There is much to see not far from the famous city: Douro Valley day trips for wine tasting, exploration of Unesco sites at Guimaraes, beautiful nature in Penada Geres…
Discover my selection of the best day trips from Porto, Portugal, with map, tips and photos.
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Portugal:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Portugal: DiscoverCars
The unmissable boat tour: Benagil sea cave from Portimao
My favorite excursion from Lisbon: Sintra Pena Palace and Cabo da Roca
My favorite places to stay:
- Lisbon: see best rated hotels – e.g. Santiago de Alfama boutique hotel
- Porto: see best rated hotels – e.g. Descobertas Boutique Hotel
- Lagos: see best rated hotels – e.g. Uma Cas A Beira Sol
3 absolute best Day Trips from Porto Portugal
Porto is a fantastic city with a great vibe. You can already fill several days with tours within Porto.
But if you have a few more days to spend in Portugal, here is my list of the best day trips from Porto to enjoy more of Portugal:
- HISTORICAL Best Day Tour – Braga and Guimaraes
- NATURE Best Day tour – Penada-Geres National Park
- GASTRONOMY and SCENERY – Douro Valley day trip
Let me tell you a little more about these 3 trips and other suggestions I have with pictures to help you decide.
#1 – HISTORY – Day Tour from Porto to Braga And Guimaraes
Highlights
- Old town of Braga: the cathedral, the archbishop palace and the many museums
- Incredible zigzag Baroque staircase at Bom Jesus do Monte (see my photos)
- The Historic Center of Guimaraes, a Unesco site, with the castle and the Ducal palace
Self-drive information
- Drive from Porto to Braga – 45 min
- Visit the old center of Braga
- Drive to the parking at the bottom of Bom Jesus – 10 min
- Either walk the staircase to the church or take the funicular
- You can enjoy a great lunch at the restaurant near the church
- Drive to Guimaraes – 40 min
- I recommend skipping the visit of the castle and just admire it from the outside – spend some time in the Ducal Palace
- Walk the old center of Guimaraes to discover its charm
- Drive back to Porto – 45min
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
Organized Day Trip Option
If you don’t want to spend time renting a car, join a day trip from Porto to Braga and Guimaraes and learn about the history of those places. It is always great to have a guide to explain the significance of what you are looking at.
#2 – NATURE – Porto excursion to Penada Geres National Park
Highlights
- One of the Most beautiful views in Portugal: the Mirador of Pedra Bela (photo above)
- The meeting of the river arms at Adpropeixe
- And if you are ready to drive more, you can also enjoy another part of the national park with Lindoso and its castle
Self-drive information
- Drive from Porto to Adpropeixe – 1h20
- On the way you can stop at Bom Jesus (the sanctuary introduced in the tour above with the incredible staircase)
- Enjoy the views at Adpropeixe and have lunch
- Drive up to the Pedra Bela viewpoint
- If you leave early and are ready to drive more, you can keep going North on N308-1 to enjoy the national park, cross into Spain for a short distance before entering again Portugal for another section of the Penada Geres National Park
- Stop at Lindoso to visit the Castle and enjoy the views. Don’t miss the typical granaries from the 17th and 18th centuries
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
Organized Day Trip Option
I have found this day trip departing Porto that includes the Pedra Bela Viewpoint, a little bit of hiking and swimming in beautiful waterfalls!
#3 – GASTRONOMY – Douro Valley Day Trip
Highlights
- The beautiful hills covered with vineyards
- The Meandering Douro river
- And, of course, the wine
Self-drive information
- Just head East and enjoy the views!
- The N108 drive on the North side of the Douro river and the N222 on the South side
- You can cross the river at Porto Manso (1h35 from Porto if not stopping)
- Or cross further East at Ponte da Ermida (2h from Porto if not stopping)
- Don’t drink and drive – if you visit a vineyard, purchase a bottle for later
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
- On my eBook – The Road trip guide – Portugal, I list the GPS coordinates of my favorites views of the Douro Valley
Organized Day Trip Option
This is a popular place in Portugal. There are many Douro Valley day trips available from Porto. Here are 3 different options:
- A tour focusing on wine tasting with the visit of two different vineyards to compare and satisfy your taste buds
Check out program and book - A tour focusing more on visits and history of the region… but still with tasting
Check out program and book - A Private tour to adapt to your preferences and allow you to stop when you are inspired by the view
Check out program and book
Need to rent a car in Portugal?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a compact car for the narrow streets in villages
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
#4 – PALACE & NATURE – Porto Day trip to Bussaco
Highlights
- Bussaco (or Buçaco) is a favorite for the locals and not well known by the tourists. It is a Nature park with a beautiful palace surrounded by peaceful gardens.
- Enjoy the fountains and ponds at the bottom of the hill
- Tour the beautiful palace (now a hotel) with its Manueline decor and enjoy the views from the garden
- Visit the small convent with an interesting atmosphere
- Maybe hike in the park for views of the region
Self-drive information
- Drive from Porto to Bussaco – 1h20
- Pay for entry in the park
- Stop at the pond
- Drive up to the palace – enjoy the areas
- On the drive back to Porto, if you have time, you can stop at Aveiro (that I will introduce in another tour in this article)
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
Organized Day Trip Option
This day tour from Porto, will take you first to Coimbra, where Kings and Queens used to live and where you will find the oldest university in Portugal. Then the guide will take you to the Bussaco park to admire the Palace. A very scenic day!
I don’t drink coffee 
But I also like other drinks and sweets!
Do you like the free content you find on my blog? All my tips and practical information, without intrusive advertising…
#5 – MONASTERIES & UNESCO – Batalha and around
Highlights
- There are many sites you can visit in the region I am selecting for this tour
- The most famous of the Unesco sites is the Batalha Monastery with Manueline decor and the unfinished chapels (you can see my photos here)
- There is also the Convent of the Christ in Tomar. This was one of my favorite sites to visit in Portugal. I found that it had a really powerful atmosphere.
- And there is the Alcobaça Monastery with its impressive façade
- And the Fatima sanctuary, a more modern building linked to the apparition of an angel
Self-drive information – My recommendation
- Drive from Porto to Batalha – 2h
- Visit the famous Monastery and don’t miss the unfinished chapels
- Drive to Tomar – 40min
- Visit the Convent
- If you have time explore the old town center of Tomar
- Drive back to Porto – 2h
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
Organized Day Trip Option
I found this day trip that departs from Porto and takes you to Batalha, Tomar and Fatima. Having a historian guide to visit those location will sure make it fascinating!
#6 – LOCAL VENICE – Excursion from Porto to Aveiro
Highlights
- The canals and salt pans of Aveiro
- Enjoying a cruise on the canals aboard a traditional boat which is why it is called the Venice of Portugal
- The interesting houses in the city center
- The ‘Avereio Beach’ at Costa Nova with the colorful houses on the lagoon side and beautiful white sand on the seaside
Self-drive information
- Drive South from Porto to Aveiro – 50min drive
- Walk around the center
- Enjoy a cruise in a traditional boat that will take you through the old and new parts of the town
- Drive to Costa Nova – 15min drive
- On the lagoon side enjoy the pathway along the colorful houses.
- Then head for the beach
- Compare rental prices on Discovercars.com
Note: Some people hearing ‘Venice of Portugal’ will have something in their head and be disappointed. So be aware that it is a charming town with a long history but nothing to do with the grandiose of Venice…
Organized Day Trip Option
This half day trip will give you a taste of Aveiro and Costa Nova, including the small cruise on the canals.
Check out program and Book
#7 – SPAIN – Day Trip from Porto to Spain – Santiago de Compostela
Want to enjoy a little bit of Spain as well? Well, Porto is not that far from the border with Spain and you can get to Santiago de Compostela if you don’t mind a little bit of driving.
Highlights
- The pilgrim city at the end of the famous Camino
- The Cathedral and all the monuments that make it a Unesco site (learn more here)
Self-drive information
- Drive to Santiago de Compostela – 2h30
- Make sure your rental contract allows you to go abroad!
Organized Day Trip Option
Here is an excursion from Porto that takes you to Santiago de Compostela. And on the way back you stop at another beautiful city in North Portugal, right at the border.
Check out program and Book
Where to Stay in Porto
Where I Stayed
I stayed in a really great apartment perfectly located called Go2oporto Apartment rentals. They have a several rentals.
The same rental agency also has amazing rentals on Booking.com with a direct view on the Douro River:
- Check out the photos and prices for the Go2oporto@Ribeira apartments
- Check out the Photos and prices for the Go2oporto River apartments
- Check out the Photos and prices for the Go2oporto River front apartment
OTHER SUGGESTIONS
- Luxury – Located along the Douro River, the Pestana Vintage Porto Hotel is established in a 16th century building – History, heritage and style – Check out photos and book
- Boutique Hotel – Right in the heart of the Ribeira, the Descobertas Boutique Hotel is decorated with a lot of taste and fantastic breakfast – Check out photos and book
- Good value for money – Porto de Rio is centrally located by the Douro River and the studios have really nice design – Check out photos and book
- or: Check out the best Rated accommodations in Porto
Want to see more of the best Portugal has to offer?
- 30 Most beautiful landscapes in Portugal – read article
- Best things to do in Portugal – read article
- The best beaches in Portugal – read article
- The best villages in Portugal – read article
- Lisbon vs Porto – where to go? – read article
- Driving in Portugal – read article
- The best of the Algarve region – read article
- The highlights of Sintra and the Sintra-Cascais Nature park – read article
- 21 Best towns and cities in Portugal
Planning a trip to Portugal?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
Plan your dream trip in Portugal thanks to my guide
- 13 maps to easily plan your itinerary
- 120+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
- 200+ original photos to help you choose
And keep track of your own trip!
Want to see more of PORTUGAL?
PREVIOUS:
NEXT:
Inspired? Share it on your favorite platform!
Thank you! I really enjoyed reading about day trips to Portugal.