I’ll start by saying one week in Portugal is not enough. But this itinerary shows you three of Portugal’s main cities, a variety of its main landmarks and, of course, involves port. And you’ll travel around on Portugal’s excellent train network.
You could add extra days in any of the cities I mention. There’s so much to see in each that you can still stick with the order of events in this itinerary.
Trains in Portugal
Train is one of my favourite ways to travel, and it’s an excellent way to get around Portugal.
Trains in Portugal are reliable, comfortable and affordable. The train network is spread all over the country making connections between the major cities especially easy. You can check train times and book tickets on the Comboios de Portugal website.
Let’s get going with a plan for one week in Portugal by train!
Day 1: arrive in Lisbon
Catch a flight arriving in Lisbon, and catch the metro from the airport to the city centre.
Lisbon is such a vibrant city, with yellow trams and terracotta tiled roofs contrasting the glittering blue sea.
Stop for a coffee in Plaza Rossio, wander through the cobbled Alfama district, call in at one of Lisbon’s many bars for a caipirinha, and try and catch some fado in the evening.
Read in more detail my article about things to do in Lisbon. But don’t stress about visiting everything on the list today – you’ll have another full day in Lisbon on day 3.
Day 2: Sintra
Day 2 of your week in Portugal is more action-packed. You’ll be visiting the colourful Palácio Nacional da Pena in Sintra, to the west of Lisbon.
Getting to Sintra
You have two options for getting to Sintra. You can either take a train to Sintra from Lisbon, which takes about 40 minutes from Rossio. Or you can travel to Sintra on day 1 and stay there overnight.
Personally, I would recommend the second option as it means that you can start your day in Sintra nice and early.
Palácio Nacional da Pena
Sintra is famous for the Palácio Nacional da Pena, a brightly-painted palace atop a hill, complete with turrets and battlements like a castle from a fairytale. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a royal history, complete with a stunning view all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean.
You can get a bus or a taxi up the hill to the palace entrance. However, if you are able to, I recommend walking. From the centre of Sintra, this takes about an hour and a half. It is uphill all the way but most of the route is through a wood so the shade will keep you cool. If you have chosen to stay in Sintra the night before, you can start the walk early in the morning before the sun has properly warmed up.
You’ll need to book tickets for the Pena Palace in advance, especially if you go at a weekend as it can get very busy.
Castelo dos Mouros
If you have time, you can also visit another UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Castelo dos Mouros. This is a Moorish castle dating back to the tenth century. Scrambling around the battlements takes you back in time to the soldiers patrolling the castle, watching out for enemies, with views for miles over the Portuguese countryside.
Extra day: Cascais
If you have more than a week in Portugal, you could add a day in Cascais on your way from Sintra to Lisbon. Cascais is to the west of Lisbon.
You can catch a bus to Cascais from Sintra which travels along winding country lanes through Sintra National Park. The bus makes a stop at Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in mainland Europe. If you break your journey here, you can walk along the cliff path, looking out at the wild, shallow waves of the Atlantic, before stopping for a cup of coffee and a cake in the café.
Hop on the next bus to Cascais, an upmarket beach town. Borrow a bike to cycle down the coast, or just wander around the cobbled streets, eat fresh fish at one of the many restaurants, and relax on one of Cascais’ sandy beaches.
If you’re continuing on to Lisbon, you can catch another bus which will transport you down the coastline. It’s about 40 minutes from Cascais to central Lisbon.
Day 3: Lisbon
Spend the whole of day 3 in Lisbon.
There are so many things to see and do in Lisbon that you won’t fit it all into one day. You might have seen some of it on day 1 depending on your timings and whether you travelled to Sintra the same day. As I’ve mentioned above, I’ve gathered a fuller list of things to do in Lisbon, but here are some ideas.
Sé de Lisboa (Lisbon Cathedral)
I always think a cathedral is a good place to get a sense of a city. Lisbon Cathedral dates back to 1147 and is a peaceful, cool place.
Castelo de São Jorge
The Castelo de São Jorge is an eleventh-century castle within a whole castle complex at the top of a hill. It was mostly used by the Moors when they occupied parts of the Iberian peninsula. The castle’s fortifications demonstrate its importance as a real fortress of Lisbon.
Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery)
On the western side of Lisbon is the Jerónimos Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s famous for being where the explorer Vasco de Gama is buried. But even if historic world exploration isn’t your thing, visit the Jerónimos Monastery for its beautiful cloisters, pristine grass quads and ornate chapel.
Torre de Belém (Belém Tower)
Nearby is the Belém Tower, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a fortified medieval tower right on the sea and was a point of entry and departure for long-ago Portuguese explorers.
Monumento aos Combatentes do Ultramar (Monument to the Overseas Combatants)
This monument is a peaceful space dedicated to the Portuguese soldiers who lost their lives in the Overseas War over Portugal’s African territories in 1961 to 1974.
Day 4: Lisbon to Coimbra
On day 4 of your week in Portugal, you’ll catch the train to Coimbra from Lisbon’s Santa Apolónia station. The journey takes around two hours.
I had thought of Coimbra as just a stopping off point between Lisbon and Porto but I actually loved it!
Coimbra is an old city, dating back to the Roman times. Its history is visible all around. I’ve written about Coimbra in detail here but, briefly, these were some of my favourite things to do in Coimbra:
Museum and Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Santa Clara-a-Velha is a ruined monastery with a small, sparsely-visited museum explaining the history of the community of nuns who once lived there.
Sé Velha de Coimbra (Old Cathedral of Coimbra)
Coimbra’s Old Cathedral dates back to the twelfth century and looks almost like a military fortress. This was a style adopted during the Reconquista – it was essential to be ready for military action at any time. I thought it was interesting to style a religious building in this way!
Jardim da Manga (Manga Cloisters)
The Manga Cloisters are a National Monument of Portugal. It’s a garden whose focus is a sprawling lemon-yellow structure of which the centrepiece is a circular cloistered area under a domed roof. I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else.
Coimbra’s Botanical Gardens
The University of Coimbra’s Botanical Gardens is a relaxing place to wander around or sit for some peace and quiet. You can also learn a lot as the plants are all labelled with their names and a short description. I particularly recommend walking through the bamboo forest!
Day 5: Coimbra to Porto
On day 5, catch another train from Coimbra to Porto.
I recommend catching a morning train so that you get an extra half-day in Porto. The train from Coimbra to Porto takes about an hour and a half. You’ll arrive in Porto’s beautiful São Bento Station, where you’ll get your first glimpse of the blue-and-white patterned murals that appear throughout Porto.
Once you’re in Porto, stop for a pastel de nata or a glass of vinho verde at one of the cafes along the south side of the Douro River.
Day 6: Porto
Spend all of day 6 exploring Porto.
Porto is a colourful city with its brightly-painted and tiled buildings overlooking the river. Its maze of cobbled streets contrast with its busy riverside where you can find myriad cafés and bars. Porto is, as its name suggests, famous for its production of port in the nearby Douro Valley, so it’s practically obligatory to do a port tour when you go to Porto.
There is more to Porto than just port though. I’ve gathered a fuller list of things to do in Porto. But, briefly, here are my top recommendations.
Ponte Luís I
You’ll probably recognise the Ponte Luís I as Porto’s famous bridge. You can cross it either by climbing up the steps and walking through, or by catching the cable car to it to save yourself the climb.
Livraria Lello
The Livraria Lello is a library/bookshop which allegedly inspired parts of Harry Potter as JK Rowling briefly lived in Porto. A word of warning though: make sure you book tickets and be prepared to queue. This is an extremely popular attraction and – full confession – I actually decided I wasn’t enough of a Harry Potter fan to bear queueing for an hour so I abandoned it. But I’m mentioning it in case you feel differently!
Casa Escondida
The Casa Escondida is squeezed between two churches and holds the title as the narrowest house in Porto!
Port tour
I’ve mentioned port tours above. You can book these with one of the port production companies – I went with Graham’s. As well as an informative tour and port-tasting, it has a superb restaurant on site.
Day 7: depart Porto
Your week in Portugal finishes here! Travel to the airport on the metro, and depart Porto.