Portugal: One or Two Week Itinerary
(23 Reviews)
100% Recommended
Samantha Gagni
Chicago, IL
Group Travel Specialist
I wanted to work for myself. I left the corporate world as a management consultant of nearly a decade to pursue my true dreams and passions, and I want to help you live yours. Today, I’m a licensed real estate agent with EXIT Realty and the owner ...
I wanted to work for myself. I left the corporate world as a management consultant of nearly a decade to pursue my true dreams and passions, and I want to help you live yours. Today, I’m a licensed real estate agent with EXIT Realty and the owner of VS1 Travels, a travel planning company specializing in group travel and destination weddings.
Basically, if you go on vacation and you really like it…I can help you stay there!
I have experience planning travel in various capacities all over the world, i.e., destination weddings, honeymoons/romance travel, groups, bucket list travel
FUN FACTS ABOUT ME:
- I took a gap year in 2017 to travel the world and it was absolutely life changing - I love helping people find their own change through travel!
- I’ve been to 6 continents, 54 countries and 36 states so far…would love to experience it all - and I love helping others do the same!
- I started investing in property and currently house hack in my first 4-flat building - let’s talk about creating your own portfolio!
- I want to help you live the life you want, where you want!
Can Be Reached At
1-847-722-5999
Portugal! A beautiful country full of history, culture, people, food, and views for days. I was in Portugal for a little over a week and basically hit the major spots a bit too quickly (my German travelmate had limited time and wanted to hit Morocco as soon as possible), but if you have the time, I definitely recommend at least two weeks in Portugal. I did this entire itinerary in 8 days, so it’s definitely doable, but we were tired everyday and it seemed like we were rushing all the time..so again..highly recommend staying longer if you can. Ok…now let’s get to it!
I flew into Porto, but usually it’s cheaper to fly into Lisbon from most major cities, so simply adjust the following itinerary accordingly. If you only have one week, I suggest going from Lisbon and heading north or south.
Porto (2 or 3 days) Super cute town in northern Portugal where you must try Port wine, visit the many churches, walk across the Dom Luis I Bridge, visit the Lello Bookstore where J.K. Rowling got inspired for Harry Potter, and eat a francesinha. More on Porto in this article here: Two Days in Porto, Portugal
Coimbra (1 or 2 days) Visit the historical University of Coimbra – explore the Royal Palace, climb the Tower for spectacular views of the city, and step into the Baroque Library (which seriously looks like the library that the Beast gave to Belle in Beauty and Beast)
Fatima (1/2 day or 1 day) See the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima – went here on a Sunday and was able to experience mass in the main sanctuary and it was very moving
Nazare (1 or 2 days) Known for having some of the largest waves in the world, Nazare is a picturesque seaside town. Make sure to visit the top of the cliff by the lighthouse for a stunning view of the water and town below. I didn’t visit at the right time to see huge waves (July), so if you are really keen on seeing 100 ft waves, visit sometime between October and March (but do more research on this!)
Peniche (1 or 2 days) One of Portugal’s surf towns, so if you are into that stuff, take a surf class! Also you must take a day trip out to Berlenga Island. Sadly, we did not have enough time to see Berlanga Island, but heard great things about it.
Sintra (1 or 2 days) Good day trip from Lisbon or coming from Peniche, Sintra has some great castles to see. Highly recommend seeing Castello Dos Mouros, Palacio da Pena, and Quinta de Regaleira.Warning: Driving was a challenge in this town with narrow two-way roads and hills…and on a manual car..luckily I wasn’t driving because I was freaking out the entire time, haha. Thank you to my German, Maren for navigating us safely around!
Cabo da Roca (1/2 day) Make sure you drive over to Cabo da Roca which has absolutely breathtaking views of the water and rocks. Hike down to Praia da Ursa for an even better view.
Cascais (1 or 2 days) Really nice town along the water – take a stroll along the promenade, go surfing at Praia do Guincho, and walk around town and eat some seafood!
Lisbon (3 or 4 days) I love Lisboa (what the locals call Lisbon). So much to do and see – great food, nightlife, culture, history, you name it. You can take Tram 28 which will stop at popular tourist attractions or you can walk or take the train/taxi on your own. Make sure to visit Alfama and see St. George Castle, head over to Belem to see the tower and gardens and have a portuguese custard tart at the ever famous Pasteis de Belem, and party with other travelers and locals in Bairro Alto and Pink Street in Cais de Sodre.Also something that was highly recommended by the locals that I didn’t get to see was LX Factory which is right by the Ponte 25 de April (Lisboa’s bridge that looks just like SF’s Golden Gate Bridge). They also have a huge statue – Cristo Rei (somewhat similar to Rio’s Christ the Redeemer) which I wanted to see which is on the other side of the bridge.
Lagos (3 or 4 days)Love love love Lagos. If you love beaches, Lagos has plenty of them. Part of the Algarve of Portugal, Lagos has these rock formations along the shore that remind me of the 12 Apostles in Australia, but you can actually get closer to them! Take a kayak or boat tour to see the rock formations from the water or take a stroll along the cliffs to see the views and go beach hopping. The town is walkable with shops and restaurants everywhere and the nightlife is pretty lively.If you have time, take the bus or drive over to Sagres. I did not get to visit Sagres, but it was another recommendation from the locals to visit.There are other cities along the Algarve coast that you can visit as well such as Portimao, Albufeira, and Faro. If you have the time, look into them and let me know how it goes!
From Lagos, we took a Bla Bla car to Seville, Spain, but if you are heading home, look for flights out of Faro or Lisboa! Again, if you only have a week….I suggest either only doing the north or the south of Portugal. Figure out which offers more of what you are interested in doing and adjust your itinerary accordingly.
Enjoy!!