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Visiting the lovely city of Porto, in Portugal, and looking to spend a day out of the city? This list of the best day trips from Porto as recommended by travel experts has got you covered!
Porto is a beautiful and vibrant cultural city with amazing architecture, art, food, and of course famous and delicious wine.
But after a day or two of exploring you may want to venture outside the city. And there are many great reasons to do so, from stunning nature to picturesque historic cities.
To make your life easier, I asked fellow travel bloggers about their favorite day trips from Porto.
So without further ado, here are the best day tours from Porto.
Read More:
- Porto Itinerary: How to Spend 2 or 3 Days in Porto, Portugal
- 3 Days in Lisbon: The Ultimate Lisbon itinerary by a Local
Best Day Trips from Porto:
Douro River Cruise
Recommended by Vanda from The Yogi Wanderer
A Douro River Cruise is an amazing day trip from Porto and definitely a must-do when visiting Portugal’s capital of the north.
The classic route from Porto to Régua and return by train departs from the Gaia Pier early in the morning and arrives in São Bento railway station in the evening.
While cruising the Douro river, you can admire the spectacular landscape of one of the oldest wine regions in the world, classified by Unesco as a World Heritage Site.
The cruise through this stunning scenery is available from March to October and includes breakfast and lunch served on board. There’s also a bar selling drinks.
Make sure to pack a bottle of water though, as well as a hat and sunscreen as there’s almost no shade on the open deck.
Near Régua, you can see the famous Douro valley vineyards planted in the traditional stone wall terraces called socalcos, but the whole journey is extremely beautiful.
In Régua, you have some free time to walk around the city and enjoy the views before catching the train back to Porto.
The train journey to Porto is also very scenic and the perfect end to a great day.
Book your Douro River Cruise here.
Peneda-Geres National Park
Recommended by Jorge & Cláudia from Travel Drafts
Geres is Portugal’s only National Park and it is stunning with loads of fun things to do. The best part is that the park is only one hour from Porto by car, making Peneda-Geres National Park an ideal day trip from Porto.
Peneda-Geres National Park is full of lavish forests and mountains, surrounded by rivers with waterfalls and small lagoons. Plus the park has abundant wild animals, such as horses and wild goats. It is a paradise for nature lovers.
There are also plenty of activities to do like hiking, canyoning or other watersports, horse riding, and so on.
Some of its top attractions are Pedra Bela lookout, which has the most beautiful viewpoint, Albergaria Forest, the old military Roman road (the Geira), Tahiti waterfalls, and the Portela do Homem waterfall.
Within the park, you will also find cute typical villages like Pitões de Júnias, Castro Laboreiro, and Lindoso. And some historic landmarks, like Lindoso and Castro Laboreiro castle.
The ideal way to visit Peneda-Geres National Park is by car, it isn’t easily accessible by public transport, and to fully visit the park we recommend a car or a guided tour.
Guimarães
Recommended by Jorge & Cláudia from Portugal Things
Guimarães, in the North of Portugal, is the city where Portugal was born. Only 55 km from Porto, it is an ideal day trip from Porto.
The city is very picturesque full of cobbled streets, medieval buildings, cafe-filled squares, and churches. Its medieval city center is extremely well preserved and you can easily get lost walking through its streets with cute old houses.
But the most important feature of the city is its impressive and well-preserved castle. Built in the 10th century and renovated several times this castle defended Portugal from the Moors, Norsemen, and our neighbors Castilla-Leon, now Spain.
The entrance fee to visit the castle is 2€. In the castle, you can climb the fortifications and enjoy the view of Guimarães.
Right next to the castle you will find the Palace of the Dukes of Bragança, the other attraction you won’t want to miss. The palace is a manor house built in the 15th century. It is an imposing building with several rooms with artifacts from the age of the discoveries.
If all these attractions aren’t a good enough reason to visit the city, Guimarães is also a foodie paradise – there are several places to try conventual deserts and Portuguese typical dishes.
It is very easy to reach Guimarães from Porto. By car, it takes 40 minutes, and by train only a few more minutes. You can catch it in Porto’s central station.
Alternatively, you can book an organized tour from Porto to Guimarães and Braga, including lunch at a traditional restaurant, here.
Aveiro
Recommended by Jiayi from The Diary of a Nomad
Being one of the best dream travel destinations on earth, Portugal offers plenty of amazing places to see, and Aveiro is definitely one of them.
An easy day trip from Porto, Aveiro is just 1 hour and 20 minutes by train from Sao Bento Station in Porto. Aveiro’s town center is just a short walk from the train station with tons of activities to offer.
Aveiro is nicknamed the “Venice of Portugal” for a good reason. The town center is incredibly picturesque and characterized by a network of beautiful canals.
There are also tons of moliceiros (the Portuguese version of gondolas) in the water, and these colorful boats were used for seaweed harvesting back in the days. Today, you can use them for boat cruises along the canal!
Take a walk along the canals and soak up the vibrant, energetic vibes. There are also plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby. In addition, you’ll see tons of stunning Art Nouveau buildings in the town center.
Another unmissable thing to do in Aveiro is to visit the fishing village of Costa Nova, which is just a 10-minute drive from the center of Aveiro.
Costa Nova is incredibly picturesque as it’s filled with rows of colorful cottages that have brightly painted stripes on them. There’s also a sandy beach in the village, and tons of delicious seafood offered in the restaurants.
Book a half-day tour from Porto to Aveiro, with a moliceiro cruise, here.
Águeda
Recommended by Jackie from Jou Jou Travels
The town of Águeda is a part of the district of Aveiro and 23 km east of Aveiro.
You only need a few hours to explore and, from nearby Aveiro, it will be a perfect quick 30-minute drive. From Porto, it is 63 km and you can get there in approximately one hour.
The main attraction here is to see the very colorful umbrella installation curated by the Umbrella Sky Project. It takes place every year starting in July to shade the sunny streets.
The umbrellas cover many of the streets in this small town and it’s such a fun sight to see. There are many beautiful, colorful murals around too and painted stairwells that make all the streets pop vibrantly.
The Umbrella Sky Project also puts on fantastic events such as musical events, street art, and much more.
The town is quite small so no agenda is needed to visit. Just wander and admire the creativity the town has to offer.
O Tipico is a great place to stop by for lunch after a pleasant walk through the town.
If you love color then this is definitely the place for you and it shouldn’t be missed!
Coimbra
Recommended by Martina & Jürgen from PlacesofJuma
One of the most beautiful trips from Porto is definitely to the city of Coimbra. This is about 75 minutes away by car and is a real must-see when you are in the region.
There are magnificent churches, monasteries, gardens, museums, and other buildings to admire. However, Coimbra is most famous for its University, for the Upper Town Alta and the Rua Sofia, all UNESCO World Heritage Sites!
Coimbra is a student city. Around 30,000 young people study here and this characterizes the atmosphere of the town. There are hip bars, cool restaurants, and cheap neighborhoods to go out.
The culinary offer is also tip-top and if you are there don`t miss to try the delicious Pastéis de Santa Clara.
On a trip to Coimbra, you can explore the city wonderfully via a walking tour. A fantastic starting point is the Largo da Portagem at the Santa Clara bridge. This is also where the pedestrian zone of Rua Ferreira Borges begins, separating the lower from the upper city.
The ultimate highlights of any sightseeing tour are the Coimbra Cathedral, with its remarkable choir stalls, the University, with its beautiful baroque library, and the Santa Cruz Monastery, with the tomb of Portugal’s first king Afonso Henrique.
From Porto, you can reach Coimbra by rental car, or easily by train on the Linha do Norte.
There are also many guided group tours from Porto. This one includes the historic city of Coimbra and the Fátima Sanctuary, as well as lunch and hotel pick-up and drop-off.
Braga
Recommended by Lotte from Phenomenal Globe Travel Blog
A great day trip from Porto is the city of Braga, one of Portugal’s oldest cities. There are plenty of things to see and do in this beautiful historic city, so you could also spend a night here if your Portugal itinerary permits.
Hop on a train at São Bento Railway Station and you’ll be in Braga in less than an hour. From the train station, it’s just a short stroll to Braga city center. Along the way, you will pass the beautiful Arco da Porta Nova and soon reach Braga’s must-see attraction: Sé de Braga.
Sé de Braga is an impressive cathedral that plays an important role in the history of Braga. The entrance fee is just €2 and the cathedral is open every day. Please dress respectfully and keep your voice down when visiting the cathedral.
After visiting Sé de Braga, search for a nice spot to get lunch. Donna Se restaurant is lovely and also very suitable for traveling families (they have a kid’s menu, a high chair, and a little play corner).
After lunch, catch a bus or Uber to Bom Jesus do Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated on top of Mount Espinho. The bus stops at the bottom of Mount Espinho, to reach the top you will need to climb 577 steps.
If you are traveling with young kids, ditch the stroller and bring a baby carrier instead. Alternatively, you can also take the small cable car trundling up the mountain.
You can book a day tour from Porto to Braga and Guimarães with lunch here.
From the stunning Douro River or the incredible Peneda-Geres National Park to the historic city of Guimarães, the colorful town of Águeda, or Aveiro – the “Venice of Portugal”, there is no shortage of choice for travelers who wish to see more of Portugal.
After reading this list of the top day trips from Porto, which one will you choose?
Have you taken a day tour from Porto? Share in the comments section below!
More travel tips
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Tours
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Read More:
- Portugal Off the Beaten Path: 2 Weeks in Portugal Itinerary by a Local
- 10 Great Things to Do in Central Alentejo, Portugal
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