Ride a tuk-tuk through Oporto’s historic district, pausing to browse a revered bookshop and to admire the sweeping view of the city from atop a riverside monastery.
After departing from the pier in your tuk-tuk, you will travel along the waterfront enjoying a street-level view of Oporto. The tuk-tuk is a covered three-wheel vehicle much like a golf cart. It was named for the sound of its engine, but your tuk-tuk will be electric and quieter.
Oporto is Portugal’s second-largest metropolis so there is plenty to see. Its history is inescapable as Oporto lies in an area that has been occupied since the 8th century B.C. The oldest section of town is known as Ribiera, a district so culturally and architecturally important that UNESCO deemed it a World Heritage site.
In time, you will pause at the Lello Bookshop, an institution in Oporto since 1906. It’s a stunningly beautiful neo-Gothic building with stained-glass windows and a grand staircase that is as inspiring as the books lining the wooden shelves.
Nearby stands Oporto’s fortress-like cathedral, where famed Portuguese explorer Henry the Navigator was baptized in the late 1300s. The city’s largest church, it features a prominent rose window that is part of the original façade.
After crossing the Luis I bridge, which spans the Rio Duoro, you will stop at another UNESCO World Heritage site: the Monastery of Serra do Pilar. From the rooftop belvedere, you will enjoy a commanding view of the city before returning to the pier.
