Figuring out what to do in Porto for 3 days is way easier than you’d think. We have also taken hundreds of passengers to the second largest city of Portugal, Low Cost Vibes, and three days is just the right amount of time to explore the city, not so many that you are rushing around trying to figure out what to do next. Walkable, beautiful, tiny and sincerely underestimated cities of Europe, Porto is. The Douro river, the port wine cellars, the azulejo tiles, everywhere, the mad hills which will make your heart pound.
Whether you’re planning Porto holidays on a budget or just want to maximise your time, this guide breaks down exactly how to spend 72 hours. We mean itinerary, we mean itinerary, not one of these vague wanderings around and see whatever you like about business, but the names of particular areas to visit, the precise schedules that will work, some budget suggestions that will actually save money. What to do in Porto for 3 days gets asked constantly, so here’s our battle-tested answer based on what actually works for travellers.
The Perfect 3-Day Porto Itinerary
Day 1: Ribeira and the historic centre
Morning: Plunge into the Heart of Porto
Start at São Bento Railway Station – yeah, a train station tops the list of what to do in Porto for 3 days, but this one’s covered in 20,000 azulejo tiles depicting Portuguese history. It is free, lasts 15 minutes and it predetermines the tile obsession of Porto. There, the most popular way is to walk toward Avenida dos Aliados which is the central street of the city with great architecture and the city hall on the top.
Hit Livraria Lello next. This bookstore supposedly inspired the Hogwarts library of Hogwarts of Harry Potter. The entry is free of charge and you recover it in case you purchase a book. Go early – at 9.30 AM when they open since by 11 am the queue goes around the block. The spiral stair and the stained glass ceiling are rightfully marvellous. In Low Cost Vibes, we inform customers: snap, snap, snap and go. It is lovely and small and gets crowded in.
Afternoon: Tower of Clerigos and Down to Ribeira
Visit Clerigos Tower and get a view of Porto. The 225 steps are not bad and the 360-degree view demonstrates the image of the city structure. Entry runs about €6. On the way down, have lunch on the outskirts of the major tourist avenues – side streets around Praça Carlos Alberto are cheaper.
Stroll through the river to Ribeira district. The postcard shot of Porto is this area of colourful buildings that are lined up in the hillside in preparation of this UNESCO World Heritage. Yeah, it’s touristy. Yea, restaurants are premium priced. But it’s gorgeous and worth experiencing during your Porto holidays. Why, just perhaps, have not dinner here – that elsewhere.
Evening: Port Wine and Sunset
Send it across the Dom Luiz Bridge (down to it at present) to the Vila Nova de Gaia where all the port wine cellars are. At the majority of cellars – Taylor’s, Sandeman, Ferreira, free tours complete with a range of tastings cost 10-15 euros. The tours elaborate on how the port is produced and you even sample some of the varieties. Although you may not be a port wine lover, it helps to know how port wine is crucial to the history and the economy of Porto.
Dinner back in Porto proper neighbourhoods such as Cedofeita or Bonfim there are local places of better price than Ribeira. An appropriate francesinha (the famous sandwich of Porto) will cost between €8-12 in local restaurants and between 15-18 when in tourist spots. This is day one of what to do in Porto for 3 days, so pace yourself on the port wine.
Day 2: Customs, perceptions, and Neighbourhoods
Morning: Museums and Markets
Beginning with Bolhao Market – the traditional market in Porto recently refurbished. It is now touristy, but it is actually selling real food to real locals. Good to visit Portuguese produce, meats, and have breakfast in one of the small cafes. Pastéis de nata and coffee should cost not more than €3 in total.
Select your museum depending on interests. There is Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art that contains modern art and beautiful gardens (entry to museum and park is paid 20 euros). Still featuring excessive interiors, the Palacio da Bolsa (Stock Exchange Palace) demonstrates the fortune of Porto during the 19th century (€10-15 depending on tour). The interior of Sao Francisco Church is grotesque baroque – such as €5-7 entry. In the case of Low Cost Vibes, we normally recommend church as it is fast, inexpensive and mind-blowing.
Afternoon: Strolling over the Upper Bridge Level
Take another circuit using the uppermost deck of Dom Luis I Bridge. Up there it is just pedestrian and metro – sketchy, in the kind of way scary of heights but the river views are worth the small amount of terror. Hanging in the riverfront gardens, on the Gaia side. Not as busy as Ribeira, same views, much cheaper drinks.
Visit the Miragaia neighbourhood – it is one of the oldest places in Porto that is not visited by tourists. Old-fashioned streets, local stores, less groups with selfie-sticks. This is where understanding what to do in Porto for 3 days means balancing highlights with authentic local experiences.
Evening: Foz do Douro
Board the tram 1 till Foz do Douro where the river joins the Atlantic. The old tram ride would cost 3.50 dollars and it travels along the river. Foz has beaches, a lighthouse, sea food restaurants, and a sunset. That is where followers of Porto run away to avoid the tourist centre. Dining in this area is as expensive as in the heart of Porto but the atmosphere is entirely different – it is more casual and sea-oriented.
Day 3: Day Trip or Deep Dive
Day three of what to do in Porto for 3 days gives you options. Explore more of Porto or go on a day out. The two styles perform according to your way of travelling.
Option A: Douro Valley Day Trip.
Another great day out is the Douro Valley where port grapes are cultivated in terraced hills. The cost of the train between Pedro and Pedro in station Sao Bento to Peso da Reigua is approximately 12 each way. The trip is gorgeous and follows the river through more and more dramatic landscapes. In Régua, there are tours of quintas (wine estates), wine tasting, lunch with a spectacular view of the vineyards.
Otherwise, Porto boat tours cost between 60-100 on a full-day Douro trip with lunch and wine tasting. More costly yet zero planning was needed. At Low Cost Vibes, the train approach offers you the flexibility and saves on money. Formed tours are more appropriate in case you desire a certain access to vineyards and do not want to find out how to get there by yourself.
Option B: Aveiro or Guimaraes
Aveiro – the so-called Portuguese Venice with its canals and colourful boats – is 45 minutes by rail (€3-4). Little city, nice canals, fine sea food, can be accomplished in a half-day. About 1 hour by train (€3-4) is Guimarães – Portugal, the birthplace of the mediaeval core and the castle. UNESCO site, not as touristy as Porto, more historical atmosphere.
Option C: More Porto Neighborhoods
Remain in Porto and see what you have not seen. Boavista is equipped with Casa da Música (modern concert hall with interesting architecture). Matosinhos has the finest sea food and has a real beach that locals visit. The artistic nature of Porto can be seen through the street art and independent stores by Cedofeita. The Crystal Palace Gardens offer green areas and urban scenery without any crowds.
This approach to what to do in Porto for 3 days gives you deeper local insight. You are not in a hurry but actually getting to know various neighbourhoods. It is probably not as Instagram-loving but more real.
Tips on the Budget that Count
Porto is cheap in comparison to Western European or Lisbon, though. When planning Porto holidays with Low Cost Vibes, these strategies consistently save money:
- Andante 24-hour transport card is priced at 7euro and includes all the metro, buses, and trams. Much better than single tickets in case you are in the process of moving around.
- Lunch-time deals usually have a cost of between 7-10 euros soup and main, beverage, and coffee. Ordering the same dishes at dinner costs between 15-20. Eat your big meal at lunch.
- Wine in the supermarket is pathetically cheap and good. Good Portuguese wine is between 3-5 euros per bottle compared to 15-25 in the restaurant. Take a bottle with evening drinks by the river.
- There are free walking tours that are done on tips. They do give fair summary and local knowledge. Just tip what you can – that is standard 5-10.
- Churches and opinions are free. To be half the beauty of Porto, you have to know where.
Food You Can’t Skip
Part of what to do in Porto for 3 days involves eating specific things. The food scene of Porto is worthy of being noted:
- Francesinha – the popular sandwich de Porto. Covered with beer sauce, meat and cheese. Big, not beautiful, absolutely necessary. Local favourites are Cafes Santiago or Bufete Fase.
- Bacalhau – Salted cooked cod a thousand ways. Portuguese staple. Have bacalhau à Bras (sliced cod with fried eggs and potatoes).
- Pastéis de nata – Custard tarts. They are common but Fábrica da Nata does it, 1.20.
- Tripas à moda do Porto – Tripé stew. This dish is the reason why the people of Porto are referred to as tripeiros. Learned, yet meaningless culturally.
- Port wine tasting – Obviously. Experience the tawny, ruby, and white to know the differences.
Practical Logistics
Porto’s walkable but hilly. Like San Francisco hilly. Sneakers are not a luxury – you will ruin your feet with those cobblestones and slopes wearing fashion sneakers. The airport to the centre metro costs 2euro and requires half an hour. Way cheaper than taxis.
Accommodation – in Ribeira you are in the middle of everything but at night it is loud and it is costly. Such neighbourhoods as Cedofeita and Bonfim are more reasonable and can be walked or taken to the centre in a short ride. We think the right compromise in Low Cost Vibes is to be slightly out of the historic centre. 10 minutes of walking will save you 30-40 percent on the cost of a place to stay.
Language – Portuguese, though English can be used in tourist places. The simplest Portuguese expressions (obrigado, por favour, bom dia) go a long way. The locals may like the effort though you may butcher pronunciation.
Making These 3 Days Count
The itinerary we’ve laid out for what to do in Porto for 3 days with Low Cost Vibes balances major sights with local experiences, budgets time realistically, and builds in flexibility. You are not going around and checking boxes, you are literally playing in the personality of Porto. Something special is made by the combination of river, hills, tiles, port wine and that particular north Portuguese attitude.
It is not enough time to visit everything in three days. Porto rewards slow sightseeing – diving down the dingy streets, tiny churches, bars across neighbourhoods where people talk about football. But this itinerary strikes what is important but gives room to explore and wander. That’s the approach we take with all our Porto holidays structure enough to see highlights, flexibility enough to find your own moments.
Questions About Porto Visits
Three days is the sweet spot for what to do in Porto for 3 days – enough to see main attractions without rushing, maybe fit in a day trip. Two days feels rushed. Four or above implies you are either making a series of day trips or exploring neighbourhoods. Three days is the right amount of time to see Porto right and remain within manageable trip duration as it is to most travellers. In Low Cost Vibes, we encounter customers who take three days in the experience of Porto to be rated higher than those who attempt it in one or two days.
The best time will be May, June and September with no excess crowds of summer. July and August are hot and are full of tourists. During winter (November-February), it rains and is colder, yet there are less visitors and the lowest prices. The biggest celebration in Porto is held in late June, the São Joao Festival – spectacular atmosphere but reserve accommodation a long time in advance. Your Porto holidays in the shoulder season give you good weather and better value.
Estimate food, local travel, and activities costs at the hostels or budget hotels at around 40-60 per person per day. Mid-range passengers considering/ spending between 80-120 a day with better hotels and restaurants. Luxury easily hits €150-200+. Porto is cheaper than Lisbon or the Western European cities. Strategic plan – lunch deal, shop wine, free activities – puts a huge strain on the budgets. We are assisting the Low Cost Vibes customers to strike the mark of comfort of that €50-60.
Ribeira is picturesque yet it is also touristy, at night it is very noisy and it is very costly to stay and eat. Remaining in Cedofeita or Bonfim or Boavista is economical yet the place is within walking distance to attractions. They are the better priced and more local restaurants in these neighbourhoods. The Metro is so convenient when you require it. Making sure you really need to be on the river 24/7, it would be smarter to stay out of the historic centre, which is both money- and comfort-saving.
And is there, absolutely, and the majority of people do. Their train is 3 hours and costs between 25-35 depending on the time of booking. One week in Portugal can be 3 days in Porto, 3 days in Lisbon with a travelling day between. Two weeks would allow you to include Douro valley, Sintra, perhaps Algarve coast. The cities are distinct in that doing both of them will make sense. Simply do not attempt to fit the two into a total of 4-5 days – you will spend more time in transit than in either of the locations enjoying the particulars of it.
