Porto and Lisbon are the two largest cities in Portugal and two of the more popular tourist destinations. However, do you really want or need to visit both? Or is one better suited for you than another? Today, we’re breaking down the different aspects of Porto vs Lisbon and giving you our opinion on which one should be part of your Portugal itinerary. Hopefully, this will help you to decide your clear winner in the debate between Porto vs Lisbon.
Porto Vs Lisbon
Porto and Lisbon may have lots of architectural features in common and from the photos they may look the same. However, the activities and the overall feeling of both cities is very different. Lisbon definitely feels more like a vacation destination with relaxed tourists strolling the streets and outdoor cafes where you can spend hours sipping wine. Porto feels more like a place people go to get sh*t done. There are students and business people out and about making Porto feel like a place with more purpose. We liked Porto overall better than Lisbon for this reason. However, we’ll try to hold on to our objectivity as we break down different specific features of Porto vs Lisbon.
Getting There & Around: Porto vs Lisbon
Lisbon is easier to get to from abroad as it has a larger airport with more international flights. However, Porto also has an international airport with an increasing number of connections. If you can’t get to Porto from your destination non-stop, connecting flights and high speed trains from Lisbon are both good options for getting to Porto.
Getting around both cities is very easy as they are both walkable. Porto is slightly more compact making it easier to get around but Lisbon is still plenty walkable.
Lisbon is easier to get to for most people and easy to navigate. One point for Lisbon. However, we don’t think the difference is enough to be a big factor in your vacation planning.
Accommodations: Porto vs Lisbon
Lisbon has a well established tourism infrastructure. This is complete with numerous neighborhoods, all with different vibes, where you can find all types of accommodations. Accommodations in Lisbon were easy to find and reasonably priced, thought the prices did have a bigger range than Porto.
Porto seems to still be developing its tourism infrastructure. There were fewer options for booking accommodations in Porto, they seemed to be a bit pricier and it was harder to find unique properties. However, there were still plenty of options at a variety of prices.
We liked our accommodations options in Lisbon better. One point for Lisbon. Whatever city you choose, make sure to book your accommodations in advance if you are visiting between April and October as places fill up during these busy tourists months.
Dining: Porto vs Lisbon
Both Porto and Lisbon have really developed into foodie cities in recent years. Both have several highly rated and even Michelin stared restaurants to eat at. So what we’re saying is they both do food well!
However, the food styles of Porto and Lisbon are a bit different. Portugal food reminds me of comfort food. But Porto takes this to another level with baked stews, hearty potato dishes, fried things and a sandwich to end all hangovers (francesinha). Porto also has a great selection of seafood. The octopus we had in Porto is the best octopus we’ve ever had! Porto also seems to add more flavor to lots of the traditional Portuguese dishes by adding olives and more salt to lots of dishes (and we like lots of seasonings and salt).
Alternatively, Lisbon is the spot for those with the sweet tooth. Pasteis de natas were developed in Lisbon and Lisbon still has the best places for getting these sweet egg tarts. Lisbon also has a less traditional and a more worldly gastronomic style. Food here feels fancier and more influenced by the world. With that world class level of dining, you’ll get multiple restaurants that compete on the world stage – we ate at our first Michelin star restaurant in Lisbon (for a very reasonable price).
We liked the food better in Porto. One point for Porto. We also liked the more relaxed dining experiences that Porto seemed to offer – lots of the restaurants we went to in Lisbon seemed more crowded, fancier and harder to get in to. Though reservations are recommended for top restaurants in either city.
Activities: Porto vs Lisbon
This one is hard to determine a clear winner.
First, there is Porto. Porto is filled with tons of things to do. You can visit numerous blue tiled churches, the world’s most beautiful bookstore, climb towers for the best views, and don’t forget a boat ride along the Douro River. Porto has plenty of things to do to fill multiple days.
Next, there’s Lisbon. While Porto has lots of unique things to do, Lisbon has some of our favorite things to do in Portugal. I mean Jerónimos Monastery – that alone merits a visit to Lisbon! And São Jorge Castle was one of the best tours we took in Portugal filled with the biggest/fastest Portuguese history lesson we got. Lisbon also has lots to do but some of it feels like it could be in any large city anywhere in the world. One of the most popular things to do in Lisbon is just to wander the streets, which is fun but less enriching that was like.
Lastly, they both have amazing day trips. You can visit Sintra from Lisbon or visit the Douro Valley from Porto. Both day trips made our list of favorite things to do in Portugal!
However, if we had to choose. We liked the amount of activities that were on offer in Porto. One point for Porto. We felt like we could spend more time in Porto and see things that were unique to Portugal – all with fewer crowds and a lower price tag. With the exception of a few of our favorite Portugal activities, Lisbon activities felt like they could be anywhere in Europe.
Nightlife: Porto vs Lisbon
Lisbon feels like a town made for the youth. Trendy rooftop bars, neon lit dance floors, and craft cocktails make for a great party scene. And Lisbon brings the party all night long! There always seemed to be a bachelor or bachelorette party roaming the streets anytime after the sun went down. It seems like this is a place to party – and the drinks are cheap.
Porto is filled with small intimate bars and streets that fill up with impromptu parties at night. One of our favorite things about Porto at night was the street performers, especially in popular parks, which made it feel like one big community party.
We liked the nightlife better in Porto. One point for Porto. We like the super laid back evenings and the welcoming vibe of the evenings in Porto. Though if you are looking for somewhere specifically with a hoppin bar scene, Lisbon is better.
Porto vs Lisbon: Our Opinion
For those keeping track of the score, Porto is the winner 3:2:
- Getting there – Lisbon
- Accommodations – Lisbon
- Dining – Porto
- Activities – Porto
- Nightlife – Porto
Why Visit Both Porto & Lisbon
You can of course visit both Porto and Lisbon. And we’d recommend you give both a try if you’re visiting on a longer Portugal vacation. We think you need a minimum of two days each to visit each destination, without doing any out of town day trips. You can take the high speed train between the two cities, which only takes a few hours and is easy to navigate.
However, if you only have time when you’re in Portugal to visit two destinations, one of them needs to be the Algarve. The southern coast of Portugal is unique, beautiful and an amazing vacation destination. So if you only have 5-6 days, spend 3 of them in the Algarve and the other 3 exploring whichever city suits your travel style.
While we enjoyed getting a taste of all this country had to offer, we aren’t big city people and visiting both cities was just too much for us. We hope this article has helped you to decide whether Porto vs Lisbon is best for your Portugal vacation. And hey – if neither sounds good to you, you don’t have to visit either. Maybe your idea of a Portugal vacation is relaxing away the hours on an Algarve beach instead of visiting either city. To discover more Portugal destinations and check out our itineraries, check out our Portugal vacation posts here or leave any questions you may have in the comments section below.
