How to get to Torre dos Clérigos

Where the tower stands

The tower rises behind the Clérigos Church, on Rua de São Filipe de Nery, in Porto's historic centre. The Portuguese Wikipedia places it in the Baixa, the name for the central part of the city around the Avenida dos Aliados, a zone that also holds the Bolhão market, the shopping street Rua de Santa Catarina and São Bento railway station. It calls Rua dos Clérigos one of the main and busiest streets of the Baixa, and the tower stands inside the city's historic core, a UNESCO site since 1996. The tower can be seen from many parts of the city, which makes the last approach easy: look up.

One building, two ends

The church and the tower are one ensemble. The church front, with its divided stairway completed in 1763, is the part you see in photographs. The tower stands at the back of the building, joined to the church by the brotherhood's house, the Casa da Irmandade, which now holds a museum. So when a route gets you to the church, you are already at the tower. Go to the ticket office as soon as you arrive at the monument to change your ticket, as the evening ticket asks, and ask there which door leads to the stair.

From Porto airport

English Wikipedia says the airport is served by Aeroporto station on the Porto Metro, and that riders can transfer at Trindade, an interchange with other lines. So a ride from the airport is a metro journey with one change into the centre. A taxi or ride-hail is the alternative, and the tower's street, Rua de São Filipe de Nery, is all the driver needs. Check a current network map for which line to take from Trindade, because the metro has six lines and 85 stations, and the printed route in a guide goes out of date faster than the map on the platform.

From the railway stations

Long-distance trains from Lisbon stop at Campanhã rather than São Bento, and a local service links Campanhã with São Bento. São Bento itself handles the commuter network and the start of the Douro line, along with services towards Minho, Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro. Step into its main hall even if you are not catching a train: some 20,000 azulejo tiles by Jorge Colaço, composed between 1905 and 1916, picture episodes from Portuguese history and scenes from the Douro vineyards. The building opened in 1916 to plans by José Marques da Silva.

By metro

English Wikipedia describes Porto Metro as the largest urban rail system in Portugal: six lines open, 70 kilometres of track and 85 stations. Two of its stations, São Bento and Aliados, sit in the Baixa. São Bento metro station is linked underground to São Bento railway station, and Aliados lies to its north, serving the avenue of the same name where the city hall stands. From either stop the tower is a walk through the central streets, so the metro gets you close and your feet do the rest.

Read next: Torre dos Clérigos: practical guide

From Gaia and the riverside

Visitors based in Vila Nova de Gaia cross the river by the Dom Luís I Bridge, a double-deck iron arch designed by Théophile Seyrig, once a partner of Gustave Eiffel, and opened in 1886. Walkers and the metro share the upper deck; the lower deck takes buses, taxis, cyclists and more pedestrians. UNESCO's 1996 listing of Porto's historic centre takes in the bridge and the Serra do Pilar monastery, a landmark you can pick out from the balcony. On the Porto side the Baixa lies ahead, reached on foot or by metro.

By tram or bus

Porto built a tram network from 1895, the first in the Iberian Peninsula. Only three lines remain, and they now run as heritage services, so a tram is a scenic way to arrive rather than the quickest. City buses also serve the centre, but routes and stops change, so use a current map from the operator rather than a number printed in a guide. When in doubt, aim for São Bento or Aliados and finish on foot, because the last stretch of every route is the same.

On foot through the Baixa

Most visitors finish on foot, and the walk is part of the sight. The Livraria Lello bookshop stands on Rua das Carmelitas, fronting Praça de Lisboa, near the tower and the Clérigos Church, according to Wikipedia, and it opened in 1906. The Cordoaria garden lies on the route taken by the guided walk through the old town, and the Avenida dos Aliados runs up to the city hall. The Baixa is also where the Bolhão market and the shopping street Rua de Santa Catarina lie, so the way to the tower can double as a walk through the central shopping streets. Wear shoes you can climb in: the tower is a stair, not a stroll. Leave a few minutes spare for finding the right door once you reach the building.

What to have with you

Have your ticket and your confirmation to hand and arrive before your start time, which the booking page shows when you check availability. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed in the tower or the museum, and the tower provides a secure place for belongings, subject to availability, so a small bag is easier than storage. The evening ticket asks you to change your ticket at the ticket office as soon as you arrive at the monument. There is no lift, so travel light and wear shoes you can climb in.

Who this isn't for

If step-free access matters, read this carefully, because two sources differ. The tower ticket is flagged as unsuitable for visitors with reduced mobility and notes that there is no lift. The tower's own website says the church, museum and tower are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and describes a multisensory space that simulates the climb. Contact the tower before you choose a ticket. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed in the tower or the museum either, and storage is subject to availability, so travel light.

Read next: Torre dos Clérigos with kids

Combining the tower with a walk

The guided walk through the old town starts at Terreiro da Sé beside the Cathedral and finishes at the São Bento da Vitória Monastery, passing Rua das Flores and the Clérigos Church on the way, with entry tickets included. It runs for about three hours and its itinerary does not list the tower climb, so it complements the tower ticket rather than replacing it. Book the climb for the day you have the energy for the stair, and the walk for the day you want the old town explained. Both can be cancelled free until their windows close, so you can hold the two while you settle the order of your days.

Read next: Best time to visit Torre dos Clérigos