WOW Porto - The Best Cultural District
WOW Porto - The Best Cultural District things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Plan your stay
&promo_pic=/one-page/coolest.jpg)
Posts
We went to WOW because it said WOW on the side of a building, we were lured in by this one word. This is a double edged sword because yes WOW is WOW a spiralling maze of shops, restaurants and museums. But the huge size of the real estate verses the retail and money making element is massively if kilter, so it begs the question how sustainable is the venue? While I appreciate it’s early days for WOW it must only generate a few Europe’s per square foot each day, so when the funding stops and the rents truly kick in it will take a fortune to maintain it, further money the cash making operations namely the museums may not be popular enough to support the estate, in one hour we saw a family of five go into the cork museum. On the good side, it’s a vast sprawling repurposed estate, not as hip as LXFACTORY in Lisbon, but more on the side of class, this is very much a place that will appeal to 50 somethings, the affluent and those that want an Instagram snap in a cool place. Went to a cafe where they sold gluten free cake. There are also terraces and exhibition space. Yes WOW is truly WOW but it has yet to understand it’s place in the world and needs to generate its own income and fast, before parts of WOW shut their doors forever.
Spencer HawkenSpencer Hawken
20
I purchased my ticket on their website at 5:30pm for a visit the same day (Dali Universe). When I arrived they said they close at 6pm and cannot let me in! How can they let people purchase a ticket at 5:30pm if they close 30 minutes later? There wasn't any warning at the checkout. - The main page of the Dali Universe (through which I bought my tickets) states that the exhibition is open everyday until 7pm! - Then you click on "reserve" and go directly to pay, nothing ever mentions that they close at 6pm. Now the lady from customer service refuses to reimburse my ticket and told me she can only exchange my ticket for another day - but I flew back to my country the same night so can't come back. She doesn't care and sent me a screenshot of the Atkinson museum (which has different timings) that I never saw during the purchase process because I bought it directly through the Dali Universe Wow page. Anyhow, I am just very disappointed by this attitude and lack of understanding. They didn't even apologies for the inconvenience caused by their own system and made me feel like it's just my fault.
pearlapearla
00
Good views and a modern facility, but don't be misled by the "free entry" - you have to pay for every exhibit they have. We came here to see the Planet Cork exhibit - it cost €20 per person, but note the machines to make your custom corks weren't working, and the staff won't tell you in advance! The exhibit itself was really impressive as it had a lot of interactive displays and detailed information, but we were shocked when we came to the machine to make customised corks and found it was broken. We should have been told this upfront, as it was the only reason we came to see the exhibit, and we were very disappointed to see it wasn't available. Overall would not recommend coming here - it's costly and a bit pretentious. The best thing about it is the views and proximity to other attractions.
Jono CJono C
20
You might be thinking "this is a tourist trap", but you'd be absolutely wrong. The museums, while pricy for solo tickets, are modern and truly interactive - and more affordable for family or combo tickets. You have museums about wine, chocolate, drinking vessels, rosé, cork and more - and they usually include tastings. The stores are very well put together, with really cool stuff - and not much pricier than the stuffy corner souvenir stores all around the city. The architecture is stunning if you're into postmodernism - and even if you don't plan to spend you can still stroll around, enjoy the city views and the beautiful atmosphere. Maybe drink a glass of good wine. The place is big so plenty of room for everyone, and it's a truly magnificent (commercial) building. Recommended!
F TF T
20
It’s expensive but you do get a lot of information from the exhibits if you know absolutely nothing about wine. Also, there is good information of the Portuguese wine, of course. If you do have knowledge about wine, then probably skip this since it might be elemental. I visited both The World of Wine and Planet Cork with the duo entry. Everything is well explained with interactive exhibits which are a modern way to visit a “museum”. The buildings are modern with great facilities. I think most people go the restaurants and the views (which are fantastic) since both museums were quite empty. At the end of the wine visit you get a 2 wine tasting of the white and a ruby porto (fortified wine). If its a rainy day in Porto, then this would be great to stay out of the wet weather.
Alejandra GarciaAlejandra Garcia
20
We did the Wine Experience (informative, interactive, thorough) which includes a 3-wine tasting at the end. This was a gentle and interesting tour. We then did the Pink Palace which was all about rose, it included 5 tastings throughout the interactive tour and it was a lot of fun. Namely, the ball pit. Just about pissed ourselves laughing at it all. Grateful it wasn't busy when we went but the whole WOW venue is so huge that it'd take a lot for it to all fill up. It was really worth it though, we paid for those two entries which was about €34 each which seemed a lot but we were in there for about 3 hours. For €39 you can buy entry to all of the WOW venues but you'd be in there all day because there's so much to do. Overall, great value and lots of fun - for adults
HelenfrancescaHelenfrancesca
00
Nearby Attractions Of WOW Porto - The Best Cultural District
Luís I Bridge
Porto Cathedral
Jardim do Morro
Jardim do Morro
Bolsa Palace
Church of Saint Francis
Gaia cable car - Cais de Gaia station
Miradouro da Vitória
Caves Cálem
Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar
Luís I Bridge
4.8
(28.2K)
Click for details
Porto Cathedral
4.6
(12.4K)
Click for details
Jardim do Morro
4.7
(11.5K)
Click for details
Jardim do Morro
4.7
(10.1K)
Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of WOW Porto - The Best Cultural District
Mercado Beira-Rio
Sancho Panza...no Cais de Gaia
Taberninha do Manel
Bacalhau
Cantinho do Avillez - Porto
Espaço Porto Cruz
Pregar
Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau
Castro - Atelier de Pastéis de Nata
Postigo do Carvão
Mercado Beira-Rio
4.4
(3.9K)
Click for details
Sancho Panza...no Cais de Gaia
4.1
(2.3K)
Click for details
Taberninha do Manel
4.3
(2K)
$$
Click for details
Bacalhau
4.5
(1.7K)
$$
Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Rua do Choupelo 39, 4400-088 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Map
Phone
+351 22 012 1200
Call
Website
wow.pt
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(4K reviews)
Ratings & Description
cultural
entertainment
family friendly
attractions: Luís I Bridge, Porto Cathedral, Jardim do Morro, Jardim do Morro, Bolsa Palace, Church of Saint Francis, Gaia cable car - Cais de Gaia station, Miradouro da Vitória, Caves Cálem, Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar, restaurants: Mercado Beira-Rio, Sancho Panza...no Cais de Gaia, Taberninha do Manel, Bacalhau, Cantinho do Avillez - Porto, Espaço Porto Cruz, Pregar, Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau, Castro - Atelier de Pastéis de Nata, Postigo do Carvão
- Please manually select your location for better experience