Porto Trip Overview
In City Center Tour you will be able to reach the highest points of Porto and have a fantastic view over the Douro River and its two banks. Start your journey up to the gardens of the Palácio de Cristal with magnificent views of the Douro River.
Then you will head to the heart of the city of Porto, and between narrow streets full of history, with surprising tile facades, you will arrive at Lello. This Bookstore, opened in 1906, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and famous for having inspired author J.K.Rowling for her Harry Potter book saga. With more time, you will have to enter to visit this unmissable place
AUTONOMY- You can customize your tour route
PRIVACY- Just your group. No more people
SAFETY (Covid-19)- We comply with all safety measures of Portuguese Gov and EU
TECHNOLOGY- Free Wi-Fi; GPS Guide; Live streaming & Tour recording
SUSTAINABILITY- Our cars are 100% electric and we’ve a green policy in all that concerns our activity
Share Your Experience
Additional Info
* Duration: 2 hours
* Starts: Porto, Portugal
* Trip Category: Tours & Sightseeing >> Bus & Minivan Tours
Explore Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Porto, Porto, Portugal
In City Center Tour you will be able to reach the highest points of Porto and have a fantastic view over the Douro River and its two banks. Start your journey up to the gardens of the Palácio de Cristal with magnificent views of the Douro River.
Then you will head to the heart of the city of Porto, and between narrow streets full of history, with surprising tile facades, you will arrive at Lello. This Bookstore, opened in 1906, is considered one of the most beautiful in the world, and famous for having inspired author J.K.Rowling for her Harry Potter book saga. With more time, you will have to enter to visit this unmissable place
AUTONOMY- You can customize your tour route
PRIVACY- Just your group. No more people
SAFETY (Covid-19)- We comply with all safety measures of Portuguese Gov and EU
TECHNOLOGY- Free Wi-Fi; GPS Guide; Live streaming & Tour recording
SUSTAINABILITY- Our cars are 100% electric and we’ve a green policy in all that concerns our activity
Share Your Experience
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Jardins do Palacio de Cristal, Palacio de Cristal Rua Dom Manuel II Corner to Rua Jorge di Viterba Fereira, Porto 4050-346 Portugal
Installed in the center of Porto and designed by Berliner Emil David (1839-1873), as part of the construction of the Palácio de Cristal building itself.
Currently, the original design is still preserved, the Jardim Emil David at the main entrance, the Avenues of Tílias and Plátanos, the forest and the design of the balconies over the Douro. On Avenida das Tílias, we find the Almeida Garrett Municipal Library, the Concha Acustica and the Chapel of Carlos Alberto da Sardenha.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Jardim de João Chagas, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, 4050-366 Porto, Portugal
Jardim João Chagas, commonly known as Jardim da Cordoaria, because of the strings that worked there (men who made or sold ropes), dates from 1924 and is located close to Torre dos Clérigos and the Santo António General Hospital.
With a triangular shape, here you can find trees classified as Public Interest and not only. For many, this garden is also an art space, as you can find sculptures along it. A funny statue is one that depicts thirteen human figures and is called ‘Thirteen laughing at each other’, the work of a sculptor from Madrid, Juan Muñoz and which was installed when Porto was considered a European City of Culture in 2001.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Clérigos Tower, R. de São Filipe de Nery, 4050-546 Porto, Portugal
The Igreja dos Clérigos is a genuine baroque work from the middle of the century. XVIII, designed by Nicolau Nasoni, an architect of Italian origin who left his mark on many monuments in Porto and the northern region of Portugal. Nasoni is buried, at his request, in a small chapel.
The entire front of the temple has a very interesting Baroque decoration, which is worth appreciating in detail. The interior in granite and marble and covered with baroque carving also reveals the mastery of its architect. In the chancel, there is a polychrome altarpiece by Manuel Porto. But the most striking element of this set is the Tower built in granite stone that rises from the western top of the church’s body.
Unmistakable ex-libris of the city and extremely slender in its 75m height, the Tower develops in rhythmic movements that end in a crown of Baroque decoration.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Livraria Lello, R. das Carmelitas 144, 4050-161 Porto, Portugal
A neo-Gothic style building built in 1906 houses Livraria Lello e Irmão. Inside, several ancient details manage to create an environment capable of transporting us a century ago. Its huge wooden shelves full of books go up to the ceiling and a beautiful carved wooden staircase reigns in the center of the store, while the stained-glass ceiling projects natural light, giving life to this unique scenario.
The magic that surrounds this bookstore is so great that it is said to have inspired the author of the Harry Potter saga.
Stop At: Igreja dos Carmelitas, Rua Carmo Vitória, Porto 4050-164 Portugal
The Igreja do Carmo, is located at the intersection between Praça Carlos Alberto and Rua do Carmo, in the parish of Vitória, in Porto. The church belongs to the Third Order of Nossa Senhora do Carmo and was built in the Rococo style, in granite, according to a José Figueiredo Seixas project.
The main façade is profusely decorated, both with plant elements and with windows and niches, and is crowned by a cross and the statues of the Evangelists. The side façade is covered with bluish-tiled tiles. Inside the Church there are several rococo gilded altarpieces, made by Francisco Pereira Campanhã in the 18th century.
It is one of the most important churches in the city, and it is located close to the from Jardim da Cordoaria. The Carmo church adjoins the Carmelite church.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Avenida dos Aliados, Av. dos Aliados, 4000 Porto, Portugal
Avenida dos Aliados is a wide avenue in the center of Porto. It is surmounted by the Porto City Council and flanked by a line of Art Nouveau and Art Deco facades.
The avenue is named after the historic alliance between England and Portugal at the end of the 14th century. There is a wide promenade that leaves the center of the avenue paved with gray stones although the original white stones can still be seen at the bases of the statues that are found at regular intervals along the way. The buildings on the avenue are mainly banks and hotels. Praça da Liberdade is at the bottom of Avenida dos Aliados with a large statue of Dom Pedro IV mounted on his horse in the center of the square.
Pay attention because the avenue is full of pigeons with very good aim.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Sao Bento Railway Station, Praca Almeida Garrett, Porto 4000-069 Portugal
São Bento Station, just around the corner from Avenida dos Aliados, is the most central of the train stations in Porto. This Parisian-style building is well worth visiting. See the huge tile panels inside painted by hand and installed by Jorge Colaço at the beginning of the 20th century.
The panels that flank the entrance show the evolution of transport, the four seasons and several epic episodes in the history of Portugal, such as the reconquest of the south and the conquest of Ceuta by Infante Dom Henrique. Near the ceiling you can see the inscriptions Douro and Minho, which are the most important rivers in the region.
The station was named after the Benedictine convent it replaced. The construction only started when the last nun died and she died very old. São Bento Station hosts book fairs, concerts and dinners at the main entrance. The São Bento Metro Station is right at the door just below and to the left when you leave the station through the main entrance.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Porto Cathedral (Se Catedral), S/N0 Terreiro Se 3 Centro Histórico, Porto 4050-573 Portugal
The Cathedral is an immense structure that, due to its colossal size and location, could be considered a military fortress. It is on a hill next to the Dom Luís I Bridge, overlooking the Ribeira and Douro neighborhoods. The city you see today owes much of its growth to the Cathedral and its protective walls. The extremely narrow houses and alleys of the Sé neighborhood (nowadays a doubtful area of the city to avoid at night) were built this way to fit inside the old walls.
The cathedral has an enormous Gothic rose window under the wide arch of the main entrance. On each side of this are two sturdy towers. With all the changes that have been made, you will find Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture here. Nicolás Nasoni, a prolific Italian architect who lived in Porto, designed the Baroque Sé loggia in the 18th century.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Serra do Pilar Viewpoint, Largo de Aviz Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, Vila Nova de Gaia 4430-329 Portugal
This monastery is located at the top of the mountain that gives it its name, Serra do Pilar, in Vila Nova de Gaia.
With a magnificent and panoramic landscape, where you can see the entire riverside area of ??Porto and Gaia up to Ponte da Arrábida, as well as the historic center of Porto, Ponte D. Luís, Ponte São João and the Fontainhas area, this building it is a world heritage site and began to be built in 1538. Construction ended in 1670 and the Friars of Augustine of the Monastery of Grijó settled there.
This monastery opened to the public in December 2012 as ‘Casa do Património a Norte’. In this space there is the possibility to watch films about the four places classified as World Heritage by UNESCO (the historic center of Porto and Guimarães, the Alto Douro Wine Region and the Foz Côa Archaeological Park). Here you will also find a statue of the first king of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques and there are also guided tours by an element of the Army, owner of most of this space.
Duration: 20 minutes
Pass By: Ponte de Dom Luis I, Pte. Luiz I, Porto Portugal
The Ponte Dom Luís I is a true icon of the city of Porto and a marvel of 19th century engineering. The Dom Luís I Bridge spans the River Douro between Porto on the north bank and Gaia on the south bank.
Designed by German architect, Téophile Seyrig (1843-1923), a disciple and business partner of French engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), the Ponte Dom Luís I had the longest span of any metal bridge in the world when it was completed in 1886.
Originally meant for road traffic, now the upper span carries Line D of the Porto Metro and a pedestrian walkway, while the lower deck is for road traffic and pedestrians with no fear of vertigo.
There are wonderful views over the 18th century skyline of Porto including Porto Cathedral and the Clérigos Tower from the top deck and from near Jardim do Morro metro station.
Stop At: Ribeira Square, Praca da Ribeira, Porto 4050-513 Portugal
It is one of the oldest squares in the city, located on the bank of the Douro River on the Porto side, an indispensable place to visit.
Of medieval origin, it has always had a lot of movement, due to the great economic activity and the presence of a port a few kilometers away. It was, therefore, an important point of entry and exit for people and products. Over the years, urban changes took place, such as the opening of Rua de São João and a placement of the sculpture by José Rodrigues that still exists there today, ‘the Cubo da Ribeira’, located practically in the middle of the square.
For those who want to know the award-winning Porto Historic Center, Praça da Ribeira is a must-visit place. The picturesque buildings that surround it and the fantastic proximity and views of the Douro River and Vila Nova de Gaia, as well as the bridges over the river, leave no doubt that it is a place of unparalleled beauty.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Bolsa Palace, R. de Ferreira Borges, 4050-253 Porto, Portugal
The Stock Exchange Palace is a national monument. It was built on the site of an old monastery, Convento de São Francisco. After the monastery was destroyed by fire in 1832, Porto’s mercantile class built an opulent stock exchange building to flaunt the city’s wealth and enforce mercantilist laws. Skilled craftsmen have worked for years to build this grandiloquent building, working under the watchful eye of several architects. The bulk of the construction ended in the middle of the 19th century, but the final decorations were not complete until the early 20th century.More than 250,000 visitors a year enter the Palácio da Bolsa and for a small fee they can also participate in a guided tour.
This huge living room is full of tiled floors connected by fine woods brought from the colonies. Impressive frescoes, paintings and sculptures proliferate in different rooms and salons.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Alfandega Porto Congress Centre, Rua Nova da Alfandega, Porto 4050-430 Portugal
Alfândega do Porto is right on the riverside west of Ribeira. This imposing structure occupies a good portion of land right under the Gardens of the Palacio De Cristal.
French architect Jean Colson built the old customs house in the middle of the 19th century on the site of Miragaia beach (looking at Gaia). Unfortunately, the sandy beach has disappeared. Alfândega do Porto was never widely used as customs.
The building was restored in 1993 and today contains the transport museum, a multimedia center and a conference center. Immediately to the west of Alfândega do Porto is a helipad for helicopter tours of the city.
Duration: 10 minutes
