Ultimate 2 weeks in Portugal; itinerary for mainland Portugal by public transport.
If you only had 2 weeks and you didn’t have a car available to you, where in Portugal do you go? Last year I asked myself this exact question, and after some research and then actually living it this would be my advice. If you’re planning on visiting this beautiful country but don’t know where to go or how to shape your trip, I’m here to help!
When to go
Spring and Autumn are the shoulder seasons in Portugal, ideal for less crowds & better weather. Great to hike and go sightseeing in the north or spend a lazy day at the beach in the Algarve region. I personally visited in late summer & early fall when it’s still fairly busy with tourists in the big cities but the biggest tourist craze has settled down.
During the Summer season of June to August it will be the busiest and the warmest, if you’re looking to basque in the sun and get a tan on and don’t mind the crowds the summer is as good a time as any to visit this hotspot of a country. I have personally never visited in the Winter season but while temperatures dip to their lowest point it will still be significantly warmer than the north of Europe where I live. Making it ideal if you just want to escape those freezing temperatures.
Where to fly into
For this itinerary, I flew into Lisbon, as it is usually cheapest to fly into the capital city. It is however also possible to fly into Porto or Faro instead and either switch some things up or flip the itinerary around. The itinerary I write below will start from Lisbon, and go to Porto, Evora & Faro however starting in Porto and going to Lisbon, Evora & Faro is also possible and perhaps even better if you score cheap tickets to this Northern city.
How to get around
Getting around Portugal without a car is quite easy, much like any European country, you can easily travel between cities by train or bus. Throughout my journey, these were the main means of transportation. If you want to get to the more rural areas though, like the Peneda-Gerês National Park up north, I recommend booking a private/group tour through websites like AirBnB or GetYourGuide. These will often leave from the bigger cities that are relatively close by.
You can book train tickets easily on the website of Comboios de Portugal, finding your actual seat might be a bit more difficult though… For smaller train rides, like from Lisbon to Sintra, you can buy your tickets at the station, and in some cases, you pay for the train itself. Train travel in Portugal is easy and clean, though not always the fastest or cheapest way to get from point to point. But if you have a car sick partner, it might be the best still!
Both for long city-to-city travels as well as shorter travels, busses are often times the cheapest and shortest. The well-known FlixBus operates in Portugal and has a line between pretty much every big city. But you can also book with Rede Expressos which has both national as well as international buslines.
Remember to always have enough cash on you when traveling by public transport in Portugal as on some lines you can’t pay with a card at all. This is for example the case in Faro… Luckily I had had previous experience with this in Greece and therefore just had some on me just in case. Generally, you’ll have more luck with your card in Portugal though!
Highlights of this 2 week itinerary
On to the fun stuff! When writing an itinerary I can get a little carried away with what I want to see. Unfortunately, this sometimes results in an itinerary that is so full it becomes more of a stressful to-do list than a relaxing holiday. That’s not what we want on our break from work now do we? So as someone who has lived the chockfull itinerary, I will first give you some of the highlights of this trip, the things you definitely can’t miss before diving deeper into the entire (revised) itinerary.
Lisbon & Porto - the biggest cities you can’t miss
Whether you fly into Lisbon or Porto, the other city is definitely worth a visit! With vibrant streets and plenty to see, feast on & photograph in either of these cities. The capital, Lisbon, is home to Moorish castles & gothic cathedrals a-plenty! It is a city that is fairly easy to navigate and it has vibrant. busy, streets. With plenty to do in the city as well as enough day trips from the city, you could easily spend a week here, but a few days is enough to get the gist of it. Porto is, of course, the city of port. But even if you don’t drink alcohol this city has plenty to offer! From picturesque chapels & cathedrals, enough streets to explore, amazing food & fun day trips that start from here, you can’t miss Porto on your Portugal itinerary.
Sintra - get lost in fairytale castles
You probably already had this one on your list, didn’t you? Sintra has an incredibly rich history, but history buff or not, you’ll definitely enjoy this town! As I am not exactly a history buff I remain unsure of why there are so many castles here, but a little mystery is fun too… Unfortunately, as much as it sounds like it, Sintra is not an escape from the bustling city of Lisbon. The town will be equally busy so get here early!
Peneda-Gerês National Park - a nice break from the city
Portugal’s only national park is a must-visit! It borders with Spain in the north of the country and is a little more difficult to get to if you don’t have a car but don’t let that stop you. The area has history & beautiful nature connecting small & more traditional towns. The park is one of the top 12 natural wonders of Portugal according to the Lonely Planet, which I entirely agree with! I recommend getting a local guide to take you on a hike here. In the itinerary, I list which guided tour I booked. 😉
Évora - see a special piece of history
Évora is best known for hosting the largest bone chapel in Portugal, this is the city’s main attraction but not its only. Évora has an impressive history which can be found in its cathedral. The biggest medieval cathedral in Portugal, by the way, that’s two records in one fairly small city!
The Algarve - relaxation and picturesque landscapes all in one
The southern Algarve region may be the best summer getaway in mainland Portugal. It has a relaxed atmosphere despite being quite popular with the tourists. With impressive orange-coloured cliffs & amazing beaches this region becomes a must-visit place on any trip to the country. Explore the old towns of the cities, relax in the sun & get the feels of how island-life feels like while remaining on the mainland.
Ultimate 2 week itinerary
So now, for my ultimate 2-week itinerary on mainland Portugal. This itinerary is made to start much busier with hikes & churches to visit, to end with a relaxing time before your flight back home. But if you prefer it flipped upside down that is possible to do! Take the itinerary and make it your own.
Day 01: Lisbon
Touchdown in Lisbon! After arrival in Lisbon, I recommend exploring the city for a full day. Spend your morning strolling the streets, put on your good shoes though because Lisbon is infamous for its cobbled hilled streets. Honestly, walking around this city almost feels like a hike, so don’t forget to recharge with a pastel de nata. Visit the cathedrals, and the gorgeous monastery, and stop at a Miradouro to take in the view and perhaps the music being played, in the afternoon I recommend visiting the castle to take in the views from here and perhaps even watch the sunset. If you have time I recommend paying a quick visit to the Tower of Bélem and the Jerónimos Monastery are in the west of Lisbon, unfortunately, both times I visited the city it was incredibly busy at the monastery (and I had no time to wait) so I never visited it.
Day 02: Sintra
From Lisbon, Sintra is an easy & popular day trip, I recommend leaving as early as possible as it will get busier & hotter around noon. Start with your hike up to one of the highest-lying castles, the Castle of the Moors. This Chinese wall-like castle takes quite the cardio as the hike has some steep parts, fortunately it’s mostly in the shadow and has some stops along the way at Villa Sassetti for example.
After the Moorish castle, you can hike back down and take the bus (or be ambitious and walk) to the quietest palace of the bunch as it’s the furthest away. The Palace of Monserrate, from the top of the Moorish castle this walk will likely take you about an hour over the road. But it’s also possible to take the bus to this palace, whichever way you choose don’t skip this one! This gothic & Indian-influenced palace is an absolute beauty, and so are its gardens!
I can recommend doing three castles/palaces in a day, so your last palace will be Quinta da Regaleira, which is perhaps the most popular one. It is close to the main town of Sintra and close to the road which makes this a short walk from the train station. Because of the hype of the Initiation well on social media & its fairytale appearance, this is a heavily visited palace that I recommend getting tickets in advance. You can book a timeslot at which you’ll be let in and after that, you have all the time to explore this place. If you want to walk down the initiation well expect to wait in line for this, which, even nearing closing time, can be between 30 minutes to an hour.
Day 03: Cascais & LX factory
After an intensive day hiking & walking around Sintra you probably have some sore muscles, do today, in contrast, is a nice relaxing day. From Lisbon you can take the train to Cascais where you can either enjoy the beach, walk along the coast (get some really good ice cream at Capricciosa) or the town’s streets. After returning to Lisbon I recommend visiting the LX Factory west of the city center. LX Factory is a cultural hub where you can enjoy a good drink & amazing food as well as marvel at street art and look around boutiques.
Day 04: Travel to Porto
Today will be a fairly long travel day, from Lisbon you’ll either take the bus or the train to the Northern city of Porto. By bus, this journey will take about 3 to 4 hours depending on traffic and which line you choose. By train, this journey will take between 2 to 3 hours but will likely be much more expensive.
Day 05: Porto
The first order of business in Porto is visiting the world-famous bookstore, Livraria Lello. You pay a a price to enter but this is deductible when you buy a book, so that’s still a win right? If you’re not a big book nerd like me then maybe this bookstore will not interest you in the slightest, which gives you all the more time to marvel at everything else in this city. From the Chapel of Souls to the cathedral & monastery. Luckily Porto is much less hilly than Lisbon so walking around here for a full day is a bit easier on your legs and cardio.
Day 06: Amarante
Merely a half-hour bus ride from Porto, you’ll find this charming little town. It has a quaint atmosphere & centers around its main attraction, the catholic church. Amarante is also known for its sweet treats so don’t forget to stop in a café and have some. If you have the chance to visit on market day which is every Wednesday and Saturday (usually between 8:00-13:00) I would recommend this as it is a well-known food market that attracts people from all over the area.
Day 07: Peneda-Gerês National Park
For an escape from the cities & towns, you should book a day trip to Portugal’s only national park. These tours often leave from Porto and are done in various-sized groups but they can also be found private. There are drop-off & pick-up services but I recommend booking with a guide, you can find these on AirBnB as well as on Get Your Guide. I booked one with experienced travel guide Pedro. You’ll get a full-day tour with an amazing hike and a tour guide who knows a lot about the area, this tour is hosted in English, Spanis,h and of course Portuguese. Read more about his tour here and if you book, tell him I sent you. 😜
Day 08: Travel to Évora
Today will be quite the travel day, with no direct line between Porto & Évora you will have to change bus or train making this journey anywhere between 5 to 7 hours.
Day 09: Évora
After having visited and stayed in 2 bustling cities, Évora feels like the epitome of quiet. Which it can be but don’t let the size fool you because this is a hotspot for anyone that has any macabre bone in their body. This is because Évora is home to the biggest chapel of bones in Portugal. It is estimated to contain the skeletons of 5.000 people whose bones have been artistically arranged by Franciscan monks in the 16th century. It was built as a reminder that life is fragile and that death ultimately comes for us all.
Day 10: Travel to Faro
Évora is only small, so spending much more than a day here is unnecessary. So after a day of exploring something macabre, you’ll travel somewhere with a completely different vibe, despite also having a chapel of bones (this one is much smaller, don’t worry). This journey can be done in two ways, the one that runs the most often is by another stopover in Lisbon but there are also direct lines run by Rede Expressos. This direct line will take about 4 hours while an indirect line could take up to 6 hours.
Day 11 & 12: Faro
Now we’re properly ready for some last days full of relaxation. Faro to me has the same atmosphere as some of the popular islands in Greece, it’s laid back, and most of the people are very kind. Faro is quite small and therefore explored easily within a day. By taking a short ferry you can relax for a day at the beach or sit by the pier to view the sunset.
In Faro, you’ll findthe art gallery Gama Rama, artists have their studio here and display their art. The gallery has a carefully curated collection and in the shop, you can buy art from various artists. If you love art don’t forget to pay a visit to this gallery, even if you’re not huge on art it’s still worth paying a visit.
Day 13: Olhão
For a change of scenery, you can take the train from Faro to Olhão, for which you’ll pay on the train, by the way, it is only one stop and will take you about 10 minutes. From this town, take a ferry to one of the islands for the most relaxing beach day you can have. Close to the harbor, there are also plenty of restaurants for a good dinner. Because what’s better than amazing food after a day in the sun and water?
Day 14: Lagos
Your last day trip will be to Lagos, a popular and fairly iconic city mostly because of its orange cliffs. Take a boat tour to see the cliffs from another perspective or find a quiet beach out of the many and relax there. Make sure not to doze off though because small beaches can disappear when the tides change. Finally, wander around the old town and if I can recommend you someplace to eat here I would say that you have to go to Restaurant The Garden.
Day 15: Travel day back home
And then it’s unfortunately already over again, I recommend flying back from Faro if you have the possibility, otherwise, Lisbon is the next best option from here. By this time you should have seen and experienced plenty but also have had the time to relax on your break from work.
This is my complete ultimate 2-week itinerary for Portugal, I’ve lived most of it but also have changed things around knowing it would have been a better plan. Whether you’re actively planning a trip to Portugal now or are looking for travel inspiration in general. I wish you happy travels!
