THINGS TO SEE IN PORTO WITH A DOG IN 2 DAYS: 2024 ITINERARY

We arrived in Porto at 11:30 a.m. local time, which is 1 hour earlier than in Spain. We did the check-in in the hotel and showed Snow nuestra habitación para el fin de semana. Como hacía mucho tiempo que no dormía fuera de casa, se le hizo un poco extraño y estuvo un rato oliendo todo. Comimos y, ¿a qué no sabéis qué hicimos? Un FREE TOUR por la ciudad. Además, admitían perros sin importar el tamaño, por lo que reservamos de cabeza.

• Oporto City Hall: the starting point of the excursion. In the town hall there is a monument called the Garret Monument, a a Portuguese writer, poet and playwright who was one of those responsible for the introduction of the ideas of Romanticism in the country.
• Mc Donald's: the most beautiful one: honestly, it's the most beautiful McDonald's in the world, because before that it was one of the most important cafés in the city.The building retains many of its original Art Deco features, including ornate ceilings, chandeliers and a large wall of stained-glass, now behind the bar. Although it is unclear whether the staircases are original, they are in keeping with the rest of the building, which is topped by the massive eagle, that was the symbol of the former Empire.
• Liberty Square: it's the most important square in Porto and it communicates the old and the modern city, so it is one of the main attractions of the city, which we stopped by. In the centre of the square you can see the statute of King Peter IV, the monument is a ten-metre high monument made of bronze in 1862. In the sculpture the monarch shows the Constitutional Charter to the people.
• São Bento Station: this station is striking not only for its facade, but also for its interior full of mosaics, which tell the history of the city through them. It is also one of the most important, as from here you can take a train to different destinations. Also, it is pet friendly, so is the best option, as you can visit it with your dog.
• Sé do PortoPorto Cathedral is certainly one of the main attractions of the city and one of the highest points. It has great views of the city on both sides. You can visit it inside and it is free, but pets are NOT allowed (as in all religious places, unfortunately). Our recommendation is that you visit it in shifts, so that one of you can keep the dog outside while the other visits the cathedral and vice versa. We are not fans of religious tourism, so we skip this step.

I'm sure you're laughing right now as you watch Snow inside that backpack, but we have to say that he was super comfortable and didn't complain at any time. We will do a post soon making a review of this backpack, because we consider it to be the best backpack available for taking your dog on a trip. That said, let's get on with the itinerary:

• Rua das Aldas viewpoint: this is one of the many viewpoints that exist in Oporto, and the views are really worth it. For the next destination, we wandered around for a while, and it was one of our favourite parts of the tour because these streets were full of tripeiros Many people stopped to greet Snow and pet him.
• Lello Bookshop: the famous bookshop where J.K Rowling was inspired to make the Hogwarts stairs, or so they say. Not long ago, the author posted on social media that she didn't know the bookshop. But she was living in the city for several years, so this version doesn't really fit with us. We think that as she is not profiting from the bookshop, she preferred to deny that she knew it. It used to be free, but it was so successful that now you have to pay 6€ to get in. However, if you buy a book, you get your entrance fee back. They don't allow dogs, we couldn't ask whether they would be allowed inside if they were carried in a backpack, as they wouldn't disturb or stain anything when they are in the backpack. We emailed them, but so far we have not received a reply.
• Clerics' Tower: it is another of the city's most emblematic monuments. It is worth climbing all of its steps to get the well-deserved reward of the best views of the city and the best thing is that the entrance is free, unless you want to go up the tower and see the museum, which then you will have to pay €6.
• Portuguese Centre of Photography: it is located in the old Porto jail and has a spectacular collection of cameras and snapshots dating back to the last century.
• Victory viewpoint: the free tour ended at this other viewpoint. The views were once again spectacular, and we couldn't help but take a few photos. 

Below is the map with the route we took on the free tour, as well as a couple of places to eat that are also centrally located. We hope you find it useful. You can book the same free tour on this link.

The free tour was very useful for us to get a feel for the city and to learn how to find our way around. I had been to the city twice before, but Mario had never been, so it also helped him to see the city differently. Snow hung on like a champ for the whole 2h30 of the tour and was the main attraction, as everyone was petting him and waving at him. But it was still late, so we took the opportunity to go down to the river area.

• Cais de Ribeira: the busiest and most picturesque area of Porto. Here you will find the famous coloured houses, musicians and a lot of atmosphere. There are also many restaurants (most of them expensive and the food is not good) and places to have a few drinks. It was very crowded in the hot weather, which made us a little bit worried because it was almost impossible to walk. In the background, you can see the famous Dom Luis I bridge, but we left that for day 2 of the itinerary.

• Church of Santo António dos Congregados: it is not usually open, but if it is convenient for you, you should know that admission is free. The façade of this church stands out.

• Majestic Café: on the way back to the hotel, we pass by this emblematic place. Está ligado a la historia de Porto de los años veinte y a la tradición de las tertulias de café, donde políticos, escritores e intelectuales se reunían sin prisas para el debate de ideas. También es famoso porque se dice que J. K. Rowling escribió parte de los libros de Harry Potter en ese café. La verdad es que es precioso y es como volver a la Belle Époque.
• Garden of the Marquis of Oliveira: this park was very close to the hotel and Snow loved it. It's a great place to relax with your dog.
•  Church of St Ildefonsoanother one of many in Porto, but it is curious to see the amount of mosaics on the facade.

Aquí terminaría el día 1 de este itinerario de Oporto, ya que Snow no es un perro que aguante semejantes caminatas, primero porque tiene las patas muy cortas y segundo porque en su día a día no camina 10 km, entonces tampoco podemos darle semejante paliza caminando. No se quejaba, pero hacía muchísimo calor y ya empezaba a estar un poco asfixiado. Por eso os recordamos que al ir con perro tienes que adaptar tu itinerario, atendiendo a sus necesidades en todo momento y sobre todo entendiendo las señales que te envía. También es importante darle agua cada cierto tiempo, sobre todo si hace calor. Y darle chuches, lo agradecen mucho y también le van dando energía para el camino y así también reforzáis que se están portando bien.

En este día nos hemos centrado en otra parte de la ciudad, incluyendo diferentes formas de disfrutar de las vistas de Oporto. Este plan es más relajado, ya que vamos a matar a Snow con tanta caminata.

• Mercado do Bolhao: next to the hotel, another of the city's emblematic places. In general, in this market we can find all kinds of stalls, mostly fruit and vegetables and some meat, sausages and fish. There are also a few stalls of flowers and plants, which add a touch of "elegance" to this old market. You can also eat at the Mercado de Bolhão, where there are several bars and restaurants distributed on both floors.
• Louis I Bridge from above: we walked through the streets and down the hill (yes, in Oporto there are hills) until we reached the most famous bridge in Oporto. Doesn't it remind you of the Eiffel Tower? That's because it was a disciple of his who built the bridge in 1886. There are incredible views from up there and there is a nice breeze. Snow se lo pasó genial y se puso a mirar por los barrotes del puente. Además, la gente se paraba a verlo, e incluso a sacarle fotos. Qué le vamos a hacer, es monísimo.

• Morro Garden: a perfect place to rest for a while and for your dog to sniff and walk peacefully.
• Gaia cable car: otro imprescindible si viajas con perro, ya que le ahorras un gran tramo de caminata. Además, admiten perros de ALL SIZES and FREE. The price of the ticket for humans is 7 € per person for the single ticket and €10 per person if you choose the return ticket. We recommend you to take it because in only 4 minutes you will save yourself the steep slope between the upper area and the riviera.
• Cais de Gaia: the other side of the river, with many restaurants and shops.
• Bordalo Half Rabbit: walking through this area, you have this curious street artwork, which is worth seeing.
• Louis I Bridge from below: before crossing it, we made a stop to take pictures, because it was very hot and Snow was very tired. You will have all the photos of the trip in our account of Instagram, in case you would like to follow us.
• Six bridges cruise: we haven't seen this on ANY other pet friendlywebsite, and it's shocking, as it is a great plan to do with your dog. The price is 18 € per person and Snow boarded for free. It's a great way to see the city from another perspective and to see the six bridges that connect Porto with Vilanova de Gaia. We leave you this other post with everything you should know about the boat trip with your dog around Porto.
• Guindais funicular: at this point of the day, Snow was exhausted, so before going back home we took the funicular because it saved us a big chunk of hill. The price is 4 € per person for the single ticket y, si querías ida y vuelta, you had to pay 7 €. No nos pusieron pegas para subir con Snow, pero en internet pone que solo se admiten perros pequeños, entendemos que serán perros de 10 kg o menos. Lo mejor es que preguntéis, porque seguro que os dejan pasar sin problema.

Even if it is a short trip, think that many things can happen, such as your dog getting sick, getting cut by a bottle (in Brussels there was a lot of glass on the ground), or simply getting sick because of the change in temperature or for any other reason. For this very reason, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you hire travel insurance. We recommend you IATI, as it is one of the few insurances that not only offers a very competitive price, but also covers practically everything, including your pet. Remember, you have a 5% of discount if you book using our link