News outlets keep bragging about Porto for its nightlife, but the city is a great destination for families with kids, too.
So I wrote this list of the best activities in Porto for families with kids, divided into indoor and outdoor activities. For each activity, I included the price, average duration of the activity and also the ages for which it is most suitable, so that you can choose the most appropriate activity for your family.
Let’s start!
Summary – the best activities in Porto for families with kids
Best INdoors activities
- Best multimedia shows: the multimedia show inside the Clérigos church is AMAZING. If it is sold out, the Immersivus Gallery and the Porto: 5D Flight over de City are good alternatives.
- Best museums for kids: SEA Life Porto or The World of Discoveries. The 3D Fun Art Museum Porto is also super fun 🙂
- For football lovers: FC Porto’s stadium and football museum
- FREE activities: Almeida Garrett public library (it has a large children section)
Best OUTdoors activities
- The 6 bridges cruise in the Douro river is my favourite activity.
- For Animal lovers: Gaia’s biological park
- For Nature activities: visit a park (Serralves is my favourite one, but Parque da Cidade and the Crystal Palace gardens are free) or go to a playground (Quinta do Covelo).
- Cheap activities: go for ice cream or try your skills at the mini golf of Foz.
To discover more activities in Porto for families with kids, keep reading this article!
Best INDOORS activities in Porto for families with kids
Watch a multimedia show at the Clérigos church
Everyone who reads my blog knows that I LOVE the Clérigos church, as it is, in fact, the most beautiful church in Porto. Therefore, I was very happy when I discovered that a multimedia show is taking place at the Clérigos church as it is one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids 🙂
It’s a fantastic lights & sounds show, and I must say that seeing the succession of images reflected in the Clérigos church is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen recently in Porto.
The show lasts half an hour (which is great because the kids don’t even have time to get bored), and the first time slot is at 17h30.
If you go in the afternoon, I suggest you to visit the garden of Cordoaria before the show, as it is just across the street. There is also an Amorino ice cream shop nearby 😉
Practical information about the multimedia show at the Clérigos church (2025)
Prices:
- Adults [11 years old and above]: 10€
- Children [0 – 10]: free ticket
This show is usually sold out (even during the low season), so I highly recommend you to buy your online ticket for the multimedia show at the Clérigos Church.
Schedule: 17h30 | 18h15 | 19h00 | 19h45 | 20h30 | 21h15
Smart tip: arrive early to sit in the last rows of the Clérigos Church, so you don’t have to constantly look everywhere to try not to miss something great!
Duration: 30 minutes
Ages: I don’t recommend this activity for children under 4 years old.
Discover fantastic creatures at the SEA Life Porto
I don’t like to see caged animals but I looove the SEA Life Porto. It is quite small but the way it is organized – with a different decoration for each room and a water tunnel where we are completely surrounded by animals – makes the experience very immersive and fun.
There you will see rays, sharks, fish of all shapes and sizes and a beautiful turtle. Moreover, one thing that I really like at the SEA Life Porto is that is that the ticket has the schedule of all the activities of the day (for example, feeding the penguins); and with the same ticket we can enter and leave as many times as we want on the same day, so as not to miss the activity that we like the most.
The kids love it and we love it even more, for seeing them so happy 🙂 After the visit, go for a walk at the Matosinhos beach.
Practical information about the SEA Life Porto (2025)
Prices:
- Adults: 18,50€
- Children [2-11] yo: 13,50€
You can save some time by buying the online ticket for SEA Life Porto.
Schedule: open everyday from 10h to 18h.
Duration: as long as you want.
Ages: I think kids of all ages will appreciate this place 🙂
Go for an interactive visit at The World of Discoveries
One of the best activities in Porto for families with kids is to visit the interactive museum The World of Discoveries. It has large touch screens in various languages, for kids to play. There are members of the staff dressed in costumes that explain interesting details of the Discoveries of Portugal.
But the cherry on top is the 15 minutes boat ride across different scenarios, that portray the different continents and countries that Portugal has discovered, from luxurious jungles (with a giant elephant!) to Asian cultures… It’s super! 🙂
Practical information about the World of Discoveries (2025)
Prices
| Type of Ticket | Online | At the counter |
| Adults (13 – 64 yo) | 16€ | 17€ |
| Seniors (> 65 yo) | 13€ | 14€ |
| Kids (3 – 12 yo) | 10€ | 11€ |
| Babies (< 3 yo) | free | free |
As you can see, if you buy the online ticket to the World of Discoveries in Porto, you are going to save money because the tickets are more expensive at the counter.
Schedule:
- Mon – Fri: 10h – 18h (last entry at 17h30)
- Weekends: 10h – 19h (last entry at 18h30)
Duration: ~60 minutes.
Ages: I don’t recommend this activity for children under 3 years old.
Have fun at the 3D Art Museum Porto
I LOVE museums that allow us to explore optical illusions in a fun, interactive way 🙂 I think it is a great way to interact with our kids in a fun, relaxed way while taking plenty of photos that we will cherish forever. If you agree with me then I recommend you to visit the 3D Fun Art Museum Porto, a goofy family museum where nothing is exactly what it seems!
The only thing I personally don’t like about the 3D Fun Art Museum Porto is its location, near the highway, away from the city centre. But you can easily get there by taking the subway to Marquês subway station.
Practical information about the 3D Fun Art Museum Porto (2025)
Prices:
- Free entrance for children <4 yo
- Children [5-12]: 9€
- Adults [12-onwards]: 13€
Schedule: Mon – Sun: 10h – 18h. You have to pick a specific hour when you book your ticket.
Duration: as long as you want.
Ages: I recommend this activity for kids above 5 years old.
Visit the football stadium… of FC Porto! 🙂
If your kids love football then you HAVE to take them to FC Porto’s stadium and football museum 🙂
It’s really cool because you can check out a collection of UEFA Champions League trophies and also the dressing room. Furthermore, you will enjoy an interactive journey through the 27 thematic areas of the FC Porto museum. Last but not the least, you can visit the stadium per se (even on rainy days – I have done it already!).
The one thing I don’t like about visiting the FC Porto’s stadium and football museum is that for such a large museum, I would expect to have at least a café or a restaurant, which they don’t.
Expert tip: check the match calendar before making your reservation because stadium tours are not available on match days, the day before UEFA matches or when using the pitch for special events.
Practical information about the FC Porto’s stadium and football museum (2025)
Prices:
| Type of ticket | Price |
| Adult (13 – 64 yo) | 20€ |
| Kid (5 – 12 yo) | 10€ |
| Senior (> 65 yo) | 15€ |
| Baby (< 4 yo) | free |
Schedule: Tue – Sun: 10h – 18h. On Mondays it only opens in the afternoon.
Duration: around 2h30 – it’s a large museum and the tour of the stadium takes 45 minutes!
Ages: I don’t recommend this activity for kids below 4 years old, but I’ve seen plenty of families with younger kids there!
Visit the children’s section of the public library of Porto
There is a secret place in Porto, unknown to both tourists and locals alike, that is simply PERFECT for families with children. I am talking about the Almeida Garrett public library, which has an enormous kids’ section filled with children’s books and adorable handmade cats. In addition, there is a dollhouse and some tables with paper and coloring pencils where the kids can spend hours drawing. The staff is also super dedicated and experienced with kids, so visiting the Almeida Garrett public library is definitely activities in Porto for families with kids!
Moreover, the Almeida Garrett public library is located in the middle of the Crystal Palace gardens, so if the weather allows it you can go for a walk in the park 🙂
Practical information about the Almeida Garrett public library (2025)
Prices: free entrance.
Schedule: open everyday from 10h to 19h. It closes on Sundays.
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want!
Ages: 6+ months.
Best OUTDOORS activities in Porto for families with kids
Take the 6 bridges cruise on the Douro river
Taking the 6 bridges cruise in the Douro river is something that I do a lot during my family tours in Porto, precisely to give the kids a break from the historical walking parts or from the Port wine tastings.
After all, for them it is much more fun to be up on the river waving to the people on the other boats, watching the waves breaking the boat or simply learning about all the beautiful buildings on the river banks.
You can buy the online ticket to the 6 bridges cruise in Porto, which gives you access to the boats departing both from Ribeira (on the side of Porto) and from Cais de Gaia (across the river).
Practical information about the 6 Bridges cruise in Porto (2025)
Prices:
- Adults: 15€
- Children (4 – 12 yo): 7,50€
- Babies: free
Schedule: every day of the week. First boat at 11h, last one at 16h.
Duration: 60 minutes
Ages: I think kids older than 2 years old will appreciate it the most!
Visit one of the beautiful gardens of Porto
Porto has some beautiful gardens which are ideal for families with kids, and I have two specific recommendations for you.
One is the Crystal Palace gardens in downtown Porto. It has a large tilden avenue where it is easy to ride a baby stroller. There are a lot of peacocks, ducks and roosters that children like to chase, as well as a nice playground for the younger ones 🙂
The Crystal Palace gardens have a lot of shadows and places for you to sit down for a while, and you can take the opportunity to visit Almeida Garrett public library, which has a large section dedicated to kids. To go there is definitely one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids!
Practical information about the Crystal Palace gardens (2025)
Prices: free entrance.
Schedule: open every day of the week.
Duration: as long as you want.
Ages: this place is appropriate for children of all ages.
My second recommendation is the Serralves Foundation, which has a contemporary museum designed by the famous Portuguese architect Siza Veira, as well as an immense park. Usually parents visit the museum with their kids and then visit Serralves’ park, which is absolutely gorgeous! Specially now that they have a Treetop walk that allows you to literally walk among the top of the trees. It is SO cool 🙂
The Serralves Foundation also has a great restaurant with large glass windows overlooking the garden, which is perfect for families.
Practical information about the Serralves Foundation (2025)
Prices:
- Children up to 11 years old: free
- Adults [18 – 64]: 24€
- Adults over 65: 12€
You can buy the online tickets for the Serralves Foundation, which includes tickets for the contemporary art museum + access to Serralves park and to the Treetop Walk + Manoel de Oliveira Cinema House + Serralves House. Yes, it is expensive, but you can easily spend there 2/3h with your family!
Another option is to buy just the ticket for the Serralves Park. In this case, the ticket costs 15€/adult, and entry is free for children up to 11 years old.
Schedule: every day of the week, from 10h to 18h.
Local tip: avoid going to Serralves on the first Sunday morning of each month, unless you are low on cash. It is the only time that Serralves is free of charge and it is a NIGHTMARE of crowds and noise.
Duration: as long as you want, and you can easily spend 2/3h there.
Ages: this place is appropriate for children of all ages.
Visit Gaia’s biological park
I’m not a huge fan of Gaia, the city just South of the Douro river. But I LOVE Gaia’s biological park! 🙂 It is a large park filled with both domestic animals (like donkeys, goats and sheeps) but also protected wild animals, like otters, reindeer and even European bison.
There is also a small greenhouse and a center for the recovery of birds.
At Gaia biological park it isn’t possible to make picnics, but they have a cute little restaurant for reasonable prices.
Spending the day at Gaia biological park is definitely one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids, and the only thing that I don’t like is that you definitely need a car to get there, as this is located in Porto’s suburbs.
Practical information about the Gaia’s biological park (2025)
Prices:
- Free entrance for children <6 yo
- Children [6-17]: 1€
- Adults [18-64]: 3€
- Seniors >65: 1€
- There is also a family ticket for 7,50€ that covers the entrance of up to 6 people, it’s really worth it!
Schedule: every day of the week, from 10h to 19h. It closes a bit earlier during the winter season (17h).
Duration: as long as you want, and you can easily spend 2h there.
Ages: I don’t recommend it for children <4 years old because the park is quite large (3 km long) and young kids will get tired quickly.
Go on a Buggy ride on the hills of Porto!
If you and your kids are anything like me and love the outdoors, I recommend you to take a buggy ride on the hills of Porto! You’ll cross rivers, hills and cute little villages. The guides are super experienced and professional, the equipment is recent and so it a totally safe – and super fun – family experience 🙂
I really, really enjoy this activity, but it is not suitable for young kids. Something else I must warn you about is that it takes place a bit far away from Porto, but they do provide a pick up & drop off service, which is very convenient.
Practical information about the the Buggy ride on the hills of Porto (2025)
Prices: 75€ / person (yes, it’s pricey!)
Schedule: this activity starts at either 10h or 15h (you choose).
Duration: 3h
Ages: Only children over 1.20 meters tall can participate in this activity, which is therefore not recommended for small children.
Visit the highlights of the city in one go
Sometimes it’s difficult to visit a lot of places with small children, because they get bored easily. With this in mind, I have a few solutions, so that you can see most of the city and its attractions in one go!
A great option is this ticket to a city train tour, river cruise and wine cellar tasting. The city train and the river cruise are wonderful to wind down and relax with kids. It is a great combo if you want to get the most of a single day and it’s cheap – only 31€/adult and 16€/kid. I recommend this combo ticket because if you buy the activities separately, you will pay a lot more.
If water is not really your thing, you can get a similar experience by getting a ticket to the magic train tour and Port Wine tasting for 16€ / adult and 8€ / kid. The magic train is a quaint way to see the city and children always find it really cute (and adults, too!).
Visit the Zoo Santo Inácio
Zoo Santo Inácio is nice – but it is A LOT more expensive than Parque Biológico de Gaia, and I prefer the later anyways.
There, you can not only see the wild animals but also indulge in activities with your kids such as feeding penguins and lemurs. At Zoo Santo Inácio there’s also a tropical greenhouse, a reptile house and an Asian lion tunnel.
It’s for sure one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids, but it’s a pity that you need a car to get there!
Practical information about the Zoo Santo Inácio (2025)
Prices:
| Type of Ticket | Online | At the counter |
| Adults (26 – 64 yo) | 17,90€ | 18,50€ |
| Kids (3 – 12 yo) | 11,75€ | 12,75€ |
| Young people (13 – 25 yo) | 14,60€ | 15,60€ |
| Seniors (> 65 yo) | 15,80€ | 16,80€ |
| Family ticket (2 adults + 2 kids) | 54€ | 57€ |
As you can see there is a slight discount if you buy the tickets online at Zoo Santo Inácio, but I must say that I never tried to book it online so I have no idea if it is a smooth experience or not.
Schedule: from 10h to 16h30 (it closes a bit later during the summer months).
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want.
Ages: children of all ages will appreciate the zoo!
Take a private family tour in Porto
As you know we organise private tours in Porto and they are very popular among families with kids of all ages.
Whether you are traveling with toddlers, five year olds or suspicious teenagers we know how to adapt the tour so that it is interesting for them as well (and relaxing for you!).
We have some tricks up the sleeve to keep them engaged and we make some surprise stops that will make your kids very happy. But don’t take my words for it: read the reviews of our clients to make up your mind!
You can read more about our private tours in Porto or you can simply send me an email to sara.riobom@portoalities.com. It will truly be our pleasure to welcome your family in Porto!
Go for a walk at Foz
Going to Foz neighborhood is one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids, specially on Summer days.
Foz is the neighbourhood where the douro river joins the Atlantic ocean, and it’s the ideal place to ride a baby stroller. If your kids are a bit older you can rent bikes and go for a ride in Foz, it’s perfectly safe. To go for a walk or for a bike ride at Foz, the best area is between Jardim do Passeio Alegre and Castelo do Queijo.
Once in Foz, you can stop for breakfast or lunch at Tavi – it’s a phenomenal place!
And NO, I don’t recommend swimming on the beaches of Foz, because the water is cold and full of rocks.
Practice your golf skills with your kids
One of the cheapest activities in Porto for families with kids is to go to the mini golf. The ticket is fairly inexpensive, and the location is great – at Passeio Alegre, a beautiful garden in Foz neighborhood. Afterwards, you can walk by the ocean side – it’s lovely.
Practical information about the golf club at Foz (2025)
Prices:
- Adults: 2,50€
- Children: 1,50€
Schedule:
1st July – 14th September: everyday from 9h to 21h
1st January – 30th June and 15th September-31st December: 10h to 18h
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want.
Ages: I would recommend this activity for children >5 yo.
Go to a swimming pool
Tourists have this glossy idea that Porto is a great beach destination, but it is NOT, because the water on the beaches of Porto is extremely cold and fierce.
Therefore, one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids is to go to the swimming pools in Matosinhos.
I already wrote extensively on the best beaches and swimmings pools in Porto, you might want to take a look there. In any case, I leave you here my favourite swimming pools:
My first recommendation is Piscina das Marés, designed by Siza Vieira. It is a beautiful swimming pool built on the top of the rocks, at the beach. The water comes straight from the ocean and it has a large swimming pool and a smaller one, specially designed for small kids. This is one of the best activities in Porto for families with kids, just keep in mind that it is located at Leça da Palmeira (in Porto’s suburbs), so you definitely need a car (or a Uber ride) to get there.
Practical information about the Piscina das Marés (2025)
Prices:
| Type of ticket | Monday to Friday | Saturday / Sunday / National Holidays |
| Adults & teenagers | FULL day | 8€ | 10€ |
| Adults & teenagers | HALF day | 5€ | 6€ |
| Children (2 – 13 yo) | FULL day | 5,50€ | 6€ |
| Children (2 – 13 yo) | HALF day | 3,50€ | 4€ |
Schedule: everyday from 9h to 19h.
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want, but keep in mind that if you choose the half day ticket, you can stay there from either 9h to 14h or from 14h to 19h.
Ages: Children of all ages – they have a children’s pool!
Another great pool is at Quinta da Conceição, a beautiful park with free entrance, also located in Leça da Palmeira. It was also designed by Siza Vieira and the pool area is superb, with plenty of space for families with kids. I highly recommend you to go there with your kids, and to bring a picnic basket with you. Afterwards, you can simply walk in the park, as it has several playgrounds.
Practical information about the Quinta da Conceição’s pool (2025)
Prices:
| Type of ticket | Monday to Friday | Saturday / Sunday / National Holidays |
| Adults & teenagers | FULL day | 7€ | 9€ |
| Adults & teenagers | HALF day | 4€ | 5€ |
| Children (2 – 13 yo) | FULL day | 4,50€ | 5€ |
| Children (2 – 13 yo) | HALF day | 2,50€ | 3€ |
Schedule: everyday from 9h to 19h.
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want, but keep in mind that if you choose the half day ticket, you can stay there from either 9h to 14h or from 14h to 19h.
Ages: Quinta da Conceição does NOT have a children’s pool, so I would recommend this activity in Porto for families with kids that already know how to swim.
Go for ice cream with your kids
Seriously, I am yet to meet a kid (or an adult, as a matter of fact) that doesn’t get concentrated and fully satisfied when eating ice cream. And if you meet an adult that doesn’t love ice cream, get away from them 😀
There are plenty of ice cream shops in Porto but I have a love affair with Gelataria Portuense as its ice creams are phe-no-me-nal. Unfortunately the place is super tiny so you might want to consider other good options, such as Gelataria Santini and Amorini, which might be more appropriate (in terms of space) for families.
If you’re out of ideas of activitie in Porto for families with kids… go to a playground!
I have a feeling that, when everything else fails, a playground is always a good idea!
There are several of them spread around the city, but I really like the one at Quinta do Covelo (the one on the picture) as well as a very large one that exists in Parque Oriental da Cidade (not to be mistaken with Parque da Cidade!).
Both of them were built inside beautiful gardens and have cafés – and, more importantly, bathrooms – nearby.
Practical information about Quinta do Covelo (2025)
Prices: free entrance.
Schedule: everyday from 7h to 20h.
Duration: you can stay there for as long as you want.
Ages: appropriate for children of all ages, including small children, as it has a large playground.
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