Hello! My partner and I will be in Mallorca for a wedding in October and will have 5-6 days (Tues-Sunday) after to explore. We are landing on Portugal but now need some help.
We would be arriving in Portugal Tuesday and departing Sunday.
Deciding between:
1. Lisbon + day trips or trip to algarve
2. Porto with day trip to Douro
3. Porto and overnight in Douro
4. Split Lisbon and Porto (probably wont have time to do day trips)
Thanks in advance!
If this is your first visit to Portugal I would recommend splitting time between Lisbon and Porto. Otherwise 1 (skip Algarve), 2 and 3 are all good choices depending on your interests. If you are a wine lover and are choosing Porto I would spend the night in the Douro. IMHO the most beautiful wine region.
There is so much to see and do in both Lisbon and Porto, I would say that your best plan would be to divide your time between those two cities and skip the day trips and/or overnight entirely. Have you been able to take a look at some videos on YouTube or a guidebook to help you decide what type of city activities interests you most? That would help you decide how much time in each of the cities. I know the Douro is tempting, but you'd be seriously shortchanging Porto with only a day or two there. If Port wine rather than scenery interests you, a trip over the river to a port house in Gaia would (at least temporarily) satisfy that interest. You have such a short time in Portugal, and trying to squeeze a lot into only a few days doesn't let you enjoy it. With more time, and another visit, certainly branch out for day trips.
