Porto is Portugal’s second-most popular city, right after Lisbon, and as such, it offers plenty of tourist attractions, museums, and exciting nightlife options.
The charming Portuguese city sits on the bank of the Douro River and is best known for its colorful historical center, Port wine cellars which bring in delicious wine from the Douro Valley, and the iconic Dom Luis I Bridge.
I traveled to Porto many times while living in Lisbon and absolutely loved learning about Porto’s history, visiting its most iconic landmarks, and experiencing its vibrant nightlife.
In all honesty, in some ways, I think Porto is even more charming than Lisbon, with its beautiful Ribeira, impressive bridges, and stunning miradouros.
| ⌛ Planning your trip to Porto at the last minute? Here are my quick picks on what to do & where to stay! 🍷 Top Porto Night Experiences: 1. Cálem Port Cellar Tour with Wine Tasting & Fado Show 2. Sunset Sailboat Cruise on the Douro 3. Guided Evening Tuk Tuk Tour of the Historical Center 🏨 Best Porto Hotels: 1. Hospes Infante de Sagres (Small Luxury Hotel of the World member) 2. Laurear Guesthouse (cozy mid-range boutique hotel) 3. Zero Box Lodge (funky budget hotel with capsule concept) ✈️ Flying in? Book an airport transfer with Welcome Pickups — they’ll greet you at the airport, help with bags, & bring you into the city, all pre-booked! |
If you’re looking for things to do in Porto at night, you’re in the right place.
After spending many nights out in the city, I put together a guide to the best activities in Porto at night, and it runs from sunset until sunrise for you night owl travelers!
Whether you want to explore the city without crowds, visit quirky museums, join guided tours, or party until morning, you’ll find plenty of options for things to do in Porto at night here!
The Best of Porto at Night: 13 Top Things to Do
Discover the lively Cais da Ribeira.
Cais da Ribeira is among Porto’s liveliest neighborhoods, especially at night!
The district, with its colorful houses, runs along the Douro River and is dotted with bars and restaurants where people gather in the late afternoon and stay until late at night.
Cais da Ribeira is particularly charming around sunset, when the atmosphere turns magical in the soft light and street artists play music on the riverside promenade.
You can enjoy a stroll along the riverside, watch the traditional boats (rabelos) float on the river, or sit on a terrace for a drink.
Enjoy a glass of wine with petiscos (appetizers) at Wine Quay Bar or Bacchus Vini, or try a delicious seafood dinner at Terra Nova.
When the night falls, you can admire the view of the illuminated Dom Luis I bridge reflecting in the river — it’s absolutely stunning.
Have a traditional Francesinha for dinner.
Francesinha is Porto’s most traditional meal, but be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.
This indulgent dish contains several types of meat, from sausage to ham and beef steak, all layered between two slices of bread covered with melted cheese and the traditional Francesinha sauce made with beer.
It usually comes with a side of fries and an optional fried egg on top if you want to go all out.
You can have Francesinha in many restaurants around Porto, and it’s hard to go wrong.
Café Restaurante O Afonso is one of the most popular spots for Francesinha, although it’s a bit far from the historical center.
Brasão is a great alternative, with multiple locations across Porto.
The great thing about Brasão is that it also has a vegetarian Francesinha, so you can still try this traditional dish if you’re not a meat eater.
For a vegetarian take on the Francesinha, try Lado B Café, which has both meat and veggie options.
Watch the sunset from Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar.
Porto is known for its many scenic viewpoints, or miradouros in Portuguese.
Since it’s built on several hills, the city provides several stunning spots to enjoy panoramic views of the city and the Douro River.
However, I would argue that Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto’s sister city just across the river, offers even more spectacular views, as hard as that might be to believe.
At sunset, cross the bridge and head to Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, a 15th-century monastery with a terrace overlooking the river and the colorful Porto.
This is one of my absolute favorite spots to watch the sunset in Porto since you can have a nearly 360 degree view of both cities, the Dom Luis I Bridge, and the river.
The monastery is not open for visits at night, but you can still access the outdoor area for free.
Just cross the bridge and turn right on the uphill street.
Expect to find a crowd there just before sunset, but the area is pretty big, so you’ll manage to find a spot.
Just get there a bit before sunset so you can settle in!
Enjoy a Port wine tasting.
No trip to Porto would be complete without a Port wine tasting.
The city is famous for its fortified wine production, which is now renowned worldwide.
Many cellars are just across the river from Porto, in the city of Vila Nova de Gaia, bringing in delicious Port from the vineyards of the Douro Valley.
Each cellar offers tours with wine tastings, so you’ve got multiple options to choose from.
Caves Cálem, Taylor’s Port, Caves Ferreira, Quinta do Noval, and Sandeman are all great cellars to visit, and you can check their websites for different tour options.
Alternatively, you can book an experience like this Cálem Cellar Tour with a fado show or this Graham’s Port Tasting with Pairing and Tour, which offers tastings perfectly paired with chocolate, cheese, and pasteis de nata, the traditional custard tarts of Portugal.
Watch the sunset from one of the miradouros.
If you want to admire some beautiful views while getting a workout in, you should set out to explore Porto’s many miradouros.
These scenic viewpoints are mostly located in the upper part of the city, so you can expect to walk uphill a lot.
Close to Porto’s cathedral, check out Miradouro da Rua das Aldas for a charming view over the city’s rooftops.
You can enjoy an even more scenic view from Miradouro da Vitória, one of the most popular viewpoints in Porto.
If you want to avoid the crowds, head to Jardim dos Sentimentos and check out the view from Torreão do Jardim do Palácio or Miradouro da Ponte da Arrábida.
The gardens are stunning and the perfect place for a relaxed walk, especially right before nightfall.
Sail on a Douro River sunset cruise.
If, on the other hand, you’re tired of walking up and downhill and just want to enjoy a chill evening in Porto, consider joining a sunset or evening Douro River cruise.
This Sunset Sailboat Cruise is a wonderful chance to sail along the Douro and watch the city from a different perspective.
You can choose between a shared cruise or a private booking, departing from the Douro Marina in Vila Nova de Gaia and sailing along the river to the Douro estuary.
If you’re really lucky, you may even spot some dolphins once you get closer to the ocean, making your cruise truly unforgettable!
The cruise lasts roughly two hours and includes a complimentary drink to enjoy while sailing past some of the most iconic sights in Porto at night.
The knowledgeable crew will make your stunning trip even more memorable by sharing stories and interesting facts about the city!
Party all night in the heart of Porto.
Although Lisbon is considered more of a party city with a lot more nightlife, Porto has a vibrant scene too, with plenty of party options.
In particular, the area close to Porto University is notorious for its nightlife — perhaps not surprising that students like to party!
You’ll find that Rua da Galeria de Paris and Rua de Cândido dos Reis are buzzing with life from the late afternoon all the way until sunrise.
Here, you’ll find all kinds of bars, clubs, pubs, and restaurants — whatever kind of nightlife vibe you want, it’s here.
Whether you want to enjoy a beer in a chill atmosphere or plan on dancing all night long, you’ll find a spot that’s just right.
Some of the most popular clubs here are Plano B, Moreclub, and Lust Porto.
If you prefer to relax and have a drink, try The Gin House, The Royal Cocktail Club, or Casa do Livro.
Many places may also have live music on the weekends!
Enjoy a night tuk-tuk tour.
A unique way of exploring the city in the evening is on a tuk-tuk tour!
Of course, you can find tuk-tuks in Porto at any time of day, but when night falls and the crowds fewer, driving around in a tiny tuk-tuk is an even more delightful experience!
This Guided Historical Center Tuk Tuk Tour lasts around two hours, during which your guide will drive you around the charming streets of Porto while telling you stories about the city.
You can choose between a sunset and a night tour (there’s day options too, but this is a post all about Porto at night, after all).
The sunset tour is a more romantic option and will allow you to enjoy gorgeous city views as the day gives way to night, but the night option is ideal if you want to avoid crowds and have a more relaxed experience.
Note that these tours are for a minimum of two people, unfortunately for any solo travelers!
Stroll across Ponte Dom Luis I.
If you enjoy panoramic views, you shouldn’t miss out on the spectacular view of Porto from the upper level of Dom Luis I bridge.
You can also walk on the lower level, but the best views are from above!
The bridge connects Porto do Vila Nova de Gaia and was built in 1886 by an engineer who had previously worked with Gustave Eiffel on another bridge in Porto.
In fact, the bridge does somewhat resemble the famous Eiffel Tower.
History geeks, take note: Ponte Dom Luis I has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996.
The iconic bridge is always crowded, but most people walk on the upper level around sunset. However, it’s an experience you shouldn’t miss!
Go there later in the evening if you want to avoid the crowds. The view at night, when the city is all lit up, is just as beautiful!
Listen to an intimate fado concert.
Although fado was born in Lisbon, on the streets of the charming Alfama neighborhood, the music genre is now popular all over Portugal.
Listening to a fado concert is a lovely way to spend a night in Porto and immerse yourself in a historic part of Portuguese art and culture.
This intimate fado concert experience offers a few different concert options, including a meet-and-greet.
Every day, you can listen to traditional fado music, while on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, they play tributes to historic fado musicians, focusing on different themes.
On top of listening to the concert, you can learn all about the tradition of Fado while enjoying a glass of Port wine — the most iconic Portuguese duo!
You can also pair a fado concert with a short tour of Porto’s historical center and a traditional dinner.
This 3-hour Porto night tour with fado show & dinner includes a tour of the Ribeira district and a Portuguese dinner with a fado show in a local restaurant.
Join a pub crawl.
If you want to party and experience Porto nightlife but are traveling solo or are with a group but just looking to meet more people, why not join a pub crawl?
This is one of the best ways to experience Porto’s nightlife, discover new places, all while meeting other travelers.
This guided Porto Pub Crawl lasts over four hours, during which you’ll check out some of the city’s most popular bars and a nightclub.
The experience includes five drinks and free entrance to the nightclub, which makes it an affordable way to spend a night out!
The experience is available in multiple languages, but you’ll likely meet people from different countries.
Just note that the tour only includes drinks, and no food, so be sure to have dinner before (did I mention that you’ll be getting five drinks?).
Experience a gastronomy tour.
If a pub crawl isn’t your scene, there are other shared experiences you can try that still allow you to get to know the city while also meeting other travelers.
This Petiscos Crawl is one such option, allowing you to experience traditional food and drinks in local restaurants with a group of people, in a far more laid-back setting (while still enjoying some local drinks).
The culinary tour focuses on sampling different petiscos, which are Portuguese appetizers similar to Spanish tapas, expertly paired with local wines.
You’ll visit traditional restaurants outside the main tourist areas, learn about Portuguese cuisine, history, and architecture, and savor delicious food and wine.
The tour includes a combination of iconic spots like the Clérigos Tower and Livraria Lello, along with several places off the beaten path.
You can expect to try dishes like codfish and Portuguese sausages and sample the unmissable Port wine along with other delicious Northern Portuguese wines, like Vinho Verde.
Visit a museum dedicated to rosé wine.
WOW is a complex of museums in Vila Nova de Gaia, including unique spots like The Chocolate Story or Planet Cork.
For wine lovers, Pink Palace is one of the most recent additions to the WOW museums, dedicated entirely to rosé wine.
If you like the color pink, this museum is made for you!
Not only do you get to sample five lovely rosé wines on your visit, but you’ll also find several highly Instagrammable rooms, from a pool of pink balls to a pink Cadillac.
This eccentric museum is a great way to spend a fun evening (or a cold winter day in Porto).
On Fridays and Saturdays, the museum stays open until 10 PM, while it closes at 7 PM the other days.
Book your tickets on the WOW website and get ready to visit this quirky pink palace.
Roxana is a Romanian-born freelance travel writer who has lived in Italy for over 15 years. She has a Master’s in Journalism and a Bachelor’s in Film Studies, and she studied at Università degli Studi di Roma Tre. Besides her native Romania, Roxana has lived in Rome, Lisbon, and Berlin, and she has traveled through much of Europe in search of hidden gems, history, and culture.