10 Things to do in Porto with Kids

We all have an inner child, so when I think about the best things to do in Porto or any other city, I like to plan activities for the whole family. Of course, always with a curious spirit of adventure to explore the surroundings in a fun way.

In this post, you'll find a list of the top activities to enjoy in Porto with the little ones: from creating your own personalised puppets to walking among the treetops or visiting places that will thrill football fans. Don't miss out on any of these plans to share with your kids in this wonderful city in northern Portugal.

Nowadays, bookshops rarely make it onto lists of top activities for children. In this case, however, it is impossible to resist visiting one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, the Lello Bookshop.

From a distance, you will see the three large windows with a figure on each side, representing the defenders of art and science, on the façade. Inside, around an exquisite spiral staircase, you will find an art gallery, a place for gatherings, a space for the bookshop's gems, a section dedicated to José Saramago and two special sections for children (one on each level), all decorated in the best Portuguese neo-Gothic style.

In Porto, the Lello Bookshop is an essential stop on any Harry Potter tour of Porto due to its fame as a source of inspiration for the Harry Potter books. Although J.K. Rowling stated in 2020 that Lello did not inspire her work, the spells of Harry Potter enchanted the place, and children know it.

Interesting details

• Price: admission available from £5 and if you buy a book, the price is deducted from the total.
• Duration: approximately 30 minutes.
• What you need to know: Every day, hundreds of people queue up at Rua das Carmelitas 144 to enjoy the atmosphere, events and variety of books on offer. It is open from 9 am to 6.30 pm.
• How to get there: It is easily accessible by bus. The Guilherme Gomes Fernandes or Cordoaria stops, which are the same stops where the tourist bus drops you off, are 100 metres from the bookshop. If you prefer the tram, the Carmo and Clérigos stops are two blocks away.

Book tickets for the FC Porto Museum and the Dragão Stadium and explore the home of the Portuguese Primeira Liga football team with your children. This is an almost obligatory visit for football fans.

The tour covers the main areas of the stadium and a visit to the impressive FC Porto Museum, which won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2016 thanks to its technological commitment, cutting-edge lighting, holograms of famous figures, interactive screens and innovation.

Here, children (and adults) smile continuously, especially if they like sports. Everyone learns about the history through the audio guide available in Spanish.

Details of interest

• Price: from £24 you can book tickets for the FC Porto Museum and the Dragão stadium.
• Duration: 2 hours.
• What you need to know: you will find the FC Porto Museum on Via Futbol Clube do Porto and you can visit it from Friday to Wednesday, from 10 am to 7 pm, and on Thursdays until 6 pm.
• How to get there: you can reach FC Porto by metro; the Estádio do Dragão station is right in front of the museum.

Sail with the kids aboard a rabelo, an old wine transporter, to discover Porto. Children love this experience because of the unique nature of the boat, which resembles a pirate ship. When they see the boats anchored on the River Douro, they'll want to climb aboard, and how can you say no?

Cruises on the only river that flows entirely within Portuguese territory depart from two points: the Ribeira de Oporto or across the Dom Luís I Bridge, from Vila Nova de Gaia, just opposite the previous point. Every 30 minutes, starting at 10 a.m., you have the opportunity to take this cruise. This activity is interesting because it brings together young and old in their curiosity to stroll across the city's six bridges:

• The Dom Henrique Bridge.
• The Maria Pia Bridge.
• The São João Railway Bridge.
• The Arrábida Bridge.
• The Freixo Bridge.
• The Luis I Bridge (starting point of the cruise).

The bridges are located far from the city centre, and when you add to that the entertaining stories told by the audio guide in Spanish, the colourful landscape and the tranquillity of the sea, the result is a very enjoyable family experience. Another option that the little ones will love is booking a cruise on the Douro River.

Details of interest

• Price: from £15 for adults and children aged 7 and over.
• Duration: 50 minutes.
• What you need to know: the rabelos run from Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. They have a capacity of 50-60 people.
• How to get there: the tourist bus offers combined tickets with these 6-bridge cruises.

Buy your tickets for World of Discoveries in Porto, a museum that shows children the regions of the world where Portuguese explorers arrived. If you book the Porto Card, you can get a discount on your ticket.

The official description says that it is an interactive museum, but I think that sensory museum better describes the experience. I can tell you in advance that all children (and adults) want to repeat the boat trip. Let me explain what it consists of.

While listening to the stories of Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama, Bartolomé Díaz and other iconic figures with the audio guide in Spanish, you will travel in a boat surrounded by landscapes of China, Japan and Africa, as well as tropical forests, taking in the distinctive aromas of these areas. The tour lasts approximately 20 minutes.

Details of interest

• Price: From £15.
• Duration: 1 hour.
• What you need to know: Rua de Miragaia, 106. You can visit from Tuesday to Friday, between 10 am and 6 pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 am to 7 pm.
• How to get there: The Alfândega stop on tram line 1 is a two-minute walk from the museum.

Just a few metres from the Bolsa Palace, another of Porto's landmarks, you will find another of the best things to do in Porto, the Puppet Museum, a space based on the work of João Paulo Seara Cardoso, former artistic director of the Porto Puppet Theatre, which invites families to tell stories with puppets.

Take your little ones from Wednesday to Sunday, between 2pm and 6pm, to Rua de Belomonte, 61 to see the different puppet exhibitions, specialised videos, seasonal exhibitions and everything related to this art form.

At the end of the visit, you will be invited to create your own play using the puppets of your choice from the venue. The activity is fun and allows you to explore emotions and express your thoughts in a creative way.

Details of interest

• Price: from £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children.
• Duration: 1 to 2 hours.
• What you need to know: there are two entertaining floors, and I encourage you to check their events calendar.
• How to get there: You can take the tourist bus to the Palacio da Bolsa station, then a regular bus to the Merc. Ferr. Borges or Ribeira stations, or the tram to the Infante station.

Walking across a bridge among the treetops at a height of 15 metres is an ideal adventure to share with the little ones, and in Porto you can make it happen at the Serralves Foundation.

They have been raising environmental awareness for over 30 years and the result is truly amazing. You'll walk along a 260-metre-long walkway with safety barriers on both sides while enjoying beautiful scenery in an 18-hectare park. Take a look at this video to get an idea.

It's an immersive experience with Portuguese flora and fauna that's great fun. To take part in the adventure, head to R. Dom João de Castro 210, where you'll also find the Álvaro Siza Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the best museums in Porto.

Details of interest

• Price: From £12 for those over 12 years old.
• Duration: From 1 hour.
• What you need to know: you can visit this park Monday to Friday from 10 am to 7 pm, or Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 8 pm. You can buy tickets at the ticket office orbook in advance.
• How to get there: the tourist bus stops at this park.

Discover Porto by tram and finish at the electric car museum

Trams remain an emblem of some cities. In particular, Porto's trams are an unmissable tourist attraction for adults and children alike. Travel on any of its three lines:

• Line 1 (Infante-Passeio Alegre): runs between the city centre and Jardim do Passeio Alegre along the River Douro. This route offers beautiful views and runs every day from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Line 18 (Massarelos-Carmo, Linha da Restauração): this line runs from Alameda Basílio Teles to the beaches of Foz de Douro and the Tram Museum or Electric Tram Museum. This tram runs between 9.15 a.m. and 7 p.m.
• Line 22 (Carmo-Guindais Batalha): perhaps the most popular tourist route, as it passes by the main churches and the historic centre. This tram runs between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

The ride takes you through steep hills and past old building facades. With the audio guide in English almost finished, you arrive at the Tram Museum, where a dozen trams recount the history of this mode of transport in Porto, capturing the attention of children.

A single tram ticket costs from £2.50. However, you can combine it with the boat trip, the tourist bus, the funicular, and discounts at restaurants and museums from £15 when you buy combined tickets for the Porto tourist bus. Plus, did I mention that children between the ages of 4 and 10 pay half price and children under 3 travel for free?

Useful information

• Price: from £2.50.
• Duration: tram rides last between 20-30 minutes.
• What you need to know: the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm and on Mondays from 2 pm to 6 pm. Combined tickets for trams, boat trips and the tourist bus can be used for 24 or 48 hours.

Sign up for one of the day trips from Porto, perfect for enjoying with children, such as the Amarantes Water Park.

The water attractions include wave pools, Kamikaze slides, a lazy river, maze slides, adult pools, hydro tubes, soft pools and more. Amarantes Water Park also boasts of being one of the most important water parks in Portugal.

This Portuguese region enjoys mild temperatures all year round, and if you travel between July and September, Porto awaits you with its best summer activities. The little ones will have a blast and the whole family will have fun. It's a sure bet for the season.

Details of interest

• Price: over 12 years old from £18.50 and children between 5 and 11 years old from £9.90.
• Duration: 5 to 8 hours.
• What you need to know: it is located at Rua do Tâmega, no. 2245, about 60 kilometres from the centre of Porto, and is open between July and September from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

It's time for an adventure! If you're looking for a place for younger children, Magikland is the answer, where they'll find a ghost forest, swimming pools, lakes, a Ferris wheel and many other attractions.

It is divided into five sections: medieval village, world of confusion, far west, Africa and pirate refuge. A paradise for children between the ages of 5 and 10. Despite the park's recommendation (up to 12 years old), my personal experience - and comments from other friends with children - is that even older children are still amazed by the attractions available.

If you are visiting the city for 4 days or more, hire a car or take the Porto urban train to the Penafiel exit and make a note to go to Magikland.

Useful information

• Price: over 12 years old from £18.50, children between 4 and 12 years old from £12.50 upwards.
• Duration: daily pass.
• What you need to know: it is located at Rua de Santo André, No. 1279 – Penafiel, 35 kilometres from Porto, and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between May and September. Check the annual calendar.

A cable car ride is a great way to see Porto from above, and children will love watching the cable cars go by.

The Porto cable car is located in Gaia, on the other side of the Douro River, where most of the wine cellars are located. The ride is short, but the little ones will be amazed.

If you can't convince them to walk much, you'll be glad you took them on the cable car. The variety of shapes and multicoloured facades will be irresistible to them.

Details of interest

Price: from €6.

• Price: from €6.
• Duration: 5 minutes.
• What you need to know: family passes and other discounts are available, but I found them all expensive until I found out about the 48-hour combined passes for the tourist bus, tram and Gaia cable car from £26 (and for children under 13 from £13).