Portugal Itinerary 14 Days

Beautiful scenery, superb surfing beaches, lively metropolis and stunning hinterland mountains, lush green parks, and waterfalls – the list of reasons why you should visit Portugal is limitless. There is so much to do in Portugal that you could easily spend several weeks there. But what places should you visit in Portugal if you don’t have much time? Can you witness all of the country’s highlights in two weeks? You certainly can. All it takes is a well-planned Portugal itinerary. Today we bring to you the perfect Portugal Itinerary 14 days!

The Perfect Portugal Itinerary 14 days

Pack a bag and book that flight, and with this Portugal Itinerary 14 days, you can enjoy your Portugal trip to the fullest.

Day 1-2 – Fly Into Porto

Port is a vibrant city, so there’s no lack of things to do even if you decide to spend a month in the city. This historic city boasts a wide variety of selection of cultural sights, buzzing nightlife, and enjoyable activities. 

The plan is to fly in through Porto and out through Faro. To get a bus around anywhere in the country, you can use Rede-Expressos. You can also choose to experience Portugal on trains. Then for your accommodation needs, you can rely on VacationRenter to get you a place in any city at affordable prices. That said, after resting from your flight, what next?

Day 1, Morning – You can kick off the day with a cup of coffee in any of the best coffee shops in Porto. Mesa 325 is a great option. Mesa 325 is the place to go for a smooth cup of locally grown and brewed coffee. It’s a tranquil and cozy area to have an Americano with a pastry, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of downtown. Stop in for a cup of coffee in the morning, bring a book, and be ready to meet a friend. 

Other fantastic coffee shops in Porto include Confeitaria Tavi, Moustache, Majestic Café, Noshi Coffee, C’Alma Specialty Coffee Room, or Combi Coffee. You can visit any of the closest ones to your hotel.

Day 1, Afternoon – Go for a boat cruise along the Douro River, or take a walk around the Avenida dos Aliados. The Avenida dos Aliados is the city’s main thoroughfare. The majestic edifice that houses Porto’s city hall may be found at the top of this avenue. As you make your way down to Ribeira, take a little detour to So Bento train station to admire the lovely glazed tiles.

Day 1, Nighttime – Get a little taste of the nightlife in a Portuguese city in Hot Five Jazz & Blues Club, Tendinha Dos Clérigos, Eskada, Kasa da Praia, or Gare

Day 2, Morning – Take a walk around the Rua de Santa Catarina, the most bustling street in Porto. While Rua de Santa Catarina is a very crowded place, it offers a lot to learn about Porto and its people. Also, a larger part of the street is built for pedestrians, so you’ll have no trouble moving around.

Day 2, Afternoon – visit Porto’s museum or the Foz district to learn more about the city.

Day 2, Nighttime – You can either spend the night in one of the cozy restaurants in the Ribeira district or go all-in for the main nightlife in Porto (Rua Galeria de Paris). However, before going out for the night, be prepared for a long day the next day – to visit one of the major Portuguese highlights.  

Day 3 – Douro Valley Wine Tour

Portugal Itinerary 14 Days
Douro Valley

The Douro Valley is the most famous wine region in Portugal, and your trip to the country will be incomplete without having a taste of some of the best wines made locally. There’s also a lot of rich Portuguese history to experience during your ride to the region. 

With a tour guide, you get to sample Port wine from 2 vineyards and they offer a traditional Portuguese lunch during the tour. The tour also includes a spectacular river cruise. You can choose to tour in a small group or a private experience. Let me be honest – this was my favourite day on my Portugal Itinerary of 14 days.

Day 4 Day Trip – Braga, Guimares, or Aveiro

Portugal Itinerary 14 Days
Guimares

There are many additional adventures worth considering from Porto, like a trip to Vale do Douro, which you can include for the complete Portugal experience.

For that, we recommend a day trip to the cities of Braga and Guimares. You will undoubtedly fall in love with the beauties of these two major cities, which are about 35 miles from Porto and just 12 miles apart.

Braga is one of the country’s oldest cities, including landmarks such as the steps of the Bom Jesus do Monte Sanctuary. On the other hand, Guimares offers a lovely historic center, as well as essential and legendary tours. With these attractions, your trip to Portugal will undoubtedly be a delight.  

If you still have more time during the day, you can extend your trip to Aveiro. Aveiro is a city on Portugal’s west coast located near the Ria de Aveiro lagoon. It is notable for its canals, which are navigated by colorful boats (Barcos Moliceiros), which were formerly used to harvest seaweed.

The Cathedral of Aveiro, with its notable bell tower, is not far from its heart, which is famed for its art nouveau architecture. An awesome place to check out is The Museu de Aveiro, built in a former monastery, features a beautiful marble tomb. Nevertheless, the best way to experience these cities is through an experienced tour guide.

Day 5-7 Day Trip – Coimbra

Portugal Itinerary 14 Days
Coimbra

Coimbra is a renowned student city since it is home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Indeed, the institution is the city’s principal tourist attraction, and it is well worth a visit. 

The historic town around the university is a tangle of small medieval lanes, steep hills, stairways, and buildings with reddish roofs. Coimbra, with its rich and well-preserved ancient legacy, is the ideal city for getting lost among its many attractions. 

So, you can explore the historic areas around the university on your first day in town or visit Portugal’s largest Roman sit, which is about 25 minutes outside town. The site is extraordinary for being home to some of the well-preserved mosaics you can find in the whole of Europe.

On the second day in Coimbra, you can visit the Machado de Castro Museum. The former bishop’s palace, which is now one of Portugal’s most prominent museums, is just down the street from the university. 

Its collection of sculptures from the 14th to the 16th centuries is notable, but the vaulted passages beneath it (which survive from the city’s Roman occupation) are the highlight, and a visit here would be enjoyable even without the sculptures. 

Day 7-9 Experience the Ancient Capital City, Lisbon

Lisbon is one of the most famous cities in Portugal and when you finally arrive there, the first thing you’ll realize is that 3 days might not be enough to fully experience, and enjoy the city. Nevertheless, you can always start with some activities/places you wouldn’t want to miss.

Lisbon is also known for its magnificent architecture and Fado music heritage. But some of the city’s top highlights are more mundane – beautiful hilltop panoramas in Alfama or at St. George’s Castle, nice year-round weather, and welcoming locals. Bring some comfortable shoes and a pocket map of the public transportation system, or simply hop on Tram 28 to experience it all. 

For your day 1 in Lisbon, take in scenic views of the city from the São Jorge Castle. So Jorge Castle was formerly a Moorish castle, but later occupants altered the structure so drastically that only a small portion of its original structure remains. However, because it served as the Royal Palace from the 13th through the 16th centuries, it has retained much of its magnificence.

The most captivating part of the castle, though, is the breathtaking view of the lovely city. The mosaic of terracotta tiles in Lisbon is a sight to behold, interrupted only by narrow meandering roads.

For your day 2 in Lisbon, climb the stairs to the Dome of the Panteão Nacional. The stunning baroque National Palace was initially built as a church but today contains memorials to the famous and the good from Portugal’s golden era. 

It, like many other landmarks in Lisbon, pays special tribute to Vasco da Gama, the sea-faring hero who returned enormous treasure to Portugal. Climbing the stairs to the domed roof’s inside circumference affords the greatest perspective of what 16th-century money can buy. 

When you’re done you can wander the Feira Da Ladra (thieves market) and “hunt for treasures.” This is a flea market known as the thief’s market, which is held twice a week (Tuesday and Saturday) on the square beside the National Pantheon. 

Despite the tempting legends of the market brimming with stolen items, the “thief” title derives from ladro, which refers to an insect found in antiques. Nonetheless, it’s one of the most out-of-the-ordinary things to do in Lisbon. Everything you would never need is available in the market.

Finally, for your day 3 in Lisbon, take a long stroll around the Promenade in Belém. The Belém Tower, which stands on the banks of the Tagus River, was originally designed to guard Lisbon. It lies beside Jerónimos Monastery as an exceptional example of Manueline architecture — two of the city’s celebrations of the Age of Discovery. Belém Tower, unlike Jerónimos, flaunts its beauty on the outside.

Day 10 Day Trip – Sintra

Portugal Itinerary 14 Days
Sintra

No Portugal itinerary is complete without a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra. Sintra is a vacation town in the Sintra Mountains of Portugal, near Lisbon. Its woodland environment is dotted with pastel-colored homes and palaces, and it has served as a royal haven for many years. 

The Sintra National Palace is marked by majestic twin chimneys and intricate tilework in the Moorish and Manueline styles. The charming 19th-century Pena National Palace atop a mountaintop is noted for its sweeping views and fanciful style.

One place you wouldn’t want to miss visiting in Sintra is Cabo da Roca. The Serra de Sintra dips precipitously into the ocean at Cabo da Roca. The cape is 140 meters high, perched on the edge of a granite cliff, surrounded by massive rocks and outcrops pummeled by the ocean far below.

There’s a lighthouse and a stone monolith with a cross to mark this promontory, which was a well-known seamark from Roman times until the Age of Discovery.

Day 11 Day trip – Obidos, Fátima, or Nazare

Portugal Itinerary 14 Days
Obidos

Obidos is a beautiful town to visit – the narrow-cobbled streets, imposing medieval castles, and traditional painted houses. It is a small town with a little over 3 thousand inhabitants, but there’s no lack of places to explore. You can take a trip to the Peniche fishing port, the Buddha Eden (largest collection of Buddha statues in Europe), or the stunning beaches of Lagoa de Obidos.

Fátima, on the other hand, is a town in central Portugal and the location of the Sanctuary of Fátima, a Catholic pilgrimage destination. The Capelinha das Apariçes commemorates the purported appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1917. The Basilica of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, with its gilded angels, and the new church of Igreja da Santissima Trindade are two more significant locations you’ll want to visit.

Meanwhile, Nazaré is a municipality in Portugal’s Oeste region and the Leiria District. It is one of the Silver Coast’s most popular seaside resorts. In 2011, the population was 15,158 people living in an area of 82.43 km2. That said, to enjoy the optimal trip in these three cities, you’d want to join a professional tour guide

Day 12-14 – Day Trip to Faro or Lagos and Out!

No better cities to spend the last days of your trip than Lagos and Faro, down south in the Algarve region. In Faro, you can join a boat cruise to watch dolphins and visit the spectacular Benagil caves from Albufeira. However, keep in mind that the boat cruise can take you the entire day or get you too exhausted to try something else in a day in Faro. Nonetheless, it is worth it!

On day 13, you can join a half-day Lagos golden coast cruise with lunch. Marvel at the fold-sand beaches, dramatic sea cliffs, and rocky coves of the country’s Algarve coast on a small-group half-day catamaran cruise from Lagos. On the cruise, you’ll sail past the black rock of Praia da Luz and the Camilo Beach. 

Then at night – your last night in Portugal! What better way to end the trip than to… you know, “end it?” There are a lot of ways the night could go, but your best bet for a memorable night before signing out would be going to one of the best nightclubs in the city of Lagos. 

Head to The Tavern at R. Lançarote de Freitas 34, Grand Café at R. da Sra. da Graça 2, Nox Club at R. da Sra. da Graça 5, Stevie Ray’s Blues Jazz Bar at R. da Sra. da Graça 9, Shaker Bar at R. 25 de Abril nº68, or Three Monkeys at R. Lançarote de Freitas 28. 

Day 14 – Except somewhere along the line you decided to never leave this beautiful country, you’ll want to head down to the nearest airport, which is Faro Airport (almost three hours from the city of Lagos).  

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about 10 Day Portugal Itinerary and Portugal Itinerary 5 Days

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