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8 Day Itinerary for Portugal

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Looking for input on a trip I am planning with my 4 girlfriends for next May. We have our lodging and I am building an itinerary around it.

May 20: Arrive Porto
May 21: Explore Porto
May 22: Duoro Valley Wine Tour
May 23: Depart Porto. Rent a car and drive to Nazare for the night. Stop in Aveiro on the way to Nazare for a few hours.
May 24: Spent morning in Nazare and then depart for a visit to Fatima. Once completed head to Lisbon. Return car
May 25: Explore Lisbon
May 26: Day trip to Sintra & Cascais (organized tour bus)
May 27: Explore Lisbon
May 28: Depart for home

*** How much time should I allow for a visit to Fatima. Are there other things to do near the site for those not interested in Fatima?

Thank you for any and all suggestions.

Posted by
184 posts

You can skip Aveiro, in my opinion. We were underwhelmed with the canals. Hope you’re using Lisbon Riders for your Sintra day - we really enjoyed them.

Posted by
11159 posts

Aviero is ok for a quick look but I agree with the poster above.
I would not want to stay overnight in touristy Nazare, stopping for lunch by the beach was more than enough for us. Perhaps it won’t be so jam packed with tourists in May as it was when we visited there in mid-June. It is known for it’s big waves for surfing.
Why aren’t you including interesting and historic Coimbra?? You definitely need to visit it, one of Portugal’s top sites, stay overnight there instead of in touristy Nazare! We loved our stay at the Quinta de las Lagrimas in Coimbra.
We enjoyed seeing Alcobaça which is not far from Nazare but skipped Fatima. The Portuguese Royal Tombs including those of King Pedro and his beloved Inés are in Alcobaça Cathedral, a beautiful, historic building. Google “King Pedro and Inés” for an interesting story!

Posted by
19 posts

I’m in Coimbra now and we are enjoying our overnight stay. We visited and toured the university’s sights, science museum, chapel, great hall and King João III’s Library. The old town is small but charming.

We enjoyed the Douro River Valley tour with Living Tour. We had a great guide. We visited Amarante, two quintas, (2 tastings and one included lunch) and rode on the river upstream from Pinhão for 50 minutes. 8:30-6:30 for 95 euros but they offer discounts of 5 euros when signing up.

Posted by
36 posts

I completely agree with comments re: Coimbra. Definitely worth a night and full day, at least. Fantastic spot for a night between Porto and Lisbon.

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