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Livraria Lello

3.7 (167 reviews)
ModerateBookstores
Closed 10:00 am - 7:30 pm

Livraria Lello Photos

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Wife and I inside
William B.

We chose 7:00pm time slot right before closing at 7:30. The line wasn't too long and moved quick. Staff did a great job getting people in & out in reasonable time. Staff was very helpful and they have a great selection of books in many different languages. If you show your ticket you get a discount and some tickets get you a book with ticket purchase. In general prices are reasonable considering how popular this bookstore is. We were very happy we went and actually bought a couple of small books. I feel it's worth the experience if in Porto especially if you like books.

Sandee L.

One of Porto's top attractions, so of course it's gonna be a madhouse. I reserved silver tickets for 9am (opening). At 8:45am, there was already a line about 50 deep and they all had tickets too! The detail in this bookstore is like no other. Rumor is J.K. Rowling got her inspiration for Harry Potter here, although she insists she has never been to Portugal. Nevertheless, it's something to be seen. Good luck if you want a photo with the cool staircase. Unless you are super patient, pushy and don't care, oblivious to your surroundings, or all of the above to the swarms of people going up and down the staircase, you will not get a solo photo for the IGs. I think maybe the first five through the door had success before the staff started telling people to go around then and stop blocking the entrance. There are books in many different languages here, which is awesome, but there is not much variety. Also, the books are pretty heftily marked up because you can use your ticket price toward a purchase (books only, no merch). Neat to see, but it's a one and done.

Christina H.

TLDR: Livraria Lello is not worth the hype--don't waste your money or time coming here!! What attracts the large crowds to Livaria Lello is it's supposedly the bookstore that inspired J.K. Rowling, but honestly, it's a scam and not confirmed by JK Rowling herself. It's a tourist trap and overhyped, save your euros! To get in, you have to purchase a ticket online in advance with a set time. The ticketing system has three tiers-- Silver, Gold, and Platinum. I bought a silver ticket for the earliest time, but even at the earliest time, crowds gather quick. Upon arrival, you'll have to queue according to your ticket type, but the line management was honestly embarrassing. The signage was confusing, and even the employees seemed to be on completely different pages. The whole experience felt chaotic, overcrowded, and totally disorganized. All entry tickets are deductible against the purchase of a book, but what they don't tell you is it only applies toward a Livraria Lello book, not all books or items. Once inside, every inch of space is packed with people trying to take photos. If you get anxious in crowds or are even slightly claustrophobic, good luck!! From the tiny glimpses of architecture I did catch, it looked beautiful--but honestly, you wouldn't know it from how crowded it was. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. Overall? Hard pass.

Downstairs
Emily H.

This not so hidden gem is truly stunning! It's a must-do for a trip to Porto. You need to buy tickets ahead of time and it seems a little pricey for a quick walk through the library but you can use your ticket price as a credit toward a book purchase so that's a huge value! The selection of books in varying languages is substantial and the staff is wonderful. But the space is really what takes the cake - it's breathtaking and you won't be able to not take photos. The only downside is how crowded it gets but perhaps early morning tickets are better. Must do!

Liana J.

I knew it was a tourist trap going in, and the experience was actually much worse than expected. If a place has a timed ticket, I do expect it to not oversell tickets and pack the place to the point of not being able to move. Maybe if you were on the 9am ticket, and got there by 8:30am so that you were the first 50 people to enter, then it may be different. As it were, I booked tickets about 36 hours in advance and only able to get 9:15am. They were organized with signs indicating which line is for which time, I'll give them that. I got there at 8:50am, and was within first 10 people of my group, but didn't get to enter until around 9:20am, and there was already a horde of people inside. After entering, it was impossible to get any nice photos without some random strangers right next to you. Yes, the place was beautiful, but the crowds greatly detracted from the quiet and peace I associate with bookstores and libraries. They try to justify the entry fee by saying that the 10 euros spent can be deducted from the book price, but they literally mark up from MSRP price on everything, and things like mugs or bags do not get the same credit. You cannot combine multiple tickets to buy one book either. The book selection was pretty terrible, though they do include English, French, German and Spanish editions. I thought maybe I'd get a nice photo book of the library itself, but the only one available was in crazy neon and pastel colored fonts with washed out photos, and if I recall correctly, for about 30 euros. Didn't get it. Even the very limited classics selection was pretty sad. None of the books I picked up were under 10 euros. Bought a paperback novel instead for about 19 euros. Fun fact, you can get your book purchase stamped if you ask. When there are other historic sights much grander than this for less, I'd say skip this place unless you are a diehard booklover with no claustrophobia.

Leslie H.

While I was well aware that Livraria Lello is a famed "tourist trap" and most guides recommend skipping the long line, I am a huge fan of bookstores and felt that I owed it to myself to pay the shop a visit. Tickets are available online for timed entry by tier (silver for 10 euros, gold for 15.95 euros and platinum for 50 euros)-- with the value of your ticket worth a voucher towards purchase of a book of your choice. If you actually intend on purchasing a book (which is arguably the best reason to visit) then gold tier is definitely the move as it gives you priority access as well as 15.95 toward your purchase, which I ended up spending anyways since most books are 15.95 and up. We showed up about 30 min prior to our entry time and requested early entry since we were trying to catch a flight and the friendly staff outside kindly accommodated our request so we lucked out and only spent about 10 min in line. If you show up on time or late, be prepared for a long queue-- I'd highly recommend coming at least 15 min early! No matter what time you enter, the store is likely to be packed with tourists and tough to navigate (see photo below) so you're probably better off googling photos of the stained glass windows and beautiful red spiraling staircase but the real reason to come is for the gorgeous classic novels rebound in uniquely designed hardcovers. I wish the shop were less crowded because I could have spent forever in there perusing titles and likely would have come out with a handful of classics on my to-read list! There's a lot of controversy around whether or not JK Rowling was truly inspired by this spot (ask your local tour guide for the deets on this debated topic, though FWIW she lectured English several meters away so you decide the likelihood of whether or not she ever set foot in there... ) but regardless I feel that it's worth a visit if you're into bookstores or are a book collector and would like a relatively inexpensive and practical souvenir in the form of a beautifully bound classic novel.

Kelley K.

This place is gorgeous inside. I think if you dislike very crowded spaces, then maybe skip it. All the negative reviews were about how crowded it is inside. So yes, it is wall to wall people. Now you know, go & enjoy the experience! I suggest you make the 10 euro reservation. The architecture inside is great with all the beautiful wood. The books offered in so many different languages. It was super fun to me. Only thing not fun were the grumpy rude folks that were mad it was so crowded.... Anyway, your $10 you pay for reservation goes toward any book purchase! It was wonderful be be in such an historical place. Service was adequate! Make sure you have them stamp each of the books you purchase! Absolutely recommend!

Outside
Mallory D.

We waited 1 hour 45 minutes to enter (no tickets allowed today) and unfortunately it was rainy and cold. People came by with free hot mulled wine from across the street and pastries. They regulate how many people can enter inside the store and it was still packed inside. They have books in several different languages for fiction and non fiction. They also have journals, tote bags, and pens. Cute inside

Katya U.

Absolutely beautiful book store. Compact. Good selection of classics in several languages. Beautiful books. Not too many. Gets crowded but still enjoyable. Good service too. And nice location.

Bladimir M.

Beautiful bookstore in library famous for its appearance in the Harry Potter movies. Purchase tickets in advance online and it came with a free book. There was a really long line that stretched probably about 60 to 80 people. The Long line took a while, but it was expected with how popular this place is. The inside is very small for the amount of people in line, but it was beautiful. The art in the ceilings and on the walls transform you back into the past. These staircase is very unique and a great place to take pictures although hard to get a picture with all the people in the background. The employees were really nice and helpful even though they were very busy. But definitely recommend this place if you are in the area

The storefront.
George O.

We visited Livraria Lello and purchased a golden ticket for entry. And while it was extremely crowded, it was nice to check out the beautiful architecture and interiors of the bookstore. There isn't a large selection of books, but they did have selections in many languages to choose from. Plus the cost of your ticket is applied towards the cost of a book there, so splurge a little and get the golden ticket. It would've been nice if they had a couple more cashiers available to check people out though. Please note that reservations are required.

Keith M.

Very helpful staff doing their best in an extremely busy shop. Bought a couple of small books and couldn't stayed longer but it's not the most comfortable place to browse due to the crowds. It's like a tin of sardines. Books are reasonably priced and the English language section is decent in terms of classics and new.

Serena X.

Sadly, I was heavily disappointed by this bookstore experience. It is advertised as a beautiful bookstore, with Harry Potter like elements, but all I felt was overcrowded and pushed to purchase something. This is 100% a tourist trap by the bookstore, which saddens me given that were it to remain a historic bookstore, I could see the architectural charm inside. There is a winding staircase, which is probably the only thing that may resemble Harry Potter.

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Livraria Lello Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Livraria Lello

Rumor has it, JK Rowling became inspired by the stairs in this famous bookstore and also frequented it as well.

Mentioned in 22 reviews

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Livraria Lello - bookstores - Updated May 2026

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