At a glance

  • Factor long-distance rail and hill travel into your number of nights.
  • Plan your first four days in Lisbon, then arrange your three-day Porto plan so it doesn’t overlap.
  • Allow time for the actual return journey to your accommodation after visiting the Douro Valley or Sintra.
  • If there’s a rail strike or major delay, stay in your current city.
  • For Lisbon→Porto, check CP for trains from Lisboa Oriente or Lisboa Santa Apolónia to Porto Campanhã. CP’s northern timetable effective 2026-09-20 lists AP125 from Oriente at 12:09 to Campanhã at 14:48, a journey of about 2 hours 39 minutes. This is a timetable example; check service and construction updates for your travel date. Allow time to get from Campanhã to your old-town accommodation and check in, and keep your first activity on the afternoon of day five short.
  • The 6-night, 7-day budget includes 4 nights in Lisbon and 2 in Porto, one one-way intercity ticket, round-trip transport to Sintra, your chosen Pena Palace ticket, round-trip bus fare to Cabo da Roca, local transport, and meals. When booking with CP, compare arrival times and change conditions for AP and IC trains. On the Parques de Sintra sales page, check whether your ticket covers the park only or includes the palace interior. The park entrance and palace interior have separate booking times, so allow the access time listed in the official guidance.

Day by day

Suggested itinerary

See each day's route, highlights, background and stay together in one place.

Day 1 · Arrive in Lisbon

Walk around Baixa and your accommodation, then spend your first night in Lisbon.

Day 2 · Belém or Alfama

Choose one area to focus on rather than trying to explore both distant neighborhoods in depth.

Day 3 · Sintra palace

Take the round-trip train to Sintra and visit one palace you’ve booked. Check both palace entry and transport from the station to the palace, then return to Lisbon.

Day 4 · Cabo da Roca or a day of rest

Go only if route 1253 runs both ways between Sintra station and Cabo da Roca and the weather is stable. If winds are strong or the bus trip takes too long, make it a rest day in Lisbon and spend your fourth night there.

Day 5 · Travel to Porto

Take a train to Porto Campanhã from the Lisbon station shown on your ticket, then drop your bags at your accommodation. Take a short walk around São Bento station.

Day 6 · Porto

Explore the old town and the Gaia riverside, then spend your second night in Porto. Consider the Douro Valley only if you have an extra day.

Day 7 · Departure

Head to Porto Airport or your next city. If you’re flying home from Lisbon, allow extra time for the long return journey and don’t add another day trip.

History and context

Age of Discovery

The Belém district reflects Portugal’s maritime expansion and colonial trade.

Hills and trams

Lisbon’s terrain sets the pace for viewpoints, tram rides, and walks through its lanes.

Wine and the Douro River

Porto’s identity is shaped by riverside trade and the port wine business.

Places and meals

Belém Tower

A leading Lisbon site for exploring the context of the Age of Discovery.

Google Maps
Jerónimos Monastery

See Manueline architecture and symbols of the maritime empire.

Google Maps
Cabo da Roca

A day-trip option for views from the western edge of the Eurasian continent.

Google Maps
Ribeira

A focal point for riverside walks and night views in Porto.

Google Maps

Food and restaurants

  • Pastéis de nata fit naturally into a visit to Belém.
  • Save restaurant options in each city ahead of time for seafood, bacalhau, and octopus dishes.
  • In Porto, it’s best to schedule a port wine cellar tour separately from your meal.
Pastéis de Belém

A good addition to a Belém snack stop. Check queues and takeaway arrangements.

Lisbon Google Maps
Cervejaria Ramiro

A good option for a seafood meal. Check reservations and wait times.

Lisbon Google Maps
Time Out Market Lisboa

A good option for a market-style meal, with several dishes to compare.

Lisbon Google Maps

How to fit it in

Spend three days in Lisbon, add Sintra and Cabo da Roca, and extend the trip to Porto if you have time.

Reality check

Transport

For Lisbon–Porto, search CP for trains from Lisboa Oriente or Santa Apolónia to Porto Campanhã, and go to the departure station shown on your ticket. For Sintra, check the urban train from Rossio to Sintra. For Cabo da Roca, search for the Cabo da Roca stop on Carris Metropolitana route 1253, a circular route from Sintra station, and check the direction and last bus back. Don’t plan to visit a palace and the cape in the same half-day.

Time

The 7-day plan assumes 4 nights in Lisbon and 2 in Porto, with departure from Porto on day seven. Sintra is an option for day three and Cabo da Roca for day four. If you’re flying home from Lisbon, rework your final return trip and overnight stay, and cut either Cabo da Roca or one day in Porto.

Cost

Pastéis de nata and café stops are inexpensive, but Sintra admission and intercity travel add up, so plan on a set lunch at a neighborhood restaurant.

Safety

Watch for pickpockets in hilly lanes and crowded trams, and take slow steps downhill on wet cobblestones.

If plans change

Backup plan if rail service between Lisbon and Porto stops

Extend your stay in your current city and visit an area you haven’t seen in the same region instead of buying a chain of same-day bus tickets.

Backup plan for extreme heat inland in Sintra

In Sintra, drop plans to tour multiple palaces. Visit only the one booked indoor site, then return to your Lisbon accommodation. If it’s very hot while you’re in Porto, switch to a nearby indoor activity there; don’t make an impromptu trip between the two cities.

Small tip

Getting around Lisbon’s hills takes energy. Mix trams, taxis, and walking, and pay close attention to where you stay.

Final check before departure

  • For a day in Sintra, check the Parques de Sintra opening hours and tickets for each site, and choose just one.
  • Check actual departure times with CP before choosing where to stay in Lisbon and Porto.
  • Choose either the Douro Valley from Porto or Sintra from Lisbon, and don’t schedule the trip on a long-distance travel day.

Factor long-distance rail and hill travel into your number of nights. Before departure, check both the train from Lisbon to Porto and the last return service from your chosen day trip.

Information checked: 2026-10-03