Porto and the Douro Valley: How Many Days Do You Really Need?

Porto and the Douro Valley are often the part of a trip people wish they had given more time. Here is how to decide.

## Two days: the essentials One day in Porto for the Ribeira riverfront, the São Bento station tiles, the Dom Luís I bridge and a port wine cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia. One full day in the Douro Valley with views over the terraced vineyards and a winery tasting.

## Three days: the comfortable choice Add a second Porto day for Livraria Lello's street, the Foz seaside district and a slower lunch, or a half day in Guimarães, the town considered the birthplace of Portugal. This is the length most travellers enjoy the most.

## Four days: room to breathe Spend one night in the Douro itself. Waking up among the vineyards, with a slow morning and a short river cruise, is a very different experience from a day trip.

## Getting there Porto is about three hours from Lisbon. Rather than going straight up the motorway, many guests stop in Óbidos, Nazaré, Fátima, Coimbra or Aveiro, turning the transfer into a sightseeing day.

## When to go The Douro is beautiful all year, but September and early October bring the grape harvest and the warmest colours on the hills.

In most 8 to 12 day trips, Porto and the Douro take three days, which leaves plenty of time for Lisbon and the south.