |
| Palácio de Cristal gardens | Boavista | 8:00 to 21:00 April to September, to 19:00 October to March | |
| River viewpoints: Vitória, Terreiro da Sé, Virtudes, Jardim do Morro, Serra do Pilar | Old town and Gaia | Any time | Some are uphill |
| Foz seafront: the Pérgola and the Molhe | Avenida do Brasil | Any time | A tram ride out |
| Mercado do Bolhão | The city centre | Monday to Friday 8:00 to 20:00, Saturday 8:00 to 18:00 | Closed Sundays and holidays |
| Museu do Porto sites | Casa do Infante, Casa Guerra Junqueiro and others | Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:30 | Free on Sundays only |
The Pérgola on the Foz seafront. Photo: Catiaritaferreira, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The Praça da Ribeira is free to walk. It is thought to be one of the oldest squares in Porto, cited in 1389, and a 17th-century fountain found in the 1980s was rebuilt in place.
- The Mercado do Bolhão has restaurants open Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 24:00.
The Pavilhão Rosa Mota dome above the Palácio de Cristal gardens. Photo: John Samuel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sundays and the other free days
The Museu do Porto sites are free on Sundays. Each site is €4 on other days, or €8 for a Museu da Cidade ticket valid at the sites for 7 consecutive days. They are open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:30, and closed on Mondays, public holidays, 24 and 31 December. Entry is also free on commemorative days, listed on the museum’s own page: International Museum Day, International Day for Monuments and Sites, the European Heritage Days and National Historic Centres Day. See Porto’s museums.
Which free days are for whom:
| Place | Price for visitors | The free day | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Museu do Porto sites | €4 a site | Sundays | Everyone |
| Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis | €10 | Up to 52 entries a year | Portuguese citizens and residents |
| Serralves | €24; park only €15 | The first Sunday of each month | Residents of Portugal, with a Citizen Card or residence card |
What is not free
So nobody queues for the wrong thing:
- Livraria Lello: €15.95 for every visitor, a credit towards a book. See Livraria Lello tickets.
- The Torre dos Clérigos: €10 for the tower and museum. See Torre dos Clérigos tickets.
- The Palácio da Bolsa: €14, by guided tour only. See Palácio da Bolsa tickets.
- The Sé, the Igreja de São Francisco and the Igreja do Carmo: each charges admission, and the Carmo is €8. See azulejos in Porto and the Igreja de São Francisco.
- The Gaia cable car: €7 one way. The trams: €6 on board.
Tours worth paying for
A guided walk is the cheapest way to have the old town explained. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices, per person.
Three-hour guided walking tour
From €22 · 3 hours · 4.8 stars from 3,063 reviews
Porto: 3-Hour Guided City Highlights Walking Tourad is run by Bluedragon City Tours. It passes the cathedral, Aliados avenue, the Clérigos church, Rua de Santa Catarina and the Bolhão market. Booking in advance is mandatory. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
City highlights walking tour in English
From €15 · 2.5 hours · 4.6 stars from 401 reviews
Porto: City Highlights Guided Walking Tourad is run by Hi Lisbon Walking Tours, in English, from the Fonte dos Leões. It passes Aliados avenue, São Bento station, the Clérigos tower, the Carmo church, the Vitória viewpoint, the Sé, the Palácio da Bolsa and the Ribeira, and the guide carries a white umbrella. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Porto’s walking tours compares the free, paid, tuk-tuk, bike and bus options.
A free day
A day that costs nothing, on any day but Sunday for the Bolhão:
- Morning: the Mercado do Bolhão and the tiled Capela das Almas on Rua de Santa Catarina.
- Midday: the Igreja do Carmo’s tiled wall, then São Bento station.
- Afternoon: the Terreiro da Sé, the Miradouro da Vitória and the upper deck of the Dom Luís I bridge, then the Jardim do Morro and the Serra do Pilar.
- Evening: the Foz seafront by tram, to the Pérgola. See Porto’s historic trams.
On a Sunday, swap the Bolhão for a Museu do Porto site.
Practical information
- Closed on Monday: the Museu do Porto sites and the Soares dos Reis. The Bolhão is closed on Sunday.
- Holidays: the Museu do Porto sites close on public holidays, and on 24 and 31 December.
- The one thing that decides a free visit: the free Sunday is the museum’s, not the city’s. Serralves and the Soares dos Reis keep their free days for residents.
What to book in Porto has the closed days for every sight, and Porto’s viewpoints sets the free terraces against the paid ones. Porto in 2 days plans the days, and where to eat in Porto covers lunch for less.
Common questions
Which museums are free on Sundays in Porto?
The Museu do Porto sites, among them the Casa do Infante and the Casa Guerra Junqueiro, are free on Sundays. They are €4 a site on other days, and closed on Mondays. The Soares dos Reis and Serralves have no free Sunday for visitors from abroad.
Is the Dom Luís I bridge free?
Yes, on both decks. A fare applies only if you ride the Metro, which uses the upper deck.
Is Livraria Lello free?
No. Every visitor buys a €15.95 ticket-voucher, even to buy a book, and the voucher is a credit towards a book.
Is the Torre dos Clérigos free?
No: €10 for the tower and museum. Children up to 10 are free.
Can tourists use Serralves's free first Sunday?
No. The free first Sunday of the month is for residents of Portugal, with a Portuguese Citizen Card or residence card. Visitors from abroad pay €24, or €15 for the park only.
Is the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis free for visitors?
No: €10. Its free entries, up to 52 a year, are for Portuguese citizens and residents. It is closed on Mondays.
What can you do in Porto for free on a Monday?
Walk the Dom Luís I bridge and the São Bento hall, see the tiled façades, visit the Palácio de Cristal gardens and the viewpoints, and browse the Mercado do Bolhão. The Museu do Porto sites and the Soares dos Reis are closed on Mondays.
