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This is a quick and easy planning sheet for your first trip to Portugal! This itinerary sets you up to start with 3 days in Lisbon, 3 days in Porto, and 4 days in the Algarve. You can access the google doc here. Be sure to make a copy so you can edit your own personal and specific travel details. I hope this helps you plan your trip to Portugal.

Travel Logistics:

PARKING: Reservation Details

Facility:

Parking type: 

Check in date/time: 

Check out date/time: 

Confirmation#:

Email address: 

Flight:

Departure:

Confirmation: 

Date:

Flight details:

Arrival:

Confirmation:

Date:

Flight details:

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Quick Language Tips:

• hello/hi: Olá/oi
• bye: Tchau
• thank you: Obrigada
• you’re welcome: De Nada
• good morning: Bom dia
• good afternoon: Boa tarde 
• good evening: Boa noite
• bathroom: banheiro
• Yes: sim
• no: não
• eu não falo português: I don’t speak Portugese.

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Itinerary:

Part 1: LISBOA

MAY 3 (DAY 1): FULL DAY EXPLORING LISBON

Arrival 8am, great for a full day of exploring!

Drop bags at Reception (available from 9:30am & cost 5 euros pp)

Address: Rua do Crucifixo 31

• Morning in Baixa-Chiado
  • Rossio Square
  • Praco do Comercio
• Late morning/early afternoon in Cais do Sodré
  • Pink street
  • Time Out Market for lunch

Check into Bnb (3pm)

Address:

• Afternoon/Early Evening – Wander the Alfama neighborhood
  • Pastelaria Santo Antonio
  • Sé Cathedral
  • Miradouro de Santa Luzia

MAY 4 (DAY 2): OPTIONAL MORNING IN CASCAIS & COOKING CLASS AFTERNOON

• Morning 

Visit Cascais (OPTIONAL)

• From Downtown Lisbon: Depending where you are, you’ll wanna walk on over to the Cais do Sodre Station (right near The Time Out Market.) Take the train all the way until the Cascais Station – the last station on the line (taking roughly 40 minutes or so). You pay by the number of Zones you’re riding, so from Lisbon to Cascais expect the ticket to cost €2.30 for a single ticket.
• Check out the beaches: Praia da Rainha, Praia da Ribeira de Cascais, and Praia da Duquesa are the most popular beaches in Cascais.
• Walk around the marina and town
• Indulge in gelato at Santini’s
• Afternoon

Pastel de Nata Baking class (2-4pm) and only a 4 min walk from our bnb

Address:

Rua de Santa Justa 87, 1100-486 Lisboa

MAY 5 (DAY 3): SINTRA (ALL DAY)

Public Transport: Getting to Sintra via train is super easy, and super cheap! Trains leave from Rossio Station in Lisbon’s historic city center every 30 minutes or so, and only cost about 5 euro round trip.

** Itinerary (which takes us to Pena Palace first thing!) **

• Early day! 7:30-8am head to train station for a full day in Sintra
• Take earliest train to Sintra from Rossio station in Baxia district
• Take 434 tourist bus to Pena Palace or catch an Uber
• Arrive at Pena Palace around 9:30am (tickets pre-purchased)
• Tickets & Audio guide (pre-downloaded)
• 12:00 pm: (optional) Castelo dos Mouros (get tix here 3 days in advance to save 15%) OR head down the hill to get lunch in SINTRA TOWN
  • Lunch Options:
    • Casa Piriquita – The most popular pastelarias (pastry shop) in Sintra, which makes the famous local Travesseiro pastry. The pastry shop dates back to 1862 and was a favorite of King Carlos I.

• Bacalhau na Vila – An authentic local restaurant where you can share tasty grilled cod and fish tapas dishes. There are gluten free options too.

• Tascantiga – A lovely casual spot serving delicious Portuguese tapas with a nice outdoor terrace! Also has a good kids’ menu for families.

• Alba Gelato – Serves some of the best ice cream in Sintra for those in need of a sugary pick-me-up on a hot day. The ice cream parlor is located near the train station, so it also makes for a great end-of-the-day treat before you head back to Lisbon.
• Quinta da Regaleira (last stop of the day)
  • Get there via 435 bus (or uber, taxi or tuk tuk)
  • Book tickets online and in advance HERE (at least 3 days in advance.. Note: I haven’t got these yet bc I’m unsure of timing)
  • Return trains from Sintra to Lisbon’s Rossio station run roughly every thirty minutes up until midnight.

Part 2: PORTO

MAY 6 (DAY 4): MORNING TRAIN TO PORTO, THEN EXPLORE

AM:

• Quick, easy breakfast somewhere
• Then, pack and check out of bnb

Logistics:

• Checkout 11am
• 11 min uber to Santa Apolonia from our bnb
• 11:30 train from Santa Apolonia station to Porto booking reference:
• Arrive 2:53pm (Campanha station) 

PM:

Check into hotel 3pm:

• The Editory Hotel Ribeira Porto
• Address: Rua do Infante D. Henrique 26, 4050-296 Porto, Portugal

• Freshen up
• Walk to Miradouro das Fontainhas… walk to the famous Luis I Bridge??
• Grab dinner somewhere!

MAY 7 (DAY 5): FULL DAY EXPLORING PORTO

• MORNING: Bolhao/Santo Ildefonso Neighborhood
  • Fabrica de Nata and/or Manteigaria (best egg tarts in town)
  • Rua de Santa Catarina (shopping)
  • Chapel of Souls (magnificent tiles)
  • Majestic Cafe (expensive, but where JK Rowling worked on HP)
  • Have a snack at Gazela (Anthony Bordain recommends cachorrinhos, a famous Portuguese hot dog, covered with cheese and spices)

• AFTERNOON: Baixa Neighborhood
  • Livraria Lello: (Amazing bookstore and THE place and major inspiration for JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series.)
  • Eat a Francesinha: Hope you’re hungry, because this Portuguese sandwich is on the menu for lunch! Imagine thick bread with ham, sausage, steak, and cheese – all smothered in a creamy tomato beer sauce. I highly recommend Brasao Restaurant, but try to make a reservation in advance as they get pretty busy!
  • Igreja dos Clérigos (church with panoramic views of Porto at the top of Clerigos Tower)… book tix ahead of time

• LATE AFTERNOON/NIGHT: Ribeira and Vila Nova de Gaia
  • Explore Ribeira (UNESCO world heritage site)
  • Dinner/drinks on the water (potential spots: DeCastro Gaia (ask for a table near the window), Taberninha do Manel (authentic Portuguese food), and Tempero d’Maria (get the grilled octopus dish!)
  • Watch the sunset (2 recommended spots)
    • Jardim do Morro (Super touristy, but for a reason! Take the cable car up to this garden and you’ll find live performers and a really good time!)
    • Rooftop bar of DeCastro Gaia – Porto Cruz (Such a fun atmosphere and the drinks/wine are so good) 

Part 3: ALGARVE

MAY 8 (DAY 6): PORTO DAY/LAGOS EVENING

Morning/Afternoon

• Check out of the hotel (ask if they can keep our bags for a few hours!) 
• Half day in Costo Novo (fisherman village with cool houses)

Evening

• Grab an early dinner, pick up our bags and head to the airport

Flight is at 8:50pm getting in at 10pm

HOTEL INFO:

Belmar Spa & Beach Resort

Accom type: 

Address: Estr. de Porto de Mós, 8600-513 Lagos, Portugal

Confirmation #: 

Check-in:

MAY 9 (DAY 7): EXPLORE LAGOS

Morning:

• Breakfast nearby
• Get some groceries 
• Chill by the pool

Afternoon:

• Souvenir shopping in Lagos town
• Grab lunch
• Visit a beach (perhaps Praia Dona Ana or Praia do Camilo?)

Evening: 

• Dinner at Casa do Prego, O Camilo, or Luca’s Rooftop Restaurant
• Sunset at Ponta de Piedade

MAY 10 (DAY 8): SEVEN HANGING VALLEYS TRAIL 

TRAIL INFO:

• Trailhead: You’ll start either at Marinha Beach or Praia do Vale de Centianes in Carvoeiro. 
• Length: 6km/3.7 miles one way (12km/7.4 miles roundtrip) 
• Difficulty: moderate
• Bring: a hat and sunscreen, sneakers/hiking boots, and about 2L of water per person, snacks, and a picnic lunch!

SEE HERE: Super Detailed Hiking Post

I personally think we rent a car for the day and plan to park at Marinha Beach and hike the whole trail there and back to our car. If we get tired and don’t want to walk back to the car, there are Ubers/Bolts available that will be able to take us back to our car for about 5 euros. 

Hike Highlights:

• Praia da Marinha (most scenic view)
• Benagil Beach/Cave (cool cave, ice cream stop, option to swim)
• Praia do Carvalho (unique beach where you crawl through a rock tunnel to access)
• Farol de Alfanzina (lighthouse)
• Optional Carvoeiro Boardwalk and Boneca Cave (Not officially part of the hike, but if you have extra energy, add this on! Since we parked around here in Algar Seco, we were able to pop into Boneca Cave, buy a few extra waters (which were very needed!), and walk the boardwalks! Well worth the extra km or so!)

MAY 11 (DAY 9): BENAGIL CAVE AND ALBUFEIRA

Morning:

• Benagil Kayak Tour
  • Kayak Tour: Dying to explore Benagil Cave on foot!? Want that instagram photo? You’ll need to paddle yourself into the cave! When booking, MAKE SURE the kayak tour goes to Benagil, as a lot go to Ponta de Piedade and around there. 

Afternoon: 

• Explore Albufeira
  • Once you’re done on the boat/kayak, hop on the train heading for Albufeira (towards Faro)
  • Beaches (Praia dos Pescadores (Fisherman’s Beach) and Praia do Peneco)
  • Get some seafood (Casa del Mar, The Beach Basket, and The Ruin are all great choices)
  • Wander the Old Town
  • Check out “The Strip”
  • Check out the colorful marina

Evening: 

• Dinner at one of the spots we haven’t tried yet
• Gelato at Gelicia Italian Gelato

Part 4: RETURN

MAY 12 (DAY 10): RETURN TO LISBOA

Morning:

• Check-out __________ … ask if the hotel can hold bags until train?
• Check in for flight

• 12:45pm – Pickup bags from Belmar then go to the train station
• Approx 10 min drive from Belmar to Lagos train station
• Departure 1:23pm Lagos train station **digital pdf tickets in email**
• Transfer in Tunis (2:27pm)
• Arrive in Lisbon Oriente Station (east) by 5:56pm

Afternoon/evening:

• Check into our final hotel
  • Details: Hotel Ikonik Lisboa
  • Confirmation #:
  • Address: Avenida do Mediterraneo, Lote 1.12.04, LIsbon
  • 7 min walk from Oriente station
• Grab dinner somewhere nearby or uber into touristy area of town (15 min uber to baxia district)

MAY 13 (DAY 11): RETURN TO THE STATES

AM:

• Complimentary breakfast at the hotel 
• Uber to airport by _________ (2.5-3 hrs early)… 7 min drive from Hotel Ikonik

Flight details: