Tours and excursions in Porto

Porto's size makes it the perfect city for a long weekend. Porto is not very big, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot to offer the traveller. There is plenty to choose from; here is a selection of the best tours so you can plan your visit to make the most of your time.

For value for money, this is one of the most complete tours of Porto. For approximately 4 hours and for a price of £26 a local guide will show you the most emblematic corners of the city.

This walking tour of Porto in English will depart from a central point that will be confirmed by email when you make your booking. You can choose the day and time that best suits your plans and you can also extend the experience with a cruise on the bridges of the Douro River or a visit to the Cathedral and the Stock Exchange for an additional cost. The standard tour also includes a tasting of Port wine, the region's most famous wine.

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Recommended if...

You are looking for an overview of Porto's history at an affordable price. Wear comfortable shoes as you'll be walking for a long time and don't rule out extending the tour for an additional cost (you can try the standard tour and then talk to your guide if you're happy with the cruise or the visit to the cathedral or the stock exchange).

Once you have finished seeing the city of Porto, its geographical location invites you to visit surrounding cities. One of the most popular is the so-called Venice of Portugal: Aveiro, located 45 minutes away from Porto by road. With this tour to Aveiro from Porto you will get to know its beautiful colourful streets and the key points of the city in half a day.

Included in the £36 price of this tour are: the services of a professional guide, transport to Aveiro and back, pick-up and drop-off from your hotel in Porto and a cruise along the canals of Aveiro as well as a guided tour of the old town. You can do this tour in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese on the day and time of your choice.

Recommended if

You want to get to know something else about Portugal other than the city of Porto without having to waste a lot of time on your trip. Don't rule out taking an organised excursion during your trip; a couple of days will be enough to see Porto and there are some extraordinary places in the surrounding area.

The city of Porto has behind it an important Jewish heritage as it was home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. This part of history has often been forgotten or at least overlooked.

This is the reason for this tour of the most important monuments and buildings of Jewish history. The tour is led by a specialised guide and is away from the busiest areas of the city.

You can do this tour of Porto's Jewish heritage in Portuguese, English or Spanish, choosing the day and time that suits you best (you will hardly find crowds of tourists during the tour).

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Recommended if

You are interested in Jewish history and want to know a different part of the history of this city.

This is another option for a guided tour of the city of Porto that focuses on the most emblematic places of the historic centre. It lasts three hours, costs 26, is available in Spanish, Portuguese, English and French and has a specialised guide during the tour.

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Recommended if

If you don't want to miss the main s ights of the city during your visit. If you are not only interested in history but also in culture, you will also enjoy this tour, as it covers emblematic places such as the bookshop that inspired the author of Harry Potter or the ostentatious Majestic café that was a symbol of the Belle Époque.

Another option to complete your trip to Porto is to take an excursion to the Minho region, with visits to Guimaraes and Braga in one day. With the help of an expert, you will enjoy lunch at a local Minho restaurant and visit both this coastal town and its surroundings.

The price is £46, you can choose between morning or afternoon and the tour is available in English. A comfortable air-conditioned vehicle will pick you up from your hotel to take you and your guide on a tour less than an hour from Porto.

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Recommended if

You are interested in the landscapes of rural Portugal and want to know more about its wine and gastronomic tradition.

In Porto, as important as its monuments, are its traditions, and this includes gastronomy and, of course, wine. Visiting the city without tasting its wine or its food is a tourist sin, which is why there are excursions that focus solely on tasting and sampling. Besides tasting the delicacies of Porto, on this gastronomic tour of Porto you will also learn about the history of Portuguese cuisine and wine tradition.

This gastronomic tour of Porto lasts 3 hours and is available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Some of the foods you will taste (besides the wine tasting) are: cod fritters, pork sandwich, custard tarts, traditional coffee, Portuguese liqueur or the most typical tapas of the city.

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Recommended if

You are curious to taste the quality Portuguese gastronomy and to know more about the wine tradition so important and deeply rooted in this city.

Wine lovers will have a great time on this small group tour of the Douro Valley. The aim of this day tour is for the traveller to enjoy and learn about the wine tradition present in this area away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Porto. It is a different way to get to know and feel Portugal and to enjoy its cultural and gastronomic richness.

This £71 tour (available in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese) includes the services of a specialised guide, the transfer to and from the hotel, lunch in a local restaurant, a wine tasting and, optionally, a river cruise.

Recommended if

You like to enjoy wine and the landscapes of the regions where it is produced. If you also like intimate excursions, the experience will be a great success as you will be sharing it with at most seven other people.

More than just a guided tour, the concept of this experience is that of a city tour of Porto. This means that in addition to the walking tour accompanied by a local guide, this tour includes a cruise, a dinner and a wine tasting with pick-up from your hotel included. This is undoubtedly one of the most complete tours of Porto.

The tour lasts approximately 8 hours and is available in English, French, English and Portuguese. It is undoubtedly the most complete and comfortable option to see the city of Porto.

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Recommended if

You have little time for sightseeing in the city and want to dedicate a day to seeing the must-see places and then focus on strolling through the streets and tasting its wine and gastronomy.

Ana's Traveller Tip

In addition to sightseeing, gastronomy and wine are key elements in Porto. If tasting and wine tasting are not included in the tour, reserve time during your trip for them.

Two and a half hours from Porto is the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, presided over by its impressive cathedral, known the world over as the pilgrimage site of the famous Way of St. James. Although the journey is not as short as it is to other points around Porto, there are day trips to and from Santiago de Compostela and the walk is well worth it.

If you want to visit the Spanish cathedral of Santiago de Compostela from Porto, I recommend this tour to Santiago with a stop in Valença do Minho, which includes transfer to and from the hotel, the services of a specialised guide and lunch in the historic centre of the city of Santiago de Compostela. The price is £61

Recommended if

If you don't know the Cathedral of Santiago and you want to take advantage of your trip to Porto to see it with an expert guide along the way.

Most guided tours of Porto are walking tours, but this one introduces the concept of the Segway (a two-wheeled electric vehicle that allows you to move around effortlessly just by rolling). It is ideal for those who want to avoid the effort of walking around the city and also to cover a longer distance in less time. This Segway tour of Porto lasts about three hours and is led by an expert guide.

This tour costs £60 and can be done in Spanish, English, French or Portuguese. If you have never ridden a Segway before, don't worry because your guide will give you a short tutorial before you start the tour.

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Recommended if

You want to visit Porto in a different, fun and comfortable way without renouncing to the explanations of a professional guide and also covering a large area of land.

A walking tour of the city centre is not the only way to get to know the city. These types of tours are aimed at learning about the history and culture of the place and its surroundings while putting the city's points of interest into context. However, if you already know Porto and you want to enjoy the sights and avoid walking, I recommend the option of a river cruise.

There are many available to suit all budgets and most of them with audio commentary; in this article on Douro River Cruises and Boat Rides in Porto for all the information you need.