PORTO: SAMPLE ITINERARY
arrive and dive right in
WEDNESDAY APRIL 22nd
Kick off your trip with Fado, Port, and Pastel de Nata – wasting no time immersing yourself in Portuguese culture and then keep it close to home, hitting all the best spots within a few blocks. After the show, Stroll through Virtudes, an old terraced park with an ancient (and ginormous) Ginkgo tree on your way to Bosco. Get an aperitif at the beautiful terrace bar before heading to dinner at Bilah Nova just down the road. This restaurant serves traditional Portuguese classics with a contemporary twist. Welcome to Porto, you have arrived!
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• Fado: 5:30pm at the hotel. Book Here. If you’re worried you may miss the show because of flight delays or transit time, you can always opt to book the Thursday night show instead.
• Virtudes: Enter from the top, there is an open gate, with an empty dirt lot, a shed, and cats. Walk through the lot to the path on the left side to enter the park.
• Bosco: enter the yellow building from the road, walk through the entry way to the stone steps, and take the steps down to the terrace bar in the back. Find a seat, and order at the bar. *Note: pending the crowd, they may switch from bar service to table service.
• Bilha Nova: Call +351 22 208 1729 for an 8:30p/9:00p reservation or ask your hotel if they can help book one for you.
market crawl + port tasting + porto tonic + wine bars
THURSDAY APRIIL 23rd
Check out the beautiful tile work at Igreja do Carmo on your way to Mercado do Bolhão. Once you arrive at the mercado, your market crawl begins! Start by browsing the market stalls and shop for some lunch on the perimeter wall. Then head to the nearby Comer e Chorar por Mais to shop for meats, cheeses, and port. Enjoy some samples while you are there (and maybe pick up some picnic supplies if you plan on going to Jardim do Morro for a sunset picnic tomorrow). Then head over to Casa Natal and ask for a Port Tasting while you peruse this vintage shop. Want more food? This would be a good opportunity for Portuguese chicken at Pedro dos Frangos nearby. Whether you take some chicken with you or not, head to BASE for a beer while lounging in the grass amongst olive trees before heading to the hotel to reset for the evening.
If you missed Fado on your first night, plan to catch the 5:30pm Fado show tonight at the hotel and then walk to Capela Incomum for an aperitif (Porto Tonic or some wine) before dinner. On your way to dinner, there is potential for souvenir shopping at O! Galeria. Grab dinner at Barro and then hit Genuíno, the nearby natural wine bar after dinner before heading home for the night.
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Morning Run Route Ideas:
• 3mi loop through old town, down to the river, and back. See Here
• 6mi out and back (or turn around early for a shorter distance) along the river towards the ocean. See Here
Mercado do Bolhão: it's about a 20min walk from the hotel to the market (and surrounding shops). The interior is full of contemporary market stalls, and the perimeter wall is lined with food vendors and fish counters. Note: find the wine vendor, and then look at the vendor to the right of it, they usually have some sort of small plate special that includes a glass of wine. Eat standing, or look for a table near the south entrance/exit.
There is another beautiful tiled church near by as well: Chapel of Souls
Barro: make a reservation online for 8:00/8:30pm. Get the scallops, get the prawns, get everything…and the “strawberry chantilly on steroids' too. The staff here is super friendly and fun.
peacocks + ribiera + choose your own adventure
FRIDAY APRIIL 24th
Walk the Jardim do Palácio, see the peacocks, and enjoy the views before heading to lunch [choose your own adventure: Japanese or Portuguese]. Maybe check out this cool antique shop, Antika, for a souvenir and then hit Bar Aduela for a beer or glass of white wine before heading to the ribiera area. On your way to the Ribiera, stop at Sao Bento train station to admire the tile work, and maybe see if the Ubran Market is popping’ across the street. From Sao Bento, you will slowly meander down into the Ribiera, but first, choose your own adventure:
Option A: Dinner at Taberna dos Fernandes
From Sao Bento, make your way into ribiera by walking to Provo where you can stop for a glass of wine if you would like. You’ll pass a very old book store, a church, a museum, and tons of restaurants, bars, and street performers. From Provo, head to Church of Saint Francis to admire the interior and wander the crypt below. From the church, make your way to the heart of the Ribera as you walk to Lado for wine and olives and get in line for Taberna dos Fernandes, a family owned and very popular Portuguese restaurant.
Option B: Early Dinner and Sunset Picnic at Jardim do Morro
From Sao Bento, head to Taberna Dos Mercadores for an early dinner, around 5:30pm. Then make your way into the heart of the ribiera - the bustling waterfront. Take your time, meander around, and soak up the energy that is Ribiera. Eventually, make your way to the Luís I Bridge by way of the flea market along the water. Cross the bridge to Jardim do Morro and pick a spot on the grass and take in the views. Enjoy your picnic, some wine if you brought some, or buy beer off someone with a cooler. Sing along to Red Hot Chili Pepper covers with the band and crowd as the sun sets. Take your timing walking home and reflect on your time in Porto!
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Morning Run Route Ideas:
• 3mi loop through old town, down to the river, and back. See Here
• 6mi out and back (or turn around early for a shorter distance) along the river towards the ocean. See Here
Lunch: I recommend Out to Lunch, a super cool japanese lunch spot that serves katsu, soba, udon, and plays vinyl or Bar Aduela, our favorite tavern for a menu of varied toasts and sardines.
Dinner Option A: There are no reservations at Taberna dos Fernandes. They open at 7:00pm and people start waiting in line early. I recommend going to Lado, the wine bar across from the restaurant around 5:30/6:00pm and enjoying some wine and olives at one of their patio tables. As soon as you see someone in line, get a refill and close your tab at Lado, sip on your final glass while you wait in line. The monarch of the restaurant will eventually greet you and make sure you are on the list. They really only get one seating per night, so it's important you are in the first 10 people in line.
Dinner Option B: If you get to Taberna Dos Mercadores, and the wait is too long or you want to keep exploring, try Adega São Nicolau instead. And again, if the wait is too long at Adega São Nicolau, then head to Muro do Bacalhau instead and ask for a table outside (upstairs or downstairs).
NEED MORE RECOMMENDATIONS?
Get my Porto Google List below and it to your maps for easy reference while traveling. If you want to explore Duoro Valley or take a river cruise in Porto, check out my curated list of excursions from Viator.
PACKING NOTES
Expect mild temperatures in the 50s to mid 60s during your stay, and chance of rain. Storms in Porto roll through fairly quickly, so if you need to run in somewhere to wait out the rain, it shouldn’t take long. You will be walking A LOT, so pack comfortable shoes and some light layers for the Spring weather.