The Clérigos Tower in Porto

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The Clérigos Tower is the outline you steer by in Porto: 75 m of baroque stone that dominates the skyline of the old town. The question most visitors have is whether the climb earns its ticket. It is 225 steps to the top, the day ticket was 10 euros in October 2026 and includes the museum, and on special dates the tower stays open until 23:00 for a cheaper climb after dark.

The tower is the bell tower of a church, and both were designed by one man, Nicolau Nasoni, for the Brotherhood of the Clérigos. Work on the tower began in 1754 and ended in July 1763, when the iron cross was set on top. The complex has been a National Monument since June 1910 and receives more than 1,500,000 visitors a year, which makes it one of the most visited monuments in Portugal.

Three buildings, one ticket

The mistake is to think of the tower as a building on its own. The Torre dos Clérigos, as the city calls it, is one part of a complex of three: the church, the tower and the House of the Brotherhood, which now holds the museum. The day ticket covers tower and museum together, so one entry takes in the Brotherhood's old rooms and the climb.

The Brotherhood of the Clérigos commissioned the whole in the 18th century. Nasoni, an Italian artist, presented his design for the bell tower in 1753. The complex is his first documented work of architecture, and the one that brought him the most recognition. The House of the Brotherhood went up between 1754 and 1758, with an infirmary where sick clergy were treated until the late 19th century. That infirmary is now an exhibition room for a collection of sacred art.

The complex reopened on 12 December 2014 after a full restoration, exactly 251 years after its inauguration. The works covered about 4,500 square metres and used 140,000 sheets of gold leaf. The Brotherhood tells the rest of the story on its page about the complex.

What the climb costs

The mistake is to pay twice for sights a combined ticket covers. Clérigos Tower tickets come in two kinds. The day ticket, valid from 9:00 to 19:00, covers the tower and the museum: 10 euros general, 7 euros for students with ID and free for children up to 10, as listed in October 2026. The night ticket covers the tower alone, costs 5 euros and is sold only on special dates.

Three combined tickets exist. The tower with the Palácio da Bolsa and the MMIPO museum is 25 euros, the tower with Serralves is 27.20 euros, and the tower with the Spiritus multimedia show is 19 euros. The Serralves one is the clear saving: the two full tickets bought apart come to 34 euros. Residents of Porto pay half on the day ticket.

The Brotherhood sets the prices and lists them on its ticket office page; they change from year to year. Last entry is always 30 minutes before closing.

The church below the tower

The mistake is to walk past the church door on the way to the ticket desk. The Clérigos church is the body of the complex, and the tower was added as its bell tower. Both stand on Rua de São Filipe de Nery, and both carry the same score from visitors: the church is rated 4.6 out of 5 from 13,560 reviews, the tower 4.6 from 22,334.

The church is still a place of worship. Mass is said in English every Saturday at 17:00 and in Portuguese on Sunday evening, so a visit on Saturday afternoon may meet a service.

The museum fills the former private quarters of the Brotherhood. Its collection, mostly left to the Brotherhood in legacies, runs from goldsmiths' work made in Porto to sculpture and textiles, and it has belonged to the Portuguese Network of Museums since 28 August 2018. A further room on the history of the Brotherhood and its presidents opened in 2022.

Hours, and the evening climb

The mistake is to assume the late opening runs all year. The standard hours are 9:00 to 19:00. At Easter, in summer and in the Christmas season the complex stays open from 9:00 to 23:00, and those are the only dates on which a Clérigos Tower night visit is possible. On 25 December and 1 January it opens from 11:00 to 19:00.

From the top the view runs over two cities, Porto on one bank of the Douro and Vila Nova de Gaia on the other. Nasoni gave the tower six floors, and the 225 steps pass all of them.

The choice between day and night is a choice of ticket as much as of light. By day the price includes the museum. After dark it buys the tower only, at half the price.

Seventy-five metres and 225 steps, finished in July 1763.

Fitting the tower into a day

The mistake is to cross the city for it and then cross back. The tower stands in the middle of the sights most visitors want, and the walks between them are short. São Bento station and its tiled hall are 340 m away, the Avenida dos Aliados 550 m, and the Cordoaria garden 184 m. The Palácio da Bolsa is 485 m off, about eight minutes, though the way back from the riverside is uphill.

A sensible order starts high and ends low: the tower in the morning, then São Bento station, then down to the cathedral and the river. Livraria Lello sells timed entry, so book that slot first and set the climb around it.

For a longer walk west, the gardens of the Palácio de Cristal are 959 m from the tower, about 15 minutes, and free to enter.

Common questions

How many steps does the Clérigos Tower have?

225 steps to the top, over six floors. The tower is 75 m high.

How much is the Clérigos Tower?

In October 2026 the day ticket, tower and museum together, was 10 euros, 7 euros for students and free for children up to 10. The night ticket, tower only, was 5 euros.

Is the Clérigos Tower open at night?

Only at Easter, in summer and in the Christmas season, when it stays open until 23:00. On other dates it closes at 19:00.

Who built the Clérigos Tower?

Nicolau Nasoni designed it for the Brotherhood of the Clérigos. Building began in 1754 and ended in July 1763.