Hello! We are flying into Lisbon at the beginning of October for 8 days and were wondering if we should stay in Lisbon and do day trips or go to Porto. (husband doesn't like wine, I do! ;) We love the outdoors, cool hikes and exploring the city. (Love quaint towns with character) We were hoping to go to the Algarve, but just don't have enough time. We are also planning to go to Sintra. Thanks for any insight!
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
208 posts
Lisbon and Porto are so different from each other! We split our recent trip between the two cities and thought it turned out so well. We did a day trip by train to the Duoro Valley but aren't wine drinkers. We just strolled around and enjoyed the sights!
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
Hey Tall Girl, there are neat cities, towns and rural areas all over Portugal. You really can’t go wrong, unless you try to visit so many places that you find yourselves rushing around for the whole week. If your whole time is 8 days, meaning 7 nights, in Portugal, my recommendation would be to go right from Lisbon airport to Sintra for 2 nights, then 5 nights in Lisbon. You might fit Evora into that time too. I also love Porto, the Douro Valley and the areas to the north, but would leave those for a future visit, rather than trying to squeeze all that into one short trip.
You mention loving the outdoors, great hikes and exploring cities, and you can enjoy all those things right inside Lisbon and Sintra, where there are plenty of interesting sites, neighborhoods, and hills, all spread out throughout both cities. Enjoy!