A full seven-day route through Portugal’s two great cities, Lisbon and Porto. Lisbon’s Age of Discovery, the palaces of Sintra, the ride north on the Alfa Pendular high-speed train, and Porto’s World Heritage center and port wine culture. With two or more nights in each city, this itinerary balances the headline sights with a feel for everyday life — a complete Portugal circuit that works even on a first visit.
Why seven days — the logic behind the plan
The most common mistake on a Portugal trip is not allowing enough days. With three days in Lisbon and two in Porto, transfers and the major sights eat everything, and there is no time left to savor either city. With seven days:
- Lisbon 3 days (one of them a Sintra day trip), a day-4 transfer, then Porto for the rest
- Enough time in each city for both the sightseeing highlights and local experiences
- Room to feel the everyday rhythm in cafés, on the metro and in the markets
- A buffer against sudden weather changes or an off day
The design is six nights on the ground over seven days, with one simple one-way high-speed rail transfer from Lisbon to Porto. The Alfa Pendular takes 2 hours 50 minutes — first class from €34, second class from €24. And you can fly out of Porto Airport (OPO) at the end, with Lufthansa and Air France connections making an open-jaw booking practical.
Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon — an evening in the Alfama
Most long-haul arrivals land at Lisbon (LIS) in the afternoon. After hotel check-in, spend the early evening wandering the Alfama — a medieval maze of streets that survived the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, where tram 28 threads between houses hung with laundry.
For dinner, pick one of the classic restaurants with live fado, Portugal’s traditional song. Clube de Fado and Mesa de Frades are the benchmark venues; dinner with fado runs €40–70 and takes about 2.5 hours. There is no better opening night for a Portugal trip.
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Alfama fado show + traditional dinner
Dinner with a live performance by real fado singers — a Lisbon night in the cobbled back lanes of the Alfama.
Book tickets →Day 2: Lisbon — tracing the Age of Discovery
Day two starts in the Belém district, home of the Age of Discovery: the Tower of Belém (a 15th-century fortress), the Jerónimos Monastery (a Manueline World Heritage Site), the Monument to the Discoveries (a modern sculpture group celebrating the navigators) — and the original pastel de Belém, the egg tart at its birthplace. All of it fits into one day.
In the afternoon, ride tram 28 across the city — Alfama, then Graça, then Baixa — a 90-minute cross-section that captures Lisbon’s many faces in one efficient sweep. Details in the Lisbon 3-day itinerary.
Day 3: Sintra day trip — a mountain fantasy of palaces
Day three is a day trip to Sintra: 40 minutes from Lisbon’s Rossio station on the suburban line, €2.55 each way (as of July 2026). The efficient plan compresses the big three — Pena Palace (romanticist architecture in riotous color), the Moorish Castle (a 10th-century fortress) and the National Palace of Sintra (its two white conical chimneys are the town’s emblem) — into about three hours.
The 434 loop bus minimizes the walking, but in peak season the wait can hit 45 minutes. The optimized pattern: take an Uber up to Pena Palace only, then walk down from the castle ruins. Details in the Sintra day trip guide.
Return to Lisbon around 5 p.m. and pack at the hotel — tomorrow you move to Porto.
Day 4: Lisbon → Porto transfer day
2h 50m north on the Alfa Pendular
After breakfast, head to Santa Apolónia or Oriente station. A mid-morning departure (around 9am) gets you to Porto Campanhã before noon; from there, the most scenic arrival is one stop — about 5 minutes — on a CP local (Urbano) train to Porto São Bento, in the heart of the historic center. With a long-distance AP/IC ticket, that connection is included at no extra fare within an hour of arrival.
First class (Conforto) is from €34, second class (Turística) from €24. First class adds free Wi-Fi, power sockets and a light meal service — worth it on a 2.5-hour run. Tickets go on sale 60 days ahead on the official CP (Comboios de Portugal) site; early Promo fares (up to 65% off) can cut the price by more than half (as of July 2026).
Afternoon: check in, then down to the Ribeira
Once you have checked in at your Porto hotel, head straight for the Ribeira district (a World Heritage Site). Settle in with a riverside coffee and a pastel de nata, then have dinner on a terrace on Ribeira square — saving the serious sightseeing for tomorrow.
Day 5: Porto’s historic center + the home of port wine
The golden route covers, in a single day: the azulejos of São Bento station → the Clérigos Tower → Livraria Lello → the Ribeira → the Dom Luís I Bridge → the port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia (Taylor’s, Sandeman, Graham’s and more). Details in the Porto 2-day itinerary.
At night, the connoisseur’s choice is Portologia (formerly Vinologia), a port wine bar near the Ribeira on the Porto side, for a comparative tasting of small-producer ports.
Day 6: Modern architecture + a Douro river cruise
Porto day two is modern architecture day: Casa da Música (Rem Koolhaas) and the Serralves Foundation (Álvaro Siza). In the afternoon, the Six Bridges cruise on the Douro (€18–20, about 50 minutes; varies by departure pier, as of July 2026) gives you the whole city from the water.
In the early evening, browse local produce at Bolhão Market (renovated in 2022) and have a light dinner at one of the market bars — a last Porto evening before the flight out.
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Douro Six Bridges cruise
Porto’s World Heritage skyline seen from the water. At about 50 minutes, it slots easily into an afternoon.
Book the cruise →Day 7: Porto → fly home
After breakfast, head for Porto Airport (OPO). The metro E line takes about 30 minutes; a Z4 ticket is €2.30 (as of July 2026). From a city-center hotel, leave enough margin to reach the airport three hours before departure.
If your flight leaves late at night, there is time for a proper send-off: serious seafood — charcoal-grilled sardines and the like — in the Matosinhos district in the morning, a slow café afternoon, and then the airport.
Budget guide (6 nights / 7 days, as of July 2026)
- Flights: intercontinental fares vary widely by origin and season — an open-jaw booking into Lisbon and out of Porto saves backtracking
- Hotels: mid-range 3–4 star at €120–180 per night × 6 nights = €720–1,080
- Rail: Lisbon → Porto, first class €34
- Food: lunch €15–25, dinner €30–60; with cafés and snacks, plan on €60–70 per day × 7 days = €420–490
- Sights and experiences: museums, palaces and tours, €250–350 in total
- Total: roughly €1,400–1,950 per person on the ground, plus your flights
Where to stay
- Lisbon: Baixa / Chiado — the sightseeing center and the tram/metro hub. The safe default for first-timers
- Lisbon: Alfama — back-lane local atmosphere, fado houses within walking distance. For returning visitors
- Porto: around the Ribeira — inside the World Heritage zone, unbeatable location. Prices spike in high season
- Porto: around Avenida dos Aliados — metro hub, good value for money
Essential preparation
- SIM / Wi-Fi: see our Portugal eSIM and Wi-Fi guide
- Rail booking: Alfa Pendular tickets go on sale 60 days out; early Promo fares bring big discounts
- Museum / palace booking: the Jerónimos Monastery, Pena Palace and Livraria Lello all require advance reservations
- Cards and cash: a few older shops are cash-only; carrying €100–200 in cash is recommended
- Power plugs: Portugal uses type C/F sockets — bring an adapter if your devices use a different plug
Where to go from here
- Portugal Travel Guide — the country at a glance and the gateway to every Portugal article
- Spain & Portugal 10-day itinerary — add neighboring Spain to the loop
- Best time to visit Portugal — when to go and what it costs
- Lisbon to Porto by train — booking this rail leg at the early-bird fare
