Please help with 15 day Portugal Itinerary

Aviero is good for a few hours at most. Same with Obidos.
Belem is part of Lisbon, one of my favorite parts!

We went to Caiscais one day and walked to Estoril via the beach.
Two nights each for Evora and Coimbra is good.
The Minho region north of Porto is wonderful. Consider adding it. Visit Portugal’s first capital, Guimares.
Also consider a day trip to Alcobaça, beautiful architecture, where Portugal’s royalty is entombed. We did not like Bathala as much.
Why not stay in Lisbon when you land there? Why are you going north to Porto and doubling back south at the end? I am guessing R/T flights?
You are not moving around too much. It is a small country.

Thanks to both of you for the quick responses! We did decide to leave Lisbon for the end, due to return flight. We thought we would enjoy 4 nights in one spot, with day trips, to end our trip. I'll play around with the idea of starting in Porto and working our way down, too! Any thoughts on a stay at a quinta in the Duoro Valley?

The main train station in Lisbon is Oriente. It is a concrete monster. You can take the metro from the airport, go up to the train station by escalator, then the fun begins. You have to go up 3 flights to buy tickets. There is one small elevator that's hard to find. Or walk up the stairs. There are several sales points spread out on that level. Each one sells tickets to different destinations. I went to 3 before I found the one I needed. The tracks are one more flight up, there are elevators and escalators to the platforms. All the concessions are at ground level or in the metro, so if you want food or drink for the train, buy first. When you return to Lisbon, you can get the metro or a taxi at Oriente to your hotel. Or you can take the train one more station to Santa Apolonia, much nearer the center, but you may have to wait a long time in line for a taxi.

So I would consider going from the airport to Sintra first by Uber or taxi. If you do take the train from Oriente, you then have to get to the historic center. While it's a gentle downhill slope and less than 1 km., it's mostly cobblestones, so slow going with wheeled luggage. When you've just got off a long flight and you're jetlagged, you don't need all that hassle. When I was there in 2019, Uber was very affordable and taxis weren't much more. When you leave, take Uber to either Santa Apolonia or Oriente and hop on the train with your pre-purchased tickets. Use the official website for tickets and schedules. You must use the Portuguese spellings. You want Porto-Campanha, the main station, and then take a taxi to your hotel. You want Coimbra-B, the main station, and then take a taxi to your hotel. It's not worth the hassle to try to connect to the local train into the city center.

I loved 2N at a quinta in the Douro Valley, but I had a car. I don't know how you'd get there and back or what there is to do. One couple I met there went hiking every day. Going from the Douro Valley to Evora will use up a day. Looking at the schedule for early September, there's a train at 9.30 and another at 1.30 from Porto to Evora (change trains at Lisboa-Oriente). The 9.30 train takes 5.5 hours (if you can get there in time from the Douro Valley). The later train takes 5 hours. The difference is the time at Oriente between trains (1 hour vs 1/2 hour).

Aveiro is not a wow. Consider whether you'd be better off using the extra time in Porto - 2 full days is the minimum there.

Are you short-changing Lisbon? You can probably get a 1/2 day guided tour to Obidos. It's an hour by car, probably more than twice that by bus or train - and then a bus or taxi up to the walled town. Belem and Cascais are 1/2 day trips as well. 4 nights in Lisbon gives you 3 days. You won't have much time to see lovely Lisbon.

Hi Vicki,

Land in Lisbon and take train right to Sintra: 2 nights

Coimbra 2 nights

Day trip to Aveiro and on to Porto 3 nights

Duoro Valley 2 nights

Evora 2 nights

Lisbon 4 nights (day trips to Obidos, Belem and Cascais)**

I'm trying to decide if this is too much moving around. We plan to use public transportation for the whole trip.

My daughter and I did a similar trip, via public transportation, however, we skipped the Douro Valley, Aveiro and Obidos.

I like your plan to go directly to Sintra upon arrival, we did the same on our trip.

Consider going to Évora after Sintra, which will save you a very long trek from the Douro Valley.

I agree with Chani, 4 nights in Lisbon gives you 3 full days, and not enough time to explore Lisbon and do all the day trips you’ve planned.

You may consider going to the Douro Valley as a day trip from Porto instead, and adding those 2 nights to Lisbon, or one to Porto and one to Lisbon.

Enjoy your trip to beautiful Portugal!