Rainy day · Porto · Portugal
8 things to do in Porto when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia, Livraria Lello and São Bento railway station. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 7–8 hours across 5 areas; 2 are free. January is usually the wettest month, with about 14 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 2
- Time to see them all
- 7–8 hours
- Areas
- Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront, Baixa and Aliados and Ribeira
Porto on a rainy day
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Experience · Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront
1.Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia
Compare a tour at a large house with a tasting at a smaller producer, and try an aged tawny alongside the ruby.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Food
- Couples
- Rainy day
- History
Architecture · Baixa and Aliados
2.Livraria Lello
Book the first time slot of the day online; queues on Rua das Carmelitas grow quickly.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Architecture · Baixa and Aliados
3.São Bento railway station
Step inside even if you are not catching a train; stand back from the centre of the hall to take in all four walls.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
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Palace · Ribeira
4.Palácio da Bolsa
Visits are by guided tour only; buy a ticket on arrival for the next tour in your language.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
Religious site · Ribeira
5.Church of São Francisco
Combine it with Palácio da Bolsa next door, and allow a few minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dim, gold interior.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
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Architecture · Boavista
6.Casa da Música
Check the programme for an evening concert; tickets for smaller shows are often reasonably priced.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- After dark
Market · Baixa and Aliados
7.Bolhão Market
Go in the morning for the liveliest atmosphere and the best produce.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Aquarium · Foz do Douro
8.Sea Life Porto
Combine it with a walk in the Parque da Cidade or on the beach nearby.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront | Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia | 1–2 hours |
| Baixa and Aliados | Livraria Lello, São Bento railway station and Bolhão Market | 30–45 minutes + 20 minutes + 1 hour |
| Ribeira | Palácio da Bolsa and Church of São Francisco | 45 minutes + 45 minutes |
| Boavista | Casa da Música | 1 hour |
| Foz do Douro | Sea Life Porto | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 free, 3 low cost, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia and Livraria Lello. The longest visit is Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia: Tours at popular houses fill up in summer; reserving a slot online a day or two ahead helps.
- Livraria Lello: Timed tickets are sold online; buying ahead avoids the outdoor queue.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront, Baixa and Aliados and Ribeira): Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia → Livraria Lello → São Bento railway station → Bolhão Market → Palácio da Bolsa, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Ribeira, Boavista and Foz do Douro): Church of São Francisco → Casa da Música → Sea Life Porto, at least 3 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cool and often rainy, with occasional crisp, sunny days; museums and lodges are quiet.
- December: highs of 14°C (57°F), about 14 rainy days, moderate crowds. Rainy but festive, with Christmas lights on the Avenida dos Aliados.
- November: highs of 17°C (63°F), about 13 rainy days, quiet crowds. Wet and cool, but low prices and roasted-chestnut sellers on the streets.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Ribeira — Stacked, colourful houses and terrace restaurants along the Douro quay
- Baixa and Aliados — Grand avenue, São Bento station, Bolhão market and Rua de Santa Catarina shopping
- Cedofeita and Miguel Bombarda — Arts quarter of galleries, concept stores and cafés west of the centre
- Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront — Port-wine lodges, the cable car and the classic view back across to Ribeira
- Foz do Douro — Seaside district where the Douro meets the Atlantic, with promenades and beaches
- Boavista — Wide avenues, Casa da Música and the road to Serralves
More of Porto
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Porto?
Port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. For centuries, port wine was shipped down the Douro and aged in lodges on the Gaia riverbank.
+Which of these are free in Porto?
São Bento railway station and Bolhão Market.