Is it better to start in Porto or Lisbon?

Lisbon offers some of the most popular tourist attractions, museums, and sights in Portugal. While Porto has some worthwhile cathedrals and sights (like the Harry Potteresque bookstore), Porto is more about enjoying the city, strolling the streets, taking in views, and tasting Port wine at the Port lodges.



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All in all, if you based yourself in Lisbon and find yourself with an extra day, I would absolutely recommend a day trip to Porto. Yes, the travel time of 3 hours each way may seem long, but you can always sleep, read, or work and since there are early and late departures, you can have a full 8 to 9 hours in Porto.

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To get a well-rounded experience of Portugal, it makes sense to try to visit both places. Ideally, I'd recommend three or four nights in Lisbon (in order to do a day trip to Sintra) and two nights in Porto. On the shortest itinerary I would plan on two nights in each city. Fly into one city and out of the other.

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Lisbon and Porto are both hilly cities, but Lisbon is hillier. If you have trouble walking, then Porto is the flatter option and is also a much smaller city so you can see more on-foot or in a short time.

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So, how many days to explore Lisbon? We always recommend that it takes three days to fully explore Lisbon. This is sufficient to visit all of the characterful districts, experience the nightlife and join a couple of unique activities.

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The best time to visit Porto is from mid-spring in April until the end of October, when it is still warm and sunny. Nonetheless, the best months are undoubtedly May and September.

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Comfortable walking shoes:Porto is a very walkable city, with many cobblestone streets and steep hills. Comfortable shoes will be essential for exploring the city on foot.

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Seeing Porto in 5 days is more than doable, and it turned out to be an amazing trip. I'm excited to share all the details with you. We're excited to go back, not only to enjoy Porto more, but also explore the Douro Valley and wine region.

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For your first trip to Porto, we think three days is ideal. You'll need two days to take in the city's main highlights, and an extra day to explore the nearby Douro Valley. Being a relatively small city, it's possible to pack all of Porto's main attractions into a day (here's our guide on how to do Porto in a day).

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Probably the easiest way of traveling from Lisbon to Porto is by train. There are frequent connections between the capital and the second biggest city in Portugal. The journey time is between 2 hours and 40 minutes and 3 hours and 10 minutes, depending on the train you take.

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Since Porto is fairly compact, you can see all the highlights with 2 days in Porto. Though if you want to really dig into the port wine cellars or have time for a day trip to the Douro Valley, then you might need 3 days in Porto or even 5 days in Porto if you want to go slow!

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The average journey time by train between Lisbon and Porto is 4 hours and 8 minutes, with around 17 trains per day. The journey time may be longer on weekends and holidays, so use our Journey Planner on this page to search for a specific travel date.

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Porto is a walkable city, and the best way to discover is simply by walking. If you stay in the city centre, you probably won't need public transport. If your accommodation is further from the city centre, Porto has an extensive public transport system, with a metro, trams and buses!

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If you're looking for the best location to stay in Porto that lets you experience authentic local life while still being close to the city center, Bonfim is our top recommendation. Located just to the east of Baixa and Ribeira, Bonfim is an up-and-coming area of Porto.

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Unlike most city trip destinations, Porto is worth visiting because this city is not merely a collection of notable landmarks and tourist hotspots. Instead, its essence lies in the delightful urban vibe and the remarkable beauty of its historic center .

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