Portugal Travel Guide

This travel guide for Portugal highlights the best places to visit, how to get there, safety, scams, logistics, and more, to help you plan your trip.

This travel guide and posts on Portugal are updated as of January 2022.

Portugal boasts a nearly perfect year round climate, with sunny summers, mild winters, and a variety of lovely, laid-back cities to explore. All steeped with fascinating history. There’s Lisbon, one of the oldest capital cities in Europe and one of the world’s leaders during the Age of Discoveries. There’s also Porto and the Douro Valley, where Portugal’s historic port wine is born, aged, and celebrated, as well as a variety of unique places in between, like Caiscais, Sintra, Aviero, and Obidos.

And as if that isn’t enough, there are also many stunning beaches and sea-side cliffs to admire in the Algarve region, in Portugal’s south, like Lagos and Sagres.

A brief overview of the top cities is noted below, with more details in the posts at the bottom of this guide.

Highlights Of Portugal

Lisbon

Lisbon, Portugal’s capital and most visited city, has a variety of uber charming neighborhoods to explore, each with their own essence and charm, full of history, lively cafes, and bars. It’s also the home of Portugal’s haunting, fado music.

It sits on the Iberian Peninsula with a myriad of magnificent ‘miradoura’, or lookouts, on its seven hilltops. Watching a sunset from one, or several, is the perfect way to end a day of sightseeing here.

When you tire of walking the hills to explore the city, catch one its charming, coveted trams, which clank up and down the narrow streets. Although today they’re mostly used by tourists, they’re too cute to resist.

If you’re interested in the history of Portugal’s Age of Discovery, make sure to head over to Belem where the historic ships disembarked from. The monument, Padrao dos Descobrimentos, and its museum commemorate and celebrate this history.

And as you explore, make sure to notice Lisbon’s architecture, from grand and stately Commercio Square, on the edge of the Targus River, to the Lisbon Cathedral, and the many buildings adorned with Portugal’s blue and white azulejos tiles, an art, and form of storytelling, perfected here in the 16th century.

Porto

Porto, which gets its name from its history as a major port, dating all the way back to Roman times, is less touristic than its bigger sister city, Lisbon. Its lively Ribeira district, full of bars and cafes, overlooks the Douro river and the many bridges spanning it. UNESCO Heritage listed, it’s the perfect place to experience Portuguese tapas and taste a variety of Portugal’s famous port.

Make sure to explore the town as well, most importantly, its beautiful architecture adorned with Portuguese azulejos tiles, like the ones inside the Sao Bento Train Station, possibly one of the most beautiful stations in the world. There’s also beautiful St. Anthony’s church, the Cathedral of Porto, Igreja Carmo, Igreja De Santo Ildefonso, and more.

Day Trip Options From Lisbon and Porto

If you’re looking for day trip options, there are several great ones from Lisbon and Porto. Each offering a unique perspective on Portuguese life, the landscape, and its history.

Cascais

Cascais, a popular seaside resort, is less than an hour away from Lisbon by train, making it one of the easiest to access. Along with swimming and a variety of water sports, there’s a fortress to explore, museums, a lighthouse, and many shops and restaurants.

Sintra

Obidos

Obidos is a charming medieval city, painted white with bright accent colors and surrounded by fortified walls. This stop is about wandering picturesque alleys to explore the shops and have a bite to eat. They often also have live music, making it a lovely stop.

It’s located a little over an hour north Lisbon and about two hours south of Porto, so perfect for a stop between Lisbon and Porto.

Aviero

Aviero has colorful moliceiros, Portuguese gondolas, in canals through the city. It’s a fun, quick stop to take a ride and view the historic Art Nouveau architecture in this town.

It’s located about 2.5 hours north of Lisbon and less than an hour south of Porto, another perfect stop between the two.

Duoro Valley

Douro Valley, where the grapes for Portugal’s famous Port wine are born, is just a little over an hour drive east of Porto.

Arrange a boat tour on the Douro River to see the vineyards dotting the mountain slopes. They usually also visit a winery, where you can learn more and explore some varietals.

Make sure to also stop at charming Pinhao train station. Built in 1937, it’s full of Portugal’s hand-painted, azulejo tiles, telling the story of historical wine harvesting in the area.

The Algarve Region

Portugal’s sunny Algarve region is stunning, providing a very different perspective than its historic northern cities.

Lagos

To give you an idea of scale of Ponte de Piedade, the two photos above show the same lighthouse.

Sagres

Sagres, on Portugal’s southwestern tip, has even bigger cliffs, overlooking the frothy, wavy sea. It’s not only beautiful, it’s the perfect place to surf, with waves ranging from beginner to advanced.

There are also sites to visit, like Sagres Fortress (above left), built by request of Prince Henry the Navigator, the famous 15th century Portuguese maritime discoverer, and Cabo de Sao Vincente lighthouse on Cape Vincent.

Best Time To Visit Portugal

The best time to visit is March to May and again in September and October. This is when the temperatures are most pleasant and you avoid the crowds of summer. Especially in Lisbon.

If swimming in the sea is part of your plan, March to October is comfortable. For surfing, autumn is when there are the best waves, September to April.

The rainy season is in the winter, November through March, especially in the north, but it doesn’t rain 100% of the time.

Languages in Portugal

The official language is Portuguese, although many also speak English. Especially in the touristy areas. In fact as many as 30% speak English, so your chances are good finding someone to help.

Money Matters

Currency: The currency in Portugal is the Euro. The exchange rates from January 1, 2024 are as follows.

• 1 USD=.91 Euro
• 1 CNY=.13 Euro

Credit Cards & ATMs: Credit and Debit Cards are widely accepted, but there are always a few places that only accept cash. You’ll see signs at some places saying they don’t accept foreign cards, doing so to avoid fees and/or taxes. Therefore, make sure to have some cash with you.

Tipping: Tipping is not obligatory in Portugal, but if the service was good, you can round up to the next major Euro, or leave 5-10%. This said, sometimes in touristy areas, restaurants are used to getting tops from foreigners, so may expect them. For taxis, just round up to the nearest Euro.

Safety in Portugal

Portugal boasts one of the world’s lowest crime rates, but pick-pocketing and petty theft still occur. Take normal precautions, but always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Don’t carry too much cash and keep a close eye on your purse or wallet.

If things don’t feel right, trust your instincts and look for alternatives.

Always check the latest situation on your government website. Sign up for STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program), or a similar program in your country. This program will send you alerts if known issues arise.

Travel Guide: Scams in Portugal

As noted above, Portugal is relatively safe, but there are always a few people that try to take advantage of tourists.

• As always, if things seem too good to be true, they probably are. Be very wary if you get this feeling.
• Be cautious of people trying to sell you a ticket, or tour, on the street. Always buy through reputable websites, like Viator or TripAdvisor, ticket offices, or your hotel. If you do buy from somewhere else, check their website, read reviews, and verify that the phone number listed actually works.
• Most restaurants provide bread and butter as soon as you sit at the table. They’re usually an additional cost, though, so ask before eating.
• Taxis seem unscrupulous everywhere, and as in many places, some Portuguese drivers will tell you the meter is broken. Make sure it’s working before you accept a ride. Knowledge is power, so also Google your location to understand how long it should take. Negotiate the cost upfront, so they don’t take you the long way. If you don’t like the hassle, research the latest ride hailing services in Portugal, or ask at your hotel.
• Rental cars are often targets for thieves, so if you do rent a car, never leave valuables inside.

Getting Around Portugal

Lisbon to:

• Caicais – Take the train (about 40 minutes), where you can walk to most places.
• Sintra – Take the train (about 40 minutes), then catch the hop-on hop off bus.
• Obidos – A little over an hour north of Lisbon, you can drive, take the train, or bus.
• Aviero – About 2.5 hours north of Lisbon, you can drive or take the train.
• Porto – About 3 hours north of Lisbon, you can drive or take the train.
• Lagos – 3-4 hours south of Lisbon, it’s best to drive or take the bus. If you fly, you need to fly to Faro, then take a bus. If you take the train, you need to change in Tunes.

Porto to:

• Douro Valley – The drive is a little over an hour, while the train is almost 2 hours.

Lagos to:

• Sagres – It’s about a 30 minute drive west of Lagos, or 50 minute bus ride.

See my post on Day Trips From Lisbon and Porto for more details on traveling between cities.

Visa Information for Portugal

Portugal is in the Schengen, so follows Schengen rules. US citizens can enter visa free for up to 90 days, then can only re-enter after an additional 90 days. Chinese citizens need to apply for a Schengen Visa. See Entering Portugal to learn more.

Portugal Travel Guide: Top Destination Blogs & Stories

Click the icons, or copy, below for more detailed information on the top sites in Portugal and things to do there.

If this travel guide has been useful in planning, or just dreaming about visiting Portugal, please add a comment below.

Safe Travels!

Julie

Note: All efforts are made to ensure the details in this travel guide to Portugal are accurate, but from time to time, things change. Please contact me if you see an issue.

To read more about me and my philosophy on travel, see my about me page.

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