The classic Portugal itinerary is Lisbon and Porto, three hours apart on CP’s Alfa Pendular train, with a day trip to Sintra from the capital; every longer route below builds on that spine by adding the Douro Valley, the Algarve beaches or a flight out to the islands. You do not need a car for the first three routes. You will want one for the Alentejo, the Douro quintas off the railway line and the Azores.
Prices are per person for two sharing mid-range rooms, excluding international flights, with the euro at roughly US$1.15. Backpackers can cut the figures by 40%; boutique hotels and private Douro tours can double them.
How you will move around#
Alfa Pendular
CP’s fastest train, tilting at up to 220 km/h: Lisbon to Porto in about 2 hours 50 to 3 hours 15, Lisbon to Faro in about 3 hours. Seats are reserved; book on cp.pt or the CP app.
Intercidades
Slower intercity trains on the same main lines plus Évora, Beja, Guarda and Covilhã. Lisbon to Porto takes about 3 hours 20 and costs a little less.
Regional and urban trains
Unreserved, cheap, frequent: Rossio to Sintra (40 minutes), Cais do Sodré to Cascais (35-40 minutes), Porto São Bento to the Douro and Guimarães.
Flights and buses
TAP, SATA and Ryanair fly Lisbon and Porto to Funchal (about 1 hour 45) and Ponta Delgada (about 2 hours 15). Rede Expressos and FlixBus fill the gaps the trains miss.
Alfa Pendular and Intercidades fares drop when booked several days ahead, and CP sells discounted advance fares on cp.pt; a standard second-class Lisbon-Porto ticket runs about €25-35. Fly into Lisbon and out of Porto (or the reverse) to save half a day of backtracking.
7 days: Lisbon, Sintra and Porto#
The first-timer’s week: four nights in Lisbon with a day each in Sintra and Belém, then three nights in Porto with a morning on the Douro.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | Arrive, walk the Baixa to Praça do Comércio, sunset from a miradouro in Alfama | Baixa, Chiado or Alfama | Metro red line from the airport, about 20 minutes |
| 2 | Lisbon | São Jorge Castle at opening, the cathedral, Tram 28 through Alfama and Graça, fado dinner | Same | On foot and tram |
| 3 | Belém | Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower, pastéis de Belém, LX Factory in the evening | Same | Tram 15 from Praça da Figueira, about 30 minutes |
| 4 | Sintra | Pena Palace first slot, Castle of the Moors, Quinta da Regaleira; back via Cabo da Roca and Cascais if you have energy | Lisbon | Train from Rossio, about 40 minutes; bus 403 Sintra to Cascais via Cabo da Roca |
| 5 | Porto | Morning train, Ribeira waterfront, the Luís I bridge top deck, port lodge tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia | Ribeira, Baixa or Aliados | Alfa Pendular Lisboa Santa Apolónia or Oriente to Porto Campanhã, about 3 hours |
| 6 | Porto | Livraria Lello (timed ticket), Clérigos tower, the cathedral, São Bento station tiles, Bolhão market | Same | On foot and metro |
| 7 | Porto | Douro river cruise of the six bridges or a day in Guimarães, fly home | Home | Metro line E to the airport, about 35 minutes |
Pace: steady, with every move by train. Sintra is the one day to plan carefully: buy timed tickets for Pena online and arrive before 10:00, because the queues and the shuttle buses up the hill are long by late morning. For a slower capital, our Lisbon itineraries break down two, three and five days hour by hour, and where to stay in Lisbon compares the neighbourhoods.
Cost: about €900-1,500 (US$1,000-1,700) per person. Doubles run €110-200 a night in Lisbon and €100-180 in Porto; the Lisbon-Porto train is €25-35, Sintra palaces €20-30 each, and a port tasting €15-30.
10 days: add the Douro Valley or the Algarve#
Ten days gives you three extra nights, which buy either wine country in the north or beaches in the south. Pick by season: the Douro is best from May to October (harvest from mid-September), the Algarve from June to September.
Option A: Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and the Douro Valley
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | Lisbon and Sintra | As the 7-day plan | Lisbon | Metro from the airport |
| 5 | Coimbra | Stop for the old university and the Joanina Library, then on to Porto | Porto | Alfa Pendular Lisbon to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour 40; Coimbra to Porto, about 1 hour |
| 6-7 | Porto | Ribeira, Gaia port lodges, Livraria Lello, Foz do Douro by tram 1 | Porto | On foot, tram and metro |
| 8-9 | Douro Valley | Quinta visits and tastings around Pinhão, a short river boat trip, the vineyard viewpoints at São Leonardo de Galafura | A quinta near Pinhão or Peso da Régua | Regional train São Bento to Pinhão on the Douro line, about 2 hours 30, river views from the right-hand side |
| 10 | Porto | Train back, fly home | Home | Douro line, then metro to the airport |
Option B: Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and the Algarve
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Porto | Start north: Ribeira, port lodges, a Douro cruise | Porto | Fly into Porto |
| 4-7 | Lisbon and Sintra | Lisbon, Belém and the Sintra day | Lisbon | Alfa Pendular Porto Campanhã to Lisbon, about 3 hours |
| 8-10 | Lagos | Ponta da Piedade by kayak or boat, Praia Dona Ana, a day at Cape St. Vincent and Sagres; fly home from Faro | Lagos old town | Intercidades or Alfa Pendular Lisbon to Tunes, change for the regional train to Lagos, about 4 hours in all; or a Rede Expressos bus, about 3 hours 45 |
Cost: about €1,300-2,100 (US$1,500-2,400) per person. Douro quintas cost €150-300 a night with breakfast and a tasting, and private winery tours from Porto run €90-150 per person. Lagos rooms are €90-150 in shoulder season and nearly double in August.
14 days: Porto and the Douro to the Algarve#
Two weeks runs the length of the mainland by train: north to south, Porto to the Algarve, with the Douro, Lisbon and a night in the Alentejo on the way. Fly into Porto and out of Faro.
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Porto | Ribeira, Gaia, Livraria Lello, Foz, a half day in Guimarães or Braga | Porto | Metro from the airport; trains to Braga and Guimarães about 1 hour 10 |
| 4-5 | Douro Valley | Pinhão quintas, river boat, viewpoints | Pinhão or Régua | Douro line from São Bento, about 2 hours 30 |
| 6 | Coimbra | University, Joanina Library, the old town | Coimbra | Back to Porto, then Alfa Pendular or Intercidades to Coimbra-B, about 1 hour |
| 7-10 | Lisbon and Sintra | Alfama, Belém, Sintra, a sunset in Cascais | Lisbon | Alfa Pendular Coimbra-B to Lisbon, about 1 hour 40 |
| 11 | Évora | Roman temple, the Chapel of Bones, Alentejo dinner | Évora | Intercidades from Lisboa Oriente, about 1 hour 35 |
| 12-14 | Algarve | Base in Lagos or Tavira: Benagil sea cave by boat, beaches, cliff walks; fly home from Faro | Lagos or Tavira | Bus Évora to Faro or Lagos, about 3 hours 30-4 hours; or train back via Lisbon |
Pace: comfortable, with two one-night stops. If you would rather stay put, drop Évora and Coimbra and give each night to the Algarve, which works better in summer anyway. Swap Lagos for Tavira if you want calmer, warmer water and a quieter town; Tavira is 35-40 minutes from Faro by regional train.
Cost: about €1,800-3,000 (US$2,100-3,450) per person. Rail and bus legs add about €100-140 per person, palace and museum tickets about €100, and a Benagil boat trip €25-40. The trains cover everything except the Évora-Algarve link, where buses are quicker than going back through Lisbon.
Themed week: the Azores or Madeira#
Both archipelagos are short flights from the mainland and make a strong second half to a Lisbon trip or a week on their own. Pick São Miguel for crater lakes, hot springs and whales, Madeira for levada walks, warmer weather and an easier trip without a car on the south coast.
Azores: São Miguel, with Pico or Faial
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ponta Delgada | Arrive, walk the old town and harbour | Ponta Delgada | Fly Lisbon or Porto, about 2 hours 15 |
| 2 | Sete Cidades | Crater rim walk and viewpoints, go early before the cloud | Same | Rental car, about 40 minutes |
| 3 | Furnas | Terra Nostra thermal pools, cozido cooked in the volcanic ground, Lagoa do Fogo on the way back | Same or Furnas | Car, about 1 hour |
| 4 | Ponta Delgada | Whale-watching trip (April to October), tea plantations near Ribeira Grande | Same | On foot to the marina |
| 5-7 | Pico or Faial | Climb Mount Pico with a guide, vineyard walks, ferry to Horta | Madalena or Horta | Inter-island flight, about 40 minutes; Pico-Faial ferry about 30 minutes |
Madeira: Funchal base
| Day | Where | What you do | Sleep | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Funchal | Old town, Mercado dos Lavradores, cable car to Monte and the toboggan ride down | Funchal | Fly Lisbon, about 1 hour 45 |
| 3 | East | Ponta de São Lourenço walk near Caniçal | Funchal | Bus or car, about 40 minutes |
| 4 | Peaks | Sunrise at Pico do Areeiro, ridge walk to Pico Ruivo | Funchal | Car or tour, about 45 minutes |
| 5-6 | North and west | Levada walks (25 Fontes, Caldeirão Verde), Porto Moniz rock pools, Porto da Cruz | Funchal or the north coast | Car |
| 7 | Funchal | Botanical gardens, Madeira wine lodges, fly home | Home | Taxi or Aerobus to the airport, about 25 minutes |
Cost for either week: about €1,100-1,800 (US$1,250-2,100) per person including the mainland flight and a small rental car. Book the Pico climb permit and guide ahead in summer, and check the levada closures on the regional government site before setting out after rain.
How to adapt these routes#
- First-timers: Stick to the 7-day or 10-day plans. Book Pena Palace, Livraria Lello and any Douro quinta lunch ahead; they sell out in summer.
- Families: Base in one place for four nights. Lisbon’s Oceanarium, the beaches at Cascais and the Algarve suit children better than the Sintra hills. Children under 4 travel free on CP trains, and those aged 4 to 12 get a discount.
- Slow travel: Stretch the 14-day route to three weeks with the walled villages of Óbidos, Nazaré, Tomar and the Sanctuary of Fátima between Lisbon and Coimbra, or walk a few stages of the Rota Vicentina down the south-west coast.
- Road trip: Hire a car for the Alentejo, the Douro quintas, Peneda-Gerês and the Costa Vicentina; skip it in Lisbon and Porto, where parking is scarce and the streets are steep.
- Winter: The city routes work well from November to March, with mild days and short queues in Lisbon, but expect rain in Porto and the Douro. Weight the trip south, or add Madeira, which is warm all year. Our best time to visit Portugal guide has the month-by-month detail.
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Sit on the right-hand side of the Douro line train from Porto towards Pinhão: for most of the last hour the track runs right along the river, while the left side mostly faces the hillside. Regional seats are not reserved, so board at São Bento early on summer weekends.
More Portugal guides#
Portugal travel guide · Beaches · Best Time · Costs · Culture · Food · Getting Around · Visas
Portugal itinerary FAQs#
How many days do you need in Portugal?
Seven days covers Lisbon, Sintra and Porto at a steady pace. Ten days adds the Douro Valley or the Algarve, and two weeks lets you run from Porto to the Algarve by train with a night in Évora on the way.
Is it better to travel Portugal by train or car?
By train for the main cities: Alfa Pendular and Intercidades link Porto, Coimbra, Lisbon and Faro, and Lisbon and Porto are hard places to drive and park. Hire a car for the Alentejo, the Douro quintas, the Costa Vicentina and the islands.
How long is the train from Lisbon to Porto?
About 2 hours 50 to 3 hours 15 on the Alfa Pendular and about 3 hours 20 on the Intercidades, between Lisboa Santa Apolónia or Oriente and Porto Campanhã. Standard second-class fares are about €25-35, less when booked ahead.
Should I start in Lisbon or Porto?
Either works if you book an open-jaw flight. Starting in Porto and ending in Lisbon or Faro suits trips that finish on the Algarve, while starting in Lisbon is easier for a first week focused on the capital and Sintra.
Is the Algarve or the Douro better for a short trip?
The Douro is better from May to October for wine, scenery and an easy train ride from Porto. The Algarve is better from June to September for beaches, and Lagos is about four hours from Lisbon by train or bus.
How much does a week in Portugal cost?
A mid-range week costs about €900-1,500 per person, excluding international flights, with rooms the biggest line. Backpackers can manage on €500-800, and August prices on the coast are higher.
Can you combine the Azores and Madeira in one trip?
Yes, but there are few direct flights between them, so most routes connect through Lisbon. With two weeks, spend one week on each, or pick one archipelago and add Lisbon.