In late December, my 75 year old mom and I (45 year old female) will be staying in Coimbra for one night and then Porto for two nights before flying to Madeira for a week.
We would love feedback on how we can make the most of our time in Coimbra and Porto. We know weather in December may be wet and cold, so we will need to be flexible with our plans. I’d love suggestions for how to spend our time if we get socked in with pouring rain. I don’t mind venturing out to see the sights with an umbrella and raincoat, but my mom is not a huge fan of windy wet weather. One question we are wondering about is whether we should consider a tuk tuk tour in lieu of a self-guided walking tour in Porto. We both love exploring cities on foot, but I worry about my mom on slippery cobblestones in the rain. Can tuk tuk tours be booked last minute, or would we need to do this far in advance at this time of year?
In our itinerary, I’ve mapped out possible stops for a self-guided walk around Porto. We are not at all wedded to making all these stops. It just helps us be more efficient to know walking times between sights, and then we can make decisions on the day of about which stops to skip.
In Porto, we are most interested in seeing the beautiful tile work and learning about the history of the city (less interested in port tastings). We would also love to see the Christmas lights and explore the Christmas Markets. Thank you in advance for any advice!
Sunday 12/23
Land in Lisbon at 9 AM.
Take metro (~20 minutes) to Oriente station.
Get a quick lunch at Honest Greens Parque das Nacoes for lunch (7 minute walk from Oriente) before taking high speed train to Coimbra B.
12:09 Oriente – 1:45 PM Coimba B
Take taxi/Bolt to Sapientia Boutique Hotel and check in.
Gentle exploration walk of the city: possible stops at Briosa Coimbra in Largo da Portagem for a pastry. Check out views from Ponte Santa Clara.
Walk down Rua Ferreira Borges to Praça 8 de Maio.
6 PM - 6:50 PM Reservation at Casa Fado ao Centro for a fado show
Walk 4 minutes to Restaurante Sete for dinner.
Monday 12/23
9 AM - 10 AM Reservation for Joanina Library & University of Coimbra tour with GO walks Portugal (1 minute walk from hotel)
Check out of hotel and take 12 minute taxi to Coimbra-B station.
Take Alfa Pendular to Porto Campanha Station (10:47 - 11:58 AM or 11:35-12:52 PM).
Possible stop at O Astro across the street for quick bifana and caldo verde lunch or head to O Rapido for longer lunch.
From Campanha/O Astro, take 6-10 minute taxi ride to Cocorico hotel. Drop off luggage.
Walk 19 minutes or Taxi/Bolt 10 minutes to Igreja do Carmo, followed by 3 minute walk away: Banco de Materiais
Walk 4 minutes to Livraria Lello (enter if line is not long…would we need to pre-book at this time of year?)
Walk 3 minutes to Mercado de Natal do Porto in the Jardim da Cordoaria, followed by Clerigos Tower, 1 minute away.
Walk 8 minutes to Castro - Atelier de Pastéis de Nata for a snack.
Walk 1 minute to Prometeu Artesanato to check out tiles for purchase (open 10am - 9pm).
Walk 6 minutes to Miradouro da Vitoria for sunset (5:10 PM) or head to Esplanada do Telerifico for sunset views
Walk 12 minutes to Avenida dos Aliados for Christmas tree.
Check out Christmas market at Batalha square or Crystal Palace.
While at Batalha Square, check out Church of Ildefonso and Majestic Cafe.
8:30 Dinner Reservation at Escama or Cantinho do Avillez
Tuesday 12/24 Porto
Breakfast at hotel
Visit Sao Bento Station (8 AM), then walk 6 minutes to do 9 AM visit of cloisters at Se do Porto.
Walk 13 minutes from Se de Porto to Mercado do Bolhao, then walk another 3 minutes to Capela des Almas and stroll Rua da Santa Catarina.
Explore da Ribeira or Palacio do Bolsa.
Mercado Beira-Rio or Terreiro for lunch.
Walk lower level of Luis Bridge to Gaia side.
then funicular and upper level back.
Dinner at Coupage 51 or Barao Fladgate