Best things to do in Porto

Avenida dos Aliados, Porto, Portugal

Porto is known as Portugal's second city and is located in the north of the country. It has a very different look and feel to Lisbon – so you should definitely visit both – and is positioned on the bank of the beautiful Douro River (if you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my recent Insta story for @LonelyPlanet about the Douro :-)).

While Porto is traditionally an industrial city (hence the name, given Porto means 'port'), it is now an uber popular travel destination and has enough going on to keep you occupied for days (I'd recommend staying at least three days, if not more).

​This post will guide you to some of the best places to visit in Porto.

To cover the most important subject first – have a read of the article I wrote for Lonely Planet about the 10 best bars in Porto, then check out this article that lets you in on 11 secret gardens in Porto.

To discover things all a bit fancy schmancy, read the story I wrote for The CEO Magazine about luxury travel in Porto, and this one for Selector magazine about fine dining in Porto. 

On a shoe-string? Here are my budget travel tips. 

Following on from the above article, get to know the fascinating backstory behind the street art in Porto by reading this piece I wrote for the Wizz Air inflight magazine. This one was such a pleasure to write as the incredible urban art scene is my favourite aspect of the city. 

A little while ago I wrote a Porto city guide for Australia's Big Bus Tour & Travel Guide, where you can read my picks of things to see, do and eat in the city. I also put together an article about Where to stay and what to do in Porto* for The Telegraph. 

Make sure to also check out my post Interesting facts about Porto to get up to speed on the local trivia, and browse the Porto album in my photo gallery.

If you're looking for a place to bunk, there are plenty of hotels in Porto, including those I've reviewed for The Telegraph UK, plus more homely apartment rentals, which you can find on sites such as MyFriendsRoom.

(*As a 2018 update, please note Fábrica n2 mentioned in this article has sadly closed.)