This two-week itinerary explores Portugal's diverse landscapes and cultural treasures, journeying from the north to the south, ticking off coastal and countryside scenes. Start in captivating Porto and visit the Douro Valley before heading south to colorful Lisbon via Nazaré and Óbidos. Visit the enchanting village of Sintra, then continue to the sun-kissed beaches of the Algarve. Return north via a relaxed inland route, stopping at ancient Évora, charming Coimbra, and coastal Aveiro.

Highlights

  • See the best of Porto and Lisbon, Portugal's two biggest cities
  • Explore the fairy tale village of Sintra, including the romantic Pena Palace
  • Hop between the blissful beaches of the Algarve
  • Drive through the Alentejo region to get to the inner-walled city of Évora
  • Stop through Nazaré, Óbidos, Coimbra, and Aveiro

Brief Itinerary

Day Highlights Overnight
Day 1 Arrive in Porto, Explore Porto
Day 2 Guided Walking Foodie Tour, Port Wine Cellar Visit with Tastings Porto
Day 3 Day Trip to the Douro Valley, Wine Tasting Tour & Boat Ride Porto
Day 4 Transfer to Lisbon via Nazaré & Óbidos Lisbon
Day 5 Free Day in Lisbon, Fado Dinner Lisbon
Day 6 Day Trip to Sintra Lisbon
Day 7 Transfer to the Algarve, Explore Algarve
Day 8 Boat Trip to the Grottoes Algarve
Day 9 Beach Day in the Algarve Algarve
Day 10 Transfer to Évora, Explore Évora
Day 11 Private Alentejo Tour & Wine Experience  Évora
Day 12 Transfer to Coimbra, Explore Coimbra
Day 13 Transfer to Porto via Aveiro Porto
Day 14 Depart Porto  

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Porto, Explore

Porto Ribeira
Venture down to Ribeira and soak up the atmosphere at a riverfront café

Bem-vindo, welcome to Portugal! You've landed in Porto, the proud capital of the north and the undefeated city (Cidade Invicta). Take a private transfer from the airport to your hotel in the city center. Drop your bags, freshen up, and set out to explore. Portugal's second-largest city is defined by the Douro River, so wander down to the banks in the Ribeira neighborhood to soak up river views and the double-decker Dom Luís I Bridge with a glass of wine in hand. This was once the commerce center of the city, but the big sailships are gone, replaced with tourist boats.

Today is yours to explore as you wish, so you could board a traditional rabelo boat to learn some curiosities about the city and the six bridges that cross the river. After, return to Praça da Ribeira, a sloping square with pavement bars and colorful tower homes. From here, wind your way up through the city to explore monuments such as the Torre dos Clérigos or the marvelous Palácio da Bolsa. By now, you'll have worked up an appetite big enough to take on Porto's famous heart-stopping sandwich—the meat-heavy Francesinha.

Day 2: Guided Walking Foodie Tour, Port Wine Cellar Visit with Tastings

Porto Overview
The Ribeira neighborhood sits at the riverfront of Porto

Wake early to explore Porto and its most famous monuments. Today's three-hour walking and tasting tour will take you past the Cathedral, Torre dos Clérigos, and São Bento station, through the most important squares, and uncover a few lesser-known gems. With a UNESCO World Heritage badge, Porto's old center offers a postcard at every turn. As you explore with a guide, you'll stop to taste traditional jams, quince paste, port wines, local cheese and cured meats, and specialty snacks.

Later, you'll cross the river to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the world-famous port wine is matured. Port is born in the Douro Valley, but it is here, close to the sea, that wine is aged, ready to ship worldwide. Visit a wine cellar to learn about Portugal's famous export as you explore the barrel rooms, then taste a range of port wines to truly understand the difference between white, ruby, and tawny.

Day 3: Day Trip to the Douro Valley, Wine Tasting Tour & Boat Ride

Discover the Douro Valley from a traditional rabelo
Discover the Douro Valley from a traditional rabelo boat

After tasting port in Gaia yesterday, you'll now venture to the source. Admire the breathtaking beauty of the Douro Valley on a full-day tour from Porto. Board a private vehicle and enjoy picturesque landscapes along the route as your local driver and guide explains the region's rich culture. Across the day, you'll learn about the production of port wine, walk through the vineyards, and even taste the local wines.

Enjoy a traditional Portuguese lunch with local dishes and wines (of course) before boarding a river cruise in the afternoon. Traditionally the Rabelo boat was used to ferry barrels of port down the river to the cellars in Gaia. Now the boats offer visitors an authentic way to explore the Douro River. You'll cruise from the charming village of Pinhão up toward Tua and back, admiring the terraced vineyards that cascade into the river and the century-old estate buildings that make up this unique UNESCO World Heritage landscape.

Day 4: Transfer to Lisbon via Nazaré & Óbidos

Óbidos Castle
Ancient walls surround the medieval village of Óbidos

Pack up and hit the road for Lisbon. Today you'll make a day of the three-hour drive by stopping at the fishing town of Nazaré and the medieval village of Óbidos. Two hours south of Porto, the coastal Nazaré is famous for its long, sandy half-moon-shaped beach and some of the biggest waves in the world. Admire the beautiful wooden fishing boats and the local women who still wear the traditional seven skirts. If you're lucky, the world-record-breaking waves might be pumping, attracting top surfers from all over the world.

Continue south to Óbidos, a charming medieval walled village, where the historic center offers a labyrinth of narrow cobblestoned streets and flowerbeds, where whitewashed houses are livened up with dashes of vivid yellow and blue paint. Try the local liqueur—ginjinha—a sweet, sour cherry drink often served in a small chocolate cup. Finally, continue to Lisbon, where after check-in, you can relax and explore the streets of Portugal's colorful capital.

Day 5: Free Day in Lisbon, Fado Dinner

Day at Leisure in Lisbon
Take in the traditional music of a fado performance while enjoying local food

Lisbon is one of Europe's most likable capitals, and today you get to explore at your own pace. Wander through a mosaic of terracotta-roofed buildings that cling both majestically and humbly to the city's seven hills. Explore the historic streets of Alfama and Mouraria neighborhoods, make your way through Baixa-Chiado, past traditional stores, and the Santa Justa Lift. Make your way down to the wide Tejo River via Praça do Comercio. This location was the residence and palace of the kings of Portugal for approximately two centuries until a big earthquake in 1755.

Later this evening, experience one of Portugal's greatest art forms—fado. Everything stops when fado is performed. Silence rules the room, the lights dim, and only then the show begins. More than a traditional style of music, fado is an emotional experience. Sit down for a classic Portuguese meal with wine; then, the show will begin. It's hard not to feel touched by the vibrant performances of fadistas (fado singers), even without grasping the lyrics.

Day 6: Day Trip to Sintra 

Sintra's hilltop setting near Lisbon
Pena Palace sits atop Sintra's highest peak

UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sintra and its hills, dotted with fairy-tale palaces and extravagant villas, have enchanted visitors for centuries. Today your guide will whisk you from downtown Lisbon to romantic Sintra, starting with Pena Palace, one of the best expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in Europe, where King Fernando II intentionally mixed architectural styles. From here, enjoy views of the Moorish Castle. It's a testimony of the Islamic presence in the Iberian Peninsula, which was built in the eighth century and conquered during the formation of the Portugal Kingdom.

Plan your trip to Portugal
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.

Wander the picturesque village of Sintra and stop to taste the town's famous travesseiros and queijadas de Sintra before continuing through the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. Pause at Cabo da Roca, Europe's westernmost point, for a photo before winding down toward Guincho Beach and Cascais, a former fishing village and royal summer playground. Explore the Cascais Citadel, a set of 500-year-old fortifications built to protect Lisbon from pirates and corsairs, and enjoy free time at the beach. Return to Lisbon, passing historic mansions in Estoril and golden beaches along the way.

Day 7: Transfer to the Algarve, Explore

Algarve
The dazzling Algarve coast is famous for its golden cliff formations

The southern Algarve region is the beach jewel of Portugal, boasting a breathtaking coastline, epic caves and archways, and great year-round weather. If you love to have fun in the sun, you'll love the Algarve, but there's more to the southern coastline than meets the eye! Today you'll take a three-hour transfer south from Lisbon, reaching the area just in time for lunch.

Seafood is popular here, with fresh fish, crabs, octopus, and shellfish plucked from the Atlantic Ocean daily and served in casual restaurants and beachfront bars across the region. Fill up with a fish feast (with local white wine), then find a beach to see out the rest of the afternoon. Alternatively, continue the adventure with a sunset tour to Sagres, Portugal's most southwestern town, to experience one of the world's most beautiful and romantic sunsets at St. Vincent Cape.

Day 8: Boat Trip to the Algarve Grottoes

Algarve caves
Explore incredible caves and rock formations with a boat tour

Ponta da Piedade caves in Lagos are among the most popular and unmissable attractions on the Algarve coast. In this area around Ponta da Piedade, you'll find a wide variety of caves and rock formations resembling familiar figures, such as the Titanic, the Elephant, and the Cathedral. This morning you can board a boat tour and have local guides share this wonderful coast's secrets, culture, and history. 

After the aquatic adventure, you could spend the afternoon wandering around the small city of Lagos, lazing on the nearby beach of Meia Praia, hiking along the cliffside, or kayaking the coastline.

Day 9: Beach Day in the Algarve

Beach Day in the Algarve
You can rent chairs and umbrellas at many beaches in the Algarve

Today is yours to soak up the Algarve's warm Mediterranean climate. The 96-mile-long (155 km) coastline has dozens of beaches, big and small, where you can relax on the soft sand, soak up the sun's rays, or take a refreshing dip in crystal-clear waters. From secluded coves nestled between towering cliffs to vibrant stretches with beachside bars and water sports, there's the type of beach for every traveler. Enjoy another long seafood with lunch with crisp Portuguese wine by the beach, then toil away the day with a good book or fun coastal activity like jet skiing or parasailing.

Day 10: Transfer to Évora, Explore

Charming streets of Evora
The charming streets of Évora look like they are from a postcard

The Alentejo region is one of those places in the world where you can switch off. Here time stands still, life moves more slowly, and the people are friendly. Today you'll take a 2.5-hour private transfer to Évora, the capital of the Alentejo. Enter the ancient town walls to discover the treasures that lie between the whitewashed, yellow-trimmed houses, including the famous Roman Temple and the Bones Chapel. Walking the streets of Évora is the most incredible way to understand why the region is one of the country's most vibrant areas in its own way.

The Alentejo is known for its rich gastronomic heritage, and there's no better place to explore the best of the region's high-quality wines and regional dishes. Find a local tavern for lunch and dinner and try specialties such as black pork and migas, Alentejano soup, and seracaia (a dessert). 

Day 11: Private Alentejo Tour & Wine Experience 

wine in Alentejo
Explore the gastronomic heritage of the Alentejo on a private tour

The Alentejo is Portugal's largest region, and within, you'll find vast open plains dotted with cork trees and olive groves, hilltop castles and whitewashed villages, and dozens of unknown treasures. Along with the Douro Valley, the region is one of the world's leading destinations for wine lovers of quality and unique cuisine. Today you'll join a guided tour that will take you beyond the walls of Évora and out into the countryside to explore the heritage and culture of the land.

Start with a visit to a traditional vineyard and farm, enjoying a private guided tour and wine tasting with local snacks. Then return to Évora for an exclusive lunch with wines paired by a sommelier. Taste some excellent examples of Alentejo gastronomy harmonized with four different wines, some of the most emblematic of Évora.

Day 12: Transfer to Coimbra, Explore

Coimbra Overview
Coimbra cascades down the hill toward the Mondego River

Coimbra is a breathtaking mix between ancient and new, rural and urban. At the very top of Portugal's medieval capital sits one of the most important monuments—the University of Coimbra, the first in Portugal and one of the oldest in the world. Take a 2.5-hour private transfer from Évora to this central Portuguese city set on the banks of the Mondego River. The first thing to do is get lost in the city's narrow streets, going back in time with each step.

When the university was created in 1290, the first intellectuals arrived and made it the knowledge center of the country. Now you can tour the still-functioning historic university site, which has the UNESCO World Heritage seal and is housed within a former royal palace.

Day 13: Transfer to Porto via Aveiro

The colorful Art Nouveau buildings in Aveiro's historic center
The colorful Art Nouveau buildings in Aveiro's historic center

Today on the return 75-minute transfer to Porto, you'll pull up at the coastal Art Nouveau city of Aveiro. This beautiful city sits at the edge of an extensive coastal lagoon and features a network of canals. Explore the energetic university city on foot or in a moliceiro—a colorful boat traditionally used for seaweed harvesting but now repurposed for canal cruises. Eat the local sweet—ovos moles—and venture out to Costa Nova to see the stripy fishermen's houses if you have time.

Back in Porto, use your final evening in Portugal to savor the best local cuisine. Take yourself out for a last dinner to celebrate a brilliant two weeks exploring the Iberian nation. Be sure to save room for another glass or two of port wine as a nightcap!

Day 14: Depart Porto

Porto views from Gaia
View over Porto from across the river in Gaia

It's time to say goodbye to Portugal! Depending on the time of your flight, you may be able to squeeze in one more walk through the streets of Porto or perhaps pick up some last-minute souvenirs. At the designated time, you'll be picked up at your hotel and transferred to the airport for your onward departure.

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Map

Map of Portugal From North to South: Porto, Lisbon, Algarve, Évora & Coimbra  - 14 Days
Map of Portugal From North to South: Porto, Lisbon, Algarve, Évora & Coimbra - 14 Days