Updated August 18, 2025

Here’s exactly (hour-by-hour) how to spend the perfect 3 days in Porto!

In Porto: the food is fresh and delicious.

The shopping is stylish and the cobblestones are slippery (and Instaworthy).

As a tourist, this second largest city in Portugal is a compact and convenient place to bring your girls (or even your parents!).

My high school bestie’s bachelorette was in Porto.

Here’s exactly how we made the most of our 3 days in Porto Portugal!

3 days in Porto

Day 1: 💅🏼 Bridge, Egg Tarts & Shopping

8am: 👟 Run (or walk!) by the Dom Luis I Bridge

We started the run from the Porto side to Vila Nova de Gaia side across the Douro River.

We then ran along the walkway on the Vila Nova de Gaia side.

It is pretty hilly near the bridge so factor that in! (It’s steep hills pretty much all around Porto.)

10am: 🐣 Egg tart + Coffee at Manteigaria

Bucket list item!

Egg tart = pastel de nata in Portuguese (this is the main type of egg tart).

There’s multiple Manteigaria locations.

But honestly the egg tarts at random bakeries are really good too, so go try them (the way you can go to most bakeries in Paris and a fresh croissant will be tasty).

1pm: 🍴 Lunch at Oficina dos Rissóis

Rissois is a Portuguese croquette. There’s tons of different types of rissois here.

The outer fried part was super thin and crispy. Plus the service was great, and the ambiance in the indoor seating was nice.

(There’s outdoor seating too but it felt really hot!)

2:30pm: 🛍️ Go Shopping

Consider bringing your suitcase part empty, because there’s tons of edgy, hip daily wear shopping (and luxury boutiques) in Porto.

Lot: They have a lot of trendy clothing and shoes for both men and women. There’s also a connected restaurant on the upper floor that’s great for a vibey outdoor brunch.

Workshops Pop Up: There’s cooking classes here, but we loved the store. We each got friendship “tennis bracelets” for 1.40 euros each!

6pm: 🍽️ Dinner at Alto

The ingredients were super fresh, the service was fantastic and the vibes were vibing @ Alto Porto.

It was a romantic but comfortable vibe in here. I loved the stone wall along one side of the restaurant.

I’m still thinking about that mango shrimp… While the dishes weren’t super complex, each really highlighted the individual ingredients and were a delightful experience.

Alto is a great place for couples but also small friend groups. It’s a slightly quieter, chatty vibe.

8pm: 🍷 Drinks by the Ribeira

The Porto waterfront can get pretty touristy and busy, but it was fun to feel the energy at night (and worth walking through at least once).

From there, you can always walk into the smaller streets uphill from the river to find a quieter vibe.

Day 2: 💃 Douro Valley Wine Tour + Night Out

Heard of port wine? It’s actually named after Porto, since it was made nearby and was originally exported from the namesake city.

We ended up spending most of Day 2 doing a wine tour we booked through Airbnb.

10am: 🍷 Wine tasting

We visited a few wineries and the wines were excellent.

I learned that the wines in this region mix different types of grapes, which is unique. Many of the wines we tried were lighter, drier and complex.

We also got to check out the inside of an old barrel! It was hard not to flash people in my skirt, while edging my way through the narrow opening.

Apparently it’s a pretty dangerous job cleaning out an old barrel because of the carbon dioxide build up inside, but it’s required over time because parts of the barrel can accumulate mold, for example.

12pm: ⚓️ Boat tour on the Douro River

The wine and bites continued on this boat tour.

The vineyards were stunning and we got plenty of photos.

We also befriended 2 other couples our age who we were placed on the tour with.

2pm: 🍴 Lunch

Over lunch, we got to try a port wine.

It was a vintage port that was opened using fire and tongs, because as wine ages, the cork can get brittle, so opening it this way prevents the cork from breaking or crumbling into the wine.

7pm: 🍽️ Dinner at Patio 44

Head back to your hotel/Airbnb and take a little break before heading out for dinner.

The vibes are comfortable but upscale here.

The dishes and wine was tasty, and the service was great.

10pm: 🍹 Drinks & Dancing at Maus Habitos

Our tour guide recommended this spot, and he did not disappoint!

It was super hip and we were the only tourists. Like I mentioned, Porto can get pretty touristy, so it was a welcome change in pace.

There’s a vibey main drinking area with windows on two sides, plus two more brightly lit indoor spaces, depending on your vibe.

Toward the back of the floor, there’s a separate room with a dance floor. It was 6 euros for entry.

This place made me really curious about life as a local here. I’d definitely be open to returning to Porto to explore more.

Day 3: Market + Beach

12pm: 🍞 Francesinha for lunch

Francesinha is a sandwich originally from Porto.

It’s a heavy sandwich made from different types of meat, usually with an egg on top, melted cheese and a tomato-beer gravy sauce that goes great with french fries.

3pm: 🛍️ Shop + Eat at Marcado do Bolhao

This market was a delight and truly had everything!

As soon as we entered, my friends treated themselves to a cheap (but tasty) glass of wine. They actually come in a proper glass, which you can sip while shopping (and return once empty).

There’s also bites perfect for a casual lunch, like sandwiches, seafood and tapas-like bites. (The fresh fruit is also incredible!)

The merchants also know their audience; there’s plenty of gift options, like tasty and beautifully bottled olive oils, colorful sardine tins, and tile-inspired kitchen items.

Upstairs, there’s clothing booths full of cute sun dresses, beach cover ups, and jewelry.

6pm: 🍽️ Dinner on Rua das Flores

Rua das Flores is one of the main/busy streets in Porto. There’s colorful houses and pretty winding cobblestone streets on this road.

Walk around Rua das Flores and its nearby streets. It can get pretty busy with tourists, but there are some nice buzzing restaurants with nice outdoor seating on this street and its nearby streets as you walk around. You could get a reservation, but it’s okay to walk around and just pick a spot.

We had seafood at Mariscar.

7pm: 🏝️ Sunset at Praia da Luz

From Rua das Flores, it’s a 20 min Uber to this beach in bougee Foz do Douro.

The vibes and sunset were lovely from Restaurant Praia da Luz. I’d skip the food next time, but it was such a vibe watching the sunset with a glass in hand.

3 days in Porto

In this guide, we went over how to spend the perfect 3 days in Porto!

Thank you for checking out my guide to the perfect 3 days in Porto Portugal!