A Total Trip: What two friends spent on a girls trip to Porto

Hunter Harris and Peyton Dix are New York city podcasters, founders and hosts of Lemme Say This, a weekly conversation about pop culture news. They’re also best friends. So when they needed a laid-back vacation, they decided to head for Porto, Portugal.

Packed with chic boutiques, stunning architecture and a million snapable moments, Porto is the ultimate ladies’ getaway. Hunter and Peyton wanted to check out its historic city center, its sumptuous food and all the time-worn traditions the city has to offer.

There were a huge variety of experiences to explore, so they needed their travel logistics to feel effortless. Having easy, secure access to amazing experiences, from big-ticket excursions to hidden gems, with a tap of their iPhone opened up every corner of the charming city.

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Here’s what they spent on their friends weekend, all using Apple Pay.

Editor’s note: While some experiences were paid for ahead of time for this piece, such as Peyton and Hunter's  accommodations, every experience listed here has Apple Pay capability on-site. 

Accommodations

There were some up-front costs for the trip, such as flights, which aren't included in the budget. The friends stayed at the Armazem Hotel, a gorgeous boutique guesthouse in the heart of the city, where they paid €229 (about $269) per night.

Quintessentially Porto

There are some things that really make Porto, Porto – and that starts with epic views over the Douro River. So Hunter and Peyton headed to one of the city’s best-loved escapes: the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, or Crystal Palace Gardens. Entry was free. As they said, they went “mostly for a photo” – but ended up loving the manicured grounds and amazing panoramic sightlines. It provided the perfect intro to the city, and their trip.

After the views, Porto might best be known for its ceramics and design, especially by the walls covered in vibrant azulejos. These stunning ceramic mosaics cover everything from train stations to hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and have defined Porto’s architecture since the 18th century. 

Today, the city also has a thriving ceramic-studio scene. So Peyton and Hunter decided to get their hands dirty.

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They booked a 3-hour rapidinha, or private pottery workshop, at O! Cerâmica, which – in addition to classes and workshops for all group sizes – also creates its own masks, pendants, tiles and ornaments. In the light and airy workshop, they made shallow bowls and tapped into their own creative spirit. The private workshop cost €100 ($117) per person, and they got to take away a piece of original art.

Speaking of creative spirit, nothing captures Porto’s soul like fado. This mournful, melancholic music spills through the neighborhoods and alleys of the city. You can’t book a trip without a traditional listening session in a casa de fado, so the podcasters tapped to pay for one at Fado na Baixa for about €20 ($24) each.

Styles suited to the place

Hunter and Peyton always have their fingers on the pulse of what’s trending, so every time they go to a new city, they’re looking to shop for something fresh and new to remember their trip. 

Porto’s boutiques are legendary, selling everything from traditional Portuguese crafts to contemporary designs from artisanal labels. The Rua de Miguel Bombarda and Rua de Cedofeita are in historic neighborhoods, both with clusters of artsy boutiques and fewer crowds than some of the main drags.

They browsed the racks at EARLYMADE and LOT (Labels of Tomorrow). These airy shops had perfectly laid-back styles from their own labels, as well as designers like Edmmond Studios, Percival, Thinking Mu, Mercer and Maison Labiche.

The friends were looking at pieces that match Porto’s vibe and geography, from sturdy shoes (needed to track up and down the narrow cobblestoned alleyways) to light, embroidered shirts that catch the Portuguese breeze off the Douro. They came away with a fun striped bucket hat €80 ($95) to combat the summer sun, and a new bikini for the sandy Foz do Douro for €120 ($142). They were pleasantly surprised how many boutiques and smaller stores accepted Apple Pay, and they got a lot of use out of their purchases. “Better than a fridge magnet,” Hunter says.

Traditional bites

“A girl’s gotta eat,” says Hunter – and for our money there might not be a better place to do it than Porto. Unsurprisingly, given its proximity to the Atlantic, Porto has super-fresh seafood, and its markets are stuffed with tasty eats.

Their best place to grab a bite was the wrought-iron Mercado do Bolhao, which fills a whole block in the heart of the city. It’s filled with hand-painted tiles and vendors of every kind, from restaurants to stores to produce stands 

Hunter and Peyton were drawn to the fresh-caught seafood, including grilled octopus and carpaccio. Tinned sardines are not just considered a cornerstone food in Portugal, but a cultural icon. They’re caught fresh in the Atlantic and canned within hours, often by family-run canneries. The friends couldn’t come away without grabbing a brightly decorated and vintage-inspired collectible tin. The packaging is the ultimate quintessential souvenir. In all, they spent about €54 ($64) at the market.

For most of the trip, Peyton and Hunter were walking – so they needed something to keep their energy up while not weighing them down. Portugal’s answer to Spain’s tapas are petiscos, small plates rooted in local ingredients and flavors. Most restaurants have creative combinations, many with river views. At FUNQ, the friends ordered one of everything on the menu for €63 ($75).

Capping it off

Porto’s historic city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with well-preserved streets and buildings that reward exploration.

Be prepared, though: the city rises dramatically from the river’s edge, which means plenty of incredible views of the iconic Dom Luis I Bridge, and also steep cobbled streets and narrow alleys. The duo got their workouts in.

To wrap up, they gave their legs a break and ended the trip with a splurge: a sunset sailboat cruise down the Douro – a perfect way to spend the golden hour. They took in the beautiful skyline, bridges and old town. The two-hour cruise cost €290 ($343), with snacks and drinks on board – and was worth every penny.

Altogether Peyton and Hunter used Apple Pay online and in person to book €1,813.75 ($2,143) worth of one-of-a-kind experiences in Porto. Apple Pay's acceptance at a wide variety of merchants, security and privacy not only delivered a seamless experience but gave them access to everything from small boutiques and independent sellers, to charming rooms and once-in-a-lifetime memories – all in the palm of their hands.