Portugal itineraries

Portugal is small enough to cross by train in three hours and varied enough to fill two weeks: Lisbon on its hills, Sintra's palaces, Porto and the Douro's vineyards, the cliffs and beaches of the Algarve.

Each trip below is a full day-by-day plan WayFriend wrote for one sample traveller: where to go and when, how to get there, what to book ahead and what it costs. Pick the one closest to yours, or have one written for your own dates.

• Portugal in 7 daysA first week: Lisbon, Sintra and Porto by train, no car needed
• Portugal in 10 daysTen days by train: Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra, Porto and a night in the Douro
• Lisbon and Porto in 5 daysBoth cities in five days, linked by a three-hour train
• Portugal road trip in 8 daysBy car from Lisbon to Porto: Óbidos, Nazaré, the monasteries, two nights in the Douro
• Algarve road trip in 4 daysThe south coast: Lagos, the Benagil cave by boat, Tavira
• Lisbon in 3 daysLisbon alone: Alfama, Belém, the viewpoints, a day trip
• Porto in 4 daysPorto alone, with a day in the Douro Valley

How to choose

• One week, first time: Lisbon, Sintra and Porto. By train it needs no car and no parking.
• Ten days or more: add Coimbra and the Douro, or four days in the Algarve.
• With a car: drive north from Lisbon through the old towns and monasteries; leave the car before Porto.
• Summer: the Algarve is at its best from June to September; spring and autumn suit the cities and the Douro.

More places: the WayFriend guide library.