Ten days in Portugal: the ultimate itinerary

Porto is one of Europe’s most photogenic cities, and its modern international airport is a quick metro ride away from the city centre, making it a great place to start your trip.

Get your bearings

The best way to get to know Porto is on foot. As you leave the suburbs and head towards the city centre, workaday residential streets give way to increasingly attractive public squares leading downhill to the grand galleries, pavement cafés and religious buildings of the historic centre – a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Peep into São Bento railway station to admire the beautiful, azulejo tile-covered interior, and wind your way through the crowds on Rua das Flores shopping street to reach steep cobbled paths leading down to the insanely picturesque Ribeira (riverfront).

This is the home of port, so stop for a glass and a bite to eat at one of the many colourful cafés: Escondidinho do Barredo is a good call for bolinhos de bacalhau and other traditional tapas. Then stroll by the river to reach the giant face mural by revered Portuguese street artist Vhils. It’s right next to Armazén – a colourful arts, antiques and curiosities warehouse fronted by a pavement café-bar that’s perfect for people-watching over a glass or two as the sun dips over the Douro river.

Where to stay

Music lovers would be wise to make their base at MOUCO, a strikingly modern venue combining hotel rooms (complete with record players and your choice of vinyl from the music library) with a live music venue, restaurant, and vibey bar with DJ sessions.

READ MORE: The best things to do in Porto

Put on trainers with a good grip (you’ll be tackling a lot of steep cobbled streets) and fuel up with the bountiful hotel breakfast buffet – though coffee purists might prefer to get their caffeine kicks at highly-regarded Combi Coffee Roasters, 15 minutes’ walk away from MOUCO en route to town. 

Go downtown

Once you’re back in the city centre, check out the major downtown sights of the Cathedral and Clérigos Tower. Be prepared to join a giant queue if you want to visit Livraria Lello, the bookshop which reportedly inspired JK Rowling while she was writing the first Harry Potter book. Recover from your sightseeing adventures with a coffee or something stronger at Base Porto, an open-air bar virtually at the foot of the Clérigos tower.

If it’s getting close to lunchtime, dive into Good Things Will Happen Soon. Less than 15 minutes’ walk away, it’s a kooky-chic crafts store and café, where light meals and snacks (including veggie and gluten-free options) are served in a secret garden.

Head downhill to the river and cross the wrought iron Luis I bridge to Vila Nova da Gaia, Porto’s equally stunning sister city across the bay. Port wine cellars abound here – we recommend avoiding the riverfront crowds and heading instead to Poças, the 1918-founded family-run lodge tucked away on a backstreet.

Enjoy the views over the Douro to the colourful townhouses of the Ribeira and Porto’s stunning skyline with a sundown drink by the water, then head back to Porto for dinner and drinks at one of the trendy haunts along Rua do Cedofeita: Catraio Craft Beer and Bar is a good place to start.

READ MORE: The best things to do Vila Nova de Gaia

Hop on the train to a charming lagoon city

It’s a little over an hour’s train ride from Porto to Aveiro, the self-proclaimed ‘Venice of Portugal’. Trains run roughly every half hour, and standard tickets cost less than €4. You’ll be leaving from the functional-looking Campanhã station rather than the beautifully-tiled São Bento, but don’t worry: Aveiro’s 1860s train station has its own impressive azulejos.

Okay, so Aveiro is not quite Venice – but as you glide along in an elegant, brightly-painted moliceiro canal boat, checking out the art nouveau architecture lining the river while you drift towards the flamingo-filled salt flats on the outskirts of town, you won’t want to be anywhere else.

Art nouveau is everywhere in Aveiro, and once you’re back on dry land the best place to check it out is the riverfront Museu de Arte Nova, itself housed in a photo-worthy Belle Époque building. Afterwards, try traditional ovos moles (shell-shaped pastries with sweet fillings) at Confeitaria Peixinho before grabbing a drink at any of the cheap and cheerful bar-restaurants in downtown.

Where to stay

It’s a quick cab ride from the train station to the compact centre and the famous canals, where plenty of canalside Airbnbs make for an affordable place to stay.

Ride the bus to a famous surf town

Sitting across the road from the railway station on the eastern edge of town, Aveiro’s coach station is served by comfortable long-distance coaches. It’s a ride of around one hour 40 minutes (€8, three direct buses daily with Rede Expresso) to the coastal village of Nazaré, famously home to some of the biggest waves on the planet.

You’ll need to visit during ‘Big Waves season’ (October-March) to see them reach truly monstrous proportions, but surfers visiting at other times of year will find the waves more manageable. If you want to give it a go, Nazaré Surf School offers equipment rental, plus lessons for those that need them. 

Explore the centre of town with its low-key, laidback bars and restaurants serving delicious fish and petiscos. Or if you’re feeling flush, Pangeia is a more upmarket dining experience.

Where to stay

Nazaré is the perfect mix of surfer chic and small-town charm, and offers a wealth of cosy, unpretentious and inexpensive beachside lodgings. Try the apartments from By the Beach.

Catch a coach to the Portuguese capital

After soaking in the small-town vibes of Nazaré, it’s time to board the Rede Expresso bus again to the Portuguese capital – a ride of roughly two hours. Coaches make the trip from Nazaré at regular intervals from 6.50am to 8pm, at €8-€12. It’s wise to board early to make the most of all that Lisbon’s seductive capital has to offer. Coaches from Nazaré generally arrive at Lisbon’s Sete Rios station, which is a metro ride away from the main sights. 

Get lost in Lisbon

Drop your bags at your lodgings and slip into your kicks-with-grips to explore the labyrinth of streets making up Alfama, Bairro Alto and Principe Real. Stop at Pica-Pau for lunch, or take a petiscos tour with Devour Tours for a quick-fire peek into under-the-radar drinking and dining spots.

After dark, visit cool hub Arrios for seemingly endless nightlife options – we recommend starting out with negronis and record-browsing at Amor Records. After midnight, Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré’s ‘Pink Street’ throng with bar-hopping revellers.

Where to stay

The city is home to any number of big-name luxury hotels, but for a more personal service, look to boutique charmers like the brand new Hotel das Amoreiras, where the friendly staff, beautifully presented breakfasts and leafy location away from the tourist trail make for a warm introduction to the city. For budget lodgings close to the action, look to Airbnb for options like this smart apartment in Alfama. 

READ MORE: The best things to do in Lisbon

Take a day trip to coast or country

Shake off a heavy head and make a beeline for coffee and some of the best pastéis de nata in Lisbon at Manteigaria. You’ll find a branch at foodie haven Time Out Market, handily located for taking the coastal train (€3.50) from Cais do Sodré out to the beach resorts of Estoril and Cascais, half an hour out of town.

In Cascais, stop for lunch at one of the lively outdoor bars and cafes on the pedestrianised ‘Yellow Street’ and grab a cab out to Guincho to catch some surf – or just admire the dramatic landscape of cliffs and crashing waves.

If the weather’s less than perfect or you prefer fairytale castles to beach towns, head for the romantic, mist-swathed mountain escape of Sintra instead. Trains take around 35 minutes and depart from Lisbon’s handsome Rossio station. Don’t miss the Disney-esque Pena Palace.

Back to the city

After sunset, get the train back to Lisbon and jump off at Alcântara to explore the hip LX Factory complex, before heading back to Cais do Sodré for a saucily-styled cocktail at Pensão Amor, or laidback DJ sets and excellent burgers at Collect.

READ MORE: The best nightlife in Lisbon

Catch a bus to Sesimbra

South of the river in Lisbon, you can catch a bus from Sete Rios station (don’t confuse it with the long-distance coach station next door) to Sesimbra. It takes around 45 minutes and costs €4.50.

While away the day on Portugal’s best beaches

Sesimbra has idyllic sandy beaches and some of the best seafood in Portugal, making it an ideal spot for lunch. Don’t miss Pescador for cosy vibes and sea views or Tasca do Isaias for the best grilled fish in town.

The town sits in a sheltered bay at the foot of the Arrabida Natural Park, famed for its adventure sports and some of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal. The beach at Portinho da Arrabida is spectacular, but can only be reached by car – you could try booking a local taxi. Alternatively, hike down to the sandy and secluded Praia do Ribeiro do Cavalo. 

Return in time for light meals and the best margaritas in town at the always-lively Black Coffee, or vegan treats with a sea view at Leaves Cafe.

Where to stay

Hotel do Mar offers stylish beachfront lodgings if your budget allows, while Vila Epicurea, in nearby Meco, has organic meals, yoga dome, and a pool with views to die for. And Airbnb has plenty of affordable rooms and apartments round here: this one comes with gorgeous ocean views.

Get the bus to the sunny Alentejo region

From Sesimbra’s centrally-located bus station, it’s a 45-minute ride (€4.50) to the coastal city of Setubal. The city’s handsome central square is worth a peek, but as time is of the essence, you’ll want to head to the downtown ferry terminal to catch the ferry over to Troia (€5.30). You might spot the Sado Estuary’s famous dolphins as you cross the waters.

This is the entry point to the sun-baked Alentejo region, famed for its handsome historic towns and its relatively underexplored beaches. Buses are infrequent, but it’s just a ten-minute cab ride to the uber-chic Alentejo beach town of Comporta.

Everybody from Madonna to Mourinho has been spotted here, so see what all the fuss is about with lunch and celeb-spotting on the white sands. (Stock up on local wine and picnic goodies if you don’t fancy forking out A-lister restaurant prices.) Then jump back on the bus for the two-hour trip to the Alentejo beach town of Sines (€15). While it’s famed for its surf and simple seafood restaurants, it’s also a good place to try the famous local black pig at welcoming spots like O Castelo.

Where to stay

For affordable beachfront lodgings with gorgeous views in Sines, try Hotel Valeiro.

Catch a coach to the Algarve

There’s just one coach a day from Sines to the Algarve beach town of Lagos – it costs €14.50 and departs at 10am. That gives you plenty of time for a buffet with a beach view at the hotel, before the 10-minute walk to the Rede Expressos bus stop.

You’ll arrive in Lagos at around 12.40pm, and the bus station is only a ten-minute walk from the handsome old town. After the relatively relaxed vibes of Sines and Comporta, Lagos has a buzz to its drinking and dining scene – which shades easily into late-night partying, if that’s your bag.

After a lunch downtown (try steak or small plates with cocktails on the rooftop at the centrally-located Casa do Prego) it’s high time for a swim and a nap on the beach. While there are arguably (even) more beautiful beaches further out of town, you’re just a few minutes’ walk from the soft sands and eye-catching rock formations of Praia da Batata. For post-beach drinking and dining, go for craft beers, rooftop cocktails and late-night DJ sets at Peppers Bar&Kitchen, which is lively without being lairy.

Where to stay

For an affordable base close to the town centre action, this Airbnb apartment is a good option, while the more upscale Cascade Wellness Resort will be a welcome option for travellers in need of a little R&R away from the nightlife noise.

Faro, the Algarve’s regional capital, is home to the region’s international airport, so this may be where you say goodbye to Portugal.

Board a train to the Algarve’s capital

There are regular trains to Faro from Lagos railway station, which take one hour 45 minutes and cost €7.50. 

More than just a jumping-off point, Faro has its own charms. Take a stroll around the attractive marina before admiring the gleaming whitewashed buildings of the old town, stopping to admire the cathedral and for traditional local dishes next door at Tertulia Algarvia.

After dark, be sure to seek out the somewhat hidden Madalena: a vibrant bar and cultural centre occupying a building that began life as a medieval hermitage. Today, it’s all about artfully crafted cocktails, a leafy terrace and DJ sets and a relaxed vibe, making it the perfect spot for a last night out in Portugal.

Where to stay

Base yourself at a centrally located guest house such as the welcoming Casa da Valentina: the perfect spot for your last night in Portugal.