10 Things to Do in Porto in November

The month of November in Porto may not have as popular activities as the celebration of Halloween in October and Christmas in December. However, it is a month with warm and cool weather, which invites you to do all kinds of tourist activities in the city.

Among the best things to do in Porto during November you can discover the architecture, monuments and autumn landscapes of the city. You also have the option to visit closed spaces: museums, bookstores, aquariums, among others, take advantage of Black Friday discounts or, if you are a soccer enthusiast, you can attend a local league or UEFA Champions League match.

During your visit to Porto in 2 days, I recommend you to dedicate a few hours to take a boat ride on the Douro River. You will be amazed with the golden and orange hues produced by the glow of the autumn sun on the surface of the crystal clear waters.

This type of tour usually lasts 50 minutes, during which you will enjoy a real visual spectacle. Especially, if you take the Porto river cruise at sunset.

You will see the autumn scenery and get to know the famous six bridges of Porto:

• Arrábida Bridge, inaugurated in 1963 and considered the longest of the six bridges.
• Freixo Bridge, built in the mid-1990s and the closest bridge to the eastern region of the Douro River.
• Bridge of Don Luis I, has a height of 45 meters and a history dating back to the 19th century.
• Bridge of Infante Don Enrique, this construction, built in 2003, is one of the most recent of the six bridges.
• Maria Pia Bridge, this is the first railway bridge in the city, built in 1873.
• Sao Joao Bridge, this is a railway infrastructure of the late twentieth century, whose modern design is obvious.

Information of interest

• Price: from 15€ per person.
• When: every day.
• Where: mouth of the Douro river (next to the Arrábida bridge).

Initially, November is a warm month, but, from the second half of the month, the days are usually rainy. Therefore, taking a tourist bus in this city is a good option if you want to make the most of your 3-day visit to Oporto.

This way, you will be able to stay protected from weather changes, while discovering really interesting places.

This type of tour usually lasts 24 or 48 hours, depending on the service you hire. During this time, you will have the opportunity to walk through the main streets of the city from the second floor of a bus, contemplating the monuments and parks along the way. In addition, you will be able to get on and off as many times as you wish at the established stops.

You will be able to stop in the historic center or get off in other areas of the city, in order to visit museums, viewpoints, castles, shopping malls, bridges, restaurants, cafes, bars and nightclubs. Afterwards, just hop on the next bus and continue your tour.

Useful information

• Price: from 16€ per person.
• When: every day.
• Where: main streets of the city of Porto.

If you are a true soccer enthusiast, you have a must-see date at the Estádio do Dragão, to watch one of the local league or UEFA Champions League matches. After a couple of months of competition, November is a great time to see the teams in top form.

Please note that the matchday usually takes place on weekends for the local league matches, while the UEFA Champions League matches are played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

In any case, if you wish to take advantage of this unique opportunity to support your favorite team, you should check the calendar of games and verify if they coincide with your visit to Porto in 4 days or more.

Visiting the Estádio do Dragão and its museum turns out to be another of the things to see and do in Porto during November. Especially, if you want to calmly contemplate this magical place, without being surrounded by the hundreds of visitors that come during the high season.

During the tour of the Estádio do Dragão or Dragon Stadium, you will not only be amazed by its imposing architectural design but also learn about the history of this sacred ground, home of FC Porto, one of the best teams in Portugal. All this, with the help of an audio guide.

On the other hand, at the FC Porto Museum, you will be able to learn about the 120 years of the club's history. You will be able to see an important interactive collection with all the trophies won, both national and European.

You will also enjoy an incredible hologram, which projects Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who has been the president of Porto Club since 1982.

Information of interest

• Price: from 12€ per person.
• When: Monday to Sunday, except when there are league or UEFA Champions League matches.
• Where: Estádio do Dragão in Porto.

In the month of November you will find Black Friday offers in many parts of the world and Porto could not be the exception. Therefore, during your stay in the city you should take advantage of the sales of this day to buy clothes, appliances and many more products.

Black Friday takes place on the fourth Friday of November. However, some stores extend the offers until the last day of the month, which will be quite convenient if you want to avoid the crowds of shoppers characteristic of the date.

You can take a short tour of the stores of the main shopping centers:

• Norte Shopping: this is one of the largest shopping malls in the city.
• Shopping Cidade de Porto: in this small mall you will find stores of well-known brands.
• MAR Shopping: with a Lego park for the little ones to have fun while you look for the best deals on Black Friday.

In fact, during this day you will find all kinds of discounts. For example, there are tour and excursion companies from Porto that take advantage of Black Friday to offer discounts on their activities.

For example, you will be able to escape on a tour to Aveiro from Porto or tour the city by bike or electric tuk tuk, at a better price.

Take advantage of the warm weather in the first half of November and join one of the day tours to the Douro Valley from Porto.

The tour usually starts with a cruise that departs from the mouth of the Douro River. You will board a boat traditionally used for transferring wine barrels and passengers.

After about an hour of sailing, admiring the scenery, you will stop for lunch at one of the region's restaurants. Here, you will have some free time to take pictures and enjoy the amazing panoramic view of the river.

Finally, it will be time to board the jeep for a ride on the trails that will take you to Pinhão, where you will visit a local vineyard. You will be amazed by the beauty of this natural scenery and learn a little about the cultivation and production of Port wine. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a wine tasting.

Information of interest

• Price: from 260€ per person.
• When: 1 day.
• Where: Duero Valley.

In Porto some of the Christmas markets open their doors from mid to late November, so if you are in the city during those days, you can take the opportunity to visit these picturesque places.

You will have the opportunity to buy handicrafts and souvenirs, as well as clothes, desserts and Christmas foods, among other seasonal products. Among the markets available from November, the following stand out:

• Praça da Batalha, open from the last week of November until December 31. There, you will enjoy a celebratory atmosphere, among trees, lights, toys, food stalls and much more.
• In Vila Nova de Gaia, from November 27 to January 9, you will find the WOW Christmas Market. You can visit it from 11:00 am, to buy handicrafts, products of national and international brands.
• Matosinhos Market, you will find it at Basílio Teles Park from the last week of November until December 23. It is a Christmas market that annually brings together more than 80 artisans, who will offer you sausages, cheeses, chocolates, books, jewelry and fashion products. All this, from 11:00 to 19:30 hours (Sunday to Thursday) and from 12:00 to 23:00 hours (Friday and Saturday).

Participating in the Porto Marathon is a good alternative during the month of November, especially if you are an enthusiast of athletics competitions. It is a sporting activity that has been held annually in the city for more than 10 years.

You can register online from June until minutes before the start of the race in November.

The route goes through the main streets of Oporto, in a 40-kilometer route, aimed at athletes with a high level of endurance. You will also have the opportunity to select the category of 10 kilometers (Family Race) or 6 kilometers (Fun Race).

Information of interest

• Price: from 50€ per person.
• When: first week of November from 9:00 am.
• Where: main streets of the city of Porto.

If you have decided to visit Porto with children, a good option for a fun and uncrowded activity is to go to the Sea Life Aquarium Park.

There, both you and the little ones can learn about marine life, interact with some species and enjoy the outdoor areas.

Among the activities you can do at the aquarium are:

• Visit to the ponds, where you will find hawksbill and eagle rays, green turtles, clown whales, needlefish, starfish, among other species.
• Informative talks about the marine world.
• Contemplate the Atlantic Ocean from the terrace of the water park's café.
• Underwater tunnel, where you will observe sharks and unicorn fish.
• Pirate ship, for the entertainment of the little ones in the house.
• Direct interaction with sea urchins, starfish and some fish by feeding them.

After the visit you will have enough time to attend a fado show or enjoy one of the many attractions that characterize Porto during the night.

Information of interest

• Price: from 14,95€ per person.
• When: Every day of the week (10:00 to 18:00 hours).
• Where: Praça Gonçalves Zarco.

Visiting the best museums in Porto is a good plan in November.

In addition to escaping a possible downpour, you will find fewer queues and, in the event that you must book tickets, there will be greater availability.

Therefore, if during your trip you want to enjoy the cultural offer that the city has for you, you have to include this activity in your itinerary.

Soares dos Reis Museum

This museum is considered the oldest in Portugal, since it has a history of approximately two centuries.

In its rooms you will find important collections of sculptures and paintings. You will also see permanent exhibits with furniture, glass objects, ceramics and a series of engravings.

Guerra Junqueiro House Museum

The Guerra Junqueiro House Museum is a 17th century construction with a baroque architectural style. Inside you will see several collections of silverware, furniture and goldsmithing, belonging to the poet Guerra Junqueiro.

You will also see exhibits with figures made of metal, ceramics and glass, some sculptures and jewelry.

Electric Car Museum

This museum is ideal if you are enthusiastic about the theme of streetcars, as there are several restored machines and old replicas. You will also see an exhibition of uniforms and photographs, with the drivers who formed the city's railway transport company.

There are also other museums such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Military Museum, the Romantic Museum or the Museum of Photography and the former Prison of Oporto.

The temperature in Porto during the month of November ranges between 14 and 18 ºC, and only drops or rises 3ºC throughout the day. Therefore, if during the day the thermometer reads 16ºC, during the night it could register 14ºC.

The city experiences warm weather during this month , with 17 dry days and the remaining 13 with rain. In addition, you will find short days, with up to 6 hours of sunshine and a UV index equivalent to 4.

The month of November is considered mid-season in Porto. Therefore, you will find a moderate influx of people throughout the city, which is ideal if you want to avoid crowds in the streets and long queues to access the main attractions.

In addition, this mid-season is recommended because it will allow you to enjoy slightly lower prices, starting with flights and hotel, to some products purchased in clothing stores, shoes, food and souvenirs. Certainly, a very favorable panorama for your economy during your stay in Oporto.