3-week Itinerary-Questions

I stayed in Tomar for 3 nights and used it as a base for day trips to Nazare (I was unimpressed), Obidos (1/2 day was just enough to enjoy), and the monasteries of Batalha and Alcobaça. Tomar was easy to drive in and out of, and there was a good choice of restaurants. Do have a meal at Taverna Antiqua. I didn't find Tomar particularly interesting, the monastery wasn't worth the time after seeing the other two. But it was very convenient. I liked Sintra much more than Braga and Guarda. You'll want to be in the historic center of Sintra and you won't want to drive around while you're there. There must be some public parking - maybe near the train station. And some of the hotels may have parking. Sintra really needs 2 nights. I would say visit Cascais while you're in Lisbon either by bus or uber.

I hope you're staying at a Quinta in the Douro Valley.

Can you tell me why you were unimpressed with Nazaré? I looked at the Quintas in the Douro valley...but found them very expensive ( upwards of 4-500$ Canadian per night)...which is out of my budget for a 3-week trip unfortunately.

I have to disagree with Chani about the monastery (and castle) at Tomar. It was one of the highlights of my visit to Portugal last year.

I would definitely want more time in the Douro Valley.

Consider something like this for the first part of your trip:

2,3,4 - Porto
5,6,7 - Douro Valley, Braga, Guimarães
8 - Coimbra
9 Tomar

On our trip we spent 1 night in Óbidos, 2 in Nazaré, 3 in Coimbra, and 4 in Tomar. Óbidos only needs a couple hours. We used Tomar as a base to take some day trips. We visited Alcobaca and Batalha monasteries, and the Convent of Christ in Tomar. To me Alcobaca was the least interesting and the Convent of Christ the most interesting because one could see areas of it one doesn’t get to see in many other monasteries and convents in both Spain and Portugal.

Nazaré is a typical beach town. Walking along the beach was ok and the upper town deserves a couple hours. If you wanted to see the large waves Nazaré is known for, I don’t believe you’ll see any that time of year.

Coming from the Duero area, if you don’t mind climbing 600 stairs, the Santuário de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in Lamego is interesting. When we were there there was a festival taking place.

Since you intend to have a car, look up parking lots in the places you intend to visit. By looking up lots before the trip, I found free parking everywhere we went (except Porto) if our lodging didn’t offer it.

Over the years, I’ve passed by or through Guarda a few times going between Spain and Portugal, but never spent a night there.

I am doing a similar 3 week trip in mid-April to early May but am spending less time in the Coimbra, Tomar, Nazare area. We were originally planning to spend 2 nights in Nazare and use it as our base to see Tomar, Alcobaca and Batalha. Based on comments, I'm thinking of using Tomar as my home base. Any hotel recommendations?

@LUV2Travel - in Nazaré we stayed at Hotel Magic. It had free parking in its own garage, a five minute walk from the hotel. In Tomar we stayed at Thomar Boutique Hotel. It here is a free public parking lot right outside the hotel. In Coimbra we stayed at Hotel Mondego. It has a few free parking spaces in front of the hotel. There’s a parking garage just down the street.

Few potential ideas.
1. As you only have one night in Douro, could you do it as a tour from Porto and hold off picking up your car until Coimbra? You don't need a car in Coimbra either, and it is a fast train from Porto.
2. I would prioritize Coimbra over either Nazare or Tomar, but that is just my own preference.

3. You asked about Evora. I loved Evora and there is a lovely drive from there to the Algarve. You could consider taking time from Lagos ( as I think Carveiro is close) to do that.

4. Agree with Chani re your time in Sintra/ Cascais.

The itinerary is well thought out, but there are two key points worth highlighting.

First, fewer bases mean a smoother trip. Using Tomar as a base works very well and allows easy day trips to Batalha Monastery, Alcobaça Monastery, and Óbidos without constantly changing hotels. Nazaré is pleasant, but outside big-wave season it’s not essential if time is limited.

Second, Sintra should not be done by car. It’s best to leave the car parked and spend at least two days in Sintra, visiting Cascais as a day trip from Lisbon.

If there’s room for one adjustment, Évora adds real variety to the itinerary and fits perfectly between Lisbon and the Algarve.

Hi Evelyne
My third trip to Portugal last year was amazing and I’ve done a trip report if you are interested. But for now, I will comment on your planned itinerary. For the most part, I think it is well mapped out, but will say I agree with some posters to drop Nazare (small waves, cold ocean water) and add a day to Coimbra; possibly take a tour of Douro from Porto instead of driving yourself. IMHO you could pick up the car in Coimbra IF you are exploring the area (like Conimbriga Roman ruins). But if you are not exploring around Coimbra, you won’t need the rental car until you leave.

Evora has the Roman ruins in the center of town and the wonderful cathedral. I would spend one night in Evora if there is time. Otherwise, a short visit of 3-4 hours on your way to the Algarve is an option. Might be a long day though. I didn’t drive and just took public transportation for the most part. If you have two drivers, might be good to split the driving time. IDK maybe the Algarve isn’t that far away from Evora. Just some thoughts.

Here is an excerpt from my TR for part of my visit to Evora:

Church of San Francisco is beautiful but the bone chapel eerie and musty smelling. Evora Cathedral - rose granite gothic cathedral is largest and oldest medieval cathedral in Portugal of 11th and 12th centuries; amazing rooftop with many stairs (some circular) to climb, but the view of Evora not to be missed. I took the stairs very slowly.

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Thans everyone for the priceless advice shared with me. I am re-working my itinerary today as a result of your input. Greatly appreciated!

Here is my revised itinerary. Please comment if you feel inclined to do so.
Day 1-Travel
Day 2-3-4: Porto
Day 5-6:Pick up car and drive to the Douro Valley
Day 7-8: Coimbra
Day 9-10-11: Tomar
Day 12:Evora ( replaces Sintra, which will be seen by group tour from Lisbon)
Day 13: Faro ( See the eastern part of the coast)
Day 14-15-16-17: Carveiro ( class reunion and see the western part of the coast all the way to Sagres)
Day 18-19-20-21: Lisbon ( see Sintra and Cascais with a small group tour from Viator.com) ( See Belem on our own)
Day 22: Last day in Lisbon and move to a hotel close to airport at end of day
Day 23: Fly home, early morning

You should have a nice trip with the revised itinerary.

Thank you. I appreciate it!

Be sure while in Tomar to drive to the Pegões Aqueduct. We went three years ago. We were the only ones there and climbed up and walked a couple feet on the rim. The aqueduct is amazing

Evelyne, I like your revised itinerary. On your comment to book a small group tour to Cascais and Sintra, might I suggest booking a tour through Lisbon Riders instead of the third-party booking company, Viator. That way, if there is any trouble, you won’t have to deal with a third party. Here is a link

https://lisbonriders.com/#grouptours

Thank you! Good ideas.