Porto is an incredible city, there’s no doubt about that! It’s actually my favourite city in the whole world, but I know I’m a bit biased (I’ve lived in Porto all my life) 😇.
Visiting Porto is always a great idea. However, you should be aware that this is a rather rainy city, so it’s better to go prepared or, alternatively, you should definitely find out what to do in Porto when it rains.
Porto’s rainy season is from October to March, which makes July to September the best time of year to visit Porto. However, we can’t rule out the possibility of rainfall in Porto in those months too.
So, throughout this post, I hope to give you some ideas of where to go on a rainy day in Porto.
01 | Visit Port Wine Cellars
One of the most famous things about Porto is its Port wine. As such, one of the most popular activities in the city is to visit the famous Port wine cellars.
Located on the opposite bank of the Douro River (in Vila Nova de Gaia, to be precise), the wine cellars are the place chosen for ageing Port wine. There are several cellars (most of them located in Cais de Gaia) and this is a great option for those who’d like to know what to do in Porto when it rains.
Some of the main Port wine cellars include:
- Cave Ramos Pinto
- Cave Sandeman
- Cave Ferreira
- Cave Cálem
- Graham’s Port Lodge
- Cave Taylor’s Port
02 | Admire the beautiful interior of Stock Exchange Palace
The Stock Exchange Palace may not be the most obvious place to include on a Porto itinerary, but it’s one of my favourite buildings in the city. What’s more, it’s a perfect activity for rainy days in Porto.
Built at the end of the 19th century, it replaced the Casa da Bolsa de Comércio (Trade Exchange House), where merchants discussed a wide variety of issues related to their business.
Nowadays, although it is still the headquarters of the Porto Trade Association, it is mostly used for cultural purposes. The building is unbelievably beautiful inside, especially its famous Arab Room.
📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The tours are guided and take place from 9 am to 6.30 pm, with several languages available. The price of the visit is 12€, but it is worth every penny, in my opinion. Find all the most up-to-date information here.
03 | Have some dessert in one of Porto’s patisseries
There’s nothing better than a coffee and a pastry to cheer us up on a grey, rainy day 🤤. There are hundreds of cafés in Porto, but here I am suggesting those where you can try some of the best sweets in the city. The winners are:
- Manteigaria for the best custard tarts (pastel de nata)
- Confeitaria do Bolhão: one of the city’s oldest patisseries
- Leitaria Quinta do Paço: iconic place in the city where you can try the best éclair in Porto
- Padaria Ribeiro: biscuit specialist, I particularly recommend the Primaveras
💡 EXTRA TIP: Would you like to discover more cafés to try in Porto? Have a look at the detailed list of my favourite cafés in the city!
04 | Enjoy craft beer
Although I’m not a beer fan, I know that there are incredible places in the city to taste and try different craft beers. Most people I know say that these are some of the best places to drink craft beer in Porto:
05 | Go for a dip in an indoor pool
How about enjoying the rain and wind outside in a heated pool? Sounds like the perfect match to me! There are some hotels in Porto with a pool that you can use even if you aren’t staying there. These are some examples of hotels with indoor pools in Porto:
- Hotel Vila Galé Porto (Satsanga Spa Porto): in addition to the water circuit that costs 15€ for 1 hour, there are additional spa treatments
- Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa: The daily pass costs 50€ and also gives access to other areas of the spa, such as the sauna, gym, jacuzzi, hammam and others.
- Porto Palácio Congress Hotel & Spa: Access to the Acqua Sensations therapeutic circuit costs 35€ and lasts a maximum of 90 minutes.
- Oca Flores Hotel Boutique
06 | Visit the Portuguese Photography Centre
Located in a building that used to be a prison (Cadeia da Relação), you can visit some exhibitions at the Portuguese Photography Centre. This building, although not very busy, is one of the city’s most historic sites.
📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The opening hours are from 10 am to 6 pm from Tuesday to Friday and from 3 pm to 7 pm on weekends and public holidays. Entry is free to most exhibitions. More information here.
07 | Explore the city’s museums
While it’s true that many of the most interesting things to do in Porto are outdoors, it’s also true that the city has some very interesting museums. So, if it’s raining when you visit Porto, you know where to go. Here are some suggestions of the best museums in Porto:
- Soares dos Reis National Museum: admire works of art; entrance costs 8€
- Misericórdia do Porto Museum: entry costs 10€
- Pharmacy Museum
- Electric Car Museum: to learn more about the history of the electric car
08 | Watch a concert at Casa da Música
The most peculiar building in the city of Porto is undoubtedly Casa da Música. Built in 2005, it quickly became one of the city’s most emblematic buildings.
Although the best way to enjoy Casa da Música is by attending a concert inside, it is also possible to take guided tours of the building. The tours cost 12€ and can be booked in advance here.
09 | Have a coffee in one of the city’s most iconic cafés
There are cafés in Porto that are so charismatic that they are included in the city’s itineraries and travel guides. The best example is the Majestic Café in Rua de Santa Catarina. The prices are prohibitive and there’s usually a queue to get in, but it’s certainly one of the most beautiful cafés in Porto.
Other iconic cafés in Porto include the classic and elegant Café Guarany, the historic A Brasileira or the student Café Piolho (also known as Café D’Ouro).
10 | Attend a fado show
While it’s true that most people associate fado with the city of Lisbon, it’s undeniable that fado is part of Portuguese culture. For this reason, the city of Porto is also an excellent place to attend a show of this type of Portuguese music.
Some of the best places to listen to live fado in Porto include:
Some of these options are restaurants, allowing you to combine the fado show with a pleasant meal.
11 | Enjoy one of the immersive shows in the city
Another great thing to do in Porto when it’s raining is to take advantage of the immersive shows that often take place in the city. These shows usually take place in Alfândega do Porto, but they also happen sometimes inside the Clérigos Church. You can find out more about the show in the Clérigos church here.
These shows are a true work of art in terms of the combination of sounds and lights. Often, the shows consist of the recreation of works by famous artists, for example.
The exhibitions aren’t always the same, so I recommend you check the Alfândega do Porto website to find out what’s on at any given time.
12 | Go to a covered terrace
Who says you can’t go to a terrace if it’s raining in Porto? There are some covered terraces in Porto that can be a great alternative for rainy days in Porto.
I have several suggestions to share with you. If you just want a snack or a coffee, I suggest Confeitaria Tavi, Monarca, 7groaster, LEA – Food & Drinks or Noshi.
If you’re just going for a drink, I’d also recommend Esplanada do Teleférico – it has some of the best views of Porto, but the food is not that special and it’s quite overpriced due to its location.
For a more complete meal, you can always opt for one of the restaurants with indoor terraces in Porto. These are my suggestions:
13 | Explore everything World of Wine has to offer
World of Wine is quite a new space in the city of Porto and, besides the many restaurants it has, it also has several museums. There are so many museums that it’s impossible to see them all in one day, but I’ll share the various options so you can choose your favourites:
- The Chocolate Story: to learn more about the history of cocoa and how chocolate is made
- Planet Cork: a museum where you can learn more about cork
- Pink Palace: one of WOW’s funniest museums and it’s about rosé wine
- The Wine Experience: allows us to learn more about the wine production process and it also includes a wine tasting
- The Bridge Collection: an archaeological museum with over 2000 artefacts
- Porto Region Across the Ages: tells the story of the Porto region since the first civilisations
📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: The museums can be visited individually, but there are combined tickets for visiting several museums and this option usually pays off. You can see all the options here.
14 | Sipping cocktails with views over the city
One of the best things to do in Porto when it’s raining is to have a cocktail while enjoying views of the city. There are two particularly beautiful places that serve excellent cocktails and have superb views over Porto.
They are actually two hotels, but the bars can be accessed by people not staying in them. They are the 17.º Restaurante e Bar and also the Vincci Ponte de Ferro.
15 | Gastronomic experience at Mercado do Bom Sucesso
Mercado do Bom Sucesso is also an alternative option for escaping the rain in Porto. It has several food stalls, with all kinds of food. It’s therefore a great option for those looking for lunch, dinner or even a snack throughout the day.
16 | A toast with the rain outside
Nothing beats the feeling of being away from the rain in a cosy place. And if you add drinks to the mix, even better! My favourite bar in the city for these kinds of days is, without a doubt, Bonaparte Downtown. The atmosphere is very cosy and the drinks are great.
However, there are other options, such as Capela Incomum or the Big Bad Bank Bar, for example.
17 | Escape from Porto
Is it raining in Porto? Then it might be an option to consider visiting other places relatively close by on a day trip. The truth is that if the weather is bad in Porto, it’s probably not that great in these places too, given the short distance between them. But it doesn’t hurt to try and check the weather forecast.
My suggestions for shorter day trips from Porto (1h30 car journey maximum) include:
18 | Learn how to make pastel de nata (custard tart)
There aren’t many desserts and sweets that represent Portugal as well as the pastel de nata. But how many times have you tried to make a pastel de nata from scratch?
There are some workshops on how to cook custard tarts which can be an excellent idea for those who don’t know what else to do on a rainy day in Porto.
19 | Have fun at an escape room
Escape rooms have gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. As well as being a fun activity to keep you entertained for 1-2 hours, it’s also something fun you can do in a group. There are several escape rooms in Porto:
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