My husband and I have two full days to spend in Porto in late May. Which is more worth doing: the guided tour of the Bolsa or the one at casa da musica? Is World of Wine worth a few hours, or is it too commercial and time would be better spent at Sandeman or one of the other port places? And is the Six Bridges cruise worth doing? Finally, where to enjoy sunsets? We have 3…thank you!!
Posted by
NYC
150 posts
Well I loved Bolsa but did not go inside casa da Musica. Yes, the Six Bridges Cruise is worth it IMO. We didn’t do World of Wine or Sandeman’s so cannot comment. There is a Culinary Backstreets tour to consider, too.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
8565 posts
We did our wine tastings separately at Adriano Ramos Pinto and Calem. To me, the cruise is strictly for the tourists and we went because my wife wanted to go. It was ok, but nothing special. We skipped the Bolsa other than to walk by it. It looked too much like so many other places we’d visited elsewhere. Most of one day was spent just walking all over town to see the blue tile sun the train station and churches.
Posted by
Washington, DC USA
955 posts
The Bolsa tour was pretty interesting and is not very long so I don't think you need to make it an either or choice. I did not go to the other places you mention so I can't compare. I did the port wine tour and tasting at Calem. I think any of them that fit your schedule should be fine.
For sunsets, I do have a favorite suggestion that is actually pretty easy to get to but probably still off the most beaten tourist path. It is the Virtudes Promenade, overlooking Virtudes Park and overlooking the river.. It is a popular very local evening hangout for young people (or was in 2019). There are a couple bars/cafes that serve take out drinks. It is about a 10 minute walk uphill (or up some stairs) from, for example, the Bolsa.
Posted by
San Franciso Bay Area, USA
1181 posts
We have been to Porto twice in the past two years and really enjoyed the Bolsa tour. We also took the Six Bridges cruise at Sunset and while touristy, it is a beautiful place to see a sunset. For other areas to view a sunset, one of the most popular and stunning is Jardim do Morro, located just across the top deck of the Dom Luis Bridge. If you do go the park, bring a picnic and go early. Another option that is a bit more upscale is to have dinner at Vinium restaurant which provides a panoramic view of the Douro. The food is outstanding, ask for the terrace or dining room atrium (which is covered and has an unobstructed view).
We opted no to visit the World of Wine, instead we visited Grahams and Quevedo. Grahams has an extensive tour and variety of tasting options and an excellent musuem. Quevedo is more quirky, has great cheese pairings and options to taste something other than port. While we didn’t attend, Quevedo also has Fado shows.
One other option to consider is a Fado show from Casa Guitarra at the Monastery of Sao Bento da Vitoria. It was such a memorable experience to have a short tour of the Monastery and then listen to Fado with a glass a port.