Porto with Kids: The Best Family Things to Do

Porto is a fun city for families: boats on the river, an aquarium, a zoo, a chocolate museum, peacocks in the park and a beach just a tram ride away. It is hilly, so plan around the climbs. Here are the best things to do in Porto with kids, with 2026 prices, from parents who live in Portugal.

Quick answer: kids love the six bridges river cruise, SEA LIFE Porto, the World of Discoveries museum, the peacocks at the Palácio de Cristal gardens, the Gaia cable car and the beach at Matosinhos or Foz (take historic tram 1). With older kids, add the Chocolate Experience at WOW and the Serralves Treetop Walk. Bring a baby carrier rather than relying on a buggy.

Top things to do with kids

River cruise

The 50-minute six bridges cruise on a rabelo-style boat is easy and fun for all ages (about €18–20 for adults). See river cruises.

Boats leave from the Ribeira and from the Gaia side every half hour or so in the main season. There’s usually a mix of open deck and covered seating, so bring a hat and sun cream in summer. Under-fives often go free or cheaply. See the six bridges cruise.

SEA LIFE Porto

An aquarium near the coast, with sharks, rays, turtles and touch pools. About €19 for adults and about €14 for children, with family tickets (two adults and a child for about €49). See tickets.

It’s next to the Parque da Cidade, close to the beach at the Foz and Matosinhos border, so you can pair it with a beach afternoon. Allow about 90 minutes. Under-twos go free.

World of Discoveries

An interactive museum about Portugal’s explorers, with a boat ride through recreated scenes of the voyages. About €18 for adults and €12 for ages 4–12 at the door, with cheaper tickets online; under-fours go free. See tickets.

Palácio de Cristal gardens

Free terraced gardens with peacocks wandering about, playgrounds and great views over the Douro. Perfect for letting off steam.

The gardens are on top of a hill west of the centre, about 15 minutes’ walk from Clérigos. The paths are mostly paved and buggy-friendly once you’re inside, and there’s a cafe. See the Crystal Palace gardens.

The Gaia cable car

A short, scenic ride along the Gaia riverfront from the port lodges up to the Jardim do Morro, next to the top of the bridge. Saves little legs a steep climb. Adult tickets are about €7 one way or €10 return.

The ride takes about five minutes and is especially pretty towards sunset. From the top you can walk back across the upper deck of the D. Luís I bridge, which kids love for the metro trains rumbling past (hold hands: it’s high and busy).

Tram 1 to the beach

Ride a historic tram along the river from the Ribeira to Foz, where the river meets the sea. The Tram Museum (€8 adults, €4 for ages 6 to 18, students and over-65s, closed Mondays) is on the way. Matosinhos, a little further north, has a huge sandy beach.

A single tram ticket is about €6 for adults and about €3.50 for ages 4 to 12, paid on board. The trams are vintage, with high steps and no room for an open buggy, so fold it or bring a carrier.

WOW Porto and the Chocolate Experience

In Gaia’s cultural quarter, the Chocolate Experience museum (about €25 adults, €12.50 children, under-4s free in 2026) ends with a tasting, and there are restaurants and terraces with river views. See our WOW guide.

Under-fours go free, and there’s a family ticket for two adults and two children. Prices change, so check before you book. It’s a good one for ages six and up.

Planetário do Porto

Shows about the stars and planets, great on a rainy day. About €6.60 for adults and €4.40 for ages 3–17.

Shows are at set times, and some are in Portuguese only, so check the programme for sessions suitable for visitors before you go. Public sessions are usually at 4pm on weekdays and at 3pm and 4pm on Saturdays, and it’s closed on Sundays.

Serralves Park

A big park with a farm, woods and a Treetop Walk through the canopy, plus the contemporary art museum. A park-only ticket, including the Treetop Walk, is €15 for visitors from abroad (€12 for Portugal residents), and under-12s go free.

The Treetop Walk is a wooden walkway that rises gently through the trees, so it’s easy for small legs. Bring a picnic: there’s plenty of lawn.

Zoo Santo Inácio

A zoo in Gaia with lions, tigers, penguins and bird shows. About €18.90 for adults and €12.90 for children. Best with a car.

It’s about 20 minutes’ drive from the centre. Prices vary by season, so check the zoo’s own site. It’s usually closed in January and on Mondays from October to March, and opening hours are shorter in winter.

Parque da Cidade

Porto’s biggest park, stretching down to the sea near SEA LIFE, with lakes, ducks, wide lawns and paths for bikes and scooters. Free, and a good place for a picnic between the aquarium and the beach.

A family day in Porto

• Morning: the six bridges cruise from the Ribeira, before the heat.
• Late morning: walk across the lower deck of the bridge (closed to cars since 2023) to Gaia, then ride the cable car up to the Jardim do Morro.
• Lunch: at WOW, with the Chocolate Experience for older kids.
• Afternoon: nap time, or tram 1 to Foz for an ice cream and a run on the beach.

Practical tips for families

• Hills and cobbles: Porto is steep. A baby carrier is much easier than a buggy in the Ribeira and centre.
• Getting around: the metro has lifts, and the Guindais funicular up from the Ribeira has been suspended since July 2026, so plan for a steep walk or a taxi. Uber and Bolt rarely have child seats, so book transfers with seats. See Porto airport transfers.
• Where to stay: Boavista or near Aliados are flatter, and apartments are great for families. See where to stay in Porto.
• Families with babies have the right to priority service in shops and public services.
• Food: restaurants are very welcoming to kids; half portions are common. Kids love bifanas and custard tarts.
• Meal times: lunch is usually from about 12:30pm and dinner from about 7:30pm, later than many children are used to. Cafes and bakeries serve snacks all day, so a mid-afternoon lanche helps.
• Beaches: the Atlantic here is cold, even in August, and the waves can be strong. Swim only at beaches with lifeguards and follow the flags (red means no swimming). Matosinhos has lifeguards in the summer season.
• Weather: Porto can be rainy, so keep SEA LIFE, the Planetário and World of Discoveries for wet days.

When to go with kids

June and September are ideal: warm, lifeguards on the beaches, and fewer crowds than in July and August. The São João festival on the night of 23 June is great fun but very crowded and goes on until dawn, so it’s best with older children. Winter is mild but wet, and some attractions keep shorter hours.

Day trips with kids

Ride the boats in Aveiro and see the striped houses of Costa Nova, or visit the castle in Guimarães. The magical Perlim Christmas park is near Porto in December. See Christmas in Portugal.

FAQ

Is Porto buggy-friendly?

Only partly. The Ribeira and old centre are steep and cobbled, and the vintage trams have no room for an open buggy, so a baby carrier is easier. Parks like Palácio de Cristal and Parque da Cidade are fine with wheels.

Do children pay on the Porto metro?

Under-fours travel free. Older children need their own Andante ticket, as the free passes for local children aren’t available to visitors.

Which family attractions close on Mondays?

World of Discoveries and the Tram Museum are closed on Mondays, and the Santo Inácio zoo closes on Mondays from October to March. The Planetário is closed on Sundays instead.

What can kids do in Porto when it rains?

SEA LIFE, World of Discoveries, the Planetário and the Chocolate Experience at WOW are all indoors. See Porto on a rainy day for more.

More family guides: Portugal with kids and Lisbon with kids. See family activities in Porto.

World of Discoveries

Tickets cost about €18 for adults and €12 for children at the door, with discounts for booking online. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. The highlight is the boat ride through recreated landscapes and ports. It’s a great rainy-day option. See World of Discoveries tickets.

What you’ll see

• Interactive exhibits on navigation, ships and the explorers’ routes.
• Recreated scenes from Africa, Asia and the Americas.
• A boat ride through themed sets, popular with children.
• Maps and instruments of the era.

Tips

• Kids: the boat ride suits all ages, and under-fours go free.
• Rainy day: see Porto on a rainy day.
• History: for background, see a quick history of Portugal.
• Where: it’s on the riverside in Miragaia, about 10 minutes’ walk west of the Ribeira. It’s closed on Mondays.

See also: Porto’s historic trams.

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