The vast majority of visitors to Portugal head straight to Lisbon, but a clear second place for cultural travelers is Porto. Famously the birthplace of port wine, Porto is mainly an industrial city, but it’s becoming increasingly popular with tourists as well, partly because of the excellent value combined with pleasant weather.
The attractions here are also relative bargains, and there are a few different free walking tours to choose from as well, which are great to get oriented.
| Population | 237,000 |
| Area | 1,400,000 |
| Timezone | UTC0 |
| Currency | Euro |
| Airports | Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport (OPO) |
| Budget breakfast | Breakfasts are often included with your room or bed. If not, finding a local cafe will be easy. | $4.30 - $7.53 |
| Budget lunch | There's very little fast food or take-away in Porto, but budget options are there if you look. | $5.91 - $10.22 |
| Budget dinner | Assuming this is your big meal of the day, you can get good continental cuisine all over the city. | $9.68 - $18.28 |
| Beer (pint) | There are many pubs to choose from. If you go to a nightclub, you'll find that the prices are higher. | $4.30 - $6.45 |
| Port (glass) | Good local port wine can be cheap, but the best aged stuff can be extremely expensive. | $2.69 - $9.68 |
| Month | High F | Low F | PRECIP (inches) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57 | 41 | 5.8 |
| February | 59 | 43 | 4.4 |
| March | 63 | 46 | 3.8 |
| April | 65 | 48 | 4.6 |
| May | 68 | 53 | 3.5 |
| June | 74 | 58 | 1.6 |
| July | 78 | 61 | 0.8 |
| August | 78 | 61 | 1.3 |
| September | 75 | 59 | 2.8 |
| October | 69 | 54 | 6.2 |
| November | 63 | 48 | 6.8 |
| December | 58 | 44 | 7.1 |
Known as not being as ‘Mediterranean” as southern cities, Porto is home to mild temperatures throughout the year, never reaching freezing during the winter or hot during the summer.
From late fall into early spring, you’ll find that it can be a bit on the rainy side as well as dipping into colder temps. When packing, it’s best to bring layers and a waterproof jacket or umbrella.
When visiting during the other half of the year, you’ll find yourself surrounded by clear skies, a bright sun and warmer temperatures. Lighter, breathable clothes plus a few more to layer for nights are best.
| 21 Mar | 6:37am | 6:47pm |
| 21 Jun | 6:02am | 9:11pm |
| 21 Sep | 7:20am | 7:34pm |
| 21 Dec | 7:56am | 5:09pm |
Hotels and hostels are very affordable in Porto by European standards. In fact, most things here are value priced for the continent, mainly because so much of it is priced for locals and wages here aren’t particularly strong. Restaurants with great views will charge much more than those without, as is typical. This is a city for food lovers and many of the best places are the non-view places with reasonable prices.
Most people visit the city in summer when the weather is at its best. This is also the time where travelers will find large crowds and higher hotel rates.
Winter, on the other hand, is when fewer people visit and when you’ll have an easier time finding cheaper hotel prices as well as weekend deals. You’ll just have to be OK with some rain and cloudier days.
| Rating | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
 | 23.66 - 66.67 |
| 44.09 - 97.85 |
| 73.12 - 143.01 |
| 83.87 - 161.29 |
| 188.17 - 236.56 |
| Type | Price(USD) |
|---|---|
| Hostel Bed | 12.90 - 27.96 |