Porto Self Guided Walking Tour and Scavenger Hunt

Sao Bento is an important rail station in Porto. It was completed in 1916 in the French Beaux Arts style. The first train arrived in 1896, three years after the tunnel through which they left the city was completed.
You will have 2 challenges here to start your scavenger hunt.
Close to:
- Sé do Porto
- Batalha Square
- Praça da Liberdade
- Igreja de Santo Antonio dos Congregados

Praça da Liberdade was created in the 18th century. It is dominated by a monument to King Pedro IV, holding the constitution in his hands.
Another challenge awaits you here with a lot of history.
Close to:
- Sao Bento rail station
- Porto City Hall
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Estattua Equestre de Dom Pedro IV
- Hard Rock Cafe Porto

Pedro IV of Portugal (1798-1834) was born in Lisbon, son of King Dom Joao VI (1767-1826) of the Braganza dynasty. His mother Carlota Joaquina was the daughter of King Don Carlos IV of Spain.
2 challenges await you here around this monument.
Close to:
- Porto City Hall
- Sao Bento rail station
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Hard Rock Cafe Porto
Confeitaria dos Clérigos

In front of city hall is the word PORTO in giant letters if you want to take a souvenir photo.
Close to:
- Hard Rock Cafe Porto
- Praça da Liberdade
- King dom Pedro IV statue

This pastry shop specializes in Pastel de Nata, also called Pasteis de Belém. They are small tarts made of egg yolk custard, a Portuguese specialty.
Close to:
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Praça da Liberdade

Igreja dos Clérigos, or church of the clergy, was completed in 1763 in the Baroque style. It is one of the first Baroque churches in Portugal.
Your challenge here will be a little complex.
Close to:
- Torre dos Clerigos
- Praça da Liberdade
- University of Porto

Torre dos Clérigos is the bell tower of the church. It is visible from almost everywhere in the city. It quickly became a visual icon of Porto.
Close to:
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- University of Porto
- Livraria Lello

Antonio Ferreira Gomes (1906-1989) was the bishop of Porto between 1952 and 1982, appointed by Pope Pius XII. You will find a visual challenge here.
Close to:
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- University of Porto

This 1881 bookstore is richly decorated and is more of a tourist attraction than a bookstore. It is one of the oldest in Portugal.
To visit it, you must first purchase a visiting ticket for 5 Euros. It will be refunded if you buy something within.
Close to:
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- Praça de Lisboa
- University of Porto
- Igreja do Carmo

This marble Fountain of the Lions (1886) is located in front of the University of Porto.
Close to:
- Igreja do Carmo
- Livraria Lello

The University of Porto was established in 1911 by uniting several graduate and trade schools. It also houses 2 museums.
An observational challenge awaits you around the square in front of the University.
Close to:
- Igreja do Carmo
- Livraria Lello

The Church of Carmo is actually 2 buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. It was built in the Baroque style for the Carmelite order of the Roman Catholic Church and used as a convent.
The exterior is covered with blue tiles telling the story of the Carmelites. Inside you will find a bizarre organ with horizontal pipes
Close to:
- University of Porto
-Jardim da Cordoaria

Romalho Ortigao (1836-1915) was a Portuguese writer, born in Porto.
A challenge awaits you here.
Close to:
- University of Porto
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- Igreja dos Clérigos
- Igreja do Carmo

This urban park has many different areas including a pond, trees, pathways a playground and various sculpted monuments.
Close to:
- Porto University
- Igreja do Carmo
- Igreja dos Clérigos

Church of St.Jose das Taipas is affiliated with the Church of the Clerigos.
It was built between 1795 and 1878 in a neoclassical style. Inside, you will find a large painting of the Barcas bridge incident. This occurred when Napoleon invaded Portugal and citizens of Porto fled south via a floating pontoon bridge, which collapsed under the excess weight.
Close to:
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- Torre dos Clérigos
- Casa de Almeida Garrett

This is the birthplace of Almeida Garrett (1799-1854), one of the generals under Pedro IV when he returned to Portugal from Brazil to take it back from Miguel I. His intention was to install a more modern constitutional monarchy, with his daughter Donna Maria II, at its head.
Close to:
- Old English Club of Porto
- Jardim da Cordoaria
- Jardim Municipal do Horto das Virtudes

This park offers you a belvedere and a beautiful lookout point from which to see the Douro River and the Ponte da Arrabida.
You'll see:
- Douro River
- Ponte da Arrabida

The original fountain on rua das Taipas from 1772 was intended to supply the district with drinking water. It was replaced at the end of the 18th century by this one.
A geometry challenge awaits you here.

The Church of New Saint John was built in 1539. It was part of the old Jewish quarter of Porto.
Close to:
- Palace of New St.John

The stock exchange palace was completed in 1850 in the neoclassical style. It is located on the ruins of the convent of the St.Francis church which is behind it from where you are.
Discover much more history and solve challenges here.
Close to:
- Praça do Infante D. Henrique
- Da Ribeira
- Igreja Monumento de Sao Francisco

The park of the Child Henrique, or Prince Henry the Navigator. You will find his statue in the center of this park.
He notably established maritime trade routes for Portugal with the Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Sierra Leone in Africa and discovered the Azores.
A few challenges await you here.
Close to:
- Palacio da Bolsa
- Da Ribeira
- Igreja Monumento de Sao Francisco

The Church of St. Francis, which you can see to the left of the Stock Market Palace, was built by the Franciscans in 1223 in the Gothic style.
Solve a challenge here.
Close to:
- Palacio da Bolsa
- Da Ribeira
- Jardim do Infante Dom Henrique

In this old customs house is a museum dedicated to Prince Henry the Navigator.
Close to:
- Da Ribeira
- Jardim do Infante Dom Henrique
- Palacio da Bolsa

Cais Da Ribeira is on the edge of the Douro River and offers beautiful views of several bridges, and Gaia across the water.

This is the Church of St. Lawrence and the Convent dos Grilos (crickets).
Learn why it's called the church of the crickets on our Scavenger Hunt as you solve a few challenges here. On the right of the church, there is an observation point above the Ribeira district and the Douro river.

The pelican fountain was built in the 17th century. It is another public fountain where citizens obtained drinking water. However, it no longer offers potable water.
Close to:
- Sé Cathedral of Porto

This column in front of the Porto Cathedral (Sé) is called the Pelourinho, or pillar.
It represents the power of justice. From here criminals were hung in the past.
Close to:
- Sé Cathedral of Porto

The real name is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Its construction began in 1110 and ended in 1737. It is the seat of the bishop of Porto.
Learn more about the cathedral and its history on our scavenger hunt, as you'll solve a few challenges around it.
Close to:
- Ruins of the Medieval Wall
- Statue of Vimara Peres

He was the 1st king of Portugal. He was previously a viscount of King Alfonso III of Asturias, sent here to reclaim the land invaded by the Moors.
Close to:
- Sé Cathedra of Porto

The Ponte de Dom Luis I is one of the main visual icons of the city of Porto. It was built in 1886 honoring King Luis I (1838-1889). It was designed by Téophile Seyrig, a protégé of Gustav Eiffel.

Francisco Lopes de Azevedo (1809-1876) was a bibliophile and politician. Today his palace houses apartments and a hotel.
Close to:
- Old Medieval City Walls

Neoclassical in style, it was inaugurated in 1798. Joao was a prince regent at the time. He later became King Joao VI (1767-1826). He was the father of Pedro I of Brazil / Pedro IV of Portugal.
A challenge awaits you here.
Close to:
- Batalha Square
- Sao Bento rail station

This square is called Batalha Place. It owes its name from the 10th century battle between Christians and Moors for control of the city.
2 challenges await you here on our scavenger hunt.
Close to:
- Monument to Dom Pedro V
- Teatro Nacional Sao Joao