Portugal is drawing millions of tourists every year, and it’s easy to see why. From its luxurious hotels, to amazing food and wine, beautiful beaches, and picturesque towns, Portugal has everything to offer. Considering I am from Portugal, I can provide you the inside details and my top recommendations. See our blog post 10 Reasons to Visit Portugal: A Local’s Insider Guide if you need more convincing to visit! Without further ado, here is my ‘Ultimate’ 7-Day Portugal Itinerary that takes you to the top 3 cities in Portugal: Porto, Lisbon, and Algarve. Enjoy!
Day 1: Fly to Porto
Due to the time difference, most flights from the United States to Portugal are overnight. My top recommended airline is TAP Air Portugal. We recommend booking the executive class seats for the ultimate, comfortable experience. Considering most of the flights are overnight, it really is a game changer having the ability to sleep on the plane. Not only can the seats transform into beds, but they also provide comfort amenity kits, gourmet meals, and Portuguese wine. Most of the airports in the United States have TAP Air Portugal Lounges to hang out in prior to your flight. With that being said, we recommend getting to the airport early to have the ability to enjoy the lounge. TAP Air Portugal is associated with the Turkish Airlines Lounge in Miami. We highly recommend this lounge because it is comfortable and classy (and the bottomless champagne and hors d’oeuvres is a nice plus!).
Here we are hanging out in the lounge prior to our flight!
Transportation
We recommend starting your Portugal itinerary in my hometown… Porto! The best and most immersive way to travel around Portugal is to rent a car. Don’t worry, they have both automatic and manual cars available. The easiest and most time efficient way to do this is renting a car ahead of time and picking it up at the airport.
Where to Stay in Porto
I recommend staying at the InterContinental Porto Palácio ds Cardosas, a luxurious 5-start hotel located in the heart of downtown Porto. It has fantastic views of the Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies) which is a a 250 meter long street that connects the historic and modern districts of the city.
Stroll the Avenida dos Aliados
Just a few steps away from the entrance of the InterContinental Porto Palácio ds Cardosas is Porto’s main avenue: the Avenida dos Aliados (Avenue of the Allies). The best way to enjoy Avenida dos Aliados is to grab a camera and wander along the street. You will encounter countless architecturally spectacular cafes, wineries, and boutiques, as well as multiple terraces where you can grab a drink. This avenue is a cultural hub, hosting artists, street performers, and festivals.
Visit One of the Most Beautiful Cafés in the World
Named one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Café’s in the World, Majestic Café is located on Santa Catarina Street, just a stroll away from Avenida dos Aliado. Your jaw will drop once you step into this historic cafe. The atmosphere is very romantic, and it’s the perfect pitstop to grab some espresso or Port Wine during your walking tour of Porto. The café is embellished with crystals, marble flooring, a piano, and a Winter garden. The café was established in the Roaring Twenties and was a place where the elite would congregate to exchange ideas, including writers, politicians, artists, and intellects. If you’re lucky, you may even encounter piano concerts, poetry reading, book launches, or painting exhibitions during your visit.
Visit the Torre dos Clérigos
During your walking tour of Porto, don’t forget to stop by the Torres dos Clérgos (Clérigos Tower). It’s the highest structure in Porto and is considered an icon. You can either admire it’s beauty from the outside, enter the church that is attached to the tower (free admission), or pay the €6 admission ticket to visit the Clérgos Museum and climb to the top of the granite tower. It has spectacular and panoramic views of Porto that you won’t get anywhere else. Just keep in mind that due to it’s popularity, it can get very busy during the day.
Add the Picturesque Ribeira to Your Portugal Itinerary
You haven’t fully gotten the full Porto experience if you haven’t visited the Ribeira. It has everything you imagine Porto being: winding medieval cobblestone streets, quaint colorful houses on the Douro River waterfront, countless cafes, restaurants, and bars. It is considered one of Porto’s most beautiful neighborhoods and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Sites (AKA a must-see on the Portugal itinerary!).
Have a Seafood Feast
For dinner, we feasted on amazing seafood at Esplanada Marisqueira. We met up with some family and friends, so we decided to share a HUGE platter of seafood, including whole lobsters, tiger shrimp, crab, and barnacles. Whether you’re traveling with a significant other or a group of people, we definitely recommend getting a platter of the local catches and splurging with some wine as company. You won’t be disappointed!
“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.”
Auguste Escoffier
Dance the Night Away on Galerias de Paris Street
If you’re not ready for the night to end, your next stop should definitely be Galerias de Paris Street. It is the hot spot for nightlife in Porto, and the entire street is lined with bars and clubs so you should most definitely be able to find a vibe that you enjoy. I recommend arriving no earlier than 23:00. Us Portuguese people like to start the party late, and we typically like to grab a drink, hang outside, and hop between different spots.
Day 2: Douro Valley Winery Tour
Your Portugal itinerary MUST include a full day winery tour to the infamous Douro Valley. We chose the ‘Douro Valley Tour: Wine Tasting, Lunch & River Cruise’ on Trip Advisor and we highly recommend it (along with hundreds of other 5 star reviews). The Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with beautiful rolling vineyards, panoramic overlooks, and the vast Douro River. Scheduling a tour with a company takes away the hassle of trying to arrange transportation and booking wineries separately. This tour includes hotel pickup and drop-of, so you can fully indulge in wine knowing transfers are arranged.
Beautiful Drive to the Douro Valley
We started our journey around 8 AM with a small group of about 8 people. The trip to Douro Valley was about 1h 30 minutes on comfortable, air-conditioned vans. The view driving through the winding roads of the Douro Valley is truly incredible, so it’s a very enjoyable drive.
Visit the Most Distinguished Port House
Our first stop was at Croft’s Quinta da Roeda Winery in the city of Pinhão. Croft was founded in 1588 and is one of the most distinguished Port houses. We took a tour of the extensive terraced vineyards that sweep along the bank of the Douro Valley, and we tasted 3 delicious vintage Port wines with a selection of Portuguese cheeses.
Float Along the Douro River
Next, we took a beautiful one-hour trip on a typical wooden boat from Pinhão and cruised along the Douro River. We got to relax and admire the rolling vineyards and mountains as we passed by the village of Pinhão and the Pinhão train station.
While traveling to our second winery, we stopped at an overlook that had incredible views of the Douro Valley. Pictures don’t do it justice!
Enjoy a Traditional Portuguese Lunch
Our next stop was at Casa dos Barros which is a winery lodge in the city of Sabrosa. Here, we had an incredible Portuguese lunch (you have the choice of fish, meat, or vegetarian) and admired the beautiful courtyard.
Drink Wine with the Locals
Our last stop on the tour was Vilarinho de Sao Romao in the Vila Real District of Northern Portugal. Here, we got to interact with the locals while tasting table wines, olive oil, and honey. After visiting Vilarinho de Sao Romao, we made the journey back to Porto where we spent the rest of the night enjoying our hotel and ordering room service after a long enjoyable day.
Day 3-4: Lisbon
Next stop on our Portugal itinerary is Lisbon which is about a 3 hour drive from Porto.
Where to Stay in Lisbon
We stayed at Hotel Altis Avenida which is a 5 star, boutique hotel. It has the perfect location in the heart of downtown Lisbon, close to Rossio Square (see the video below for a view from our balcony!), Restauradores Square, and Avenida da Liberdade. This hotel was very comfortable and charming with excellent service, and I truly believe location is everything! You can literally walk anywhere from this hotel and discover Lisbon on foot. In just a short walk, you can visit bars, restaurants, luxury shopping stores, museums, theaters, and castles.
Visit the Magnificent Lisbon Plaza
There is so much to do and see in Lisbon, that the easiest thing to do it just start walking and you’re bound to run into some fascinating landmarks, attractions, and café’s! But if you are a planner and would like some direction, I recommend starting your walking tour at Praça do Comércio which is the most magnificent plaza in Lisbon and one of the largest squares in Europe. The plaza is surrounded by it’s infamous yellow buildings and and overlooks the Tejo Estuary.
A Must on Any Portugal Itinerary: Try the Codfish Cake
Next, we stopped by Casa Portuguesa do Pastel de Bacalhau for the ultimate Portuguese gastronomy experience: a combination of Codfish Cake and Port Wine. The Codfish Cake is considered an important icon of Portuguese cuisine and is absolutely delicious!
Delight Your Culinary Senses
After enjoying Codfish Cakes and Port Wine, it’s time to try some other favorite food picks at the Time Out Market Lisboa. It’s a massive food hall with all the great things about Lisbon and every cuisine you can imagine under one roof. There are 26 restaurants, eight bars, and many shops to explore. We grabbed a bite at multiple different restaurants so we could try as many foods as possible!
Go Sightseeing
Next, it’s time to see a few more important landmarks. Classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Jerónimos Monastery. This monastery was built in the 1500s and is a must-see in Lisbon. The church holds the tomb of famous explorer Vasco da Gama, and its vaulting is considered one of the most extraordinary examples of Gothic architecture in Europe.
For all of my romantics and history buffs, it’s time to venture to the romantic São Jorge Castle (Castelo de São Jorge). The Castelo de São Jorge is the main landmark of ancient Lisbon. It’s situated atop Lisbon’s highest hill in Alfama, so you can see all of downtown Lisbon from the castle.
Experience Everything ‘Belém’
Don’t forget about dessert. If there’s one famous Portuguese dessert that I recommend trying it’s the “Pastéis de Belém” which are famous custard tarts that are sold at pastry shops all down the streets. We grabbed a pastéis de Belém at a nearby pastry shop and visited the Belém Tower (Torre de Belém) which is located right by the Jerónimos Monastery.
Belém Tower is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a tower located on the bank of the Tagus River that used to defend the city. It has since been transformed into a lighthouse and customs house. You can buy a ticket to tour the inside of the tower, but we recommend admiring it from the outside while you’re enjoying your pastéis de Belém. We got lucky because there was also a small music festival going on in the Torre de Belém Garden which is a large park right beside the tower.
Admire the Monument to the Discoveries
Just a few more steps along the Tagus River Walkway you will find the Padrão dos Descobrimentos (Monument to the Discoveries) which is a large monument with sculptures of 15th and 16th-century Portuguese explorers and visionaries who took the country’s message to other continents. On the inside, there is a lower level with a museum and exhibition space and also a lift which takes you to the viewing area at the top. During our stroll along the Tagus River Walkway, we also grabbed some yummy mojitos and relaxed in the sun while appreciating the beautiful river views.
Have Dinner in the Streets of Lisbon
For dinner, we went to Grenache which is a restaurant on the MICHELIN Guide 2023. The restaurant is located in a courtyard near the iconic Castelo Sao Jorge, with a kitchen that is partly visible to diners. The chef focuses on French cuisine while paying homage to local Portuguese products. We overall found the food average, but enjoyed the atmosphere of sitting on the terrace on the ‘streets’ of Lisbon.
Day 5-6: Algarve
Next stop on our Portugal itinerary is a short 2h 45 minute drive to the coastal town of Algarve, where the best beaches of Portugal (and even the world) are located.
Where to Stay in Algarve
We highly recommend staying in one of the luxurious villas at VILA VITA Parc for a one-of-a-kind experience. VILA VITA Parc is a five-star resort and a member of “The Leading Hotels of the World.” It truly meets the definition of luxury with it’s beautiful oceanfront clifftop grounds, high-end suites and villas, subtropical gardens, massive infinity pool, top notch facilities, and Michelin star restaurants. The atmosphere is sensual and romantic in the charming Algarve. We stayed in a spacious and elegant two-floor villa that overlooked the beautiful grounds, pool, cliffs, and one of Algarve’s finest beaches.
Portugal Itinerary Bucket List: Visit the Benagil Cave
Your Portugal Itinerary must include visiting the Benagil Cave (most of you will recognize it is the beautiful screensaver of Microsoft). It is only accessible by water so you will either need to rent a boat or book a tour through a company. If you do not book a private boat, we recommend using ‘Benagil and Dolphins Tour’ on TripAdvisor. On this 5-hour tour, you will depart from the famous Vilamoura Marina and hop on a speed boat. While cruising along the Algarve Coast, you will see the beautiful red cliffs of Praia da Falésia and the busy city of Albufeira. From there you will explore multiple incredible caves and beaches, including the infamous Benagil Cave. Then, you will head out into the Atlantic Ocean to see the local population of wild dolphins before heading back to Vilamoura.
Day 7: Travel Home
Unfortunately, it’s time to head back home. If you live in the US, we recommend that you drive back to Lisbon and depart from there. There are also direct flights to other parts of the world from Algarve.
We hope that this Portugal itinerary will serve as an inspiration for your upcoming trip to Portugal! Please comment below to share your thoughts and ideas.
