The Best Day Trips from Porto

Porto is the perfect base for exploring northern Portugal: wine country, historic cities, colourful canals and wild mountains, all within about an hour or two. These are the day trips our Porto Travel Tips members recommend most.

Quick answer: the Douro Valley is the must-do. After that, Braga and Guimarães make a great pair, and Aveiro is an easy, fun half-day by train.

Day trips at a glance

Trip	Getting there	Travel time	Best for
Douro Valley	Tour, car or train	About 1.5–2.5 hrs	Wine, scenery
Braga	Train from São Bento	About 1 hr	Churches, Bom Jesus
Guimarães	Train from São Bento	About 1–1.25 hrs	Medieval old town, castle
Aveiro & Costa Nova	Train	About 1–1.25 hrs	Canals, striped houses
Coimbra	Train	About 1–1.5 hrs	Historic university
Peneda-Gerês	Car or tour	About 1.5–2 hrs	Waterfalls, hiking
Viana do Castelo & Ponte de Lima	Car, train or bus	About 1–1.5 hrs	Coast, Minho villages

How to choose

If you only have one spare day, make it the Douro. With two, add Braga and Guimarães. Aveiro and Coimbra are easy by train and work well as a stop on the way to Lisbon. For nature and hiking, you’ll want a car or a tour for Peneda-Gerês and the Minho villages.

1. Douro Valley: the must-do

Terraced vineyards tumbling down to the river, wine estates (quintas) and some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe. The valley has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. You can:

• Take a tour: the easiest way, with tastings and no drink-driving worries. Options include all-inclusive day tours, premium small groups, river cruises with tastings and 4x4 vineyard trips.
• Take the train from São Bento up the valley to Pinhão. It’s a scenic ride along the river, about two to two and a half hours each way. Sit on the right-hand side for river views. The stretch between Marco de Canaveses and Régua was closed for tunnel works from November 2025 and reopened on 2 April 2026. Electrification work is still going on and some journeys need a change of train, so check CP before you go.
• Drive for the most freedom, but nominate a driver. Régua is about an hour and a half from Porto on the A4 and A24.

A simple day by train: catch an early train to Pinhão, look at the tiled station, take a one-hour boat trip on the river, then walk or taxi to a nearby quinta for a tasting before the train back.

See our full guide: 10 top-rated Douro Valley wine tours.

2. Braga

Portugal’s religious capital, with a lively old centre and grand churches. The highlight is the Bom Jesus do Monte sanctuary on the hill outside town: climb the famous zig-zag baroque stairway, or ride the water-powered funicular from 1882, the oldest of its kind still running. Trains from São Bento take about an hour, then a local bus runs up to Bom Jesus.

• In town: the cathedral (Sé), one of the oldest in Portugal, and the gardens around the Jardim de Santa Bárbara.
• Bom Jesus: city bus 2 runs from the centre to the foot of the stairway. Allow two hours there, more if you walk up.
• Easter: Braga’s Holy Week processions are the biggest in the country.

Places to stay in Braga

3. Guimarães

Known as the “birthplace of Portugal”, with a beautifully preserved medieval centre, the castle and the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza. It’s easy to combine with Braga on the same day, or on a tour.

• What you’ll see: the 10th-century castle on the hill, the restored palace, and the old squares of Largo da Oliveira and Praça de Santiago, full of café tables.
• Getting there: CP urban trains from São Bento take about 70 to 80 minutes. Buy your ticket at the station.
• Both in one day: train to Guimarães in the morning, bus to Braga at lunch (well under an hour), then the train back to Porto from Braga.

See Braga and Guimarães.

4. Aveiro and Costa Nova

The “Venice of Portugal”: colourful moliceiro boats on the canals, art nouveau buildings and the sweet local treat ovos moles. Hop on a bus to Costa Nova to see its famous candy-striped beach houses. Trains from Porto take about an hour.

A 45-minute moliceiro boat ride is the classic way to see the canals. Aveiro’s old train station, covered in blue-and-white tiles, is worth a look on your way in. See the Aveiro day trip.

5. Coimbra

Home to one of Europe’s oldest universities and the spectacular Joanina Library. It works as a day trip from Porto or a stop on the way to or from Lisbon. See Lisbon to Porto by train.

Fast trains stop at Coimbra-B, outside the centre. The old Coimbra-A station in town closed in January 2025, so take the connecting bus or the Metrobus into the city. Book a time slot for the Joanina Library in busy months.

6. Peneda-Gerês National Park

Portugal’s only national park: granite mountains, waterfalls, wild ponies and stone villages. Best by car or on a guided tour, and great for hiking and swimming in natural pools in summer. Popular pools get very busy in July and August, so start early. See Peneda-Gerês.

7. Viana do Castelo and Ponte de Lima

Head north into the green Minho region: Viana do Castelo has a hilltop basilica with sweeping sea views, and Ponte de Lima is one of Portugal’s oldest towns, with a medieval bridge and riverside walks.

Viana is reachable by regional train. Ponte de Lima is easiest by car, so pairing the two works best if you drive. In August, Viana hosts the Romaria da Senhora d’Agonia, with traditional costume, gold jewellery and processions.

Food to try on the way

• Douro: roast kid and a glass of port at the quinta.
• Braga: pudim Abade de Priscos, a rich, silky pudding.
• Guimarães: toucinho do céu, an almond and egg cake.
• Aveiro: ovos moles and eel stew (caldeirada de enguias).
• Minho: vinho verde and arroz de sarrabulho, a rich pork rice.

Tips from our groups

• Trains to Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro leave from São Bento or Campanhã, and you buy tickets at the station. Check which station and platform before you go.
• Douro tours fill up in harvest season (September to early October). Book ahead.
• Driving? The A1 and the A4 between Porto and Amarante are tolled. Many hire cars come with an electronic toll device, so ask when you pick it up.
• Want a private driver? Several Porto-based drivers on our local guides page run Douro and Minho day trips.
• Getting into Porto from the airport: see our Porto airport guide.

FAQ

What is the best day trip from Porto?

For most visitors it’s the Douro Valley, for the vineyard terraces, the river and the port estates. If wine isn’t your thing, Guimarães and Braga are the best pair for history, and Aveiro is the easiest half-day.

Can you visit the Douro Valley from Porto without a car?

Yes. CP regional trains run from São Bento up the valley to Régua and Pinhão in about two to two and a half hours. A guided tour is the other easy option, and it takes care of the tastings and the driving.

Can you do Braga and Guimarães in one day by public transport?

Yes, but it’s a long day. There’s no direct train between them, so take the train to one, the bus across (about 30 to 40 minutes), and the train back to Porto from the other.

Does the Andante card cover day trips?

No. Andante only covers the Porto metropolitan area, so buy a CP ticket for Braga, Guimarães or Aveiro at the station. A single to Braga on the urban train is about €3.60.

More ideas: browse Porto tours and day trips, or ask the members of Porto Travel Tips.

See also: day trips from Porto by train, Viana do Castelo, Peneda-Gerês, the Douro itinerary, Santiago de Compostela from Porto, Amarante, the Paiva Walkways, the Douro day trip from Porto, Vila do Conde, Guimarães and the Gerês waterfalls.

Some links in this guide are affiliate or referral links (GetYourGuide, Booking.com, Discover Cars, Welcome Pickups, Airalo, Yesim, Saily, Tiqets, Radical Storage, EKTA, AirHelp, Uber). If you book or sign up through them we may earn a small commission or ride credit at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our groups and this site free.