Seven days is the sweet spot for a first trip to Portugal: long enough to pair the two great cities with a fairy-tale day in Sintra and a wine day in the Douro, without living on trains. This plan anchors on Lisbon and Porto, links them by fast train, and gives you one signature experience and one wow moment every day. Read the first-timer guide before you go, and book the Sintra tickets and the Douro day ahead in the busy months.
Itinerary at a glance
| Day | Base | The signature experience |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | Sunset over the city from a hilltop miradouro |
| 2 | Lisbon | Riding historic Tram 28 through the Alfama |
| 3 | Lisbon | Pena Palace and the forests of Sintra |
| 4 | Porto | The Ribeira and a port tasting in Gaia |
| 5 | Porto | Livraria Lello, São Bento and the viewpoints |
| 6 | Douro Valley | A wine estate and river cruise in the vineyards |
| 7 | Porto | A last francesinha and the walk over the bridge |
Day 1: Land and fall for Lisbon
Ease in gently. Drop your bags in a central neighborhood like the Baixa, Chiado or Alfama, then let the city reveal itself on foot. Wander the mosaic pavements, ride the Santa Justa lift or a rattling funicular up a hill, and get your first taste of bacalhau and a chilled vinho verde. Do not over-plan a jet-lagged first day.
The signature experience: sunset from a hilltop miradouro such as Senhora do Monte or São Pedro de Alcântara, the whole city glowing below you.
Wow moment of the day: your first warm pastel de nata, custard still soft, at a counter with a bica espresso.
Day 2: Trams, tiles and old Lisbon
Give today to the historic heart. Ride the famous Tram 28 as it grinds through the Alfama, Lisbon’s oldest quarter, a maze of washing-lined lanes and tiled facades tumbling toward the river. Climb to São Jorge Castle for the view, get pleasantly lost, and in the evening find a small tasca or a Fado house to hear Portugal’s soulful national song over dinner.
The signature experience: riding Tram 28 through the Alfama, then a Fado performance after dark.
Wow moment of the day: turning a blind Alfama corner into a sudden view of the red rooftops and the silver Tagus.
Day 3: The fairy-tale palaces of Sintra
Take an easy day trip to Sintra, a green hilltop town of romantic palaces just 40 minutes from the city. See the candy-colored Pena Palace on its crag, wander the mossy tunnels and wells of the Quinta da Regaleira, and breathe the cool forest air. Book timed tickets in advance, as Pena in particular sells out, and go early to beat the crowds.
The signature experience: the technicolor Pena Palace rising out of the forest like something from a storybook.
Wow moment of the day: climbing the spiral initiation well at Quinta da Regaleira down into the earth.
Day 4: Take the train north to Porto
This morning, catch the fast train from Lisbon to Porto, a comfortable three hours or so, city-center to city-center, watching the country roll by (book ahead for the best fare). Arrive by lunch, settle into the Ribeira or downtown, and cross the great Dom Luís I bridge on foot to Vila Nova de Gaia, where the port lodges line the far bank.
The signature experience: a port tasting on a terrace in Gaia as the sun drops behind the bridge.
Wow moment of the day: the first view of the Ribeira’s stacked, painted houses reflected in the Douro at golden hour.
Day 5: The soul of Porto
Spend the day on Porto’s north bank. Marvel at the scarlet staircase of Livraria Lello, the 20,000 tiles of São Bento station, and the baroque Clérigos Tower, then climb it for the rooftop view. Eat the city’s outrageous signature sandwich, the francesinha, browse the restored Bolhão market, and finish at a rooftop bar or the Gaia viewpoints for sunset. Read the Porto guide to fill in the gaps.
The signature experience: the neo-Gothic Livraria Lello, one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops.
Wow moment of the day: the whole city laid out below you from the top of the Clérigos Tower.
Day 6: A day in the Douro Valley
Give today to the Douro Valley, the terraced wine country an hour and a half upriver and the finest day out in the north. Whether by guided tour, the scenic train to Pinhão, or a rental car with a sober driver, tour a quinta or two, taste port at the source, and take a short river cruise beneath the vineyards. See the Douro day-trip guide for how to choose.
The signature experience: a wine tasting on an estate terrace above the looping river and stepped green hills.
Wow moment of the day: the first view of the Douro’s terraces from the water on the cruise, the sheer scale of it.
Day 7: A slow last morning in Porto
Keep the finale gentle. Have a lazy riverside breakfast, take a final walk across the upper deck of the Dom Luís I bridge for that farewell panorama, and squeeze in anything you missed, a river-boat spin under the six bridges, a last cellar, a last custard tart. Then it is time to head home, already plotting the trip back.
The signature experience: the walk over the top of the Dom Luís I bridge, the whole postcard spread out one last time.
Wow moment of the day: a final francesinha or pastel de nata, the taste you will be craving the moment you land.
Before you go
Book your Lisbon-Porto train, the Sintra timed tickets and the Douro day ahead in the warmer months, sort a local eSIM or roaming plan before you land, carry some cash for small cafes and markets, and wear shoes that handle cobbles and hills. Budget a little extra for the municipal tourist tax as well, which is charged per person per night at the property and rarely appears in the price you booked online; our tourist tax guide explains who pays it and where to check the current rate.
If you already know a week will not be enough, the natural extension is not another mainland city but the Atlantic: Madeira, a steep volcanic island out in the Atlantic where the days are built around levada walks, the lava pools at Porto Moniz and the wine lodges of Funchal rather than around sand. Seven days done this way gives you the two great cities, a fairy-tale forest and a world-class wine valley, and leaves you already planning your return.