Things to do in

Serralves Foundation

Explore the district of Porto, on your own time. Using a 24 or 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus ticket, a river cruise ticket and enjoy a visit to a port wine cellars (optional). Visit the perfect combination of historic landscapes, river Douro and learn the highlights of the port wine tradition. With this incredible price you can visit the cities of Porto, Gaia and Matosinhos via sightseeing buses, taking a heritage sightseeing cruise. Also, learn about the cultural significance of producing port wine from a cellar (optional).  Special Time-tables: One day prior to St. John's Day: from 8:30 AM until 1:30 PM St. John's Day: from 2:00 PM Christmas Eve: from 8:30 AM until 1:30 PM Christmas Day: from 2:00 PM New Years Eve: from 8:30 AM until 1:30 PM New Years Day: from 2:00 PM

Explore Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art and its grounds with your entry ticket. See why the entire landscape and architectural heritage were classified as a National Monument in 2012.  Enjoy different parts of the museum, which consists of the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Casa do Cinema Manoel de Oliveira (both designed by the architect Álvaro Siza), Serralves Villa (a unique example of Art Deco architecture), and the 18-hectare Serralves Park, which was recently complemented by the pioneering Treetop Walk: an elevated walkway close to the treetops. Visit the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art, which was designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, a Pritzker Prize winner. The Museum of Contemporary Art presents exhibitions by leading Portuguese and foreign artists, concerts, dance shows, and performances, among other activities. Enjoy the 18-hectare Serralves Park, designed by Jacques Gréber, is a unique example of Portugal's landscape heritage. It consists of a wide range of spaces: formal gardens, woods, a traditional farm and the Treetop Walk. Try something different with the Treetop Walk — designed by the architects Álvaro Siza Vieira and Carlos Castanheira — an elevated walkway in the treetops, which enables impressive observation and study of the biodiversity of Serralves Park. Experience the Manoel de Oliveira House of Cinema, designed by Álvaro Siza Vieira, which shows off the work of Portugal's most-famed director with exhibitions, film series, and conferences. The Serralves Villa is a unique example of Art Deco architecture with leading European furniture designers such as Émile Jacques Ruhlmann, René Lalique, and Edgar Brandt contributing to the interior of Serralves Villa.

This guided tour of the city of Porto begins in the historic center, where you’ll have the opportunity to visit the Cathedral, the São Bento train station, known for its beautiful tiles representing important moments in the history of Portugal, and stop at the Lello bookstore. During the full-day tour you’ll learn about the streets, squares, and sites in the historic center, including the Praça da Batalha, Santa Catarina Street, Majestic Coffee House, Bolhão Market, and Aliados Avenue. Later in the morning you’ll visit a port wine cellar, learn how the wine is made, see some of the rarest bottles that currently exist, and enjoy a port wine tasting. Stop for lunch a restaurant in Ribeira, and take in the magnificent views while dining. In the afternoon you’ll see the city from a different perspective on a 1-hour cruise, and you’ll also have a chance to see all of the bridges that connect Porto to Vila Nova de Gaia. Lastly, you’ll see Boavista, Serralves, and Foz as you travel to Castelo do Queijo, where you’ll take a break, have a snack or drink, or just enjoy the magnificent views of the sea.

See the sights of Porto by bike on a 3-hour sightseeing tour of the city's memorable monuments. Access areas that other vehicles can't reach and go further than you could on foot. Discover sites of interest in the Old Town and pedal along the bike paths of City Park. Cross the Douro River by boat and discover the port wine cellars of Gaia. Along the way, see the former customs house of the Alfândega do Porto Congress Centre and admire the span of the Arrábida Bridge and the remains of São João da Foz castle. Cycle past the fine sand beach of Matosinhos, look for birdlife in Calém Garden and reach the magical fishing village of São Pedro da Afurada. Discover where the Port Wine Museum, Tram Museum and Museu Serralves (Contemporary Art Museum) are located. Visit the remains of São Francisco do Queijo (Cheese Castle), get back to nature in the Douro Estuary Natural Reserve and gaze in awe at the breakwater of Foz do Douro.

Enjoy an 8-hour tour that takes you to see the main attractions of Porto. In the morning you’ll travel by car to see important monuments such as the historical Café Majestic, Clérigos Tower and Church, Lello's Bookshop, Sé Cathedral, São Bento Station, Boavista and Aliados avenues. You’ll also take in the Serralves Museum, Bolhão market, Foz do Douro, the Crystal Palace, the Ribeira region, and more. Head to a Port wine cellar for a tasting in the afternoon. Afterwards, board a Douro river boat for a 50-minute cruise that takes you under the city’s six bridges: St. John, Arrabida, St. Luís, St. Maria, Freixo, and Infante.

Porto is the capital and gateway to Northern Portugal. It is the city that provided a nation with a name and a fortified wine known world-wide: port. With its splendid geographical location on the mouth of the Douro River and an architectural heritage of exceptional quality, the historic center of Porto was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.  In addition to its history, any visitor to Porto will be quickly impressed by the forceful character both of the city and its inhabitants. The downtown of Porto is called 'Baixa' where all the rhythms of city life, movement and intense retailing are found. There is a very peculiar expression which bestows a Nordic, mercantile tone onto a city that is both spiritually and intensely baroque. In sharp contrast, in the Serralves Park, there is the sheer modernity of the building housing the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the romantic, soothing surroundings of the surrounding leafy park.