Aveiro & Costa Nova Day Trips from Porto: The 15 Best Tours

1.Traditional Moliceiro Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,443 reviews · 45 min · from $16Our pick

Cruise Aveiro’s canals aboard a traditional Moliceiro with a live guide in English, Portuguese, Spanish, or French. You’ll pass Rossio Garden, the old port captaincy, the former brick-factory canal, and the Canal das Pirâmides, where summer salt pyramids add local color. Guides such as Ricardo, Soraia, and Mariana bring history and humor to this short city tour.

“I like it in general, it was very entertaining and interesting”

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2.Aveiro and Costa Nova Half Day Tour from Porto with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,522 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $55

Ride from Porto to Aveiro and Costa Nova in a small group, hear Portuguese history from your guide, cruise the canals in a traditional moliceiro boat, sample Ovos Moles, and photograph Costa Nova’s striped fishing huts. Guides may include Helder, Maria, Carlos, or Diego. Expect about four hours, with limited time ashore.

“The tour was great and Franco did a great job explaining everything in Spanish and in English he was very friendly. The boat in Aveiro was great also and the guy who did the tour was so funny. We have a good time. We recommend this tour to everyone who goes to Porto.”

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3.Scenic Guided Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,047 reviews · from $17

Board a mint-blue Moliceiro boat in central Aveiro for a 45-minute guided cruise through the Central Canal, Canal do Côjo, Canal das Pirâmides, and Canal de São Roque. Your guide may include Dora or Michelangelo, both praised for lively multilingual commentary. Expect salt flats, Art Nouveau buildings, the Fishermen’s Quarter, and the old Jerónimo Pereira Campos ceramic factory.

“not really much to do in Aveiro and this was probably the highlight. A small 40min tour round the Canals. Not much to see but not a bad way to break up the morning. the guide was funny (Michelangelo) ... impressed he spoke four fluent languages and was a good host.”

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4.Half-Day Tour from Porto with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 963 reviews · from $52

From Porto’s São Bento area, you’ll ride by minivan to Aveiro, walk through the old center, take a 45-minute moliceiro cruise, and visit Costa Nova. Guides such as Rafael, José, André, and Paulo have been praised for clear explanations and good humor, though the tight schedule leaves little time for food or longer walks.

“A really enjoyable morning! We’d read about Aveiro back in the UK as “The Venice of Portugal” and it’s lovely! A well planned morning with Rafael as our guide and Gandra as our driver. Just one tip - when you collect your tickets remember to ask where to board the bus as it’s round the corner from the ticket office!”

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5.Aveiro, Paiva Walkways and Arouca 516 Footbridge

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 957 reviews · from $142

Spend 10.5 hours with a small group of up to eight, crossing the Arouca 516 Footbridge and walking 5km downhill along the Paiva Walkways. Your English-speaking guide, often Dani, Tomas, Mauro, or Philip, also leads you to Costa Nova and Aveiro, with lunch and an Aveiro canal boat ride included.

“It was a great trip, the best of all the five we had from Porto. Beautiful views, enough time everywhere. Lunch was delicious and plentiful. But the best was our guide Tomas, already on the first trip to Arouca he told us much more about Portugal than the other guides on the other trips put together. He was very polite, always helpful and answered any questions, he is very committed to his job. Thank you very much!”

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6.Porto to Lisbon Up to 4 Stops: Aveiro, Nazare, Fatima & Obidos

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 810 reviews · 4 to 10 hours (approx.) · from $287Top rated

Travel privately from Porto to Lisbon in a comfortable Mercedes with your luggage onboard and up to four sightseeing stops. Choose Aveiro’s canals, Nazaré’s Atlantic coast, Fátima’s sanctuary, and Óbidos’s medieval walls. Guides such as Alfredo, Tiago, Nuno, and Ricardo tailor the day, suggest lunch, and help you make the most of limited time.

“I enjoyed this excursion. I modified the locations to visit as I had been to several of the options prior. The tour operator was very accommodating with my request. Teresa, my guide was so sweet and kind. We stopped at locations that I was interested in seeing, she offered a recommendation for a great location for lunch in Nazare and made a reservation in advance to ensure I had a table. This was a great way to get from Porto to Lisboa and see additional towns along the way. Highly recommend.”

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7.Traditional Moliceiro Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 797 reviews · 45 min · from $15Best value

Spend 45 minutes on a traditional moliceiro boat from Largo do Jardim do Rossio. A live guide, sometimes including Rui, Ines, Aldrin, or Alex, explains Aveiro in Spanish, English, French, or Portuguese as you pass Art Nouveau buildings, salt pans, Beira-Mar, the Fish Market, and a ceramics factory. A typical Aveiro treat is included.

“Friendly operators, convenient location, excellent and knowledgeable on board guide, whose English, needless to say, was impeccable.”

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8.Aveiro, Cruise, Costa Nova & Capelha da Pedra Full Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 434 reviews · from $47

Travel from Porto to Aveiro, Costa Nova and the Chapel of Senhor da Pedra on an 8.5-hour guided day trip. Walk through Aveiro, cruise its canals on a traditional Moliceiro boat, see Costa Nova’s striped houses, and finish beside the Atlantic. English and Spanish tours include transport, guiding and optional boat tickets.

“Had a lovely trip. Our guide Pedro was kind and informative. Would highly recommend”

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9.Aveiro, Paiva Walkways, Suspension Bridge and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 434 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $130

Spend nine hours with a small group of up to eight, crossing the Arouca 516 Bridge, walking the Paiva Walkways, eating a traditional lunch in Arouca, and visiting Aveiro and Costa Nova. Guides such as João, Dani, and Tomas lead the day. Expect steep steps, winding roads, and a full but varied schedule.

“I think our guide was Dani. He was so fun and friendly and made it a great day. They pivoted the suspension bridge vs the walkway and he was open and honest about everything. Comfortable drive, great service, fun activities, good free time to do things and the lunch was really nice in a restaurant that service excellent fish. No complaints. An excellent way to visit 3 sites if short on time.”

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10.Boat Cruise and City Walking Tour with Sweet Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 318 reviews · from $40

Meet at M Bakery for a guided visit through Aveiro’s sacred center and Beira Mar, including a church visit and ovos moles tasting. Guides such as Catarina bring local stories to life before a 45-minute Moliceiro cruise past Art Nouveau buildings, Carcavelos Bridge, a 15th-century mill, and the old ceramic factory.

“My guide, Catrina was professional, very knowledgeable and a really nice person. She made the tour special. Aveiro is a beautiful town. The boat ride was a unique experience and a really great way to see Aveiro.”

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11.Aveiro & Coimbra Tour with Moliceiro Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 219 reviews · from $125

Travel from Porto in a small group of up to eight with an English or Portuguese guide. Cruise Aveiro’s canals in a traditional moliceiro, see striped coastal houses and salt pans, then walk through Coimbra and visit the Joanina Library and Royal Palace if your option includes admission. Guides such as Inês, João, Gisela, and Liliana are praised for warm, flexible service.

“Liliana was a wonderful guide - very personable, willing to make small talk and open to questions. Not like some guides who seem to have memorized a script from which they refuse to deviate. We also appreciated her versatility when it came to accommodating requests from our small group of three. It was like a day out with a good friend!”

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12.Aveiro Half-Day Tour with 1-Hour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 214 reviews · 4 hours · from $54

Travel from Porto to Aveiro with a live guide in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese. Walk the canal-lined center, ride a traditional moliceiro boat, and visit Costa Nova’s colorful fishermen’s houses. The tour costs $54, includes transport and guiding, and leaves about an hour for Aveiro before the cruise and a short Costa Nova stop.

“This was a very interesting tour. It was a great way to get a taste of another part of Portugal. The guides were knowledgeable and the driver was courteous and professional.”

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13.Stories, Canals, and Azulejos Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 103 reviews · from $20

Spend two hours walking Aveiro with Tony Walker, also known as Antonio or Tony, through churches, tiled façades, Art Nouveau streets, canals, and the Beira Mar quarter. You’ll learn how moliceiros and mercanteis served the lagoon, hear local stories, and finish near São Gonçalinho. The tour runs in rain or shine.

“Do the tour! You’ll learn about the art nouveau buildings, history of the city, the boats, styles and a lot more. Antonio has a great sense of humor in his stories. I loved it. And I will be back for sure to hear the new addings to what you have discovered.”

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14.Full-Day Trip to Coimbra & Aveiro with Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 92 reviews · 1 day · from $116

Travel from Porto in a small group of up to eight with a live guide in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese. Visit Coimbra’s Old and New Cathedrals and its historic university, then cruise Aveiro’s lagoon by traditional moliceiro boat. Lunch is separate, and guides such as David, Carla, and Nuno lead the day.

“It was a nicely packed trip and David is a great guide - informative and helpful.”

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15.Aveiro Private Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 50 reviews · 7 hours

Travel from Porto with a private driver-guide to Aveiro and Costa Nova. Visit canals, Art Nouveau buildings, the fish market, and striped fishermen’s houses, then choose lunch and optional moliceiro boat time. Guides such as Paulo, Claudio, Eduardo, David, and Rodolfo have helped shape flexible days in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.

“Paulo was OUTSTANDING!!! He was professional, personal, and VERY Detailed! we had so much fun checking out Aveiro with him and knew immediately that we were in knowledgeable hands. BRAVO!!! Jeanine & Sindy”

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