Porto events this weekend & beyond

About Porto

Porto stacks itself in tiers of orange rooftops above the Douro, and most of what you came for sits within a walkable square mile. The Ribeira's UNESCO-listed riverfront is the natural starting point — grab a table on the quay, then cross the upper deck of the two-tier Dom Luís I Bridge for the classic panorama. On the far bank, the port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia line up door to door: Cálem, Sandeman, Graham's and Taylor's all run guided cellar tours ending in tastings. Back in the centre, Livraria Lello's crimson staircase draws hour-long queues — buy the timed entry voucher online and redeem it against a book — while the baroque Clérigos Tower rewards a 225-step climb with the city's best view. Finish with a Six Bridges cruise on the Douro, a 50-minute loop that strings together Porto's full riverside skyline.

Top things to do in Porto

• Port wine cellar tours and tastings in Vila Nova de Gaia
• Ribeira's UNESCO riverfront and the Dom Luís I Bridge
• Livraria Lello, the neo-Gothic bookshop with the crimson staircase
• Six Bridges sightseeing cruises on the Douro River

Local tips for visiting Porto

• Walk the upper deck of the Dom Luís I Bridge around sunset for the best light on the Ribeira — the metro shares the deck, so stay inside the pedestrian lanes.
• Livraria Lello requires a timed entry voucher bought online; arrive for the first morning slot and the voucher's value is deducted from any book you buy.
• Reserve port cellar tours a few days ahead in summer — English-language slots at the big Gaia lodges fill first, and late-afternoon tastings sell out earliest.
• Stop inside São Bento station even if you are not catching a train; its entrance hall is covered in around 20,000 hand-painted azulejo tiles.

Frequently asked questions