Itinerary

Porto's Cathedral

Porto Cathedral, like the first band of city walls, was born in the 12th century by initiative of its first bishop, D. Hugo. The temple is also known as the church of Santa Maria do Porto, de Nossa Senhora do Porto da Eterna Salvação or Nossa Senhora da Vandoma – which attests to the importance the Marian cult has. Our tour expert will introduce you to Porto and Portugal history and will explain the main architecture of the building from the exterior and let you appreciate this oldest part of the city with its characteristic houses and the incredible views of the river and the wine cellars in Gaia.

Sao Bento Train Station

Be wondered at the characteristic Portuguese tiles, azulejos, that adorn the station hall. It is said that over 20,000 azulejos were used in the construction of the mural. Be guided in this hall by our tour expert through the different themes of the decoration, such as history, religion and scenes from Portuguese urban and rural life. The façade of the building is another architectural landmark in Porto, making a visit to this train station a great stop for all art lovers.

Porto City Centre World UNESCO Heritage

From our comfortable minibus, we will now take you on a panoramic tour through the typical streets in this part of the city, where you'll notice various monuments of incalculable cultural wealth and value, as though time had stood still in the Middle Ages. Despite the changes over the years, the Historic Centre of Porto maintains its unique urban characteristics, which are a world apart from other European cities.Our tour expert will point out and explain the most remarkable buildings, monuments, streets and avenues such as: Porto Cathedral, S. Bento Train Station, Santa Catarina commercial street with its renowned Café Majestic, Aliados Avenue, Stockage Market House of Porto, Church of Saint Francis, Church and Tower dos Clérigos, Lello & Irmão Bookstore, Ribeira, D. Luis I Bridge, Port Wine Cellars, etc.

Bookstore Livraria Lello & Irmão

The building where the library is located was inaugurated in 1906. Special mention goes to its beautiful Art Nouveau façade with neo-Gothic details. On the inside, the library is decorated in painted plaster imitating wood and presents a magnificent staircase linking it to the upper floor - one of the first reinforced concrete works in Porto.Many visitors are drawn by the fairly Harry Potter connection, as author J.K. Rowling is thought to have drawn inspiration from the neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau interior for her novels, during her stay in the city teaching English.

Church and Tower of Clérigos

Genuine baroque work by Nicolau Nasoni, an ex-libris monument of the city of Porto. The Church of Clérigos (Ecclesiastics) is a masterpiece dating from the mid-18th century designed by Nicolau Nasoni, an architect of Italian origin. He stamped his mark on many monuments around Porto and the north of Portugal. Nasoni, on his request, was buried here in a small chapel with its gateway at the same level as the top of the double bolster stairway.

D. Luís I Bridge

Dom Luís I Bridge had the longest span of any metal bridge in the world when it was completed in 1886.The beautiful iron structure was finished by a student of Gustave Eiffel - who created the Eiffel Tower in Paris - and connects the city to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the famous Port Wine cellars are located.

Port Wine Cellars

Now it`s time to discover the Port Wine Lodges at Vila Nova de Gaia where all Port cellars and are located, on the other side of the Douro River where the Port wine has been ageing for several centuries in wooden barrels.Discover the unique process of making this amazing fortified wine while visiting the cellar with an expert guide, showing its knowledge about Port wine process, different types, and its history.The tour ends with a tasting of two select Port wines.

Traditional lunch in a restaurant

Back to Porto, it's now the perfect time for lunch.If you chose the lunch option, our tour expert will take you to a traditional restaurant for you to have a complete lunch with drinks included where you can choose one of the most traditional recipes for your lunch, the famous "francesinha" (a big meat sandwich), or a fish dish.If you haven't chosen the lunch option you will have spare time for activities of your own.

Six Bridges Douro Cruise

After lunch, grab your camera, relax and enjoy the views of Porto and Gaia from the Douro River. Experience all of Porto’s bridges on this 50-minute cruise of  on board of a traditional "Rabelo” boat.You’ll quickly notice that no two bridges are alike, each with their own architecture and personality, making for stunning photo backdrops. As you sail the UNESCO river, you’ll see why this is one of the most unique ways to experience Northern Portugal.

Panoramic sightseeing through Foz, Boavista Avenue and main contemporay buildings

To fully discover Porto and its history, we will continue our panoramic sightseeing through Foz at Atlantic Ocean coast with a short stop, the Castle of Cheese and the beautiful lighthouse.We'll end our tour returning through the modern part of the city, Boavista, where contemporary architects have left their stamp on the city’s skyline, like the iconic Casa da Música of Rem Koolhaas.Your guide will give you the farewell taking you back to the meeting point or to your accommodation (when selected).