Season guide · Porto · Portugal
Porto in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Andreas Nagel, München, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cool, rainy and quiet, with the lowest prices; port lodges and museums make good wet-weather refuges. Expect highs up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 40 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 5°C (41°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 40
- Sea
- 13°C (55°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°C (57°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 14 | 9.5 h | 2/5 |
| February | 15°C (59°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 12 | 10.6 h | 2/5 |
| December | 14°C (57°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 14 | 9.2 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 14°C (57°F) against a yearly 19°C (66°F), and 40 of the year's roughly 113 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- February: Fantasporto — international film festival (usually February or March)
- December: Christmas lights and market on the Avenida dos Aliados (usually December)
- December: New Year's Eve fireworks over the river and Aliados (31 December)
Good choices for winter
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Architecture · Boavista
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
Bolhão Market
Porto's main 19th-century market reopened in 2022 after a long restoration, with two levels of stalls selling fish, fruit, flowers, cheese, cured meats and preserves, plus small restaurants serving market-fresh dishes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Aquarium · Foz do Douro
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
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Experience · Vila Nova de Gaia riverfront
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.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Food
- Couples
- Rainy day
- History
Architecture · Baixa and Aliados
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
Day trips in winter
- Aveiro (About 40 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes by train) — A town of canals crossed by colourful moliceiro boats, Art Nouveau buildings and sweet ovos moles egg-yolk pastries.
- Coimbra (About 1–1.5 hours by train) — Home to one of Europe's oldest universities, whose Joanina baroque library and hilltop campus are UNESCO-listed, Coimbra also has a melancholy local style of fado sung by students.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Porto?
It is a trade-off: Cool, rainy and quiet, with the lowest prices; port lodges and museums make good wet-weather refuges. The best months overall are May–June and September–October.
+What is the weather like in Porto in winter?
Highs of up to 15°C (59°F) and lows around 5°C (41°F), with about 40 rainy days over the season.