Portugal itinerary

We were in Portugal this past April. We went to all your cities except Aveiro. Like you, our time frame was supposedly shoulder season. It was not, it was busy. If you want to go to Pena, I'd get a ticket time of 9:30 or 10, then you'd probably want to be leaving Lisbon at about 7-8am. If you want to see the city with fewer tourists, I would stay over night, the night before. I think if you are organized, Evora could be a day trip.

In regards to Porto, we really enjoyed Porto, Braga and Guimaraes. Douro was stunning and you'll be there at harvest time. I'd encourage you to stay in the valley at least one night. You could take the train to Pinhao and stay overnight. Douro is the most beautiful wine region I've ever seen. If you think you want to Guimaraes and Braga in one day trip, I would suggest being really organized.

Thank you for your advice. We are both early risers. Sintra and Evora would both be early morning trips if we have extra time in Lisbon.

I was considering one of the organized tours to Douro valley, since we'll be relying on public transport. Would prefer not to make too many hotel changes. Any experience with organized tours to the Douro valley from Porto?

Guimaraes and Braga would be 2 separate day trips if we have the time.

I agree with the other posters but will add a couple of comments.
With six nights in Lisbon, you won’t have time for three day trips. Obidos would be my choice to drop. It’s harder by public transport and so crowded it’s not that enjoyable. I really like Evora and love the suggestion to stay one night for the Megalithica tour.

In the Porto area, I would drop Aveiro and go with the suggestion to spend one or two nights in the Douro. It’s an easy train ride to Pinhao and lovely for some portions of the ride. Staying in a Quinta is a great experience, especially if you’re not too late for some of the harvest and crush.

All that said, I appreciate not wanting to change hotels too many times. Looks like you are stuck with having to drop some of your wish list - something I’m always faced with when visiting a new country.

I’ve written this many times but remember that Portugal is very much about slowing down, savoring long lunches with great views and adopting a much slower pace of life. If you can manage to do that, even a little, you will have experienced the country more as a local than a tourist.

Check out https://juliedawnfox.com/. She's got great information on Portugal and if you use her links, you can get a 5% discount. I will be there the same time as you and opted to use CoolTours for Évora from Lisbon and Viator for Braga & Guimarães in a single day from Porto. I'm traveling solo.

I found Julie Dawn Fox's website to be very helpful. In regards to Braga and Guimaraes, I would only do these on a combined day trip if I was very short of time. They are very interesting and attractive cities. There are both buses and trains that go from Porto to Guimaraes and Braga if you'd like to travel independently. If you'd like to book a tour, one great source for information is the "Travel Portugal" facebook page. They have a lot of members, many are tour guides. You will find many recommendations there for tours to Douro, Braga, and Guimaraes. Be aware that Viator is a tour consolidator. They sell other people's tours. You would likely pay more, the travel guide that provides the service gets less.

Thank you everyone for your input. For this trip, I decided to concentrate on my 3 main destinations (Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto) and leave some day trips for the future. From Lisbon (6 night stay) , I will plan for a single day trip. From Porto (6 night stay), I will plan 2 day trips. My current preferences are Sintra or Evora by train from Lisbon - Braga by train and Douro valley with an organized tour from Porto. I hope to plan a longer stay for Douro valley on my next trip. I will be looking at the Julia Fox site as well as the Travel Portugal Facebook page. Just have to decide between Sintra and Evora. Thank you, once again.

My wife and I are returning tomorrow from two weeks in Portugal on a similar itinerary (plus Seville in Spain). Sintra is worth the 40 minute train ride on the same VIVA pass that’s used for public transit in Lisbon. We took the 8:41 am train to beat the crowd. Evora sounds nice but too far out of the way for us. I can recommend the Oslo Hotel in Coimbra with a rooftop lounge and a great view of the city. Óbidos was worth 1/2 day. We saw Porto in two days and wish we spent more time staying in the Régua area of Douro Valley. Great little places to stay in Douro and small group (6) wine tours; much better than organized day trips from Porto.

I really feel you need at least 3 full days in Porto.It is a very interesting city and wonderful for strolling. It was quite busy and for that reason, alone, needs more than two day. I like the suggestion of overnight in Douro and getting a tour from there, but for someone without a vehicle, I think Pinhao would be better.