How to Spend 3 Days in Porto
From strolling coastal towns and Douro Valley vineyards, to exploring museums and hilltop castles, here’s how to make the most of 72 hours in Portugal’s 2nd-largest city.
Avenida dos Aliados
A grandiose avenue stretching from Porto City Hall (Câmara Municipal do Porto) to Liberdade Square, Avenida dos Aliados serves as the city’s cultural and architectural center. A walk along the boulevard reveals architectural styles from neoclassical to French beaux arts and baroque, along with what’s been called the world’s most beautiful McDonald’s.
Avenida dos Aliados, Porto, Portugal
The Basics
The majority of Porto sightseeing tours cover Avenida dos Aliados and many of the landmarks in its vicinity. Travelers can explore the area as part of a walking tour, which provides context important to understanding the history and culture of Porto, or during a hop-on hop-off bus tour, during which you’ll get unobstructed views from the top deck and enjoy the freedom to customize your sightseeing itinerary.
Things to Know Before You Go
A walk along Avenida dos Aliados is an easy way to tick off multiple Porto landmarks in one go.
Keep an eye on your belongings as you explore this busy street.
Start at the top of the boulevard if want to enjoy an easy walk downhill to Liberdade Square.
Arrive hungry as the boulevard is lined with historic cafés that serve coffee and Portuguese delicacies such as pasteis de nata (sweet egg tartlets).
How to Get There
There are several ways to reach Avenida dos Aliados by public transport. You can take metro line D to Aliados or Trinidade, depending where along the boulevard you want to start, or ride tram line 22 to the Carmo stop.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
No matter what time of day, you can always expect Avenida dos Aliados to be crowded. For your best chance of exploring in relative tranquility, head down to the boulevard as early as possible. During sunset and the early evening, the buildings along the street are illuminated.
Landmarks Along Avenida dos Aliados
Begin your sightseeing stint on Avenida dos Aliados at Porto City Hall, which boasts a clock tower that gives Torre & Igreja dos Clérigos a run for its money. Visitors can climb the tower’s 240 steps for great views of the entire street. Next, admire the elaborate facades of the banks Banco do Minho and Caixa Geral de Depósitos before posing for a photograph beside the equestrian statue of King Pedro IV in the center of Liberdade Square.
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- Liberdade Square (Praça da Liberdade)
- Clérigos Church and Tower (Torre & Igreja dos Clérigos)
- Museum of Our Lady of Mercy of Porto (Museu da Misericórdia do Porto)
- Porto Cathedral (Sé Catedral do Porto)
- Ribeira
- Palace of the Stock Exchange (Palácio da Bolsa)
- Rua Santa Catarina
- Dom Luis Bridge (Ponte de Dom Luis I)
- Church of São Francisco (Igreja de São Francisco)
- Porto Calem Wine Cellars
- Casa da Música
- Porto Bridge Climb
- Serralves Museum (Fundação de Serralves)
- SEA LIFE® Porto
- Matosinhos Beach