Portugal is having a massive moment, and for good reason. Deciding how to split your limited vacation time between the historic cities and the stunning coastline can be overwhelming.
If you are trying to figure out the best places to visit in Portugal, this 10-day Portugal itinerary splits your time logically: 3 nights in Porto, 3 nights in Lisbon, and 4 nights in the Algarve. By structuring your trip this way, you avoid rushing through too many destinations and actually get the chance to decompress and experience each unique region.
Whether you land in Lisbon and head north or plan to drive straight to the beach, this slow-travel guide walks you through the highlights I personally experienced in of Porto, Lisbon, and the Algarve.
A Few Things to Know: Our Travel Style
Before you dive into the full itinerary, it helps to understand how we travel to see if our style matches yours:
- We love really nice hotels: We value a high-quality hotel experience. My husband does a ton of research beforehand on the hotels we stay at to make sure they have great locations, food, and amenities.
- The 3-night minimum rule: I strongly prefer to avoid moving hotels sooner than every three nights. I simply don’t want to deal with repacking, unpacking, and handling the logistics of checking in and out constantly.
- Treating ourselves: We are not budget travelers. While I do look for reasonable prices—especially on our tours and experiences—we are of the mindset that this is our vacation, and we are there to treat ourselves.
How to Customize Your Route: Why We Did Porto First
You might wonder why we landed in Lisbon and immediately took a train up to Porto, only to head back down to Lisbon a few days later. We designed our route this way specifically to align with the Primavera Sound Porto music festival on our first night.
If you aren’t planning your trip around a festival, you can easily rearrange this 10-day itinerary to be more linear (depending on where your flights land):
- Option 1 (Linear North-to-South): Fly into Porto (3 nights), take the train down to Lisbon (3 nights), and then drive down to the Algarve (4 nights).
- Option 2 (The Traditional Route): Fly into Lisbon (3 nights), take a train up to Porto (3 nights), and then drive down to the Algarve (4 nights) to end your trip on a relaxing note.
We felt that our 3-3-4 night breakdown gave us the perfect, well-paced amount of time in each place, regardless of the order in which you decide to visit them.
Lisbon Airport (LIS) Passport Control: What to Expect on Arrival
There’s been a lot of talk about the Lisbon airport lately and long lines due to the new biometric passport system. We got very lucky. We were sitting in Premium Plus, so we were in the first batch of people to get off the flight. We walked very quickly and didn’t stop to go to the bathroom.
When you land, you scan your passport at the biometric gates first, and then go to actual passport control. When we arrived at that first station, there were only about 5 people in line in front of us. However, the machines are challenging—when we scanned ours, it actually restarted all the machines at the same time, and we had to start over! A woman told us she had been standing there waiting for an hour, so if you’re at the back of the plane, it will take you a while.
Once we got through that first pass, the manual passport control with a human officer took only 5 minutes. Again, it seemed we were lucky with the time we landed (~9am local time).
Part 1: How to Spend 3 Days in Porto (The Best Wine & Coastal Highlights)
Day 1: Arriving in Porto & Primavera Sound
Most people would stay in Lisbon upon landing, but we actually took a train immediately to Porto on the day we landed. We wanted to go to Primavera Sound Porto, which started that evening. It was a very ambitious itinerary after a long flight and no sleep, but we made it work!
The Train to Porto from Lisbon
We left a 2-hour buffer at the airport for our train, and we actually made it. We would have been able to change our train ticket, but it’s something to be aware of as you book.
You can take a local train from the airport to the next train station, and go from there. The high-speed train ride is about 2.5 hours to Porto. It was nice and very typical of a European train.
When we got to our hotel, The Yeatman, our room wasn’t ready yet, so we just changed out of our suitcases, napped a bit, and laid by the pool.
Primavera Sound Porto (Parque da Cidade)
We headed to the festival around 6:00 PM, which was early, but that’s what we wanted. Entry was well run, with no major delays as we arrived.
It really reminded me of Outside Lands in San Francisco—lots of different stages, food vendors, and a really positive experience overall. They have multiple different stages in different parts of the park, and the setup was amazing.
We stayed until close to 1:00 AM (it didn’t officially end until around 4am!).
Same as any other festival – wear comfortable shoes, sunblock & be prepared for a long day! I’d definitely recommend attending to anyone considering.
Hotel Review: The Yeatman Hotel (Porto)
Our stay at The Yeatman was excellent. Our room was very spacious and we also had a balcony. The only downside is they have many different levels and our room was min ~5 minute walk from the pool, lobby, etc. You have to take 2 elevators and walk a lot. Not a big deal for us, but it may bother others.
Another pro is that it’s very close to the World of Wine, which is a great experience to check out, and I’ve detailed it below.
Our favorite part was their great indoor spa area. They have a gorgeous soaking tub, a sauna, steam room that we loved using to unwind after walking the city in the hot sun.
It also has incredible views over Porto’s historic center, which you get to enjoy during breakfast. We had a great experience here and would recommend this hotel.
Review: The Wine Experience at World of Wine (WOW) Porto
If you are in Porto, visiting the World of Wine (WOW) cultural district in Vila Nova de Gaia—a very short walk from The Yeatman—is a must. WOW is a massive, modern cultural district housed in beautifully restored historic Port wine cellars. It features seven interactive museums (covering everything from wine and chocolate to cork and Portuguese history), along with a dozen restaurants, bars, and cafes, all overlooking the Douro River with spectacular views of Porto’s old town. It’s designed to demystify wine and culture in a fun, non-stuffy way, making it a great place to spend several hours.
We went to The Wine Experience museum there, and I strongly, strongly recommend it.
We live in the Bay Area in California and go to Napa Valley/Sonoma all the time, but I actually learned new things about grapes, soil, cork, and global wine production here. The museum is highly interactive and quirky—they have a section where they diffuse different aromas into the air for you to guess (which really helps train your palate), and they even have amazing portraits of humans made entirely out of grapes.
It is self-guided, but they host a short, scheduled wine tasting at the end of the tour. We didn’t have a ton of time, but you could easily spend hours exploring the different museums and wine shops in the WOW district. It also was not crowded at all when we went early evening (maybe 10 other people!).
Day 2 in Porto: Electric Biking Along the Coast
Porto is incredibly hilly, which is why people don’t really do traditional bike tours (honestly didn’t click for me before we got there, why there were so few bike tour options online!)—they usually do TukTuk tours. We ended up booking a private electric bike tour on GetYourGuide for ~$137 for the two of us from 12:00 to 3:00 PM.
To be clear, we are not avid cyclists—we just really like biking! It was a great tour, and the guide (Carlos) was a wonderful person. He took us to some beautiful scenic points and shared some history, but then he took us out of the hilly city to the flatter parts along the coast to bike to the beach. It was less of a typical historical tour, but it was a nice few hours for us.
If you want deep history, a walking tour might be better, but we love bike tours, so we highly recommend him.
Livraria Lello Bookstore: Skip or Go?
Another thing I had wanted to do in Porto was visit Livraria Lello, the famous bookstore. It is €12 and you do need to buy tickets in advance. It is incredibly beautiful but very touristy—the experience is likely you go in, take a few pictures, and leave. We skipped it because of our schedule, but if you love books, it’s worth looking into.
Day 3: Douro Valley Day Trip from Porto
We booked a Douro Valley day tour through our hotel for close to $300, and it was a great experience. It’s about a 1.5-hour drive each way, so plan for a long day (we left at 9:00 AM and got back around 6:00 PM). It was a shared van for 8.
Our guide was well informed and gave us a lot of history in the car. We stopped at our first winery, Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira, where we tried some wines and ports. Then we did a very brief, scenic Rabelo boat tour on the Douro River in Pinhão, where they gave us a snack and more port wine. We visited a second winery and finished up with a phenomenal, very late lunch around 3:00 PM with wine pairings.
If you have the time, I’d recommend a day trip. The river is a site to see, and you get to hear more from the port producers.
Where to eat dinner in Porto
Because we had eaten lunch so late, we didn’t head out for dinner until 9:30 PM. We walked around Vila Nova de Gaia and tried four different places that were well reviewed, but none were accepting new tables. People always think Europe eats incredibly late, but in many areas, they really don’t!
We ended up at Armazém do Peixe in Afurada. It was expensive and definitely touristy, but we had no choice at 10:00 PM. We decided to try the whole grilled sardines since they are everywhere in Porto.
Watchout: look up how to eat these beforehand because they are served completely whole and you have to debone them yourself. We didn’t love the strong taste, and only ate about four of the twelve sardines on our giant platter. The waiter was definitely offended, but it just wasn’t our thing!
Part 2: 3 Days in Lisbon Itinerary (Food Tours, Fado, & Day Trips)
Day 4: Arriving in Lisbon & An Authentic Fado Night
We caught the 11:45 AM train from Porto and arrived in Lisbon at 2:30 PM, where we met up with our friends. We checked into our hotel, the Valverde Hotel on Avenida da Liberdade.
That evening, we went to a Fado restaurant that my girlfriend had booked called Senhora do Fado. Walking around Lisbon, you realize there are tons of Fado places and many are tourist traps. Senhor Fado, however, is run by a mother, father, and daughter, and it was phenomenal.
They serve you a course, perform Fado, stop singing to serve you the next course, and perform again. It is incredibly intimate, and you can see their passion as they perform. My husband said this was his highlight of the entire 10-day trip. I strongly recommend checking it out.
Hotel Review: Valverde Hotel (Lisbon)
We stayed at the Valverde Hotel on Avenida da Liberdade, and it was exceptional. They have a small dipping pool outside which was refreshing after walking in the heat all day. Their garden area for breakfast and dinner also had a lot of charm.
The room was clean, well decorated, but on the smaller side of all 3 hotels we stayed at. The hotel is also on the upscale shopping stripe, which which spent one afternoon strolling for a bit.
We were out and about until late most of our time in Lisbon, so we didn’t mind. Overall the hotel met our needs.
Day 5: Lisbon Food Tours, Bike Tours, & Museums
We spent Monday doing two different tour experiences in Lisbon:
The Food Tour:
Booked on Airbnb for $108 per person from 10:15 AM to 2:15 PM. Our guide was very personable, the stops and food we tried were great, and I highly recommend it. Lots of variety from traditional Portuguese dishes like bifana (pork sandwich), local award-winning cheese, sardines to vinho verde.
You also had reserved tables at the stops where you sat down (a couple inside restaurants) – so this wasn’t just going up to street vendors. Portions were great, and at one stop there’s was so much extra you could have eaten. The time went by quickly, and the walk wasn’t too far. There are a lot of food tours on Airbnb, I know this isn’t cheap, but it’s worth it!
The Bike Tour: Booked on Airbnb for $31 per person from 4:00 to 6:30 PM. I didn’t love this one as much but we still saw a lot, including some great city views.
The Lisbon Museum Time-Filler (Lisboa Story Centre)
We had some time to kill between our food and bike tours, and stumbled upon the Lisboa Story Centre on Praça do Comércio. It costs €7 to go through, and while we didn’t have enough time to do it properly, I highly recommend it. It has a very funny audio tour, and you can learn a lot about Lisbon’s history in a short visit.
Casual Dinner at Tasca Zebras
We went to Tasca Zebras on Calçada do Combro 51. It is a super small, casual, and intimate restaurant. We went in there dirty from our bike tour and they welcomed us right in. I got an ahi tuna sandwich (tuna prego), and it was tasty. Recommend if you’re looking for something more lowkey!
The Lisbon Tram Queue Hack
Lisbon has famous vintage streetcars, similar to the ones we have in San Francisco, so we didn’t feel compelled to ride them. But if you do, here is a tip: skip the 1-hour lines at the main pickup hubs (like Martim Moniz). The streetcars make stops all along the route where there are no lines at all. Walk a few stops down the tracks and hop on there!
Day 6: Sintra and Cascais Day Trip from Lisbon
We decided to do a day trip to Sintra and Cascais, and for Sintra, we booked last minute and definitely made a mistake. We paid $90 per person (totaling $400 for our group and three other women in a van) and essentially just paid for a very expensive taxi ride.
Our tour guide never actually walked around with us. He dropped us off at the first main castle and then a second area, claiming he couldn’t come because parking was too difficult. The tickets inside the castles were not included (which the booking did state), but when we went to buy them on-site, there was a 3-hour wait for the next entry window!
I would have really loved to go into one of the castles and hear more about the architecture and history, they were beautiful. I do recommend trying to squeeze in this day trip, as it’s unique.
Sintra Advice:
- Read the Fine Print: Do not book a transport-only tour under the impression you are getting a guided experience. They key is a listing that says tickets are included/pre-booked. Our posting stated “guided tour” which was misleading given we only got info in the van ride. So even if it says guided, it needs to say that you have tickets to go inside.
- Do Not Drive Yourself or Rely on Ubers: Parking is non-existent, the narrow roads are highly restricted, and calling Ubers is incredibly difficult. You absolutely need a driver.
- Weather: It’s actually quite cooler, foggy and windy in Sintra – my group brought jackets with us, which we were glad for! It did warm up as the day went on, but if I’d not brought my denim jacket & pashmina, I would have been so cold while we walked around the first spot at ~10-11am.
Is Cascais worth visiting
We spent a couple of hours in Cascais and had a tasty lunch. We also did the walk to see the views form the cliffs.
It is touristy and packed with souvenir shops, so I am glad we didn’t stay overnight there. It’s beautiful to walk around and see the viewpoints, but a day trip is plenty of time.
In early evening, we were hot, exhausted, and didn’t want to deal with the train back to Lisbon. We called an Uber back to Lisbon door-to-door for just $30. It was incredibly cheap, fast, and highly convenient. Always check Uber prices in Portugal—it’s often much better than coordinating train schedules and potential 15-to-20-minute delays.
Was I glad we squeezed this in? sure. Would it have been a huge miss if we hadn’t? No. If you’re on the fence between Sintra vs Cascais though – Sintra absolutely should be prioritized.
Part 3: 4 Days in the Western Algarve Itinerary (Aljezur, Hikes, & Catamarans)
Day 7: Getting to Aljezur & Praia do Canal Nature Retreat from Lisbon
We rented a car in Lisbon from a city-center office (Avis/Budget) rather than the airport, waiting only 20 minutes and completely bypassing the airport rental nightmare. We drove about 3 hours down to Praia do Canal Nature Retreat near Aljezur.
This resort is a complete nature retreat—gorgeous, peaceful, and the perfect place to move into a slower pace for the vacation.
*Watchout: The final road leading to the resort is unpaved, rocky, and off-road. Do not rent a car with low clearance!*
We spent Wednesday relaxing by the pool and enjoyed a great dinner onsite.
Day 8: Aljezur Coastal Hikes & Uncrowded Surf Beaches
On Thursday morning, we did a 2-hour round-trip hike directly from our hotel down to Praia do Canal—a rugged beach with massive rocks leading up to the water.
In the afternoon, we drove 15 minutes to Praia do Monte Clérigo—a phenomenal, uncrowded beach populated by local surfers with plenty of space to lay out. I highly recommend you go to this spot!
While we were there we also grabbed lunch at one of the beachside restaurants (O Zé), we got a really fresh octopus salad. There’s a couple other restaurants next door to choose from.
For dinner, we drove 20 minutes to Sítio do Forno in Carrapateira. Perched right on a cliff over Praia do Amado, it offers stunning views and a super casual meal. Also lots of local cats to pet 🙂 Make sure to plan your reservation for sunset!
Day 9: Algarve Coastal E-Biking & Clifftop Views
On Friday, we rented e-bikes to be delivered directly to our hotel. While the delivery fee felt steep ($200 for the full day), biking 40 miles up the coast was unforgettable. There are some steep hills, so I do recommend the e-mountain bike.
Green Tours was the company used, while I felt the price was steep – the bikes were in good condition and we didn’t have any issue riding around. They also provided helmets, reusable water bottle & bike locks.
Day 10: Affordable Lagos Catamaran Tour
On Saturday, we met up with friends from Germany and did a catamaran tour we booked via GetYourGuide (Gold Coast Sailing Cruise) operated by Days of Adventure. We chose the 2:30 PM slot (2.5 hours) for just $40 per person—super affordable and really great value. They also have an 11:30 AM option. It takes off from downtown Lagos.
The boat had about ~50 people on board but plenty of space, and featured a 1-hour swim stop with noodles, snorkels, drinks, and restrooms on board. I loved that they had water toys and goggles you could actually use in the water, and the water wasn’t too cold. You could also buy drinks onboard. They had 4 large trampoline areas on the catamaran so there was plenty of room for everyone who wanted to be out in the sun or lay down.
I’ve been on a couple of these style tours and I’d do this this specific one again. Sometimes they are overcrowded, or you stop to swim but there are no items like goggles to use, it’s too short or too long – this tour checked everything I look for off the list.
Why We Skipped Lagos
After our catamaran tour, we walked around downtown Lagos. It is highly touristy, crowded, and packed with generic souvenir shops. I’m personally glad we stayed in peaceful Aljezur instead of Lagos.
If you want beautiful landscapes and peace, stay on the west coast. I suggest if you want to kayak the sea caves (a favorite activity we missed due to our timeline), just do it as a quick day trip.
Hotel Review: Praia do Canal Nature Retreat
The last hotel we stayed at—the Praia do Canal Nature Retreat—was truly the highlight of our trip. It is a stunning, minimalist 5-star nature retreat. The architecture reminded me a bit of the desert.
Spending four nights here allowed us to completely slow down and enjoy being more immersed in the landscape. There are only 54 rooms total, and it never felt particularly ‘busy’ with people while we were there.
The hotel has an amazing spa with a soaking tub, cold plunge, steam room, and sauna. The room was spacious and had a balcony that we enjoyed sitting out on. The infinity pool outside is large and there are plenty of lounge chairs to layout next to it.
The breakfast buffet in the mornings was delicious – with ample selections of pastries, fruit and a menu you can order a la carte from.
It was our favorite hotel of the trip, and we strongly recommend staying here if you want beautiful, untamed landscapes and pure relaxation.
The only warning I’ll give is the resort is not adults only. Normally I wouldn’t mention this, however our first day there was a large group there with handful of pre-teen kids playing/yelling in the pool. We’re pretty laid back, but when I say yelling, I mean yelling. The kind of situation where the noise invades your thinking and prevents you from relaxing. Fortunately, this is when we discovered the spa amenities which are housed in a building nearby – it includes a private outdoor pool and additional lounge chairs to use on the roof (no kids allowed).
Part 4: Lisbon Airport Departure Tips & Passport Control Hacks
Our flight was at 12:30 PM, so we left our hotel at ~6:45 AM to make the 3-hour drive back to Lisbon Airport. Because we only traveled with carry-ons, we bypassed the check-in and bag drop lines. Security was a breeze and took only 10 minutes.
The real bottleneck we had heard about at Lisbon Airport is Passport Control, which is located after the duty-free shopping area. The downside is before passport control is where all the quality food and lounge area exists, so most people want to hang out there.
We decided to get through Passport Control just to be safe, upon entering the line wasn’t wrapped around – looked like a normal volume of people that would take ~30 min to get through.
Advice to save time: It’s the same process going out as when you came in, you do a biometric machine and then head to manual review or automated machines. Our biometric screen told us both to proceed to the automated machine lines—which looked long, I’d estimate a 30-to-40-minute wait.
We noticed that the human manual review queue (All Passports line) was basically empty. So we opted to go into that line and got reviewed by the border officer, who didn’t say anything, and we sailed through in 5 minutes.
I also recommend checking out Reddit (r/LisbonPortugalTravel) a few days before your flight home. With the new EES biometric rollout causing unpredictable 1-to-4-hour passport lines, crowdsourced passenger reports are the best way to see what’s happening.
We definitely got lucky going in and out of the airport – as the wait times really do seem to vary day by day!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How do you get from Lisbon to Porto? Is the train easy?
The high-speed Alfa Pendular train is incredibly fast, comfortable, and easy. It connects Lisbon Oriente to Porto Campanhã in exactly 2 hours and 45 minutes, which is much faster and less stressful than renting a car or flying.
Q: Why is passport control at Lisbon Airport so slow?
Lisbon Airport has transitioned to the new European Entry/Exit System (EES), requiring biometric registration for non-EU travelers. This has caused significant delays at both arrival and departure automated border gates. Always check Reddit for real-time queues, and always head straight to passport control after security without lingering in the shops.
Q: Can you do Sintra as a last-minute day trip?
You can, but you must plan ahead. Do not try to drive yourself or rely on calling Ubers—the narrow, winding, parking-restricted castle roads have no parking and poor cell reception. Book a guided tour in advance and double-check that it includes pre-booked castle entry tickets (like Pena Palace) to avoid 3-hour waits.
Q: Can you do Cascais and Sintra on the same day?
It is possible to combine them into a single day trip from Lisbon, it’s just going to but an early start and a non-stop day. I also recommend prioritizing the most time for Sintra. Sintra’s castles are a unique experience, whereas Cascais is beautiful but highly touristy. If you are short on time, spend your morning exploring Sintra and just stop in Cascais for a quick late-afternoon lunch (or even dinner) and cliffside view before taking a convenient Uber back to Lisbon.
Q: Is Lagos the best place to stay in the Algarve?
It depends on your vibe. Lagos is touristy and busy. If you want raw landscapes, uncrowded beaches, and peace, stay in Aljezur (Western Algarve) at a boutique haven like Praia do Canal Nature Retreat. If you want to kayak the sea caves, just do it as a quick day trip.
Q: How do you ride the Lisbon trams without the long lines?
Skip the massive 1-hour queues at the main starting hubs (like Martim Moniz). The vintage streetcars make stops all along the route, and there are virtually no lines at these other stops. Walk a few blocks down the tracks and hop on there!
Q: Do I need a car in the Western Algarve?
Yes, a rental car is essential for exploring the remote beaches and cliffside towns of Aljezur and Carrapateira. Public transport is virtually non-existent here, and calling Ubers is incredibly unreliable. Keep in mind that many hotel and beach access roads are unpaved and rocky, so avoid renting a car with low clearance.
