Annddddd after a week in Spain via Madrid and Barcelona, I headed for 2 days in Porto, Portugal while my best friend Shivani went elsewhere. It was a LOVELY time getting to explore a brand new-to-me city in a brand new-to-me country solo before our final stretch of our European adventure in Lisbon, Portugal. I was drawn to Porto due to its appealing historic charm, beautiful tile work, and Port wine. Nevertheless, Porto totally blew me away and I cannot wait to come back to this coastal Portuguese city!

For more travel abroad inspiration, check out my exploring 50 Countries Expedition page.

Porto, Portugal Travel Guide

About Porto:

Located alongside the Douro River in northwestern Portugal, Porto is a coastal city notorious for producing Port wine and its iconic Six Bridges. It is the second largest city in Portugal (after Lisbon) and has a vast industrial industry in addition to producing Port wine. Porto also has gorgeous cobblestone streets with a beautiful a lively historic district and several tile-lined walls and ancient churches. Personally, I found Porto to be an extremely walkable city filled with lively and colorful buildings as well as distinct architecture that I had never seen before! Porto has also been known to be an extremely romantic city with its charming streets and unique cafes and restaurants, as well as stunning riverside views and … PORT WINE!

One of the biggest things that I’ll mention about Porto and Portugal as a whole is HOW CHEAP it is to travel there! From Ubers with tips being under $20 USD to/from the airport to most meals being under $30 USD with drinks and tip, you can truly have a lovely time in Portugal without breaking the bank.

Getting There (From Spain):

I ended up traveling from Barcelona, Spain (see my adventures there here!) to Porto, Portugal. Coming from Spain to Portugal, it is much easier to travel via plane than train, as direct international train rides are pretty limited on the Iberian Peninsula and bus rides are pretty long. Being fully transparent, I experienced a pretty stressful time at the Barcelona Airport flying to Porto, Portugal. I ended up flying RyanAir, as it was the cheapest option and will likely choose not to fly RyanAir again moving forward if given the choice. Here are my tips for navigating RyanAir and European airports if you do fly within Europe:

• Most airports won’t post your gate upon entering Security until about 30-45 minutes before boarding the plane. That being said, make use of your time at the terminal if you do arrive at the airport and make it through security early. Perhaps, grab a snack or a drink or *even* do a little bit of Duty-Free shopping as most European airports have plenty of Duty-Free shopping opportunities!
• Some budget airlines won’t allow you to check your bag if you arrive too early to the airport. Airlines (such as RyanAir) will make you wait until a certain time before your plane departs to have you even get in line to check your bags. This happened to me and it was very frustrating at first, but it is something that the airlines across the Atlantic do in terms of crowd control.
• RyanAir and potentially other budget airlines will have you stand in line to board your plane. The boarding process is rather than organized in into boarding groups, but is based on priority boarding versus general boarding. People upon immediately arriving at the gate will wait in line to get the first dibs on boarding.

Overall, I found the RyanAir flying experience to be an extremely stressful one for me. I learned while in Barcelona from other fellow Europeans that this airline gets a bad reputation and I honestly see why. However, I am aware that sometimes flying budget airlines such as RyanAir may be someone’s only option in terms of travel and should not deter you or anyone else from traveling. Instead, I’d rather empower you and others with the tips to best navigate flying a budget airlines such as RyanAir if you do so.

Where To Stay:

I stayed at the beautiful Vincci Porto alongside the iconic Douro River. Overlooking my hotel room, I had a beautiful view of the colorful Porto skyline! Within the mini fridge, there was a mini bottle of Port Wine – which Porto is *very* well-known for at an additional cost that I enjoyed throughout my stay. And, immediately upon exiting the doors of Vincci Porto, I was greeted not only by the beautiful Douro River but also one of the city’s well-known Six Bridges. I ended up ordering room service one night while at Vincci Porto and it definitely impressed me alongside their delicious breakfast, which you can opt to include within your reservation upon reserving or during your stay. Although this hotel is not within the heart of Porto’s city center and is about a scenic 15-20 minute walk, its riverside location and overall luxury definitely adds to its appeal! Overall, I was pretty impressed with the quality and overall value of Vincci Porto. I would definitely stay at Vincci Porto next time I visit Porto, as I loved the additional opportunities to get lost in the city’s magical streets!

What To Do:

Port Wine tasting + tour at Calem – Calem is one of Porto’s many Port wine wineries! I learned ALL about Port wine also known as port – a Portuguese fortified wine which is produced in Northern Portugal’s Douro Valley region – while on a guided tour of Calem. Throughout my guided tour, my group’s wonderful guide transported us to the world of developing Port wine, from the temperature-controlled rooms full of barrels producing it, to learning about port food pairings, and the heritage of what Portugal proudly calls a “spiritual drink.” At the end of the guided tour, a complimentary Port wine flight and tasting was included and such a lovely time to end the tour! Book your guided tour at Calem or one of Porto’s many other wineries producing Port wine via GetYourGuide.

Wander alongside the Douro River and walk across the Six Bridges – One of the best ways to savor your time in Porto is to simply enjoy the several waterfront views alongside the city’s notable Six Bridges. Visitors can also walk across several of the Six Bridges, too, via pedestrian walkways (I recommend following the people and crowds, though, for safety purposes whenever you do!). Whether it be sunrise, sunset, or midday, you will easily never get over the riverside beauty and charm that Porto has to offer!

Port Wine tasting at Ramos Pinto – Ramos Pinto is one of the Douro Valley’s oldest and well-known wine producers. After walking across one of Porto’s notable Six Bridges, I found myself strolling into Ramos Pinto for a nice glass of Port wine within its tasting room. Ramos Pinto also offers tastings, too!

Get lost in the streets – One of my absolute FAVORITE things to do when I travel as previously mentioned in both my Madrid and Barcelona posts (here and here), especially when in a brand new-to-me city is to simply get lost in the streets. Luckily for you, Porto is home to some of the most brightest and colorful buildings, some of which consist of unique tile work on its magnificent structures. Portugal is known for its gorgeous tiles and Porto has no shortage of them!

Take a Six Bridges Douro River Cruise – An excellent way to learn more about wonderful Porto is to see the city on the river via a Six Bridges River Cruise. I opted to do a Sunday afternoon river cruise lasting approximately an hour, which was a great way to see the city in Portugal’s semi-chilly late February weather. Personally, I could not stop snapping photos on my camera and getting to know Porto from the river! Book your Six Bridges Douro River Cruise via GetYourGuide.

Where To Eat:

UVA By Calem – Offering a friendly atmosphere and quality hospitality while overlooking Porto, UVA By Calem focuses on curating delicious Portuguese eats with incredible wine pairings to top it all off!

Miradouro Ignez – A hilltop terrace bar overlooking the city as well as the Douro River. Coincidentally, I happened to stumble upon this lovely spot upon getting lost in the stunning Porto streets near my hotel. And, Miradouro Ignez was a TOTAL surprise and dream come true of a spot to be, as I happened to show up during sunset. Indeed, a right place at the right time moment!!

Restaurante Provas – A riverside restaurant overlooking Porto, Restaurante Provas had some of the BEST seafood dishes that I’ve ever had! Truly, I was blown away by the high-quality Portuguese cuisine that is offered.

Tasquinha do Be – Offering Portuguese cuisine with gluten-free and other dietary-friendly options, Tasquinha do Be has extremely friendly staff that make you feel right at home alongside their menu full of authentic eats and beverages.

Wrap-Up:

With its magical lust from vast tile work to colorful architecture and the river and port, Porto is seriously such a lovely gem of a place. Not only does Porto make for an incredible romantic destination to add to your European getaway, but it is also just as perfect of a destination to add to your solo European getaway, too. Through it all, I am SO glad that I visited Porto and I hope this post has shown you the love I have for this amazingly vibrant city, too!

XOXO – Katie <3