Discover the gentle charms and wonderful wines ofNorthern Portugal
From the Douro Valley, which flows into the Atlantic in Porto, to the Rio Minho, the border with Galicia, Portugal’s emerald north offers rolling green hills, dramatic vineyard-filled valleys and a certain ‘lost-in-time’ charm.
Don’t miss the narrow lanes and riverside cafés of Porto, the birthplace of Port wine, and Vila Nova de Gaia, just over the river, where all the big names have their cellars. For the perfect combination head up-river the breathtaking Douro Valley, where the wine is grown and terraced vineyards cling to steep slopes above the river.
To the north, the lush, green valleys of Lima and Minho are home to Vinho Verde, a crisp, white wine that perfectly matches the region’s fresh seafood. The towns here, like Braga, Guimarães, Ponte de Lima and Caminha mix ancient churches, lively markets, and welcoming local traditions.
Inland, Peneda-Gerês, Portugal’s only National Park, and further east the remote Trás-os-Montes region, offer wild mountains, crystal-clear lakes, chestnut forests and stone-built villages, untouched by time.
For the full experience finish your trip in Viana do Castelo and the Atlantic coast, where surf-washed beaches meet rugged cliffs and fishing towns serve the freshest catch of the day.
Real Travel - within easy reach
Numerous flights from the UK direct to Porto or Santiago de Compostela mean that North Portugal has never been easier to get to.
Follow the Douro Valley from Porto, head for the coast into the mountains, explore the charming towns and villages – you’re sure to find adventure.
For two countries in one trip a visit to the north of Portugal combines perfectly with Galicia in Northern Spain - compare and contrast...
- Independent self-drive touring with all the info and support you need.
- Bespoke itineraries – designed and organised by our experts.
- Fly to Portugal and we’ll include a hire car.
- Stay in delightful, independent, hand-picked hotels to suit every taste and budget.
Our favourite tours in Northern Portugal
Here's a selection of our most popular tours in Northern Portugal - Use our interactive search for a full list of northern Portugal tours
And a little further afield...
Practical Information
Northern Portugal - Destination overview
Northern Portugal, between the Minho and Douro rivers, is largely rural with small villages dotted among the rolling green hills and vineyards.
The main city is Porto, set on the Atlantic coast and famous for its fortified wines but the elegant seaside city of Viana do Castelo, and historic Guimaraes and Braga are also well worth a visit.
The dramatic Douro Valley is one of the main attractions, but the region also boasts the country’s only National Park, the Peneda-Gerés, on the border with northern Spain.
Places to visit in Northern Portugal
Main highlights & cities in Northern Portugal
- Porto, Port-wine cellars and so much more...
- The breath-taking Douro Valley
- Oldest wine denomination in the world
- Charming Guimaraes, the birthplace of Portugal
- Historic Bragança, in the sleepy Tras-os-Montes region
- Wild surf-washed Atlantic coast
- Viana do Castelo, a stylish Atlantic resort famous for its filigree jewelry
- Fortress towns strung along the Spanish border
- Ponte de Lima, step back in time...
Things to do in Northern Portugal
- Explore Porto’s Ribeira district – Walk the riverfront, admire colourful houses, and enjoy views of the Dom Luís I Bridge.
- Taste Port in Vila Nova de Gaia – Visit the historic wine cellars, the World of Wine exhibition, and sample Portugal’s signature fortified wine.
- Ride the historic tram in Porto – Take the historic tram from the city centre to the Atlantic coast at Foz do Douro.
- Visit Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga – Climb the grand, baroque staircase or ride the funicular for stunning views.
- Discover Guimarães – Wander medieval streets of this World Heritage site and visit the castle known as Portugal’s birthplace.
- Wine taste in the Douro Valley – Enjoy vineyard visits, the spectacular drive along the Douro, and world-class wines among terraced hills.
- Try a Francesinha in Porto – Savor the city’s iconic, meat-filled sandwich topped with cheese and spicy sauce.
- Hike in Peneda-Gerês National Park – Explore waterfalls, mountain trails, and remote stone villages.
- Visit Viana do Castelo – Enjoy beaches, surf, filigree jewelry and amazing panoramic views from the Santa Luzia Sanctuary.
- Stroll through Ponte de Lima – Experience one of Portugal’s oldest towns with its Roman bridge and green ‘Vinho Verde’ wine.
When to go to Northern Portugal
About the weather in Northern Portugal
The climate in Portugal is quite varied yet its southern position and the proximity of the Atlantic combine to ensure benign conditions year-long throughout most of the country.
The green north is a little cooler and more humid but still enjoys a relatively gentle climate which supports the production of fine wines, Albarinho in the far north and Port & Douro wine in the Douro Valley.
The highlands of the Peneda-Gerés National Park and Tras-os-Montes are somewhat cooler and the upper Douro Valley can be very hot in summer but in general the region is characterised by its mild climate making it ideal for holidaymakers from March right through to October.
Getting to Northern Portugal
It's never been easier...
Porto airport, just 20 minutes' drive from the city centre, is the gateway to northern Portugal and is very well connected
Fly direct to Porto from Stansted, Luton, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool , Edinburgh, Glasgow Belfast and Dublin (and many more UK and International airports).
See individual North Portugal Tours for more details.
Alternatively Santiago de Compostela airport is just an hour and a half's drive from the border.
Eating and drinking in Northern Portugal
Amazing Food
Blessed with lush green valleys and a stretch of Atlantic coastline as well as vineyards producing everything from fortified reds of Porto to the crispest whites of Vinho Verde, for such a small region the north of Portugal offers an amazing spectrum of culinary experiences.
At the coast prepare for the freshest of Atlantic fish and seafood, the ubiquitous-yet-delicious grilled sardines and salt-cod cooked in as many ways as there are days in the year. Inland, the food is as hearty as the wine with warming ‘caldo verde’ to start and delicious meat or game dishes and rich pork casseroles
Porto has its specialities which shouldn’t be missed – “Francesinhas” (steak, sausage and cheese sandwich in a beer flavoured sauce) “Caldeirada do peixe” (fish and potato stew) and “Ameijoas a Bulhao Pato” (a clam and coriander dish) and for the braver diner “Tripas a modo do Porto” (tripe cooked with beans, pigs trotters and offal),
Wonderful wines
Many are drawn to the area by the famous Port wines, grown in the Douro Valley, the world’s oldest DOC, and cellared in Porto at Vila Nova de Gaia - and a combined visit provides a fascinating insight into the history of Anglo-Portuguese alliances as well as the wine process itself - but there’s so much more to discover!
Since the ‘revolution’ led by the Douro Boys’ in the early 2000s, the vineyards of the Douro are producing table wines of exceptional quality whilst in the far north, the Minho region offers fresh, crisp Vinho Verde and more sophisticated Albarinho whites – the perfect pairing for the Atlantic catch!
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