Most travellers in Portugal head for the sunny south and its gorgeous coast, which means the north often gets skipped. A shame, because it’s full of magical places too! Dramatic cliffs, picturesque villages, lively cities and remarkable architecture: you’ll find it all up here. We’ve explored Northern Portugal twice now with our kids and our camper, spending several weeks visiting its finest spots. Here’s our top 10 of the best places to visit in Northern Portugal. Read on and get inspired to see this beautiful corner of Europe for yourself!
Tourist map of Northern Portugal
Tip: stay with a winemaker in the Douro Valley
Portugal is inseparable from port, and the port makers produce delicious Portuguese wines too. A wine tasting is a must when you’re in Portugal, and if you really want to do it properly, you stay the night at a wine estate. Northern Portugal is the best place for that, as the Douro Valley is famous for its rolling vineyards along the river.
We parked our camper at the vineyards of Quinta do Monte Travesso and Quinta da Pereira, where we were given a free tour and could use the showers and electricity. But along the Douro you’ll also find plenty of hotels and B&Bs run by winemakers. Good picks are The Wine House Hotel in an eighteenth-century farmhouse on the Quinta da Pacheca estate, where you can even sleep in a luxury wine barrel, Octant Douro with its infinity pool, or the idyllic Quinta de la Rosa near Pinhão.
The 10 best places to visit in Northern Portugal
#1 Porto
One of the most popular destinations in Portugal is in the north: the beautiful city of Porto. Interestingly, it isn’t a city packed with must-see sights. What makes Porto special is its atmosphere and its gorgeous old centre.
Of course there are a few highlights you shouldn’t miss, like the photogenic Livraria Lello bookshop that supposedly inspired Harry Potter, sunset from the far side of the Dom Luís bridge and all those buildings covered in blue and white azulejos in Porto. But really, you come to Porto to wander its picturesque streets and stop at terraces to taste the local port and a pastel de nata or two.
Because the city climbs up the hills from the riverbank, all that wandering rewards you with great views over Porto. Add the beautiful architecture and the cosy streets, and you’ll understand why you never quite get tired of this city.
#2 The Douro Valley
The Douro Valley might be the best-known place in all of Portugal, and we can see why, with that photogenic river and endless vineyards on its steep banks. This is where the famous port is made! The valley is a popular day trip from Porto, but we’d recommend giving it more time. The road runs right along the river and the vineyards rolling up the hills are a picture, so pick up a rental car and go for a little road trip!
We drove through in autumn, when the slopes were yellow, orange and red, and around sunset it was especially stunning. Search for ‘miradouro’ on Google Maps to find the best viewpoints along the way. An organised day tour from Porto is easy, but with your own rental car you decide where to stop and for how long.
#3 Aveiro on the coast
Not far south of Porto lies what’s often called the Venice of Portugal. The coastal town of Aveiro has a historic centre full of canals and little bridges, with colourful gondola-like boats gliding through. Because Aveiro sits by the sea, its canals are filled with salt water rather than fresh.
Do visit the salt pans on the edge of town too. You’ll see how seawater is collected in shallow basins, where it evaporates and leaves pure sea salt behind. Those little white heaps along the edges? That’s the salt being harvested.
Along the main canal you’ll find Aveiro’s finest buildings, almost all in an exuberant art nouveau style. Add the pretty bridges, the buildings covered in blue and white azulejos and some beautiful churches, and you’ll see why Aveiro is so photogenic. One of its most photogenic spots is actually just outside town to the south: the beach of Costa Nova, with its cheerful striped houses along a promenade.
#4 Braga
About 45 minutes’ drive north of Porto lies the friendly city of Braga. It’s one of Portugal’s larger cities and, as the seat of an archbishop, it’s packed with churches, chapels, pilgrimage sites and monasteries. It’s also called the City of Churches, and you’ll quickly see why.
The city’s most famous icon is just outside town: the sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. We didn’t find the church itself that special, but its hilltop setting with views over Braga makes up for a lot. You can climb the zigzagging stairs or, even more fun, take the historic water-powered funicular.
In Braga’s historic centre you’ll find many more churches. The highlight is the beautiful cathedral, where the extravagant organ and the lovely painted wooden ceilings stand out. It’s said to be the oldest cathedral in Portugal. Other highlights are the central square Praça da República, the old city gate Arco da Porta Nova and the flower-filled Jardim de Santa Bárbara.
One of our favourite sights is the Palácio do Raio, one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Its exuberant rococo façade covered in azulejos is a joy to look at.
#5 Guimarães
Guimarães draws visitors with its historic centre. The town has a castle and a palace, authentic old streets, a wooded hill crowned by a sanctuary and much more. It’s one of the historic gems of Northern Portugal, best known for its medieval old town, which is rightly listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To the Portuguese, though, Guimarães is above all the cradle of the nation. It’s the birthplace of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, who declared Portuguese independence right here.
Beyond its historical importance, the town is loved for its beautifully preserved medieval centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. With its winding medieval lanes, its castle and its palace, Guimarães is wonderfully photogenic and a popular stop for travellers.
#6 Douro International Natural Park
The Douro Valley stretches much further than the Douro Alto, the area most people mean when they talk about the Douro Valley. The river actually runs all the way into Spain and beyond. Near the border it’s part of the Parque Natural do Douro Internacional, ‘international’ because here the Douro forms the border with Spain and the park covers both banks.
We drove the whole Douro from the Spanish border at Miranda do Douro, and we can definitely recommend it. In the east of Portugal the river is no longer wine country but cuts through a rugged landscape, carving out an impressive gorge. Along the way you’ll find picturesque villages and, above all, spectacular viewpoints!
→ Discover the Douro Valley off the beaten track
#7 The pilgrimage church of Lamego and Bom Jesus do Monte
These two churches are both in Northern Portugal and look quite alike. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios is in Lamego near the Douro, and Bom Jesus do Monte is just outside Braga. Both sit high on a hill with an impressive zigzag of stairs leading to the top.
For us, the Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Lamego beats the more famous Bom Jesus do Monte. Its zigzag stairs are lined with walls of those famous blue and white Portuguese tiles, and the church itself is the finest example of extravagant rococo in all of Portugal. Don’t feel like climbing all 686 steps? You can also drive up to the car park right next to the church.
Bom Jesus do Monte lies 5 kilometres east of Braga and also has an impressive zigzag staircase. From the top you get a great view over Braga, but do go inside the church too, as it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. Here too there’s an alternative to the nearly 600 steps: the funicular, an attraction in itself. It was built back in the nineteenth century and runs on a clever system of water tanks, making it the oldest working funicular of its kind in the world.
#8 Alvão Natural Park
This natural park lies just north of Vila Real, not far from the Douro Valley. It’s a great place for hiking, and in summer you should definitely cool off with a swim in a river or under a waterfall.
The most beautiful waterfall in the area is the Fisgas de Ermelo. You can do a lovely half-day hike from the valley up to the falls, following a stream where you can swim at designated spots such as Piocas de Baixo. No time or energy for that hike? Then drive up to a stunning viewpoint instead: just type ‘Miradouro das Fisgas de Ermelo’ into your sat nav.
Another pretty one is the Cascata de Galegos da Serra. It’s a lot smaller than the famous Fisgas de Ermelo, but it’s right by the road and hardly any tourists visit. You can walk down the steps, but the view from above is lovely too.
#9 The Paiva Walkways and the 516 Arouca suspension bridge
If nature and walking are your thing, the Paiva Walkways, or Passadiços do Paiva in Portuguese, belong on your list. For eight kilometres, wooden boardwalks wind along the cliffs that the Paiva river has carved into the landscape. The views are beautiful, and along the way you cross two suspension bridges, including the 516 Arouca bridge that’s on many a bucket list.
The 516 Arouca is one of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world and opened in 2020. It’s 516 metres long and hangs 175 metres above the Paiva. You can visit the bridge without walking the 8 kilometres of boardwalk, and if you’re scared of heights you can do the Passadiços without crossing the bridge.
Both the walkways and the bridge have a limited number of places per day, so book your tickets online in good time, especially in high season. You can only cross the bridge with a guided group at set times.
#10 Peneda-Gerês National Park
The Parque Nacional da Peneda-Gerês, or simply Gerês, lies in the far north of Portugal against the Spanish border. This beautiful national park is known for its unique nature, charming villages and high mountain peaks.
Running right through the park is the Via Geira, an ancient road built by the Romans. Parts of it have survived and you can still walk sections today. The park is perfect for some great day hikes, and with an area of around 700 km² you could easily spend a week here, or even a whole holiday.
Gerês is also known for its granite villages, of which more than a hundred are said to remain. They were built from the mountains’ granite in the twelfth century, and it may sound like a cliché, but time really does seem to have stood still here. Soajo and Lindoso are especially worth a visit, with their centuries-old espigueiros, granaries made of granite.
More tips for your trip to Northern Portugal
Our pickHotels in Northern Portugal: from a quinta in the Douro Valley to a boutique hotel in the heart of Porto. Read our hotel tips per city
Northern Portugal is easiest to explore by car. Rent one at Porto airport with Discover Cars.
Fancy doing it by camper, like we did? Rent a campervan in Portugal with Campervan Planet and head straight for the Douro.
Prefer everything arranged? Browse Northern Portugal tours on TourRadar.
No flight yet? Compare flights to Porto.
No car? Join a Douro Valley day trip from Porto with a boat ride and wine tasting on GetYourGuide.
Discover all our blogs about Northern Portugal
