Day Trip from Porto to Aveiro

Nicknamed the Venice of Portugal, Aveiro is a place of canals, salt flats and Art Nouveau buildings. From Porto, we offer 15 day trips with Aveiro on the itinerary. Visitors have reviewed the Aveiro outings listed here more than 9,196 times, and the mean score stands at 4.5 out of 5.

About 4 hours, a half day, is the length that comes up most; the trips we describe stretch from 4 up to 10 hours. Over the full Aveiro range, expect anything from 4 to 11 hours away from Porto.

Half-day minibus trip with a guide

Guided Aveiro trips bring a guide along for the outing from Porto. One 4-hour trip takes in Aveiro and Costa Nova by minibus with an official English-speaking guide, and a 45-minute boat trip joins it depending on the selection. It scores 4.2 out of 5.

Aveiro combined with Costa Nova and beyond

Combined day trips reach beyond the canals of Aveiro. An 8.5-hour route allows free time in both Aveiro and Costa Nova, a boat ride depending on the option chosen, the chapel of Senhor da Pedra set in the middle of a beach and a taste of the local ovos moles. Its average is 4.7 out of 5.

Other combined days add a boardwalk and a bridge to the Aveiro visit. At around 10 hours, one pairing mixes a short walk in Aveiro and a visit to Costa Nova with the Paiva Walkways, their entrance fees covered, and the suspension bridge. People score it 4.9 out of 5.

Another combined format around Aveiro keeps a guide with the group. "Moliceiro boat trip", this version notes, with the ride depending on the selection; it lasts about 7.5 hours by bus or minibus with an English-speaking guide. Its rating comes to 4.6 out of 5.

Moliceiro cruise along the canals

Boat-led trips give the canals of Aveiro a proper cruise on a traditional boat. A 4-hour trip we describe joins a 1-hour cruise by traditional moliceiro with a guided tour past the Art Nouveau monuments and a look at the colourful houses on the Costa Nova beach. Reviewers rate it 4.2 out of 5.

A boat ride can also share the day with a second city. One trip by air-conditioned car adds Coimbra, with a visit to its university complex and old cathedral, a local pastry and water, plus a traditional moliceiro ride in Aveiro. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5.

For Aveiro, the choice turns on how long you want to be away and on whether the boat ride is part of the booking or depends on the option. "Aveiro & Costa Nova Day Trip" has drawn the most reviews of the trips shown here, more than 3,285, at a rating of 4.2 out of 5.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.

Moliceiros, once seaweed boats

Moliceiro boats were once used to harvest seaweed; today they run canal cruises of about 45 minutes in Aveiro. Several of the trips we cover include a ride on one, in some cases depending on the option you pick.

Costa Nova and its striped houses

Costa Nova lies about 10 km from Aveiro and is known for its striped wooden fishermen's houses. It appears on several of the combined days we feature.

The azulejo station building

Aveiro's old station building is covered in blue-and-white azulejo tiles that show canal life.