Portugal Overview
Portugal is one of Europe’s most underrated countries-Endless sun, beautiful beaches, diverse cities, picturesque wineries, and reasonable costs are some of the reasons to visit this small, yet epic destination. While you would need several weeks to explore Portugal in-depth, eight days are enough to explore the country’s highlights and must-see attractions. This itinerary is efficiently designed to maximize your time in Portugal and allow you to see many of the things that make this country unique!
Pros of this Itinerary:
- This 8-day itinerary will take you through many of the “must-visits” in Portugal
- You will see the country’s most famous wine region (Douro Valley)
- You will see Portugal’s two most famous cities (Lisbon and Porto)
- You will get to experience some of Portugal’s incredible beaches (Lagos).
- No car requires
Cons of this Itinerary:
- You will only explore Lisbon for 1.5 days (we felt ok with this amount post our trip)
- A lot of walking in a short period of time
- Less time to explore an area in depth
- Not off the beaten track (apart from the West Coast Lagos Tour)
Travel Logistics
Flight
While most international flights land in Lisbon, this itinerary assumes you start off in Porto. We opted to land in Porto since Day 3 of this itinerary involves going to the Douro Valley during the day and then taking a night train to Lisbon. Reversing the order of the trip and coming from Lisbon to Porto would have not allowed this option and probably requires us to skip the wine tour. This being said, if you can only fly into Lisbon, you can shuffle around this itinerary to make it work for you or add an extra day to see the valley.
Car
This itinerary will not require a car and can be completed via Portugal’s reliable network of trains. This being said, having a car, as always, provides more flexibility with logistics.
I recommend booking all train tickets in advance as they work out cheaper and can get filled up during the country’s busy season.
8 Day Highlights of Portugal Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and Porto
Itinerary
Porto is a highly underrated city, and personally, I loved it even more than even Lisbon. On day 1, I recommend settling in and relaxing and simply taking in the waterfront vibes of this energetic city. Head over to the Dom Luis Bridge area, and explore the Riberia district. Then cross the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia, grab a drink, and watch the sunset. Spend the rest of the evening getting settled and exploring.
Logistics
Fly in to Porto. Take a Taxi to your hotel or take the subway into city center
Where to Stay
For a unique stay and budget prices, stay at Zero Box Lodge Porto.
This unique stay is perfectly located in the center of the city and comes with a very affordable price tag. The experience of staying inside an old bank vault is also an unforgettable one. While your room will be much smaller than a traditional hotel room, the location and unique experience make it well worth it.
Day 2: Porto
Itinerary
Day 2 in Porto will start by hitting some of the touristic must-see sights. Some places you should hit:
- Livraria Lello Book Store (come first thing in the morning)
- Igreja Do Carmo
- Chapel of Souls
- Sao Bento Train Station
From here you have options. You could do a Douro River cruise, visit an old Port Cellar in Villa Nova de Gaia or simply aimlessly explore. Since we were planning on visiting the Douro Valley tomorrow, we opted to just explore. Porto was such a vibe and we just wanted to walk around and take it all in.
Note: We opted to skip visiting the Santa Maria da Feira Castle as we have seen many castles throughout our travels. The castle can be seen from most of the city as it sits on higher terrain.
Logistics
Porto is very walkable and all sites can be walked too if staying in the city center area.
Where to Stay
Zero Box Lodge
Day 3: Douro Valley (Alternative option- extra day in Lisbon)
Itinerary
If seeing the Douro Valley is high on your bucket list, today is the perfect day to do so. Unfortunately, with only eight days and many other places to see in Portugal, the only way to squeeze in the valley will involve a day trip to the winery followed by a night train to Lisbon. Today will be a tiring and semi-hectic day. Nonetheless, if you love wineries and are interested in learning more about Port wine, it is worth it!
I recommend booking a tour to see the winery. Most tours will start at 8 am and bring you back to Porto around 5 pm. Typically a tour will include a boat ride along with visits to 2-4 wineries. Coming back by 5 pm will allow you to take a 7 or 8 pm train to Lisbon on the same evening. The trains usually take anywhere from 3-4 hours, so you will reach the city around midnight.
Logistics
Book a tour to the Douro Valley which will include transport from Porto. After the conclusion of the tour, take the night Train from Porto to Lisbon. Trains can be booked via the official government website.
Where to Stay
With Lisbon being a more expensive city, we opted for a private room at” We Love F. Tourists” Hostel (great name!). The hostel is highly rated and offers tours, activities, and community events. We loved the hostel, thought it was mostly used as a conveniently located place for us to sleep
Day 4: Lisbon
Itinerary
Arriving in the city late last night will allow you to get up and start your day exploring right away. Today will be your only full day in the city, so getting an early start is important.
Some sights and areas you should hit today
- The Santa Justa Lift
- Alfama district
- Lisbon Cathedral
- Miradouro de St Luiza (viepoint)
- Feira Da Ladra & National Pantheon
- Miradouro da Nossa Senhora do Monte (viewpoint)
- Elevador da Bica (the most photographed street in Lisbon)
Logistics
Most places can be reached by walking, though there you can take public transport or taxis as well.
Where to Stay
Day 5: Day Trip to Sintra
Itinerary
Today you will make a day trip to the magical town of Sintra. We were initially hesitant about losing half a day in Lisbon to visit Sintra, but it was probably one of the best decisions we made. Despite the touristic nature of Sintra, it is a place like very few others that we have visited. It truly feels like a town from a fairy tale book. With only half a day you will want to focus on a few key sites:
- Penna Palace
- Moorish Castle
- Quinta da Regaleira Estate
Check out this Sintra day trip guide to make the most of your time!
Upon returning, you’ll probably be pretty worn out as there is a lot of walking in Sintra. Use the evening to relax and grab some good food and drinks. Alternatively, if you are up for it, you can explore more of Lisbon or experience Lisbon’s great nightlife!
Logistics
Take the train from Rossio Train Station to Sintra. The ride is ~ 30 minutes. Tickets can be bought at the station.
Where to Stay
We Love F. Tourists
Day 6: Lagos
Itinerary
It’s been a tiring and busy trip thus far, so now it’s time to relax. Portugal is known for its beautiful coastal towns and cities, and Lagos is one of the country’s most famous. Today is a free day to sit on the beach. We decided to relax and swim at one of Lago’s most famous beaches, Camilo Beach, as we were pretty tired and did not feel like beach hopping too much. There are plenty of other amazing beach options if you are up for some exploring.
Logistics
Book an early morning train from Lisbon to Lagos. The train ride will require a stopover in Tunes. The journey takes anywhere from 3-4 hrs.
Where to Stay
I recommend staying anywhere in Old Town Lagos if you do not have a car. We stayed away from the old town, and while we loved our Airbnb, it was difficult to get around without a car.
Day 7: Lagos and West Coast Algarve
Itinerary
Today is the day Anmol and I still talk about. The so-called “epic day” of our trip and the reason we settled on Lagos over other beachside towns. We started the day by booking a morning boat tour of the famous Benagil caves. We went with the speed boat option which ended up being a great choice.
Following the boat tour, we ate lunch and discovered one of our favorite little bookstores (called The Owl Story).
Around mid-afternoon, we met at the meeting point for our West Coast Algarve hiking tour. This tour was the best tour I have ever taken anywhere in the world, and if there is one thing you should do in Portugal, it is this. The tour takes you through the lands of, the less-visited, but incredible west coastline of Portugal. You will spend a full day in Vicentine Coast Natural Park, including an epic late-night dinner along the shoreline cliffs.
Read more about our experience with this tour and its magnificent guide, T.J.
Logistics
Everything should be within walking distance from the old-town. The meeting point for the West Coast Algarve tour may require a short taxi ride.
Where to Stay
Lagos Old Town
Day 8: Return to Departure City
Itinerary
Day 8 is the dreaded day where its time to return back to your departing flight destination. If its Lisbon the train should take 3-4 hours, if it is Porto, unfortunately, the ride home will take almost 7 hours. Make sure you take the earliest possible train out if you are heading to Porto. If you have any energy left, you could spend the remainder of the evening exploring any remaining bits of Lisbon/Porto.
Logistics
Train back to departing city
Where to Stay
Optional depending on where your flight is
Day 9: Return Flight
Itinerary
Fly out on Day 9 with hopefully some memories for a lifetime!
Cant wait to visit!
Made it so easy for all of us to plan a trip. Looks beautiful. Will definitely use your itinerary and ideas when we plan to visit.
Looks beautiful. Will definitely use your itinerary and ideas when we plan to visit.