Portugal Highlights – A 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
7
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
8
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
7
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
6
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
7
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
7
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
70 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
157th/454
Top 40%
continent
Europe
country
Portugal
Length of time
1-2 weeks
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$230 (typically $150 - $320)
Time of year visited
August
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Driving Hilltop towns Wine
All Tags
Ancient ruins Art Beach promenade Beaches Big city Bridges Castles / Fortresses Christian site City Walls Cliffs Cool neighbourhoods Fabulous hotel Forests Gardens Hiking Local villages Old town Restaurant recommendations Rice terraces / terraces River Experience Romans Rooftop Bars Sunsets UNESCO world heritage site Vineyards
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐⭐

Summary

Portugal is a great country for a 10–14 day road trip because it has the variety but the distances are relatively short. The best way to plan a trip is to base yourself in three main areas – Porto and the Douro Valley in the north, Lisbon in the centre, and the Algarve in the south – and use them for exploring what is nearby.

Big highlights for me were actually some of the smaller places that I’d never heard of before I arrived in Portugal.  In particular the gorgeous Duoro Valley wine region, the hilltop town of Sintra and the beautifully charming streets of Cascais.  Plus, the more famous highlights of port tasting in Porto and various neighbourhoods of Lisbon.

The trip works very well as a road trip because the drive between Porto to the Algarve is manageable at less than 10 hours and is broken up by heaps of interesting places where you can stop for a couple of hours or a night, such as Óbidos, Tomar or Coimbra and the Roman ruins at Conímbriga.

Is Portugal worth visiting? Yes — especially if you like relaxed road trips, good food and wine, historic towns and varied scenery rather than just ticking off big famous sights.

In a nutshell:

  • Portugal is ideal for a 10–14 day road trip
  • Base yourself around Porto/Douro, Lisbon and the Algarve
  • The Douro Valley is the standout highlight
  • Lisbon and its satellites of Sintra and Cascais the next standout
  • Many of the best places are smaller towns and stop-offs between the main cities

Orientation – the 3 main areas

 

 

Portugal is a fairly small country and you’ve got 3 main clusters of spots to visit.  Use these as the base to explore the rest:

  • The North – Porto and the Duoro Valley
  • The Centre – Lisbon with its must-visit satellites of Cascais and Sintra
  • The South – the Algarve

 

Our top 10 moments

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#1 Having lunch in one of the beautifully set vineyards of the Duoro Valley, looking across across the terraces to mountains and the river below

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#2 Catching Sintra in the quiet early morning before the day tourists arrive, and enjoying the otherworldly magical gardens in the forested hills

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#3 Wandering the cobbled alleys of Cascais before having sundowners from the Hotel Albatroz

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#4 Port tasting and lunch overlooking the Ribeira district from Taylor's in Porto

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#5 Walking from the beautiful Alfama district to the Castelo de Sao Jorge for wonderful views across Lisbon

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#6 Seeing some of the wonderful Portuguese azulejos (hand painted tiles) that adorn the walls of many places in the town centra, especially in the Porto Sao Bento train station

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#7 Alvao National Park for great views over the nearby mountains, gorgeous forests and reward yourself with a swim in the natural pools and waterfall by hiking the PR3 trail from Ermelo to Figas de Ermelo

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#8 Descending the rather mysterious steps of the inverted Tower Poco Iniciatico in the Quinta de Regaleira in Sintra

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#9 Walking along the riverfront and the 5 famous Porto bridges that cross the Duoro River

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#10 An hour waling through the very cute hilltop town of Obidos with its winding cobbled streets, beautiful flowers along most alleys and bright white, blue and yellow painted houses

What to prioritise in Portugal

Portugal has some great highlights.  This is how I would think about prioritising them:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wine tasting in the Duoro Valley 
I can’t think of anywhere in the world that has that combination of river valley, steep mountain sides and vineyards.  When you include the beautiful white quintas to stay in and the unusual port wine category, this makes the Duoro truly unique and the highlight of Portugal.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sintra
A surreal collection of palaces and castles set in forested hills just outside Lisbon, and one of the most unique and visually striking places in Portugal.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lisbon
Oozes class, stunning viewpoints, old trams, good food and a relaxed atmosphere, making it one of Europe’s better city break destinations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Port tasting and the Ribeira district in Porto
Porto’s riverside district and the port lodges across the river make for a very enjoyable day of walking, views and port wine tasting.

⭐️⭐️ Obidos
A small and very picturesque walled town that is worth a short stop as you travel between Lisbon and Porto.

⭐️⭐️ Cascais
High-end seaside town near Lisbon with beaches, restaurants and a relaxed feel, best visited as an easy day trip.

⭐️⭐️ Tavira
A charming and quieter town in the Algarve with a pretty centre and access to long sandy barrier island beaches.

⭐️ Alcacer do Sal
Nice for riverside restaurants and as a peaceful stop on the drive but isn’t a major destination.

⭐️ Tomar
A historic town known for its large Templar convent, interesting if you are passing nearby but not worth a major detour.

⭐️ Roman ruins of Conimbriga
Some of the best Roman ruins, particularly the mosaics, but more of a niche stop for those interested in Roman history.

⭐️ Nazar
A traditional fishing town made famous for having the biggest waves in he world.  Worth a stop when passing along the coast.

⭐️ Rio Formosa National
A protected lagoon and barrier island system in the Algarve with long sandy beaches and quiet nature, best reached by boat from towns like Tavira or Faro.

The roadtrip itinerary – North to South

 

Portugal is a small country and, even with having to dip in and out of cities, you’re only looking at around 10 hours of driving.  Spread over 10-14 days, its a very chilled roadtrip.

Day 1 – give yourself a A day in Porto for the Taylor’s tasting and wandering through the Ribeira district

Day 2-4 – Wine tasting around Pinhao in the Duoro Valley, plus a half day trip for the wonderful PR3 hike from Ermelo to Figas de Ermelo

Day 5 –travel down to Lisbon via stops along the way to break up the journey in Tomar, Obidos, Nazare and the Roman ruins of Conimbriga.  If have to chose just one, go with Óbidos

Day 6-8 – A long weekend for Lisbon and the surrounding gems of Sintra and Cascais. I’d suggest staying in Sintra or Cascais rather than Lisbon just because they are so gorgeously quiet when the hoards of day tourists aren’t there and all 3 are easily accessible between each other

Day 9 – travel down to the Algarve. We enjoyed stopping at the river front restaurants of Alcacer do Sal

Day 10-12 – in the Algarve to chill by the beaches of the Rio Formosa National Park and make a visit to Tavira’s lovely old town

Travel Tips for each of the sites

Tips on Porto

See A day in Porto for the Taylor’s tasting and wandering through the Ribeira district.  In summary – you don’t need more than a day in Porto (instead focus your time on the Duoro Valley), but, when you are there, make sure to prioritise time for port tasting and lunch at one of the Port houses with views across the river (Taylor’s was superb).

 

Tips on the Duoro Valley

see Wine tasting around Pinhao in the Duoro Valley.  In summary, this was the highlight of our overall trip and I suggest to spend 2 nights in the Duoro around the Pinhao region.  Lunch at Quinta Nova was in particular gorgeous, as was taking a morning to hike the PR3 hike from Ermelo to Figas de Ermelo.

 

Tips for the drive from Porto to Lisbon

I’d recommend stopping for an hour or so at:

  • Obidos is a very cute hilltop town with winding cobbled streets, beautiful flowers along most alleys and bright white, blue and yellow painted houses.  Definitely worth a couple of hours walking round on the way from Porto to Lisbon
  • Tomar is all about the UNESO-listed Convento de Cristo, which is a very impressive stone structure overlooking the town and, as the HQ for the Knights Templar, has a wide variety of Gothic, Manueline and Renaissance architecture
  • Nazare is famous for being the spot for the world biggest waves, and the maniacs who surf them. Whilst your chance of seeing the giant waves needs to be timed right, the beach and lighthouse themselves are worth checking out, especially for a break in the driving
  • Conimbriga is the best preserved Roman ruins on the Iberian Peninsular and a must for any Roman history fan

 

Tips on Lisbon and the surrounding areas

See A long weekend for Lisbon and the surrounding gems of Sintra and Cascais. In summary, I would really recommend staying in Sintra and using it as a base for Cascais and Lisbon.  Make sure to check out the Quinta de Regaleira grounds with its Inverted Tower in Sintra, walking from the Alfama neighbourhood to the Castelo de Sao Jorge for wonderful views across Lisbon, and sundowners from the Albatroz Hotel in Cascais.

 

Tips for the drive down from Lisbon to the Algarve

I’d recommend stopping briefly in Alcacer do Sal for food an a brief walk along the river front.  You can easily do the lovely loop over the two bridges for a nice 45min walk.

 

Tips for the Algarve

I didn’t write an entry for the Algarve area because we mainly just chilled out rather than pushed to see the various cool things (such as the coastal caves which looked fun).

Places we did visit and I’d recommend are waking through the old town centre of Tavira and taking a morning for one of the coastal walks of the Rio Formosa National Park.  For the later, we started at the Quinta do Lago area (specially the Casa do Lago Restaurant and Bar) and walked the roughly 2 hours walk out along the bridge and back round through the wetlands and beach.  It’s a nice contrast between the natural waterfront and the picture-perfect manicured Stepford-wives style resort.

 

Practical tips

Transport

For this itinerary, we rented a car.   You could do with trains, but it would be more of a faff and just a bit harder for making stops in the various places along the way.  The car roughly worked out at €60-€70 a day, plus a €150 fee for dropping off in a different location. Be aware when driving that there are plenty of toll roads in Portugal!  Although the flip side is that on these roads the traffic is very light and you can cover some long distances quicker than you may think.  There are also some stunning bridges that you’ll pass on the drive, in particular the Viaduto de Corgo on the drive from Porto to Pinhao – world class.

 

Bring cash

Bring beforehand if you can. The charges seem to be standard at 12.5% plus around €4 charge, which is higher than anywhere I’ve experienced.

 

Portuguese context

As with all countries, it’s good to try to get a bit of history of the country so you can understand the context. The real golden age of Portugal was tied in with the Age of Discovery when Portugal and Spain led the way in forging truly global trading empires, so I’d recommend both: “Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire” by Roger Crawley; and “Over the Edge of the World” by Laurence Bergreen telling the story of Magellan’s circumnavigation of the globe.  Both bring that period to life and help illustrate in a an enjoyable way just how critical a role Portugal played in world history.

 

Experiences nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

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Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

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