Start in Lisbon for trams, tiled hills, pastéis de nata and a day in Sintra, then take the three-hour train north to Porto's riverside Ribeira, port-wine cellars and the Douro Valley. Spring and early autumn are warm and quieter.
Multi-city route for your dates
4 days from Sat, Dec 5.
- Days 1–2 Lisbon
- Days 3–4 PortoTrain from Lisbon to Porto (about 3 hours)
Good to know
- Take the Alfa Pendular train between the cities; book a few days ahead for the best price.
- Fly into Lisbon and home from Porto to avoid doubling back.
- Both cities are steep: comfortable shoes beat any outfit.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Lisbon's oldest quarter: a maze of lanes below the castle with fado bars and a tiled viewpoint over the river.
Moorish hilltop castle with rampart walks and the widest view of the city and the Tagus.
Manueline monastery and the riverside tower that marked the departure point of the Age of Discovery. Queue early.
The original custard-tart bakery since 1837 — eat them warm with cinnamon at the counter.
Industrial complex under the 25 de Abril bridge turned into studios, the Ler Devagar bookshop and a Sunday market.
Food hall in the Mercado da Ribeira with counters from the city's best chefs — a good rainy-day lunch.
Sleepy by day, packed by night: tiny bars spilling into the streets, plus the elegant shops and cafés of Chiado.
Dinner-and-fado at a small casa de fado; the music is mournful, the room is candlelit, phones stay away.
Forty minutes by train to fairy-tale palaces in misty hills. Book Pena for the first slot and walk down to Quinta da Regaleira.
Seaside town at the end of the coastal train line with small beaches, a cliff walk and grilled fish on the marina.
Five centuries of Portuguese tiles inside a former convent, including a 23-metre panorama of pre-earthquake Lisbon.
The highest viewpoint in the city; bring a drink from the kiosk and watch the castle turn gold.
A UNESCO-listed tangle of narrow, tiled-façade streets tumbling down to the Douro, most atmospheric at golden hour.
A tour through one of the historic lodges ageing port in oak barrels, ending in a guided tasting of tawny and ruby styles.
An ornate neo-Gothic bookshop with a red spiral staircase, said to have influenced the Harry Potter films — timed tickets required.
A 240-step climb up a baroque bell tower for the best rooftop panorama of the old town and the river.
Porto's signature sandwich: layers of meat under melted cheese and a beer-spiked tomato sauce, best on an empty stomach.
A short boat ride passing under all six of Porto's bridges, including the double-decker Dom Luís I.
A fortress-like Romanesque cathedral with a cloister covered in 18th-century azulejo tile panels.
A recently restored 19th-century market hall selling fish, produce and flowers under a wrought-iron roof.
Where the river meets the Atlantic — a breezy promenade of lighthouses, surf breaks and seafood restaurants.
Riverside wine bars across from Ribeira with views of the illuminated old town after dark.
A contemporary art museum set in an Art Deco villa surrounded by formal gardens and woodland trails.
Terraced vineyard hillsides upriver from Porto, visited by train, car or a scenic river cruise with wine estate stops.