Okay, here we go
So, I'm Portuguese-American, 1st generation, and I did live in Portugal as an adult. I lived in Braga, which is where my mother grew up (in a little town on the outskirts) and I still have family there.
This means that yes, I am partial to Braga, which is probably about a 30-45 minute drive on the new fancy highway that now connects it to Porto. (I say 'new and fancy' but they've been there for a while. Just a big contrast from the first time I went as a child
) So it is TOTALLY doable as a day trip from Porto!
Braga is technically the 3rd largest city in Portugal, but it's a lot smaller than Porto so it's very manageable. One thing to note if you go there is that there is no parking in the center, but it's very walkable, so I would find parking and then just walk. (If you do decide to go, I can suggest areas for parking and then walking to the old town, but I'll refrain for the moment.)
Things to see in Braga: Well, there is a saying in Portugal. "Lisbon shows off, Coimbra studies, Porto works, and Braga prays" so you'll see a lot of churches in Braga, even more than you'll see elsewhere in the country. There are a LOT of churches. For me, there are two "must-see" churches and one more "see if you can" church. The first is the Sé de Braga (a Sé is basically the main cathedral of any given town.) Another saying is "as old as the Sé de Braga". It's
old - almost a thousand years old. That's in the old town and will be on any map of Braga.
The second is outside the city a bit and you'll have to drive. It's called Bom Jesus. The church and the grounds are beautiful in and of themselves, but because you are on a hill above the city, you also get a great view of the area. I don't have my pictures available on my Chromebook or I would post them, but look up images on Google. If you park at the bottom, you can walk the stairways up to the cathedral (there are, iirc, 576...I used to walk there on Sundays and do the stairs for exercise, so I had plenty of opportunity to count them
) Or, you can take the old, still-functioning funicular, built at the end of the 19th century. Or, you can just park up at the top.
The third, "maybe if you aren't all churched out" is Sameiro - a bit farther out than Bom Jesus so it would require the car, and not as elaborate as Bom Jesus, but it gives a really fantastic vantage point and views. It's also where my parents were married, so I'm partial to it
I can talk endlessly about Porto and Braga and the north. It is the only place that feels as much like home as New York does.
So, must-sees in Porto: every tourist guide will tell you to go to the Ribeiro on the waterfront, and they're right. Good restaurants, beautiful view. Not that big, though, so it won't take much time to explore, but it might end up being your go-to for dinner.
It's also right at the base of the famous Ponte de Dom Luis II (Dom Luis bridge). You can walk across this bridge to what is technically not Porto anymore, but Vila Nova de Gaia, which is where all the port houses are. Just go across the bridge, turn left, and you'll see one port house after the other. There are plenty of opportunies for tours and tastings. Or, what I really recommend, on the Porto side of the Douro river, there is a place called the Solar do Vinho do Porto. A "solar" isn't really a museum, per se, but rather a sort of...okay, I don't know how to describe it. It's basically a restaurant where you can get a small nibble and order from a massive menu of Port wine to taste. But it's in a more secluded area on the hill over the river, and it's just a beautiful, calm, relaxing time to sit on a terrace and overlook the river valley. And the Port wine is yummy delish
Also, one of my personal favorites, is the São Bento train station. You'll see excellent examples of the traditional blue tiles known as
azulejos. It's beautiful.
I can't speak as much about Lisbon - I've been there a few times but don't know it as well.
I've rambled on far too long and I've just scratched the surface, so seriously, let me know what else you would like to know or if I've already given you too much
