Portugal fits a lot into short distances: Lisbon, the Douro terraces, the quiet Alentejo coast and the Algarve cliffs.
Portugal is small enough that a week can hold a city, a wine region and a stretch of coast without long drives. Lisbon and Porto are hilly, tiled cities made for walking. The Douro Valley has port wine estates on terraced slopes above the river, and the Alentejo has cork forests, whitewashed towns and the empty beaches around Comporta.
We pair Porto with the Douro, and Lisbon with Sintra, the Alentejo or the Algarve. Madeira and the Azores work as separate trips, for walking, gardens and whales rather than beaches.
The honest caveats are the Atlantic and August. The sea is cooler than the Mediterranean even in high summer, and the Algarve is at its busiest in August. The Douro can be very hot in July and August, so we prefer late May, June and the harvest in September.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of vineyard terraces cut into the slate above the river. Stay at a quinta near Pinhão, taste tawny and vintage ports alongside the dry reds, and take a traditional rabelo boat on the river. The harvest runs through September and early October, when some estates still tread grapes by foot.
Lisbon is built on seven hills, and the way to see it is on foot with the old number 28 tram for the steep bits. Wander the Alfama at dusk when the fado houses open, eat custard tarts warm from the oven in Belém and grilled sardines in a local tasca. The viewpoints of Graça and São Pedro de Alcântara are best at sunset.
Sintra is forty minutes from Lisbon and has a cluster of palaces in misty hills: the bright Pena Palace, the Moorish Castle and the gardens and initiation well at Quinta da Regaleira. Go early with a private guide, before the tour coaches, then drive on to Cabo da Roca and lunch on fish in Azenhas do Mar.
South of Lisbon, Comporta has long empty beaches backed by dunes, rice fields and pine woods, with stilted fishing jetties at Carrasqueira. It is a place for barefoot lunches and riding on the beach. Inland, Évora is a Roman and medieval university town, and the Alentejo wine estates sit among cork oaks.
The western Algarve around Lagos has golden sandstone cliffs, arches and coves. Take a boat to the sea caves at Benagil, walk the clifftop Seven Hanging Valleys trail, and swim at Praia da Marinha. The coast is family-friendly with shallow beaches, but August is crowded, so June and September are better.
Madeira is a volcanic island in the Atlantic, mild all year and steep and green. Its levadas are old irrigation channels with paths alongside, contouring through laurel forest to waterfalls. Walk the Caldeirão Verde or the ridge from Pico do Arieiro, then visit the Monte Palace gardens above Funchal. It suits active travellers more than beach lovers.
In Lisbon, Chiado and Príncipe Real suit walkers; in Porto, the riverfront Ribeira is atmospheric but steep. In the Douro, stay on a working wine estate. On the coast, Comporta is quiet and design-led, while the western Algarve suits families who want easy beaches.
We match each trip in Portugal to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsPortugal has a long season. From April to June the country is green, warm and uncrowded, and September and October bring the harvest and the warmest sea on the Algarve.
July and August are dry and hot inland, busy on the coast and the time for the cooler beaches around Comporta. Winter is mild but wet; Madeira stays warm, and Lisbon makes a good short break.
A week that starts in Porto, spends two nights on a Douro wine estate and finishes in Lisbon, with a day at Sintra. 7 nights.
Fly into Porto and stay near the Ribeira. Walk the old town, cross the Dom Luís I bridge and taste port in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia.
Drive up the valley to a quinta near Pinhão. Tastings at neighbouring estates and an afternoon on the river in a rabelo boat.
Fast train south to Lisbon. A day in the Alfama and Belém, and an early start for the palaces of Sintra with a private guide.
A last custard tart and a short transfer to Lisbon airport for the flight home, about 2 hours 50 minutes to Heathrow.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Portugal (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Lisbon is about 2 hours 50 minutes direct from Heathrow, and Porto, Faro and Funchal have direct London flights too. Porto and Lisbon are linked by fast train.
UK passport holders can visit Portugal without a visa for short stays, and new Schengen border checks are being introduced. Read the FCDO entry requirements for Portugal (opens in a new tab) before you travel.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Portugal (opens in a new tab)
See the TravelHealthPro page for Portugal (opens in a new tab) and the FCDO health page. Summer heat in the Douro and Alentejo is the main thing to plan around, and Atlantic beaches can have strong currents, so swim where there are lifeguards.
Portugal uses the euro. Cash machines on the Multibanco network are everywhere and work around the clock, and Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted.
Surcharge-free roaming in the EU is no longer guaranteed for UK customers, so check your provider's charges before you go. Wi-Fi is standard in hotels.
Service is included in restaurant bills, though it is customary to leave an extra five to ten per cent. For taxis, rounding up to the nearest euro is normal.
On the Algarve from June to October, yes, though it is cooler than the Mediterranean and refreshing rather than warm. The west coast around Lisbon and Comporta is colder and has more swell. Many hotels have heated pools for the shoulder months.
Two nights is the minimum to feel the pace of the valley, three if you want to visit several estates and spend a day on the river. The roads are winding and slow, so we base you at one quinta and use a driver for tastings.
Very. Flights are short, there is no jet lag, and the western Algarve has calm, shallow beaches and plenty of family villas. Lisbon is fun with children on the trams and at the aquarium, and portions in Portuguese restaurants are generous.
Madeira is warmer and more developed, with gardens, levada walks and good hotels around Funchal. The Azores are wilder, greener and cooler, with crater lakes, hot springs and whale watching, and suit travellers who want nature over polish. Both work well as a week on their own.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: May, June and September.
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