Porto with Kids: 2-Day Family Itinerary (Ribeira & Gaia)

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We landed in Porto at breakfast time on 13 July 2022, after a 4am alarm in Barcelona, with two backpacks and two boys aged 9 and 6. Porto was the first stop of a 10-day trip around Portugal by public transport, and we had exactly two days before our bus to Aveiro. This is how we spent them: a real 2-day Porto with kids itinerary, with the hills, the heat, the nap we didn’t plan, and the things the boys still talk about.

Quick answers

• Is 2 days in Porto enough with kids? Yes, for Ribeira, the Luís I bridge, Gaia, a river cruise and the tiled churches, without rushing.
• Best area to stay with kids: Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river. It’s calmer than Ribeira, has the best views of Porto, and the cable car saves you the hill.
• The kids’ favourites: the Gaia cable car and the six-bridges cruise.
• Hardest part: the hills and stairs. Porto is not a buggy city, so bring a carrier for toddlers.
• When to go: April–May or September–October. We hit a July heat wave and it was hotter than Barcelona.

In this guide

• Things to do in Porto with kids: our shortlist
• Day 1: Aliados, São Francisco, Ribeira, the bridge and Gaia
• Day 2: Six-bridges cruise, tiled churches and São Bento
• What it costs: 2026 prices
• How to get to Porto and into the centre
• Where to stay in Porto with kids
• When to go
• Packing light for a Portugal trip with kids
• FAQ

Things to do in Porto with kids: our shortlist

1. Ride the Gaia cable car over the port wine cellars. The best five minutes of the trip for our boys.
2. Take the six-bridges cruise on the Douro, about 50 minutes on a traditional rabelo boat.
3. Walk across the top deck of the Luís I bridge, with the metro running past beside you.
4. Eat and people-watch on the Ribeira waterfront, best in the evening.
5. Find the azulejos in São Bento station and on the Santo Ildefonso church.
6. Look inside the Church of São Francisco, covered in gold.
7. Watch the sunset from the Gaia riverside or from WOW, the cultural district in the old cellars.
8. Visit the FC Porto store, if you have football fans. Ours made us.

Day 1: Aliados, São Francisco, Ribeira, the bridge and Gaia

Avenida dos Aliados and a Portuguese breakfast

The metro from the airport dropped us near Avenida dos Aliados at 9:30, with the City Hall at the top and elegant buildings down both sides. We walked down the avenue and stopped for coffee and a counter full of Portuguese pastries. We pointed at whatever looked good, so I can’t tell you the names, only that every one of them was good.

Church of São Francisco (by accident)

We set off to drop our backpacks at the apartment, followed a map that sent us the wrong way, and ended up at the Church of São Francisco. The interior is covered almost entirely in gilded carving, and it’s one of the most striking churches I’ve seen. The boys preferred what was around the corner: the official FC Porto store.

Down to Ribeira

Roadworks pushed us downhill to Ribeira, and suddenly there was the Douro: colourful tiled houses stacked above the water, restaurants along the quay, and Vila Nova de Gaia across the river. This is the postcard view of Porto, and it’s even better in person.

The Luís I bridge

The double-deck iron bridge opened in 1886 and was designed by Théophile Seyrig, who had been Gustave Eiffel’s business partner. You can cross on the lower deck at river level, or on the top deck, level with the old city walls, where the views are enormous and the metro trains run through the middle. Keep kids close up there and look both ways before you cross the tracks.

Gaia riverfront and our apartment

We crossed to the Gaia side, where the riverfront is wider and greener, lined with rabelo boats and port lodges, and has the best view back to Porto. Honestly, I think it’s the better riverfront. Our apartment was just behind it, so we finally dropped the backpacks and went out again for lunch.

The Gaia cable car

From the Gaia riverside to the top of the bridge is a steep climb. We skipped it and took the Teleférico de Gaia, a 5-minute ride over the rooftops and wine cellars. It was the boys’ favourite moment of the day. At the top we walked back along the bridge, found a small local bar and had lunch.

2026 prices: adults €7 one way / €10 return; children 5–12 €3.50 / €5; under 5 free. In summer it runs daily 10:00–20:00; check the official site for winter hours.

Our trick: we rode the cable car up and walked back down. Downhill is fine even for small legs.

The nap nobody planned

After lunch we were done. We’d been up since 4am, it was the middle of a heat wave, and we all slept for a couple of hours at the apartment. With kids, I’d plan this in: Porto’s afternoons in July are brutal, and the evenings are the best part anyway.

Evening: WOW and Ribeira by night

Four minutes’ walk from our apartment was WOW (World of Wine), a cultural district of museums, restaurants and bars inside restored port cellars. We watched the sunset from its terraces. Afterwards we crossed back to Ribeira for dinner. At night the whole riverside is lit up, people sing along the quay, and the restaurants spill onto the street. It was one of the best evenings of the whole trip.

Day 2: Six-bridges cruise, tiled churches and São Bento

Breakfast back at WOW

We liked WOW so much that we went back for breakfast. It was a slow start, almost 11am. Food on the Gaia side felt pricier than in Porto, but the setting makes up for it. We checked out and carried our backpacks for the day, because our bus left at 6pm.

The six-bridges cruise

The boys had wanted a boat ride since day 1, and we’d missed it because of the nap. So we took the six-bridges cruise, about 50 minutes on a traditional rabelo boat, under the Luís I, Infante, Maria Pia, São João, Arrábida and Freixo bridges. It’s touristy, but it shows you the city from the water, the way port wine used to arrive from the Douro Valley. Go in the morning, before the heat.

2026 prices: around €18 per adult from the Gaia pier (€20 from Ribeira) with one of the main operators; children 4–11 half price, under 4 free; departures every 30 minutes. You can also book it with a discount through MegaPass.

Up the stairs to Santo Ildefonso

From the river we climbed, stair after stair, up to the Church of Santo Ildefonso, whose façade is covered in blue-and-white azulejos set into its Baroque design. Our boys play football and basketball, so the climb didn’t bother them. Look honestly at your own kids’ legs before you plan a day like this one.

São Bento station

You don’t need a train to visit São Bento. The main hall is lined with around 20,000 azulejo tiles showing scenes from Portuguese history. It’s free, it takes 10 minutes, and even kids stop and look up.

The Fernandine Wall

Our last stop was the Muralha Fernandina, one of two surviving stretches of the 14th-century walls that once enclosed the medieval city. From there we walked to the bus and took the 6pm FlixBus to Aveiro, the next stop on our trip.

What it costs: 2026 prices

Item	Adult	Child	Notes
Metro airport → centre (Z4)	€2.30 + €0.60 card	same	Line E (violet), ~27 min to Trindade
Gaia cable car	€7 / €10 return	€3.50 / €5 (5–12)	Under 5 free
Six-bridges cruise	~€18–20	~50% (4–11)	Under 4 free
São Bento station	Free	Free
Flight Barcelona → Porto	We paid €40 pp in July 2022 (early-morning flight)		Daytime flights cost more

How to get to Porto and into the centre

From Barcelona or Madrid, low-cost flights to Porto are cheap and frequent. Our early-morning flight from Barcelona cost €40 each in high season, for just under two hours in the air. Later flights in the day were noticeably more expensive. (My tips for finding cheap flights.)

Metro: Line E (violet) runs from the airport to Trindade in about 27 minutes, every 20–30 minutes, from about 6am to midnight. You need a Z4 ticket (€2.30) on a rechargeable Andante card (€0.60, one per person, bought once). Validate it at the yellow readers before the platform.

Bus: there are city and shuttle buses too, but not every line goes to the centre at every hour. The one we wanted wasn’t running when we landed, so we took the metro.

Where to stay in Porto with kids?

We’d stay in Vila Nova de Gaia again. We had an apartment at Reis de Gaia (now called Smartr Porto Reis de Gaia), a couple of hundred metres from the cable car, and we didn’t use public transport once in two days. With two kids and two backpacks, that mattered more than anything.

I used to book the cheapest apartment with a kitchen, which usually meant far from the centre. After one trip where we spent more on transport than we’d saved, I changed my rule: pay for location. Fourteen years working with hotels at lastminute.com have only confirmed it.

Vila Nova de Gaia: our pick with kids

It’s calmer than Ribeira in the evening, has the best views of Porto, the cable car, WOW and the cellars, and it’s easy walking along the river. The Lodge Hotel sits among the port cellars if you prefer a hotel to an apartment.

Ribeira: for the postcard view

You’re right on the river, next to the bridge, the cruises and the restaurants. It’s lively and loud at night. Pestana Vintage Porto is the one to splurge on here.

Baixa / downtown: for convenience

Near Aliados, São Bento and the metro, it’s a good choice if you’re arriving late or leaving by train. NH Collection Porto Batalha is a reliable central option.

Check these before you book in Porto

• A lift. Many old Porto buildings have steep, narrow stairs.
• Air conditioning in summer. We needed it.
• Luggage storage if you arrive early or leave late, like we did.
• Parking if you’re driving. Central Porto rarely has it free, and the old streets are hard to drive.

When is the best time to visit Porto with kids?

April–May or September–October. We chose July, thinking Porto would be cooler than Barcelona. Then the week we arrived, a heat wave hit the whole peninsula and it was hotter than at home. Locals told us summer highs are usually around 25°C. If you do go in summer, plan outdoor sights for the morning and keep the afternoon for a rest.

Packing light for a Portugal trip with kids

For 10 days we took less than half the clothes we’d normally pack, in two backpacks, carried by us; the boys carried only themselves. We washed clothes in self-service laundries, which we found easily in every Portuguese town we stayed in. I was nervous about it, and it worked perfectly. Travelling light is what made the buses and trains between cities easy.

Porto or Lisbon first?

We started in Porto and finished in Lisbon, and I’d do it the same way again. Porto is smaller and easier as a first stop, and ending in the capital gave the trip a big finale. From Barcelona, you can fly into Porto and home from Lisbon.

More of our Portugal trip

• Aveiro with kids (stop 2)
• Nazaré with kids (stop 3)
• Óbidos with kids (stop 4)
• 4 days in Lisbon with kids (stop 5)
• Our full 10-day Portugal with kids itinerary

Staying where we stayed? Check prices and availability for Smartr Porto Reis de Gaia →

If having doubts on what to do in Porto, TravelFamilyBlog recommends GetYourGuide webpage for best trip experience:

Porto with kids: FAQ

Is Porto good for kids?

Yes. Porto is compact, most of the highlights are outdoors and free, and kids love the cable car, the river cruises and the bridges. The one real challenge is the hills: expect stairs and steep streets everywhere in the old town.

How many days do you need in Porto with kids?

Two full days is enough for Ribeira, the Luís I bridge, Gaia, a six-bridges cruise and the tiled churches at a family pace. Add a third day if you want the Douro Valley or the beaches at Foz.

Is Porto stroller-friendly?

Not really. The historic centre is hilly, with cobbles and long flights of stairs. A lightweight buggy works on the riverfronts, but a baby carrier is far easier in the old town.

Where is the best area to stay in Porto with kids?

Vila Nova de Gaia, across the river from Ribeira. It’s calmer in the evening, has the best views of Porto and is next to the cable car. We stayed there and walked everywhere without using public transport.

How much is the Gaia cable car?

In 2026 the Gaia cable car costs €7 one way or €10 return for adults, and €3.50 or €5 for children aged 5–12. Children under 5 ride free.

Is the six-bridges cruise worth it with kids?

Yes. It lasts about 50 minutes, kids love being on the water, and it shows Porto from a completely different angle. Take a morning departure in summer, before the heat.