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Destinations

Portugal

Tiled cities, Atlantic beaches and port wine valleys

foodbeacheshistorywine
Plan your trip to PortugalSee the top things to doPick your cities
11.4 millionPeople
LisbonCapital
PortugueseLanguage
EURCurrency
7 to 14 daysIdeal stay
$120-200Typical day

Portugal is a compact country on Europe's western edge with sunny coasts and historic cities. Lisbon and Porto are full of tiled facades, viewpoints and food, while the Algarve has cliffs and beaches. The Douro Valley, Sintra and the islands of Madeira and the Azores add variety. It suits food lovers, beachgoers and road trippers.

Where to start

Top 15 things to do

Tap a card or a pin. Add a place to a day of your trip, or look for tours.

  1. Lisbon's riverside district with the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, both UNESCO sites. Pastéis de Belém is nearby.

    Half dayTime needed
    yes, for the monastery in summerBook ahead
    Tip. Buy monastery tickets online.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  2. Lisbon's old Moorish quarter of steep alleys, viewpoints and fado houses. Tram 28 rattles through.

    Half dayTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Hear fado over dinner in the evening.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  3. A hilly town of fairy tale palaces and gardens, including Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. It is a UNESCO cultural landscape.

    Full dayTime needed
    yes, timed ticketsBook ahead
    Tip. Arrive early and use the local bus up the hill.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  4. Porto's riverfront old town with colourful houses and the Dom Luís I bridge. Port lodges sit across the river.

    1-2 daysTime needed
    Free to walk, paid cellar visitsCost
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Walk over the top deck of the bridge at sunset.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  5. Terraced vineyards along the Douro River where port wine is made. Quintas offer tastings.

    1-2 daysTime needed
    yes, quinta toursBook ahead
    Tip. Take the train along the river from Porto.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  6. Golden cliffs, sea caves and beaches in the south. Benagil cave is best seen by boat or kayak.

    3-4 daysTime needed
    Free beaches, paid boat tripsCost
    yes, boat toursBook ahead
    Tip. Benagil cave can only be entered by licensed boat or guided kayak tour; swimming in and landing on the cave beach are banned by the Portimão port authority.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  7. A walled town with a Roman temple and a chapel lined with bones. The Alentejo plains surround it.

    1 dayTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Taste Alentejo wine in town.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  8. A green subtropical island with cliffs, levada walking trails and laurel forest. Funchal is the capital.

    4-5 daysTime needed
    Free trails, some paid sectionsCost
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Walk the Levada do Caldeirão Verde.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  9. Vineyards on Pico are planted inside a grid of black lava stone walls that shelter the vines from wind and salt. The landscape is a UNESCO site, and the island is also a base for whale watching.

    4-7 daysTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Fly or take the ferry from Faial, and pair the vineyards with a climb of Mount Pico.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  10. One of Europe's oldest universities with the baroque Joanina Library. Students wear black capes.

    Half dayTime needed
    yes, library time slotsBook ahead
    Tip. Book the library slot when you arrive.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  11. A walled village of white houses and flowers. Ginjinha cherry liqueur is served in chocolate cups.

    Half dayTime needed
    Free to walkCost
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Walk the walls for views.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  12. A fishing town known for some of the biggest surf waves ever ridden. Its beach is lovely in summer.

    1 dayTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Watch big waves from the lighthouse in winter.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  13. Two great Gothic monasteries, both UNESCO sites, close to each other. They are easy to pair.

    Half dayTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Combine with Óbidos and Nazaré on one drive.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  14. The former headquarters of the Knights Templar in Portugal with a round church. It mixes many styles.

    2-3 hoursTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Look for the Manueline window.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access

  15. Portugal's only national park with granite mountains, waterfalls and old villages. Wild horses roam.

    1-2 daysTime needed
    noBook ahead
    Tip. Swim in river pools in summer.
    See on the map
    TOURSTours and tickets are shown to Hodolog members. Request access
Map: OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins from OpenStreetMap search; check a place before you go.
Not on the map: Algarve coast and Benagil.
Make it yours

Turn Portugal into your plan

Everything above is open to read. A Hodolog account lets you build the trip around it: pick cities, add places to days, see the weather for your dates.

Plan day by dayAdd any place here to a day of your trip, with times and costs.
Bookings from emailForward flight and hotel confirmations. They land in your trip.
Weather for your datesForecast and usual weather for your exact days, in your units.
Share with your peopleInvite family or friends, split costs, keep one plan.
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Pick your bases

Cities to visit

Each city with a guide opens its own page: map, where to stay, what to eat.

LisbonVitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0
4 nights suggested

Capital with food and day trips.

food, culture · Open the city guide
PortoDiego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 nights suggested

River city and port wine.

food, wine · Open the city guide
LagosBextrel, CC BY-SA 4.0
3 nights suggested

Algarve base.

beaches · Guide coming
ÉvoraFrançois Philipp from Darmstadt, Germany, CC BY 2.0
1 nights suggested

Alentejo heritage.

history · Guide coming
CoimbraLeandro Neumann Ciuffo, CC BY 2.0
1 nights suggested

University town.

culture · Guide coming
FunchalDr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0
4 nights suggested

Madeira base.

nature · Open the city guide
Ponta DelgadaDiego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
4 nights suggested

Azores base.

nature · Guide coming
SintraSinga Hitam, CC BY 2.0
1 nights suggested

Palaces and gardens in the hills.

palaces, hiking · Guide coming
BragaMichael Paraskevas, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 nights suggested

Religious and baroque city, with Bom Jesus nearby.

churches, gardens · Guide coming
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Know the map

Regions

Lisbon region

Capital and palaces.

Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais

North

Porto, vineyards and mountains.

Porto, Douro, Peneda-Gerês

Centre

Monasteries and university.

Coimbra, Óbidos, Nazaré

Alentejo and Algarve

Plains and beaches.

Évora, Lagos, Benagil

Islands

Atlantic islands.

Madeira, Pico, São Miguel

Lisbon and Surroundings

Capital, palaces, coast and beach towns.

Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais

Short on time?

Ready-made routes

Choose how long you have, then add the whole route to a trip as places and nights.

  1. Lisbon, 4 nightsCity and Sintra.
  2. Porto, 3 nightsCity and Douro.
Plan your dates

Seasons and weather

Best: April to June, September to October. Warm weather without the summer crowds.

The Algarve is hot and dry in summer, the north is greener and wetter, and the Azores are mild but changeable.

Busy and pricey. July to August. High season: crowds and the highest hotel prices. Book ahead.
Shoulder. April to June, September to October. Good weather with fewer people and better prices.
Quiet and cheaper. November to March: mild in the south, rainy in the north. Low season: lowest prices and few crowds, but shorter days and some places closed.

January. Quiet season. Lower prices, fewer crowds.

Usual weather in Lisbon

Temperature

32°50°68°86°104°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecDaily highAverage

Rain

0.00.81.62.43.13.9JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

January

58°F daily high, 55°F average, 2.6 in

  • Warmest month August (73°F)
  • Coolest month February (55°F)
  • Wettest month November (3.6 in)
  • Driest month July (0.1 in)

Average of past years from NASA POWER, worked out at each city's position. A place far from these cities can be quite different.

Going on specific dates? A Hodolog trip shows the forecast and the usual weather for your exact days. Request access
Know before you go

At a glance

5/5
Safety

The US State Department rates Portugal Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions, noting petty theft in tourist areas.

4/5
Getting around

Trains and buses connect cities well; a car helps in rural areas.

4/5
Value

Good value compared with Western Europe, though Lisbon prices are rising.

Good to know

Entry with your passport

Entry rules depend on your passport. Members see the rules for their own passport here.

Passport and visa rules change often and without notice. Always check the official pages before you book and again before you travel.

EntryRules change, so check the EU's Your Europe page on entry rules for non-EU nationals and your own government's travel advice before you book.
PlugsType C, F; 230 V
Tap watersafe
TippingRounding up or 5 to 10 percent is normal.
PaymentsCards work almost everywhere, though small cafes may prefer cash.
Emergency112
EtiquettePortuguese people are polite and relaxed; greet shopkeepers. Bread and olives put on the table are usually charged.
What to wearCover shoulders in churches.
DrivingOn the right
Between citiesTrains link Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto, and buses go everywhere else. A car is useful for the Algarve, Alentejo and Douro. Flights reach Madeira and the Azores.
Main airportsLIS, OPO, FAO, FNC, PDL
Ride appsUber, Bolt
Taste it

What to eat

Pastel de nataBacalhauFrancesinhaGrilled sardinesCaldo verdeBifanaPort wineVinho verde

A short history

Portugal became a kingdom in the 12th century and is one of Europe's oldest nation states. In the 15th and 16th centuries its navigators reached Africa, India, Brazil and Japan. The 1755 earthquake destroyed much of Lisbon. A peaceful revolution in 1974 ended dictatorship, and Portugal joined the EU in 1986.

Researched 2026-10-13. Check official sources and recent changes before you go.

Plan Portugal