In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Day one is the river and the old town: São Bento station, the Sé, the Palácio da Bolsa (€14, booked by date), Ribeira and a port lodge in Gaia. Day two is the centre and the west: Livraria Lello (a €15.95 voucher) at opening, the Torre dos Clérigos (€10, a timed slot), the Mercado do Bolhão for lunch (closed Sundays) and Serralves (€24) or the sea at Foz. Monday shuts the Soares dos Reis museum, World of Discoveries and the municipal museums. The Guindais funicular has been shut since 18 July 2026, so the climb out of Ribeira is on foot. Or book a walk: the Porto: 3-Hour Guided City Highlights Walking Tourad is from €22 for 3 hours.
What to book
| Booking | Price | Hours and closed days |
|---|---|---|
| Livraria Lello | €15.95 voucher, credited against a book | Daily 09:00 to 19:30. Closed 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 June, 25 December |
| Torre dos Clérigos | €10 with the museum, a timed slot | Daily 09:00 to 19:00. No bags: free storage for 1.5 hours with a ticket |
| Palácio da Bolsa | €14, a 30-minute guided tour | 09:00 to 18:30, by date |
| Serralves | €24 | April to September Monday to Friday 10:00 to 19:00, weekends to 20:00; October to March Monday to Friday to 18:00, weekends to 19:00 |
| Gaia cable car | €7 one way, €10 return | 10:00 to 20:00 from 26 April to 24 September, 10:00 to 18:00 in winter; closed 25 December |
| A port lodge | Taylor’s €25 | Taylor’s needs no booking; Graham’s, Cockburn’s and Real Companhia Velha say a visit needs a reservation |
Livraria Lello and the Torre dos Clérigos come to €25.95. The Sé and the Igreja de São Francisco print no admission price on their operators’ pages. The São Bento hall and both decks of the Dom Luís I bridge are free. For the full list, see what to book before you go to Porto.
Day one: the station, the cathedral and the river
The stops are close: from São Bento station, the Sé is 0.30 km in a straight line, Praça da Ribeira 0.57 km, the Dom Luís I bridge 0.60 km and the Palácio da Bolsa 0.65 km. The Guindais funicular has been closed since 18 July 2026, so the way back up from the river is a climb.
Morning, São Bento station
Free · open 06:30 to 01:00
The hall has about 20,000 azulejos by Jorge Colaço and is a working station, so keep clear of the ticket queues. Works round the station and Praça da Liberdade continue until the Pink Line opens. See Porto’s azulejos.
Late morning, the Sé and the Terreiro
Church, museum and cloister · 09:00 to 18:30 in summer, to 17:30 in winter
A Romanesque church with a 14th-century cloister whose walls carry seven azulejo panels of the Song of Songs. The Terreiro da Sé outside is a free viewpoint. See Porto’s viewpoints.
The west front of the Sé do Porto, with the Bishop’s Palace beside it on the Terreiro da Sé. Photo: RSAlmeida, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Midday, the Bolsa and São Francisco
Bolsa €14 · allow 30 minutes · São Francisco 09:00 to 20:00 from April to September
The Palácio da Bolsa can be seen only on a 30-minute guided tour, in Portuguese, Spanish, French or English, and the language goes by order of arrival. Book the date. The Igreja de São Francisco is next door, at Rua da Bolsa 80: see the Palácio da Bolsa and the Igreja de São Francisco.
Lunch, Ribeira
Tascas and the waterfront
Adega São Nicolau, on Rua de S. Nicolau, is closed on Sundays; the other tascas and the sandwiches are in where to eat in Porto.
Afternoon, across the bridge to the lodges
Bridge free · Taylor’s €25 · allow 2 hours
The lower deck of the Dom Luís I bridge puts you at river level between Ribeira and the Gaia quay, and the upper deck, shared with Metro line D, is the viewpoint. Taylor’s takes no booking; the other lodges are compared in Porto’s port wine cellars. The Gaia cable car runs back up to the Jardim do Morro for €7 one way. See the Dom Luís I bridge.
Evening, a roof or the river
Rooftops from 12:00 · cruises from €18
Sunset is about 21:08 in mid-June and 17:07 in mid-December. The bars are in rooftop bars in Porto, and the cruises under the six bridges in the Six Bridges cruise.
Day two: Lello, the tower and the west
Opening time, Livraria Lello
€15.95 voucher · daily 09:00 to 19:30
Buy the voucher online and arrive inside its 60-minute window. It is credited against a book, and it is required even to buy one. See Livraria Lello tickets.
Late morning, the Torre dos Clérigos
€10 · a timed slot · 225 steps
The tower is 75 m high with six floors. Arrive 10 minutes before your slot, because after 5 minutes’ tolerance entry is refused with no refund. Backpacks and bags are not allowed, and storage is free for 1.5 hours with a ticket. See the Torre dos Clérigos.
Midday, the tiles and the Bolhão
Free from the street · market closed on Sundays
The Capela das Almas on Rua de Santa Catarina and the side wall of the Igreja do Carmo are tiled and free to see from the street. The Mercado do Bolhão is open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 08:00 to 18:00, and its restaurants stay open to midnight from Monday to Saturday: see where to eat in Porto.
Rua de Santa Catarina, a pedestrian street of shops and tiled façades. Photo: Vlach Pavel, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Afternoon, Serralves or the Palácio de Cristal
Serralves €24 · the gardens free
Serralves is the museum of contemporary art with its park and villa, about 4.4 km west of São Bento in a straight line, with no Metro station of its own: buses 201, 207, 502 and 504 serve it. The Late Afternoon ticket, Monday to Thursday from 17:00, is €15. The Palácio de Cristal gardens are free. See Serralves and Porto’s museums.
Evening, Foz do Douro
Tram 1 · 08:40 to 20:43
The historic tram 1 runs along the river to Foz, where the Douro meets the Atlantic, about every 20 minutes. A single ticket is €6 and is bought on board. See Porto’s historic trams.
If it rains
The wet months run from October to January: see the best time to visit Porto. The Sé, São Francisco, the Bolsa, Serralves and the port lodges are indoors, and Porto’s museums lists the rest. A food tour covers a morning: see Porto food tours.
What closes
| Day | Closed |
|---|---|
| Monday | Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, World of Discoveries, the municipal Museu do Porto sites; the FC Porto museum opens only from 14:30 |
| Sunday | Mercado do Bolhão, Café Majestic; Spiritus has three sessions |
| 24 June | Livraria Lello, Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis |
| 25 December | Igreja de São Francisco, the Gaia cable car, Livraria Lello |
The festival nights have their own pages: São João, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The façade of the Café Majestic at Rua de Santa Catarina 112. Photo: Maragato1976, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Getting around
An Andante Tour 1 ticket is €7.75 for 24 hours on the Metro, the buses and the trains in the zones, and it is not valid on the trams or the funicular. The Porto Card has not been on sale since July 2026. For the airport run, the tickets and the stations, see Porto airport to the city and Porto public transport.
Plan the rest
Where to stay in Porto compares the areas, and hotels near Ribeira lists the hotels beside the river. A third day goes to the Douro Valley or to another of the day trips from Porto. The walks are compared in Porto walking tours, and the free stops in free things to do in Porto. For Lisbon, see 3 days in Lisbon and Porto as a day trip from Lisbon.
Common questions
Is two days enough for Porto?
For the old town, the river and the port lodges, yes. Day one covers São Bento station, the Sé, the Palácio da Bolsa and Gaia, which are all within 0.9 km of each other in straight lines. Day two adds Livraria Lello, the Torre dos Clérigos, the Mercado do Bolhão and Serralves or the sea at Foz.
What should I book before going to Porto?
The Livraria Lello voucher (€15.95), a timed slot at the Torre dos Clérigos (€10) and the Palácio da Bolsa's guided tour (€14), which is booked by date. Graham's, Cockburn's and Real Companhia Velha say a port lodge visit needs a reservation, and Taylor's says it does not.
What is closed in Porto on Mondays?
The Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, World of Discoveries and the municipal Museu do Porto sites. The Torre dos Clérigos, Livraria Lello, the Palácio da Bolsa, the Igreja de São Francisco, the Sé, Serralves and the Gaia cable car are open on Mondays.
What is closed in Porto on Sundays?
The Mercado do Bolhão and the Café Majestic. The municipal Museu do Porto sites are free on Sundays, and Spiritus has three sessions instead of six.
How do I get up from Ribeira to the centre?
On foot, by bus or by taxi. The Guindais funicular between Ribeira and Batalha has been closed since 18 July 2026, and the mayor said on 8 September 2026 that it would not reopen before the end of the year.
How much does a Porto sightseeing day cost?
At the operators' prices, Livraria Lello and the Torre dos Clérigos come to €25.95, and the Palácio da Bolsa tour adds €14. The São Bento hall, both decks of the Dom Luís I bridge and the Palácio de Cristal gardens are free, and the Sé and the Igreja de São Francisco print no price on their operators' pages.
