7 Days in Portugal — Porto, Douro, Lisbon & the Algarve

Shape of the week: fly into Porto, out of Faro. Trains for the long legs, a hire car for three days in the south. If you prefer no car at all, the whole route is possible by rail with the loss of the Costa Vicentina.

Day 1 — Porto

Arrive, metro line E to Trindade (25 min, €2.85).
Afternoon: São Bento tiles, Sé cathedral, Clérigos Tower, Ribeira waterfront.
Sunset: upper deck of the Dom Luís I bridge, walking into Gaia.
Dinner in Cedofeita; early night after the flight.

Day 2 — Porto to the Douro

09:15 Train São Bento → Pinhão (2h10, €14.50).
11:45 Quinta das Carvalhas jeep tour to the ridge, €35.
13:30 Long riverside lunch.
15:30 Check in to a quinta guesthouse; swim; watch the light change on the terraces.
20:00 Dinner at the quinta — usually a set menu with estate wines.

Day 3 — Douro to Lisbon

09:00 Morning walk in the vineyards before the heat.
11:15 Train back to Porto Campanhã.
14:30 Alfa Pendular Porto → Lisbon Oriente, 2h50, €31.90.
17:45 Check in near Príncipe Real or Baixa.
19:00 Sunset at Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara, dinner in Bairro Alto.

Day 4 — Lisbon in full

Morning: Alfama, São Jorge Castle, Museu do Azulejo.
Lunch: tasca near Largo de São Miguel.
Afternoon: Belém — Jerónimos, the tower, pastéis.
Evening: fado in Alfama or a late dinner in Cais do Sodré.

Day 5 — Lisbon to the Algarve via the Alentejo

08:30 Collect the hire car at Oriente (avoid airport queues).
10:15 Évora — Roman temple, Chapel of Bones, coffee in Praça do Giraldo (1h20 drive).
13:00 Alentejo lunch: black pork, bread soup, a heavy red.
15:00 Drive south to Tavira or Lagos (2h15–2h45 depending on your base).
19:00 Check in; dinner by the water.

Day 6 — Algarve coast day

07:45 Drive to Praia da Marinha; walk the Seven Hanging Valleys trail before the heat (5.7 km).
11:00 Kayak or boat to the Benagil sea cave, €25–40.
13:30 Seafood lunch in Carvoeiro or Ferragudo.
16:00 Swim and read at Praia do Camilo or Praia Dona Ana.
19:45 Sunset at Ponta da Piedade, Lagos.

Day 7 — The west, then Faro

09:00 Drive west to Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente (1h).
11:00 Clifftop walk at the fortress; coffee with a 60-metre drop below.
13:00 Lunch in Sagres — barnacles and grilled fish.
15:00 Drive to Faro (1h40 on the A22 — remember electronic tolls).
17:30 Return the car; evening flight, or a last hour in Faro's walled old town.

Budget breakdown

Item	Per person	Notes
Accommodation (6 nights)	€480	Includes one quinta night at €160 shared
Rail (Porto–Pinhão–Porto, Porto–Lisbon)	€61	Booked 45 days ahead
Car hire, 3 days + fuel + tolls	€155	Compact, shared between two
Food and drink	€290	Seven dinners, six lunches, coffee
Activities and entries	€148	Quinta tour, cave kayak, castle, Jerónimos, Évora sites
Local transport	€38	Metro, trams, airport links
Total	€1,172	Excluding international flights

Itinerary FAQ

Can I do this without a car?

Yes. Take the train Lisbon → Faro (3h10) and base yourself in Tavira or Lagos, using the regional coastal line and local buses. You lose Sagres and the Costa Vicentina.

Is one night in the Douro enough?

It is enough to see the valley in evening and morning light, which is the point. Two nights suits wine-focused travellers.

Should I reverse the direction?

If flights are cheaper into Faro, yes — the route works perfectly in reverse, ending in Porto.

What about August?

Everything here works, but book accommodation by March, start beach days before 09:00, and accept that Évora at 15:00 in August is 39°C and empty for good reason.

The grand week