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

4.5 /5

based on 48 experiences from female travelers

Things to do

4.2/5

Safety

4.4/5

Food

4.2/5

Budget-friendly

3.4/5
Julia

Julia

Poland

Solo travel

I am madly in love with Portugal, but Porto has hit the nail on the head. I have nothing bad to say. I love everything about this city! I was going to do the pilgrim's route, but in the end I didn't go anywhere and stayed in the city. Because it's amazing! P.S.: Be sure to visit the distilleries of famous Port wine producers. Learn the history of the tiles on the buildings, called Azulejo. Dance with the locals to the music of street performers and leave a piece of your heart in Porto.

Posted: June 25, 2025
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Bre

Bre

United States

Solo travel

I have been to the city of Porto many times now and it’s beautiful!! The people are very kind, the coffee is EXCELLENT, I felt very safe, and there’s tons to do if you just walk around. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling around Europe!

Posted: June 17, 2025
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Group travel

In porto we walk a lot, to see many things. To eat you have to try rice at tomato it is very very good, of course if you like rice and tomato. You have to go at the top of the city you can have a beautiful point of view.

Posted: May 7, 2025
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Solo travel

Porto is a very beautiful city and I think it is really similar to İstanbul. Maybe I think in this way beacuse I'm Turkish but anyway both are great and beautiful cities. I stayed there 1 night. I booked a hostel which was far away from the main streets and I don't recommend it because I needed uber and I couldn't pay because I don't have a credit card and they don't accept cash and I wanted help from the owner. He helped, so I can say people are warm. Also, I recommend you to go "Livrarie Lelle" which is a little bookshop but so beautifull! They sell their tickets online for visiting! It was a great place and I also recommend to eat nata! It's sweet and creamy

Posted: May 6, 2025Experienced: May, 2024
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Greta

Greta

Poland

Group travel

It was amazing! I think it was my best trip, and I hope I'm going to come back there and have a reunion with all the surf couches. I loved the vibe and felt very safe. I recommend this city to everyone; the view is picturesque, with small colorful buildings and beautiful beaches. I'm in love!

Posted: May 6, 2025
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Family travel

I was there with my cousin when we were 19 and we never had a second thought about our safety even though we stayed in a hostel and were alone in the city. People are very nice and friendly, they speak English very well. The overall atmosphere is very pleasant and people always want to come back 💚

Posted: May 4, 2025
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Is Porto safe for women?

Safety index

4.1 /5

Based on 33 local experiences

Crime index

1.8 /5

Based on 33 local experiences

Bárbara

Bárbara

Being from here, I’ve experienced a few situations at night that weren’t great - guys harassing me / my group of friends / me and my girlfriend. A couple of those situations got a bit heated but nothing physical happened. I think there’s a few places to go out that you should be careful. One in particular is Gare - weird vibes from weird guys, stopped going there a long time ago but I know it didn’t get any better. Other than that, it’s a moderately safe city but keep in mind some alleys downtown that shouldn’t be crossed at night, much less alone. Also, Ribeira (near the river) can be a bit misleading sometimes - usually it’s fine but every once in a while incidents happen there.

Posted: June 26, 2025
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During the day and in busy streets in the night, generally its a safe place. Keep your phones well hidden in busy hours since there's a good amount of people who will try to steal it. Transports have cameras so generally you are good!

Posted: June 19, 2025
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Safety in Portugal