More about: Porto Hop-On Hop-Off Buses
The advantage of a sightseeing bus tour is that you can get off at any of the stops along the route and explore the area for a while, then get back on the bus and continue your journey. It's a comfortable way to visit Porto, it allows you to get a quick overview of its neighbourhoods, and best of all, it's a fun experience, especially with the family.
Here's a guide to the Porto sightseeing bus and how to book your tickets in advance.
How to book the Porto sightseeing bus tour online
The first thing you should know is that it is best to book your Porto sightseeing bus ticket in advance.
Why I recommend to tour Porto by tourist bus
The classic open-top double-decker bus is waiting for you for an easy, dynamic and fun tour of the city of Porto. It's an experience that is often underrated, but the truth is that when you arrive in a new city, taking a sightseeing bus tour is a perfect way to get to know its neighbourhoods quickly and then delve into each of them on your own.
It's also a great way to save on public transport, as the bus will comfortably take you to almost every point of interest in the city that you want to visit. Porto's tourist bus passes through two of its most important squares, Liberdade and Batalha, as well as the Cathedral, the Clérigos Tower or the Church of Carmen.
On each of these tours, you will have a recorded narration in Spanish that will put you in context about the importance of the sites you visit and the neighbourhoods you pass through.
Another advantage of this experience is that, if you feel like it, you can combine it with a boat trip on the Douro River and a wine tasting at a local winery. To do so, you will need to select the premium option when booking the tour.
Porto sightseeing bus itinerary
You can choose two different routes for a bus tour of Porto. One will take you through the main sights of the historic city centre, and the other through iconic medieval buildings.
Historic Porto' stops (2 hours)
- Liberdade Square
- Stock Exchange Palace
- Porto Cathedral
- Batalha Square
- Clérigos Tower
- Church of Carmen
- Cálem Cellars
- Yeatman Hotel
- Teixeira Lopes House-Museum
- Gaia Chamber
- Jardim do Morro
Stops of 'Porto Castles Tour' (2 hours)
- Liberdade Square
- Porto Cathedral
- Batalha Square
- Carmen Church
- Casa da Música
- Boavista Avenue
- Serralves Foundation
- Porto City Park
- Leixões Port Cruise Terminal
- Matosinhos Beach
- Passeio Alegre
- Tramway Museum
- Clérigos Tower
- Serralves Museum
Timetables
Timetable of the route 'Porto Histórico'.
- From July to October: departures at 9:45, 11:45, 13:45, 15:45, 17:45 from Av. Aliados/Praça da Liberdade
- November to June: departures at 9:30, 11:00, 12:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00 from Av. Aliados/Praça da Liberdade
Timetable of the 'Porto Castles Tour' route
- From July to October: departures at 9:00, 11:30, 12:00, 13:30, 16:30, 18:00 from Av. Aliados/Praça da Liberdade
- November to June: departures at 9:15, 11:15, 13:15, 15:15, 15:15, 17:15 from Av. Aliados/Praça da Liberdade
Alex's Traveller Tip
I recommend you print out the ticket that you will receive in your email when you confirm your booking, just in case you are asked for it or something happens to your mobile phone.
What to consider before booking this experience
- Choose the number of people and the date you want to do this experience, and then select an option: hop on hop off bus tour, or premium option with cruise and wine tasting. You will be taken to a page where you will be asked for your personal details and an email address.
- Important: enter a valid email address, because when you hit the book button, you will receive a confirmation email. Check the email to make sure that everything is correct and keep it handy for when you have to show it to the bus driver to be allowed on the tour. I advise you to print out the ticket you will receive in the email to avoid any problems.
- If for any reason you are unable or unwilling to go on the tour, it is best to cancel the experience as soon as possible to receive 100% of your money back, which is only possible if you cancel at least 24 hours in advance. You will find instructions on how to cancel in the confirmation email.
- Sightseeing bus tours only operate in good weather (so you always get a good view). If it rains, the tour will be cancelled and your money refunded.
Porto Sightseeing Bus Tips
Take advantage of the discount coupons
On the bus you will be given a booklet with discount coupons for a number of shops in Porto and a map of the city. Nowadays, using a paper map is almost unthinkable, but here's my tip to turn it into a nice souvenir: you can mark with a felt-tip pen the funny things that happen on your trip in each place.
Do the whole route
To get the most bang for your buck, I recommend doing the entire route with all the stops, and on the ones where you feel like getting off and taking a walk, don't take more than an hour. Consider the sightseeing bus tour as a trailer for what you will see in depth on the rest of your trip.
Choose where to get off
Not all the stops are tourist attractions, you'll also pass shopping centres such as El Corte Inglés and some of the city's major hotels, so with any luck you'll have a stop close to your accommodation (so you don't have to go to the first stop on the itineraries).
Remember that children travel for free
The Porto Sightseeing Bus is a perfect family activity as children aged 0-3 years are free and children aged 4-12 years get a reduced ticket price.