Spectroscopic, viscometric, and molecular docking analysis of binding of cationic bis-porphyrins linked with p- or m-xylylenediamine (H(2)pXy and H(2)mXy) and their zinc(II) complexes (ZnpXy and ZnmXy) to duplex DNA are described. H(2)pXy and H(2)mXy bound to calf thymus DNA (CTDNA) stronger than unichromophoric H(2)TMPyP, and showed exciton-type induced circular dichroism spectra of their Soret bands. The H(2)TMPyP-like units of the metal-free bis-porphyrins did not intercalate into CTDNA, and thus the binding mode is outside binding with intramolecular stacking. ZnpXy showed favorable binding to A.T over G.C region, and should lie in the major groove of A.T region.