10 Days in Portugal: The Perfect First-Time Itinerary

Ten days is enough to see the best of Portugal without rushing: Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, the Douro Valley and some Algarve beach time. This is the route our members recommend most for a first visit, with the logistics worked out.

The route: fly into Faro, then spend 3 nights in the Algarve, 4 nights in Lisbon (including Sintra) and 3 nights in Porto (including the Douro Valley). Fly home from Porto. Going one way means no backtracking. (Prefer the beach at the end? Simply reverse it.)

The plan at a glance

Days	Where	Highlights
1–3	Algarve	Beaches, Benagil, Lagos, Ponta da Piedade
4	Algarve → Lisbon	Train or drive (about 3 hours)
4–6	Lisbon	Alfama, Belém, Chiado, viewpoints
7	Sintra	Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira
8	Lisbon → Porto	Train (about 3 hours)
8–9	Porto	Ribeira, port cellars, São Bento
10	Douro Valley	Vineyards, river cruise, wine tasting

Days 1–3: the Algarve

Land at Faro and pick up a hire car (the easiest way to explore), or book a transfer to your base. See Faro airport options. Lagos or Carvoeiro make good bases.

• Day 1: settle in and hit the beach. Praia da Marinha or Dona Ana.
• Day 2: a Benagil Cave boat or kayak tour, then the Seven Hanging Valleys clifftop walk.
• Day 3: Lagos old town and a boat trip to Ponta da Piedade, then dinner from our best Lagos restaurants.

More beaches: best Algarve beaches.

Day 4: on to Lisbon

Drop the car (one-way fees may apply) and take the train from Faro to Lisbon, about 3 hours, or drive. Arrive in time for sunset at a viewpoint.

Days 4–7: Lisbon and Sintra

• Day 5: Baixa, Alfama and São Jorge Castle, with fado in the evening.
• Day 6: Belém (book the Jerónimos and Belém Tower time slots), LX Factory and sunset in Chiado.
• Day 7: day trip to Sintra. Book Pena Palace tickets ahead, or take a day tour with Cascais.

Full details are in our 3-day Lisbon itinerary, where to stay in Lisbon and Lisbon transport guide. Doing lots of sights? Check if the Lisboa Card is worth it.

Day 8: Lisbon to Porto

Take a morning train (about 2h40 on the Alfa Pendular). See Lisbon to Porto by train. Driving instead? Stop at Óbidos, Coimbra or Aveiro on the way.

Days 8–10: Porto and the Douro

• Day 8 (afternoon): the Ribeira riverside, the tiled São Bento station, and sunset from the top of the Dom Luís I bridge.
• Day 9: Livraria Lello (book tickets), the Clérigos Tower, then port cellars in Gaia. Try a port wine walking tour.
• Day 10: a day in the Douro Valley. See our Douro wine tours.

Fly home from Porto. See Porto airport transport. More ideas: day trips from Porto.

Want a slower trip?

• Skip the Algarve and add Óbidos and Coimbra, or more time in Lisbon. See Porto vs Lisbon.
• Beach-focused: 5 nights in the Algarve, 5 in Lisbon.
• Travelling with kids? See Portugal with kids.
• Visiting in winter? See Portugal in winter.

Before you book

• Fly into one airport and home from another: into Faro, home from Porto. On airline and booking sites, choose “multi-city” instead of “return”. It’s usually no more expensive, and it saves a long trip back to where you started.
• Book Pena Palace, Belém and Livraria Lello tickets in advance in busy months.
• Sort your mobile data and read money in Portugal.
• Download our free Portugal trip checklist.

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