Portugal itinerary · 7 calendar days · 6 nights
One week in Portugal: three cities that actually fit
Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto follow a natural rail route from south to north. Add Sintra as a day trip, give Coimbra an overnight instead of a platform wave, and keep your final Porto day free of a long-distance scramble.
I’m Carter, an American based in Coimbra. I travel this corridor and have returned to Porto many times, including to begin my Camino Português. This plan comes from that experience; I am not presenting it as a diary of one exact week I took.
Route at a glance
Seven days means six nights, including the arrival night. This schedule assumes a useful Day 7 flight from Porto. If you must leave from Lisbon, make the return journey the focus of your last day or rebalance the nights before booking.
| Day | Plan | Sleep | Travel load |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Lisbon, riverside walk | Lisbon | Airport transfer |
| 2 | Alfama, Graça and Belém | Lisbon | City walking |
| 3 | Sintra day trip | Lisbon | Full excursion |
| 4 | Train to Coimbra; old town | Coimbra | Intercity train |
| 5 | Coimbra morning; train to Porto | Porto | Intercity train |
| 6 | Porto, bridge and Gaia | Porto | City walking |
| 7 | Porto departure | — | Airport transfer |
This route suits a first visit when you want three city experiences and are comfortable with two hotel moves. If you want slow mornings in each place, choose two bases or stay longer. Start with my Portugal travel guide for the bigger picture; the itinerary hub compares trip lengths.
Seven days in Portugal, day by day
Day 1 · Lisbon arrival
Choose an easy first evening
Check in around Baixa, Chiado or another well-connected area. Walk Praça do Comércio and the riverfront if daylight remains. Eat near your hotel and leave the ambitious hills for a day when you know which way is up. A late flight makes this a transfer day, and that is fine.
Day 2 · Lisbon
Old streets and one Belém visit
Walk Alfama and a Graça viewpoint in the morning. In the afternoon choose one significant indoor stop in Belém, then enjoy the riverside. Lisbon is easier to love when you stop trying to tick off four queues in one day. Use my Lisbon guide for neighborhood choices and my hidden gems in Lisbon for smaller stops.
Day 3 · Sintra
Two priorities, a full day
Take the train to Sintra. Pair Pena Palace with a slower town visit, or select a different garden and monument combination. Factor in local transport and steep walks. If you enter Pena’s interior, reserve a timed slot and allow the roughly 30-minute approach from the park entrance noted by the monument operator. Sleep in Lisbon again.
Day 4 · Coimbra
Travel north, then see the city at street level
Take an intercity train to Coimbra. Check which station appears on your ticket and how you will get to your hotel. Explore the lower town, climb toward the university and spend the evening near the Mondego. I live here, and it is frustrating to see the city reduced to a coffee stop between the two bigger names.
My Coimbra travel guide gives you the practical details. If a university attraction matters, confirm its admission and opening times before planning your arrival.
Day 5 · Coimbra to Porto
Keep the transfer simple
Use the morning for a final Coimbra walk, then continue north by train. Aveiro can be a stop if you have checked onward departures and luggage storage, but a direct transfer gives you more Porto time. Settle into your hotel and walk toward Ribeira without trying to conquer the whole city before dinner.
Day 6 · Porto and Gaia
One proper Porto day
Walk São Bento, the streets above Ribeira and the river, then cross the Dom Luís I Bridge for Gaia’s view back toward the city. A cellar tour is optional; I do not drink and still find the river and hillside worth lingering over. For a coherent walk, use my Porto walking route and Porto travel guide.
My first Porto visit was a scouting trip more than five years ago. I later came back for São João, where I watched Dead Kennedys perform, and on another visit saw Black Flag. I also started the Camino Português here. The city has given me several different reasons to return; in a one-week itinerary, let one good day be the beginning.
Day 7 · Depart
Do not borrow time from your flight
Have breakfast if your schedule allows, then head for Porto’s airport. A Lisbon departure requires a significant southbound journey; account for it before buying the flight rather than hoping the timetable will be kind.
Trains, hotel bases and what to book
- Flights: Compare Lisbon arrival and Porto departure with a Lisbon round trip, including the cost and time of any backtrack.
- Hotels: Three Lisbon nights, one Coimbra night and two Porto nights. Avoid a separate hotel for Sintra.
- Rail: Check Lisbon → Coimbra and Coimbra → Porto departures on CP’s official planner. Compare the precise station, departure time and connection to your accommodation. Use local trains and onward transport for Sintra.
- Bookings: Secure flights, beds and any timed Pena interior entry. Keep other visits flexible enough for weather and energy.
- Budget: Price six hotel nights, two intercity journeys, a Sintra day, local transit, airport transfers, meals and chosen admissions. Quote actual dates rather than relying on a universal daily budget.
My Portugal transportation guide compares trains, buses and car hire if you want to modify the route.
Make each day work on the ground
Lisbon: choose a neighborhood, then a second stop
For Day 2, start in Alfama while you still have energy for the slopes. From there, Graça is a natural place to pause for a view. Belém sits farther west; treat it as an afternoon with one booked interior, not a quick add-on to three other museums. If the weather turns, switch the viewpoint walk for a museum and leave the itinerary’s larger shape intact. In the evening, stay near your hotel rather than riding across town for another checklist sight.
Sintra: make the timed entry the anchor
If you choose Pena’s interior, set the rest of Day 3 around that entry and the approach up the hill. Reserve the second half for the historic center or one more place you genuinely want to see. A garden visit can be more satisfying than trying to rush between distant monuments. Keep your third Lisbon night: changing hotels for a day trip costs time you will not recover.
Coimbra: one night is short, so protect the evening
Day 4 gives you a first walk after the train, and Day 5 gives you a morning. Use the arrival afternoon for the lower town and university-side streets, then spend the evening where you are staying. Pick one priority for the next morning before leaving for Porto. A paid university visit requires you to check its current times; a free wander through the city leaves more flexibility. Coimbra is my home base, and this is the minimum stay I would choose if the city matters to you.
Porto: choose your river crossing
On Day 6, you can descend from São Bento to Ribeira, cross the bridge to Gaia, then decide whether to return on the upper or lower level according to your energy and where you are staying. The city is steep. A viewpoint with a long pause is a better use of the afternoon than squeezing in a distant day trip. My memories of São João, Dead Kennedys, Black Flag and the start of my Camino are from different visits; they are reasons I keep returning, not events you need to reproduce in one day.
Two other ways to use seven days
Lisbon and the coast: one hotel base
Spend all six nights in Lisbon. Use Day 1 to arrive, Days 2 and 3 for distinct city areas, Day 4 for Sintra, Day 5 for Cascais and the shoreline, Day 6 for the Lisbon neighborhood or museum you missed, and Day 7 for departure. This version trades the Porto and Coimbra rail legs for slower mornings and a single hotel. It suits a Lisbon return flight and anyone who wants to unpack once.
Porto and the North: two bases
With flights into and out of Porto, spend four nights in Porto and two in a second northern base such as Guimarães, or remain in Porto for all six. Give your first two full days to Porto and Gaia, take one dedicated Guimarães day, and use another for a quieter garden, coast or neighborhood. If the Douro is your priority, make it one full day after checking the transport options for your date. A valley outing competes with other northern trips; choose it deliberately. See my Porto guide and Guimarães guide for the respective city plans.
For two or three extra nights, the 10-day Portugal itinerary gives Coimbra another full day and Porto enough room for a Douro choice. Keep the route that fits your flights rather than treating every length as a compressed version of the same trip.
Choose what to leave out
Less hotel movement: Sleep three nights in Lisbon and three in Porto, with Coimbra as a long transfer-day stop. This reduces a hotel change but gives Coimbra less time and makes luggage storage more important.
More Central Portugal: Take a night from Porto to spend two in Coimbra, especially if Tomar or another day trip is a priority. See my Central Portugal guide; do not promise multiple outings from a single Coimbra afternoon.
More Douro: A Douro day would replace your only full Porto day, so I would save it for a longer visit. If it is essential, check CP’s live Douro Line notice; rail works and replacement buses can affect the plan.
Have ten days? The existing 10-day Portugal article adds a second Coimbra night and more Porto time, with a flexible Douro option.
One-week Portugal questions
Is seven days enough for Portugal?
Enough for Lisbon, Sintra, Coimbra and Porto at a moderate pace, assuming useful flights. It is not enough to add the Algarve and every northern day trip without giving up much of the experience.
Do I need to rent a car?
No. This plan follows the intercity rail corridor, with local transit and walking within each destination.
Could I stay in Lisbon all week?
Yes. Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais and perhaps one Alentejo outing make a good slower week. Choose that if one hotel matters more than reaching Porto.
What if my arrival is late or departure early?
Treat those as travel days. Drop an optional sight or choose fewer bases rather than pretending the hours exist.