Porto is so beautiful and peaceful. It was my favourite destination during our 3.5-week trip to Portugal. There is plenty to see and do over four days, yet it still feels incredibly relaxing – perhaps because of its laid-back atmosphere and walkability.

I especially fell in love with the stunning architecture and beautiful tiles at São Bento Railway Station and Chapel of Souls. A day trip to the Douro Valley is absolutely worth it for the excellent wine and breathtaking scenery.

 

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Day 1 – Free walking tour

We arrived in Porto in the late afternoon. After checking into our apartment, the first thing we did was join a free walking tour to get to know the city.

After the tour ended, something a little awkward happened. We happened to run into our guide again. He mentioned that he hadn’t seen us leave a tip and asked if it was because we didn’t like the tour. It felt a little uncomfortable, not only because we had actually tipped €40 (he was talking to someone else at the time and hadn’t noticed who had tipped), but also because even if we hadn’t tipped, I don’t think that’s something he should be asking like this.

I used to really enjoy free walking tours. They’re such a good and relaxing way to get to know a new city, often led by people who genuinely love sharing their local experience and recommendations. But lately, they’ve started to feel a lot more commercialised, less like a passion and more like a full-time job. Even the recommendations can feel incentivised. I still like it, but it just doesn’t feel the same anymore.

At night, we had our first Portuguese chicken together (Nando’s didn’t count as it’s not actually from Portugal). We queued for about half an hour at Pedro Dos Frangos, but it was absolutely worth it… The chicken was so tender and juicy, and the chilli oil is the secret!

 

Day 2 Highlights – amazing cafe views, the stock exchange, the cathedral, and francesinha

We were still suffering from jet lag and kept waking up around 4am. Although it was painful, the upside was that we got to be the first customers at My Coffee Porto when it opened at 9am. There is only one seat with this incredible view below. Sometimes, it is good to be kiasu 😂

After that, we walked to the Stock Exchange Palace (Palácio da Bolsa), recommended by Michael Portillo’s show. We arrived around 10am, but it was compulsory to join a guided tour to visit, and the next English tour wasn’t until 11:30am.

So we wandered for over an hour and unexpectedly discovered the nearby River Market. We bought a hat for Ben and a cork bag for myself, and I also tried a Porto Tonico, a popular Portuguese cocktail.

The tour itself only took about half an hour, but it was quite interesting as the interiors are incredibly grand.

The most popular must-try local food in Porto is francesinha, so we couldn’t miss it! We had it at Café Santiago, one of the most popular spots in the city for francesinha.

It’s very high in calories, packed with hot meats, cheese, and a rich sauce. We only ordered one portion so we could share the fat 😆. To be honest, I didn’t have very high expectations as I thought it might be too meaty for me, but surprisingly, we quite enjoyed it because the sauce was really good.

Then, we walked around the city. There are many attractions within walking distance:

São Bento Station – an iconic spot in Porto. The interior is stunning, especially the beautiful tiles! There was construction around the station, so parts of the tiles were covered with white fabric for protection, which was a bit of a shame. But honestly, we might not have even noticed if we didn’t hear from the tour guide.

Porto Cathedral – the entrance fee is €4 and well worth it. The cathedral is huge – the architecture is beautiful, and we also climbed to the top for a great view.

McDonald’s Imperial – said to be one of the most beautiful McDonald’s in the world. We had nuggets, fries, and a mini McFlurry 😋. There’s a giant eagle statue at the entrance, and sometimes we also see a real eagle used by the staff to scare away birds.

Majestic Cafe – famous for its stunning architecture. We originally planned to have coffee and snacks there, but didn’t as it was too crowded. We also read that the food is fairly average, so we saved our calories instead.

Livraria Lello (bookstore) – a very famous bookstore that were rumoured to have inspired Harry Potter. We didn’t go inside due to the crowds, as we didn’t think we’d enjoy such a busy and small space anyway. Maybe Ben and I are not typical tourists 😂

 

Day 3 – Day trip to the Douro Valley 🍇 🍷

Originally, we wanted to take the train from São Bento Railway Station to the Douro Valley, which takes about 2.5 hours. Unfortunately, the train wasn’t working, which was a shame as I had purposely booked our accommodation very close to São Bento Station, and we had also heard that the train journey is beautiful.

So, I booked a day tour instead. There were eight participants on the tour, including us. Interestingly, the other six were all Americans.

One of the great things about joining a tour is that we get to learn, such as the history and how to identify better wines (although I’m already starting to forget 😂). It also included a one-hour boat cruise.

Our first stop was Amarante for breakfast, and it was surprisingly beautiful.

The tour also included a traditional Portuguese lunch, which was nice. However, it was a shared table with 9 people including the guide, so I was a bit shy about taking too much meat. Ben gave me his sausage because he knows how much I like it 🥰

Port wine is a type of fortified wine. Its main characteristics are that it is stronger and sweeter than regular wine. No wonder I liked it so much!

During the tour, we also learned that grapevines should not be overfed as they need to struggle a little to produce sweeter grapes. Ben said he shouldn’t feed me too much either, so I would become sweeter too 😤

 

Day 4 – Chapel of Souls, Mercado do Bolhão, and sunset at Jardim do Morro

I visited the Chapel of Souls at around 8am while Ben was out running, and there were hardly any tourists, which was wonderful. By the time I met up with him after 9am, it was already crowded. It is such a beautiful, romantic, and unique place.

After that, we visited Mercado do Bolhão. It was fascinating – there was so much food, and almost everyone seemed to have a glass of wine in hand. Although each item only cost a few euros, it added up quickly, and we ended up spending around €50–60 there.

We then walked to the waterfront and crossed the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. Many people think Porto produces port wine, but it is actually produced and aged across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.

There were some markets there, but we didn’t spend too much time exploring because we wanted to take the cable car up to Jardim do Morro, one of the most popular sunset spots in the area.

Sunset was around 6:45pm. We arrived about an hour and a half early, and there were already plenty of people there. Some had brought hot food and attracted a lot of birds.

This is one of the happiest moments of our lives. Some say that travel is just spending a lot of money for a short period of time, but to me, the memories are priceless and far more lasting than material things. Seeing a place in person is so different from looking at pictures, and those memories will stay in our hearts forever. ❤️

 

Next Destination: Madeira