OVERVIEW:
It was a time of pandemic, a time of war, and a time of uncertainty amongst those who valued bodily autonomy and followed fiscal markets. But it was not from a Dickens novel from yesteryear. It was in the Summer of 2022. There was so much chaos that in many ways we became accustomed to it. It faded into the background as a white noise playlist on Spotify. Sometimes you needed an escape from it. There were so many false dawns the last 2 years, that it became painfully obvious there wasn’t going to be a perfect time to travel internationally around the corner. So instead of biding our time, we followed the old axiom of “carpe diem.”
For a milestone birthday, we decided to explore Porto & the Duoro Valley for our first international trip in nearly 3 years. Fortuitous for us, the timing of our trip coincided with the Sao Joao festival in Porto! Despite being Portugal’s second largest city, Porto blends the old and the new well with a UNESCO worthy historic downtown along with Michelin level dining. And it’s strategic location at the mouth of the mighty Duoro river makes it the perfect starting point to explore the gorgeous and award-winning vineyards further upstream in the Duoro Valley. We would recommend at least 36 hours (1.5 days) in the city of Porto and at least an additional 24 hours (1 day) for the Duoro Valley itself. To be honest, we covered a massive amount of ground on this trip. But when you are fortunate enough to travel kid-less for a few days (the grandparents were watching our toddler), you better take advantage of that window. As a side note, we really enjoyed the beautiful vineyards and the meandering roads of the Duoro Valley so much that we wouldn’t have minded an extra day there to be honest. If you are headed to either Porto or the Duoro Valley, we are certain something in this post will appeal to you and perhaps make it onto your itinerary. So come explore with us.
GETTING TO PORTO:
While there are some flights from the US directly to Porto’s Airport, many of you will be flying into Lisbon and then coming up to Porto. In fact, our flights were in/out of Lisbon. While you could fly or take a bus in between the two cities, we thought the best way to travel was to actually utilize the country’s great rail system.
We utilized the following site to buy tickets
We recommend utilizing the Alfa Pendular Rail Service (it tends to be the fastest between Lisbon and Porto at approximately 3-3.5 hours). We found the train to be well-maintained and a great way to see the countryside as you traverse between Portugal’s two largest cities.
WHERE TO STAY:
TOREL AVANTGARDE - We definitely recommend this gorgeous hotel which was wonderfully decorated with the meticulous eye of an interior designer with an appreciation for art & history. The service and the included breakfast were impeccable. Having your morning coffee or your evening wine overlooking the Duoro River makes for quite the moment to savor each time. As it is not exactly at the city center, it tends to be easily accessible for Uber drivers and quieter at night. On the flip side, requires a little bit more walking to the city’s historic areas.
Hotel Torel Avantgarde
WHAT TO DO:
DAY 1 (Really just an Evening) -
After disembarking our train from Lisbon and checking into the Torel Avantgarde, we were fighting our Eastern time zone (USA) jet lag. It was about 5PM Porto time, so we decided to try to push ourselves until 9-10PM before crashing. Besides, we were famished.
CAPELA INCOMUM
An old chapel converted to a wine-bar/restaurant with great service, selection of Portuguese/other wines, as well as food/charcuterie. The people were very friendly and the pricing was very reasonable. We would strongly recommend this. It was absolutely worth shaking off the jet log cobwebs for this.
https://www.capelaincomum.pt/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d10163651-Reviews-Capela_Incomum-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
THE ROYAL COCKTAIL CLUB
As for a nightcap, we decided to try a few drinks at this award-winning cocktail bar in Porto and it was fantastic.
https://www.theworlds50best.com/discovery/Establishments/Portugal/Porto/The-Royal-Cocktail-Club.html
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d12681266-Reviews-The_Royal_Cocktail_Club-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
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Stops 1-5
DAY 2 - A SELF-MADE WALKING TOUR OF PORTO
After a full night’s rest and a gluttonous breakfast at the hotel, it was time to explore Porto in all its glory.
IGREJA DO CARMO (Stop 1)
Porto’s well-preserved church architecture and their gorgeous facades/tiles is a common theme. The first example is here. We appreciated it from the outside, but did not go in.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189180-d2394636-Reviews-Igreja_do_Carmo-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
JOANA VASCONCELOS MURAL (Stop 2)
A gorgeous mural on the side of a building that has a Steak & Shake. Yup, you read that right.
https://gailatlarge.com/blog/2017/02/28/48783/
CLERIGOS TOWER (Stop 3)
A beautiful iconic bell tower in Porto that you can climb to the top off and see gorgeous 360 degree views of the city. If you have the time and the lines are not too long, it is worth going to the top.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189180-d243637-Reviews-Torre_dos_Clerigos-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
IGREJA DE SANTO ILDEFONSO (Stop 4)
Another striking church to appreciate for its architectural beauty. We appreciated it from the outside, but did not go in.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189180-d3923712-Reviews-Museu_de_Arte_Sacra_da_Igreja_de_Santo_Ildefonso-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Po.html
PEDRO DOS FRANGOS (Stop 5 ) - LUNCH
Famous for its roast chicken, traditional Portuguese dishes, and very reasonably priced food as well as beer/wine. We were famished at this point and this really hit the spot.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d1981719-Reviews-Restaurante_Pedro_dos_Frangos-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
LARGO DA PENA VENTOSA (Stop 6)
While our stomach was digesting, we took an Uber to this spot in Ribeira. This is kind of at the intersection of Rua de Pena Ventosa and Rua das Aldas. Gorgeous facades, cobblestone roads, and cafes/shops that emote a simpler time (see picture below). We casually walked from here down to the river
DOM LUIS I BRIDGE (Stop 7)
From the Duoro river’s edge at Ribeira, you can cross this pedestrian friendly and iconic bridge in Porto to Gaia. A spectacular bridge with breathtaking views of Porto and Gaia. A must do if you are here.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189180-d636456-Reviews-Ponte_de_Dom_Luis_I-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
ESPLANADA DO TELEFERICO (Stop 8)
If you have made it this far on the tour, time to put your feet up, have a snack, and take in all of the beauty Porto has to offer from the other side of the river in Gaia. While this cafe/restaurant is a “touristy spot”, the prices for dessert, wine, and beer were very reasonable. And the views were as advertised. The park near this spot also has similarly gorgeous views.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g580268-d10464439-Reviews-Esplanada_do_Teleferico-Vila_Nova_de_Gaia_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
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Stops 6-8
DAY 2 - DINNER
ALMEJA
After a jam-packed morning and afternoon where we easily overshoot our step count/walking goals, we headed to the hotel for a little break before heading to a late dinner at this restaurant. This unassuming Michelin rated restaurant was a treat as we recounted our criss-crossing of Porto and looked forward to our Duoro Valley wine tour the following morning with some of our dearest friends. Definitely worth checking out.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d13160625-Reviews-Restaurante_Almeja-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
https://www.almejaporto.com/
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Duoro Valley
DAY 3 - DUORO VALLEY WINE TOUR
We had a group of 5 of us staying in 2 different hotels in Porto eager to experience the Duoro Valley. We chose to do a full day (inclusive of driving) tour of the Duoro Valley which took about 9 hours. We booked our travels through Oporto Shore Tours that provided us a wonderful time with our guide Helder. The price included a round-trip pick up and drop off directly from our hotels using a private van for our group, the tour group office making the tasting appointments for us (English language appointments to be specific) at the various vineyards ahead of time, wine-tasting fees at the vineyards, a full multi-course Portuguese lunch at one of the vineyards, and direct transport to each of the vineyards. This tour group was great because they were able to customize our wine tour with 3 of the vineyards we specifically wanted to check out. If you have time while you are in Porto and have any interest in wine, we highly recommend this because the drive is so picturesque and the Duoro Valley’s beauty and tranquility is so idyllic that it is definitely worth a gander.
https://www.oportoshoretours.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g189180-d3915748-Reviews-Oporto_Shore_Tours-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
Quinta do Vallado (Stop 1)
Our first stop was a vineyard >300 years old and rated as one of the Top 100 vineyards in the world by some publications. A beautiful vineyard that truly has stood the test of time, we would highly recommend this one.
https://www.quintadovallado.com/en/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g23803491-d1639365-Reviews-Quinta_do_Vallado-Vilarinho_dos_Freires_Vila_Real_District_Northern_Portugal.html
Quinta da Pacheca (Stop 2)
Our second stop came with a multi-course Portuguese lunch while we sampled the wines at this vineyard. The grounds are really gorgeous but given the rainy conditions at the time of our visit we unfortunately did not get a chance to walk them.
https://quintadapacheca.com/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g189175-d1887166-Reviews-The_Wine_House_Hotel_Quinta_da_Pacheca-Lamego_Viseu_District_Northern_Portugal.html
Quinta do Bomfim (Stop 3)
Further east than the above 2 vineyards, was our final stop. A famous estate known for making Dow’s vintage Ports, this was another vineyard with centuries of tradition and considered one of the world’s best vineyards. This also has gorgeous views of the Duoro River as you are now nestled in the Upper Duoro Valley,
https://www.symington.com/vineyard/quinta-do-bomfim
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g580264-d8138175-Reviews-Quinta_do_Bomfim-Pinhao_Vila_Real_District_Northern_Portugal.html
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DAY 3 - DINNER
EUSKALDUNA STUDIO
Michelin Guide restaurant. Fantastic Tasting Menu. Impeccable Experience. And for the quality of the food and service in relation to the tasting menu price point, perhaps one of the best dining experiences we have ever enjoyed in our lives. Couldn’t recommend this more highly.
http://www.euskaldunastudio.pt/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189180-d11908069-Reviews-Euskalduna_Studio-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html
EUSKALDUNA STUDIO
