Portugal – what to see, our super plan for 10 days

Are you planning to spend your vacation in Portugal? Take advantage of our little hint! We have prepared for you a proposed tour program, day by day :) There is nothing left to do but go!

Our proposal is for a 10-day stay in Portugal, but we recommend staying a few days longer especially in the Algarve, as it is the perfect place to relax on some of Europe’s most beautiful beaches.

Options and alternative routes abound, of course. Some prefer to explore more, some prefer to sit longer on the beach. So treat our program as a sketch for your own plan! To do :)

Table of contents

Portugal day by day

Day 1 – travel to Lisbon. We wrote about how you can get to Lisbon in a post with practical tips. Depending on your arrival time, we recommend either gathering your strength before very active days or heading out in the evening and listening to Fado.

Day 2 – Explore Lisbon on foot, namely the two most important districts, Alfama and Baixa, with such sites as Praca do Comercio, Sé Cathedral and Castelo de Sao Jorge. It takes a lot of time for these two neighborhoods, especially Alfama, so some of the sites can be seen on another day. More details here.

Day 3 – Lisbon on the move, which means taking a ride on Lisbon’s famous streetcars and going to any of the viewpoints. During a ride on Tram 28, you can once again see the most important sights of Lisbon, this time from a different perspective. We also recommend taking the opportunity to venture further afield to Lisbon’s modern neighborhoods, such as the impressive Oriente Station and its surroundings, which were prepared for the 1998 Expo.

Day 4 – Belem – drive to the Lisbon district, where we visit the Hieronymite Monastery and Church (Igreja Santa Maria de Belém), the Monument to the Discoverers and the Belem Tower. A sweet snack at Pastéis de Belém is also not to be missed. We suggest planning your trip so that this day does not fall on the weekend :) You can read about Belem here.

Day 5 – Sintra, the gem of Portugal! We would recommend you spend up to two days there, but that’s in case you have a few days to spare. Among the most important sites, we particularly recommend the Quinta da Regaleira mansion and park and the Pena Palace. Sintra is easily accessible by train from Lisbon. In our report you can read the very ohs and ahs about this place ;)

Day 6 – Cabo da Roca and Cascais – it’s time to go to the end of Europe (at least the continental one), namely Cape Cabo da Roca. On the way back you can stop in Cascais, which we wrote about here.

Day 7 – No more of these sights! ;) We’re going to enjoy nature, the beautiful beaches and cliffs of the Algarve, but before we get there it’s also worth bypassing the highway and driving along the west coast. Fabulous views guaranteed, and if you don’t believe it, see here;)

Day 8 – Relax! Finally a moment to relax, breathe, the sun, the beach, what more could you want? To make it even easier, we’re tossing you a list of Algarve beaches (along with a map) where you can spend the whole day – beware! the choice is difficult, so don’t limit yourself to just one ;)

Day 9 – Ok, no more lazing around. It’s time to head toward Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) and the town of Sagres. Here, in addition to the views, we also have the opportunity to enjoy swimming, not only in the sun. You can read about these areas here.

Day 10 – Faro and departure to Poland – we are missing days! If you’re flying from Faro in the evening, it’s a good idea to be in town well in advance to see the Old Town and the Ria Formosa Natural Park. However, if you have an earlier flight or from another city, Faro can be seen on Day 8, only that then you give up the beach :-P