My husband and I are starting to plan our trip to Portugal in 2026. Here's our thoughts so far. I would appreciate your ideas.
Itinerary: Lisbon to Nazare to Fatima then Porto
Date: October 2026 (Thinking the weather will be good and the rates a bit lower)
Flights: We would like to travel business class, but rates are pretty outrageous. Any suggestions?
Hotels: Any recommendations?
Thanks!
It's hard to suggest hotels without knowing your budget. Without looking at a map your route looks like it is more or less south to north end so sounds reasonable.
October is the start of the rainy season so you need to be prepared for that. When I was there in early October in 2019, I lucked out and had a week of very warm weather for that time of year and no rain- in mid 20s Celsius every day and not humid.
I was there the end of October about three years ago and it was rainy to very rainy. There were some heavy down pours. You will need rain gear.
It was also still very crowded but manageable crowded.
Looking at my pictures and people were dressed for cool weather. I can not remember if it was warm or cold.
Stayed at the Be Poet Baixa Hotel. Liked it. Would stay again.
Loved Lisbon. Beautiful and interesting. You will probably want to go on a side trip to Sintra and Belem.
I had gone on a. cruise and we ported at Porto. I went on a shore excursion to Braga. Very interesting and pretty.
If it helps with your planning, October is generally a lovely month to visit Portugal, but—as others mentioned—you should expect some rain, especially from mid-October onward. Temperatures usually stay mild, and the advantage is that the big attractions are less crowded than in summer.
Your Lisbon → Nazaré → Fátima → Porto route is very straightforward. Nazaré is great for coastal views, and Fátima is easy to visit even with just a short stop unless you're planning something more in-depth.
When you reach Porto, one thing that really helps is getting a sense of the layout early on — the historic centre is beautiful but quite hilly, and having some local context makes the rest of your stay much smoother. I found this Porto visitor guide particularly helpful for planning what to see and how to organise the days: https://bluedragon.pt/category/porto-tourist-guide/
It’s written by a local team and gives a good overview of neighbourhoods, viewpoints, and cultural highlights.
For hotels, everything depends on your budget, but in Lisbon areas like Baixa/Chiado or Avenida da Liberdade are very convenient. In Porto, Ribeira is charming (though touristy), while Cedofeita and Aliados offer easy access without the crowds.
Regarding flights, business-class fares from Madrid or Barcelona can sometimes be much lower than from North America directly into Portugal, even when adding a separate connection — worth checking if your schedule is flexible.
Hope this helps with your 2026 planning!
Not sure of your draw to Nazaré is, but if it’s the large waves, there won’t be any in October. The town itself is worth a day, but it is a typical beach town and has no wow sites.
We visited Fátima from Tomar. In addition to the Sanctuary there are the childrens’ home and the grotto where Mary appeared to them. It is a couple miles from the Sanctuary and some light walking is required to reach it from the parking area.
On our trip we had a rental car.
