Is Porto Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Porto is generally safe for solo female travelers. Like any city, certain areas might be more risky especially late at night but overall, locals are friendly and willing to help. Violent crime is rare, but be aware of petty crimes such as pickpocketing, especially in crowded areas and public transport. To bolster your safety, it is recommended to stay alert and maintain standard precautions. Use reputable transportation services and avoid unlit areas during hours of darkness.

Safety rating

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How safe is Porto?

Safety at night:

Safety at night:Safe

Porto is generally very safe to explore at night. The city is well-lit and well-patrolled by local law enforcement, making it safe for solo female travelers. However, like any major city, it's important to remain vigilant, especially while walking alone. Stick to the main streets and avoid dimly lit or deserted areas. Public transportation is reliable and safe to use even at night. There have been very few cases of serious crimes reported in the city.
Public transportation:

Public transportation:Safe

Public transportation in Porto, is generally safe, reliable, and convenient. This includes the metro, buses, trams, and trains that operate in the city. Incidences of crime on public transportation are low and the systems are well-maintained and well-used by locals. However, like any city, it's always prudent to stay alert and aware of your surroundings, particularly during off-peak times and at less busy stations.
Street harassment:

Street harassment:Low

Porto as a whole, is a serene city with friendly locals. Street harassment is not a common factor here. Most locals are respectful, and while you might occasionally come across some unpleasant individuals, instances of street harassment are generally rare. It is advisable to stay vigilant, specially during night hours or in less crowded places.
Petty crimes:

Petty crimes:Low

Porto is quite safe for visitors. Petty crime such as pickpocketing, bag snatching, or mobile phone theft can occur, especially in crowded tourist areas, on public transportation, or in restaurants and cafes. However, it's far less common compared to major European cities. Applying a common-sense approach such as keeping your belongings secure and staying vigilant of your surroundings, particularly in crowded places, is usually sufficient to ensure a safe trip.

Is Porto worth visiting?

Overall rating

4.4 /5

based on 39 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.3/5

Safety

4.3/5

Food

4.1/5

Budget-friendly

3.5/5

Family travel

Porto is a very nice city. The city is striving to become more modern and is currently constructing new metro stations. Porto is generally safe, but some areas have issues with intoxicated individuals on the streets. The residents are quite poor, and many houses are in poor condition. However, Porto is working to resolve these issues. It is very easy to reach Porto from the airport using the metro or a cheap taxi.

Posted: February 22, 2025Experienced: January, 2025
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Lila

Lila

France

Couple travel

First time in Portugal was amazing 🇵🇹 We only stayed in Porto for a few days, but loved every second of it. Here are a few pictures of the many places we visited on our trip. Sadly, by the end of our trip, Porto was surrounded by wildfires… I remember wishing that our flight back would be canceled, just so I could stay a bit longer, but it didn’t haha

Posted: February 19, 2025
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Clarisse

Clarisse

France

Couple travel

We felt safe in Porto. We did it in two and a half days. And honestly, that's enough. We ate very well for not too expensive, especially the brunches which were very nice. A very nice little city for a couple, we had booked accommodation on Airbnb for a low price.

Posted: February 15, 2025
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Kalina

Kalina

Poland

Couple travel

I felt safe in Porto, I loved the city and lifestyle I had there. It's very cozy, but modern as well. You can do a bunch of stuff- I, myself usually went surfing or cycling arounf the city. Highly recommend!

Posted: February 12, 2025
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arina

arina

France

Group travel

I went to Porto with friends , it was really cool , the airbnb was cheap and cool , and the center is interesting , there was not too much tourists , but prepare yourself to walk a lot 🤩🤩🤩.

Posted: January 18, 2025
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Cassandra

Cassandra

France

Solo travel

I stayed in Porto for 6 days ! Its was my first solo experience. I really liked it and felt safe all the time. I stayed in the cheapest hostel of the city center and it was great. I meet a lot of people in pubs. Locals are friendly . But 6 days was too long. 3 days is enough to visit

Posted: January 18, 2025
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Sabrina

Sabrina

Germany

Solo travel

Porto is a pretty small city. As a white female I felt safe almost all the day, even walking on a Saturday night alone. I meet there another solo traveler from uk and we became friends! The city is very cheap, coming from Italy and very welcoming!

Posted: January 4, 2025
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Solo travel

I loved Porto as my starting point; It was my first stop on a month long solo trip. It felt safe and was very laidback, but it had so much to do and very friendly people! The waiters at restaurants were very welcoming, even offered to show me around. Maybe it was just in the area I was in/time of year, but I didn’t see a lot of people my age. But enjoyed my time with the locals! Overall loved it!!!

Posted: October 12, 2024
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Solo travel

I feltsqfe, met very nice people. The city center is very busy during the day,more quiet at night. The food quality is great. I recommend this city to travel solo as a lady. The other side if the city is also beautiful.

Posted: September 19, 2024Experienced: August, 2024
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Alicia

Alicia

New Zealand

Solo travel

I always felt safe in Porto, both during the day and at night. I did a mountain tour on the outskirts of Porto and it was one of my highlight of my whole Europe trip, the views were incredible and learning about the locals and the history was an amazing experience. I think the best way to explore Porto is just to walk around and turn down as many streets as you can without using maps, then just use maps to find your way back. The metro is great and really cheap in Porto, just get a ticket from the machine at any stop and you can get 24 hour tickets for just a few euros. I stayed at Cats Hostel and it was amazing. I went there twice because I loved it so much. The staff were lovely, it’s cheap, the location is great and I made heaps of friends there.

Posted: August 24, 2024
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Is Porto safe for women?

Safety index

4.1 /5

Based on 24 local experiences

Crime index

1.7 /5

Based on 24 local experiences

It’s a safe city if you stay in the center, but of course, it depends on the area. I live right in the center, so I’ve always felt safe walking around at night. However, I would recommend that solo travelers stay around people at night

Posted: February 10, 2025
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Vânia

Vânia

Porto is a very safe town. It just has become more touristic and we need to be aware of pickpocketers. Other than that it is very safe. You just need to be careful with your personal belongings in the areas where you have crowds. But I feel safe walking on my own.

Posted: January 26, 2025
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Meet locals in Porto

Vânia

Vânia

About Me

Hi! I am portuguese and truly love my country so much so that I became a tourist guide so I could tell stories and share knowledge. I love to read, walk in nature, the smell of the ocean and trying new things.

Speaking

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Cassie

Cassie

About Me

I’m someone who loves to act on a whim. I enjoy rock and jazz music, and I often plan spontaneous trips just to attend a live concert or a music festival.

Speaking

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Stay with locals in Porto

Cassie

Cassie

Porto

Can host for:

3 days

About me

I’m someone who loves to act on a whim. I enjoy rock and jazz music, and I often plan spontaneous trips just to attend a live concert or a music festival.

Speaking

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Sedona

Sedona

Porto

Can host for:

2 days

About me

Hi there! I'm Sedona, a 26-year-old adventurer originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, now embracing life in the charming city of Porto, Portugal. My wife and I, both military veterans, met in Ukraine prior to the war and made the exciting move here in February 2025 with our three beloved cats. I have a passion for travel, food, and art, and love discovering new cultures and cuisines. When I'm not exploring Porto's vibrant streets, you'll find me with a book in hand or experimenting with new recipes. Let's share our travel tales and inspire each other to explore the world!

Speaking

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Upcoming visitors to Porto

Louise

Louise

About Me

Hi, I m a French Student in architecture, living in Paris and travelling everytime I have the opportunity!! I love meeting new people, discovering new places and ways of living ;)

Speaking

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Emilya

Emilya

About Me

my plans are to travel alone much & get to know new people❤️

Speaking

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Safety in Portugal