Reach Palácio da Bolsa early: tours are the only way in

Cedofeita is the neighborhood of art galleries, urban cafes and independent shops, and guides describe it as less busy than the central streets. Ribeira is the most touristy part of town and stays lively at night, and Baixa has the busiest nightlife, so Cedofeita suits visitors who want to walk back to a calmer…

Palácio do Freixo is a baroque palace by Nicolau Nasoni on the Douro, now a Pousada and a National Monument since 1910. The palace holds the restaurant, bar and lounges, while most rooms are in the former flour factory beside it, so book it for the setting rather than for palace bedrooms. It sits about 4 km from the…

Each year the city hall runs the Feira do Livro do Porto in the gardens of the Palácio de Cristal, with hundreds of stands and activities. The most recent edition, the 13th, ran from late August into early September, so it suits a late summer visit. Daily concerts start at 19:00 at the Concha Acústica and jazz plays…

On the last weekend of May, Serralves opens a free arts festival across its park, villa and museum, with music, dance, circus, street theatre, cinema and workshops. Recent editions run about 50 non-stop hours. Check the official festival site for the programme, because artists and stages change every year. Plan it as…

Rem Koolhaas designed this concert hall, which opened in 2005 and houses a symphony orchestra and other resident ensembles. Besides guided tours, an open tour lets you walk the building with QR code audio guides, so bring headphones. It runs daily during the day, subject to availability. Round off the visit with an…

Porto's fado houses stage short concerts of about an hour, often at 18:00 and 19:30, so you can hear live fado before dinner. Casa da Guitarra, in a shop selling Portuguese guitars next to the Sé, and Ideal Clube de Fado, which focuses on traditional fado, are two venues named in recent guides. Book online ahead in…

Locals call this Porto's gallery district: contemporary galleries, independent creative spaces, design shops, bookstores and small cafes sit side by side. Several times a year the galleries hold their openings on the same evening, and the street fills with people moving between galleries and bars. Come on one of those…

Feira da Vandoma is Porto's long-running Saturday morning fair for second-hand goods, and it has changed address several times over the years. Different guides still show different locations, from the old streets near the cathedral to newer sites in the east of the city. Check the Visit Porto or city council page the…