10 Things to Do in Porto in November

November in Porto may not be as popular as Halloween in October and Christmas in December, but it is a month with warm and cool weather, which invites you to do all kinds of tourist activities in the city. However, it is a month with warm and cool weather, which invites you to do all kinds of tourist activities in the city.

Among the best things to do in Porto during November you can discover the architecture, monuments and autumnal landscapes of the city. You also have the option to visit closed spaces: museums, bookshops, aquariums, among others, take advantage of Black Friday discounts or, if you are a football enthusiast, you can attend a local league or UEFA Champions League match.

During your visit to Porto in 2 days, I recommend you to dedicate a few hours to take a boat trip on the Douro River. You will be amazed by the shades of gold and orange produced by the glow of the autumn sun on the surface of the crystalline waters.

This type of tour usually lasts 50 minutes, during which you will enjoy a real visual spectacle. Especially if you take the Porto river cruise at sunset.

You will see the autumn scenery and get to know Porto' s famous six bridges:

• Arrábida Bridge, inaugurated in 1963 and considered the longest of the six bridges.
• Freixo Bridge, built in the mid-1990s and the closest bridge to the east side of the Douro River.
• Bridge of Don Luis I, with a height of 45 metres and a history dating back to the 19th century.
• Infante Don Enrique Bridge, built in 2003, is one of the most recent of the six bridges.
• Maria Pia Bridge, this is the first railway bridge in the city, built in 1873.
• Sao Joao Bridge, a railway infrastructure from the end of the 20th century, whose modern design is striking.

Useful information

• Price: from €15 per person.
• When: Every day.
• Where: mouth of the Douro river (next to the Arrábida bridge).

November is initially a warm month, but from the second half of the month onwards, the days tend to be rainy. Therefore, getting on a tourist bus in this city is a good option if you want to make the most of your 3-day visit to Oporto.

This way, you'll be able to stay protected from the weather, while discovering some really interesting places.

This type of tour usually lasts 24 or 48 hours, depending on the service you hire. During this time, you will have the opportunity to stroll through the main streets of the city from the first floor of a bus, taking in the monuments and parks as you go. You will also be able to get on and off as many times as you wish at the established stops.

You will be able to stop in the historic centre or get off in other areas of the city, in order to visit museums, viewpoints, castles, shopping centres, bridges, restaurants, cafés, bars and nightclubs. Afterwards, just hop on the next bus and continue your tour.

Useful information

• Price: from €16 per person.
• When: every day.
• Where: main streets of the city of Porto.

If you are a true football enthusiast, you have an unmissable date at the Estádio do Dragão, to watch one of the local league or UEFA Champions League matches. After a couple of months of competition, November is a great time to see the teams in top form.

Please note that the matchday generally takes place on weekends for the local league matches, while the UEFA Champions League matches are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

In any case, if you want to take advantage of this unique opportunity to support your favourite team, you should check the calendar of games and see if they coincide with your visit to Porto in 4 days or more.

Visiting the Estádio do Dragão and its museum is another of the things to see and do in Porto during November. Especially if you want to contemplate this magical place calmly, without being surrounded by the hundreds of visitors that come during the high season.

During the tour of the Estádio do Dragão or Dragon Stadium, you will not only be amazed by its imposing architectural design but also learn about the history of this sacred ground, home of FC Porto, one of the best teams in Portugal. All this, with the help of an audio guide.

On the other hand, in the FC Porto Museum, you will be able to learn about the 120 years of the club's history. You will be able to see an important interactive collection with all the trophies won, both national and European.

You will also enjoy an incredible hologram, which projects Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who has been the president of Porto Club since 1982.

Useful information

• Price: from €12 per person.
• When: Monday to Sunday, except when there are league or UEFA Champions League matches.
• Where: Estádio do Dragão in Porto.

In the month of November you will find Black Friday offers in many parts of the world and Porto is no exception. Therefore, during your stay in the city you should take advantage of the sales on this day to buy clothes, household appliances and many other products.

Black Friday takes place on the fourth Friday of November. However, some shops extend the sales until the last day of the month, which is quite convenient if you want to avoid the crowds of shoppers that are characteristic of this date.

You can take a short tour of the shops in the main shopping centres:

• Norte Shopping: this is one of the largest shopping centres in the city.
• Shopping Cidade de Porto: in this small shopping centre you will find shops of well-known brands.
• MAR Shopping: with a Lego park for the little ones to have fun while you look for the best deals on Black Friday.

In fact, during this day you will find all kinds of discounts. For example, there are tour and excursion companies from Porto that take advantage of Black Friday to offer discounts on their activities.

For example, you'll be able to escape on a tour to Aveiro from Porto or tour the city by bike or electric tuk tuk, at a better price.

Make the most of the warm weather in the first half of November and join a day trip to the Douro Valley from Porto.

The tour usually starts with a cruise from the mouth of the Douro River. You will board a boat traditionally used for the transfer of wine barrels and passengers.

After about an hour of sailing, admiring the scenery, you will stop for lunch at one of the region's restaurants. Here, you will have some free time to take pictures and enjoy the amazing panoramic view of the river.

Finally, it will be time to get into the jeep for a ride along the trails that will lead you to Pinhão, where you will visit a local vineyard. You will be amazed by the beauty of this natural scenery and learn a little about the cultivation and production of Port wine. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a wine tasting.

Useful information

• Price: from 260€ per person.
• When: 1 day.
• Where: Duero Valley.

In Porto some of the Christmas markets open their doors from mid to late November, so if you are in the city during those days, you can take the opportunity to visit these picturesque places.

You will have the opportunity to buy handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as clothes, desserts and Christmas food, among other seasonal products. Among the markets available from November onwards, the following stand out:

• Praça da Batalha, open from the last week of November until 31 December. There, you will enjoy the atmosphere of celebration, among trees, lights, toys, food stalls and much more.
• In Vila Nova de Gaia, from 27 November to 9 January, you will find the WOW Christmas Market. You can visit it from 11:00 a.m. to buy handicrafts, national and international brands.
• Matosinhos Market, you will find it in the Basílio Teles Park from the last week of November until 23 December. This is a Christmas market that annually brings together more than 80 artisans, who will offer you sausages, cheeses, chocolates, books, jewellery and fashion products. All this from 11:00 to 19:30 (Sunday to Thursday) and from 12:00 to 23:00 (Friday and Saturday).

Taking part in the Porto Marathon is a good alternative during the month of November, especially if you are an athletics enthusiast. It is a sporting activity that has been held annually in the city for more than 10 years.

You can register online from June until minutes before the start of the race in November.

The route runs through the main streets of Oporto, on a 40-kilometre route, aimed at athletes with a high level of endurance. You will also have the opportunity to select the 10 km (Family Race) or 6 km (Fun Race) category.

Useful information

• Price: from 50€ per person.
• When: first week of November from 9:00 am.
• Where: main streets of the city of Porto.

If you have decided to visit Porto with children, a good option for a fun and uncrowded activity is to go to the Sea Life Aquarium Park.

There, both you and the little ones can learn about marine life, interact with some species and enjoy the outdoor areas.

Among the activities you can do at the aquarium are:

• Visit to the ponds, where you will find hawk and eagle rays, green turtles, clown whales, needlefish, starfish, among other species.
• Informative talks about the marine world.
• Viewing the Atlantic Ocean from the terrace of the water park café.
• Underwater tunnel, where you will see sharks and unicorn fish.
• Pirate ship, for the entertainment of the little ones in the house.
• Direct interaction with sea urchins, starfish and some fish when feeding them.

After the visit you will have enough time to attend a Fado show or enjoy one of the many attractions that characterise Porto during the night.

Useful information

• Price: from 14,95€ per person.
• When: Every day of the week (10:00 to 18:00).
• Where: Praça Gonçalves Zarco.

Visiting the best museums in Oporto is a good plan in November.

Besides escaping from a possible downpour, you will find less queues and, in case you need to book tickets, there will be more availability.

So, if during your trip you want to enjoy the cultural offer that the city has for you, you have to include this activity in your itinerary.

Soares dos Reis Museum

This museum is considered the oldest in Portugal, with a history of approximately two centuries.

In its rooms you will find important collections of sculptures and paintings. You will also see permanent exhibits with furniture, glass objects, ceramics and a series of engravings.

Guerra Junqueiro House Museum

The Casa Museo Guerra Junqueiro is a 17th century construction with a baroque architectural style. Inside you will see several collections of silverware, furniture and gold and silverware belonging to the poet Guerra Junqueiro.

You will also see exhibits with figures made of metal, ceramics and glass, some sculptures and jewellery.

Electric Car Museum

This museum is ideal if you are enthusiastic about trams, as it houses several restored machines and old replicas. There is also an exhibition of uniforms and photographs of the drivers who formed the city's railway transport company.

There are also other museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Military Museum, the Romantic Museum, the Museum of Photography and the former Prison of Porto.

The temperature in Porto during the month of November ranges between 14 and 18 ºC, and only drops or rises by 3ºC throughout the day. Therefore, if during the day the thermometer reads 16ºC, during the night it could register 14ºC.

The city experiences warm weather during this month , with 17 dry days and the remaining 13 with rain. In addition, you will find short days, with up to 6 hours of sunshine and a UV index equivalent to 4.

The month of November is considered the mid-season in Porto. Therefore, you will find a moderate influx of people throughout the city, which is ideal if you want to avoid crowds in the streets and long queues to access the main attractions.

In addition, this mid-season is recommended because it will allow you to enjoy slightly lower prices, starting with flights and hotels, to some products purchased in clothing, shoes, food and souvenir shops. Certainly, a very favourable panorama for your economy during your stay in Oporto.