Day trip from Lisbon Porto
Portugal's second city, on the Douro river in the north of the country, reached from Lisbon in 2 hours 39 minutes by the fastest Alfa Pendular train.
Is Porto worth a day trip from Lisbon?
Too far for a day. Sleep there.
Not as a day trip, unless you accept a long day. The fastest Alfa Pendular takes 2 hours 39 from Oriente, and the full-price return is € 64.50. Leave on the 07:00 from Santa Apolónia and come back on the 18:40 and you get under 9 hours in Porto for 5 hours 40 on trains. That covers the Clérigos tower, the Ribeira and a walk over the Dom Luís I bridge, and little else. One night lets you add a port lodge in Gaia and an evening by the river. The coach tour from € 109.99 lasts 13 hours and gives Porto only part of it.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 2 h 39Alfa Pendular from Oriente; 168 min from Santa Apolónia · one way · CP - Comboios de Portugal (Lisboa-Norte timetable, 20 September 2026)
- Transport
- Alfa Pendular train
- Self-guided cost
- € 64.50–74.50Alfa Pendular 2nd class return at full price (€ 64.50); the higher figure adds the Clérigos tower ticket (€ 10) · CP - Comboios de Portugal (Alfa Pendular fares Lisboa-Porto, 1 January 2026)
- Tour price
- From € 109.99Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 8–14 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- None
- Best time
- Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct; buy the train ticket early for promo faresDaytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Better to sleep thereDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Porto
- 01
São Bento station
The entrance hall is lined with about 20,000 blue and white tiles from 1905-1916 showing battles and country life. You arrive here on the local train from Campanhã. Ten minutes.
- 02
Ribeira and the Dom Luís I bridge
The riverfront quarter of tall, narrow houses, and the two-level iron bridge of 1886. Cross on the upper deck, about 45 metres above the Douro, beside the metro tracks.
- 03
Port lodges in Gaia
The cellars where port wine ages, on the south bank facing the old town. A guided visit with tasting lasts 60 to 90 minutes and needs booking, as language slots sell out.
- 04
Clérigos tower
A baroque bell tower 76 metres high, with 225 steps up a narrow spiral to a balcony over the rooftops. Allow 40 minutes, and expect to wait on the stairs.
- 05
The cathedral terrace
The square in front of the 12th-century cathedral, on the highest point of the old town. The view over the roofs to the river is free. Fifteen minutes.
How to spend the day
Day one: take the 07:00 Alfa Pendular from Santa Apolónia, 07:09 at Oriente, and reach Porto Campanhã at 09:48. Ride a local train to São Bento, climb the Clérigos tower, open 09:00 to 19:00, then walk down to the Ribeira for lunch. Cross the Dom Luís I bridge to the port lodges in Gaia for the afternoon. Sleep in Porto. Day two: a free morning, then the 13:40 Alfa Pendular, at Oriente by 16:23.
Porto in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustLong daylight makes the day trip workable: with an early train you get seven or eight hours and can leave after 19:00 in full light. Porto is a few degrees cooler than Lisbon and mostly dry. The old town is crowded, cellar visits sell out days ahead, and the bookshop near the Clérigos tower has a queue down the street.
Winter
December to FebruaryPorto is wetter than Lisbon, and from November to February it rains on close to half the days. With dark at 17:15, six hours on trains leaves little. The cellars, the station and the churches work in any weather, but the bridge and the viewpoints do not. In winter, stay the night instead.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jun-Sep and weekends, 11:00-17:00 in Ribeira and at Clérigos
- Quietest
- Weekdays Nov-Mar; before 10:00
Book the cellar visit and any timed ticket before you buy the train. Do Clérigos first, on arrival, and leave Ribeira and the bridge for late afternoon, when the day's coach groups have gone.
How do you get to Porto from Lisbon?
Alfa Pendular train
- Travel time
- 2 h 39-2 h 55
- Frequency
- Alfa Pendular at 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00 in the morning, with Intercidades in between
- Cost
- € 35.70 each way, € 64.50 return
- Departs from
- Lisboa Santa Apolónia (also Oriente, 9 minutes later)
Seats are reserved, so book on cp.pt; CP advertises promo tickets with up to 65% off when you buy in advance. The 07:00 arrives at Porto Campanhã at 09:48 and the 09:00, Monday to Saturday, at 11:48. Daily Alfa Pendular returns leave Campanhã at 13:40, 16:40 and 18:40, the last reaching Santa Apolónia at 21:30.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 13 hours door to door
- Cost
- From € 109.99
- Departs from
- Praça Marquês de Pombal 8, outside the HF Fenix Lisboa hotel
One coach day with stops in Óbidos and Nazaré before a guided walk in Porto and one hour of free time for lunch. It costs more than the train and shows you less of Porto. Take it only if you want all three places in one go.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Shoes with grip. The city is built on two steep banks and you will climb the equivalent of many flights of stairs. Carry a rain jacket from October to May, and a layer for the cool cellars.
What to eat
The city's dish is the francesinha, a toasted sandwich of steak, ham and sausage under melted cheese and a beer and tomato sauce. Tripe with white beans is the older speciality. Eat away from the riverfront, where prices are highest, and keep the port for the cellar.
What you will spend
The train is the expensive part and the price depends on how early you book, so buy as soon as dates are fixed. A cellar visit with tasting and the Clérigos tower are the main paid sights. São Bento, the bridge, Ribeira and the cathedral terrace are free.
How to get the most out of the day
- Long-distance trains stop at Campanhã. Your ticket covers the five-minute local train on to São Bento, in the centre, so do not walk.
- Take the first Alfa Pendular of the morning from Santa Apolónia or Oriente. The trip is about three hours each way.
- Walk down to the river and take the metro or the Gaia cable car back up. Saving the climbs saves an hour.
- Book the return seat for a fixed train and be at São Bento 30 minutes early. A missed reserved train means buying again.
How long do you need in Porto?
Plan 8–14 h on site, plus 2 h 39 of travel each way from Lisbon.
When is Porto closed?
None. Best time: Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct; buy the train ticket early for promo fares.