Porto private city tour

Porto is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. We will start our visit with a panoramic view of the sea at the beach in Matosinhos, travelling along the coast until we reach the “Foz”, the mouth of the Douro River, passing through the old medieval city district of Miragaia and arriving at the Clerigos Tower.

Here we can photograph the symbol of this city: the Clerigos Tower. Built in 1754, the Tower is 75 meters high and at the time it was the tallest building in the city of Porto. Next, we will visit the Lello’s Bookstore where author JK Rowling found the inspiration for her best-seller “Harry Potter”. It’s without a doubt one of the most outstanding bookstores in the world. Lello’s beauty is a great attraction for a vast number of tourists. We will stop for photographs at Carmo Church (Igreja do Carmo) noted for its marvelous exterior facades decorated with blue and white tiles.

“Avenida dos Aliados” is the most famous and largest avenue in Porto where we see dazzling architectural examples of granite buildings decorated with domes and sculptures that are the envy of other big European cities. This is the center of the city where Porto’s imposing City Hall, built at the beginning of the 20th century, is located. Next, we will visit the city’s major market place, the Bolhao market, known for the extravagant way that the vendors have of selling by crying out their daily fresh products: flowers, vegetables, fish, etc. From here we head on to “Rua de Santa Catarina”, the shopping district of the city. This street is aligned with magnificent shops whose windows are more than appealing to the eye of the visitor. It is also here that we will find the famous Majestic Cafe, a meeting place for Porto’s high society, intellectuals and bohemian artists. The Majestic is considered the most beautiful Cafe in Portugal and one of the most enchanting in the world, entrenched with the glamour of the “Belle Epoque” time period.

The train station of Sao Bento is internationally renowned for its interior tiles that depict important events in the history of Portugal. Another stop on our tour is the Porto Cathedral which began construction in the 12th century. It is one the city’s oldest monuments built in the Romanesque style architecture and its location, high above the city, is a perfect place to see the fantastic views of the Douro River and the bridges that join its margins together

After lunch by on the river side (Optional) we will visit the famous Port wine cellars. You have the option of a wine tasting visit to one of the cellars of the first demarcated wine region in the world: the Port Wine Region.

” Rabelo” was the name given to the boats that carried the wine barrels from the vineyards of the Douro valley to the wine cellars in Gaia. If you so choose, you can have the option of taking a pleasant 50- minute tour, on one of these boats and ride the Douro River to see the six bridges that cross it, as well as enjoy the amazing panoramic views of the city of Porto.