World of Discoveries is a strange theme park-esque museum about Portugal’s Age of Discoveries. Children should enjoy it – but couples may get the most out of it.
What is World of Discoveries in Porto?
Many of Porto’s attractions are about heritage, but World of Discoveries covers it in a more modern way.
It’s a somewhat bizarre attraction looking at Portugal’s Age of Discovery, but takes the form of an indoor boat ride.
As such, it feels more like a theme park than a classic historical attraction.
Why book skip-the-line tickets to World of Discoveries?
- 🌍 Step inside the journeys of Portuguese explorers from centuries past
- 🚢 Interactive exhibits bring the Age of Exploration to life
- 🎧 Multilingual audio guides for a deeper understanding
- ⏱️ Skip-the-line entry means more time discovering, less time waiting
- 🎫 Great family-friendly attraction in the heart of Porto
What does World of Discoveries cover
Using models, recreated scenes and plenty of interactivity, World of Discoveries focuses on the 15th and 16th century Portuguese explorers. Via the Siege of Ceuta, this takes visitors on expeditions to Africa, Asia and South America.
The boat passes through mocked-up versions of Brazil, Timor, China, Japan and more. And, for some reason, lots of live birds flutter around inside, making it something of a mini-aviary.
World of Discoveries is all very silly and slightly cheesy, but it gets a lot of information across in a fairly child-friendly way.
How much do World of Discoveries tickets cost?
Buy online, and tickets for World of Discoveries in Porto cost €18 for adults and €12 for children. Due to limited capacity, advance booking is strongly advised.
Is World of Discoveries worth the money?
Those ticket prices would be a little steep for an ordinary museum about the Portuguese Age of Discovery, but seem fair given the presentation.
It is a somewhat bemusing attraction, with a strong love or hate factor. For visitors wanting something more serious and in-depth, World of Discoveries is not worth the money.
However, if you want something fun, World of Discoveries manages to hit the spot. It seems pitched at families, but I suspect that couples will get the most out of this strange Porto attraction.
Unusually for a museum, it’s something that you experience together. It’s also somewhere that will have you talking about it afterwards – even if it’s saying: “What the hell was that?”
More Portugal travel
Other Porto experiences worth considering include Douro Valley wine tours, boat cruises and electric tuk tuk tours.
- Other Portugal travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A guide to Lisbon’s Belem neighbourhood.
- Where can I go snorkelling with seahorses on the Algarve?
- A Tavira travel guide for first time visitors.
- A Faro travel guide for first time visitors.
- A Lagos travel guide for first time visitors.
- Why the Algarve’s Benagil Cave is best seen on a kayak tour.
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