2 nights in Porto, 3 nights in Lisbon - what not to miss?

I am following this! Good question!

Which month of the year will shape the answer as weather varies.

Also arrival from elsewhere in Europe vs stateside will impact first day.

Open jaw vs return to starting point will make a diference.

2 nights could translate into just 1 sightseeing day or even 3 depending on arrival/departure time.

Forum members can provide more useful and relevant advice with little bit more specificity

I'm looking forward to getting some basic info on what people think are definite must-see's. Specific itinerary isn't needed to answer this basic question.

We enjoyed just walking around Porto, visiting the church of Souls, cathedral, San Bento train station, looking at the blue tiles on some churches, going by the town hall to see the Porto sign, walking along the river and doing a couple wine tastings, and walking across the Luís I Bridge. I wouldn’t classify any of them as must see.

Porto
RS upper and lower walk with detour to cathedral

Depending on time of the year and whether you have 1 day or 2 days or 3 days, trip to Douro Valley or not.

One of the port facilities in Gaia.
1 hour boat ride

Buy RS book (or pick one up from library - even one from 2019 or 2021 will get good enough info), invest couple of hours reading it and then post any specific queries.

For Lisbon:
Plenty of threads on this forum to get some idea's without any specifics in mind

Here's a good place to start:
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal

Gulbenkian Museum! We were provided with a marvelous 1 1/2-hour guided tour on our RS tour. Wish we had spent more time. The cafeteria in the bottom of the museum is excellent but can be busy.

Nice to hear the museum in Lisbon is good because it's really the only thing I know that I really want to see, at this point. I am hoping that others contribute some more for Lisbon.

I just got back from 2 weeks in Portugal including Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto. Others mentioned a lot of good experiences. The Gulbenkian Museum was excellent but not very big (which for me was perfect). I enjoyed the Monument to the Discoveries with the elevator to the observation deck, Belem Tower and the Pasteis de Belem (even with the line). The best museum for me was the Maritime Museum, next to the Jeronimos Monastery. Especially related to the era between 1400 and 1800, when Portuguese influence was at it's peak.

In Porto, the Sao Cathedral and especially the Sao Francisco church interior (rivals the interior of the Toledo Cathedral) are must sees. The Arabian room of the Stock Exchange Palace is amazing.

In Porto I always go by the Mercado Bilhao, preferably in the morning. And I like the sunsets off the beach at Matosinhos, especially how it exaggerates the yellow color of the Fort of Cheese.

We just returned from two weeks in Portugal and loved it!

1. Really enjoyed the the Taste Porto Food Tour in Porto. https://tasteporto.com/
2. Highly recommend dinner at Chama in Porto - but be sure to make reservations well in advance! The most fun I've had at dinner in a very long time! https://restaurantechama.com/
3. We also really enjoyed dinner at Cantina 32 on Rua das Flores in Porto.
4. Be sure to walk across the top level of the Dom Luis bridge just in time to see the sun set. Continue on to explore the Gaia side and enjoy some wine.
5. An amazing sandwich in Lisbon is at As Bifanas Do Afonso. No dine in, walk up only - but well worth a stop.
6. We rode the Santa Justa Elevator in Lisbon...a bit touristy but fun to do. You can explore the Bairro Alto/Chiado district at the top before going back down.
7. Also recommend RS Walking Tour.

Just enjoy it all...:)

My husband and I went to Portugal last October.

Lisbon: our best experiences were just enjoying the city. Taking time to stroll and especially to enjoy the Miradouro near our hotel for a Porto Tonic, people watching, and glorious sunsets.

• We loved our Eating Europe Best of Lisbon Tuk Tuk tour. The tour starts in Baixa with breakfast, then you hop into a Tuk Tuk that takes you around the city, leaving you near Castelo de S. Jorge for a culinary exploration of the Alfama, ending back in the Baixa near the Justa elevator.
• Favorite restaurant was Ofício in Chiado. It had inventive, modern Portuguese food and a lovely wine list. We visited during their neighborhood night where guest chefs and local wine makers cooked along with the Oficio chefs. If this restaurant was in my home town, I would be a regular.
• See a Fado performance. There are many great restaurants, especially in the Alfama.

Porto: we enjoyed the Free Walking Tour along with the Eating Europe Port Wine & Dine Tour. The food tour was so much fun, staring with breakfast, visiting neighborhood restaurants, and tasting Port in the oldest wine cave. We ate well in Porto, Mitsu took us away to a tropical paradise. Our biggest surprise was Pregar with the most amazing beef sandwiches. Come early if you eat here as there is a really long wait, but well worth it.

The Belem area of Lisbon is our favorite. The Jeronimos Monastery, the famous original bakery to buy the famous egg custard tarts, the Coach Museum.

Lots of great ideas already mentioned that I agree with. I really loved the Gulbenkian Museum too. I had a fantastic premium wine tasting with Lisbon Winery. I really recommend it. They also have a Port Wine tasting, but you can do that in Porto. In Porto, I went to Taylor's for the port wine tour - self-guided and very comprehensive. Really enjoyed that and it's worth the walk up the cobblestone roads to get there!

My husband (67) and I (61) were in Portugal last year in May and spent 4 nights in Gaia - just across the bridge from Porto. We did the RS Walking Tour from his book. We LOVED everything about but if I had to pick three "can't miss", I would have to recommend:
1. Sangria at the hilltop bar, Base.

2. Porto Food Tour/Mercado Bolhao farmers market. Recently remodeled and just breathtaking array of produce, meats, seafood, cheeses, etc!
3. Porto Cathedral - There is a busker cellist, Julio Luz, who plays there regularly, and his music just elevates the whole experience!
We spent three nights in Lisbon and we enjoyed the Plaza do Carmo basically because of its historical relevance as the location where the last of the Salazar regime holed up during the Carnation Revolution. If you too are history buffs, I would also recommend the Museum of Resistance and Liberation dedicated to the rise and fall of the Salazar dictorship 1926-1974.If you have time, go to Sintra! We had heard of the crowds and lines, but we decided to go for it and were not disappointed! Pena Palace and the Moorish castle were our favorites. Finally, have to recommend the cauliflower tacos at the restaurant, Carnal!

Agree with other posters above re: get the RS Portugal guidebook to find most highlights.

The market in Porto has been remodeled, it is probably my favorite market in all the places we've traveled throughout Western Europe.

We like to take a food tour at the beginning of our stay, that way we get an overview of the city, find the best regional cuisine, wines and a little history as well. If you're on a RS tour, you'll get all that, but if not, start with a food tour (others have posted links).

Make dinner reservations ahead. The word is out on Portugal and you won't want to miss out on great food because you can't get in.

Thank you all for the wonderful recommendations! We're visiting in late November. I'm working on bookmarking your suggestions. Thank you again!

Lisbon:
Santuário de Cristo Rei vista point, which is across the river from downtown Lisbon.
Farol de Cacilhas vista point, which can be reached by a ferry.
Take a bus that links the two. It's a great half day excursion.

Sea Me Peixaria Moderna is a great fusion (Portuguese and Japanese) seafood restaurant.

Enjoy!

from the NY Times - 36 Hours - Porto, Portugal

My husband and I just returned from a wine tour in Portugal and Spain. We arrived a day early and had dinner at Chama in Porto. It's a chef's tasting menu and we loved it. You request a reservation and roughly 30 days prior they confirm. It's a small restaurant so a reservation is a must. Of course you will go across the river to Gaia as that is where all the port houses are located. Many have tasting rooms along the river. If possible try Niepoort ports/wines. They were my favorite. Our tour included a tasting and dinner at Graham's. It was amazing. The views of the castle and cathedral from there are stunning. We unfortunately did not go to Livraria Lello and really regret it. Get a priority access ticket and get there shortly before they open at 9:00A. Have an amazing holiday!

We did this same thing July of last year (3 nights Lisbon, 2 nights Porto.) Since we really only had 2 1/2 days in Lisbon, we planned 2 tours in town (1 day a 4hr food tour--Secret Food Tour-- and 1 day 4 hr walking tour--through Get Your Guide) and 2 nice dinners out then just explored the town of Lisbon. We decided we did not have enough time to visit or enjoy Belem or Sintra (it just gives us a reason to come back!) Then we took the train up to Porto for 2 nights. We did 1 food tour (again, Secret Food Tours) and a boat tour of the Duoro. We had 1 1/2 days to explore. We loved both but felt like we would have preferred 3 nights in Porto and 2 nights in Lisbon. There's just something about Porto that is magical. I would say definitely take some day tours as they give you a great 'lay of the land' in a short amount of time. We prefer food tours as it usually covers a meal for us (and I love getting insider info on local food.) And, don't miss the 7 Bridges Boat Tour on the Duoro in Porto. We bought tickets first thing in the morning for an evening cruise (this was during high season) so you should have no problem finding a time to go. Enjoy your trip!