7 days in Portugal: itinerary

Seven days covers two cities well. Lisbon and Porto sit about 300 km apart on the same rail line, so you move once and lose half a day, not a whole one. Anything more — the Algarve, the Douro, Évora — turns the trip into a series of transfer days.

The shape that works: land in Lisbon, give it four nights with Sintra as a day-trip, then train to Porto for three nights and fly home from there. You see two very different cities, one palace town and one wine region without ever renting a car.

If you would rather have beaches than a second city, the alternative is Lisbon plus the Algarve, but that means a long bus or train-and-bus day south and a thinner look at both. For that version, see the 10-day itinerary.

The route is a straight line north along the Atlantic rail corridor: Lisbon → Sintra (return) → Porto. Sintra is a suburban train ride from Lisbon's Rossio station, so it costs you no hotel change.

Distances and times below are city-centre to city-centre and assume you travel by train. Driving the same corridor on the A1 is faster on paper but slower in practice once you add parking in both cities.

Each day below names one main area and one evening option. Lisbon's hills are real: plan two viewpoints, not five, and use tram 28 or the metro for the climbs rather than walking them twice.

Trains are the backbone. CP runs the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades between Lisbon (Oriente or Santa Apolónia) and Porto (Campanhã), and the urban line from Rossio to Sintra. Buy online in advance for the cheapest fare band; walk-up tickets on the day cost more.

Within Lisbon, a rechargeable Viva Viagem card covers metro, tram and bus. Porto uses the Andante card on metro and bus. Both are cheap per trip and save queueing.

A car only makes sense if you swap Porto for the Algarve or the Douro. In Lisbon and Porto it is a liability: narrow streets, limited parking, tolls on the motorways.

In Lisbon, stay in Baixa or Chiado for flat walking and metro access, or Alfama for atmosphere at the cost of hills and noise. In Porto, Ribeira puts you on the river but is touristy and steep; the area around Bolhão and Aliados is flatter and better connected.

Two bases in seven days is the limit. Adding a Sintra night means three hotel changes and a wasted morning on luggage — not worth it for a week.

Portugal is mid-priced for Western Europe. A mid-range couple can run the week on roughly €120–200 per person per day including a hotel, meals, trains and entries; a hostel-and-supermarket version lands nearer €60–90.

The two big variables are the Lisbon–Porto train fare (book early) and Sintra tickets, which add up fast if you buy several palace entries in one day. Pick two.

Swap Porto for the Algarve if you want beaches: Lisbon 4 nights, then train or coach to Lagos or Faro for 3. It is a long transfer day and you see less of the south than you would with a full week there.

Swap Sintra for Cascais if palaces are not your thing — a coastal train from Lisbon, no timed tickets. Swap Porto for Coimbra if you want a smaller, quieter stop on the same rail line.

With more time, the 10-day itinerary adds Coimbra and the Algarve, and the 14-day version loops in the Douro and Alentejo. Both are better value than stretching this week.

Yes for two cities, no for the country. Seven days fits Lisbon, Sintra and Porto comfortably with one internal move. It does not fit Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve without cutting each short and spending a day in transit.

If your list includes beaches or the Douro, take 10 days instead. If you only have a week, pick the two-city route and do it properly.