Are you visiting Lisbon and wondering whether to nip to Porto for the day?
If you’re like us, chances are you’ve looked at the map and decided the cities really aren’t that far apart. A day trip to Porto from Lisbon must be possible, right?
Ok yes, technically it is possible to visit each city as a day trip from the other… but should you?
We spent the last two years living in Portugal visiting both cities for day trips and extended weekend stays. In this guide we’re going to look at just how practical it is to visit Porto from Lisbon as a day trip, and if there are other alternatives for seeing both cities.
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How Far From Lisbon Is Porto?
These two cities are 315 km apart and if you were to drive, it would take you around 3 hours to get from one to the other.
That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
We spent a couple of years living in Australia and have grown used to driving long distances for short trips, but this is a day trip that we strongly advise against.
Along those 315 km you will pass some incredible little towns such as Nazare and Aviero. Going to Porto as a day trip from Lisbon will restrict your ability to stop and explore these towns and that really is unfortunate, but more on that later!
Is One Day Enough In Porto?
One day in Porto is ok, we wouldn’t have written a full itinerary on it otherwise but this is mostly on the assumption that you’re spending one night there too. It’s a full day itinerary.
When visiting Porto from Lisbon, you’re going to be sending 6 of those hours travelling. So realistically, your one day in Porto turns into just a couple of hours… and that really isn’t enough to see everything Porto has to offer.
What Is The Best Way To Go From Lisbon To Porto?
Ok, so you’re determined to visit Porto from Lisbon? That’s ok, here are some of the best ways to travel between the two!
Lisbon To Porto Day Trip Car
As avid road trippers, our first recommendation for any form of travel is in a car!
It opens up your ability to detour to other towns if you feel like you have time, but also means you’re not tied down to transport times.
Hiring a car in Portugal is relatively easy, but I would only recommend doing it for the time you’re leaving Lisbon. Driving and parking within the city can be a nightmare.
Parking within Porto is much easier, with underground parking available in various locations as well as streetside. This is the car park we use whenever we visit.
🚙 Need a car? Visit DiscoverCars or RentalCars to find the best deal for your travel dates and enjoy the freedom a rental car gives you!
Lisbon To Porto Day Trip By Train
If you don’t plan to hire a car, the next best way to get to Porto from Lisbon is via train.
This will take you anywhere from 3 to 3.5 hours, depending on the time you book. Of course, to really make the most of your day trip to Porto, you’re going to ideally want to get the earliest train you can.
It’s worth noting that the trains are quite often rescheduled, or cancelled, due to strikes, so while it’s the quickest on paper you could end up being delayed by hours if there is a strike happening at the time.
The CP website is the best place to check for this, or ask at the nearest train station.
Tickets start at €20 each way, with peak travel times being slightly more than that.
Although we rarely use trains or buses when travelling, since we have our van, on the odd occasion that we do we will use omio.com to book tickets in advance.
Lisbon To Porto Day Trip By Bus
Travelling from Lisbon to Porto by bus is the most cost effective way, with tickets starting at €6.
However, because they have to make more stops than the trains and are subject to city/town traffic, it can take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours depending on the route and company you choose.
We’ve taken the coaches *once* before, and never again. Yes it’s easy, but they’re often packed and uncomfortable. Especially in summer.
To be fair, we started our bus route in Granada (Spain) and ended in Nazare so it was a loooonnng trek. I’m sure the shorter trips are fine. Just not for us.
We know plenty of people who happily take the coaches to get around Portugal, and Rede Express seems to be the more popular company to go with.
Once again, we used Omio.com to book our one and only coach trip.
Quick Porto Day Trip From Lisbon Itinerary
If you’re brave enough to visit Porto as a day trip from Lisbon, this is the itinerary that we recommend.
I’ll be honest, it isn’t going to show you around everything. It simply wouldn’t be fair to give you the expectation of that being possible. It does, however, show you some of the highlights and give you an idea of what’s in the area.
Let’s go with the assumption that you have 4-6 hours in Porto if you’re travelling from Lisbon. That’s arriving into Porto around 9/10am and leaving around 4/5pm, which gets you back to Lisbon close to 9pm, depending on transport method.
The following itinerary is a self-guided tour. However, Porto is home to an amazing FREE walking tour that takes 2.5 hours. You can pre-book your tickets here.
Sao Bento Station
If there’s one thing that Porto isn’t short of, it’s beautiful buildings and Porto’s Sao Bento train station is a warm welcome to this for those who choose to visit Porto from Lisbon on the train.
Opening to the public in 1916, Sao Bento station is often described as one of the most beautiful in the world. We can’t argue with that! It’s decorated in over 20 thousand tiles, telling the story of Portugal’s rich history.
If you arrive in Porto elsewhere in the city, head here first and pop your head through the doors to admire the artwork – you’ll be glad you did!
Igreja de Santo Ildefonso
Next, we’re going to head Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, or Church of Saint Ildefonso, which is another one of Porto’s beautiful old buildings and only a 10 minute walk away from Sao Bento Station
Decorated in the same iconic blue and white tiles from Sau Bento, The Church of Saint Ildefonso dates back to the 18th century and is another great example of how the Portuguese decorate their buildings.
Capela das Almas
For the next spot on our speedy day trip itinerary, we’re going to head to one of Porto’s most popular Instagram spots.
Another 10-minute walk from Igreja de Santo Ildefonso, the Church of Souls is celebrated for its iconic blue and white tiles that are so popular here.
The Church of Saint Ildefonso, Sao Bento Station and The Church of Souls were decorated by the same person, with The Chapel of Souls being completed in 1929, with over 16 thousand tiles being used!
The tiles here tell the story of S. Francis of Assisi and Saint Catherine.
Igreja do Carmo & Igreja dos Carmelita
A short 20 minute walk across the city will take you to Igreja do Carmo and Igreja dos Carmelita, twin churches that are separated by the thinnest houses in the world.
Casa Escondido is only 1.5 metres wide and is a must see during your whirlwind day trip from Lisbon!
Rumour has it that this house was built to prevent the Nuns who lived inIgreja dos Carmelita, and Monks living in Igreja do Carmo from getting up to any funny business.
These days the hidden house in Porto is open to the public as a museum and can be accessed via Igreja do Carmo.
This will also gain you access to the Catacombs of Porto: something that, I’ll admit, I didn’t know existed and is now a priority on my list of things to do in Porto next time we’re there!
These aren’t the only catacombs in Portugal though! The Chapel Of Bones in Evora are possibly the most famous ones.
Miradouro da Vitória
No visit to Porto would be complete without checking out the views from Miradouro da Vitória.
The Miradouro da Vitória is a short 8 minute walk from Igreja do Carmo. This is why walking tours are so popular here, the city is just so easy to get around on foot if you’re happy with the occasional hill.
With a day trip from Lisbon, you’re going to be restricted on time, so you can expect one of the best free viewpoints in Porto to have quite a few people when you get there.
Located above the historic Ribeira quarter, from Miradouro da Vitória you’ll be able to look out over old roof tops, across the river to Vila Nova de Gaia and Dom Luís I Bridge.
If you follow the route of this one day itinerary for Porto, accessing Miradouro da Vitória will be downhill. However, if you’re tackling it from the historic Ribeira part of the city, the walk can be quite steep with many steps.
Porto Cathedral
Heading back towards the train station and main road of Porto, just 10 minutes from Miradouro da Vitória you’ll arrive in front of Porto Cathedral.
There are some really good views from here too, but not at the same angle and if memory serves me right, not quite as high as Miradouro da Vitória.
By this point you’ve already seen several of Porto’s churches, but this is the most important one in the city and has been declared a national monument.
You’d be forgiven for thinking Porto Cathedral was a fortress or a castle, rather than an old Catholic church. The nearby city walls that once protected the old city, and the battlements that decorate the top of the castle give it that fortress look.
You can tour inside but if you’ve visited Batalha Monastery, you may find it lacks the same intricate detailing and awe. Although the entrance is cheap at only €3, we preferred to admire from outside and enjoy the views
Ribeira
The Ribeira part of Porto is perhaps the most popular, the oldest but also the most lively – especially at night.
Here you’ll find Port boutiques, restaurants, street performers and of course, beautifully tiled old buildings. Even the Mcdonald’s here blends in seamlessly (don’t worry, we’re not foodies but we’re also not going to suggest a Macy’s for lunch either!)
From Porto Cathedral, there are a few different ways to access the riverfront. My favourite? Backtrack a little towards Miradouro da Vitória and walk down R. da Alfândega.
The walk between the Cathedral and here will take you past a few more beautiful buildings, shops, cafes etc. and brings you out at the top end of the main stretch of Ribeira.
From here you can walk towards the bridge, have some tapas and maybe a drink or too since you’ll have already been exploring for a couple of hours by this point.
We’ve had drinks and food at several places along here and I can say, they’re all pretty good. Of course, being in the most touristy area of Porto prices are hiked somewhat – plus the view is beautiful from here.
Dom Luís I Bridge
You will have seen thousands of photos of this famous bridge in Porto, and rightly so!
It’s a true icon of the city because it links the main hustle and bustle to the popular port cellar district, Vila Nova de Gaia. It’s a must see if you’re looking for things to do in Porto in a day!
Built on two levels, the Dom Luís I Bridge gives tourists an option to cross the river to the lower or upper part of Vila Nova de Gaia,
Vila Nova de Gaia
Assuming you’ve crossed Dom Luís I Bridge on the lower deck from the Ribeira, from here you can walk along the scenic Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront.
Home to some of Porto’s oldest port cellars, it should be no surprise that on this side of the river is where you’ll find port tours, port tasting, port cruises and fine restaurants offering port pairings with your food.
However, being that you’re only here for a few more hours you’re not really going to have time to fit in a river cruise or full port cellar tour.
Instead, we recommend nipping into one of the many bars and restaurants along here to do a Port sampling tray and have a bit of the local history told to you by one of the waiters.
You can then spend the rest of your limited time in Porto wandering up and down Vila Nova de Gaia which is an activity in itself, here are some of the other things to do in Vila Nova de Gaia that are perfect if you still have time during your day trip from Lisbon.
Try A Pastel de Bacalhau
Pastel de Bacalhau, also known as salted cod fritters, are a Portuguese delicacy available throughout the country.
For a picturesque setting to enjoy one, visit Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau on the main street of Vila Nova de Gaia.
This charming, vintage-style shop offers freshly made, traditional Pastel de Bacalhau. Although the first Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau opened in 2015, the owners claim they use a traditional and a classic family recipe that has been handed down through the generations.
Whether that’s true or not, I can’t say, but I do know their Porto store is stunning and somehow reminds me of Beauty and the Beast.
Porto Gondola
Once you’re ready to cross the Dom Luís I Bridge and head back into the centre of Porto, save your legs and take the gondola/cable car.
The queue for this was huge when we did it, you can buy your ticket ahead of time from the office under the stairs to save you some time, but it won’t stop you from having to queue.
The views from the top are really pretty. Nothing different to what you get from the street side of Dom Luís I Bridge but at least you didn’t have to walk up loads of stairs, right?
Can You Do A Porto Port Cellar Tour During A Day Trip From Lisbon?
While the cellar tours themselves only take an hour or two, depending on which one you book, the tricky part is going to be finding a tour that lines up with your limited time.
We’ve visited the Calem Port Wine Cellars several times without a ticket pre-booked. We’ve always been able to squeeze in, but not without at least a 30-45 minute wait, but sometimes that’s been over an hour.
This is because they run at fixed times throughout the day, and offer limited tours in English (still plenty, you certainly won’t struggle but not every tour is in English). So if you really want to do a Port Tour during your day trip to Porto from Lisbon, you’re going to want to pre book your tickets and plan your day around whichever time slot you’re able to get.
If you want to do a Douro Valley tour from Lisbon, this will have to be a stand alone day trip without visiting the city as they typically take at least 5 hours. Plus, potentially still having to travel into Porto from Lisbon to connect with your tour guide.
🍷 This was hands-down one of our favourite things to do in Porto – grab your spot on the Cálem Port Wine Tour here.
Can You Visit Livraria Lello From Lisbon?
In theory you could squeeze a visit to this famous bookshop into your day trip from Lisbon but it would be incredibly rushed.
While you can book your tickets in advance, or join a guided tour that includes tickets in the price, this doesn’t always guarantee that you’ll get to skip the lines… and unless you’re there really early, or last thing at night, there will always be a line.
We recommend saving a trip to the world’s most beautiful bookstore until you have more time to explore. You’ll feel less rushed, and less stressed, so you’ll be able to enjoy it more.
That is, of course, unless Livraria Lello is the only thing you want to see in Porto or one of your top priorities. Then go for it and mix this quick itinerary up to better suit what you want to get from your brief Porto experience.
Is A Day Trip To Porto From Lisbon Worth It?
In our opinion? No, a day trip to Porto from Lisbon isn’t worth it.
You’d be much better cutting your time in Lisbon down and adding a night or two in Porto to allow you to see more of what the city has to offer.
It’s certainly possible to visit Porto with only a few hours available, but you’d likely feel rushed and that doesn’t sound at all fun to us.
Do You Need To Book A Tour To Visit Porto From Lisbon?
No, you don’t need to. Travelling between Lisbon and Porto is easy enough on public transport and I see no benefit to paying for a tour unless it’s like this one that includes Wine tasting and a mini Douro valley cruise.
We wouldn’t recommend booking a private tour for someone to simply drive you there and walk you around the city. Porto is easy to navigate, and easy to reach via bus/train.
Are you still tempted to visit Porto from Lisbon as a day trip? If you decide to do that, we’d love to hear about your experience!
Porto is our favourite city in Portugal, so of course we’re always going to recommend people spend longer here.
If we’ve convinced you to do just that, checkout our other Porto content below!
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