Which one to choose in Porto
Two churches in Porto. Church of São Francisco has no online ticket listed; Porto Cathedral has 7 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Porto, Portugal
The church of Sao Francisco stands just above the Ribeira waterfront in Porto, beside the Stock Exchange Palace, and it is no longer used for regular worship: it is run as a monument, and the ticket, bought in the building opposite the church door, covers the church, a small museum of religious art and the catacombs beneath. Photography inside the church is not allowed, which is worth knowing before you go.
Porto, Portugal
Entry to the church is free; the cloister and the treasury are the ticket, and it is one of the cheapest in the city. Audio guides are included in some versions. The cloister is the reason to pay: two storeys of Gothic arcading lined with eighteenth-century blue and white azulejo panels, with a staircase by Nicolau Nasoni leading to a terrace over the river. Guided walking tours of the historic centre usually include the cathedral ticket and cost several times it, which buys the context of a city that grew up around this hill.
| Church of São Francisco | Porto Cathedral | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Monastery & Abbey | Cathedral |
| Opened | 1401 | 1110 |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 7 |
| Official website | — | yes |