When to go · Porto, Portugal
Best time to visit Porto
The sweet spot is July, August and September — averages 22°C, only 4 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
April - June, September - October
Oceanic climate, milder and wetter than Lisbon. April-June: the city in bloom, the Douro vineyards a vivid green, and manageable crowds before the summer surge. June brings the Festas de Sao Joao (St John's Festival on June 23-24) - Porto's greatest celebration, the streets of the Bonfim fill with grilled sardines, plastic hammer fights, and all-night dancing. July-August is warm (26-28 degrees C) and crowded. September-October: harvest season in the Douro Valley, the finest time for wine tourism, and golden Atlantic light. Winter (November-March) is mild (12-15 degrees C) and rainy but the city is entirely genuine - the azulejo tile facades, the crumbling baroque churches, and the port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia at their most atmospheric.
The short answer
22°C · 4 rainy days · high season
22°C · 5 rainy days · high season
21°C · 7 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: December and January. averages 11°C, 14 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C | 14d | low | Wet |
| February | 11°C | 12d | low | Wet |
| March | 13°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| April | 14°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| May | 17°C | 10d | mid | Comfortable but damp |
| June | 20°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| July | 22°C | 4d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| August | 22°C | 5d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| September | 21°C | 7d | high | Great weather, peak crowds |
| October | 17°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| November | 13°C | 13d | low | Wet |
| December | 11°C | 14d | low | Wet |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, November and December are low season in Porto — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $40–70 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.