• Private Tour
• Carbon Neutral

After 4 long years closed for renovation, our market, the soul of our city, Bolhão has reopened the doors. Come with me and let’s meet some of the iconic sellers, let’s dive into how locals select their fresh products and of course, try some of the best delicacies Bolhão has to offer.

Destination

Porto, Portugal

Category

Food Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Português, Français, Español

Included

• 3 bites

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Helena.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Metro da Trindade - Porto to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Grocery store

   Visit the oldest grocery store in town

4. Bolhão Market

   Explore the market

5. Grocery store

   Learn about the most typical products

6. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Nathan

9 March 2024

Helena was a gracious host and was willing to customize our samples and experiences in the market based on our preferences. Try the barnacles (percebes), they are worth the adventure!Charming Market Tour with Helena

Margo🇳🇱 Netherlands

15 February 2024

Helena was super personable and knowledgeable about the food, culture, and history of Portugal. The food was amazing and the places we ate were beautiful and fun to experience. Great experience

Philip

11 December 2023

I had a great time on this tour with Helena. It is an excellent introduction to not only the area, but also portuguese food and culture in general. What makes this tour really special however are the people. As a true local Helena seems to know pretty much everyone and everybody, and you get a glimps into the world of the people working behind the stalls, who, lets face it, are the real stars of the show. Highly recommended. A great way to spend the day in Porto

Jean🇺🇸 United States

25 June 2023

Our food tour with Helena was a highlight of our Porto visit. She is warm, welcoming, and delights in sharing her knowledge and love of the local food scene. We would highly recommend her to anyone and would love to engage her services again if we return to Porto.Fantastic food tour with Helena

Robert 🇺🇸 United States

12 February 2025

I always say "food is the best way to a countries heart" this tour was nothing but the best, Helena was super friendly, energetic and motherly.(I will explained what I mean about this) The tour began learning some history of Portugal and walking on one of the street known for its shopping amount locals. We visited our 1st stop where we got to try a robust flavor of tuna and sardine from a tin. And yes I can see most asking ew from a tin. But this were no ordinary tuna and sardines. They are soaked in olive oil and other herbs. Truly amazing taste, with a side of white wine. HELENA asked if we ate sardines before and if we were ok with the bones. My wife was wiery about it but Helena even offered to debone them for us cause she use to do thay for her kids (motherly) We got to explore tomorrow of the city and made our way to try PORTUGALS cheese at the Bolhao market. To then try some pastel de nata and finally the cachorrinhos. Super delicious!!! I would definitely recommend this tour with Helena !! Best way to begin exploring Porto

mss🇺🇸 United States

26 January 2025

Helena did a food tour with my wife and me showing us the highlights of different foods in Porto. She did a great job of describing the area as well as showcasing different foods. Having a private tour is great and Helena does a wonderful job. She is well known among the different food stores and vendors! Overall great tastings. Great food tour

Isabelle

29 December 2024

Quelle belle façon que de découvrir Porto avec Helena! Nous étions un groupe de 8 incluant des adolescents et tout le monde a adoré! Helena nous a fait découvrir les spécialités de la région tant culturellement que culinairement! Je la recommmande fortement!Un incontournable

Bryan

18 December 2024

Helena did an amazing job and we had a delightful experience. Even our daughters who are picky eaters said that this tour was one of the best we had on our trip. She communicated very well before the trip to make sure she could tailor the tour to the dietary needs of our group. She has tons of ideas and options and can make sure everyone is taken care of. Would highly recommend and will share with friends who are coming over. Helena is awesome

Joanne🇺🇸 United States

17 December 2024

Helena was wonderful. She was very accommodating to our food preferences. She is a warm and welcoming person and was very easy to communicate with to set up the class. It was lovely to experience the cooking class in a local home. It is an experience you will enjoy while you are there and remember for a long time after. Wonderful Experience

Sandy🇺🇸 United States

29 November 2024

There were two of us on this taste of Porto food tour. Helena was so informative and pleasant. We felt as if we spent the afternoon with a longtime friend. She provided us insights not only of the food culture but also of the history as well as traditions of the Portuguese people. Truly enjoyable experience and I will look her up if I return to this beautiful country. Excellent food tour with Helena

Jon🇺🇸 United States

25 November 2024

We had wonderful Sunday tour. The market was closed on Sunday, but Helena took us to a number of small cafes and shops. The tour was very informative and we enjoyed very pleasant conversations about Porto, the history, food , and our families. It was well worth the price.Wonderful Sunday Tour

Raul🇺🇸 United States

6 November 2024

This is NOT a review of a tour with Helena but an opinion of Helena as a person. On the morning of our scheduled tour I had a medical emergency that required an ambulance ride to a local hospital. Helena could have walked out right there since the tour wasn't going to take place. Yet she didn't do that. She took the time to contact my son back home in NY and told him what had happened and what hospital I was being taken to. She was there when the ambulance took me away and later spoke with my son inquiring about my health status. She made a stressful situation less so and for that I'm so grateful and so is my family. Thanks Helena!!!AWESOME PERSON HAS TO BE A GREAT GUIDE.

Michel

31 October 2024

Rencontre agréable, Déroulement de la visite très intéressante et utile Très bonne connaissance des points d'intérêts.Visite à Porto

MARTIN🇺🇸 United States

28 October 2024

Helena was a perfect guide for us! She was relaxed, very comfortable to be with, and gave us an excellent tour. She easily answered all of our questions, and made us feel quite at home during our tour. She is definitely a foodie, and we had some wonderful snacks along the way that we might not otherwise have had. we were very happy with the time that we spend with her, and we would definitely use her again to return to Porto. Thank you HelenaBest Guide

Miet

23 October 2024

Helena was a great tour guide. It was a very pleasant contact both in advance and during the tour. We traveled with 16 entrepreneurs and despite the large group, the tour still felt very personal. Helana waited for us in the hotel lobby and customized the tour according to the interests of the participants. We visited unique places, tasted delicious specialties and learned about the local culture, in short: a great experience!Really fun group trip!

Maureen🇺🇸 United States

17 October 2024

We thoroughly entire our walking tour with Helena. She was so friendly and fun and knew her stuff. We had 2 people with 3 different allergies and Helena was able to adjust our tour to accommodate their needs. She is a wonderful person. We you can’t go wrong spending 3 hours with her. We wish we could have spent more with her. Helena is the BEST!

dennrik🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2024

Helena did a fantastic job curating the foods and drinks that Porto has to offer. From the Pastel, Bolinho, tinned Sardines, the pace and locations were very well thought out. Helena added personal touches to the history of Porto and provided context to important events in Porto and Portugal. The walk around the city was leisurely and the food plenty. Helena is a superb guide. Everyone should book time with her. To not do this experience would be a big loss on your trip.Best tasting tour Porto with a Local!

Sarah

4 October 2024

We are both vegetarian and Helena tailored the tour to us. We tried some great delicacies and learnt a lot about Porto HIghly recommend.We found out that Helena taught cooking and we would definitely come back and try that.Helena made this walking tour very memorable

Sirri

21 September 2024

We loved our food tour with Helena. She is a really warm, special person who felt a bit like family by the end of the tour. She very much wanted to tailor the tour to our tastes and interests. We enjoyed all of our stops but especially our stop at Mercado do Bolhão where we tried various cheeses and beverages, discussed Portuguese cuisine, and my teenage son even stopped to play the piano there. Helena’s knowledge of food, Porto, and the history of Portugal was extensive. We learned so much! We enjoyed every food and beverage we tried. She did a wonderful job of including our (football/soccer-loving) teenage sons, and even ended our tour at a place that not only had wonderful food, but that was also a living shrine to FC Porto. We cannot recommend Helena more highly! Really wonderful walking food tour

Mark🇺🇸 United States

27 August 2024

If you are looking for a real local experice, look no furthrr as Helana is wonderful. We has a fantastic afternoon with Helena, as all 8 of us strolled the streets of Porto with Helena, stopping at various local shops to taste some the local nuts, fruits, fish, cheese, spreads, pastries, hams and bread. Helena catered to our every need, including the picky eaters, providing stories and information as we made our way through the streets.and side streets on our simply walk. We had our 8 month old grandson along in his stroller and I was on crutches, so a simple walk was really a simple walk. Helena took her time ro get to know each of us individually as we walked and talked, sharing information about out families and our lives, making sure that each of us were.enjoying ourselves and learning what we liked and didn't like about the food we were trying. Out grandson, also tried everything including the caned sardines, which he loved. Don't miss out on this simple fun food tour, with the amazing and.womderful Helena. You will enjoy the food and.make a new friend! Local food, with a new family friemd!

Jenny🇦🇺 Australia

16 August 2024

Amazing opportunity to sample the culinary delights of Porto interwoven with interesting historical insights into the origin of the various foods. We can highly recommend Helena.Passionate local foodie

Brent🇺🇸 United States

2 August 2024

We were super apprehensive about having dinner with a stranger…in their home….as I think most ‘normal’ people would be. It was such an enjoyable experience and I feel like we made a friend in the process! The meal was amazing (I am also a chef in the US) and it was pleasant to have local cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Our 10 year old daughter is still speaking about the food and the experience!Amazing Dinner!

Wouter🇳🇱 Netherlands

24 July 2024

Vol passie nam je ons mee in het warme (zelfs voor jullie Portugezen was het extreem vertelde je) Porto. We hebben genoten uiteraard van het eten en drinken, maar zeker ook van de verhalen die erbij horen. Verhaal achter het eten in Porto

Margaret🇺🇸 United States

23 July 2024

My husband had a fly fishing trip planned with a local guide a bit north so I had the opportunity to spend a day in Porto solo. I booked Helena for a Tastes of Porto walking tour but got so much more! Helena was happy to accommodate my love of shopping with food, the shopping of course, and some history of Portugal. I had a truly wonderful day and highly recommend booking Helena for your experience. She was very warm, friendly and so knowledgeable. Lovely Day!

Xenia

22 July 2024

Wir hatten das große Vergnügen, Helena als unsere Tourguide für eine Foodtour in Porto zu haben und können sie uneingeschränkt weiterempfehlen! Helena war nicht nur extrem kenntnisreich und leidenschaftlich über die kulinarischen Schätze Portos, sondern auch unglaublich herzlich und engagiert. Während der Tour führte uns Helena zu einer beeindruckenden Auswahl an lokalen Restaurants und Cafés, wo wir einige der besten regionalen Gerichte und Getränke probieren konnten. Jeder Stopp war sorgfältig ausgewählt und bot eine wunderbare Mischung, die uns das echte Porto näherbrachte. Besonders beeindruckend war Helenas Fähigkeit, uns mit zusätzlichen Empfehlungen und Insidertipps zu versorgen. Ob es um weitere Restaurants, kulturelle Sehenswürdigkeiten oder versteckte Juwelen der Stadt ging – Helena hatte stets großartige Vorschläge parat, die unseren Aufenthalt in Porto bereicherten. Vielen Dank, Helena!Perfekter Start in Porto!

Jeffrey🇺🇸 United States

17 July 2024

Helena is a tour guide and chef. She’s a local to Porto and knows her stuff. She took us to some fun and tasty locations to try the delicious foods of Porto. The pacing of the tour was perfect and each of the foods we tried were great. This was the perfect way to start our time exploring this city. Excellent food tour!

b9ycfbp2pm🇺🇸 United States

10 July 2024

If you are in search of a truly authentic, local dining experience just outside the center of Porto, book a home dinner experience with Helena. Helena was simply delightful and a pleasure to meet. We were a group of four, two of whom had a variety of dietary restrictions including gluten allergy and lactose intolerance. Helena went out of her way to provide gluten-free options such as gluten-free bread and chorizo, and altered the recipe of her fantastic crème brûlée to ensure it was lactose free. We enjoyed a variety of port wines. Her appetizers included two cheeses, olives and bread and traditional Portuguese comfort food for dinner. Helena was born and raised in Porto and offers a genuine local experience. Authentic Local Dining

tham🇬🇧 United Kingdom

9 July 2024

With Helena, the three of us (my wife and my 3 years old son) felt like we met a friend in Porto. She was friendly, superb with my son. We requested a customised programme as to cater to a toddler with toddler and it was fantastic. My son was so sad as he bade farewell to her. This was our first time withlocals, and I believe, in Porto, you can never go wrong with engaging a local guide. As represented by Helena, and multiple generous and kind people we met along the way. Friend in Porto

Brian🇺🇸 United States

9 July 2024

We had the nicest evening with our very welcoming hostess Helena. We started with engaging conversation over a variety of appetizers including cheese, olives, breads, and ham.. along with a very nice white port! Dinner focused on the best arroz de marisco either of us had ever had.. accompanied by a nice Vinho Verde! A very unique experience.. highly recommended!. Wonderful evening with Helena!

Ruth🇺🇸 United States

30 June 2024

Love the experience. Helena was a great host and food was delish. Great dining experience

Tony🇺🇸 United States

29 June 2024

We felt so welcomed by Helena and thoroughly enjoyed the show experience of cooking a traditional meal with her in her home! Worth every minute!Helena is fantastic!

Julie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

22 June 2024

Helena is a very friendly and knowledgeable guide and this was a fantastic experience to kick off our first holiday in Porto. We would never have found some of the places she took us to and feel that she gave us a broad range of experiences. Helena was super helpful prior to the experience too, recommending some restaurants that we might like to try during our stay. As well as food, Helena is very knowledgeable about Porto and Portugal, which made for a very interesting experience. She also gave us further recommendations for places to visit for the rest of our stay. Thoroughly recommend.Fabulous introduction to Porto

Julia🇺🇸 United States

19 May 2024

We met Helena at the Porto public market, enjoyed some wine together, and shopped for dinner. She brought us to her apartment and we cooked together, learning more about food, Portugal, Porto, and sharing stories. Helena is a wonderful hostess and cooking teacher. We learned how to make bacalhau stew and crème brûlée on a platter (with blowtorch!). And then we enjoyed our dinner together. I can't imagine a better way to begin our first visit to Portugal.DInner with Helena is like coming home

Tom & Teresa🇺🇸 United States

8 May 2024

We had a few tours in Lisbon, spent time in the Algarve, and our guide Helena made the food tour in Porto one of the best highlights of our trip to Portugal! Best Tour in Portugal!

Travis🇺🇸 United States

4 May 2024

We had a lovely time with Helena and the home cooked meal was delicious!

Mark🇬🇧 United Kingdom

1 May 2024

We were a group of 4 who did the Porto food tour with Helena. Helena was engaging, relaxed and interesting. A great way to spend 3 hours in Porto as part of our long weekend! Food tour with Helena

Gill🇬🇧 United Kingdom

28 April 2024

Helena very kindly and warmly welcomed us into her home. A few days before we arrived, she gave us some food options to choose from, with prompt replies to all of our messages. On arrival at her home, she offered us a Portuguese aperitif. We opted for white port, which was accompanied by delicious starters of sardines, two types of bread, tapenade, the juiciest olives you’ll ever taste and fresh local cheeses and cured meat. Helena had purchased everything fresh from a local market that day. We obviously ate too much of these lovely appetisers (we challenge you to resist!) but soldiered on to savouring the delicious dinner she had prepared. We opted for a traditional pork and rice dish, which was one of a variety of options she’d suggested a few days beforehand. Helena offered us a range of drinks to accompany dinner, with us opting for a lovely local red wine. We were treated to a homemade crème caramel for dessert, which Helena blow torched at the table, optimising the yummy fresh crunch and taste. Helena offered us fresh fruit afterwards, which we reluctantly declined as we were pleasantly and pleasingly stuffed. Dinner chez Helena was an absolute treat and makes a welcome change to restaurant dining. The dishes were well prepared, home cooked and ingredients locally sourced, as were the the range of drinks. Helena offered us more of everything. We highly recommend dining with Helena. She’s easy to chat with, friendly, interesting and interested, she’s a lovely host and provided lots of delicious local, fresh and plentiful, home cooked traditional food. We would definitely opt to dine with Helena again. Thank you, Helena! Hospitable Helena

Kari🇺🇸 United States

22 April 2024

Helena was an excellent guide in our "taste" of Porto. First off, it was way more than a taste! Make sure you go hungry as we were stuffed by the end of the tour. Helena took us all over Porto to so many different places to try Portuguese food. She is well versed in food and the history of Porto and has a great relationship with all the proprietors. I definitely recommend Helena if you're heading to Porto and want a tour about food! She was great! A Taste of Porto with Helena

clarissa🇺🇸 United States

20 April 2024

I booked this tour later in our trip than I would have wanted because, after reading her reviews, I specifically wanted Helena to be out guide. We spent a fabulous 3 hours together, going behind the scenes and sitting in private nooks. We learned so much about Portugal and Portuguese food like why a true Francesinha can only be made in Porto (hint: it has everything to do with one butcher) and the foods for Christmas celebrations. From bacalao to bifanas, we ate amazing things. Helena also recommended restaurants that we're wonderful and that we would not have discovered on our own. My family and I had a wonderful tour with Helena and I would highly recommend her!Incredibly special and delicious tour

Birgitt🇦🇺 Australia

18 April 2024

We had the most wonderful few hours with Helena. She is a warm, funny and very knowledgeable person. She took us into places we would’ve otherwise missed. The food choices were great and we all now have a new appreciation for tinned fish. Would highly recommend Helena and if we are ever in Porto again, we’d definitely use her again. A Worthwhile Experience

eveline

9 April 2024

We had a very nice experience. We learned a lot about the food and some sights in Porto. We are quite a big group (7 adults, 3 children and 1 baby) but it was still very nice. The children also liked it as well. We would definetly recommend it. Helena was very nice. She even brought a birthday cake for us. Great experience

biosailgirl🇺🇸 United States

31 March 2024

She was wonderful. She was so great with my kids and I couldn’t believe that. They actually ate some of the food that they tried. We thought it was just gonna be for us, but they end up eating a bunch too. We tried sardines at a specialty store and then we tried a beautiful market and then she took us to another specialty store that was old and yummy. We tried the sandwich that I had wanted to try but didn’t know where and how to try it and very kid friendly. She was very patient and very sweet and I would 100% recommend her with small kids.Absolutely loved - with picky 8 and 9 yo

Benjamin

19 March 2024

Helena was astounding! Myself and my two great friends, Nate and Justin, met Helena at 11am on a Monday. We were led on a wonderful tour of the city. I don’t want to give any spoilers of the details away, but know that it is filling, informative, and fun. It was very nice to put our phones/maps away and be shown interesting parts of the city from someone that truly knew what she was talking about. She even gave us great recommendations for what to eat/see/do for the remainder of our time in Porto. I would highly recommend Helena!!Enchanting Experience

Esther🇬🇧 United Kingdom

18 March 2024

From the moment we met Helena for our ten tastings experience, we knew we were in safe hands. She was an absolute joy to be with. We made life difficult for her as we had asked for a Vegetarian tour - but Helena rose to the challenge and went out of her way to make sure we were both happy with both the food AND the drink that she introduced us to - and we certainly were! The highlight for us was probably sitting behind one of the old stalls at Bolhão market whilst Helena sourced local cheeses, olives and bread and made us a sharing platter to enjoy with some VERY good local wines. It was a joy! The whole experience in fact was more than we were expecting and we would not hesitate to recommend Helena and With Locals to anyone wanting to experience a slice of the ‘real Porto’. Thank you for a wonderful memory 🇵🇹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇵🇹We couldn’t have chosen better!

Jackie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 March 2024

Helena was very responsive to our wishes. We were give a great first taste of Porto.A good highlight tour

Cherian

9 March 2024

Helena is wonderful. It was a rainy, cold afternoon, and we were late by an hour due to traffic on the way. She waited for us, tramped through the wet streets, and kept her cheer and good spirits. She helped us get into the moment and we had a great time. And yes, her knowledge of food, the vendors and history are also amazing. Walking in the rain...

Raphael

6 March 2024

Nous avons passé un très agréable moment avec Helena, échanges sincères avec une authentique Portuense à la découverte de spécialités locales hors des sentiers les plus touristiques. La visite s effectue tranquillement, au sein d un petit périmètre, ce qui permet qu Helena vous parle de la ville, de l histoire du pays, des coutumes portugaises. Bref, je recommande.Tres belle rencontre avec Helena

Chantal🇬🇧 United Kingdom

27 February 2024

Helena was a bubbly and engaging person who tried to make the tour fun, although could be more imaginative in choice of venues and food experienced. She was aware of our specific individual requirements and requests prior to the tour. However, having done a number of foodie tours, (which were much cheaper and better value), where one sits down to eat and share prepared cooked local dishes at different restaurants, this was disappointing and a total waste of almost €150! We would have been better off visiting the market by ourselves and going to eat a special meal at a local restaurant, trying different dishes for that price. We chose this tour with a private guide as had stipulated a non- alcoholic option- Coke and water was a little disappointing as an option. The white port and tonic cocktail that I had enquired about at the market cheese tasting stall was the highlight of the tour and only experienced as I had enquired about it and the lady at the market very kindly prepared it for me. It was a very underwhelming food tour which one could do oneself and save €150. A waste of money and our time- more interesting ways to really taste the local food than be taken to the market, eat tinned sardines and local ham. Sadly we didn’t get to taste 10 different local specialities as indicated, so was a bit limited. It would have been nice to have included a coffee and pastel de nata- after all we were in Portugal! Underwhelming ‘Foodie’ Experience

Giles

13 February 2024

5 Guys really enjoyed our private tour with Helena. She was informative, good spirited, fun and great to talk to. She is well known to all the food places we visited. Helena provides a great introduction to the city and we all would recommend her. Helena - Great guide and fun company

John🇧🇪 Belgium

6 January 2024

Helena was the guide we could only dream off. She listened to us, just to know where we were interested in: cultural, historical, culinary, etc... On that base, she took us on a trip through Porto. It was our first trip to Porto and we learned a lot and enjoyed all stories Helena told us and the info she gave us. Beyond expectation