7-Day Portugal Itinerary: Lisbon, Sintra & Porto — Hills, Castles & Port Wine

Three days in Lisbon (trams, fado, pastéis), a Sintra day for Pena Palace, three in Porto for port cellars and Douro views. The whole country fits in a week and the train between cities is a 2.5-hour pleasure.

7-Day Portugal Itinerary: Lisbon, Sintra & Porto — Hills, Castles & Port Wine

Duration

7 days

Mid-range cost

$1,015

Best months

Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

Pace

balanced

Day-by-day plan

  1. Lisbon
    Day 1Lisbon →

    Arrival + Alfama + sunset miradouro

    • •Land at Humberto Delgado (LIS); Metro Red Line to Saldanha (€2)
    • •Drop bags, ride Tram 28 through Alfama (yellow trams, €3)
    • •Lunch: bifana at As Bifanas do Afonso
    • •Castelo de São Jorge afternoon (€15)
    • •Sunset at Miradouro de Santa Luzia
    • •Fado dinner at Tasca do Chico in Bairro Alto (no reservations, get there at 7)

    Stay in Alfama, Baixa, or Príncipe Real for walkable nights. Skip car — Lisbon's hills + cobblestones make it impractical.

  2. Lisbon
    Day 2Lisbon →

    Belém + LX Factory + Time Out Market

    • •Tram 15 to Belém (€3, 30 min)
    • •Pastéis de Belém — the original, €1.30 each (try not to eat 6)
    • •Jerónimos Monastery (€10) + Belém Tower exteriors
    • •Lunch at Time Out Market (best concentrated food in Lisbon)
    • •LX Factory afternoon (former industrial complex, now bars + bookstores)
    • •Cocktails at Park (rooftop on top of a parking garage)
  3. Sintra
    Day 3Sintra →

    Sintra day trip: Pena Palace + Quinta da Regaleira

    • •Train Lisbon Rossio → Sintra (40 min, €5 round-trip)
    • •Bus 434 to Pena Palace (Disney-meets-Mughal pastel castle, $18)
    • •Lunch at Cantinho de São Pedro: bacalhau à brás
    • •Quinta da Regaleira gothic gardens + initiation well
    • •Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle) ramparts
    • •Back to Lisbon for fado at Mesa de Frades (booked)

    Sintra gets PACKED in summer. Get the 8 AM train and start at Pena before tour buses arrive.

    → Next: bullet train · ~2h 50m · ~$35 — Alfa Pendular Lisboa Santa Apolónia → Porto Campanhã.

  4. Porto
    Day 4Porto →

    Porto: Ribeira + port cellars + Livraria Lello

    • •Ribeira waterfront walk + Dom Luís I bridge
    • •Cross to Vila Nova de Gaia for port cellar tours: Sandeman or Ferreira ($20-30 includes tasting)
    • •Lunch: francesinha at Café Santiago (Porto's monster sandwich)
    • •Livraria Lello (J.K. Rowling's muse, $9 entry but redeemable on a book)
    • •Sunset at Miradouro da Vitória
    • •Dinner at Cantinho do Avillez (Portuguese small plates)
  5. Porto
    Day 5Porto →

    Douro Valley day trip

    • •Morning train to Pinhão (2.5h scenic ride along the Douro)
    • •Quinta tour + tasting (Quinta do Tedo, Quinta da Roêda)
    • •Lunch at the quinta — petisco lunch with port pairings
    • •Optional: rabelo boat trip on the Douro
    • •Train back to Porto for dinner
    • •Last drinks at The Wine Box (200+ Portuguese wines by the glass)
  6. Porto
    Day 6Porto →

    Foz do Douro + last day

    • •Tram #1 to Foz do Douro (Atlantic coast, ocean views)
    • •Lunch at Cafeína: peixe grelhado with vinho verde
    • •Crystal Palace gardens
    • •Last afternoon: shopping at A Vida Portuguesa for design-y souvenirs
    • •Final dinner at Pedro Lemos (1 Michelin, modern Portuguese)
    • •Drinks at Capela Incomum (a deconsecrated chapel turned wine bar)

    → Next: flight · ~30 min to OPO · ~$15

  7. Porto
    Day 7Porto →

    Departure

    • •Last pastel de nata + bica (espresso)
    • •Metro Line E from Trindade direct to OPO Airport (~30 min, €2)
    • •Allow 2.5 hours for international departures

Want to swap something?

Beach focus: trade Sintra for the Algarve (Lagos/Sagres) — fly Lisbon → Faro, 2 days of cliffs. Add Coimbra between Lisbon and Porto if you want a quieter university-town stop. With kids: Oceanário in Lisbon + Worlds of Discovery in Algarve trumps Pena Palace climbs.

Practical tips

  • •Lisbon trams are pickpocket central — keep bags in front. Don't let the photo-op distract you.
  • •Tram 28 is touristy but worth doing once early morning or late evening when locals actually use it.
  • •Pastéis de Belém vs pastéis de nata: one's the original, the other is the generic name. Try both — they're different recipes.
  • •Train Lisbon-Porto is the best value: $35 vs $60 flight, 2h 50m vs 1h + airport time.
  • •Best months: April-June (mild, less rain than April expected) and September-October (warm, harvest season). Avoid August — hot, dry, and Portuguese coast gets overrun.

Frequently asked

Is 7 days enough for Portugal?

7 days is the sweet spot for a first-time Portugal trip on the classic route. You'll see the main cultural and culinary peaks without rushing. Pace: balanced. If you can stretch to 10-14 days, you can add slower side trips, but 7 hits the highlights.

When is the best time to follow this Portugal itinerary?

Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct is peak season for this Portugal route — the months when weather, scenery, and atmosphere line up best. Shoulder months on either side give you most of the experience for less crowding and lower prices.

How much does a 7-day Portugal trip cost?

Mid-range budget on this itinerary runs about $1015 per person, excluding international flights. Budget travelers can do it for ~60% of that; luxury easily 2-3×. Use our cost calculator to stack flights + hotels + food + activities for any of the destinations on this route.

Can I customize this itinerary?

Yes — every destination on this route has a full guide and we have a multi-stop trip planner that lets you swap, reorder, or add days. Use the "Customize this itinerary" button below to seed the planner with all stops pre-loaded.

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