My wife and I will start a journey on the morning of Sept 23 from Peso da Regua, reaching Lisbon on the late evening of the Sept 25. We will have a car.
In these 3 days we are considering visiting Coimbra, Tomar, Obidos and Evora. We can not do it all, so I would appreciate your thoughts on what are the 2 or 3 most interesting places to visit out of these 4. Or maybe you have different ideas all together. We are not beach people so I did not add Nazare.
We have been to Tomar and Obidos. We stayed in Tomar as a base for day trips. We had a car. Except for the templar castle, there really isn’t anything else to see in Tomar. We spent half a day in Obidos. It’s interesting, but small. You could definately see both in one day.
If driving from Coimbra to Evora, I would stop in which ever place resonates with you. Check them both out on YouTube.
Thank you Barbara
Evora is the outlier from the other listed places. Since Óbidos can be seen in a couple hours, there’s no reason you couldn’t see all your other options. I enjoyed Coimbra and Tomar more than Óbidos. I haven’t been to Evora in decades so cannot comment on it.
The castle and Convent of Christ are the main sites in Tomar and the castle is really a ruin. The convent is one of the nicer ones I’ve visited. We too used Tomar as a base to visit Batalha monastery, Fátima, and Almourol castle. We visited Alcobaca monastery between Tomar and Óbidos and Conimbriga Rman ruins between Coimbra and Tomar.
Thank you jaimeelsabio.
I agree with the idea that Evora is the outlier simply in terms of being out of the way. But, it’s more interesting to me than Tomar.
No one mentioned Conimbriga. It’s the remains of a Roman settlement with some lovely intact mosaic floors. It’s close to Coimbra, so easy to visit once you leave there. Very much worth the slight detour IMO.
I was just in Obidos for the first time in 11 years. Agreed, it’s only worth a couple of hours, but there seem to be more shops and restaurants than the last time I was there. Parking is easy and it’s close to the main highway.
What about Sintra?
Thank you all for your feedback.
We will do Sintra as a day tour from Lisbon.
Since you have a car and are not looking for beach stops, you have the ultimate flexibility to create an incredible 3-day road trip. Trying to hit all four places would mean spending your entire trip driving, parking, and packing.To maximize your time between Peso da Régua and Lisbon, drop Évora from this specific leg. Geographically, Évora is far to the southeast in the Alentejo region; adding it requires a massive detour that will swallow up an entire day of driving.The most interesting, efficient, and deeply historic route focuses on Coimbra, Tomar, and Óbidos. Here is how to structure it perfectly into 3 days:Day 1 (Sept 23): Peso da Régua to CoimbraThe Drive: Head south through the beautiful mountain valleys (~1.5 hours).The Vibe: Coimbra is Europe’s quintessential medieval university city, steeply stacked above the Mondego River.What to do: Spend the afternoon exploring the jaw-dropping Joanina Library (a Baroque masterpiece built in the 1700s) and wandering the ancient Almedina old town.Stay the night: Overnight in Coimbra.Day 2 (Sept 24): Coimbra to TomarThe Drive: A smooth 1-hour drive down the main highway.The Vibe: Tomar is the mystical, historic home of the Knights Templar.What to do: Explore the massive Convent of Christ. Because you have a car, you can bypass the steep walk from town and park right near the castle gates. Take your time wandering the quiet, smaller cloisters surrounding the main Charola. If you want a deeply researched private look into these hidden symbols to make the most of your afternoon stop, feel free to check out our unhurried local paths: https://www.templarknightstours.com/templar-tour. Afterward, drive down into the flat town center for a relaxed lunch along the Nabão River.Stay the night: Overnight in Tomar.Day 3 (Sept 25): Tomar to Óbidos to LisbonThe Drive: Leave Tomar in the morning and drive about 1 hour to Óbidos.The Vibe: Óbidos is a picture-perfect, fully intact medieval walled village.What to do: Walk the historic stone ramparts, wander the cobblestone paths lined with white-and-blue houses, and try Ginjinha (the local sour cherry liqueur served in a tiny chocolate cup). The Finish: Jump back in the car for a final, easy 1-hour drive straight down to Lisbon, arriving in the late evening just as planned.Alternative Idea: The Three Monasteries RouteIf you want to swap out Óbidos for raw architectural history, keep your overnights in Coimbra and Tomar, but use Day 3 to visit Batalha or Alcobaca. These gigantic UNESCO-listed gothic monasteries are situated right along your driving route to Lisbon and offer some of the most stunning stone carvings in all of Europe.This layout keeps your driving times under 90 minutes per day, eliminates any backtracking, and lets you experience Portugal's finest medieval history at a wonderful, unhurried pace!
